I’m Just a Counselor Chapter 70

While I was mingling with the crown prince, who was pretending to be her son, the empress introduced me to her son.

 

“She’s Miss Vanessa,” she said, “you remember when I traveled north for a while.”

 

“Yes, I remember.”

 

“Miss Vanessa was very kind to me then, and her advice helped me a lot.”

 

The Crown Prince’s eyebrows rose at the Empress’s introduction, as did Kianton’s, who stood behind him.

 

“I thought you said you’d never met Her Majesty!” Kianton’s glare seemed to say, “You’ve never met Her Majesty!” I coughed and looked away. I didn’t mean it.

 

“Ho ho, Miss Vanessa. This is my son, and you remember Miss Vanessa, don’t you?”

 

The Empress narrowed her eyes mischievously. I shakily replied.

 

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

 

“Sister, I need to speak with you later.”

 

Estella whispered quickly, giving me a sulky look. I smiled sheepishly and nodded.

 

In the meantime, the crown prince asked.

 

“Have you ever spoken to Lady Vanessa about me? I wonder if my mother has any…”

 

“Lady Vanessa didn’t know I was the Empress then, so she probably didn’t know it was you I was talking about. Don’t take too much offense.”

 

“You’ve been traveling around hiding your identity? You could have gone as far north as… That was a very risky move.”

 

“Oh, my dear, are you worried about your mother? I’m glad… Sir Jason is better than you think, so you needn’t worry.”

 

The empress patted the crown prince on the shoulder affectionately. That alone told me how much she cared for her son.

 

No, she’d known that since Hazel. Even as she spoke of her troubled son, her words dripped with affection for him.

 

‘No wonder he’s such a coward in front of his mother.’

 

I looked at the crown prince, who was still pretending to be a dignified man, and clicked my tongue slightly.

 

“Your Majesty, a moment…”

 

At that moment, a very impatient-looking maid came up to the empress and whispered low in her ear. The empress’s expression grew serious as she listened.

 

Finally, when the maid finished whispering, she stood up from the tea table and said,

 

“I must go in for a moment, but there is still time, Julian, will you continue our tea time?”

 

“Yes, Mother…”

 

“Miss Vanessa is a wise woman, and Princess Estella is a witty one, and I think you will find her ample conversation.”

 

“But…”

 

Interrupting the crown prince, the empress whispered low in his ear. The crown prince’s expression changed in real time as he realized what she was saying.

 

The empress laughed in amusement at the look on her son’s face, then turned to us.

 

“I apologize for leaving without inviting you, but I hope you can finish enjoying your time with our crown prince before returning.”

 

“…Thank you for your consideration, Your Majesty.”

 

“It has been a pleasure today, Princess. Miss Vanessa, too. I hope you’ll drop by again sometime.”

 

The kindly-spoken Empress squeezed Estella’s and my hands once more before disappearing with her maid.

 

Now it was just me, Estella, the crown prince, and Kianton behind him.

 

Estella sipped her tea again, her demeanor somber. I glanced between the crown prince and Estella during this awkward silence.

 

‘I think one of you should speak first…’

 

Then we can either dig in our heels or continue with what the Empress said.

 

I rolled my eyes silently at the thought. Then I met Crown Prince’s golden eyes with a steady, authentic glare.

 

“…….”

 

The crown prince was slowly removing the mask he had been wearing since the empress had disappeared. He stood up straight and narrowed his eyes at me.

 

He squinted at me for a long moment, as if he were having a snowball fight, and then he finally spoke slowly.

 

“What are you looking at?”

 

‘Watching you show your true colors because you can’t see your mother.’

 

I stared at the snorting crown prince with trepidation, but someone reacted to his words before I did.

 

“What are you looking at too?”

 

The crown prince wasn’t the only one who started to show his true colors once the empress was gone.

 

Estella, who had set her teacup down so hard that it clattered, muttered something vicious.

 

The crown prince rolled his eyes at her. His eyes were full of displeasure.

 

I suppose it’s because she looks a lot like Jeremiah, as he said before.

 

The sister of a hated man who looks just like a hated man. The crown prince faked a smile in front of the empress, but it didn’t help his mood.

 

“I didn’t say that to the princess.”

