"Thank you?" Rontress directed her gaze back to the princess, who again, is a mystery. The maid standing a few feet behind her is completely unknown to her as well, "May I know your name?"

  "Yes, of course." The girl pulled on the hems of her dress and curtsied, dipping low but not so far that she shows inferiority. "I am Eonea Ranow Obierce, third princess born directly of the crown and student of magic."

  Student of magic. Weird title, but Rontress didn't blame her for saying some random title no one but Eonea cares about, if she wants to play mage, then so be it.

  "You do magic?" Would showing off be bad here? Definitely, right? This is a princess she's dealing with, not some random person on the street. "I've never seen a princess learn magic before."

  "Well, you seem to have a lack of understanding towards my family in general." Zale's words should have been treated as something arrogant— and Rontress definitely believes they were. — but somehow, the atmosphere felt light, like he was just joking.

  Rontress can read the undertones of what he said however and it is not pretty, the crown prince is asking her why she doesn't know more about them. As if she should somehow care what a bunch of upperclass people do on the daily! What is she? Some kind of stan? Definitely not!

  "I do apologize for that, it's just I don't really have time for such things on account that I have been rather busy as of late, do forgive me." There, she apologized, the whole thing was pointless to her but the royal family may think otherwise. "It is my fault for not even recognizing someone as grand as you, prince Zale."

  "Yet you know my name?"

  "Ifira mentioned it." Upon the mention of her name, everyone turned to the girl in question. Rontress couldn't help but notice that Ifira has been suspiciously silent and well behaved, usually she would be annoyingly demanding, asking for things, cutting off people, and butting into conversations.

  "Ah yes, Ifira." The crown prince suddenly lost his grandiose demeanor and turned to Rontress' friend with a sour expression. "Long time no see, Lady Haromago."

  "Y-yes." Ifira wasn't even making eye contact, guess she can't resist her own emotions? How strange. "Hello Z— Your Majesty, it is nice seeing you again."

  "The pleasure is all mine." Or so Zale says, Rontress can see the exact opposite of what he's saying though.

  'So he's some kind of people pleaser, I should have known that this guy would fall under the pitfall of his own reputation and try to maintain it as much as he can.' Weaponizing this only crossed Rontress' mind once before she scrapped the idea entirely, pushing people like him into the depths of desperation isn't worth it.

  Chances are, this man would go scorched earth the moment his reputation falls apart.

  Wishing for at least one of the princes to be a decent guy was too much apparently, and since that's the case, she might as well address the other guy and give him a chance.

  "And you are?" Rontress didn't even try to be formal with Aegob, and she was right to do so; the rest of the royal family didn't even acknowledge her disrespect.

  "You don't know who I am?" The chubby prince scowled, he was about to say something more— and went into a rant that eventually ended up with him demanding servants to punish her no doubt. — but Rontress stopped him.

  "Yes, I don't. Are you deaf? I already said I don't follow whatever happens with royalty, I didn't even know who your brother was before this." Rontress bit back with a tone that's as fierce as the one Aegob used. "I thought you were some servant at first, and that hasn't been proven right, you can't even talk properly, so, let me ask again, who are you?"

  Aegob glared at her with tearful eyes, his fists were clenched, and through it all, everyone just watched. He must have noticed this as well, which is why he hasn't asked anyone to apprehend Rontress.

  "Just talk." With crossed arms, Rontress straightened her back and stood her ground. "I don't bite."

  "Aegob Kerri Obierce."

  "Ah, so you are part of the royal family." Didn't she plan to give this guy a chance? She just noticed the only words to come out of her mouth so far are insults. "You almost made me think otherwise, I am Rontress Owelline, it is a pleasure to meet you, Aegob."

  She extended a hand to shake his, expecting the strangely timid prince to come and take it but instead the one who did so was Zale, the man was smiling as he shook her hand yet Rontress didn't share his energy.

  "And I am Prince Zale Encer Obierce."

  "Yes, I see." Rontress had a stiff smile, why did this guy choose to do this? She really didn't see the point. Rontress let go and moved back, once she's by Ifira's side again, she cleared her throat, "I formally invite you all to the Dragon's Den, an Inn within the Gilded District and the best one there is."

