The Princeliest Prince of All - Chapter 37
Of course, neither Sera nor Leticia had ever visited such places, but there had been so many rumors that they couldn’t be unaware of their existence. People said they even traded in strange liquors or herbs that made one feel abnormally good.
No one really thought Theodoric had a hobby like that. But on the other hand, it didn’t seem likely that he’d gone to watch some amateur-level theater or acrobatics, either. Sera spoke grimly.
“Let’s go right now.”
“Um, he’s not there at the moment. Apparently, he only stopped by this morning…”
The vice-captain faltered, and a sigh slipped from Sera’s lips.
“Understood. Keep looking.”
Once the window was closed, silence returned inside the carriage. Leticia didn’t say a word, staring blankly into space as though she’d forgotten how to breathe.
Sera rolled her eyes around. Maybe I’ve stirred up trouble for no reason. Even if this relationship was going to end, there was no need to dig clear down to the bottom.
One thing was certain: right now, what Leticia needed wasn’t a comrade-in-arms to help her beat up her husband, but rather some comfort and support.
“Leticia, don’t jump to the worst conclusions. Maybe he was just scouting out a place for a date—somewhere fun for the two of you to visit.”
Even so, Leticia’s expression did not soften. In truth, Sera herself wasn’t entirely convinced by her own words. What reason would a princess—who could watch high-quality operas anytime—have to see some club-level play?
The carriage began to move slowly again. The knight who’d been sitting at the rear, keeping an eye out behind them, signaled through the small window. A single carriage had started following them at some point—no surprise there. Sera gave a slight shake of her head to indicate it was fine.
There were far more urgent matters at hand than that predictable fool tailing them. After a long silence, Leticia suddenly spoke again.
“Sera… thank you.”
“Huh?”
Startled by the sudden gratitude, Sera blinked. She hadn’t done anything worthy of thanks—if anything, she might have made things more complicated.
But Leticia seemed calmer than ever.
“Thanks to you, I’ve found some courage. I won’t just run away anymore.”
Confronted with Leticia’s resolute gaze, Sera fidgeted, not knowing how to respond. What exactly did I even do? She was worried she might have just made a bigger mess. Surely Leticia wasn’t planning to throw divorce papers in Theodoric’s face on the spot… right?
Nothing had been confirmed yet. Just as Sera was about to try comforting Leticia again, the carriage suddenly screeched to a halt. Almost simultaneously, the carriage door burst open.
“We’ve found him!”
Both women turned toward the voice in unison. A breathless guard, who must have sprinted there, gasped out his words.
“We’ve located His Grace the Duke.”
“Where?”
“Not far from here. We’ve detained him and can bring him right away.”
Sera glanced at Leticia. She gave a heavy nod. The guard shut the door, and the coachman cracked his whip at once.
They were in such a rush that even on a well-paved cobblestone road, the carriage jolted terribly. Sera’s face twisted in discomfort as motion sickness threatened to overwhelm her. I’m going to end up throwing up at this rate. Because of that, they couldn’t manage any proper conversation while the carriage was racing along.
Before long, the carriage came to another abrupt stop. This time, Sera clamped a hand over her mouth. Leticia flung the door open and jumped out.
“Le…!”
It was already too late to hold her back. Leticia darted toward a spot in the distance, where Theodoric stood surrounded by guards. Sera clicked her tongue and carefully stepped down from the carriage, her legs still wobbly and her mouth filled with saliva.
Leticia ran straight to Theodoric. Having received no explanation, he was loudly protesting to the guards.
“At least tell me what’s going on—Wait, Lesha?”
Late in noticing her, Theodoric’s eyes widened. Even at the appearance of the imperial princess, the guards did not budge. Sera finally found the guard captain and instructed him to dismiss the men.
Standing there dumbfounded, Theodoric hastily tried to hide something behind his back. Unlike Leticia—who stood before him with unwavering composure—he was visibly flustered.
“How did you…?”
“I was looking for you.”
It was as if the tears Leticia had shown Sera earlier had been a lie. She seemed perfectly collected. She didn’t want to appear pitiful in front of the man who might have betrayed her.
Still, it wouldn’t be wise to lose her composure and start hurling accusations blindly. Whatever the truth was, she wouldn’t deny all the love they had shared up until now. Leticia straightened her shoulders and looked at Theodoric.
“Tell me honestly. If your feelings for me are gone… I’ll accept it.”
“Wha—? What are you talking about?”
He squinted in confusion. Leticia merely waited quietly for his answer. Only then did Theodoric survey his surroundings. Though the guards had stepped back a bit, they hadn’t left. And off in the distance stood the Crown Princess, watching them both.
He quickly grasped the situation and squared his shoulders. The eyes of the once-proud Leticia wavered for a moment. The feelings she’d been experiencing until now were passed on to him, just as they were.
