Chapter 3: The Alluring Prince

“This is fair… isn’t it?”

Astreia’s star-like eyes suddenly contracted.

The fallen prince before her, with his calm and calculating words, was completely different from those noblemen who only knew vanity and arrogance born from favor.

He was not a weak flower in need of protection, but a hidden sage.

The clarity and depth in those peach blossom eyes blended in a strange way, making it impossible for her to look away.

A strange heat surged up fiercely from the depths of her chest.

Only then did Her Highness the Princess realize just how close she was to this valiant prince.

So close that she could clearly smell the unique scent on him—a mix of blood and freshness.

So close that… the cold armor on her chest was nearly touching the tip of his nose.

‘Heavens!’

‘W-What kind of propriety is this!’

‘I… I’m utterly shameless!’

Astreia’s cheeks instantly burned, a flush quickly spreading from her ears down her slender neck.

“S-Sorry!”

Astreia, as if scalded by fire, hurriedly took a big step back, putting what she considered a “safe” distance between herself and Wendy, her right hand uncontrollably pressing against her wildly pounding chest as she bowed in apology.

“Prince Wendy Black!”

“I… I was too agitated just now and lost my composure. Please… please forgive my rudeness!”

Astreia lowered her head slightly, not daring to meet Wendy’s eyes again.

Her golden lashes cast shadows beneath her eyelids, hiding the fluster in her gaze.

The dignified first Princess of Valoran, the decisive Commander of the Northern Front on the battlefield, now looked like a rookie who had made a mistake, unable to even raise her head.

Wendy, seeing her frightened appearance, laughed secretly in his heart.

It seemed that, even with his country destroyed and family lost, his identity as a prince was still an excellent card to play in front of this etiquette-abiding Knight Princess.

With this, so much more could be done…

“It’s all right, Astreia.”

Wendy not only didn’t retreat, but instead stepped forward, reaching out to gently lift the slender hand that was pressed awkwardly against her breastplate.

“And, from now on, there’s no need to address me as ‘Your Highness.’ Just call me Wendy.”

The corners of his lips lifted in a bright smile.

“There’s no need for such formalities between us.”

The warmth from his palm spread to the back of her hand, making Astreia freeze.

She wanted to pull her hand back, but, as if under a spell, she didn’t move.

She could only turn her face away, her voice weakening, “H-How can I! Prince Wendy, you are the famed beauty of the continent, while I… I am just… so ugly…”

From childhood, those vicious words—”ugly girl,” “fat pig,” “disgrace to the royal family”—echoed once more in her mind, stabbing her heart with pain.

Before her was the stunningly handsome and ethereal Prince Wendy…

What right did she have to stand by his side and treat him as an equal?

Yet, just as Astreia was sinking into self-loathing, Wendy did something that left everyone present gaping in shock.

He let go of her hand, stepped forward again, his body nearly pressing against Astreia’s breastplate.

In those shimmering peach blossom eyes, there was no politeness or perfunctory courtesy, but a focused, almost obsessive admiration.

“Astreia, in my eyes, you are very beautiful. I like you very much.”

“Please, do not belittle yourself!”

As soon as these words fell, the air seemed to freeze.

Not only did Astreia petrify on the spot, but Deputy Cara and the other knights at her side all stared wide-eyed, their jaws nearly dropping.

In this world of “Justice of Flatness, Loli is the Most Beautiful, Shota is Supreme,” a man—no, a prince of unmatched beauty and noble status—was actually praising Astreia’s “unusual” figure in public?

It was no different from declaring that the sun rises in the west!

“Y-You! How dare you…”

Cara instinctively drew her sword and stepped forward, thinking the other was using the cruelest words to humiliate her princess.

“Cara! Stand down!”

Before she could finish, Astreia stopped her with a trembling voice.

Astreia’s heart was in the midst of a violent storm.

Since childhood, she had suffered discrimination because of her “out-of-place” body.

She thought that as long as her military achievements were impressive enough, as long as she was upright enough, she could silence everyone.

But deep down, she still longed… longed for someone to truly praise her.

And now, that wish had come true in the most unbelievable way!

Even if… even if it was just a lie from a fallen prince seeking protection, she was willing to sink into it.

“Astreia…”

Looking at that face, red as if it would drip blood, Wendy knew the time was right.

“You may think I’m just being polite.”

The black-hearted Prince spoke with a focused tone, launching the offensive he had prepared for so long.

“But please believe me, I have always despised hypocrisy. Think about it—if I truly disliked you, why would I choose to ally with you at the brink of life and death? I could have found another way out.”

“I didn’t, because I genuinely admire you, trust you, and am willing to entrust my life to you!”

At this, Wendy’s expression grew even more “affectionate,” his voice dropping lower, carrying a deadly magnetism.

“In my distant homeland, there is an old saying—‘Curvy or slender, each has its own beauty.’”

“True beauty should never be defined by a single, narrow standard! Your strength, your courage, your body full of powerful beauty—all these, in my eyes, have a unique charm!”

Astreia listened quietly, feeling a warm current surge from the bottom of her heart, instantly dispersing the gloom that had built up over the years. The inferiority that had once tormented her was shattered, inch by inch, under Wendy’s “sincere” and “passionate” praise.

At some point, her eyes had filled with sparkling tears.

Not sadness, but excitement, grievance, and most of all—relief.

“Hiss…”

Beside her, Cara sucked in a sharp breath.

Reason told her this man was definitely up to something, but seeing her lord’s face—radiant in a way she had never seen before—and then looking at Wendy’s face, which could topple nations, even her heart wavered a little.

Perhaps… this prince really did have an unusual sense of beauty?

Astreia tried her best to calm down, forcing herself to appear steady.

But when she spoke again, her voice had lost its earlier coldness, replaced by an involuntary softness.

“Wendy… Since you have a plan to repel the enemy, come back with me to Sunset Fortress.”

After speaking, she added in a voice almost too soft to hear, “And… you need a good wash, looking like this…”

[Plan Success!]

Wendy snapped his fingers in his heart with delight, taking the opportunity to grasp Astreia’s hand again and giving it a firm squeeze.

“It is my honor, my… Astreia.”

However, while the Prince was basking in the joy of victory, he failed to notice.

From the shadows of the jagged rocks in the distance, a cold gaze was locked tightly onto him.

“This little prince… just how… did he survive?”