The Crown Prince's Courtesan - Chapter 15
No sister of a royal courtesan could live untouched, so Marie had to ask even if pleading to him tasted sour on her mouth.
She asked that Freya be adopted into a good family and introduced to society properly. That her name be changed. That she be allowed to live as someone entirely unrelated to Marie Alphrose.
She asked that her aunt be given enough wealth to live out her years in comfort in a place of her choosing and that she should lack for nothing.
Not once did Marie ask for anything for herself.
‘Is that all?’
‘Yes. That is all.’
‘…’
For a brief second, the Crown Prince’s expression seemed to shift. Something unreadable flickered across his face, but perhaps she imagined it.
‘It’s a deal, then.’
‘…’
‘Remember this. From now on, you belong to me.’
Marie swallowed dryly as she met Russell’s gaze. His violet eyes, so unrelentingly fixed on her, had darkened to something almost suffocating.
‘Whatever I demand, you’ll accept. Be it humiliation. Be it pain. If I say spread your legs, you will. Your pheromones exist solely for my pleasure.’
‘…Yes. I understand.’
‘I can’t tell if you’re stupid or just pathetically stubborn.’
That was the end of it. The prince turned and left — as if angered, or disgusted, or simply done with her.
And just like that, it felt as though she’d sold her soul to the devil.
“We’ve arrived.”
The carriage came to a stop. The door opened with a gentle click. Outside, soldiers in elaborate ceremonial uniforms stood guard.
Marie, sharp-eyed as ever, noticed immediately: they were not friendly.
Cold stares slid toward her, sharp as frost between masks of court-trained impassivity.
‘They must think I’m some insect clinging to their noble master.’
Whether they knew she had been bought at no small price was unclear.
Marie stepped down from the carriage with as much grace and dignity as she could muster, even as twisted thoughts murmured in the back of her mind.
And then—
‘Gasp.’
A breath escaped her without permission. She stood speechless before the royal palace.
Marie had lived in the capital, where one could catch glimpses of the palace from a distance. But unless you were a high-ranking noble with an official invitation, it was a view reserved for the horizon — never something you stood before.
The palace was breathtaking.
Its grandeur, now towering directly before her, carried a weight that stole one’s breath and stilled the heart. And she thought to herself:
He must be in there.
As her heart pounded with nervous anticipation, she spotted a group of people walking toward her.
‘Tch.’
She couldn’t help a silent, wry chuckle. From their deliberately slow pace, it was obvious that these ladies-in-waiting were planning to subdue her with elegance and poise alone.
A proper noblewoman might have taken offense at the palace maids not being ready to greet her, but Marie wasn’t a highborn noble. She felt no anger. Her heart remained still, like a quiet lake.
“Are you Miss Marie?”
Even the title was telling. Miss Marie. No “Alphrose.” As if the fallen countryside noble name wasn’t even worth acknowledging. The woman who spoke, face cold and clipped, was likely the head lady-in-waiting of the Crown Prince’s palace.
Her sharp, humorless gaze seemed meant to intimidate. Marie had the distinct impression that palace life would be anything but easy.
‘Well, when has it ever been?’
She nodded without resistance.
“That’s right.”
For a moment, the lady-in-waiting hesitated at her gentle tone, glancing toward the knights flanking them. They exchanged a look. Marie saw it, but she said nothing.
The head lady-in-waiting cast a cold glance. She scanned Marie from head to toe with blatant rudeness. It felt almost like an inspection to see if the newly acquired item was in proper condition. Marie let out a silent, bitter smile.
“Miss Marie, is that all your luggage?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
“Sigh, I don’t see a single decent piece of fabric. It looks like there’s much to prepare. Well, whatever you brought likely wouldn’t have matched the dignity of the palace anyway.”
“Is that so? Then I suppose that’s fortunate.”
“…Is that all you have to say?”
“Yes. Is there a problem?”
She had known from the moment she exchanged contracts with the Crown Prince that he was never going to protect her.
No matter the scorn or cold treatment the courtesan used as his shield received, he wouldn’t step in. If anything, he’d push her forward to face it all alone.
So this was only the beginning. Marie smiled calmly, as if nothing could hurt her, while the maids whispered among themselves, glaring at her with visible distaste.
‘It’s fine. The Crown Prince has already paid his price. I’ve braced myself for this.’
Without any proper greeting or orientation, Marie began walking slowly, following the maids who moved on without pause.
‘I’ll survive somehow.’
Either way, the clock of fate had begun to tick.
And as always, the powerless Omega would have no choice but to keep moving her feet, struggling to endure within it.
