Be Careful

Dalia unconsciously swallowed dryly.

It seemed that using the Crown Prince to provoke jealousy had been a flawed plan.

Upon reflection, provoking someone like Clayton, who had a personality marred by childhood trauma, was not the wisest move.

She should have stuck with her original methods, for better or worse.

As the thought that she had made a poor judgment crossed her mind, her previously relaxed body tensed up once more.

She wanted to abandon the jealousy plan and leave immediately, but stopping the dance before the music ended would be discourteous, so she endured.

If she were to be transported into a romance novel, how much better it would have been to land in a childcare story instead.

Of all things, she had been reincarnated as the heroine, only to imagine spending her life pandering to her husband—it was suffocating.

It wasn't so much about running away anymore; it was moments like this that made her want a divorce.

Did the Crown Prince notice her mood? He glanced around the crowd and asked,

"It seems the Duke of Sayre is on your mind."

"Pardon?"

"You don't seem to be focusing on the dance."

"Oh."

How could she not be distracted, dancing with another man while her able-bodied husband stood nearby?

Especially when said husband was glaring at her like he was ready to devour her.

Recently, her husband's penchant for sudden actions had made her hyper-aware of him, worried he might cause another scene.

Because of this, she felt sorry for Alexion, who had kindly offered to be her first dance partner.

Her inability to dance coupled with her lack of focus could reasonably offend him, so Dalia gave an awkward smile and apologized.

"I'm sorry. It feels wrong to be dancing with Your Highness while leaving my husband behind."

"I don't understand. You're concerned about dancing with me while leaving your husband?"

At the somewhat provocative comment, Dalia lifted her head and looked at him.

"A man who openly brings his mistress to official events?"

The corners of the man's lips curved upward.

At first glance, one might mistake it for a joke, but his eyes weren't smiling. His blue eyes, like tranquil lakes, held a chilling sharpness.

Dalia, quietly studying his face, furrowed her brow to decipher his true intentions.

'This man, perhaps…'

She wouldn't claim to be great at reading people, but she could tell what Alexion's expression meant.

Undeniable hostility.

The Crown Prince disliked Clayton.

No matter how oblivious one might be, they couldn't be foolish enough to miss this level of animosity.

Whether it was because he feared no one as the Crown Prince or because he considered her an ally, he made no effort to hide his feelings from Dalia.

'If he dislikes Clayton, then why did he ask me to dance?'

Perhaps it was to provoke Clayton.

Learning this new fact, Dalia silently stared at Alexion's face before averting her gaze.

'Well, whatever.'

Whether the Crown Prince disliked him or not, Clayton was the male lead of this world, and in the original story, the Crown Prince's presence was so minor it could be summed up in a single sentence.

So, there was no need to worry.

Reaching that conclusion, Dalia, having lost interest, spoke in a detached tone.

"But he's still my husband. No matter who Clayton comes here with as a partner, the fact remains that I am his wife."

"For someone saying that, it doesn't seem like the Duke of Sayre cares much about his wife."

At Alexion's provocation, Dalia let out a scoff.

'That can't be. Just a moment ago, he was glaring at me like he wanted to kill me… huh?'

As if to prove his point, Alexion subtly shifted his position, showing Dalia where Clayton had been standing.

What she saw instead was Clayton's back as he exited the ballroom.

"This is the perfect time for couples to sneak away for a private rendezvous as the party hits its peak."

Lloyd, too, had disappeared from the ballroom long ago.

Whether true or not, the moment people realized the two of them were absent, their imaginations would run wild.

Just like the Crown Prince standing in front of her.

Seeing Dalia's face stiffen, Alexion leaned down slightly and whispered.

"That's why…"

The hand resting on her waist felt hot.

"Why don't we go for a walk, too?"

At the same time, the music resonating throughout the hall slowly came to an end.

His tone had changed.

It was not the tone one would use with a duchess. And a walk, no less.

