Lady Tiara’s eyes widened in shock. Hastily, she covered her mouth with her hands.
At that moment, a commanding voice echoed through the grand hall.
“Enough of this farce!”
From the upper level, His Majesty the King rose from his seat. He cast a sweeping gaze over the gathered guests before turning to address the First and Second Princes.
“Words carry consequences. For royalty, that burden is even greater. As declared earlier, the First Prince is hereby stripped of his right to the throne. As of tomorrow, he will live as a commoner. I do not wish to see his face again. He is no longer a member of the royal family—no longer my son. Leave the palace by the end of today. You may go wherever you please with that commoner girl.”
A murmur of astonishment spread through the crowd.
The King then turned to the Second Prince.
“The right of succession shall pass to you, Second Prince. And as a reward for exposing the truth, I will grant you one request.”
The First Prince, shoulders slumped in defeat, stood frozen in disbelief. In contrast, the Second Prince’s eyes gleamed with excitement.
With all eyes on him, he unexpectedly reached out and took my hand.
Then, raising his voice to address the King, he declared:
“Then, Your Majesty, please grant me Lady Rosie as my fiancée!”
Gasps of surprise rippled through the hall.
The King let out a short huff before nodding.
“Very well. Lady Rosie’s engagement to the First Prince has already been annulled. Do as you wish… that is, if she consents.”
At his words, the Second Prince knelt before me, looking up with earnest eyes.
“Lady Rosie, will you become my fiancée?”
I was still reeling from everything that had just transpired. My mind felt light, as if I were floating.
Yet, as I gazed into the Second Prince’s unwavering eyes, I found myself giving a small nod.
“Yes.”
A thunderous cheer erupted from the crowd.
The Second Prince took both of my hands in his, smiling warmly.
My face burned with embarrassment—I could do nothing to stop it.
※※※
On the night of the chaotic graduation party…
Four unexpected visitors arrived at my mansion in secret.
Their presence alone filled my head with question marks.
“We’re truly sorry for causing you so much distress!!”
I could understand why the First Prince and Lady Tiara were bowing their heads in apology. But why were the Second Prince and the janitor, Stefan, doing the same?
“The truth is… the four of us deceived you, Lady Rosie!”
“W-What do you mean?”
Still bewildered, I turned to the First Prince, who began speaking in an almost pleading tone.
“It’s all my fault… I lost myself completely… to the theater.”
“…Theater?”
What followed was something I never could have imagined.
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