RAMHM Chapter 18

I've Come for an Interview, My Lady

Sprawled beneath the morning sunlight, Rhodness looked remarkably fine—like a reclining statue. This prince had clearly drunk himself into unconsciousness in front of the underground prison.

"The resume?"

"I'm considering it."

"Considering?"

Neil, who'd been staring at the assertive chest muscles visible through his unbuttoned shirt as if looking at dog shit, continued grumpily. The master who'd acted like a madman seemed like a dream—the moment he opened his eyes, he was asking about that absurd Ellaconian tutor position, completely impossible to adjust to.

"Receiving letters of application was my daily work, but to write and submit one under Your Highness's name—where's the ease in that? Whether to stamp it with the imperial seal or one of Your Highness's numerous titles..."

"Just send it pretending to be a commoner."

Perhaps terrible nausea was washing over him—Rhodness crumpled his fine brow sharply as he rose. Though his sword lay carelessly nearby, covered in the pitch-black blood of some dark creature, it gleamed with an edge sharp enough to hurt the eyes. Rhodness picked up the sword, sheathed it, then roughly surveyed his surroundings. Considering his usual preference for never touching his toes to dirty sleeping quarters, it was no different from having slept in a stable.

"...What should I write for experience? That you received perfect scores in all Academy Ellaconian classes?"

"Why do you keep asking when you know? So irritating."

As irritation finally colored the face of Rhodness, who'd been shaking his head while holding it, Neil tensed and gathered his courage.

"Ah~ so you're saying to claim you're a commoner but from the Academy? And to list grades from the Royal Academy that only royalty and above attend? Isn't that too impressive a background for a teacher overseeing a noblewoman's hobby..."

Rhodness stopped behaving like a pathetic drunk and looked down at Neil while standing. Neil lamented once again that his mouth was growing to resemble his master's and handed over the application he'd prepared in advance.

"You wrote it well yourself, yet you're being sarcastic."

Perhaps because he'd seen blood yesterday, Rhodness neither kicked him nor cursed, simply roughly folding what he'd agonized over all night and trying to hand it back.

"Your Highness, Your Highness!"

Just then, Vincento came running breathlessly from far away. The arrogant prince with his chin lifted—familiar to his subordinates—looked down at the paper Vincento brought. Soon his fine face crumpled completely.

"...A memorial?"

"Since His Highness the Crown Prince seemed to be leaving the palace this morning, I looked into it..."

"How uncharacteristic of him."

Even more suspicious. Rhodness muttered while coldly scanning someone's invitation, then openly tore it up.

"Your Highness!"

"To do that to something borrowed...!"

Vincento reached out futile hands with a pale, despairing face. But he was even more shocked when Rhodness tried to put on the jacket he'd tossed far away.

"Wh-where are you going?"

"To crash a party."

"What?!"

"You don't even have an invitation, and besides, it's not a place for laughing and talking—it's a memorial for the deceased...!"

"What does it matter?"

Rhodness roughly folded the resume he'd been about to give Neil and stuffed it into his shirt pocket. Soon he lifted the corners of his mouth, where sunlight pooled, toward his subordinates who stared at him in bewilderment.

"Don't people call someone who doesn't care about such things a problem child?"

Rhodness had hazy eyes, as if recalling something. Even as I continued staring at him with a dazed face, the carriage exited the entrance through which it had crossed the Grand Ducal estate's garden at high speed. Then it raced madly through the endlessly continuing dense wisteria forest path.

How did this person come to this memorial?

I'd heard murmurs that the Crown Prince had attended this meaningless event representing the imperial family. Naturally so—Novian was a representative member of the Crown Prince's faction.

Could he really have come to confirm my corpse?

Though the carriage shook violently, Rhodness's large body didn't move at all. It seemed only I was shaking and jolting. I pressed down my heart—surprised and curious both—and decided to speak to him first.

"Thank you, Your Highness."

"...For what?"

After a long while, he answered, sitting like a statue.

"For rescuing me from among the maids earlier."

"May I ask why you were like that?"

A rigidly hardened face and subtle expression. His eyes were quite persistent, as if truly curious whether he was genuinely asking. I forced a slight smile and shook my head.

"No."

And I answered somewhat firmly. I couldn't tell him what I hadn't even fully told Novian. The cold treatment I'd received from them during my time as Grand Duchess rose up, the death of that day rose up—I could do nothing. If I said such things, I'd immediately be treated as a mad woman.

"I understand."

Unlike his polite speech, his posture remained utterly crooked. I thought hard about what excuse I should make, but fortunately he asked nothing more. When his perfectly shaped lips closed tight as if they'd never open again, the air of silence was no longer heavy. However, an even greater tension than before kept expanding in my chest.

