If the Crown Fits

The ballroom was filled with chatter and music as people mingled under the eyes of the royal family seated above. The scene was lively and cheerful, with everyone basking in the joyful atmosphere save for one person who stood alone in the crowd.

“It looks like she came alone again,” one person whispered.

“Why does she even bother coming to these events? She knows she’s just going to keep embarrassing herself,” another person chimed in.

“I know right. So what if she’s the crown princess? Everyone knows that the crown prince loathes her. She might as well stay at home and never show her face ever,” a different person added.

“That’s what she gets for reaching beyond her station. So what if she’s from the Marks family? She only got engaged to the crown prince through despicable means,” someone else said, throwing a sneer in the lone woman’s direction.

Bridgette acted as if she didn’t hear any of it, calmly drinking her glass of wine one sip at a time. Her eyes surveyed the scene, searching for the crown prince who was strangely absent from the scene.

Even though they were supposed to come together, he had ditched her, leaving her to come to the event by herself under the mocking gazes of everyone.

They could speak all they wanted, but she was still the crown princess. Whether they liked it or not, she was still going to be the future queen unless the current king and queen revoked her status. They would have to bow to her in the end.

Besides, she never expected the crown prince to love her anyway. It wasn’t like she had any expectations for love to begin with.

She understood very well that her engagement to the crown prince was arranged by the royal family because of her magic power and for no other reason. Bridgette had no right to refuse unless she wished to invoke the royal family’s wrath.

He could have as many lovers as he wanted as long as it didn’t step on her toes.

Suddenly, the doors were thrown open as the crown prince finally made an appearance, and he wasn’t alone.

Everyone stared in shock as Darian Lawson stepped into the ballroom with Jeri Andrade in matching outfits. As if not realizing what he had done wrong, the crown prince arrogantly strode forward towards the king and queen with his head held high.

As Bridgette tightened her grip around her glass, she could hear whispers starting up again.

“Who’s that with the crown prince?” one person asked.

“Don’t know. I’ve never seen them before,” another person said.

“Wait. Isn’t that the woman in the rumors? The crown prince’s lover?” a different person chimed in.

“Isn’t she a commoner? Did the crown prince really bring a commoner to a ball?” someone asked incredulously.

The muscles in Bridgette’s jaw twitched.

The moment Bridgette saw who it was standing by the crown prince’s side, she instantly recognized the woman. How could she not when she made sure to investigate every woman the crown prince associated with. It wouldn’t do for her to be caught off guard.

Unfortunately, the crown prince still managed to surprise her, and not in a good way.

As the couple passed by, one person commented, “It just goes to show you how much he favors her over the crown princess. He would dare to bring her rather than to escort his crown princess.”

There were a couple of snickers as several shot condescending looks in her direction. She ignored them in favor of studying the couple.

So this was why he abandoned her. He had wanted to escort his lover to the ball.

Did he understand how it looked to everyone?

It was one thing to spend time in secret with his lover. It was another to outright bring her to an official event like this one. This was basically slapping her hard in the face.

Even though she had told herself it was fine before, it was only because he hadn’t dared to parade his lover right in her face. He had the decency not to dirty her eyes, but now he dared to cross that line.

Right as they were about to pass Bridgette, the couple paused to look at her, causing everyone to practically vibrate in anticipation for a scene.

The crown prince sneered at her while his little lover dared to look at her with wide, innocent eyes that Bridgette knew were fake. Then, to the disappointment of many, they continued to walk past her like she was an insignificant person.

That didn’t stop people from using it as a way to mock her.

“Did you see the look on the crown prince’s face?” one person asked.

“I know right. He looked like he was staring at something filthy,” another person snickered.

“Maybe she is, and that’s why the crown prince wants nothing to do with her,” a different person said, making people gasp.

“No wonder he doesn’t dare to touch her. How many people do you think she’s been with?” someone said, inciting people to give their opinions.

Bridgette kept her eyes on the couple as they bowed before the stormy-faced king and queen.

“Father, Mother, this is Jeri Andrade, the woman I love,” the crown prince said, introducing his lover to his parents.

