The Prince’s Taste

The Mediterranean kingdom of Adrian, bordered by the sea, is famous for its beautiful scenery year-round. In particular, the week-long founding festival is a stunning celebration that even nobles from neighboring countries attend.

Boom!

Fireworks painted the sky in a dazzling array of colors, signaling the official start of the Adrian Grand Festival. Starting tonight, balls for foreign dignitaries and the kingdom’s nobility would be held each evening in the palace’s banquet hall.

“This must be the year.”

In the original story, it was written that once Judy Esther completed her coming-of-age ceremony, she would marry Richard. However, during that year’s Founding Festival, Richard meets Ella. This means that the year she becomes an adult is undoubtedly when the original story begins.

“It’s so bland. Like watered-down liquor.” She hadn’t expected a fanfare to announce the start of the original story or for flower petals to rain down from the sky, but everything felt too calm. A vague sense of unease crept up from deep inside her.

She rummaged through her memories once more.

With the help of fairies, Ella dressed like a princess and caught the prince’s eye at first sight. When the clock struck midnight, Ella hurriedly left the ballroom, leaving behind a single glass slipper. The prince, utterly smitten, sent people across the kingdom to find Cinderella and marry her.

It was clear that she had twisted the original story. The problem was that in the 19+ adult novel. ‘The Secrets of Cinderella’s Climax’, once all traces of villainy were removed, it had transformed into an all-ages fairy tale ‘Cinderella’.

For fifteen years, she had diligently run away to avoid catching Crown Prince Richard’s attention, resulting in this altered outcome. While it didn’t matter to her if the novel changed from adult content to one suitable for all ages, she couldn’t be sure if the original would accept this change.

After all, the phrase “the unchangeable law of the original” existed for a reason. She couldn’t shake her anxiety.

“Que sera, sera. Whatever happens is their fate, not mine.”

She took a deep breath. The humid summer night breeze tickled her cheeks. Gripping the terrace railing, she leaned forward. Even the distant sea appeared dazzlingly colorful. The waves were calm as if it were the quiet before a storm.

“If only the novel wasn’t written in the heroine’s first-person perspective.”

Ella was so oblivious that she didn’t notice the men approaching her. Even after hearing Richard’s confession, she thought to herself, “There’s no way he loves me; this must be a dream,” and brushed it off. As a result, she skipped over anything that wasn’t a steamy scene. Because of this, she hardly remembered any of Ella’s admirers.

The knights, trained under the sun and dust, had solid physiques, and the noble youths displayed looks that rivaled even the most beautiful. Furthermore, there were the charismatic second and third princes, who inherited royal blood.

Thinking of the rule in romance fantasy novels that handsome and talented men inevitably fall for the heroine, Judy Esther felt tears welling up as she realized she had to avoid them all. If she accidentally got too close, she could end up stepping on a landmine, so she had to be cautious and on guard with each one.

“Thanks to this, I’m the only one who can’t have a romance like everyone else.”

Saying it out loud made her feel a bit sad. Did she not have a crush that made her heart flutter? For a long time, Judy Esther had harbored feelings for Alex, the second son of the Duke Drummell. He became a sword master at the age of 23 and was now a close guard knight to the crown prince. Judy Esther’s father, Marquis Emers, was the Prime Minister of the kingdom, and her older brother Daniel was the Chief Administrative Officer, which meant they frequently visited the palace. Each time they did, she would intentionally visit the training grounds where Alex trained.

His figure, training under the sun, was nothing short of art. When he swung his sword, shirtless, she couldn’t help but swallow hard. Especially when sweat trickled down his bronzed chest, she struggled to suppress the urge to wipe it away. Additionally, his tight trousers hugged his hips perfectly, showcasing the curve of his firm b******s.Every time she caught sight of his firm b******s, it was impossible not to gulp.

With a perfect physique, he was Judy Esther’s ideal type; however, being a supporting character posed a problem.

At twenty-four, the same age as Richard, Alex was only four years older than her—not even a noticeable age gap.

However, knowing how perfect he was, she concluded that he had to be one of Ella’s admirers. Judy Esther had no choice but to choose an alternative plan. She would wait until Ella married Richard. Then she would approach Alex under the pretense of comforting him from his heartbreak. She would embrace his heart—no, his feelings—and help him overcome it with new love. That new love would be none other than herself—the official beauty of Adrian. It was a flawless plan.

“Wait for me, Alex. I’ll take good care of you.”

Thinking of Alex made the wine taste sweeter. There was nothing better than enjoying this view from the terrace of the palace at the highest point in Adrian while overlooking the city. She was determined to survive and witness this scene again next year.

Judy Esther took a sip of her wine and glanced at the banquet hall just beyond the terrace door.

When using the external terrace connected to the banquet hall, anyone entering would draw curtains installed on large glass windows to indicate that they were in use. Judy Esther slightly opened the curtain to keep an eye out for Ella’s appearance. Thanks to this, she could catch a glimpse of what was happening inside.

Inside the banquet hall were noble ladies adorned in extravagant dresses and jewelry vying for Richard’s attention. In the original story, it was set that Richard would marry Judy Esther once she came of age; however, he was currently unmarried and without a fiancée. He was undoubtedly one of Adrian’s most eligible bachelors.