Princess, Please Fall in Love with Me

Chapter 9: Ambition Needs Lies to Conceal

“Master, I don’t understand. Why did that guy regret and then immediately agree with you?”

Lycan looked at Loka’s leisurely expression, feeling that this small master, who only reached his waist, grew increasingly mysterious and unfathomable.

The last traces of doubt in him gradually dissipated.

Lycan ambition is like a purse filled with gold coins.

If someone could give you a full bag, would you still cling to the single coin left in your hand?”

“And the final bait to hook a fish, as long as it’s exquisite enough, would the fish care whether it’s real or fake?”

The moment Loka stood to leave, a badge at her waist was inadvertently revealed.

The instant Lubi saw it, he immediately called out to her, then pleaded with the greatest benefits for Loka to give him another chance.

Such a stark contrast, triggered by a mere standing motion, and the thing at her waist was just a wooden block Loka had casually picked up, only because of what was carved on it—the emblem of the main branch of the oak family.

A lush oak thriving in the soil, something any main branch member could wear, not uncommon in imitation shops, though getting caught meant a fine.

But when such a daydream of striking it rich was placed before a greedy man, even if it might be fake, he would believe it was real.

He just needed a spark.

Lycan if someone told you that you could ascend to the highest position, with the only condition being to kill me, would you do it?”

“No.”

Ah… this, did I forget that I couldn’t apply ordinary thinking to him?

“If he wants to qualify as a new master, he must have the courage to kill the master himself. Otherwise, he’s not worthy of being my master.”

Lycan had witnessed Loka’s calm and fervent demeanor in the face of death.

In that moment, he even felt that death itself was less terrifying than the aura this child exuded.

Rather than pledging loyalty to a master, it was more that I was awed by Loka’s mystique, like a wolf pack subdued by the presence and majesty of the alpha.

“Alright, you can go back now. Give this money to those two guys, and keep the rest.”

A portion of the deposit “traded” from Lubi’s hands—the client for this order was truly generous, even a small fraction of the deposit was substantial.

But according to the Austin empire’s regulated amounts, it probably exceeded the limit, didn’t it?

It seemed Lubi was engaged in risky trade, perhaps even behind his family’s back.

I had conveniently helped him along, hadn’t I?

I was truly too kind.

Thinking of this, Loka couldn’t help but hum a little tune, only to be overheard by Lina, who was preparing to rest, and scolded for not sleeping at night.

The next morning, Lina woke a groggy Loka early, hurriedly carrying her to the dressing table to fix her hair, even carefully placing a headpiece she had bought herself on Loka’s head.

“Miss, today beautiful woman said she’s taking you to a royal banquet. We need to hurry and prepare. They say all the princes and princesses will be there.”

This was a small banquet hosted by the Empress, mainly for noblewomen and their children.

Compared to the banquets attended by the Emperor and Duke, it was more like a garden tea party, a way to groom children for high society in advance.

Balesha had already been taken to the First prince’s palace, so as the only remaining daughter in the Duke household, Loka was designated by beautiful woman to attend the tea party.

Lina excitedly groomed her miss, meticulously checking her appearance in the mirror, afraid of missing any small detail.

“Our miss must be absolutely beautiful, prettier than all those princesses!”

Though the Duke had reluctantly acknowledged his illegitimate daughter’s status, he didn’t pay much attention to her, so the allowance for the Duke’s children was still withheld by the jealous beautiful woman.

Aside from some new clothes, small accessories and headpieces were bought with Lina’s own wages.

In her words, since serving her miss had increased her pay, she wanted to repay her miss.

Silly girl, so kind.

Your miss was about to be sent to her grave by that cunning Beautiful Woman, and you still thought she was some fairy godmother saving Cinderella.

No need to think—being exceptionally requested by Beautiful Woman to come along was surely because of the great Duke beginning in the palace.

Rather than keeping me as a threat in the Duke’s household, it was better to use someone else’s hand to eliminate me.

“Loka, my dear daughter, we’re about to leave!”

Still that gentle and kind facade in front of outsiders.

Not even willing to prepare a decent gown for her so-called “dear daughter,” now putting on a motherly act—for whom?

“Yes, Madam.”

Loka elegantly held her skirt and descended the stairs, smiling at the woman before her.

If not for playing along with your act, who would bother with this pretense?

“Welcome, Miranda Madam, the Empress has been awaiting you.”

Entering another garden in the palace, an unfamiliar Servant gracefully whispered to Beautiful Woman, then extended a hand to guide them to the heart of the tea party.

The noblewomen sat in a circle in the small garden, animatedly discussing family matters, household affairs, or amusing anecdotes about their husbands’ work.

At the center of the women sat a blonde woman, her demeanor refined.

Silent among the crowd, she exuded an air of regal elegance, through her eyes betrayed a flicker of mysterious ambition.

This, it seemed, was the current Empress, Olian kelake.

“Miranda, my dear sister, you’ve finally arrived. This is…”

As if already aware of her status, the Empress cast a disdainful glance at Loka.

Beautiful Woman smiled and pushed her forward.

Loka quickly grasped her skirt and curtsied.

“This is Loka, the Duke’s other child. Balesha is with theFirst Prince, and I was afraid of being lonely, so I brought this child to see the world.”

“Is that so? Then let a servant take her to wander around. The palace has plenty to see.”

The seemingly harmonious conversation was laced with subtle scorn and mockery toward me, the illegitimate daughter.

With no recourse, Loka could only smile and cope.

Pretending to be a naive little girl, Loka slowly withdrew from the crowd amid the women’s mocking laughter, arriving at a quiet corner near the garden.

Finally able to breathe, Loka leaned against the grass in the corner, lost in thought, when a cricket suddenly hopped out from somewhere, followed by two excited boys bursting from a nearby haystack.

“Look, cricket, over there!”

The two boys’ gazes met Loka’s, and all three froze in place.

Loka never imagined she would encounter these two here.

The greatest victims of this conspiracy, the Fourth prince and Fifth prince!