Mistaken for a Wicked Woman!

I stared at the crown prince, with a dumbfounded expression at his unexpected words, but he said nothing more, he only chuckled.

‘What, we’ve only met twice, why is he so friendly to me?’

Have we met before? No, there’s no way I could have forgotten his face. I suddenly felt strange, so I avoided his gaze.

“Hmm, by the way, this is the first time I’ve ever seen an elementalist before.”

“Is that so?”

I coughed and turned away to avoid making the atmosphere weirder, and the crown prince matched me.

“They say the only people who can see spirits are elementalists…”

“Not really.”

I couldn’t help but look around, even though I knew I couldn’t see spirits. The crown prince chuckled softly after watching my bewildered expression.

“I’ll show you later.”

“…Really?”

“Yes. You don’t have to be an elementalist to see it, if the spirits let you. You can.”

“Oh my god, really?!”

Aaah! That was just a random comment, and I was so lucky! My voice immediately rose in excitement.

“Thank you, Your Highness!”

“Vasil.”

“What?”

“You can call me Vasil outside.”

“Uh, that’s a little…”

(T/N: Have they met before? Didn’t she mention that she had an accident before and can’t remember anything? What if she met the crown prince then? His actions are just too weird like he was familiar with her…)

Nobles would normally only call each other by their first names as a sign of intimacy if they are family, lovers, or very close friends. Even though I felt a slight feeling of camaraderie with the crown prince, we weren’t in a position to call each other by our first names yet.

After sensing that I was feeling a bit pressured, he opened his mouth again.

“Don’t feel pressured. It’s just that I don’t want to get in trouble for revealing my identity.”

“Oh, that’s right.”

‘That’s right.’

The crown prince had come out and was currently incognito. If he’s already standing out because of his appearance, he’s going to make a lot of noise if it’s known that he’s the crown prince. It could be dangerous.

“Okay, I’ll call you Vasil then.”

“Yes.”

“You can call me Iris, too.”

“Is that okay?”

“Yeah. I mean, it’s kind of weird to be the only one who hears their name, right?”

“Okay, Iris.”

The crown prince replied and folded his eyes prettily. My name suddenly sounded so pretty when he said it. “Here we are,” he said, and before I knew it, we were at the café where we were supposed to meet.

“This is it.”

“—It’s pretty.” Loisir café. The small, two-story café was as unique as the rumors that it was run by an elementalist. With walls covered in lush rose vines and a flower garden filled with colorful flowers, the small building stood in stark contrast to the drab landscape around it.

“Come in.”

The crown prince casually stepped inside the white picket fence and looked back at me. He looked like a masterpiece of beauty, surrounded by flowers.

“Iris?”

Oh my God, I was mesmerized again. I snapped out of my reverie at his call and quickly wiped the corner of my mouth with my sleeve.

“What’s wrong?”

“No. Just a moment…”

Crap. I actually drooled. What if he thought I was a pervert.

“Come on in.”

I was about to step inside at his urging when I noticed a sign by the fence that said “Closed“.

“Is this trespassing?”

I asked, pointing to the sign, but the prince seemed unconcerned.

“It’s okay, I had it vacated for you.”

“Huh?”

“For me?”

‘What are you talking about?’

I blinked in confusion, and he smiled sheepishly.

“I don’t want to be disturbed by anyone else.”

So for me, he’s going to make the café…

‘No, wait.’

Didn’t he just say he vacated it, not rented it?

‘No way…’

Suddenly, I remembered Sophie’s comment that this was the hottest café in town because it was owned by an elementalist.

“Hey, do you happen to own—.”

“Yes, I do.”

The crown prince confirmed with a casual nod when I asked about it nervously.

“Can a crown prince even run a café?”

“Of course not, that’s a secret.”

‘Shhh.’

The crown prince raised his index finger to his lips with a mischievous look on his face.

“Now you’re an accomplice.”

I swallowed hard, startled by the face that was suddenly so close to mine that our breaths touched.

“You’ll keep the secret, won’t you?”

The crown prince asked, his eyes twinkling mischievously as he curled his crimson lips like a ripe peach. His puppy-dog eyes and softly arced lips were as sweet as a honeyed green apple, and for a moment my heart fluttered. “There’s no one to talk to anyway,” I said. Oranges and seaweeds aside, the only people I know in the capital right now are the Bright family and the crown prince. It’s a circle as narrow as a needle’s hole, and even if I wanted to gossip, I’d have no one to talk to.

“I believe you.”

At my answer, the crown prince stepped back with a satisfied look on his face.

“This is my shelter, and I can’t have it known.”

“Shelter?”

“I built it because I wanted to be able to rest in peace, without anyone seeing me.”

The crown prince’s words reminded me of a fairy tale character who turns his life around after being bullied by his stepmother or stepfather. When did the previous Empress pass away?

