The intention was obvious. She wanted to brag about her connection with the crown prince, but it was pointless.
Did she really want to become the public enemy of all the noble ladies just to become an object of envy?
Violet, who was already both the public enemy and the object of envy, clicked her tongue inwardly.
She recalled the appearance of Aileen at the social gatherings she occasionally attended. She was literally overflowing with ‘poisonous energy’.
She had deliberately provoked and taunted her, which seemed to have escalated into hostility.
A cornered rat might bite a cat, but had Aileen ever really been cornered? It was simply that the public’s opinion didn’t follow her desires.
Violet sighed inwardly.
She couldn’t understand why Aileen was so excessively concerned with others’ opinions and reputations.
“Even doing such things would amount to nothing. You’ll never be able to reach me.”
Violet smiled as she recalled the taunting words she had thrown at Aileen the last time they met.Seeing Violet smile, Mary asked curiously.
“Miss? Is there something strange in the newspaper?”
“No, it’s just right for a little distraction. Mary, could you tie my hair?”
“Yes! How would you like it?”
“Just something that matches my current outfit.”
“Ah, then maybe with the pins we received last time…”
“But it has to be simple. What good is it to be flashy when I’m just going to pray at the temple?”
“Hiiing… Alright…”
Mary looked disappointed, but Violet didn’t mind.
“I am already more than enough without extra adornments.”
As Violet displayed her confident self-assurance, Mary hummed in agreement and tidied up her silver hair.
However, Mary couldn’t abandon what she had set her mind on. When Violet, dressed as if not dressed up, looked at herself in the mirror, she shook her head and climbed into the carriage.
She felt uneasy the whole way.
Is there a particular reason why she didn’t want to meet him this much? Violet pondered. She just wished time would flow slowly.
Unfortunately, the meeting came to pass.
“You’re early, Ducal Lady.”
Rajaden greeted Violet with a bright smile and confidently extended his hand to escort her. It was only upon seeing his smile that Violet realized why she didn’t want to meet him.
Rajaden was so dazzlingly beautiful today that it wouldn’t be enough to repeatedly praise his appearance.
His hair, as if spun from threads of the sun’s rays, glittered like jewels under the bright light.
Moreover, his face, which had been somewhat gloomy until just before meeting Violet, lit up as brightly as the sun the moment he saw her.
This was why she disliked it.
She hated being someone who instilled expectations in others. She hated the situation where she had to crush those expectations.
It was a surprisingly tender thought for someone once called a villainess.
Violet realized once again that she was weak to someone’s goodwill and put on a smile like a mask.
“I just arrived on time. However, Your Highness seems to have arrived early.”
“This is quite normal for me.”
Rajaden led Violet with the perfectly trained etiquette of the imperial family. With her hand placed atop his, they entered the interior of the temple.
The temple was evidently a sacred structure. True to the symbolism of serving the Sun God, the building was designed to allow sunlight to permeate the interior, its marble construction shining brightly at a glance.
How many times had she been to the temple in her life?
Violet faintly frowned, recalling the day she first fell into the lake. A priest had been summoned from the temple after donating an astronomical amount of money.
She wasn’t a diligent believer, so matters related to divinity weren’t particularly pleasant for her.
As they entered the temple, all eyes turned towards the two of them. Rajaden and Violet merely maintained a kind and composed expression.
“I suppose you’ve heard that the recent movements of the temple have been strange.”
“…Yes.”
“The reason we came here today is to pray before the Founding Festival, but also to personally observe the temple’s activities.”
“Isn’t it dangerous to come here to observe personally?”
“Are you perhaps worried about me?”
“There’s no one who wouldn’t worry about the future of the nation.”
“Haha, indeed. I am the future of this empire. Don’t worry. Do you think I would come here without any precautions?”
Rajaden spoke with a cheerful tone. Violet blinked a couple of times without changing her expression.
The fact that he had to take precautions even at his own country’s temple showed how dire the situation was.
While she was lost in thought, Rajaden looked at her kindly and wiggled his fingers.
Was he reacting like this just because she expressed a smidgen of concern? It was hard to believe.
Violet swallowed her astonishment at the subtle movement. She hadn’t expected him to interpret such a trivial remark with such significance. Encountering the pure side of the arrogant crown prince was indeed bewildering.
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