  She's saying too much, she knows it. Rontress kept her smile as she adds, "and please, spend to your heart's content, Ifira and I will handle the expenses, consider it our thanks for gracing our humble village with your presence."

  "Anything we want?" Aegob said.

  "Yes, anything." Heh, did this guy think Rontress said those words without thinking it through? "You can spend your time in the brothel for as long as you want, your majesty."

  "No, I don't think I want that, how about I ask you to show me around?" Oh? And what's his game?

  "Of course." Rontress replied without hesitation, doing so would mean that she lacked spine and the conviction to be a proper host towards the royal family. "And Ifira can do the same with prince Zale, I'm sure the two of them would love to catch up."

  Rontress didn't even have to turn around to see her best friend perking up, she can already tell that Ifira became excited from what she just said. She's happy as well, as she can get the fake prince off her back and talk to Aegob, who probably thinks isolating her by asking for a tour would make her easier to manipulate.

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  Doesn't he know something like that is a double edged blade? No? Well, Rontress is eating him up then.

  "Actually, Rontress, if it is possible, I'd love to have you instead." Ah, how nice, any other girl would have swooned and nodded dumbly the moment Aegob asked them something like this.

  "Sorry, but I intend to keep my word, it shows integrity." Rontress' smile couldn't be any more fake. Noticing the servants' negative reactions did spur her to do something about this development though, "However, if the king wants me and Ifira to swap places, then I will do so."

  Throw the problem at someone else, specifically those who can handle it.

  "Oh, is that so?" Zale seemed shocked, not amused, shocked. He expected her to fold to his charms, and the moment that she didn't, the bubble he's been living under popped. But just for a moment.

  "Father!" Zale became enthusiastic almost immediately, a coping mechanism? He's hiding his pain and anger to keep his reputation intact, Rontress figured this would happen. "Can you please order them to swap?"

  "No, Aegob already asked for Rontress' aid, taking her from your brother seems rather competitive." The king was also playing his own game, great. "I think it's best that you go with Ifira and Aegob with Rontress."

  "Why?" A flash of anger, it happened in less than a second, but Rontress saw the frustration clouding Zale's face. He's no different from his brother in that he's a debauched asshole who expects everything to go his way, his sins are just hidden by his charms.

  "Just do as I say." But as powerful and influential prince Zale may be, his father is more superior. "Now then, since Rontress kindly invited us all to an Inn, let us move. Servants, take our belongings to the Dragon's Den, Eonea, come with me, we will go meet with the Haromago family."

  Everyone moved, Rontress stayed still, she and the prince stared at each other, on one end, Rontress is smirking for a job well done, and on the other, Zale is hiding his frustration with a casual laugh and a playful demeanour.

  "I was just joking." No he was not. "I wanted to see if you'd keep your word and I was right."

  "Oh, is that so?" Rontress played along, she knew that she had taunted this man far too much already. "I'm glad then, truth is, I'd love to be in your company but unfortunately, Aegob got to me first."

  "Yes, I can see that." Zale's fiery enthusiasm momentarily petered out before it rekindled into something calmer. "Well, I believe I must go, see you later, Rontress."

  "Goodbye." Rontress waved at the departing figure of Ifira— who began to talk excitedly the moment she was alone with Zale. — and the prince. She turned to Aegob fearlessly, "so, shall we go?"

  ...

  Aordan watched his sons go with the two girls. The lady of this house has fallen for the charms of his eldest son— everyone can see how she acts around Zale, is she even trying to hide it? — yet the other one, Rontress, barely reacted at all.

  Obierce expected her to be the kind of girl who would want to climb the kingdom's hierarchy by marrying into royalty but instead she's...

  "A cunning little snake." Eonea spoke not with disgust, but amusement refined to look like relatability. The third princess of Oberlon turned to her closest confidant, "and she's strong, too, you think you can beat her Resemar?"

  "She's an inhuman."

  That made everyone pause, well, everyone as in Eonea and Aordan. There's no one else in this hallway, only them, they made sure that no servants stuck to them because they wanted to converse without any eavesdroppers.

  "Things just became a whole lot more interesting if that's the case." Eonea hid it well, but Aordan can tell that she's jealous. And this emotion becomes much clearer when she mentions the Inhuman she's always dreamed of becoming, "and what is she? An Elf?"

