5. Pretending

"My Lady, Lady Ellie! Crown Prince Lucas is waiting in the Parlor, he requested to meet with you."

Sera's loud voice woke her up from her sleep. Crown Prince? Why would he want to meet with her? After all this time, he didn't even acknowledge Eleanor's existence.

Maybe she could guess what he wanted to say.

"Alright. Help me get ready."

Somehow it felt natural for her to act like a noblewoman. She had never had anyone attend to her before. Her reactions should have been awkward when someone was bathing and helping her put on a dress.

However, Ellie didn't feel awkward at all, as if she were born as a noblewoman. Even her manners in eating, moving, and speaking felt like she had been a noblewoman since birth.

Ellie pushed aside those unimportant thoughts. Then, she prepared herself in front of the mirror, assisted by her two maids.

When Ellie finished and started to stand up,

"Wait, something is missing. My veil."

Sera and Lyra thought Eleanor wouldn't cover her face in public anymore, they thought she was no longer affected by the Crown Prince. Because in the first place, it was because of the Crown Prince's words that their Lady became insecure.

Contrary to what her two maids thought, Ellie had a different reason to cover her face.

'I'm afraid Lucas might change his mind when he sees Eleanor's real face. Even I, if I were a man, and saw a woman with such a face, I'd desire her. '

'Wait, it was explained in the novel that Lucas fell in love with Ava's beauty, if he is a man who is so fond of appearance, why does he hate Eleanor? That's very contradictory,' She thought suspiciously.

Ellie shook her head and walked towards the Parlor.

As she entered the room, she was bombarded with harsh words.

"I've been waiting for you for fifteen minutes! Do you think I'm someone who has nothing to do like you?"

'You came here without any notice, and now you're blaming me?' she snorted at Lucas's rude attitude in her heart.

Ellie walked calmly towards the sofa and sat down elegantly.

"What brings the Crown Prince to our mansion ?"

".....!"

Lucas froze in surprise. He stared at the girl in front of him, but he couldn't find anything different about her.

'Usually, when I yelled at her, her red eyes would turn as red as blood, and tears would start welling up.'

But the girl in front of him was very different, yet at the same time still the same. She never called him or spoke to him in such a formal manner before.

In his letters when Lucas was still in the Academy and they had a good relationship, Eleanor always called him by his nickname 'Luke'.

'That was before Eleanor's face turned ugly.'

Lucas shook his head, stopping himself from thinking about the past.

"Ahem, I came here to meet Duke Ashford, but he's currently not at the residence. However, because the matter I want to discuss is extremely important, I have no choice but to meet with you."

"What important matter, Crown Prince?"

She could guess what he wanted to say.

"I want us to end this engagement."

He waited for Eleanor's reaction, expecting her to cry and beg him not to do it. But the reaction he expected didn't come.

Instead, Eleanor remained calm and answered, "That is beyond my authority, Crown Prince."

He didn't know what expression Eleanor made because of her veil. If she wanted to draw his attention by acting now, she succeeded because he became curious.

"Well, I knew you would refuse to end our engagement. I have a woman I love, Eleanor. And I plan to make her the Crown Princess.

"So stop your delusions! Because no matter how long it takes, I will never love an ugly woman like you. Doesn't Duke Ashford's residence have mirrors? Haven't you ever looked in one?"

Ellie remained calm and didn't show any reaction when he showered her with insults.

'Love? It hasn't even been a month since they met.' Ellie snorted, finding his behavior amusing.

"I'm not refusing, but I don't have the authority to decide this. The Emperor is the one who arranges this betrothal, so it's the Emperor who has the right to decide about it."

He was taken aback, considering Eleanor's calm attitude despite his insults.

'What is this? Why is she not affected by my insults?'

He stared at her sharply and said,

"That's why I'm telling you. You should ask the Emperor to end this engagement!"

"Don't you know that it would be a violation to refuse anything ordered by the Emperor?"

"But Duke Ashford has a Privilege Request that my grandfather gave him! You can use that. Or perhaps, you're just pretending you can't do anything, but in reality, you can't bear to let me go."

He grinned with his stupid-looking pathetic face.

'Look at him, is he stupid or shameless ? I really want to scratch his overly confident face'

Ellie tightened her grip on her gown, afraid that if her hands didn't hold anything, she would throw the tea cup in front of her at Lucas.

Ellie advised herself, 'That would be terrible. Just hold it, imagine that the man in front of you is a crazy person ranting.'

He wanted to use the Right that could be used to request a territory, which only an ordinary noble like Duke Ashford can possess, for a request like this.

Lucas was afraid to ask the Emperor, and he threw his burden onto someone else.

'Why is the main character such a coward?'

"Sorry, Crown Prince, if I may give you some advice, you should be the one to ask the Emperor. Because as far as I know, from what people say, your lover is just the daughter of a Baron, isn't she?"

Ellie lied because the nobles still didn't know that Ava was the daughter of a Baron who only held the title but had no influence or wealth as a noble. Of course, Ellie knew it from the books she read.

"Are you insulting her background?! Even if the woman I chose is a beggar, she would still be much better than you!"

Ellie still smiled and replied,

"No, Crown Prince, but think about it. If it's my side that asks for the end of the engagement, the nobles' opinion will be that she is a poor girl who is willing to do anything to become the Crown Princess. They will see me as a victim.

"And if you are the one who asks, then they will think that there is something wrong with me to the point that you choose to end our engagement after all this time, and their opinion of your lover won't be as bad as before, even if she is from a lower class."

"...."

Lucas furrowed his brow as if thinking. And Ellie continued,

"Besides, wouldn't you be ashamed if the public were to say that a girl like me could discard you? because I ended the engagement first?"

He stared at her with a sharp gaze. Ellie didn't pay much attention and sipped her tea in front of him.

Lucas thought, 'What Eleanor said had some truth to it. My pride would greatly suffer if an ugly-faced girl like her were to leave me first.'

But on the other hand, he was also afraid to ask his father to end this betrothal. However, between his fear of his father and his pride, he chose his pride.

"Very well then. I will request the Emperor to end this engagement."

Ellie laughed happily in her mind.

'How could the main character be so naive?'

"Good luck, Crown Prince."

"....."

"Is there anything else you want to say?"

"No. I know this will be very difficult for you. So stop trying to get my attention and stop your acting because no matter what, I will never be able to love you!"

'Look at this man. What's wrong with him? Did he leave his brain at the palace?'

Ellie is speechless at his overconfidence.

'Well, it can be understood considering Eleanor's attitude as if she's willing to drink poison for him.'

Ellie raised her eyebrow and said, "If you see me that way, then it's up to you. And if there's nothing else you want to say, Crown Prince, I will take my leave. You can enjoy our greenhouse and garden if you still want to be here."

'Aren't her words seem like a polite way of driving me away? Eleanor? driving me away?' he couldn't believe it.

Lucas watched Eleanor stand up, slightly bowing, and leave the room without looking back.

For a moment, he sat frozen, too shocked. But quickly he composed himself. And he stood up, leaving the room, muttering,

"I want to see how long you can pretend."

There was one thing bothering him. Throughout the conversation, Eleanor never once called his name.