A Painting of the Villainess as a Young Lady

Whether he liked it or not, Roen met with Aileen periodically.

Well, he says it’s ‘periodically’, but in truth, it was actually quite infrequent.

Given the family name they carried, a minimal amount of attention was deemed necessary—an excuse to meet his younger cousin whose real face was more unfamiliar than expected.

“So you harshly cast me aside, and now you find yourself missing me? That’s why you flip your attitude like the flip of a hand.”

The child who always smiled was more irritable than expected.

“Hiic, hiiicc. It’s too much. I, I said I disliked that… I always think of our family, of you, Brother…”

She suddenly burst into tears.

“Still, even after everythiiing, I’m still fond of Brother.”

She approached with a soft smile.

It was clear how she was gauging how she might unsettle Roen the most.

If he hadn’t been monitoring and had already been aware of her movements, he might have really believed her repentance and mistakenly let it slide.

It wasn’t exactly disgusting or irritating.

Though thoroughly familial, Roen’s affection didn’t extend a shred of sympathy to ‘outsiders’, and for him, Aileen was an ambiguous figure straddling between family and stranger.

When she behaved kindly and gently, he found it endearing, but such light fondness was far from true familial love.

Aileen must have known this too. Overwhelmed by inferiority, she fiercely tried to bring down Violet.

“If there’s anything you might need, just tell me.”

A cornered mouse will bite the cat. To keep her manageable, it wasn’t wise to push her too far.

No matter how Aileen behaved, it was for Violet to decide, and Roen should not have been deeply involved.

He had to act within his role, ensuring no issues arose without overstepping his bounds.

That was his plan.

But then.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Your Highness. I am Aileen Everett!”

He hadn’t expected her to approach the crown prince so foolishly.

Though not cornered by anyone, Aileen was quite headstrong.

In Roen’s view, Aileen was in a prosperous state.

You’d think that she was acting this way because she had much to lose, prompting her to protect herself at all costs. Roen could not comprehend why his cousin was now acting as if she’d been cornered.

Through Prince Vaughn of Liran, Aileen was introduced to Rajaden, who she approached with a clear and gentle smile.

Even with Roen beside her, and even though it was not a time for such a meeting, her brashness was quite remarkable.

Due to her actions, Roen would now end up taking the blame. He sighed and addressed Rajaden.

“I apologize, Your Highness. I have always taught her manners…”

“Let it be. I have no intention of criticizing her for a mere greeting.”

Was it a problem that she was overly indulged during her upbringing?

Although the Everett siblings were all taught the same manners and etiquette, Aileen always acted cluelessly.

Not considering the possibility that this was ‘deliberate’, Roen swallowed a sigh.

Looking around and gauging the atmosphere, Aileen cautiously asked.

Or rather, pretended to seek an answer.

“Um, did I do something wrong?”

“Yes indeed, you made a mistake with your greeting. Maybe a noble from a different class or culture wouldn’t know the etiquette, however…”

Rajaden, not one to easily let things slide, fixed Aileen with an arrogant smirk.

“For a noble of our country to make such a greeting, one could only surmise that this is intentional. I’ll let it go this time, but do practice caution next time.”

Since no one besides Violet had openly rebuked Aileen, her face flushed red with embarrassment.

Why the crown prince, of all people…

Well, it was only as of late that Rajaden had been acting out of character due to his fall into love. But originally, he was a man harboring a thousand snakes within him after all.

“I apologize… I just really wanted to greet you…”

Aileen slightly bowed her head and covered her mouth as she pretended to wipe away tears, a sight that would make most men uneasy.

“Then, next time make a formal request for an audience and present yourself properly. I am a busy man.”

Though he would never agree to meet her, Rajaden casually said this. Aileen’s eyelashes fluttered nervously.

“Is it not possible to meet outside of an official audience…?”

“……”

“……”

It seems sending her to study abroad in Liran turned her head into a flower garden.

There was now a real danger for people to presume that the Everett Duchy’s home education was a mess. Taken aback, Roen tried desperately to calm his twitching left eye.

“I don’t even know where to start pointing out the issues. And Miss, strictly speaking, we are not meeting for the first time.”

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