Married To The Enemy Kingdom's Illegitimate Prince
Chapter 35 — The Real Her

Chapter 35: 35 — The Real Her

"What do you think of this bracelet? It’s made from real seashells! Only 10 silver coins!" A middle-aged woman held up a blue bracelet, smiling eagerly at the young couple in front of her.

Cynthia glanced at Lucian, who seemed more focused on scanning the surroundings, his eyes darting around as if he were being hunted by some unseen danger.

She shook her head, knowing exactly why he was acting so paranoid.

He probably has his men tailing us, in case I try something. What am I going to do with this man? Isn’t he a little too cautious?

With a small sigh, she gently poked Lucian’s shoulder, like she was knocking on a door.

He turned his head toward her, frowning at the sudden contact, but she simply grinned, nodding toward the bracelet the woman was holding.

"Isn’t it pretty?"

Lucian, caught off guard by her choice, stared at the simple bracelet. He nodded, though surprised she would choose something so inexpensive—just 10 silver coins—when she had brought jewels worth 1,000 gold coins from her kingdom.

He had heard plenty about Princess Cynthia even before he returned from the battlefield, and while he wasn’t one to rely on rumors, there was a clear contradiction between the woman in front of him and the stories whispered in the noble circles about Princess Cynthia De Luminas of Eldoria.

Her behavior baffled him. She was nothing like a noble lady— even her villainous deeds were beyond imagination.

For instance, rather than arriving at the marketplace as the Grand Duchess of Erion, with all the grandeur and authority that came with the title, she had chosen to wear a simple disguise of a commoner. He couldn’t comprehend her reasoning at all.

And then there was the clothes shopping. She had insisted on finding the most common store and dressing him in plain, everyday clothing—a simple white shirt with a few black buttons.

"You look much better in light colors, Your Highness," she had said to him with a bright smile.

Her words were sweet, too sweet. His head started paining as he tried to connect the woman before him to the rumours or what he saw in Eldoria only for one result— he was still unable to understand her.

How could she be sweet to him after knowing his origins?

"Princess Cynthia values bloodline above everything. It’s obvious that she despises every servant because they are of low class!"

Lucian once heard a baron from Eldoria say at his wedding.

How could she constantly smile at him when he was no different than those servants?

He was the illegitimate son, the man who had destroyed his father’s, the crown’s princess and the queen’s family and happiness.

In Selvarys, having an illegitimate child from an affair was a disgrace, and it had shattered the queen’s dignity.

The queen was the one who suffered the most as men could almost get away with anything— even affairs.

"This bracelet is so pretty!" Cynthia’s voice broke Lucian’s thoughts as she twirled it around her wrist, strolling through the bustling marketplace.

"Are you..." Lucian began, stopping in his tracks as he exhaled deeply.

"Am I what?" Cynthia asked, turning to face him with a calm expression. The constant smiling had begun to make her jaw ache.

"... Never mind," Lucian muttered, brushing past her.

Her smile faltered, and she frowned. She grabbed his arm, pulling him to face her.

"There it is. That’s the real her. No one stays calm forever," Lucian thought, looking at her narrowed eyes.

"Your Highness," she said, her tone sharper than her usual soft one. "You think I didn’t notice the lady back there scammed me?"

Lucian paused for a moment, then nodded. "You don’t seem too bright. What else can I say?"

Cynthia scoffed, though her expression quickly shifted into a dazzling smile.

"I see. So ’stupid’ must be written all over my face. Apologies that you have such a ’stupid’ wife." She turned and started walking away, quickening her pace.

"Wait!" Lucian called, hurrying after her.

Cynthia darted through the narrow alleyways, turning corner after corner, losing herself in the maze. When she finally stopped, she realized Lucian was nowhere to be seen.

"Did I lose him?" she mused, glancing around.

A mischievous smile spread across her face. "Well, he said I’m stupid, didn’t he? Let’s see how clever you really are, Mr. Lucian."

She crossed her arms, waiting patiently for him to find her.

Just then, the door of one of the buildings opened, a short middle-aged man dressed in a dark coat appeared.

"Come in, young lady," he looked up at Cynthia who raised an eyebrow.

Her hands reached for the small knife she kept hidden in her sleeve.

Just as she was about to pull it out, the man chuckled.

"I won’t harm you. We marely have matters to discuss together."

Not trusting the man, Cynthia pulled out her small blade, targeting the old man.

"My, my. I told you I wouldn’t harm you. Alright, I will tell you what it is about in case it triggers your curiosity. It’s about your mana core."

Hearing so, Cynthia clenched the knife in her fist. How did this man know about her? Is it a pure coincidence or?...

***

Unable to find Cynthia, Lucian gestured to his men to come his way.

The knights dressed in common clothes, as instructed by Lucian as to not draw attention from the public or Cynthia, rushed to join their commander.

"Look for the princess of Eldoria. Make sure she doesn’t escape anywhere. We can’t afford to lose her. Or else..."

"Pardon? Look for who? One of them asked, interrupting Lucian.

"He is talking about the grand duchess!" Another whispered, hitting him slightly by the shoulder.

"But why princess of Eldoria? Isn’t she the grand duchess now?" Confused, the man demanded.

In Selvarys, women were revered as their husbands’ titles not by their fathers’ status.

However, once he felt Lucian’s glare directed at him, the knight kept his mouth shut. He bowed before rushing to search for the grand duchess.

"What is she playing at now?" Lucian sighed, pressing the palm of his hand on his forehead.