The Sweet Alpha Crown Prince Loves Me So Much

Rashida Lulu, dressed in a matching maroon velvet riding outfit, like the ones Princess Leia often wore, stretched her arms, admiring herself in the mirror.

Definitely better than a dress.

Dressing like a princess, despite not being one, was a form of devotion.

All those gorgeous gowns in countless romance fantasy illustrations… 

She’d always wanted to try them on, and somehow it turned into a well-known ‘quirk’, to the point where she wore dresses every single day. By now, she was tired of them.

Lindbergh Castle might be gloomy, but as long as her favorite and second-favorite characters were with her, it was bearable.

“…..!”

“…..!”

A muffled commotion outside her door caught Lulu’s attention. She tilted her head and pressed her ear against the door.

Someone was arguing outside.

“What could you possibly need to discuss with the witch in private?”

“I told you, I have some questions about the prophecy.”

“I already said, we don’t need any more prophecies.”

“But you never know. It might be related to Parman…”

Lulu frowned.

. 

Carl Lindbergh, acting all chummy these days, had come to visit. And of course, he’d brought Adrian Heineken along.

She didn’t know why her favorite character disliked her so much, but she was grateful to Carl Lindbergh for one thing: bringing her here and providing entertainment.

Rashida straightened her outfit, cleared her throat, and swung the door open.

As expected, Carl Lindbergh stood there, one wrist firmly grasped by Adrian, offering her an awkward smile.

“Good evening.”

“It’s not a good evening. I’m tired of listening to you two bicker outside my room. What’s going on?”

Despite her usual habit of addressing Carl informally, Lulu switched to polite speech, acutely aware of Adrian’s presence.

“I have some questions for you. It won’t take long. Oh, and Adrian will be leaving soon.”

“I’m staying.”

“Huh?”

Carl Lindbergh winked at Adrian and mouthed something, but Adrian simply crossed his arms, ignoring Carl and fixing his gaze on Rashida Lulu.

“Don’t you think it’s rather amusing that you two are whispering secrets behind my back, when I’m supposed to be kept informed about everything?”

“Ah.”

Ignoring Carl Lindbergh’s crestfallen expression, Adrian strode into the room and settled onto the sofa. 

She’d already told him her prophetic powers were gone. What more could he possibly want to ask?

Lulu, captivated by Adrian’s effortless elegance as he crossed his legs, stared at him, mouth agape.

“What are you waiting for? Come in, ask your questions, get your answers. I’ll be listening. And then we’re going to dinner.”

At Adrian’s words, Carl reluctantly sat down beside him.

“Please keep it brief, Prince Carl Lindbergh.”

Lulu’s pointed tone made Carl chuckle, as if he’d expected this. He placed a sack filled with magic stones on the table.

“Alright, then I’ll be blunt. Do you know anything about the Parman Kingdom? Or about dark magic?”

“Parman?”

Rashida Lulu, having merely followed Carl blindly, was clueless about the events unfolding in Lindbergh, Heineken, or any other nation.

But Parman…

A memory flickered in her mind, but she hesitated, glancing at Adrian. 

Another slip-up and she’d be permanently on his bad side.

He was already barely tolerating the fact that Carl Lindbergh was sitting right next to her.

“My prophetic powers are no longer reliable.”

Carl immediately shook his head.

“I’ll take that into consideration. So, tell me, what’s ‘originally’ supposed to happen to Parman, Heineken, and Lindbergh?”

Carl Lindbergh’s plan was to subtly extract information about the original plot through casual conversation.

The mention of dark magic, the discrepancies in Adrian Heineken’s personality she’d mentioned before, and the unexpected dynamics between Adrian and Belfry… It all bothered him.

What if the novel wasn’t the fluffy romance he’d initially assumed it to be?

If Lulu truly was Jeon Jae-young, her insights would be invaluable.

After all, she’d accurately predicted several major events that occurred after Carl Lindbergh arrived in Heineken, even before the engagement ceremony.

Lulu searched her memories.

“In the original, Mugicha Parman, the King of Parman, wouldn’t have revealed himself to the continent until next winter.”

“Oh.”

