The Crown Prince’s Courtesan - Chapter 38

Marie bit her lip, almost involuntarily. She stepped back, retreating from his line of sight. When she turned to walk away, the sting of his gaze still clung to the back of her neck.

She was confused. Russell, that man was impossible to understand.

He was like a coin flipped over and over. Each day a different face. One moment, he claimed to despise her. The next, he offered brief, bewildering kindness.

So which one is real?

‘Or is all of this just my delusion?’

Some part of her wanted to go to him. Grab his arm. Ask him — demand, even — whether that night had meant anything. Whether he truly found joy in her suffering. Whether they had… history.

Whether he truly hated her.

But a courtesan was not permitted such questions. And Marie wouldn’t allow herself to cross that line. Not for him. Not for anyone.

The ballroom was suffocating. She needed to leave. Just for a moment. Just to breathe. She turned toward the powder room, but someone stepped into her path.

“Are you Marie Alphrose?”

The voice was sharp, clear as a blade.

Marie turned.

A dazzling beauty stood before her — regal, composed, and dangerous.

“Don’t tell me you don’t know who I am.”

“…”

The bold red dress that exposed her shoulders made quite the impression. The upward slant of her eyes suggested a rather fierce temperament. Her black hair was tied up high, and her red eyes resembled those of a cat.

“I’m Arwena von Dietrich. A pleasure, I suppose.”

Ah, the stares from the crowd intensified. Marie masked her discomfort with a slight smile as she responded. This was the woman the maids had inadvertently mentioned — the one everyone said would surely become the Crown Princess. And barring any unexpected events, she almost certainly would.

“It’s an honor to meet you, Lady Dietrich. Thank you for the warm welcome. As you seem to already know… I’m Marie Alphrose.”

“Mhmm. The baron’s daughter who should never have set foot in this place, right? Honestly, if His Highness needed a stand-in, he could’ve picked someone with better qualifications.”

Marie was startled by the rawness of her tone. Nobles usually chose subtler ways to insult their rivals — layered, indirect, and polite. Arwena was far too blunt for someone of her station.

But perhaps that, too, was a sign of confidence — the kind born from being loved unconditionally, time and again. She had likely grown up adored and unchallenged.

Even as the insults flew like arrows, Marie neither cried nor argued back.

“Yes, you’re absolutely right, Lady Dietrich. His Highness was gracious enough to grant me the chance to attend such an event. I consider it a boundless honor.”

“Well, at least you know your place. That’s something.”

She clearly had no intention of backing off. Originally, Marie had planned to make her appearance as the Crown Prince’s courtesan, share a single dance with him before the nobles, and then leave quietly.

Now, she bit the inside of her cheek to keep herself calm. The Crown Prince didn’t seem likely to intervene. He was watching from a distance, as if to see how she would handle the situation.

“A low-tier Omega like you thinks she can talk back?”

The woman’s red lips curled into a cruel arc. From what Marie had heard, the Duke of Dietrich’s daughter was said to be an exceptional Omega — close to a dominant Omega, even.

‘That’s strange.’

Marie wondered: was she really such an exceptional Omega?

Somehow, the woman standing before her…

‘She doesn’t seem like one. I wonder if the prince knows that?’

Just as Marie furrowed her brow ever so slightly, Arwena stepped in close, as if she had picked up on her thoughts. She leaned in and whispered, low enough for only Marie to hear:

“Using that cheap little hole of yours to take His Highness inside you — again and again, they say. There’s no chance of it, of course, but if you have any foolish ideas about staying by his side, you’d better kill them now. Because if something like that ever happens, I’ll tear you limb from limb.”

“……”

“Do you understand what I’m saying? I’ll be the one to marry His Highness and bear his child. So know your place, keep your mouth shut, and disappear. I’ll let you live until then, since it won’t be long now until you’re eventually discarded.”

Her words were so vicious, so saturated with malice, that they revealed just how nasty her temper truly was.

Marie sighed inwardly at the display, but outwardly remained composed as she replied evenly:

“The chance of a recessive Omega bearing the child of an ultra-dominant Alpha is close to a miracle. I’m sure you’re well aware of that, Lady Dietrich, so I don’t think a warning is necessary.”

“…What?”

Arwena’s expression twisted, like she might lunge at Marie and tear her apart right then.

“You really are a ridiculous bxtch. What, do you think that just because you’ve been used as His Highness’s cxm-dump, he’ll protect you? Even if I slap you across the face right here, His Highness won’t say a word. And yet you dare talk like that to me?”

All Marie had done was state a fact about recessive Omegas, yet Arwena was reacting like someone hit a nerve. Marie’s suspicion deepened. Could it be… she’s pretending to be a dominant Omega while actually being a recessive one herself?

The Crown Prince had a habit of sniffing out nobles’ weaknesses and using them. He was also wary of them. Yes, then it should be fine to test her a little further.

“I only stated a fact, Lady Dietrich. I’m not sure why you’re reacting so violently… unless, of course, you’re a recessive Omega yourself.”

Feigning a stumble, Marie leaned slightly forward, letting her pheromones slip out — subtle, faint, but present. If the woman before her truly was an Omega with any sort of potency, she should have noticed immediately.

Arwena didn’t seem to react. Instead, she raised her hand—

Smack!