37 Reason #23: it feels like a trap
After I followed Prince Leon, instead of bringing me to the dining area, he brought me to the royal greenhouse for breakfast.
"Why are we at the greenhouse?"
Ivy asked the Prince while he escorted her to the table.
"It's your first day here at the palace. I want to make it special."
He smiled, looking innocent, but Ivy continues to hold her suspicions.
It is a little strange having breakfast at the greenhouse, but it's not a bad feeling.
The royal greenhouse was filled with tall trees and a variety of beautiful flowers.
On the outside, it was designed just like a birdcage with crystal glasses, so when the sun shines through, the whole place lights up brightly, making all the plants look lovely and vibrant.
The pagoda we sat under has purple wisterias hanging above. Although it's still unusual to have breakfast here, I can't deny that the surrounding view was simply breathtaking.
Then Mona came by and carefully placed the food on the table.
"Your highnesses, breakfast is served."
On the table, the food that Mona served was just two warm plates of delicious French toast that's drizzled with honey and butter on top, and on the side was a hot cup of lemon tea.
It's one of my favorite breakfast food, and my hunger had just made it smelled even more mouth-watering.
Without any hesitation, I immediately took the fork and knife and cut a bite-size piece of the toast to try.
When I took a bite, I can taste the honey crisp on the outside and warm fluffiness on the inside. It was so delectable that it almost makes me cry.
Inside Ivy's mind, she claps her hands, giving compliments to the chefs who made this toast.
<Mr. Chef hands-down best toast ever!!>
After that, as I was about to sip a cup of the hot lemon tea, I first enjoyed it's fragrant lemon smell and then slowly savor it's tangy and spicy flavor.
That breakfast was so lovely that it made me felt so blissful that I accidentally said out loud.
"Ahh... this feels like heaven."
Prince Leon was holding his laugh when he watches Ivy enjoying her breakfast on the side.
"I'm happy you like it. I remembered how you were always bickering with the Duke's chef about its taste."
"And yet till today, he still doesn't get it! That man doesn't know what good French toast suppose to taste!"
Ivy folded her arm while she pushes out steams of frustration.
"I'm surprised I got to eat this here. The palace chef is amazing. Please do send him my compliments."
The Prince gently smiles at her as he was happy to see her enjoying herself at the castle.
"Are you not going to eat? Your toast is getting cold."
Ivy turns to look and saw that Prince Leon's plate was untouched.
The Prince didn't want to avert his gaze as he just wants to continue to stare at her. So he said,
"Why don't you feed me?"
"Huh?!" Ivy was surprised by his remark, "why? Can't you eat on your own?"
"Ouch," Prince Leon suddenly showed a painful face while he holds his arm that got hurt before.
When Ivy saw that, she immediately got worried.
"Leon! Are you Ok? Does it still hurt? Do you want me to call the doctor? Come, let me see it."
"I'm ok," he continues to hold the injured arm "sometimes the pain comes back when I move it."
"Why didn't you tell me? We have to bring you to the doctor's."
"No, it's ok. I'll be better in a few more days, but I can't cut my food very well. Could you cut it for me?"
"Yes, of course." Ivy agreed without hesitation. She was just automatically reacting to her motherly instinct when she sees her boy suffer, so she didn't suspect that he was faking it.
So after she cuts the toast into bite-size pieces, she says, "here you go."
Prince Leon just looks at the plate and sulks.
Ivy was confused with how the prince was acting, so she asks.
"Well, are you not going to eat it? It's getting cold."
Then he turned to Ivy and said to her in a straight face.
"Feed me."
"You got another hand that's fine and well, so why are you not using it?"
She answers him back as to how the way she looks at it.
The Prince continues to sulk. At first, he didn't want to say it, but his fiancée is the worst at reading situations like this, so he has to push further to get what he wants.
So he said
"I don't care. I want you to feed me."
"Huh?" Ivy raised a brow "what are you five years old?"
The Prince then pouted and said
"You won't even help even though it's just a simple request from your lover, and I thought you said you are going to try harder."
"Ack!!" Ivy got shocked by his sudden harsh remark.
