When I was told to go to the palace, I came to my senses. "Your Highness, Your Highness."

I grabbed the crown prince who snatched my arm in a hurry. He looked back at me with a fierce frown. "What are you doing? You don't get up fast."

"Your Highness, please calm down and sit down. It's no big deal."

I slowly calmed the Crown Prince. Even if I wasn't stressed out, Penelope was just as sensitive as she had a violent temperament.

But what I said to calm him down seemed to have backfired. "Ha, then what's the big deal with the princess?"

The Crown Prince squinted his eyes and said with a cold voice.

"Is it really a big deal for you if you starve yourself and bury yourself in the ground?" "Don't exaggerate. This won't kill me. And even so, what does it matter to you?"

An indifferent voice leaked out. I was really asking because I was curious.

Why is he so angry about I losing some weight after proposing a political marriage without any emotions until recently?

As if he loves me.

...Love?

Don't you think that's a naive word that doesn't suit us? What's wrong with you?

That day, the words he said were engraved and floated around in my head. 76% of favorability was shown like a sign of affection not love.

<SYSTEM> Would you like to check the favorability of [Callisto]? [4 Million Gold / Fame 200]

I stared blankly at the white square window that had been floating in the air for a while and slowly took off the wrist that was caught by him. m

"Whether I'm really abused as an adopted princess, or whether I starve or lose weight because of it..." "..."

"It has nothing to do with Your Highness. It's not a big deal."

When I took my hand off of him completely, the system window finally disappeared.

Of course if I don't act like I do now, and I'll be more affectionate as I did with Eclise, maybe I'll reach the 100% and hear what I want to hear.

But I don't have time. So both the situation and the confirmation of his favorability were useless.

I knew the Crown Prince would get angry, pointing out my rude tone. But he stared at me in silence, and soon he opened his mouth and said quietly.

"...Is it really bad to worry for someone you care about?"

His expression was calm, but I could feel the remnants of anger barely holding back from his exhaling breath. But I still asked insensitively.

"Why?"

"What?"

"Why do you worry about me?" "Princess.."

"... What kind of relationship do we have right now?"

I answered indifferently to the increasingly cold voice of the Crown Prince as a warning. "There's too long distance between us."

The Crown Prince answered in a brisk manner.

"I've proposed to you, so we're going to be officially engaged." "When I got back, I thought about what you said then."

His reticent utterances were full of unknowable conviction. I didn't know where his conviction came from. This was an opportunity anyway. I whispered something I had just missed.

"No matter how much I think about it, I can only refuse your offer. My answer is no, Your Highness." "HaThis is driving me crazy."

The Crown Prince laughed as if he was bewildered and raised his hand to rub his face.

I knew that our conversation was a little off, but I pretended not to know. It was just a good thing I could say this before the coming-of-age ceremony.

The crown prince, who had been rubbing his face for a while, soon lowered his hand and looked back at me.

His eyes were a little reddish.

"Princess, we were just talking about your eating and health. Do we have to bring that up in this situation?"

"I was going to tell you this"

"Why? Give me a reason."

The Crown Prince irritatedly cut off my words and moved his body. He sat down again across from me. Finally, it seemed that I had a chance to be heard out.

"For your information, it's almost like killing me for a reason like that, Princess. I don't understand any of that anymore."

He suddenly warned in a low voice.

"I've given you plenty of opportunities. The chance to get revenge on me."

It was like a madman, but it was me who didn't give him a chance to cut his throat anyway. It was a very convenient reason, but now it didn't matter. I nodded and opened my mouth.

"That's not the reason." "Then?"

"Because you and I are moving in different directions, and we are not compatible with each other's wishes."

"Different directions?... Compatible?I don't think you've ever uttered such a word that day."

The crown prince sighed deeply as if he were dumbfounded by my words. Tapping on the table, he asked, suddenly furrowing his forehead.

"Is it so hard to say that we're going to get married according to our family's arrangement, and that we're going to get along with each other?"

The words were not difficult. The situation was just difficult. When I did not answer, he whispered in a soothing voice.

"I didn't ask you to be Crown Princess, Princess. I suggested you to be a partner to share my life with

me. It would be a better choice than a political marriage with a stranger." "How can you be so sure?"

"I am more handsome." (Lol Callisto, you idiot. XD)

He shook his head arrogantly. I was in a state of complex thoughts, but at that moment I burst into laughter.

"Are you laughing?"

Callisto glared at me, but I couldn't stopped my laughter.

If I had been a real Penelope, if I had been a noblewoman born and raised here, perhaps his words would have been so sweet.

But, it wasn't that case. "Your Highness."

I finally opened my mouth with a big smile.

"First of all, as you described me, title 'The Ugly Duckling of the Duke' didn't suited me." He frowned at my rather incoherent remark.

"What are you talking about?"

"The real princess of the house came back." "...The real princess?"

"The real daughter of the Duke."

At my reply he only wriggled his chin once, but there was no sign of much surprise. "You knew about it."

"I've been told by Cedric that the atmosphere of the duchy is unusual. I thought it was a fake, but it

was real."

He asked back abruptly, as he confessed the news he had learned.

"But what the hell does that have to do with your relationship with me?" "I'm a fake."

I added with a shrug.

"Fake which is supposed to leave when the real daughter appears." "Where in the world does that thing happens?"

Callisto looked puzzled.

"You have been living in a lady's position for six years, and now that his own daughter has appeared, the Duke is going to kick you out? So you're starving without food?"

"It's not like that, Your Highness. Please stop. If someone heard, they'd really think that I am starving." ""

Suddenly he shut his mouth. The look of compassion made me feel bad. I was speaking with a frown on my forehead.

"As long as I'm engaged to you in this condition, it won't do you much good, Your Highness." ""

"Because for nobles, there's no reason to treat the fake much better than you do for the real one. Blood is much thicker than water, anyway."

"You didn't listen to me then."

Until then, the Crown Prince, who had kept his mouth shut and listened to me, gave me sharp statement.

"It's you I chose, Penelope Eckart. I didn't choose a real daughter of the Duke."

"Your Highness."

"Isn't that better for you? Now that his daughter is back, you won't be too involved even if you leave the mansion?"

"..."

"As you said, the Duke won't turn you out right away. It's not goodbye yet." "..."

"Before you get kicked out, come to the palace first. Then isn't it over? Why do you make things so complicated?"

He looked at me who was stunned and muttered as if I couldn't understand him. "I think we're pretty fond of each other. Am I mistaken?"

The fact that he knew about it made my heart flutter.

He and I, we had feelings on each other. That real feeling that can never develop beyond that. 'This is why you and I can't be together.'

My heart sank slowly. I managed to squeeze out my voice. "...That fondness is not love."

"You're not a child, but I appreciate you, Princess." The Crown Prince answered rather nervously.

"That stupid emotional play is just an illusion that has a definite end. You know about that much." "..."

"A real princess has appeared, but she is not worthy to be called ideal. Sounds like an excuse. Tell me the real reason, not that."

"..."

"It would be more convincing for me that you would say no to me." "No."

At that moment, the reasons for the refusal, which was difficult for even me to explain properly in words, became clear as bright day. I raised my head and looked Callisto in the eyes.

"I don't want to be with you without love, Your Highness."

"..."

"I don't want to choose you who don't love me, whom I don't love as well. Is that a reasonable reason now?"

At that moment, as I watched the red eyes shake slightly, I thought, 'This is how it should be.'

Tl: Did you guys hear that? That's the sound of Callisto's heart shattering. And the wailing sound you hear in the distance? That's me, crying.