His words caused another ripple among the crowd as everyone glanced between the people involved. The king and queen remained silent, their eyes practically burning holes into the young woman standing before them.

“Greetings, your majesties. It’s an honor to stand before you,” Jeri said as she curtsied.

“Jeri, my love, you don’t need to do that,” the crown prince said, urging her to stand up.

Gasps escaped the crowd as many covered their mouths at the outrageous words escaping the crown prince’s mouth.

To dare say that she didn’t have to show respect to the king and queen was blasphemy.

No one was exempt. Not even the crown princess, but he still dared to say a commoner didn’t have to follow protocol.

How would the king and queen react?

Bridgette wondered the same thing.

There was no way the king and queen would let such disrespect slide, but the crown prince was the only child of the royal couple. They haven’t been able to have any more kids, and the king had refused to take another woman to bear his children.

The entirety of the Hitchburia Kingdom rested on the crown prince’s shoulders.

How were they going to handle the situation?

The royal couple glanced in Bridgette’s direction, and she immediately understood.

The king slapped his hand against his armrest as he demanded, “Crown prince, do you understand what you’re saying? If you ignore the rules that govern the kingdom, how do you expect to rule it?”

“Father, how can you expect the woman I love to lower herself like that?” the crown prince shot back, making the crowd uneasy.

Bridgette nearly scoffed at their hypocrisy.

They had no problem enjoying the sight of the crown prince trampling over her dignity even though he was going against the social norm. Now that he was outright fighting the king over the rules for the sake of his lover, they wanted to be anywhere else.

What hypocrites.

“Crown prince, control yourself. Have you even considered the feelings of your crown princess? Do you understand how your actions reflect her?” the queen snapped.

At the mention of her, everyone’s gazes turned to her.

The crown prince glared daggers as he spat, “Her? She doesn’t deserve to be the crown princess. Only Jeri deserves to be my crown princess.”

In an instant, everything went quiet. No one dared to utter a single sound, staring at the crown prince in disbelief. Even the king and queen looked like they couldn’t believe what was happening right in front of them.

Bridgette was no exception.

She was certain she must have a comical expression on her face, but it couldn’t be helped. The crown prince had basically denounced her in front of everyone, basically saying that she should be deposed so he could place his lover on the throne.

That was completely unacceptable.

Bridgette hadn’t wasted her youth learning to be the crown princess and the future queen only for the title to be taken from her when she was so close.

However, she didn’t dare to speak.

With such a sensitive topic being laid out in the open, a single wrong move could ruin her. She would have to rely on the royal family to handle the situation and provide her with a satisfactory answer.

Right before the king and queen could explode on the spot, Jeri burst into tears.

“Crown prince, you can’t say such a thing. You can’t disregard the crown princess like that,” she cried pitifully in the crown prince’s embrace.

Panic crossed his face as he said, “My love, please don’t cry.”

The crowd shifted awkwardly as his lover continued, “I would never dare to take the position of crown princess, crown prince. As a commoner, I know my place. It’s already an honor to be by your side. Please don’t ruin your relationships because of me.”

Bridgette narrowed her eyes, inwardly scoffing at the fake tears the woman was displaying.

It was obvious to her that she was just putting on a show for everyone, but it seemed no one had caught on besides the king and queen who stared at the scene with cold expressions.

Unfortunately, the crown prince chose that moment to look in her direction.

Seeing the look on her face, veins throbbed in his forehead as he pointed at her and demanded, “What’s with that look? Are you mocking my dear Jeri?”

“Enough,” the king commanded, his voice echoing through the ballroom.

The crown prince clamped his mouth shut, looking unwilling while his lover didn’t stop her sobbing.

“Crown prince, return to your room and reflect on your actions. As for your lover, she must leave,” the king ordered.

Before the crown prince could protest, the queen added, “You will only be let out once you’re ready to apologize to your crown princess.”

Bridgette was again the target of the crown prince’s ire, but she knew it was coming the moment she saw the look in the royal couple’s eyes earlier.

