That day, Loviki took everyone on a tour around the Royal Capital of Hella, visiting all the places she had mentioned, including the dessert shop and the fruit wine shop.
The desserts Loviki recommended were indeed delicious. After eating, Velyan even packed a pudding to go, clamoring for Flora to reverse-engineer the recipe so they could make it back at the apartment.
This was no difficult task for Flora. She was an absolute genius when it came to cooking; after tasting it just once, she had already figured out the general steps of the recipe.
As for the fruit wine, while it was tasty, it paled in comparison to the rare brews of the dwarves or the upcoming batch soon to be barreled out of the apartment's Brewing Workshop.
Meanwhile, the number of suspicious figures in their surroundings had visibly increased.
There were those sent by the Lawrence Family to secretly protect Loviki, eyes sent by the Second Prince to monitor her movements, and a few shadows with cold, hidden auras who kept themselves buried even deeper—likely members of the Shadow Cult.
These people thought they were hiding cleverly, but in the eyes of everyone except Loviki, they might as well have been standing directly under a streetlight.
Loviki's mood wasn't affected at all. Instead, she lightheartedly showed everyone around, introducing them to the local customs of the city, dragging Flora into almost every shop they passed to try something.
In this sort of atmosphere, the day the Second Prince demanded Loviki enter the palace for an audience finally arrived.
...
On the morning of the third day, when Loviki woke up, the space beside her was already empty. She reached out to touch the sheets, finding them still warm.
A clean coat was neatly folded next to her pillow, its collar meticulously smoothed out.
She sat up and rubbed her eyes, then ran her fingers through her slightly messy black hair. From downstairs, the faint sound of voices drifted up.
Loviki quietly changed her clothes and tiptoed down the stairs.
In the living room, Chen Mian was ladling porridge by the stove, while Flora stood beside him, handing him bowls. There was an undeniable, quiet chemistry in their movements.
“Good morning~” Loviki yawned, naturally walking over to the table to sit down. Propping her elbows on the surface, she tilted her head to look at the two of them.
Flora turned around, her gaze landing on Loviki's still-sleepy face. Her lips curved upward. “Good morning, Landlord.”
“Flora, don't copy his way of speaking... You'll be corrupted by him sooner or later.” Loviki rolled her eyes, her voice laced with the laziness of someone who had just woken up.
“Landlord, I've been cooking porridge for you in the kitchen since early morning,” Chen Mian said, turning his head with a ladle still in his hand. “Is that how you talk about me?”
“...T-then, I'll waive your rent for a day!” Loviki turned her face away, the smile on her lips growing more pronounced.
“That's more like it.”
Flora let out a soft laugh, taking the bowl of porridge from Chen Mian and placing it gently in front of Loviki. “Landlord, please have some porridge! I promise the shrimp isn't overcooked this time~”
Loviki looked at the steaming shrimp porridge, scooped up a spoonful, and put it in her mouth. The porridge was savory and sweet, and the shrimp was tender and bouncy—completely different from the past two days.
She paused slightly, took another sip, and then stopped to look up at Chen Mian. “Flora taught you, didn't she?”
“Yeah.” Chen Mian sat down across from her with his own bowl of porridge and said naturally, “My Flora is pretty amazing, right?”
“Hmph! She's my Flora now!” Loviki reached out to pull Flora down to sit next to her, lifting her chin slightly, though the smile in her eyes was impossible to hide.
“Right, right. Eat up quickly. Once you're full, go break off the engagement,” Chen Mian said, nodding as he took a sip of porridge in a casual tone.
Loviki's hand holding the spoon froze slightly. She lowered her head, gently stirring the porridge in her bowl.
Only after a long moment did she look up. “I know... You make it sound so easy.”
“You can handle it.” Chen Mian set down his bowl, looking at her with a calm gaze. “Just show your face. Once they drop their pretenses, you can beat them to a pulp to vent your anger.”
Loviki looked up to meet his eyes, her lips curving upward. “Alright! Let's do that!”
...
The weather in the Royal Capital was beautiful. Sunlight spilled over the gray-white stone walls of the palace, casting sharp shadows over the intricate relief carvings.
The palace gates stood wide open, with guards in silver armor flanking both sides. However, there were far fewer of them than Loviki remembered, and their expressions were much tenser than usual. Their gazes lingered on her for so long it felt like an interrogation.
Loviki wore a dark coat, her long black hair tied high into a single ponytail. The silver hair clip nestled in her hair reflected tiny glints of light under the sun.
She wore no rapier at her waist. Palace rules were strict; no one except the royal guards was allowed to carry weapons inside.
Herman's figure appeared beside her at some point.
“My Lady,” Herman bowed slightly, keeping his voice very low. “The master has instructed me to wait for you outside. No matter what happens, the Lawrence Family carriage will remain right where you left it. If you do not emerge from the palace before dusk, I will force my way in under the pretext of seeking an audience with the King.”
Loviki turned her head to look at him.
Even in a situation like this, the old butler, who had served the Lawrence Family for over forty years, spoke without the slightest tremor in his voice.
Loviki nodded and stepped inside the palace.
She walked along the long flagstone path, heading toward the North Hall.
The doors of the North Hall were wide open.
Second Prince Alan was already seated on the main throne.
He wore a dark blue suit with a ruby brooch pinned to his collar. Holding a wine glass in his left hand, he leaned back casually against the high-backed chair.
Seeing Loviki walk in, Alan smiled meaningfully. Setting down his wine glass, he interlaced his fingers over his knees. “My dear fiancée, you've finally decided to show yourself... It's been a month, and you're as beautiful as ever.”
His gaze held an undisguised look of appraisal, like he was inspecting a possession that had finally returned to his hands.
Loviki stopped in the center of the hall, about a dozen paces away from him. Her expression was indifferent, and her tone carried a clear sense of distance. “Your Highness is too polite. The summons stated that His Majesty the King wished to discuss some matters. May I ask where His Majesty is now?”
The smile on Alan's face faltered for a fraction of a second before he regained his casual demeanor. “Father is unwell and needs rest. As your fiancé, it is only right that I meet my future princess consort on his behalf.”
As he spoke, he stood up, walked down the steps, and stopped a few paces in front of her. “Miss Loviki, you know the wedding is set for the fifteenth of the Winter Month. During your absence from the Royal Capital, there has been no shortage of gossip among the commoners. Now that you are back, the wedding preparations should proceed.”
Loviki kept her eyes lowered, completely indifferent to his words. Only after he finished speaking did she slowly raise her gaze. “Your Highness is indeed filial. The King is gravely ill, yet instead of attending to his medicine, you are in such a hurry to arrange a wedding. Is there really nothing wrong with your priorities?”
Upon hearing Loviki's words, Alan's face darkened. He stared at her for several seconds. “What is that supposed to mean?”
“Exactly what I said,” Loviki replied, her tone remaining completely flat. “The King is gravely ill. As his prince, instead of attending to him, you are eager to push forward with a wedding. Is there really nothing wrong with your priorities?”
“Furthermore, I came to break off the engagement, not to become some princess consort.”
The air in the hall grew dead silent.
The lingering smile on Alan's face finally vanished completely, replaced by an undisguised, sinister coldness. “Do you have any idea what those words mean?”
“I do.” Loviki met his gaze without taking a single step back.
Alan's lip twitched. Suddenly, he let out a short, cold laugh. Walking slowly back to the main throne, he gently tapped his fingers against the armrest twice.
“Loviki, do you really think you'll be able to leave this place today?”
Rate on N.U.
