How Can a Homebody Defeat The Demon King? Chapter 11

The carriage rolled past a high wall and entered an area where a magnificent garden stretched out before us.

‘With a garden like this… it might as well be the Emperor’s residence.’

My uneasy feeling was right.

As the carriage door opened, a man bowed politely and announced,

“His Highness the Crown Prince is expecting you. Lady Elloe Callart, Lady Viviana Erylleon, and…”

When the attendant hesitated, the same cold man who had dragged me here asked,

“May I ask the young lady’s name?”

“I am Selene Whedon…”

By now, I was starting to feel more used to this name than my real one.

When I answered, the attendant gave a polite bow and briskly walked ahead down the hallway.

I shook my head. Just how poor is the Imperial Palace’s security? They really let anyone walk in like this?

Shouldn’t there be guards everywhere? Shouldn’t they be checking invitations or at least verifying names?

Ideally, someone would’ve said, “You weren’t invited! Please leave at once.” I had desperately hoped for that…

But, of course, no such thing happened. And so, I had no choice but to follow the man who had introduced himself as the son of Count Heidel.

As I walked behind him down the hallway, I couldn’t help but let out a quiet gasp.

We had been riding the carriage for quite a while after entering the gates, so I was sure we were still within the palace grounds—but the sheer size of the building was overwhelming.

The corridor had no windows, only arches that gave a clear view of the garden. A large fountain sprayed cool water into the air.

Between the carefully trimmed hedges shaped like walls, flowers were blooming densely. It was truly beautiful.

With every step I took, I couldn’t help but wonder—did someone as shabby as me really belong in a place this grand?

I whispered softly to Elloe, who was holding my arm tightly.

“Um… I think I should just go home now…”

Elloe smiled gently and replied kindly,

“But we were going to have tea together, weren’t we? Let’s have it here, Miss Selene.”

Viviana, holding onto my other arm, chimed in,

“The desserts here are really good.”

But I wasn’t planning to eat anything…

…Still, what kind of desserts are those good…?

I was a little tempted.

‘I’ll see what kind of desserts the Crown Prince eats… and ask our chef to make something similar.’

Not realizing that my thoughts would probably make both the Imperial Palace’s pâtissiers and my estate’s cooks sigh in disbelief, I dutifully followed them.

A short while later, we entered a lavishly decorated room, and I couldn’t help but gasp.

There was a velvet-covered sofa that looked soft just by looking at it, and in front of it, on a round table, were desserts that instantly caught my eye.

On a three-tiered dessert stand—something I’d only seen at dessert buffets—sat perfectly baked pastries, fresh fruits, slices of cake, and macarons.

And the most surprising thing was… there wasn’t just one tray like that.

As I examined whether the macarons were the thick kind or not, a calm yet refreshing voice spoke from behind me.

“I heard we had an unexpected but special guest.”

When I turned around, a tall, broad-shouldered man with striking good looks was smiling at me.

“Elloe Callart greets Your Highness, the Crown Prince.”

“Viviana Erylleon greets Your Highness, the Crown Prince.”

The two ladies gracefully spread their skirts and greeted the Crown Prince.

I quickly followed their lead and lifted my skirt in a curtsy.

The Crown Prince placed a hand over his chest and returned the greeting.

‘Oh, I think I’m getting good at this now.’

Exchanging formal greetings like this really made me feel like a noble.

“Please, have a seat. I heard we had special guests today, so I wanted to serve tea myself.”

The Crown Prince picked up the teapot from the tray and poured tea into the cup in front of me.

Without thinking, I lifted the cup, just like I would when my department head offered me a drink.

Habits really are scary. I awkwardly put the cup back down.

“I didn’t expect to meet you like this, Lady Whedon.”

Yeah, me neither.

“I am Noelle Bradford, Crown Prince of the Empire.”

‘Right, that’s what he looked like.’

I looked at Noelle’s hand as he poured the tea.

‘Hmm?’

There were faint marks on his skin, as if he had been burned.

For a Crown Prince, I’d expected either pale, flawless hands or calluses from sword training.

But with all my assumptions, I looked up further.

Hair like golden threads neatly brushed back, eyes the color of a hidden lake deep in the forest, and a refreshing smile on well-shaped lips.

‘Wow, he’s handsome.’

I’d seen so many good-looking men lately that you’d think I’d be numb to it by now, but no. A handsome face always feels new and thrilling every time.

Despite being the Crown Prince—the kind of person you’d expect to just sit back and sip tea someone else poured—he surprisingly handled the teapot with ease.

Handsome, always smiling, kind, and with a warm presence around him…

‘Is this what they call a “sunshine male lead”?’

As I was having that thought, Noelle looked at me and gave a small smile.

“I may hold the title of Crown Prince, but I don’t enjoy flaunting my status. I hope you’ll feel comfortable around me.”

Handsome and humble…

I simply smiled gently. When else in my life would I ever drink tea poured by the Crown Prince?