But when she saw the Prince looking like a sad child staring at the plate, she just sighed and gave into his retaliation.
"Ok, I'll feed you."
The Prince's frown immediately turn upside down, and he cheerfully looks at Ivy and waits for her to feed him.
Then after she asks him to open his mouth and say "ah~."
Before the Prince got a bite, Sir Jacobs and Sir Gregory came running in.
"Your Highness!!!!! I've been looking for you everywhere! Why are you doing in a place like this?!!" Sir Jacobs shouted while Sir Gregory just say, "sorry, I tried to stop him."
Then when both of them saw that they were interrupting the Prince's sweet moments with his fiancée, the prince stood up, and his body started to break out a black aura shooting at them.
It scared both of them, but Sir Jacobs is a man who prioritizes work, and so he still carried on and said
"Your highness, we need you back at the office now. There are some urgent matters that you have to attend to as soon as possible."
But the Prince's deathly aura is still not dying down, and so it was up to Ivy to save the day.
"Leon, you know how I feel about being irresponsible and giving trouble to others, right?
But the Prince didn't want to leave her.
"But Ivy, I ..."
"I think a man who pushes away his responsibilities and troubling others is despicable."
Her harsh words shot the prince in the heart and made him gaze at the ground, looking soulless.
Then Ivy turns to the boy and comforts him.
"I'll be here, so just quickly do what you need to do and come back. I'll be waiting for you, ok?"
Then he immediately raises his head to gaze at her and nodded like an obedient puppy.
"I'm sorry that his highness has been giving you trouble, Sir Jacobs, and thank you for being firm with him even when he is acting out like this. He is fortunate to have you as his assistant."
When Sir Jacob heard Ivy's words, his eyes widen in surprise as nobody had praised him for being that way before, as he has always been told that it was not an appropriate attitude towards a royal.
So while Ivy was still comforting the prince, Sir Jacob ask Sir Gregory.
"Earlier, didn't you mention that his highness is trying to get Ms.Ivy to marry him?"
Then Sir Gregory honestly answered.
"Yes, that's why I told you we shouldn't have interrupted them."
"Ok, let's fully support him."
************
The Villainess Strategy
Just when I thought that with Prince Leon gone, I could finally have the day to myself, but there are two very persistent maids following me around wherever I go.
As Ivy was walking down the hallway, feeling agitated about not being left alone, she decided to confront them.
"Mina, Mona, don't get this the wrong way, but can you leave me alone?"
Ivy smiled at them while they smiled back.
"No can do, my lady. We are instructed under his highness orders, and he said to follow you around where ever you go."
Ivy clenches her fist, feeling irritated again, knowing that the Prince is still monitoring her even when he is not around.
So she let out a deep sigh and decided to talk to herself in her mind while she strolls along the hallway.
Entering Ivy's mind
Ever since we left Ester Lake, so many things happen that I haven't had time to rearrange my thoughts on Leon's proposal and what I need to do next.
There are only less than two months before his royal ball, and that's when Princess Sophia shows up and when he does, he will fall in love with her.
Ivy suddenly bit her thumbnail out of frustration, and her actions took her by surprise.
"Wait. What just happened. Was I angry? No, no, no. It can't be. I just need to repeat my mantra.
Ivy gave herself a deep breath as she chants in her mind.
Emotions are unnecessary,
Feelings are unnecessary,
Stay calm, cool, and collected.
I am calm, cool, and collected.
Whatever happens, I do not want to marry the prince.
Repeat x5
Once Ivy calmed down and could finally think straight again, she started to reanalyze the situation.
Ok, since we've come so far, here are 2 big questions we need to solve.
Problem #1
The Prince just proposed to the villainess. Why? And how to solve it?
And
Problem #2
Which of the following should happen to the villainess?
(Scenario 1)
Will he dump me on the day of the ball after he sees the princess?
or
(Scenario 2)
Will he dump me anytime between the ball till I turn 17?
After she keyed in the data into her brain, her CPU worked extra hard to analyze the information.
