I Stole the Heroine’s First Love - Chapter 3

Episode 3

His red lips rose in an arc. It was just a smile, but the atmosphere changed.

His long, beautiful fingers brushed the corners of his mouth. At first glance, he seemed a little nervous, but his actions had the clear intention of seduction.

As I gazed at the sculptural face in admiration, I came to my senses.

“It’s too much of a seat for someone like me.”

“Don’t be so serious, Princess. I just said it.”

Duke Pioneer remained neutral between the imperial sects and the aristocratic sects.

Recently, I knew that the emperor was putting pressure on my father as the aristocratic faction began to grow, led by Archduke Gloucester.

“You will definitely get better…”

“Let’s try.”

I was at a loss for a moment at the playful tone that sounded like a joke.

I thought I knew the inside of the smiling emperor

“Try to go out. Duke of Malphyrion, who was waiting behind you, will be very thirsty.”

“I’m sorry. Your Majesty.”

“Oh, and there’s an important announcement at the end of today’s banquet, so don’t think about running away in the middle.”

“…Yes, Your Majesty.”

In response to his command, I swallowed a curse inside.

When I got out, I bumped into someone waiting and almost fell backwards.

The man reached out and grabbed my wrist.

“Karina, are you okay?”

It was a familiar voice I hadn’t heard in a very long time.

My first fiancée, Daniel Malphyrion.

As soon as I found out who it was, I pulled my hand out of his.

I was more ashamed than grateful to Daniel, who hastily grabbed my wrist and stopped me from falling.

“Yes, I’m fine.”

Daniel also felt stiff at my stiff tone. I arranged my dress, greeted him with my eyes, and left in a hurry.

‘It’s the worst.’

Today’s luck was really bad.

~*~

When I returned to the banquet hall, more hardships remained.

Tatiana was concerned, and when the Duke of Gloucester returned, her mind was drawn to him.

Instead, my ex-fiance Wilhelm started hovering around me.

“Sir Wilhelm.”

“Princess.”

I couldn’t help but be surprised to see you.

In the past, it was hard to understand why I trusted him and got engaged.

“Do you have anything left to say to me?”

“That… I was wondering if you could tell me what you were talking about with Tatiana earlier.”

“Do I need to tell you?”

Wilhelm’s face contorted at the cold reply. He seemed worried that I might have harmed his lover.

“And Sir. Our relationship has already become irreversible, so I hope you don’t feel comfortable with me anymore.”

“Ah, I’m sorry. Princess, you were quite strict about this, unlike Her Majesty the Duchess.”

Wilhelm lashed out at me as if he had waited.

He acted as if I was the reason he was shaken by Tatiana.

He wasn’t the first to do that.

Daniel and Raymond also did that.

When I remembered the accusations those men in the past had thrown at me, I too lost my temper and shot at him.

“It was none other than Sir Wilhelm who confessed to me that he wanted to become the paramour of the Duchess of Gloucester.”

I purposely raised my voice.

It was a hook, but I could feel people glancing at us.

Wilhelm blushed for shame, and made a gesture to lower my voice.

Of course, I ignored it.

“Are you shy? The day you said you wanted to become the paramour of the Duchess, you were so proud.”

“Princess, you’re too harsh!”

He came closer as if threatening me.

As if he was going to draw a sword at any moment to spew the life out of me, who didn’t know anything about swordsmanship, I stared at him. Read only at pm tl.

“Did I say something wrong?”

His red eyes looking straight were contorted with anger. I looked at his hand rising high and closed my eyes tightly.

To get beaten like this, I planned to destroy the Marquis of Hunt…

“What is this?”

“Your Excellency…”

I opened my closed eyes at the familiar voice.

There, Duke Gloucester was holding Wilhelm’s hand.

“Are you trying to touch a lady, Sir Wilhelm?”

“Oh…no.”

Wilhelm was silent for a moment with his emaciated face. Then he left as if running away without an apology.

‘He’s no help at all.’

Actually, it didn’t work for me.

After all, both the Archduke and Wilhelm were my ex-lovers.

“Long time no see…”

“Thank you for saving me, Duke. I’ll take my leave.”

I quickly left the place to avoid the Archduke who wanted to talk more.

I already have 3 ex-boyfriends.

Due to the encounters, my already dangerous patience was quickly depleted.

I sat down in a corner and started drinking in earnest.

‘To get engaged to a person like that…’

I was angry with myself for making a shameful decision and I couldn’t stand it.

In the distance I could hear Tatiana grinning, surrounded by my ex and her lovers.

Yes, honestly, it was miserable.

No matter how naive she pretended to be, her insides were a mess.

‘How unlucky.’

