The Prince’s Taste

The man stirred awake at the sound. The moment she saw his sleepy golden eyes, Judy Esther swallowed hard. Why was the male lead of this world lying in bed with a mere supporting character? Was there a scene in the original where they slept together? No matter how hard she tried to remember, all she could recall were the moments when Judy Esther chased after Richard, screaming in frustration.

“Are you okay?”

“Of course I’m not!”

Judy Esther trembled as she lay face down and swallowed hard.

‘There’s no way it could be Prince Richard.’

In this unbelievable situation, her mind was a chaotic mess.
‘It can’t be the second or third prince, either.’

Golden eyes were the symbol of royalty, and in the Kingdom of Adrian, there were only three unmarried men with such eyes—Richard and his two brothers, whom Judy Esther had seen frequently. Rumors even circulated that wherever Judy Esther went, the second and third princes followed her around.

Judy Esther stole a glance at him. Richard was frowning slightly, lost in thought. Even with that slight grimace, his handsome face was unmatched in Adrian.

“No matter how I look at it, it’s definitely Prince Richard.”

Since it had become routine for her to run away whenever Richard appeared, she could recognize him even by his shadow. Like Jerry from the nostalgic cartoon Tom and Jerry, she had run away with short legs, but how had she ended up waking up in the same bed with him?

“Your Highness… Do you know who I am?”

Judy Esther desperately hoped he didn’t recognize her. It would be nice if he thought she was just an unknown noble lady from some rural corner. She knew it was a futile wish, but could it really happen? What were the odds of being struck by lightning on a clear day? Judy Esther gazed at Richard’s golden eyes, waiting for his response.

“The one and only daughter of Prime Minister Emers and the younger sister of Chief Administrator Daniel, Judy Esther.”

“You know…”

Judy Esther was puzzled. No matter how drunk she had been, her preferences wouldn’t change. Richard had a lean physique that was far from her ideal type. He relied more on his intellect than brute strength and had delicate, pretty-boy looks. If he had been born in South Korea, he would have been a beauty slayer who could dominate the world as an idol. Now, at 24, he was of marriageable age and on track to become the future king, so all the noble families in the kingdom were engaged in a silent battle to secure a marriage alliance with him.

However, Judy Esther had no intention of getting involved in that political mess filled with unpleasantness. What good would it do to be chosen as the Crown Princess? She would ultimately be heartbroken due to Richard’s other women. One of the king’s duties was marriage. To strengthen royal authority, marrying daughters from powerful families was essential. It was said that managing concubines well was also a virtue of a queen.

Having been raised in South Korea, where monogamy is the norm, she could never accept such an arrangement. Her plan was to quickly hand Richard over to Cinderella and start her own romance. Fortunately, in Adrian, polygamy was prohibited for nobles except for royalty. Even if they cheated, they couldn’t have multiple wives. There were quite a few nobles, like her father, Marquis Emers, who loved only their wives. So whether it was dating or marrying, she’d be fine as long as it didn’t involve royalty.

With such convictions, there was no way she would have had a fling with Richard.

“Why am I here with you, Your Highness?”

“I don’t think you’re asking because you don’t know.”

The spacious bed, large enough for three or four people, was stained with evidence of their activities from the night before.

“It’s a little awkward to react like this the moment you wake up.”

As he reached out and pulled her closer, she collapsed into his chest. His chest felt surprisingly firm.

“I guess I shouldn’t drink anymore.”

“It seems you drank too much yesterday as well, Your Highness. That’s why you’re here with me, right?”

She quickly wriggled out of his embrace. Trying to appear as pitiful as possible, she fluttered her eyelashes and lifted her head slightly before dropping it again. A single tear here would be perfect, but no matter how hard she squeezed her eyes, none came out.

“You were the only one drinking.”

“Surely, you had at least a drink or two?”

Judy Esther exaggeratedly wiped her tearless eyes with her fingers and said,

“That must be the case.”

This situation should have been a mistake made in the heat of the moment due to alcohol. It seemed that it wasn’t a mutual mistake but rather her unilateral blunder. Judy Esther desperately began to search for other excuses.

“Then… have you been overworking yourself for several days and maybe you were sleep-deprived? So much so that you didn’t even realize who was in front of you?”

“What are you trying to ask?”

“I was wondering if there was a beautiful goddess who caught Your Highness’s attention at the banquet last night?”

Judy Esther knew that he was supposed to fall for Ella at first sight, and it was that love that would eventually lead to her demise. There was no way she could be pleased about a one-night accident with him.

“You were the most beautiful one there.”

Richard delivered the finishing blow. The fact that she was the most beautiful meant he hadn’t seen Ella. After all, the protagonist wouldn’t make her entrance on the first day of the Founding Festival. She would have to appear dramatically on the last day, just before it ended.