'Your first love from those foolish days. Do you wish to see even the corpse of that first love?'

'I knew her first. I held her in my heart first.'

Once Novian disappeared and only this prince and I remained, the conversation he and Novian had shared earlier gnawed at my mind. Why did I have not a single memory of it?

Was I that person's...?

When I glanced, the prince with his still-crooked posture was looking down at me arrogantly. I could feel my face flushing hot.

'Where could he have seen me?'

Somehow embarrassed, an impulsive feeling rose—wanting to kick open the carriage door and flee. Clop clop. The rapidly running carriage reduced its speed and began moving at a normal pace. Inside the slightly darkened carriage, his eyes gleamed like a predator's.

Looking so flashy, all carved-and chiseled—there's no way I wouldn't remember him...

Even while receiving my sidelong glances directly, he watched me without changing expression, then uncrossed his arms and legs to sit properly. I too became conscious of him and straightened my posture. He stared into my eyes for a long while before heavily opening his mouth.

"The conversation between the Grand Duke and me earlier—did you hear it all?"

I flinched slightly, feeling caught mulling over that conversation.

"...A little."

"Then this will be quick."

As the carriage entered the capital's central plaza, outside lighting began filtering in. When light descended on Rhodness's face, he sparkled dazzlingly like a statue made of jewels. Too dazzling—I squinted slightly. His thick Adam's apple moved noticeably, as if taking that as encouragement to continue.

"I want to join hands with you, my lady."

"What? What do you mean..."

"Have you thought about what you'll ask me to help with?"

This man had clearly called "me" his first love. If so, crying at the cemetery as if his world had collapsed, coming to find me at the Count's estate, dancing with me at the victory celebration—all of it made slightly more sense.

Though I had absolutely no memory of him, if I assumed I might be his "first love," I could understand it a little.

Perhaps it was cowardly thinking. In truth, with this body of Bliea, I had to accept anyone's help. Just because my limbs were intact didn't mean I could do everything.

Divorce. A direct imperial family member to approve the divorce. A prince who didn't seem on good terms with Novian. A man who held good feelings toward the original "me." Gulp. Inside the carriage where dim gaslight seeped in, the man before me held both shadow and light simultaneously on his face.

He was dangerous temptation itself. Though I didn't know what price I'd pay, if I took his hand, I'd definitely obtain what I needed.

"Divorce..."

"......"

"I want to divorce Count Acacia and escape Novian's sphere of influence."

"Your purpose?"

"...I don't want to live as his mistress. And I want him to be very, very sad."

The words about wanting to make Novian sad were meant to move Rhodness's heart a little more. Though sincere, they were words I didn't need to bring up. If "Adrienne" was his first love, he wouldn't welcome either Novian who'd married that first love or his hidden mistress. Though not suitable words for Bliea's mouth as that mistress, he probably wouldn't dislike my wanting to escape and betray Novian.

His half-visible eyes roamed slowly across my face. A strange, odd sensation—as if an invisible wet tongue was licking down my entire body. I felt suffocated in a different way than before.

'I knew her first. I held her in my heart first.'

Those words kept circling strangely in my ears. Gripping my oddly pounding heart tightly, I opened my mouth once more.

"When he's completely reassured I'm his person, I want to betray him. Things with Count Acacia are already settled..."

"You'll need me, a direct imperial family member."

He muttered as if talking to himself, sighing low.

"Is that all?"

I slowly nodded.

"Yes. What do you need, Your Highness?"

When I answered without hesitation, Rhodness seemed anxious instead, tapping his fingers on his seat. Perhaps he was slightly flustered that I knew too well there was no help without a price. Having only ever seen him arrogant and composed, such behavior felt somewhat unfamiliar. Once again, a low voice settled in the carriage with a sigh.

"While you achieve what you want, I'll try to achieve just one thing I want."

"...What is it?"

Eyes meeting. And a face with jaw clenched tight, as if resolved. Then he said:

"Help me confirm Adrienne's corpse."

"!"

"And..."

He pulled out something like a roughly folded paper from his breast. I received it in a daze and opened it as if entranced.

"!"

【Ellaconian Language Tutor Application】

"I've come for an interview, my lady."

I looked up with a dazed face from the application before me—the man who'd completely erased his earlier nervous expression was smiling with eyes gleaming and one corner of his mouth lifted.

"This also looked like it needed help."

His mouth was smiling, but his face was somewhat cold, as if he could throw me into hell at any moment. As if he'd come here to interview for this position from the very beginning.