Ruby Palace. A palace built in the most remote part of the imperial palace.... more>>

The princes and princesses who stay here have exactly one thing in common.

…We are hostages. Offered by the vassal states subjugated by the Tristum Empire.

Josephine lived quietly in plain clothes, trying not to attract the attention of the princes.

Because the moment she stood out, she would have to serve in the bedrooms of the brutal princes.

***

“Hahaha! This is all for you!”

“A grown man should endure this kind of trial! Isn’t that right?”

A man who had fallen into the middle of the lake floated like a water lily.

That man was surely a newly arrived hostage prince from somewhere.

The wicked princes tormented newcomers every time under the name of a coming-of-age ritual.

I clenched my fists tightly; he could really have died like that.

Another hostage in the same situation as me.

For a moment, I forgot my own position and felt pity for him.

“Hey, are you okay?”

“…Weren’t you almost dead yourself? You’re terrible at swimming.”

I foolishly helped an ungrateful person.

***

But thanks to that ungrateful person, I was able to escape from the priest who tried to assault me.

This time, it was I who received his pity.

“I wanted to run away. From the status of being the princes’ courtesan.”

“The princes’ courtesan… what?”

He was shocked by my lament.

Until then, I didn’t know.

That he was the emperor’s only legitimate son, the returned Fourth Prince. <<less

Exceptionally tall, with tightly packed abs and short-cropped hair—Valerie is the ace of the infamous bandit group Fellon, and its only female member. One day, she receives an outrageous mission: "Kidnap the imperial princess in one year." To complete it, she enlists in the royal military disguised as a man.... more>>

She only roughed up a guy who picked a fight with her while she was secretly bathing in the stream.

But the result? D-death penalty?!

"I swear, I didn’t know he was the Crown Prince!"

Just her luck—the guy she beat up turned out to be none other than Crown Prince Terrence.

She thought her life was over, doomed to rot in the underground prison. But then, the prince suddenly pulls her out and says...

"Starting today, you're assigned to a special position. From now on, you're the swordsmanship instructor for the princess."

So now, she has to teach swordsmanship to the princess—her own kidnapping target and the Crown Prince’s little sister.

Great. She figured she’d lay low and secretly prepare for the kidnapping...

But the prince, whom she had zero interest in, keeps getting closer.

________________________________________

The man who once held a sword to her throat was now bringing his lips closer instead.

The swirl of instinct sparked by that dangerous game kept numbing her reason.

"By status or by character, I’m the worst possible choice. I’ll end up being the regret you want to erase from your life."

That should’ve been enough to make him understand.

She hoped he’d give up and walk away.

But...

"Isn’t the ending something we can only know if we go all the way? I’ve already chosen you. The price and the responsibility are mine to bear."

Why are you taking on the price and responsibility?!

I’m the one who’s going to commit the crime! <<less

“Don’t treat me like a war trophy. After all, I’m your husband.”... more>>

The prince from a defeated kingdom was quite arrogant for someone who’d been sold as a hostage. I thought we could live amicably, even though it was a loveless political marriage that happened for the sake of propaganda. Until he came to my secret pawnshop to raise money for the purpose of securing a hideout for his secret lover.

He scattered a pile of sparkling jewels in front of me, who was under a disguise. Those were the wedding gifts I’d given him. Since it’d come to this, I’d play along for now and expose him for what he was. I’d expose the shameless true nature that was hidden behind that pure-looking face that was as delicate as a handful of violets.

︶︶︶ ⊹ ︶︶︶⠀୨♡୧⠀︶︶︶ ⊹ ︶︶︶

“You don’t think your wife sees you as a man?”

“She thinks of me a young and innocent boy. She seems to think our age gap is too big.”

His words left me flustered, and I swallowed hard.

Oh my, I mean, I did think he was young, but it’s not like I wasn’t aware of him as a man……

Gosh, I wondered why it was getting hot under the collar.

“It pains me that my wife sees our relationship as one of guilt and debt when she looks at me.” He muttered to himself, self-deprecatingly.

“I’m a man too, you know. And I’m desperately attracted to her. So much so that it’s even starting to bother me.” <<less