***************
Ok, let's solve question #1 first since I got the answer already
Problem #1
The Prince just proposed to the villainess. Why? And how to solve it?
Problem #1 Answer
Whether that is part of the novel or not, I'm not sure, but at least now I know why he did it because he must've felt guilty for causing me to have a scar due to his decision to leave me behind back there.
Even though I don't think it's his fault, since I was the one who insisted on staying, he is the hero of the story after all, and like what uncle Peterson said, his sense of responsibility must be really high. So he proposed to me because he felt he has to take responsibility for his mistakes.
Ivy then sheds a tear, feeling proud of how well she raise the prince to be such a responsible and respectable young man.
That boy is just too kind, just like how I raised him. I'm so proud.
So since he wanted to marry me just out of the sense of responsibility, I'll just reject him no matter what. Then once he falls in love with the princess, he will realize that he is making a mistake marrying me and eventually gives up on marrying me.
*************
Ok, now that's solved. Going back to Problem #2
Problem #2
Which of the scenario should happen to the villainess? 1 or 2?
Problem #2 Answer
Hmm, from the villainess standpoint, the best scenario would be scenario 1. If he really dumps me immediately right after the ball, then we can just say goodbye peacefully. Plus, the chances of any event of me hurting the princess on the first day is quite low.
However, if scenario 2 happens,
the risk of the villainess dying would be higher because, with that amount of time, we don't know if the story will make it look like I will hurt the princess even if I had no intention to.
So no matter what happens, I must try to avoid scenario 2.
So if the best option is scenario 1, how do we make sure that happens?
Previously when he confessed to me, I was a little taken back, so I decided to do a 2 year trial period with him, but now I think about it, it's actually very dangerous for the villainess.
The more closer we are to D-day, the higher the chances that the villainess might die in the story. So I cannot take that risk.
The best way now is instead of defense. I should attack!
Immediately after Prince Leon meets Princess Sophia and falls in love with her, I will first break up with him! And I should do that right after the ball!
Ivy started throwing her punches in the air as if she was boxing an invinsible opponent.
"Yes! Yes! Yes! That's it! That's the perfect plan so far."
The two maids just look at Ivy, thinking how weird she is, while Ivy just continues to think to herself.
So
My Plan D - keep rejecting his proposal and break up with him after the ball!
***********
The Prince's Strategy
Three-man sitting and facing each other across the table is currently having an important strategy meeting.
The air was dark and heavy. The discussion was so serious that this might impact the future of the empire.
"Are you sure about this, Jacobs?"
The Prince clasp his fingers as he looks at Jacobs with his serious eyes.
"Yes, I want to be part of this as well," Jacobs answered the prince with a straight face.
"Are you really sure? Once you are in, you cannot back out. If not, there will be consequences." Gregory says with a deep voice.
Jacobs firmly nodded
The Prince smiled.
"Ok, then let's discuss the strategy.
Sir Jacobs immediately went to the board and showed them the plans.
And so he yelled
"Here are the steps on how to get Ms.Ivy to marry the Prince."
Step 1
Defeat Her father, get his approval - CHECK
Step 2
Get her to move into the castle -
CHECK
Step 3
Domesticate her so that she will never want to leave - still in progress
Then the Prince took out the reports that maid sisters sent
"Ms. Ivy is currently having a very comfortable time at the palace, and she is pleased with all the arrangements, and she is also delighted with all the meals given."
"Hmph." The Prince smirk, "we can check off step 3 soon too."
Then Sir Gregory suddenly proposes.
"But we should start step 4 before step 3 is done. Since she'll be homesick."
Prince Leon nodded and agreed since he knows Ivy loves her work and her family very much, and at some point, she will want to go back home and leave.
So the prince said
"Then, let's move on to step 4."
"Yes, sir!" Sir Jacobs said then he immediately went out the door.
After he left, Gregory asks the prince.
"What do you plan to do? Do you plan to lock her in her room if she says she wants to go back home?"
The Prince looked at the ceiling and gave a sinister smile.
"No need, she'll be so busy that she will forget about going back home."
*************
Author:
The chapters keep on coming, haha!