Even though he was in the wrong and needed to be disciplined, they couldn’t bear to be the target of his anger. They would rather she bear the brunt of his wrath and continue to act as his loving parents.

It was frustrating, but there was nothing she could do about it. All she could do was endure it until she became queen.

Jeri abruptly pulled away from the crown prince and got down on her knees as she said, “Your majesties, it’s all my fault. Please don’t punish the crown prince. Punish me instead.”

“No, you don’t have to apologize. It’s all that woman’s fault. She’s clearly the one at fault here,” the crown prince said, spouting more outrageous nonsense.

She was the one at fault?

Bridgette had been an innocent bystander from the very beginning, but he still insisted on pushing the blame onto her. He really knew no shame.

Under the stunned gazes of everyone, Jeri pushed the crown prince as she scrambled to her feet. He hadn’t expected her action and stumbled back with a shocked expression on his face. She tearfully looked back at him with a pained expression.

“No, if it weren’t for me, none of this would have happened. I will disappear and never appear in your life again. Farewell, crown prince,” she said before running for the exit.

It was only when she disappeared from sight that he exploded into action.

“Jeri, come back,” he called out as he ran after her.

“Crown prince,” the king roared, but he was ignored.

As the crown prince passed Bridgette, he spat, “You will pay for this. I won’t let you get away with this.”

Then, before she could respond, he was gone, leaving a crowd of people staring in disbelief.

“...Did that just happen?” a person murmured.

Their words ignited the crowd, which exploded into discussion, their voices a loud clamor in the ballroom. The king and queen trembled with rage on their thrones as they stared in the direction that the crown prince had disappeared into.

Bridgette was the only one who appeared calm on the surface.

However, on the inside, she was trembling with rage and humiliation after suffering such an injustice.

One person noticed her seemingly calm expression and commented, “The crown princess truly is shameless. Even after everything, she doesn’t bat an eye.”

“You’re right. If I were her, I would have burst into tears and run off by now,” another person added.

“Do you think the king and queen will replace her now that this has happened?” a different person asked.

“But who would they replace her with? Would they really have the crown prince’s lover take her place as the crown princess?” someone asked, sparking more discussions.

Feeling the burning gazes of everyone in the room, Bridgette couldn’t take it anymore. She walked towards where the king and queen were seated.

Then, under the gazes of everyone, she curtsied and said, “Your majesties, I’m not feeling well. I will be taking my leave now.”

“Oh, Bridgette, come here,” the queen beckoned.

Even though she didn’t want to, she couldn’t refuse.

She reluctantly walked up the steps toward the queen under the burning gazes of everyone. Once she was standing right in front of the queen, the queen reached out to take her hand.

“Bridgette, my son has wronged you. I will definitely have him give an explanation to you. Please do not hold it against him. Your place will never be upturned by anyone,” she said with a sorrowful expression.

“That’s right. I will drag that boy in front of you if necessary,” the king chimed in.

If the king and queen had only been just saying it for show for everyone to see, then it wouldn’t bother her as much.

Unfortunately, the royal couple truly did mean what they said.

They earnestly did feel sorry for her, but that didn’t change the fact that the crown prince was their son. No matter how much they felt for her, he would be their first priority. She would always be the one to lose between the two of them.

Bridgette truly couldn’t comprehend how a man like the crown prince could have been born from the king and queen.

She didn’t meet either the king’s or queen’s eyes as she said, “Your majesties, I wouldn’t dare. It’s my own fault for not being a better crown princess.”

“Nonsense. There is no one better than you. No one else can be the crown princess,” the king declared.

Even though Bridgette couldn’t quite make out the whispers from the crowd this time, she had an idea of what they were saying.

They were probably upset that she still managed to retain the title of crown princess despite what happened moments earlier. Many likely didn’t understand why the king and queen insisted she remain the crown princess.

The corners of her mouth twitched, but she forced herself to keep a blank expression that didn’t reveal any of her thoughts.

“I shall take my leave now,” she said as she curtsied once more.

