The crown prince was confident. Why wouldn’t he be?

The crown prince gave extremely high ratings to his own attractiveness.

He was handsome. He was a decent height with a firm build that was aesthetically-pleasing.

‘Women like men like me.’

On the contrary, women were turned off when men were too tall or had too much muscle. Women preferred men who had decent heights and firm builds like himself, was what the crown prince thought.

And lastly, the most important thing.

The lofty and honorable title of this country’s crown prince.

‘No woman has rejected me up to this point.’

The crown prince recalled all the women who had come and gone from his life, starting from the distant past up until recently. From daughters of humble families to esteemed daughters of fairly reputable families. They always accepted his advances easily without hesitation.

It would be the same this time around. Actually, he had a feeling that it might be easier.

‘She’s a woman with standards so low that she married a monster. If a man like me wooed her, she would be so touched and give in right away.’

She must have been desperate for a husband, but hardly had any candidates to choose from.

Why else would she have married a bachelor, whom people pointed their fingers at and called a monster, of all people?

‘But still, she does have a rather fair appearance… Well, what man would like such a disobedient woman?’

The crown prince scoffed, recalling what had happened at the Morgana Countdom.

For reference, the crown prince liked meek and submissive women. Duchess Mayhard was far from that. One could even say that she was the complete opposite of it.

Nonetheless, there was a single reason why the crown prince planned to seduce the duchess: to pay back the humiliation she had caused him tenfold.

‘If she gives in to me, I’ll fool around with her for a bit and then dump her cruelly.’

It was going to be very entertaining to see her fall into despair at the betrayal, struggling desperately.

He wanted the same thing for Duke Mayhard as well, the disgrace of risking his life to fight in the war, and coming back to a wife who had an affair while he was gone.

“I already feel pity for him.”

The crown prince lowered his head and snickered as he imagined the miserable ruin of the ducal couple.

But then something flickered in his mind, for just a moment. His laughter evaporated.

‘Duke Mayhard…’

He gripped his armrest with a displeased look.

‘He’s been incredibly arrogant recently.’

A few days ago, the crown prince had invited the ducal couple to a party being held at the royal palace. Truthfully, the party invitation was just a pretext. His true purpose had been to call the duke to the royal castle and meet with him privately.

He wanted to see the look on the duke’s face when he ordered him to leave for the northern border, to subjugate the other nation. He wanted to see the duke’s flustered and confused reaction at the sudden command to go to war.

But the duke didn’t bat an eyelash, let alone become flustered, at the crown prince’s command.

Instead.

“This is the last time.”

“What?”

“This is the last time that I will comply with the royal family’s demands.”

…He left after giving such a warning.

The crown prince was shocked by Kaywhin’s defiance, his first time seeing the latter act this way. It wasn’t until later that he realized that Kaywhin had left without permission.

“That cocky bastard.”

Bang. The crown prince slammed his fist down on the armrest. His fist stung afterward, but he was able to temporarily ignore the pain because of his irritation and anger.

The crown prince seethed with clenched fists.

‘He usually always obeys my command…’

The crown prince had a severe inferiority complex towards the master of the Black Tower, Sidrion, because the latter dared to possess what he so longed for: radiant golden hair and golden eyes.

But Sidrion had a nasty temper and would lash out at anyone, even royalty, which made it difficult for the crown prince to express his inferiority complex in front of him.

Then, he saw Kaywhin.

Duke Kaywhin Mayhard.

He had great military power, but instead of being glorified, he was shunned with contempt.

The duke, who was rumored to have been cursed by the devil, showed no resistance to the crown prince’s insults and power abuse, unlike his only friend Sidrion. He didn’t seem to fear the crown prince’s royal authority or even respect him, but nonetheless, he was obedient enough to please the crown prince.

He was, until now.

‘This is the last time he what?’

How dare he give the crown prince such a warning and then leave.