Apparently, he grew up being bullied by the current Empress. I don’t know what kind of person the current Empress was, but she definitely knows heat when she sees it, and seeing that her children look like that, I don’t think she’s a very good person.

First of all, she is the mother of an adulterous prince.

“When you’re in the palace, you never seem to be able to rest.”

The crown prince added with a bitter expression. A home should be a place where one can rest at ease, but for the crown prince, the imperial palace is not a home. The crown prince of the empire is the envy of everyone, but it’s not a happy life. I had a bad taste in my mouth because I felt like I had indirectly witnessed an ugly power struggle without blood or tears.

“It’s a good thing that you haven’t been caught with it until now.”

“Hmm?”

“Even if you’re being careful, it’s not that easy.”

If it was a provincial noble like me or a commoner it’s definitely understandable, but if it was a noble living in the capital, everyone should have known what the crown prince looked like, but I couldn’t believe that no one did until now.

“Alas, I usually leave it to someone else, and even if I wanted to visit it often, I can only come three or four times a month.”

“Someone else?”

“There’s an elementalist I’ve known since I was a kid, so I’ve been letting him… Handle the café for me.”

“I see. But when you’re in the store, don’t you run into customers?”

That face is just simply impeccable. It’s the type of face that anyone who sees it once will never forget. No matter how much I thought about it, I was glad that he didn’t get caught.

“When I’m in the café, I cover my face as much as possible with my hood, and the spirits help me in times of danger.”

Rattle. The little bell on the door rattled vigorously, as if in response to the crown prince’s words. He looked at the bell, which was tinkling and singing all by itself in the absence of a breeze, and flicked it in the air, and as if it was just an illusion, it stopped. Now that’s a spirit that listens.

“Come in.”

The crown prince opened the gate in a familiar motion and beckoned me in. As I stepped inside the hedge, a butterfly fluttered among the mums, circled around me as if to say hello, then flew away again.

“Excuse me…” I cautiously walked through the open door and was greeted by a thick floral scent. The inside of the café was no different from the outside. Large and small potted plants scattered throughout the entire café, there were vases on every table, and there’s even a small pond with lotus flowers. It felt more like a greenhouse or a flower garden than a café.

“Iris.”

I put down the baguette I was holding on a nearby table and looked at the pond with its bubbling water, and the crown prince, who had disappeared for a moment, reappeared in an apron.

“Do you have a favorite tea?”

“—You look good in an apron.”

“Hmm? Hahaha. Thanks for the compliment.”

I wasn’t being facetious, it really did look good on him. I mean, with a face like that, he could look good in rags.

“I have all kinds of teas, so feel free to choose. Lavender, chamomile, or lemongrass?”

“I don’t know… I’m not a big tea drinker, so I don’t want it to be too bitter or astringent.”

“Then let’s go with chamomile tea, it smells and tastes fresh.”

“Are you going to make it yourself?”

“You’re an honored guest, and I’m going to treat you like one.”

“Do you know how to make tea?”

“Of course.”

The crown prince smiled smugly.

“Have a seat over here,” he said, and as soon as I was seated, he began to skillfully make the tea. It wasn’t long before a steaming mug of tea was placed in front of me.

“It’s still hot, so drink slowly.”

“Thank you.”

‘The aroma is good, but what about the taste?’

I carefully picked up the teacup and sipped the tea, and a subtle, refreshing flavor filled my mouth.

“Delicious……!”

Contrary to my fears, the tea brewed by the crown prince actually tasted good.

“It has a refreshing flavor.”

“I’m glad it’s to your taste,”

He said, pleased to see me admiring it.

“I was worried because you didn’t like it last time.”

“That time it… tasted really bad.”

“Chamomile has stress-relieving and calming properties, how about that, do you feel better?”

I was savoring the sweet apple flavor, when the prince asked me cautiously, “Mmmm… not yet.”

It is an immutable truth that eating good food makes you feel better, but at the thought of Count Olette and the Second Prince, a momentarily forgotten irritation arose from my chest.

“You know, Vasil.”

“Huh?”

“You said the other day that you had some personal feelings of remorse for the Young Lady Bright. Is that because of the Second Prince?”

“…That’s right.”

He said slowly, after a moment of silence at the direct question. I had guessed, but the confirmation still made me frown.

“How did you manage to hide something so extraordinary?”

House Bright is one of the most prestigious families in the Empire. The current patriarch is a duke, a national hero, and his successor is a marquis and the chancellor of a nation. Even the imperial family couldn’t do this.

“Even if you look down on the Bright family, it’s not an oil fountain. This is ridiculous!”

The more I spoke, the more my voice rose. I knew that the real bad guy was not the crown prince, but I was also angry at him. After all, he was a member of the royal family.