“We understand. I shall send some gifts to your home. Please make sure to go through all of it thoroughly,” the king said with a wave of his hand.

Bridgette immediately descended the steps and walked towards the exit. No one dared to stop her, just watching her retreating form in silence.

It was only when the door was closing that she heard the conversations picking up.

“She’s finally leaving,” one person muttered.

“Good riddance. She was making the atmosphere bad,” a different person said, waving a hand in front of their face.

“I can’t believe that the king and queen still refuse to strip her of her title and position,” another person said with a trace of disappointment.

“Shh. Don’t let them catch you saying that. They’ll have your heads,” someone said with a hiss.

The moment the door closed, it fell completely silent.

No, silent wasn’t the correct word, as she could still hear noises coming from the ballroom. It was more like the world had become muffled, making it hard to hear anything. Bridgette stood right in front of the door for several moments before stepping away and walking off.

However, she didn’t head to where the carriages were.

Instead, she traveled towards the garden to take a breather, not wanting to return home after such a disastrous event.

Her family would quickly find out about what happened and blame her for being unable to keep a man’s heart. Then they would pressure her to take drastic measures like eliminate his lover or seduce the crown prince to win him over.

As if she would stoop that low.

Rather than face their complaints, she would rather bask in the peaceful atmosphere of the garden.

However, unbeknownst to her, something was playing out in the garden.

Moments prior to her leaving the ballroom, footsteps rang out as Jeri ran down the hallway. Her breath came out in ragged breaths as tears ran down her face. As she stepped out into the garden, the crown prince caught up to her and grabbed her arm.

“Jeri, don’t run from me. Please,” the crown prince begged, refusing to let go of his lover.

She refused to face him as she said, “Crown prince, please let me go. I’ve already caused you far too much trouble. I could never forgive myself if I ruined all your other relationships.”

His expression hardened as he forcefully pulled her back into his arms. He kept a firm grip on her even as she struggled against him, but her strength wasn’t enough to faze him. The crown prince pressed his face against the top of her head, breathing in her scent.

“Jeri, don’t leave me,” he said in a voice barely above a whisper.

Jeri stopped her struggles, her hands digging into the front of his clothes. She didn’t dare to look up at him, burying her face into the crook of his neck.

As if afraid she didn’t hear him the first time, he pleaded, “Jeri, I never wanted anything more in my entire life. I can’t live without you.”

Her body trembled at his words as she continued to remain silent. After several long moments, the crown prince pulled away to get a good look at her face. Tears still streamed down her face as her innocent eyes gazed up at him.

“Crown prince, I…” Jeri started only for her voice to trail off.

“Jeri, do you trust me?” he asked.

She nodded, blinking her tear-filled eyes at him.

“Then believe that I will always protect you and give you a befitting status,” the crown prince said earnestly.

Jeri burrowed her face against his neck again and pressed her whole body against his as she said, “Crown prince, I don’t need any of that. I only want you.”

“No, I can’t let people call you a mistress. I won’t let other people look down on you or trample all over you,” he insisted.

“But I can’t take the position of crown princess from Lady Bridgette. It’s been hers for years,” Jeri said.

He scoffed and said, “She’s held the position for too long. It’s time for her to step down and let you take your rightful place beside me.”

“Crown prince,” she murmured.

The couple continued to embrace each other, allowing the night wind to brush against them. After some time passed, they broke apart to stare into each other’s eyes.

Neither of them seemed to notice Bridgette coming up from a distance.

Bridgette spotted the couple and paused, debating whether she should continue or not when the couple kissed. The sight made her shift uncomfortably, and she turned to walk away before she was spotted.

At that moment, Jeri opened her eyes and glanced in Bridgette’s direction.

She froze at the sight of those eyes as if she had been nailed into place by their gaze. The crown prince remained blissfully unaware of what was going on and continued to kiss his lover, who almost acted like she was disinterested in the act.

Bridgette quickly dismissed the idea as the trick of the light. The poor lighting made it hard to make out what was happening, so she must have imagined things.

The moment Jeri’s eyes looked away, Bridgette scurried away like a mouse.