Besides, we might never see each other again anyway. Thinking that made me feel strangely at ease.

Noelle set the teapot down and spoke in a soft voice.

“You must have been surprised, being brought to the palace so suddenly. Yet you remain so calm—clearly, you’ve inherited the gentle nature of the late Count Whedon.”

Caught off guard by the unexpected compliment, I gave an awkward smile and tucked my hair behind my ear.

There was a faint clinking sound from my wrist. Noelle, who had been smiling at me, suddenly had a subtle shift in his gaze.

I wasn’t sure if I imagined it, but the sharp look in his eyes quickly faded.

Then, turning to Elloe and Viviana, who were sipping tea gracefully, he asked,

“Ladies, don’t you have something to attend to?”

The two looked at each other in confusion.

“Do we?”

I quickly rose from the sofa and smiled.

“Oh, you had something to do? Then I’ll be going too—”

“If you don’t mind, Lady Whedon, may I speak with you a little longer?”

Viviana narrowed her eyes and spoke with a slight pout.

“What kind of conversation are you two planning to have without us?”

Noelle tilted his head slightly and gave a charming smile.

“Didn’t you say it was quite an urgent matter?”

The two ladies, who had been pretending not to notice while sipping their tea, jutted their lips slightly beneath their teacups.

Now I felt like the invisible one in the room.

Elloe and Viviana set their teacups down and stood up. I awkwardly sat back down on the sofa.

Their footsteps gradually faded into the distance.

 

 

With just the two of them left in the quiet drawing room, Selene was the only one who looked uneasy.

Sensing her tension, Noelle spoke in a gentle tone, as if trying to put her at ease.

“The attendants are waiting outside, and the two young ladies are nearby. There’s no need to worry.”

Selene gave an awkward smile and brushed her fingers lightly over the sofa cushion.

“Aha… So, what is it you wanted to talk about?”

Noelle paused for a moment, then quietly lifted his teacup.

“That bracelet of yours is quite lovely. Is it a specialty of the Whedon territory?”

Selene hesitated. There was no way she could admit it came from the transmigrator hotel she’d woken up in after being reincarnated.

Her brain kicked into high gear, and before she realized it, a smooth lie slipped out.

“It’s not exactly a specialty. I just found some pretty stones and made it myself.”

Noelle raised an eyebrow, pretending to be surprised.

“I see. To think you picked out the stones yourself and made such a lovely bracelet—you have a great eye.”

“Haha… You can find pretty stones if you look closely at the ground.”

Selene, unable to bear the awkward tension, started rambling.

He could have pressed her with questions—how she drilled holes into the stones, where exactly she found them—but Noelle simply smiled gently.

There was no need to make her more anxious. If he could bring her to his side, the mystery of the bracelet would unravel naturally in time.

Telling someone you just met for the first time that they were destined to save the world would only make you look insane.

Noelle covered his mouth with his teacup and quietly observed Selene with his eyes.

Reading a person’s personality through their expressions, tone, and tiny movements was one of his specialties.

He had grown up learning to read people from a very young age.

“…Do you have anything else you’d like to say?”

Judging by the way her pupils darted around nervously, she didn’t seem to be the bold or assertive type.

Her demeanor suggested she hadn’t come to the Imperial Palace with a particular goal in mind.

That likely meant she’d been dragged along by Lady Callart and Lady Erylleon.

Anyone else would’ve been thrilled to sit across from the Crown Prince—regardless of how they made it happen—but not her.

It was probably due to her timid nature and dislike of attention.

She struck him as the kind of person who would easily get swept up by others, going along without much resistance.

‘Start with a small favor, then present an offer she can’t refuse. Once she’s tied in, she won’t be able to escape.’

Noelle had already finished assessing Selene in the brief moment it took to lift and lower his teacup.

“Please, just call me Noelle.”

Selene looked confused.

“Calling you by your first name… when we’ve only just met? That feels a bit…”

“Then call me that next time we meet.”

“Yes. Well…”

‘She’s got that look—like she’s wondering if there will even be a next time.’

Noelle relaxed his shoulders, satisfied that everything was unfolding just as he expected.

“I understand this is all quite sudden, especially since we’ve just met today… but Lady Whedon, I hope you’ll become someone on my side.”

He had chosen his words deliberately—vague, but loaded.

“Someone on my side.” Depending on how she took it, she might interpret it romantically and blush in embarrassment… or see it politically and start weighing the benefits of forming a connection.

And right when that phrase began to stir her thoughts and cloud her mind with meaning, he would follow up with something lighter, like asking to be friends.

Compared to the weight of his earlier words, a suggestion of friendship would feel casual, even comforting. She’d be much more likely to agree.

And if he could use that as a reason to keep her close, it would make achieving his goal much easier.

Starting as friends, with small requests here and there, someone with her personality wouldn’t be able to turn him down easily.

In Noelle’s mind, calculations and strategies were already several steps ahead.

‘Now then… what answer will you give me?’