  "No, something else. A nature spirit? I don't think I've seen a nature-based nymph before." Resemar murmured, if the maid is unsure of what Rontress is, then it must truly be unique. "I don't know what she is."

  "Something new? I hear that she's a magical genius." Ah, so someone in his family actually acknowledged Rontress' strength, Aordan is thankful that his daughter is this sharp. "... Is she actually? That means we have to be careful around her, she managed to fight an army of mid ranking adventurers all by herself in the past, what is she capable of now?"

  Aordan didn't know, and he does not wish to find out.

  "Tell Sonook to be careful around him, Rese."

  "As you wish." Resemar's porcelain shaded skin darkened and she liquidated moments later, falling to the ground and seeping into the floor.

  Then she's gone.

  ...

  Aegob has gone silent and was only staring at her, Rontress let him. She knows he's waiting for an opportunity, and she's gonna serve it to him on a silver platter, luckily, they're in Ghorise so there are plenty of places that don't have people.

  Rontress took him to a part of the city that was still being developed, leading him between a pair of construction sites that have been abandoned because the merchants who owned them got killed by Ifira for being annoying.

  "Well?" Rontress faced the prince and caught up, coming to a sudden stop. "You can keep walking, you know, I don't understand why you're just looking at me."

  "If you kill me here, my father won't forgive you."

  Rontress rolled her eyes, how important does this guy think he is?

  "He'd cover it up, and besides, I can just puppet you." She giggled, framing her enemies by making them kill the cold corpse of this prince would be fun if it wouldn't lead to civil war. "I can see that you're sweating, you're scared, aren't you?"

  "I'm not scared of you."

  "Exactly, instead, how about we become friends instead?" His shaking stopped and the fear in his eyes got replaced by reluctant hope. This is way too easy. "I can see past your brother's fake act, he's a frustrating man in all honesty, but you? I think I see potential."

  "What potential? Everyone says that—"

  "And you believe them? You act so tough and rebellious and yet you do exactly what they want." Rontress made a show of scoffing, a bit of arrogance should fire him up.

  "Do exactly what they want?!" Aegob laughed hysterically, his delusions began to pour out of his mouth, each and every single one is wrong. "They want me to be competent and be a proper prince! Look at me! Do I look like that?! No! I'm doing the exact opposite of what they want!"

  "Are you stupid?" Why is she even asking him this question? Of course he is. "They call you fat and pathetic, and you think that keeping yourself that way would... Make them hate you less?"

  "They can hate me all they want." Aegob is fuming now, face as red as a tomato and cheeks so puffed up that they look like they're about to burst. "I'm not gonna become competent, I'm gonna spite them and eat away at the treasury's resources!"

  "How about you prove them wrong instead?" The suggestion made Aegob pause, Rontress honed in for the kill. "Become the prince they think you are and be as arrogant as you want around them."

  "What do you mean?"

  "You can't mock them because of your current self right?" And by that she meant everything about him. "Then become a much better version of yourself and call them anything you want, tell them they're stupid, and everything in between."

  "That's not gonna work—"

  Rontress cut him off with a click of her tongue, that's what most people in his situation think as well, that becoming better will never work because they'll keep mocking him. Sooner or later, such people become slaves to the validation of those who made fun of them, even if they are better than their previous selves, they still fold from a single criticizing word.

  "It will, trust me." Rontress started walking towards Aegob, she did it slowly, like an animal handler inching towards a feral dog. Aegob didn't move away, giving her the opportunity to cup his cheeks and pull him until their faces were inches apart. "You are more than what you say you are, I believe in you."

  Addiction to the validation of those who mocked him would have been Aegob's fate if Rontress didn't intervene, he would have flinched when he said he did something wrong, would have followed anything they tell him to do because his own opinions are worthless in front of theirs, even if it is sometimes right.

  Who's them? Rontress wants to find out and this pathetic little prince will tell her all about him, she will cage him like a bird and he will sing her praises for doing so.

  Tears welled up in Aegob's eyes and he began crying, Rontress pulled him down, pressing his face against her shoulder. "There, there. You're okay, I'm here."

  This was just the start, soon, this guy won't be able to leave without her praise, she will string him along and make him dependent on her presence.