I’m Not Sorry But The Prince Will Marry Me Anyway
Chapter 133

Chapter 133: Chapter 133

For a while, the Crown Princess remained silent.

The anger that had momentarily filled her face had faded, now mixed with bewilderment—like how mixing all colors of clay eventually results in a deep gray.

She slowly opened her mouth.

"...Dorys Redfield. Did you perhaps think the Sacred Salon was a place that sold information fairly? I never gave it such a grand meaning."

"Of course not. Only those handpicked by Your Highness can enter the Salon, and the usage fees are quite high. The concept of ’coins’ was likely adopted more for entertainment than for fairness."

"That’s right."

"Even so, commoners as well as nobles could enter the Salon, and I was even able to freely request information about the royal family. That alone made it a space full of potential."

"...Potential, you say. But in the end, it’s just a salon. How is it any better than a tavern?"

"Your Majesty’s decrees strike like lightning—powerful and immediate. But the voices that emerge from a tavern, though weak, can still shake the world. Because they rise from below."

"...An interesting way to put it."

"That’s why I believed the fairy-tale-like rumor that ’the owner of the Salon grants wishes.’ It felt like it could truly be possible."

The anger had almost completely disappeared from the Crown Princess’s expression. What remained was a curiosity similar to what she had shown when I had once assisted her in the library.

Taking it a step further, she very slowly smiled.

"You wanted to know Ariel Rabbit’s current whereabouts?"

"Yes, that’s correct!"

"A woman who followed willingly to the convent two years ago, was locked up for nearly a year, and then disappeared—only now, you seek her?"

"...Yes."

Even I knew it was like searching for a needle in the desert. But I couldn’t back down.

"If I can take even a single step forward from this deadlock, that’s enough."

"Very well."

"I promise that I will not cause any trouble for Your Highness or... Pardon?"

"I’ll look into it. Where she is, what condition she’s in."

"Ah... Thank you, truly, thank you!"

"Keep your gratitude in check. There’s something else we should exchange between us, isn’t there?"

"Yes, coins! I currently have ten registered. How many would you like?"

"One."

"...Excuse me?"

"To be precise, starting with one. There’s no guarantee I’ll find her with absolute certainty, so we’ll adjust the price based on the quality of the information."

"Understood!"

"Within ten days, I will find something useful."

I bowed my head to her multiple times.

"Thank you very much, Your Highness."

"No need. If anything, I should thank you for always bringing life to me and to the Salon, Lady."

It was the same tone I had heard before, from behind the beak-like mask in the Sacred Salon.

Before that familiar voice, I once again felt as though I had stepped into the Salon, bowing as I left her room.

’Ah... This feels kind of nice.’

Even though nothing had been truly resolved yet, I took a deep breath as if I had surfaced from a long dive.

It felt as if I had just completed my biggest task.

Once I confirmed Ariel Rabbit’s whereabouts, the next step would be securing her.

And after that...

’...Should I go visit Rick tomorrow?’

Dorys Redfield bowed several times. She looked less like the most elegant lady of high society and more like a diligent clerk expressing gratitude to her superior.

The Crown Princess stifled a smile as she saw her out.

"You may come in now."

After Dorys left, a maid who had been waiting quietly in the back of the parlor entered and poured lemon water into a glass.

The Crown Princess took a sip, moistening her dry lips, and asked, "You heard Dorys just now, didn’t you? Quite interesting, wasn’t it?"

"Yes. She was an intriguing person in many ways."

"Finding Madame Abigail was impressive, but what I found most amusing was how she described the power of the Salon: ’The voices from below can shake the world.’ ...It’s a pity she hasn’t figured out the true owner of the Salon, though."

"Even if Your Highness is the owner, it wouldn’t be inaccurate, would it?"

"A true owner doesn’t change so easily. I know my place. I’m satisfied in the role of a manager."

The Sacred Salon was originally known as a gathering of noblewomen searching for suitable matches for their daughters.

But as the group grew, false information began to spread. In response, discreet maids started collecting and cross-checking information from an outsider’s perspective. This loose network of maids was likely the true origin of the Sacred Salon.