It was only when she traveled quite a bit of distance that she stopped to catch her breath. She placed a hand over her racing heart as she panted heavily.

How embarrassing.

She had been caught staring like a pervert. The crown prince’s lover would undoubtedly use it to her advantage, causing more trouble for her.

Bridgette knew she would have to brace herself for what was to come, but she found her mind drifting back to those eyes. Those eyes were terrifyingly captivating, as if they wanted to devour her whole.

However, what really took up most of her attention was the color of those eyes.

The moment their eyes met, she had thought to herself that it was unusual to see a pair of blood-red eyes.

It wasn’t exactly a common color in the kingdom.

Now that she was away from them and could take the time to go over the memory, she realized that something wasn’t right.

Didn’t the crown prince’s lover have emerald green eyes? How did they become blood red?

Her mind whirled with the implications.

There were several reasons why she would have seen Jeri with different colored eyes. One of them being that she simply saw it wrong. Considering how it was nighttime, she could have easily seen something that wasn’t there.

The mind could come up with the strangest things.

However, red and green were not remotely similar and were in fact opposites, making that idea unlikely.

Not to mention, she was certain that the woman’s eyes were glowing, which hinted at magic being used. This led to the theory that the woman was either using magic to conceal her natural eye color or her eyes changed color when magic was being used.

Either way, it basically meant that the crown prince’s lover was using magic for some reason.

Why and for what reason?

As Bridgette thought about it, a chill crept up her spine.

Could the woman be purposely getting close to the crown prince for some nefarious reason like sabotaging the kingdom?

No, that couldn’t be it.

Bridgette had already considered the possibility and done a thorough check on the woman’s background to make sure she wasn’t a danger to the kingdom. All she could determine was that the woman seemed to be madly in love with the crown prince.

At most, she was someone greedy for what he could offer her, like status and wealth.

However, Bridgette couldn’t shake the feeling that something wasn’t right and was determined to have another background check done.

That’s when she heard light footsteps approaching from behind.

She didn’t move an inch as a familiar voice asked, “Crown princess, what are you doing out here? Shouldn’t you be at the ball?”

Bridgette took a moment to collect herself before turning to face the crown prince’s lover, who gave her a soft smile.

“I do not need to explain myself to you,” she said without showing an ounce of emotion in her expression.

Jeri showed a hurt expression as she pitifully said, “I meant no offense. I didn’t mean anything by it. I was just wondering why you were here.”

“Enough. I have no interest in what you have to say. I will be taking my leave now,” Bridgette snapped, turning to leave when Jeri giggled.

She froze as Jeri said with a creepy expression on her face, “You don’t need to pretend. I know you saw something you shouldn’t have.”

Bridgette tensed, preparing herself for whatever scheme Jeri had in mind.

Her actions caused Jeri to giggle and say, “You don’t have to act like that. I mean you no harm. I just wanted to speak with you before you do anything rash.”

As Bridgette heard those words, she inwardly cursed those in charge of investigating Jeri’s background.

Jeri was clearly no ordinary woman given the way she was acting now.

More importantly, why was she no longer hiding it now? Did she not think Bridgette was a threat anymore and reveal herself, or did she intend to remove Bridgette and make it look like an accident?

Her eyes darted around, but she couldn’t see anyone nearby.

Everyone had gathered at the ballroom, and any guards on patrol were nowhere to be seen, either slacking off or somewhere else.

Jeri put on a hurt expression as she said, “Don’t ignore me. I’m trying to have a conversation with you. I’ve always wanted to speak with you alone, but I could never find the chance.”

At the word alone, Bridgette immediately recalled the crown prince who had been with Jeri earlier.

“Where’s the crown prince?” she demanded.

The crown prince almost never left his lover’s side if possible. He would never stray far from her, especially if there was a possibility that she would run into Bridgette, fearing that Bridgette might do something against her.

Of course she wouldn’t unless Jeri was a threat, but the point was that his absence was a glaring sign that something wasn’t right.

How could she have missed such an important detail?

