"What are you doing there?"
Lucas Deutrich Laurence, the Second Prince of Rocette Kingdom. He walks over to the suspicious hooded man that is standing at the door of his fiancée's room.
"Ah, Lucas, it's me—" Austin Brandon Laurence, the First Prince. "I heard Diana Evans fell from the balcony of the palace yesterday. I thought there would be a funeral today but apparently she managed to get up this afternoon. So… as a good brother-in-law, I came with the intention to see if she is doing well."
"Huh, brother-in-law, you say? And in the middle of the night like this?" Lucas didn't understand what his brother was doing right now. Austin wasn't the type of guy who looked after a woman for no reason.
"Yes, isn't Diana Evans going to be my sister-in-law, am I wrong? We will celebrate your engagement tomorrow. Then after that you two will get married. Why? Are you still not happy with your fiancée…
Come on Lucas, weren't you the one who brought yourself all the way to Lady Evans? Mother had given you better options before but you wasted all those choices yourself."
Lucas pouted, realizing that Austin was trying to escape the topic of him being in front of Diana's room. Alright, he will let him go this time. It's just that he doesn't agree with the opinion of his older brother who is five years different from him. "I told you, none of them are worthy of me," he said.
"Hah… yeah, that's what you always say. Your arrogance that made you end up with just the daughter of a lowly county who doesn't even have royal blood. In order to raise her social status, our beloved mother even gave her the opportunity to make the engagement party as her social debut as well.
That was a great achievement. Luckily… I heard she's quite pretty. The soldiers even dared to compare her beauty to my Elisa. It makes me curious, just how…"
Austin peeked inside the door he had opened a little. Too bad he couldn't see anything from the gap, he should have opened the door wider. If only Lucas didn't show up…
"Oh! If so, are you willing to accept her? You can take her to your side. You can make her a concubine in the future."
"And ruin my reputation? Hah! You think I'm stupid? Mother wouldn't give the title of Crown Prince to a prince who likes to play with fire."
It becomes an unspoken condition considering how history is engraved. For example, Charles IV, the former emperor—who was the grandfather for the current princes—was able to develop political power by not taking a single concubine. Until the end of his life Charles IV was faithful to his empress, the one and only woman.
Charles IV's name was engraved in history as a loyal and loving emperor because for the first time in history there was a monarch without a single concubine. He became an example and icon of a man with high nobility.
So that the current princes are educated in such a way that they can inherit this great attitude. Which even though the last emperor, Albert II—did not take concubines. In the end he failed to become a great man and left an illegitimate child.
A child who will be the beginning of all the problems of this century.
"If you don't have a plan on playing with fire then leave this place immediately. I'm sure the palace maids would recite something else if they saw you here at this hour."
"You're right. So sweet, thank you for being so considerate of my reputation. Don't worry, I'll be leaving soon. In exchange for your kindness, I'll give you one piece of advice, Lucas…"
Austin walked over to his brother and put his lips right next to Lucas' ear.
"…If I were you, I would make sure that poor girl doesn't breathe after I push her down. You won't be a crown prince with such a weak heart. Next time, please do it right. OK!" he said.
Not that Lucas didn't get it right. It is just that bastard—Liam, William Deutrich Laurence, their half-brother—shows up right after Diana falls and messes up his plans. Liam even summoned a dozen healers to get Diana to breathe again.
[ That damned bastard always gets in my way since he's coming! ]
Fortunately after Austin left Lucas didn't do anything. He could have just walked into Diana's room and continued his plan to get rid of the girl. But the risk wasn't worth it, it would be obvious that he was planning to get rid of Diana.
The Empress might even have realized his last act and made a note. Lucas couldn't act rashly. So he just closed the door that Austin had opened and left the princess palace.
Lucas promised to himself to find another day to get rid of the lowly count's daughter.
Unknowingly behind that door, Diana pressed her knees to her chest and hugged her knees tighter. The conversation between the two princes was clearly caught with her ears pressed against the door. Her face was pale and her body was shaking. She wants to cry but there are not even single tears falling.
Tonight's event… Diana would make sure everything was carved deeply in her memory.
This world couldn't be a crueler place for her. Not for this poor Diana Evans and even more for her old self as Milia Blois, Albert II's ex-fiancé…