Trailing Eze and the mysterious woman, Heidi’s face was dark with fury as she reached the door of their room, her mood at an all-time low.
The reason?
“The second floor is reserved for distinguished guests. May I ask who you are, miss?”
When she tried to go upstairs, a waiter stopped her with that question.
She, Heidi Yarte, chosen hero, princess, and first in line for the throne, was questioned about her status on her own kingdom’s soil.
Yet that commoner hero and some unknown floozy were ushered in with respect?
This was a literal disgrace.
For a moment, Heidi wanted to show them what real status meant, to teach these snobs how to spell “distinguished.”
Of course, that was just a thought.
A hero and princess, ditching a battle halfway to catch a cheater?
If that got out, those annoying nobles would make her a laughingstock.
After much internal struggle, Heidi swallowed her pride, forced a business-like smile, and addressed the waiter:
“The man who just went up is my fiancé. I have urgent business with him.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll leave quickly and won’t disturb your esteemed guests.”
“Here’s a little tip, please accept it”
After some sweet-talking and parting with some coin, Heidi finally stood before the door.
The money didn’t matter, but bowing and smiling to a commoner felt like unprecedented humiliation.
“…Whatever, I won’t stoop to their level. First, I’ll drag that shameless guy back. Hmph, cheating, huh? Let’s see how I catch you—”
Fueled by her anger, Heidi raised her foot to kick the door open and catch him red-handed.
“—No, can’t do that.”
After a moment’s thought, she held back.
Bringing Eze back was just the first step; the real goal was to use him to deal with the nobles threatening her position.
That meant maintaining their previous dynamic.
What was that dynamic?
Liya tormented Eze’s psyche, while Heidi played the soothing, caring role, chatting and comforting him to emotionally bind him, allowing her to take what she needed.
To keep that up, the gentle, understanding persona she’d carefully crafted in front of Eze couldn’t collapse.
So, some prep was needed.
She pulled out a makeup mirror to check her appearance.
Due to her injuries and a night of relentless searching, her face looked awful—no makeup needed, perfect.
Next—
She gently rubbed her face, crafting a mix of worry and sadness, a near-convincing teary expression.
She rubbed her eyes hard to make them red and swollen, as if she’d just cried, and added a few drops of eye solution she carried.
A pitiful wife searching for her husband—image complete.
This would contrast sharply with Eze’s alleged cheating after just a day on the run, morally and emotionally guilt-tripping him.
“Hmph, Eze, think you can escape me? Not so easy. Let’s see what face you’ll show me”
All set, Heidi slowly pushed open the door.
“What—”
The scene inside choked her up.
On a sofa by the VIP room’s table, the purple-haired girl from the street was practically draped over her fiancé.
“Come on, open your mouth, ah”
She was smiling, intimately feeding Eze a cookie.
And Eze? He had a strange, half-smiling expression, letting her do as she pleased.
Objectively, Eze was just stunned by Velrian’s sudden move.
Unsure of her intentions and afraid of overreacting and escalating things, his brain froze, resulting in this awkward state.
But to Heidi, this was undeniable proof of cheating and flirting.
It also shattered her view of Eze.
For a long time, despite their engagement, Eze never made any moves to advance their relationship, not even holding her hand.
This led Heidi to wonder if he had… certain shortcomings.
Which was fine by her.
Their engagement was purely for her benefit, so if Eze had ulterior motives, it’d be annoying.
In short, she’d always thought Eze had no interest in women.
Yet here he was, smiling at this random woman’s brazen actions.
Did this mean he wasn’t uninterested in women—just uninterested in her?
No, impossible!
It must be this floozy taking advantage of Eze’s vulnerability after leaving the team to seduce him.
Disgusting!
Both of them!
For the first time, Heidi closely studied the purple-haired girl.
Her gown screamed expensive, her beauty was otherworldly, and she seemed vaguely familiar, yet Heidi couldn’t place her.
Probably some minor noble’s daughter she’d met at an insignificant banquet and forgotten due to her low status.
Regardless, daring to steal a princess’s man? She’d deal with her later.
As Heidi made up her mind, Eze, snapping out of his daze, noticed the uninvited guest at the door.
Youthful but adorable features, a slim but age-appropriate figure, and fiery red hair—Eze knew this image all too well.
“…He… cough cough cough—cough—Heidi!!!?”
After a brief mental crash, Eze’s already pale face grew worse, coughing violently.
“Why… cough cough—why… cough cough cough—why are you here!? Could it be—”
Realizing something, he gritted his teeth and glanced at Velrian, still clinging to him.
“Heh”
At an angle Heidi couldn’t see, the witch flashed a smug smile.
It clicked—Eze understood.
He’d been wondering why Velrian was suddenly flirting with him.
She’d spotted Heidi through her familiar and staged this to put him on the spot!
To the clueless Heidi, Eze’s reaction meant something else entirely:
He was panicking, freaking out!
Why?
Obviously, he was guilty of being caught cheating!
First, this meant Eze still had feelings for her—why else would he panic?
Second, she could use this to pile on more guilt, making him easier to control later.
With that in mind, Heidi kept up her tearful facade while inwardly grinning, rushing forward, shoving Velrian aside, and throwing herself into Eze’s arms.
“Eze!!! I… I finally found you!!! Sob… Thank the Goddess, you’re… you’re okay!!!”
Her sobbing, coquettish voice echoed through the room.