The Crown Prince’s Courtesan - Chapter 99

Maybe he had been thinking something like this: I know I cannot yet become as important to you as your family is. That sort of feeling.

She had told him that wasn’t true, but hearing him say it made her long for her aunt all the more—for those days when they would wake up together, share breakfast, hold hands, and talk about the events of the day.

Just imagining it made her happy.

Marie, Freya, and her aunt were still a family, but now each of them had their own lives. Even so, despite thinking it might be difficult, her aunt immediately accepted Marie’s invitation.

‘Our lovely Marie.’

‘Auntie, are you really sure?’

‘Oh, what are you saying? How could spending a few months with you possibly be difficult? Besides, it’ll be nice to enjoy royal cuisine again after so long!’

And the time she spent with her family proved to be the greatest remedy of all.

Just like this quiet moment they were sharing now.

Smiling softly, Marie clasped the hand of the middle-aged woman who was holding hers so tightly. Someone she would always be grateful to, someone precious—her benefactor, her family.

And because of that, she could understand what her aunt was trying to say.

If Freya had found herself in the same situation, Marie would have been deeply worried as well. ‘Someone like us, with the Crown Prince?’

“Yes, I really am happy. And I don’t mean that simply because I’m the Crown Prince’s lover now, or because, unlike in the past, I’m in a position where the nobility treats me with respect.”

Marie smiled gently.

Now, she could finally say it with complete sincerity.

That she was happy.

“When I wake up in the morning, he’s always there beside me. He smiles softly and greets me good morning. Even though I know it’s improper and unbecoming, I spend a long while simply breathing in his pheromones as we chat about little, everyday things.”

And at times like those, no one in this palace would know just how gentle Russell’s expression became.

It was something only Marie knew. Something that belonged to her alone.

The feelings overflowing in her chest swelled even more. Ah, just talking about him made her miss him terribly. Russell—those violet eyes that looked cold at first glance, yet softened with such warmth.

“So you love him.”

“…Is it that obvious?”

“Of course. How could I not know?”

A warm hand caressed her cheek. Her aunt, who had been so full of worry, was now smiling with an expression much like Marie’s own.

“Even if you hide your expressions, you can’t conceal your eyes. And you’re my daughter, aren’t you? There’s no way I wouldn’t know. You’re truly happy, Marie. Thank goodness. I’m so relieved. Truly.”

Had she really failed to notice that, in the past, Marie had been living every moment by forcing herself to endure?

Marie knew as well.

She knew that her aunt had never asked about what had happened at the Academy in order to protect her pride. And her aunt, too, had done everything she could for the sake of her sisters.

Because they were family.

At some point, tears had begun to gather in the corners of Marie’s eyes. A gentle hand brushed away the moisture as her aunt smiled back at her.

Almost as if reciting a confession, Marie whispered softly.

“To be honest… yes, you’re right. It would be a lie to say that nothing happened. But now…”

That was why Russell was still so careful with her, and why the royal attendants were always mindful of her feelings. Yet Marie, too, often grieved when she considered the kind of life he must have led, living solely for revenge.

In order to understand each other.

In order to accept each other.

“I trust him. The tangled threads have been unraveled, and the misunderstandings are gone. You know, Auntie? Whenever I look back, there’s always someone there, worrying that I might fall.”

“Then why did you look so troubled?”

“Well… um, it’s about my baby.”

“Hmm?”

Smiling shyly, Marie gently stroked her stomach. It had not yet grown noticeably, but it had begun to carry the unmistakable signs of motherhood.

“Because I want to cherish this child. The reason I was depressed wasn’t because he neglected me or because I doubted his love. It’s just… I became so anxious about whether I could be a good mother.”

“Oh, my dear, you’ll certainly be a wonderful mother.”

“…Do you really think so? But I was never a proper Omega, and in many ways, I’ve never been ordinary.”

“Marie, don’t say such uncertain things about yourself. You were a better older sister than anyone, and a loving daughter as well. You were always someone we could be proud of, and so clever, too. You’re beautiful, and you’re even a rare dominant Omega. What could you possibly be lacking?”

She looked almost angry on Marie’s behalf. At her aunt’s fierce defense, Marie burst into laughter.

She was right. She should have spoken to those who had oppressed her with that same confidence and pride.