Published: August 10, 2026
To a second daughter of an impoverished baron from the countryside like me, a man called the Crown Prince Lionel was far too distant an existence.
His portrait was not sold in the small shops of Chadelan Territory. I had never once left my territory, and even after turning eighteen, I still didn't know what his face looked like. Even now, after all that trouble, my impression of him was still only that of "Lord Cyrus's best friend's older brother" or "elder sister Anastasia's husband's older brother."
Even that was beginning to change into "the man who used to be that." We had never even had what one could call a conversation, and I bore no hatred toward him either... He was simply a complete stranger with no connection to me whatsoever. That was the kind of distance that existed between lower nobles and the royal family.
But that was only true in my case. For the people of Dilz, especially those living in the royal capital, Crown Prince Lionel had immense fame. It was not affection, but reverence; he was worshipped almost like a living god.
And yet, Lionel was still only the Crown Prince—only the "next king."
The current king of Dilz was His Majesty King Roy. Even if he had withdrawn somewhat from public life after losing his beloved wife and falling into despair, he was still a king beloved by the people. The Crown Prince was expected to be nothing more than a temporary stand-in, a mere "bridge" until His Majesty Roy's mind and body recovered.
And then there was the Third Prince, Lord Ruifeng, whose fame was also tremendous.
The knights order had originally been a kind of military force, but in recent years, after peace was established, they had become the city's guardians and a reassuring presence that people could rely on in times of trouble. Lord Ruifeng, the knight commander, was not only a commander in name but truly a master swordsman, and on top of that, his appearance was incredibly eye-catching. Even I, who had not known the Crown Prince's face in Chadelan Territory, was very familiar with the name Ruifeng Sandalqia Dilz—the most beautiful prince in the world. His face was literally sold—through portraits, sculptures, and other goods being bought and sold.
Once, I asked him personally what it felt like for images of himself to be traded by complete strangers. He made a face that looked extremely displeased.
I think Crown Prince Lionel, as expected of Lord Ruifeng's blood relative, also had a handsome face.
But in his case, the impression he gave was more of a great and sturdy man than a beautiful one. He looked like someone who would be more popular with men than with women.
"What kind of feeling would it be, having your portrait preferred and bought by your own sex rather than the opposite sex?" I muttered in front of Lord Cyrus once, and he too made a face that looked extremely displeased.
No one knew when or why such a Lionel came to bear the name of Ildanaf.
Even his biological father, His Majesty the King, only said, "Somehow, before I knew it." So truly, no one at all would know.
When I heard that the map entrusted to Hadwell pointed to "Ildanaf Island," I had imagined the place to be a huge city, no less splendid than the capitals of Flaria or Sphain. Otherwise, I couldn't see any reason why someone like Lionel would go so far as to connect himself to it by taking its name.
So when our ship docked at the island, I was very surprised. I never expected it to be such a cheerful, bustling merchant city.
Why did Lionel want this island? And why did the duke of dutchman accept the Dilz Crown Prince?
The answer to that question was now being spoken in a low, murmuring voice by the duke of dutchman—the elderly gentleman who had been scheduled to become Lionel's "father-in-law."
"Our dutchman household is a collateral branch of the royal family, yes, but it's a family that amounted to little more than the dregs of siblings... The title of duke was only in name, and we were impoverished lords forced to take on a vast piece of land with nothing special to offer, nothing but a barren and poor territory."