When Jeri didn’t respond right away and shot her a cheeky grin, Bridgette’s stomach dropped.

As Bridgette summoned her magic to strike, she demanded, “What did you do to the crown prince? If you harmed him, you won’t be leaving this place in one piece.”

To her surprise, Jeri rolled her eyes and said, “You don’t need to worry about that thing. I just put him to sleep. He’s currently resting in the garden while we have our little talk.”

Bridgette frowned, not letting go of her magic, but she didn’t attack.

“Explain,” she snapped, not happy with how events were unfolding.

If something happened to the crown prince, she would be the first to be blamed.

After what happened at the ball, everyone would assume she did it to get back at the crown prince. It might even cost her her position as crown princess, something she absolutely wouldn’t allow.

“I told you. I’ve always wanted to meet you, but the crown prince kept getting in the way. I thought I could use him to meet you. I just never expected him to stick to me like glue and block me at every turn. It was so vexing,” Jeri said with a shake of her head.

Bridgette blinked.

“You used the crown prince to meet me?” she asked incredulously.

She had never heard something so outrageous before.

If anything, it should be using her to meet the crown prince. No one wanted to see Bridgette for herself. The fact that the crown prince’s lover could say something so unbelievable showed that she had a few screws loose.

“That’s right. From the first moment I saw you, I was completely captivated by you. I wanted to meet you in person, but I didn’t know how. Then I thought of the crown prince and decided to get close to him so I could get that chance. It was my mistake,” Jeri said, acting like everything she said was reasonable.

It only put Bridgette more on edge, but this was her chance to probe this crazy woman. She might not get another chance.

“You’ve finally met me. Now what? Do you still intend to cling to the crown prince? What are your intentions?” Bridgette asked while keeping a straight face.

“If you want, I can back off, but do you really like the crown prince? You don’t seem to care for him.” Jeri said, staring thoughtfully at Bridgette.

“Whether I love the crown prince or not is none of your concern,” Bridgette said in a clipped tone.

Jeri silently studied her before a smile bloomed across her face.

“I was right. You don’t care about him. You only want the throne. Thank goodness,” Jeri said cheerfully.

Bridgette tensed, feeling unnerved at being seen through with a single glance.

Should she deal with Jeri?

Letting someone like Jeri cling to the crown prince would be dangerous for her.

Suddenly, Jeri clapped her hands together and said, “How about this? We work together. I distract the crown prince and keep him out of your way while you have all the power to yourself.”

Bridgette nearly lost her composure right then and there.

Did she understand what she was saying? Where had this madwoman come from?

Oblivious to Bridgette’s thoughts, Jeri continued, “How about it? It’s perfect.”

“Absolutely not. I will not allow such treacherous words to go unpunished,” Bridgette snapped.

The smile on Jeri’s face dropped, and a chill crept down her spine.

“I understand you don’t trust me. I must sound crazy to you, but I’ve always admired you. Someone like you shouldn’t be held down by a pathetic man like the crown prince. If the crown were to fit anyone, it should be you,” Jeri said.

Silence fell between them as the two women stared at each other.

All of a sudden, the sound of footsteps echoed in the hallway as the crown prince charged towards them. With Jeri’s back to the crown prince, he couldn’t see the annoyed expression on her face.

Before he reached them, Jeri said in a voice only the two women could hear, “Think about it. I will be here.”

Then her expression shifted to a hurt expression as tears formed on command. The crown prince pulled Jeri into his arms as he glared daggers at Bridgette.

“Do you have any shame? Picking on Jeri while I wasn’t around. You truly are disgusting,” the crown prince barked, his body trembling with rage.

Bridgette didn’t bat an eye as she said, “Crown prince, you’re mistaken. I happened to stumble upon her. I will be on my way.”

He looked like he didn’t believe her and was about to retort but was stopped by Jeri. While the couple talked, Bridgette took the opportunity to escape and to mull over what just happened.

Jeri’s words about the crown fitting her better rang in her ears.

The corners of her lips curled upward as Bridgette said, “Perhaps I should set up another meeting with her.”