But there was nothing I could do about her, the heroine.

This world was such a place.

After my possession, I could see how irrational the world I was living in by looking at Tatiana.

The luck and love were reserved only for Tatiana.

She would be able to easily take away my next fiancée if she wanted to.

I don’t know why she was being mean to me, but that’s for sure.

That she will interfere with my relationships in the future.

‘Should I just not have any?’

My stomach turned.

A shadow fell over my head as I was drinking alone for a long time.

“Hey, princess, I told you to wait, but I didn’t tell you to be drunk.”

“Your Majesty?”

When I raised my head, the emperor was standing there with a pretty bewildered expression on his face.

I could feel the gaze of people glancing at us in his comfortable clothes.

But when I saw him appearing without an attendant, I stayed.

I pretended not to know and asked the emperor.

“Oh, have you already made the announcement?”

“That was a lie. May I sit next to you anyway?”

Without waiting for my answer, the emperor sat down on the other side of the table.

He took a glass of champagne from a passing servant, held it in his hand, and bumped my glass.

When I heard a crisp, clear sound, the air began to feel lighter as if it had been enchanted.

“It’s too much of a lie.”

“Even if I didn’t do that, I thought the princess would just go back.”

Again.

That tempting smile.

I was so drowsy and relaxed that I couldn’t imagine how I was standing up earlier.

“I just need to get up and see.”

As soon as I got up from my seat, my vision was dizzy.

“Hey.”

As I was about to fall, the emperor grabbed my arm. His hand on my thin cloth was hot.

“Princess, are you okay?”

He held me with that polite smile.

Maybe it’s because we shared several glasses? Or did I become more comfortable with the emperor’s attitude different from before?

If it wasn’t for that, I might have forgotten that, as someone said, it was a shame because I was kicked by men.

“Your Majesty, you really have a charming smile.”

“What?”

My true intentions popped out through the loose lines of my mind.

It wasn’t something I could say in front of the emperor who brutally slaughtered his bloodline.

But the emperor smiled quite generously, knowing that I was drunk.

“Can I hear it as a compliment?”

“Yes. It really was.”

“Thank you very much.”

Seeing his handsome face made me smile without realizing it.

So that’s why so many poets sang about someone’s beauty.

I smiled and exchanged drinks with him.

The mood that had reached its worst was revived surprisingly quickly.

“You drink better than I thought.”

“Thanks for the compliment, Your Majesty.”

His purple eyes, which had a different feeling from Andrew’s, were curved.

My heart just pounded.

After all, pretty and beautiful things give happiness.

In an instant, I felt someone’s gaze over his shoulder.

I narrowed my eyes and checked the protagonist in that gaze.

It was Tatiana.

‘Aha.’

It reminded me again that the Emperor was the only man Tatiana could not have.

It was quite fun to watch Tatiana’s face, unable to take her eyes off our table.

Is this why she stole my lovers every time?

I smiled brightly and leaned closer to the emperor.

“Princess?”

“Would you mind staying here for a moment?”

The emperor looked surprised.

Do you think I’m a crazy woman?

But watching Tatiana over his shoulder staring at me almost to death, I felt like flying.

“Looks like there’s a Duchess behind me.”

“You’re quick to notice.”

To my surprise, the emperor joined me in my grumpiness.

He deliberately leaned towards me and whispered in my ear, as if telling a secret.

“Can I do this?”

“Oh, she went out.”

In the end, Tatiana, unable to bear it, spurred up from her seat and left despite the opposition of the men around her.

It felt like the fog in my head had been lifted.

I smiled brightly as I faced the emperor.

“Thank you for today, Your Majesty.”

“I’m glad I was of any help to the princess.”

Seeing the emperor smiling as he said that, my heart pounded for nothing.

Was it because I drank alcohol?

Or was it because he was too handsome?

I remembered what he said earlier.

He said that he would like to date me.

“Your Majesty, would you like to date me?”

This was not a proposal with a political or emotional purpose.

It was a skit created solely by curiosity and revenge towards Tatiana.

“That’s an interesting proposition.”

The emperor, who I had thought he would say no at once, smiled softly and added.

“Can you be your fiance if we keep dating?”

“I see what Your Majesty is doing.”

At the end of my answer, the emperor even applauded and laughed out loud.

It seemed like a joke, but he was sincere.

“And the answer?”

“All right, I’ll do it. That relationship.”

“Okay, let’s shake hands.”

After shaking hands with the spirit of alliance, I…

~*~

“…Am crazy.”

When I opened my eyes with a headache due to a hangover, curses came out of the scene that came to mind.

“Karina, you’re crazy.”

What kind of crazy promise did I make?