The Princeliest Prince of All - Chapter 34
Still though, at the time, Leonard had been a great source of reassurance.
“Don’t worry. If they take after me, they’ll surely love you dearly.”
He had looked gaunt as a skeleton, yet his mouth had still managed to function properly. In any case, thanks to those words, Sera had felt much more at ease. Fortunately, as her pregnancy neared full term, her morning sickness subsided, allowing her to brush it off as a mere incident.
But from the very day of the childbirth, Leonard infuriated Sera beyond measure.
She had never harbored any illusions that the father of her child would accompany her through the entire birthing process. That would have been a ridiculous expectation. At best, she hoped he wouldn’t just get in the way.
All she really wanted was for him to come in after the birth, hold their child, and embrace her.
But instead—THUD!
“What was that sound?”
“Well, um…”
The midwife fumbled for words, clearly troubled. Exhausted from the labor that had lasted all night, Sera forced her aching body to sit up. And there she saw—
Leonard. Collapsed on the floor, having fainted at the mere sight of his newborn child.
She had endured all the suffering to bring their child into the world, and yet there he was, passed out.
Even calling the memory pathetic would be an understatement. Sera clutched her forehead, where a headache was beginning to throb.
“Ha.”
She didn’t even need to hear the details to picture what had happened. Leticia, unable to bring herself to offer comfort, simply pursed her lips. After all, that pathetic man was her one and only brother.
Having married before her older brother—thanks to an unexpected pregnancy—Leticia was already a step ahead in both marriage and motherhood. And as befitted a main couple, she and her husband had a pair of twins—a boy and a girl. Their children had inherited the best features of both parents, making them almost criminally adorable.
If there was one regret, it was that her bond with Sera had weakened. They had become not just family but close friends, yet as per tradition, the Imperial Princess had to leave the palace after marriage. Because of that, they could no longer share daily tea time like they used to. Even today, it had been almost a month since they last saw each other.
And now that they had finally met again, all they were talking about was their headaches. Sera had no desire to waste time discussing that useless Crown Prince.
“Forget it. How are things between you and your husband?”
Rather than answering, Leticia only gave a faint smile—one that was unlike her usual self. It was a bittersweet smile, but Sera failed to notice the nuance.
Of course, she must be happy.
With a husband like that, their marriage must be so sweet it was overflowing. Still, it would be insensitive to gush about it in front of someone who had stormed out of her own home after fighting with her husband.
However, Leticia’s smile soon faded. A deep sorrow clouded her golden eyes.
Even someone as dense as Sera couldn’t miss it.
No way… Did something happen?
Then again, the original novel’s ending had long since passed. If something unexpected occurred, it wouldn’t be surprising. This wasn’t even a side story anymore—it was practically an epilogue.
But there was no need to worry. After all, the female lead had her very own mercenary-for-hire—Sera.
“Did something happen?”
“Well…”
Leticia hesitated, unable to speak right away. Her eyes trembled violently, like the surface of a river at sunset.
Sera’s pupils and nostrils flared.
Which bastard dared to make our dear female lead upset?!
Her nostrils flaring like an angry bull, Sera quickly scanned the room.
In the distance, she spotted a group of attendants waiting discreetly—the imperial palace ladies-in-waiting who had followed her after she stormed out, and Leticia’s maids.
Without hesitation, Sera waved them all away. She swept them out of the reception room, leaving only herself and Leticia behind.
Now alone, Leticia finally spoke cautiously.
“The truth is…”
What she revealed was shocking beyond belief.
According to her, our male lead—the kindest man in the entire world—Theodoric, seemed to have fallen out of love.
But as a devoted fan of the main couple, Sera wasn’t even remotely convinced.
“Oh, come on. That’s impossible.”
She waved her hand dismissively, as if shooing away a ridiculous notion.
As far as she knew, for the male lead’s love to waver was about as likely as a villain from a certain well-known romance novel suddenly reforming.
If anything, it was always the opposite. Even characters who were supposed to change never did, leading to obsessive, angsty, and miserable endings.
Yet, despite Sera’s confidence, Leticia’s face only grew more and more troubled.
She had finally opened up to Sera, placing her trust in her, yet she was completely dismissed.
Her large golden eyes filled with unshed tears.
Only then did Sera realize that this might actually be serious.
Thinking back, the so-called ‘unchanging rules of the original novel’ had already crumbled beyond repair.
The duke’s daughter who was meant to become Crown Princess was nowhere to be seen—no lady-in-waiting or noblewoman had taken her place.
And most importantly, Adrian—who must be peacefully sleeping in a nanny’s arms by now—was the ultimate, living proof that the story had gone off track.
Could it be that Sera’s presence had altered the entire course of the original novel?
That even the everlasting love of the main couple was now at risk?
A wave of unease crept up her spine.
Even so, a part of her still refused to believe it.
For now, she needed more information.
“So… what exactly made you think that?”