As the gathering expanded further, some noblewomen became more interested in the system of handling information rather than the information itself.

That responsibility, under the name "Madame Abigail," and in a repurposed abandoned church, had eventually fallen into the hands of the Crown Princess.

"The Sacred Salon is like an ant colony. If a queen ant loses her role, she can simply be replaced with another."

It was the maids, as members of both society and the Salon, who gathered information from various places, processed it for sale, and even prepared exquisite food.

The maid, who was both a Salon worker and a royal attendant, looked at the Crown Princess with slight concern.

"Are you worried that the Salon’s restoration is taking too long?"

"Impatience won’t solve anything, but maintaining composure isn’t easy either."

"Your Highness..."

"Well, that just means I must accomplish the task I’ve been given. Bring me my stationery."

"Yes, Your Highness."

Before deciding whether to use official or personal letterhead, the Crown Princess was struck by a small, curious thought.

Dorys Redfield.

What kind of wish did you want to make at the Sacred Salon?

The day I planned to visit Rick.

My parents had been in an unusually tense mood since the morning, and it lingered through lunchtime.

Their voices grew sharper after my sister left the dining room, and even more so once I stood up from my seat.

"Honey, wouldn’t it be better to ask them to slightly lower the dowry instead...?"

"Are you ignoring me right now?"

Father shouted, his voice sharp. But Mother was just as fierce.

"If I were ignoring you, I wouldn’t even be asking—I’d have done it on my own! Don’t try to silence me!"

"...Sorry. In any case, I don’t want to cut Natalie’s dowry. If we start off like that, how much more will they look down on us in the future?"

"But Dorys will also be asked for a significant dowry. For our family’s future, wouldn’t it be better to adjust the amount rather than selling the business...? Wait a moment. Dorys, are you there?"

Of course, I silently stepped away from the dining room without answering. My parents’ worried voices continued behind me.

It seemed the royal family had demanded a hefty sum for my sister Natalie. Or rather, perhaps it wasn’t the royal family, but Percival himself.

’Yes, Your Highness. Charge as much as you overestimate yourself.’

Leaving their concerns behind, I headed toward the Royal Hospital.

’Rick Rey...’

Not my family, not my lover.

But someone who felt like an aching wound to me.

Even the thought of "Why is the fate of the second male lead always like this?" felt sinful now.

This was no longer just a novel—this was my new life.

"Hello. May I visit Rick Rey in Special Room 1?"

Normally, I was allowed through without difficulty, as the hospital staff had come to recognize my face.

But today, I received an unexpected response.

"Could you wait a moment? There are quite a few visitors in the special room right now."

"Is it Miss Maria and Sir Arthur, by any chance?"

"That’s correct."

Even though Arthur’s large frame was practically the size of one and a half people, the special room wouldn’t be so cramped that they’d need to restrict entry. So why were they stopping me?

Still, I didn’t want to be one of those difficult visitors who argued, "Who do you think knows better—you, the staff, or me, the occasional guest? Obviously, me!"

So, I waited quietly in the lobby.

A little while later, familiar faces appeared in front of me.

"Hello, Maria! And Lord Arthur, have you been well?"

"It has been a while, Lady. A pleasure to see you again."

"Dorys! You’re early. Rick will be happy to see you! And you’ll have something to be happy about, too."

"What? Did Rick’s condition improve?"

"Not exactly... but see for yourself."

Maria gave a wry smile. But the joy she had shown when greeting me earlier was no lie.

What on earth had happened?

Like changing shifts, I rushed down the hallway and entered the room with the largest window.

Rick’s condition remained the same. He lay on the bed, positioned as the staff had arranged him to prevent bedsores.

But beside him—

A figure I hadn’t expected rose awkwardly and bowed to me.

A white-haired, wrinkled old man, his short-cropped hair and sturdy, time-worn muscles hinting at his resilience.

"Greetings, Lady."

"Hello...? I’m Rick’s friend. And you are...?"

"My ap-apologies for the late introduction. I am Rick’s grandfather."