The Prince’s Taste - Chapter 5.6

The conversation was turning unpleasant. Without another word, Richard lifted his hand, signaling for another drink. Sensing the tense atmosphere, the stall owner hesitated before cautiously bringing over a fresh mug of beer.

Richard snatched the drink from his hand and downed it in one go. He set the empty mug down with a sharp thud, exhaling slowly through his nose.The veins on Richard’s forearms stood out as he held back his anger.

“Judy, regardless of whether you trust me or not, I’m just really curious. Who instilled these thoughts about me?”

Richard’s blood ran cold.

“…It’s a bit awkward to interrupt, but if you ask me, Richard—you’re too soft. That’s your problem. If it were me, I’d have cut off my half-brother’s head if necessary.”

Calix looked at Richard, who had a remarkably handsome face. Even Calix, who was renowned for his looks in the Empire, couldn’t deny Richard’s beauty.

“I’m seriously considering it.”

“Our positions are like that. To survive, you kill before you are killed. The same applies to women, too.”

“If you want to have something, you have to eliminate the obstacles, don’t you?” Calix glanced around, noticing that men were hovering nearby, unable to approach due to his and Richard’s presence.

“Maybe it’s not a preferred method, but I suppose it’s necessary, isn’t it?”

Richard’s voice was cold as he followed Calix’s gaze to scan the surroundings.

“It’ll be fun. Maybe I should reconsider returning to the Empire immediately?”

“Calix, go back to the Empire. Don’t take interest in another country’s affairs.”

“This place is more interesting.”

A crown prince fixated on one woman. History has proven that a powerful man in love can be a dangerous one. Whoever stirs up trouble between them has a sea’s worth of mourning in advance.

“Would a person without a lover be considered pitiful?”

Calix chuckled and ordered another beer. Adrian’s beer was growing on him.

“Calix, your problem is that you have too many women.”

“There are many women who want to kill me.”

There were rumors about a woman who had wielded and swung a knife at him in his bedroom. Calix had supposedly beheaded her. So, it wasn’t wise for him to take just any woman into his arms. It wasn’t his concern, but even if he behaved well, he could be misunderstood.

“I didn’t say you did it, I’m just asking what you would do. Why are you getting angry?”

As they conversed, Judy Esther was poking at the octopus with a skewer, sniffling.

“I wasn’t angry.”

“You lowered your voice, though.”

Judy Esther looked wronged and started stabbing the plate with the skewer. The slippery octopus moved around.

Calix found the scene amusing and said,

“Your woman is angry.”

“I know that.”

“It’s the first time I’ve seen a woman express joy, sorrow, love, and anger all at once in one place.”

Calix laughed, then suddenly looked at Judy Esther with tears in his eyes, gazing at her as if she were a rare creature.

“I’m curious to see what she’ll do next.”

“I need for any further interest.”

Richard frowned as if he had heard something unpleasant and quickly fed a peeled shrimp into Judy Esther’s mouth. She opened her mouth like a baby bird receiving food from its mother.

“My dear Judy is so generous when it comes to food, isn’t she?”

Richard sighed deeply and dipped a chicken skewer into the water and popped it into Judy Esther’s mouth. She murmured seriously, “No matter how delicious the shrimp and chicken are, I’m going to eat them. Ah, it’s too good.”

“…Really?”

Calix was about to argue with Richard, but ended up laughing as he watched Judy Esther eat the food Richard was feeding her. Despite himself, he found her appearance charming.

“I thought the rumors about the fairy of Adrian were exaggerated.”

“And sexy, too, right?”

“I’d be even more envious of a woman who could keep you up all night.”

As Calix praised Judy Esther, Richard’s eyes softened. Memories of their activities the previous night flashed in his mind and made him want to end the gathering quickly.

“Calix, please lose interest in our Judy and return to the palace. It wouldn’t be good for the guest of honor to be absent for too long, would it?”

“Is he a guest of honor only at times like this? The host, the prince, is here, so who’s looking for the guest?”

“My father will welcome him well.”

Calix thought of the rather plump King of Adrian and wondered how such a king could have a son like Richard. The second and third princes looked just like their father, which might explain why Judy Esther chose Richard over them.

“Are you not going to stand down your knights either?”

“Richard, your knights are the same.”

They chuckled as they thought of their knights, who were tense and ready to draw their swords at any moment. The two men seemed peaceful as they laughed and enjoyed themselves with the fairy, but the atmosphere around them was not. The knights were in a state of high tension, ready to clash at any moment. Their two masters were also walking on thin ice.

“I need to appease my woman, so I was saying, please leave discreetly.”