ᴛʏʀᴀɴᴛ's ᴏʙsᴇssɪᴏɴ

3. The Engagement

"My~ Such an energetic little sister I have... So much that it's sickening for me to bear."

I smiled bitterly, a sweet sickening smile that made her cute furious face even angrier.

Her violet eyes glowed with unsaid wrath, ready to erupt at any moment.

"You're trying to meet the Crown Prince on purpose, didn't you?!"

(Ah, so she thought I was looking for the Crown Prince. Let's play along for a bit. Since, I'm bored anyway.)

"Oh? Is it that obvious?"

With a mischievous smile, I questioned her, and she balled her hands into fists.

"How dare you!"

"........."

"Didn't you realize I'm the most qualified candidate to marry the Crown Prince?"

"And I'm sure you're aware that you're not the only candidate, Riona."

"... You-!"

Another familiar voice emerged before she could even yell at me.

"What's with all this commotion?"

Riona's eyes lit up and immediately turned her head to father, the Duke of this Dukedom.

"D-daddy!"

Riona's eyes welled up with tears as she hurried toward her father, who was walking calmly to the garden.

(Ah, here comes her habit of crying.)

"Riona? What are you doing here?"

Father lifted his brow at her as Riona simply shook her head and shifted her gaze to me.

"Did you know that while you were gone, your sister Verena visited the Imperial Palace?"

As his attention was drawn to me, Father's eyes widened. When our gazes collided, I stood up from my seat and gave him a polite curtsy and a charming smile.

"Greetings, father. It is such a lovely day, isn't it?"

I greeted him politely. As he always, he seemed displeased. Even in my first timeline, the way he looked at me the moment he sent me off to the Imperial Family to be experimented off didn't change one bit.

(As always, father, that expression of yours is unpleasant.)

"Verena, what is the meaning of this? Why did you go to the Imperial Palace on your own?"

His gaze was frigid, his voice was harsh and authoritative as he questioned.

"Father, she-"

Before Riona could even finish her lines, I beat her to it.

"Please accept my apologies, father. I visited the palace to see Azazel von Elysian, the second prince."

When I stated Azazel's name, his eyes widened.

"That second prince?"

"Yes."

I replied with a smile.

"What business brings you there? And who is that man standing behind you?"

"Father, it's a young love affair. That man behind me is Azazel's faithful knight, Theodore Clayton, whom he entrusted to protect me as a way of expressing his love for me."

Every one of us was enveloped in silence. Even I could tell that Theodore chokes on air the moment I said that.

"... Young love affair?"