The Princeliest Prince of All - Chapter 35
“Well… for starters, I heard he bought flowers…”
Sera nodded seriously, like a private investigator uncovering evidence of an affair. Encouraged by her reaction, Leticia spread her arms wide and continued.
“Like this—so many flowers. But… I never received any of them.”
Theodoric’s deviation wasn’t a one-time thing. He had gone around the capital, buying flowers from every shop. From what had reached Leticia’s ears alone, it was enough to fill an entire wagon—several times over. Yet, not a single bouquet, not even a single flower, had been given to her.
“I don’t want to believe it, but…”
Leticia trailed off, choking back tears.
Unlike her, who was simply heartbroken, Sera was absolutely furious.
If all of this was true, then even a whole bucket of filthy mop water wouldn’t be enough for Theodoric.
As far as Sera was concerned, every single flower in this world should be dedicated to the female lead—who was more beautiful than any of them.
With anger bubbling in her voice, she demanded,
“Where is—no, where is the Duke right now?”
Originally, Theodoric had been the third son of an earl, inheriting no title of his own. The only rank he had earned was his knighthood, solely through his swordsmanship. But now, he had surpassed his own father’s status and was awarded a ducal title.
And that was only possible because he had married the Imperial Princess.
Sera recalled this fact with renewed fury.
Leticia shook her head weakly.
“I don’t know. He’s been leaving the manor frequently these days, but he never tells me where he’s going…”
Leticia wasn’t naive—she was simply too noble, too kind-hearted. As a proper protagonist, she was upright and pure. She understood the weight of a vow.
She would never suspect her husband of betrayal just because she hadn’t received some flowers.
Though Theodoric hadn’t told her anything, she wanted to believe he had his reasons.
But his behavior had changed.
The man who had always done everything with her had suddenly started going out alone.
He didn’t share his destination.
He didn’t tell her when he’d be back.
That was it. Sera had reached her limit.
She shot up from her seat.
“BUTLER!”
She practically shrieked, as if she was about to blow the entire mansion’s roof off.
Leticia blinked in shock—so startled that her tears vanished on the spot.
Hearing the Crown Princess’s outburst, the butler rushed into the drawing room, panting.
“Y-You called for me, Your Highness?”
“Yes.”
Sera arrogantly lifted her chin. The elderly butler fidgeted anxiously, unsure of what to do.
The other servants who had followed him in were just as visibly flustered.
The only ones completely unfazed were the Crown Princess’s personal ladies-in-waiting, still standing by the doorway.
To them, their mistress being eccentric was nothing new.
If even the Crown Prince himself had long since given up on restraining her, what reason did they have to interfere?
Sera, now fully in detective mode, pointed a dramatic finger forward.
“Prepare a carriage. Immediately.”
“Pardon?”
The butler blinked in confusion.
Taking a deep breath, Sera barked again.
“Car. Riage.”
“A-ah, yes, right away!”
The butler scrambled away so fast, his wig nearly flew off.
Now turning to Leticia, Sera spoke briskly.
“Get ready.”
“Huh?”
“I said, get ready. We’re going to find that bastard—no, that man.”
Theodoric would return eventually if they just waited.
But Sera had no intention of waiting.
And if they were going to catch him, they might as well catch him in the act.
There would be no way for him to talk his way out of it.
“Hurry up!”
Still dumbfounded, Leticia hesitated—but ultimately, she got swept up in Sera’s momentum and headed to her dressing room.
Not long after, a plain, unadorned carriage left the estate.
No one would have guessed that a princess-turned-duchess, and the Crown Princess herself were inside such a modest-looking vehicle.
Their only escort was one knight disguised as a servant and a coachman.
Wrapped in a heavy cloak with her hood pulled over her head, Leticia asked nervously.
“Where exactly are we going?”
“I have a plan.”
Sera replied confidently.
There was no need to rush in blindly.
First, she would use her authority.
So she stormed into the capital’s security headquarters.
For the first time in the history of the security force, the Crown Princess herself had personally visited.
The waiting guards, caught completely off guard, panicked and scrambled to assemble in the conference room.
Sera stood before them, her shoulders squared with exaggerated authority.
“I am searching for a criminal.”
At her words, the room full of burly men stiffened and bowed in unison.
Sera grinned internally.
Ah, this must be the sweet taste of power.
She barely managed to keep herself from puffing her chest out further.
She felt zero guilt about using her status like this.
This was a hierarchical society, after all.
It wasn’t like she was the Emperor, or the Empress, or even the Crown Prince.
She had no other use for her authority besides personal matters like this.
And most importantly—
The female lead’s tears were a crisis that threatened the entire world.
“The criminal you are to apprehend is none other than the Duke of Barmore.”
Immediately, the conference room stirred with murmurs.
“Criminal?”
Leticia, too, looked at Sera in bewilderment.
The Duke of Barmore was her husband.
It was an awkward command to follow, to say the least.
Finally, the captain of the security force cautiously spoke up.
“F-Forgive me, Your Highness, however…”
Sera waved a hand dismissively.
“Go on.”
“What crime… are we to charge him with?”
Sera tapped her chin, thinking.
Then she grinned.
“Hmm… Treason?”
