Married To The Enemy Kingdom's Illegitimate Prince-Chapter 74 — Unexpected Encounter (1)

Cynthia was seated before the fire well, enjoying the lavender tea Anni had made for her.

"I love the smell of lavender," she mumbled, closing her eyes, and recalling a moment of her past life.

"Your Highness! We should hurry and buy you a new dress for the banquet at Countess Gionhard’s! There are only a few days left," Hilda entered the room as the door was already wide open.

"Hilda! The grand duchess is resting after working all night long on the mansion’s budget arrangement and the employee’s salaries," Jane, who stood behind Cynthia’s chair, frowned at the young woman who barged in.

"Alright, but do you both want them to look down on Her Highness? We need to make sure no one can criticize her at the ball!"

Hearing Hilda’s reasoning, Cynthia placed the teacup on the table in front of her and chuckled.

Noticing the grand duchesses’ reaction, the three maids glanced at each other, perplexed as to what she found funny.

"W-what is it, Your Highness? Have I said anything wrong?"

Cynthia rose from her chair and shook her head, making eye contact with her three servants.

"What are you waiting for? Let’s go."

"Alright, we will help you get ready," Anni smiled brightly, her eyes twinkling with excitement.

***

Walking through the bustling market streets, Cynthia carefully examined each shop she passed, her gaze sharp.

"Your Highness, why did you leave the carriage at the front of the marketplace? You’ll get tired walking around like this," Anni asked, her voice laced with concern as she followed suit the silver-haired young lady.

Cynthia chuckled softly but didn’t respond.

Her maids exchanged worried glances, confused by her laughter.

However, they didn’t know that, before anything else, Cynthia was a knight—and a knight’s stamina far surpassed that of any ordinary noblelady.

"Why is she laughing at everything we say today?" Jane whispered, puzzled.

"Maybe she’s in a good mood," Hilda murmured thoughtfully. "I haven’t seen her like this in a while. She might not show it, but she must have been worried sick about the Grand Duke."

"I feel bad for her sometimes..." Anni sighed. "The Grand Duke is always busy, and she’s left alone in that huge mansion. But at least the staff has started treating her better, right?"

The others nodded in agreement, offering faint smiles.

But when they looked ahead, their smiles faded, the corner of their lips dropping. The grand duchess was gone!

"W-where did Her Highness go?!"

"She was just here a second ago!"

"Is she in danger?!"

"Quick, we need to find her!"

Panic set in as the three maids frantically searched through the crowded bazaar.

- A while ago -

Cynthia had spotted a small open-air shop just off the main road and quickened her pace, letting her maids fall behind.

"How much is this?" she asked, pointing to a delicate silver chain.

It was simple, likely made for commoners to hold a small pendant, given they couldn’t afford gold. She glanced at the elderly woman running the shop, waiting for a response.

"That will be 5 silver coins."

"Isn’t it too expensive?"

"You seem well off... You have luxurious clothes. You can afford that much," the woman scoffed, her voice lacing a mocking tone.

Cynthia shook her head in disbelief. Even without disclosing her identity as the grand duchess, people were already rude to her because of her outfit. She had worn a dress with more embroidery than the plain white one she had originally planned, due to her maids’ constant pleas. They couldn’t bear to see the grand duchess roaming around town in commoner’s clothes.

Maybe I should have worn commoner clothes...

As she walked back onto the main road, Cynthia scanned the area, looking for her maids.

"They can’t be this slow, can they?" she muttered, tilting her head slightly. Narrowing her eyes against the dazzling sunlight, she tried to spot their silhouettes in the distance. Raising her hand to shield her forehead, her vision remained blurry despite the effort.

"You’re not used to dealing with the heat, are you?" a familiar voice rang out, its tone distant yet carrying a subtle edge.

Cynthia raised an eyebrow and turned toward the tall man standing before her.

"Ah," she gasped softly.

The man who stood before her was one she couldn’t forget. He had a flawless handsome face, with a rare combination of golden hair and gray eyes. He wore a white shirt with dark pants, unlike the last time she saw him— completely dressed in black.

"Is that all I get? I was hoping for a bit more enthusiasm," he smirked. "At first, I wasn’t sure it was you, but these silver locks are hard to miss... They are so rare." He paused, stepping closer. "And quite unforgettable," he added, gently brushing a strand of her hair.

Cynthia swatted his hand away, stepping back with her arms crossed.

"And why are you speaking to me so casually? Weren’t you trying to rob me the last time we met?"

"You’re mistaken! I wasn’t stealing from you, a poor commoner," he chuckled awkwardly, scratching the back of his head. "I was after a nobleman’s belongings that night. You just happened to be there."

"Then why act like we’re familiar? We’re strangers," she said sharply.

He gave a mock pout.

"Cold-hearted, aren’t you? I’m the man who escorted you safely to your destination at night, after all, making sure you faced no trouble on the way."

Cynthia scoffed inwardly.

You only did that because I lied about being a shapeshifter. Otherwise, you and your gang would have killed me by now if you knew I was not only a commoner but Princess Cynthia of Eldoria.

"You don’t seem to trust my sincere, pure intentions. Do I seem like a bad person?" he questioned with a grin.

Cynthia grinned at the man without answering his question.

Everything about the man standing in front of her was strange. Why was he insisting on approaching her when she was clearly drawing a line between them?

Inhaling deeply, Cynthia grabbed the man’s wrist and pulled him into a smaller aller for fear her maids would join her and her identity would be exposed. She could fight him alone however, he might serve himself in her revenge later.

"Is there something you want from me?" She asked, locking her violet gaze with his gray eyes.

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