Just moments ago, he himself had said this was the time for clandestine rendezvous.

'Is he seriously suggesting we sneak away for a tryst?'

Was it because he thought married women were easy to play with, or did he genuinely see her as someone he could talk to casually? She couldn't tell.

'What do I do?'

Dalia hesitated. If this was purely for the jealousy plan, there was no need to go as far as pretending to have a tryst.

The first dance alone had been more than sufficient, and Clayton had already left.

'In that case, maybe I should just follow him and see if there's any connection to the original heroine?'

But what if he asked her something awkward?

As Dalia's mind became tangled with complicated thoughts, making her unable to decide...

"Dalia."

Someone called her name.

Startled by the sudden mention of her name, Dalia flinched and stepped back from the Crown Prince.

When she turned around...

"Rachel?"

Not far away, Rachel was watching the two of them.

She had assumed Rachel hadn't attended since she hadn't seen her all evening, but the surprise of her presence at the palace was fleeting.

As Dalia examined her face, she furrowed her brows.

'What's with her expression?'

Rachel's expression was unusual—she was gazing at the Crown Prince with an intense wariness.

It was a cold expression Dalia had never seen before on Rachel, who usually wore a constant smile.

Sensing that something was off, Dalia greeted her even more warmly on purpose.

"When did you arrive at the palace? I hadn't seen you and thought maybe something came up."

"Right when the dancing began. But…"

Rachel, who had been smiling at Dalia, shifted her gaze to the Crown Prince standing behind her.

She looked at him with an expression of clear disapproval, and in response, Alexion took a step closer, gazing intently at Rachel.

"It's been a while, Lady Roman."

"I greet Your Highness, the Crown Prince."

Rachel bowed to the Crown Prince as he approached the two of them.

"I heard that Duke Roman was unwell and wouldn't be attending tonight."

"It's the Emperor's birthday celebration, after all. My father insisted it would be disloyal for the Roman family to be absent, so he sent me in his stead."

"As expected of Duke Roman."

At Rachel's words, the Crown Prince gave a slight nod, retreating as though he had lost interest.

"It seems Lady Roman doesn't appreciate my presence here. I'll take the hint and step aside. Then…"

As he finished speaking, the Crown Prince lightly kissed the back of Dalia's hand.

"Let's continue our unfinished conversation another time."

Unlike before, the kiss carried no trace of personal intent.

Dalia stared at the spot where the Crown Prince's lips had lingered before raising her head.

"Rachel, is something wrong? You've looked upset since earlier."

As the Crown Prince walked away, a quiet stillness settled between Rachel and Dalia.

Dalia unconsciously reflected on whether she had done something wrong, given Rachel's unfamiliar demeanor.

'What is it? Did I make a mistake?'

Or perhaps Rachel was misunderstanding the fact that she had danced the first dance with the Crown Prince?

Having arrived late to the party, Rachel might not know the full context. With that in mind, Dalia opened her mouth to explain how she ended up dancing with the Crown Prince.

"Be careful around the Crown Prince."

But Rachel spoke first.

"Getting involved with that man will bring you no good, Dalia."

"What do you mean…"

"Do you know why the Crown Prince, who is old enough to have children by now, has no fiancée to speak of?"

Early marriages were common in the royal family.

There was nothing more beneficial to strengthening royal authority than producing healthy heirs.

'Now that I think about it, the Crown Prince didn't have a partner either.'

If he were married or engaged, his partner would have accompanied him, and he wouldn't have danced with her.

This made Dalia a little curious.

Why didn't the seemingly perfect Crown Prince have even a single fiancée?

"Every single one of them died before marriage. Three of them, in fact. All from sudden, unexplained deaths."

"…What?"

She had assumed it was simply because of a tendency toward womanizing, but the reason for his lack of a fiancée was far more shocking.

"That's why you must be careful, Dalia."

At Rachel's final warning, Dalia unconsciously nodded her head vigorously.