The Villainess Is Too Difficult

Crown Prince Reinhardt. The Crown Prince of the Parnia Empire and Ariel Walpurgis’s fiancé.

The marriage arrangement between the imperial family and the Walpurgis family briefly heated up the empire, but soon everyone accepted it. Given the power of the Walpurgis family, it wasn’t strange for them to produce an empress, and as they had been a loyal family for generations, there was no particular controversy. Rather, the imperial citizens unanimously showed favorable reactions, seeing it as a demonstration of the imperial family’s sincerity towards the consistently loyal Walpurgis family.

But as they say, life is a comedy when viewed from afar and a tragedy when seen up close. Despite being engaged, Reinhardt and Ariel didn’t get along well. No, saying they didn’t get along well is an understatement. They extremely disliked each other.

It wasn’t like this at first. During the period when Ariel was craving affection, Reinhardt showed a certain level of respect to Ariel, who was not only his fiancée but also lacked nothing, and Ariel gradually tried to approach Reinhardt who showed such behavior.

But as time passed, Ariel eventually went off the rails, and Reinhardt, who couldn’t meet her often due to his busy schedule, was greatly disappointed by the change he felt as soon as he saw his fiancée after a long time.

The way she looked down on others and unnecessarily flaunted her authority, while also obsessing disgustingly over maintaining her position as the Crown Prince’s fiancée. It was enough to make what little affection Reinhardt had left for her disappear.

Needless to say, Reinhardt was powerless to change Ariel’s heart, and eventually, Reinhardt’s heart grew more and more distant.

At some point, he started coming to the Walpurgis mansion less and less. But no matter what, he couldn’t not show his face when his fiancée, who was still holding her position, had woken up from a comatose state.

“Sigh…”

Reinhardt let out a long sigh. To be honest, he didn’t want to come here. If he came, he would undoubtedly see Ariel’s obsessive and unsightly behavior again. But she was still his fiancée after all. He was showing the minimum courtesy.

‘But if she acts like that again, I’ll leave right away.’

Thinking about her attitude the last time they met, he honestly wanted to turn back right now… but since he had come this far, it seemed he should at least greet her out of courtesy.

“Y-Your Highness the Crown Prince!”

“Good work.”

Passing by the guard who opened the door in surprise, Reinhardt felt pity for the maid who was politely guiding him.

The Walpurgis Ducal House. A long-standing family trusted by successive emperors. Naturally, Reinhardt had no intention of neglecting them either. He had already met several times and formed friendships not only with the Duke of Walpurgis himself but also with the eldest son, Theodore.

The Walpurgis Ducal House is an excellent family. They will be a strong pillar supporting him when he becomes emperor in the future. But of all people, the only one he was to be connected with had to be like that…

[Lord Reinhardt. Do you perhaps have time now? It’s a request from your only fiancée, rejecting it would be…]

[Why are you associating with such a woman? Am I not by your side?]

[There’s no need for you to associate with such lowly beings. Ah, it can’t be helped. I’ll spend my life weeding out the lowly ones by your side, Lord Reinhardt. This is also part of the duty of the Crown Princess, isn’t it?]

“Sigh…”

Recalling the words he had heard in the past, his head was already starting to throb. How could he spend his life with such a woman? Reinhardt had been seriously considering her treatment lately.

[The academy? Of course I should follow you to wherever you’re going, Lord Reinhardt, shouldn’t I?]

The Imperial Milano Academy. It’s the undisputed best educational institution in the empire, built by the imperial family for nurturing talent. And Reinhardt was confirmed to enter that academy next year. When Ariel learned this fact, she immediately said she would follow and applied for admission.

If she fails the entrance exam, that would be the end of it, but would she really back down so easily? No. With the tenacity she’s shown so far, she would find a way to follow him no matter what. Then perhaps…

“Hmm.”

As a fairly familiar door came into view, Reinhardt stopped his train of thought. Let’s leave this thought for later and consider it slowly when we return to the imperial palace.

“Ah, Your Highness the Crown Prince…!”

“Is Lady Walpurgis inside?”

