Two-Faced Princess

Even though he knew that his cousin was a pushover and couldn’t do him any harm, he was annoyed by Apollonia.

When he was a child, he easily took things away from her. Except soon after, he’d become unlucky each time. Strange things happened when he had fights with her.

For example, last year, when he insulted Sid Bian by calling him a toothless tiger, the wheels of his wagon fell out and he had to be left stranded on the road for hours.

The day when he stole Apollonia’s book and shook it in front of her nose, he suffered from stomachache and diarrhea. Others who ate the same food were fine, so he couldn’t blame anyone for it.

Not to mention his plan to seduce Adrian during her birthday party? That plan went completely awry, Adrian got taken away by her, and he had to get scolded by his mother.

He didn’t think his pathetic cousin was actually plotting something. He only had suspicions that she might be a bringer of bad luck. That belief made him hostile toward her.

“Apollonia.” He smiled spitefully. “Do you remember the white horse that you refused to give me back then? You called it White Rose because it was as white and pretty as snow, didn’t you?”

“What do you want to say?”

“The horse died in great pain. It was eaten alive by the devil. If you were smart enough, you would have learned something.”

The only skill he learned from his mother was threatening his opponent with a smile. His distorted smile was even more despicable. He enjoyed seeing Apollonia biting her lips.

But her cousin soon recovered her smile and spoke softly.

“I learned that I should always follow my aunt’s instructions.”

“Yes, that’s it. Even if you’re a princess, my family is…”

“That’s why I have to take Adrian with me.”

Gareth frowned. “What are you saying?”

“My aunt sent Adrian out of the Leifer household and spoke to her father, Pedro Reese.”

When Apollonia approached, she wrapped her hand around Adrian’s arm and pulled her petite body out of Gareth’s grip.

“My aunt said, ‘If your lowly and dirty daughter shows up in front of my son once more, she will be in trouble.’”

“What the hell does that have to do with anything!?”

“Because Pedro entrusted Adrian to me afterwards. Shouldn’t I be responsible for my maid?”

His cousin used an impeccably soft tone, but she pulled Adrian firmly. Before he knew it, the pretty, brown-haired maid was already far away from Gareth.

“This is what my aunt said, ‘The young duke is inexperienced and he makes mistakes in his judgement. So you will have to take responsibility and separate the two’. Then shouldn’t I take responsibility as Adrian’s new master and separate her from you? This is all for your sake, brother.”

Her words crumpled Gareth’s face. He was a man of strong pride. He had nothing to be afraid of except for his mother. Because of that, he occasionally heard sarcastic remarks about how he wouldn’t be able to escape his mother’s arms.

But to think his useless cousin was the one who spewed those words! Gareth was bitter, but he couldn’t find the words to answer.

“What are you doing, Adrian? Go back and make sure that Bjern envoys have their needs fulfilled. Don’t dawdle around until midnight and stay right next to the envoy.” As he stood there in anger, Apollonia dismissed Adrian as she pleased.

Adrian walked into the banquet hall, not even hiding her happiness.

Without even greeting him properly,

“You…You…”

“Yes, brother.” Apollonia spoke politely to Gareth while maintaining her bright smile.

“I guess the emperor’s nephew and the heir of the dukedom looks funny to you, huh?” Gareth gritted his teeth and took a step closer to Apollonia.

Apollonia sighed. How on earth did Petra and Louis Leifer have such a son?

A mother who was powerful enough to have only a few enemies in the empire, and a father who calmly managed and assisted her. Normally their child would either be intelligent, gentlemanly, or had inherited any other qualities.

But Gareth was nothing more than a violent miscreant. Perhaps he knew that he did not live up to the expectations of those around him, so he compensated for it with a strong sense of entitlement in the form of childish rebellion. Just like how he threatened Apollonia now.