The Prince’s Taste - Chapter 5.9

Judy Esther’s mind seemed to be already inside the inn. Richard couldn’t grasp what she meant. She pulled on his lapels and pouted.

“I want to see Your Highness lying on the bed, looking up at me.”

“Huh?”

If she were to be in a position looking down at him on the bed, it meant she would be on top of him.

The moment the word “bed” was uttered, it was already a lost battle.

“Your Highness, the festival only has five days left.”

“The festival will be here again next year.”

“No, we have to live today like there’s no tomorrow. So, do you want to go?”

“I don’t…”

What man could resist Judy’s seduction? Moreover, she didn’t seem drunk at all. Her eyes sparkled like a crescent moon as she gazed at him lazily, and he couldn’t help but swallow hard.

Indeed, the end of joy and sorrow is pleasure.

As Richard and Judy Esther entered the inn, the innkeeper’s face turned pale. It seemed unbelievable that the Prince of Adrian and the fairy had entered her humble inn. Richard felt the same way, realizing he was holding hands with her as they entered.

“Give us a room.”

Judy Esther said conspiratorially to the innkeeper.

“How many would you like?”

“At times like this, the innkeeper usually says there’s only one room left.”

“There are many rooms available.”

“Is this place running at a loss?”

The innkeeper was startled by Judy Esther’s words, looking surprised that she knew the truth.

“Because you lack business sense, you’re ruining your trade. When a man and woman come in together, even if there are many rooms, you should put them in one. Trying to charge double for two rooms could lead to bankruptcy.”

“Is that so?”

“Of course. In the middle of a festival like this, you shouldn’t have any vacancies.”

The innkeeper looked enlightened. Richard let out a soft sigh and spoke with as much dignity as possible.

“Please guide us to the best room.”

“Ah, yes…”

Unintended as it was, they had entered a place where they could have a private conversation. As soon as they entered the room, Judy Esther bounced on the bed, testing its give. She patted the bed a few times before complaining about the mattress.

“Judy, are you sure you don’t want to go home?”

“…Well, I feel sorry for my father, but I guess that’s what happens when his daughter is crazy over a man.”

He poured some water from the jug on the table into a glass and handed it to her. Judy Esther drank it in one gulp, seemingly parched. He sat down at the end of the bed, which creaked under his weight.

“But, Your Highness, I feel like our situation is like fireworks. It’s burning my whole body, and I mistake that for love. I’m scared that when the passion fades…”

“There’s no need to be scared.”

“I’m too happy, so I’m afraid. I worry that God might be jealous and separate us.”

The alcohol still seemed to be affecting her, as her words were slurred. Richard tried to comfort her with a light joke.

“Judy, it seems like you’ve read a lot of novels.”

“Huh? How did you know I was talking about novels?”

Richard struggled to make sense of her words, which could be either drunken ramblings or truths revealed in her intoxication. He hoped to grasp her mind a bit better, so he listened attentively without interrupting.

“No, I shouldn’t have said that.”

Suddenly, she slapped her own mouth and spoke solemnly.

“I had a dream, and I guess it’s just a dream. In the dream, I was engaged to you. I loved you so much, but you hated me so much.”

“Really?”

Richard’s gentle response encouraged her to continue telling her story, using the dream as an excuse. It was similar to the story of the northern duke, but with more details.

At some point, the dream story shifted to being about Judy Esther and Richard.

‘Finally found you. The traitor.’

Richard’s golden eyes turned darker, his cold gaze seeming capable of freezing the surroundings at any moment. Judy Esther hesitated but didn’t notice.

“When did you have this dream?”

His voice was soft, but his expression wasn’t.

“…It was a while ago. When I was young, I think.”

The male protagonist was himself, and the female protagonist was Cinderella, but she was a supporting character. Was that why she kept calling herself a supporting character?

“My Judy has read a bad novel.”

She had written a novel combining real people with fictional ones and was deeply moved by it, so she was confusing reality with fiction.

Looking at Judy Esther’s serious expression, it seemed like there was more to her story than just being abandoned. Did she avoid him just because of that?

“Did I… kill you in the dream?”

She had said something similar the first time they were together, asking if he would kill her.

It now made sense.

“How did you know?”

“Judy, dreams are just dreams. It can’t be real.”