Seeing a maid walking in the corridor, he immediately asked his business.

“Yes. She’s inside. Shall I announce you?”

“Do so.”

He nodded lightly, but inwardly, Reinhardt hoped that Ariel was asleep or had collapsed again.

“Young Lady. His Highness the Crown Prince has arrived.”

With a light knock and the announcement of his business, the door opened quietly and another maid appeared. It was Muriel, who was said to be Ariel’s personal maid, wasn’t it? Reinhardt thought for a moment as he received her greeting.

“The Young Lady has just finished her studies. Please come in.”

“I see.”

Studies? It seems she was serious about entering the academy. The Crown Prince sneered inwardly as he moved his feet.

“Welcome, Your Highness.”

As he entered the room, the first thing he saw was Ariel, neatly dressed in a dress, politely greeting him.

‘What’s this?’

Reinhardt doubted his eyes. Is this some new strategy?

“What brings you here…”

“Is there a reason I shouldn’t come?”

“No, if you had sent word in advance, I would have been more prepared. I apologize.”

Calm and courteous. He never imagined Ariel like this. Reinhardt seriously began to wonder if the girl in front of him was really the same person he knew.

“I heard you collapsed.”

“Yes. Shamefully, due to my lack of self-management…”

“I see.”

Reinhardt felt a definite sense of incongruity as she so readily admitted her own shortcomings. If it had been the Ariel of the past, she would have denied her fault here, saying the maid didn’t do her job properly or something.

“Please, sit down first. Your legs will hurt if you stand for too long.”

As she gently offered him a seat, Reinhardt’s head started to spin more and more. He sat down at the table as there was no reason to avoid it, and Ariel picked up the teapot in an awkward posture.

“Young Lady.”

“Ah.”

When the maid standing beside her called, Ariel sat back down as if realizing she had made a mistake. What was she trying to do just now? Could it be that she was trying to pour the tea herself? That Ariel?

‘No way.’

Reinhardt faced his fiancée with a dubious feeling. Only now did he notice, but Ariel had been maintaining an expressionless face the whole time. From the greeting until now.

‘This is definitely strange.’

The Ariel he had known would have clung to him with the face of a girl in love. Whether that love was real or not is beside the point, but Ariel was the person who would cling to him like a puppy, despite her cold appearance. But now she was treating Reinhardt stiffly but politely, as if he were a stranger she was meeting for the first time.

“What are you thinking?”

“Pardon?”

“Walpurgis. Your attitude is quite different from how you’ve been until now. What’s your ulterior motive?”

Ariel flinched at Reinhardt’s sudden question. Did she indeed have some scheme? Or had there been a change of heart?

“There’s… nothing like that in particular.”

“Are you saying there’s really nothing at all?”

“Yes.”

“And you expect me to believe that?”

“Whether you believe it or not is Your Highness’s freedom. But right now, I’m behaving no differently than usual.”

There didn’t seem to be any particular lie. Even now, Ariel was savoring the tea the maid had poured, as if she didn’t care how Reinhardt reacted. Her attitude was so detached, as if her previous clinging behavior had been a lie, that Reinhardt sensed something was up.

People don’t change easily. If they show a changed appearance, there must be a reason for it. Especially Ariel, who had been so obsessed with him, and now she’s acting as if nothing’s wrong and keeping her distance?

“Fine. Let me change my question.”

Reinhardt moistened his throat for a moment and stared straight at Ariel. The blue eyes meeting his showed no hint of wavering.

“What happened?”

“As Your Highness knows, I collapsed and then woke up.”

“That’s not what I’m asking. Let me be frank. Walpurgis. You’ve changed too much compared to when I last saw you. Even now, it’s like that. The last time I saw you, you were singing about wanting me to call you Ariel, but now you don’t react at all even when I call you Walpurgis.”

Her expression wavered for a moment. Has she just now realized that she’s changed? Or is she pretending?

“Answer honestly, Ariel Walpurgis. What on earth happened to you?”

Reinhardt’s eyes were shining sharply, as if not to miss any lie.