 

“Even if it wasn’t directed at me, that’s quite rude, and who here deserves to hear it?”

 

Behind Estella’s stern voice, I could hear the words, “You insolent bastard!”. Well, it was probably my mood.

 

In any case, Estella seemed to be firmly horned at the crown prince’s treatment of me. But the crown prince raised the corners of his mouth in a sneering manner.

 

“How am I supposed to treat a woman who isn’t even a member of a noble family?”

 

“Do you really think you can treat a woman who isn’t a member of the nobility that badly, Your Highness?”

 

“As the princess said, I am the crown prince, so why shouldn’t I be?”

 

“If you’re going to lead this country in the future, you should treat commoners the same as nobles.”

 

“…Do you mean it?”

 

“Of course I do, otherwise…”

 

“Kianton, didn’t you say that the princess has no strange places in her head?”

 

“What? Is this guy really…”

 

I managed to calm Estella’s anger before she could throw her teacup in the crown prince’s face. If she said anything more, she’d be charged with contempt of royalty.

 

“I’ll mind my own business.”

 

I sighed heavily as I glanced over at the crown prince, arms crossed and a stern look on his face.

 

I’d been angry at his arrogant demeanor the last time I’d seen him at the café outside the palace… but today I wasn’t even angry. I didn’t even feel scared when his golden eyes stared back at me.

 

As I pondered this sudden change in emotion, I soon found the answer.

 

‘Come to think of it,’ I thought, ‘this… has been going on ever since I found out that the accidental son I told you about was the crown prince.’

 

There’s something about a child that makes you laugh at all the ugly things they do. I guess it’s like that.

 

The world seems to be easy because he’s in a high position, and he might be spoiled or something.

 

‘…Wait, but Am I  saying I think the crown prince is a spoiled brat?’

 

I’m like, “Am I the one who’s actually thinking the most ungodly thoughts?”

 

‘I must keep this a secret,’ I thought, and carefully asked the crown prince.

 

“Your Highness, by any chance, how old are you this year?”

 

“…Don’t you know that?”

 

The crown prince stared at me in disbelief, and I felt embarrassed by his reaction.

 

‘Why are you looking at me like that? Why should I necessarily know your age? I’m the one who didn’t even recognize the face of the Empress of this country!’

 

‘Come to think of it…’

 

Even when we first met, the crown prince acted as if he thought I knew him.

 

He didn’t tell me his name… because he thought I would know it of course?

 

“…….”

 

Is this… that, or should I say, overly self-conscious?

 

“Ha, are you just trying to get my attention?”

 

The crown prince sneered. I shook my head in frustration, but he didn’t seem to believe me.

 

Kianton answered my question for me.

 

“Miss Vanessa, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince had a coming-of-age ceremony this year, though I can see why you’re pretending not to know…”

 

‘No, I’m not deliberately pretending not to know, I really didn’t know!’

 

I pouted my lips to prove my innocence, but the crown prince and Kianton seemed to have already concluded that I knew and was asking.

 

It’s unfair. Even ignorance must be proven… I’m supposed to know everything about the imperial family because I’m a member of the island nobility…

 

“But… if you had your coming-of-age ceremony this year, does that mean you’re eighteen?”

 

I knew she was close to Estella’s age, but I didn’t think he’d just come of age.

 

There was a difference between me and… four years? It wasn’t much, but I had two digits in front of my age and he had one, and that was enough.

 

‘…That’s a kid.’

 

He might not be seven, but the crown prince was still a kid.

 

And at eighteen, you’d expect… to be pretentious, unhappy with the world, and overly self-conscious.

 

I looked at the crown prince with a compassionate gaze. Sensing my gaze, the crown prince raised his eyebrows.

 

“You have an unkind look in your eyes. What is it?”

 

“Nothing, Your Highness.”

 

But I’m a lowly fallen noble, so I mustn’t give away my thoughts.

 

I quickly lowered my eyes at the crown prince’s point and gulped down the rest of the tea in my teacup. The crown prince’s eyes narrowed.

 

“How dare you speak in front of the crown prince—”

 

“Your Highness.”

 

Estella quickly stepped in front of me as he looked poised to say something again.