I Tamed the Monstrous Prince - Chapter 29
Chapter 29
“B-But…”
I bit my lip. Had it been a mistake to approach the Empress with this? Interpreting my silence, Cornelia continued.
“One treats people like people only if they act like people.”
She murmured. Confused, I asked again.
“Pardon?”
“What do you think constitutes a person?”
“….”
What constitutes a person? The sudden question stumped me. The parrot on Cornelia’s shoulder squawked, “Person!” Cornelia smiled wryly.
“Yes, one must act like a person to be called one. Have you ever seen the First Prince act like a person?”
“….”
Cornelia tapped her long fingernails on the table.
“A person should walk on two legs.”
The parrot hopped down and strutted between Cornelia’s fingers, where she held a small pouch of treats.
“And use tools.”
The parrot bobbed its head, untied the pouch with its beak, and pecked at a piece of dried fruit.
“And speak the language of humans, wouldn’t you agree?”
She moved her fingers, and the parrot cheerfully recited, “Your hat is lovely,” and “Good afternoon,” in perfect diction.
“Ah…”
“Do you see the difference between the First Prince and this bird?”
“….”
Her meaning was clear. My gaze darted around, unable to meet hers. Suddenly, Cornelia grabbed the parrot. The startled bird flapped its wings, screeching and struggling.
“See? This bird is superior to the First Prince in some ways.”
The parrot writhed in her grasp. The sight was suffocating.
“At least I can control this.”
Her blue eyes glinted coldly, sending a shiver down my spine. Finally, she released the bird. The relieved parrot preened its feathers before hopping back onto her shoulder.
“But the First Prince?”
“B-But…”
“A beast that cannot be controlled, a creature that rampages without reason… naturally requires a whip, wouldn’t you say?”
Like controlling livestock, Cornelia added.
“Who else could possibly handle him? Disciplining an unruly beast is only natural.”
“The Prince is a person!”
I couldn’t contain myself. I stood abruptly, the table shaking, ripples spreading across the tea.
“What?”
Cornelia’s face hardened. I had defied the Empress. A chill ran down my spine. However, she didn’t reprimand me. Instead, she burst into laughter, coughing convulsively. Finally, she inhaled her cigarette again, exhaling languidly.
“You’re quite the comedian. That’s the best joke I’ve heard all year.”
“….”
I lowered my head, clutching my skirt.
“…As Your Majesty said.”
“Hmm?”
“His Highness… is… different.”
Until I met him, I hadn’t believed in curses. I considered them mere superstition. But what was he like? The word ‘cursed’ fit him perfectly. The way he lost control, reacting to the scent of blood, his terrifying rampages, his left hand transforming into a reptilian claw, the bestial glint in his eyes… I doubted he could ever be normal.
I bit my lip, then forced myself to remember Cesar’s gentle smile, his soft gaze.
“But he is still a person…”
“Your devotion to your husband is admirable.”
Cornelia, seemingly impressed, extinguished her cigarette on the tray.
“Well, I suppose a bastard with no backing like yourself needs to cling to her imbecile husband.”
“What?”
Her blunt words shocked me. I looked up. Cornelia merely smirked. A long, dizzying silence followed. The chirping of exotic birds mingled with the splashing of the fountain. Small creatures peeked from the lush foliage. The Empress sat regally amidst this surreal beauty, a picture of innocence, as if untouched by the world’s ugliness.
Everything was dazzlingly unreal. That’s why I failed to recognize the venom dripping from her red lips.
