After I called the Crown Prince and the Princess out. I waited a few seconds, and then opened the door. Inside, the Fiancée was drinking tea.
When I closed the door, I deliberately left a small gap so the Crown Prince and the Princess outside could hear clearly. Only then did I speak to her.
"Ms Butley, on my way back I saw Their Highnesses leave. Did something happen?"
That was the setup: the Crown Prince had taken me to the restroom and then gone back, and when I returned from the restroom, I happened to see the Crown Prince and the Princess leaving.
"Mr. Karen, just now His Highness said that His Majesty had something to discuss with them, so he took Sophia with him and left."
"I see."
I picked up my teacup and took a sip. Silence followed. Even though I had already made up my mind, questions like this still made me nervous. After a few seconds, I finally gathered my courage and spoke.
"Ms Butley, may I ask you a few questions?"
"Please do. I will answer."
After replying, the Fiancée raised her teacup to her lips again.
"Thank you. I know it's rude to ask something like this when we've only just met, but… do you like the Crown Prince?"
"Pfft—cough, cough…! Mr. Ka—Karen, th-this…"
My blunt question made the Fiancée choke on her tea. She hurriedly set the cup down and took out a handkerchief to wipe her mouth.
Her reaction was intense, which meant my assumption was probably correct. Still, without hearing it from her directly, it was nothing more than a guess.
I didn't want to give her a chance to dodge the question, so I quickly cut off her retreat.
"I'm sorry for startling you. But this question is very important. Please, I need you to answer it."
"I…"
The Fiancée hesitated, clearly torn over whether she should speak. She was probably worried that I would tell the Crown Prince. To put her at ease, I told her the truth.
"Please don't worry. I won't tell His Highness."
Because the one who would tell the Crown Prince was the Fiancée herself. After that, the Fiancée fell silent for a moment before speaking.
"...Highness"
I only saw her lips move. I didn't hear anything at all. I knew saying this might make her feel like I was trampling on the courage it took her to speak, but I had to say it. Otherwise, the people outside wouldn't hear her.
"I'm sorry, I didn't catch that. Could you say it a little louder?"
Just as I expected, the Fiancée grew shy. Her hands clenched into fists and trembled slightly. She must be a very delicate person at heart—someone like her would need tremendous courage just to say the word "like."
Then, all of a sudden, she lowered her head and shouted out loud.
"I like Prince Steve!"
Perfect. My assumption was correct. And at that volume, the Crown Prince outside definitely heard it—unless his ears were completely useless. If he missed this, I'd seriously consider beating some sense into him.
After getting the answer I wanted, I switched into interrogation mode—also known as gossip mode. I didn't give her time to recover. I nodded and continued immediately.
"May I ask—do you feel your heart race whenever you make eye contact with His Highness, but you can't control your expression, so you often end up staring at him with a stiff face?"
At my question, the Fiancée instantly looked dejected. She hesitated, clearly unwilling to say it, as if admitting it would shatter everything she had endured and upheld for years.
I felt guilty, but I couldn't stop. All I could do was wait for her to prepare herself mentally. Seeing that I wasn't letting her escape, her gaze kept darting away before she finally spoke.
"...Yes. His Highness is an incredibly outstanding and handsome person. I can't help but be drawn to him. But my feelings would only trouble him, so I don't dare to show them. I know my expression isn't good, and that I scared His Highness. I don't want to be like that either… it's just really hard to control."
Her first sentence made me hesitate for a split second, but love makes people blind. If anything, it proved just how deeply she cared for the Crown Prince. Everything she said afterward matched exactly what I had told Crown Prince earlier. She truly was a good girl.
But now her mood had sunk, and she looked like she was about to cry. I quickly tried to comfort her.
"Please don't lose heart. Maybe your feelings will bloom sooner than you think."
As long as her next answers aligned with my expectations—and the Crown Prince finally woke up—this relationship still had hope. But the Fiancée shook her head.
"Mr. Karen, thank you for your kindness. But I already know it's an extravagant wish. As long as I can stay by His Highness's side, I'm satisfied."
Her mindset was far too humble—and far too strong. It almost made me want to cry myself. Wanting to be loved by the person you love isn't an extravagant wish. How could it be?
A girl like her was rare. She deserved to be cherished. If the Crown Prince ever dared to betray her feelings, I would make him pay for it.
Next, I shifted to a less important question—purely out of curiosity. It was also a much lighter topic.
"You're very strong. May I ask what made you fall in love with His Highness in the first place?"
There are many triggers for falling in love, and most of them are warm, happy memories.
When she heard the question, the Fiancée's expression visibly brightened. The gloom vanished, replaced by pure joy shining in her eyes, as if this was her most treasured memory. Then, as she spoke, she drifted into reminiscence.
"That day was..."
That day was just a few hours before the engagement between the Crown Prince and the Fiancée was formally decided.
At the time, the Fiancée was walking alone in the garden when she encountered a dog heading straight toward her. She was extremely afraid of dogs, so fear rooted her to the spot—she couldn't move a single step.
As the dog drew closer and closer, she panicked, lost her balance, and fell to the ground, completely unable to move. That was when the Crown Prince suddenly jumped in front of her, chased the dog away, and saved her. Then, with a gentle expression, he reached out his hand and helped her up.
Such a classic, heroic rescue—it was only natural that it made her heart flutter.
And from that moment on, she had embarked on the irreversible path of terrifying facial expressions…
She didn't say that part. That was just my personal takeaway.
"I see. That really is a beautiful first encounter."
As I said that, I suddenly remembered that the Crown Prince kept a pet. It wasn't that dog, was it?
…No, probably not. That would be way too strange. Still, he was so cool as a kid—what exactly went wrong as he grew up? Did he grow crooked somewhere?
"Yes. It's my most precious memory."
As she finished speaking, the Fiancée showed the brightest smile I had seen from her since we met. I could tell at a glance—this was the memory she cherished most, and the most important pillar supporting her heart.