Carl Lindbergh pulled out a piece of paper, a quill, and a portable inkwell from his pocket.

Adrian, observing his actions, realized just how much Carl Lindbergh trusted Lulu’s words.

“Parman’s long-standing ambition has been to artificially increase the monster population and create artificial magic stones by compressing their corpses under high temperatures. Upon discovering the secrets of magic stones, Mugicha Parman set his sights on conquering the entire continent.”

She wasn’t entirely sure about that part.

Mugicha Parman was only mentioned sporadically throughout the story, like a breadcrumb trail. The story had ended right before his official appearance, after Carl Lindbergh’s death.

Lulu bit her lip, and Carl gently chided her with, “Stop that.”

His words triggered a sense of déjà vu, giving Lulu pause. Adrian’s sharp voice cut through the silence.

“So? Did Parman succeed in his ambition?”

Carl Lindbergh glared at Adrian, but Adrian ignored him, his gaze, radiating his Crown Prince aura, fixed solely on Lulu.

“No, he wouldn’t have. He might have tried, but he would have failed.”

“Why the assumption?”

“Because I don’t know what happens after that.”

She couldn’t claim to know what she didn’t. 

However, she was certain that the author had guaranteed a happy ending after readers grew anxious about the constant stream of tragic events.

So, Parman must have failed.

Adrian clicked his tongue and glanced at Carl, a smug look on his face.

“See? This is what you dragged me here for in the dead of night? To listen to these vague predictions?”

“It’s not even dinner time yet, and it’s hardly the dead of night. I’m just trying to gather clues.”

The sun was barely setting. For winter, it was a perfectly reasonable time.

And even if Lulu was truly his past-life younger sister, he wouldn’t barge into a young woman’s room alone in the middle of the night.

“Clues? If that’s what you’re after, ask the Imperial intelligence. They’re working tirelessly on this.”

“They’re all busy, I don’t want to bother them with trivial matters.”

Carl lowered his gaze.

Whether the original plot unfolded as predicted or not, it was already irrevocably altered. What he wanted to know from Lulu was the novel’s original tone and direction.

There had to be things even Adrian, the protagonist, was unaware of.

If he could anticipate future events and utilize this knowledge, he would.

And truthfully, he simply wanted to talk to Lulu.

He felt a pang of guilt towards Adrian. 

He wanted to be completely open with Adrian, who was eager to learn everything about him, but there were things he couldn’t reveal. It bothered him, but he had no choice.

“Nothing you do is trivial. And there’s nothing a minor witch can contribute.”

Belfry’s advice about Carl Lindbergh’s views on romance being similar to a Beta male echoed in Adrian’s mind.

Carl’s friendly demeanor, especially his overly attentive nature towards women, did make him seem like a Beta.

Adrian’s eyes turned slightly red.

Carl, noticing the shift in his mood, deliberately moved closer, eliminating any space between them.

He’d noticed that physical contact had a calming effect on Adrian and often used it to his advantage. It was remarkably effective.

Adrian’s expression was already softening.

“Adrian, if you keep interrupting, I’ll have to come back tomorrow. Will you follow me then? And the day after? Will you keep following me every day?”

Lulu grimaced at the thought, and Carl Lindbergh, though slightly embarrassed, leaned further into Adrian.

He nuzzled his cheek against Adrian’s shoulder, looking up at him, and Adrian instinctively wrapped his arm around Carl’s waist.

“I don’t want that.”

“Then let me talk to Lulu freely. She can’t speak her mind with you glaring at her.” 

“I don’t mind, Your Highness.”

Lulu, fearing she might miss out on the opportunity to openly admire Adrian’s face up close, quickly reassured them. 

Carl Lindbergh wanted to call her out on her blatant lie, but he refrained.

“The Crown Prince has other matters to attend to. I don’t want to trouble him any further.”

Carl offered them a disarming smile, his eyes crinkling at the corners like a happy emoji. 

“It’s not a trouble at all, Your Highness. It would be an honor. Please visit again tomorrow, and the day after, with His Highness.”

Lulu chuckled, realizing her attempt had failed miserably.

Adrian, suddenly struck by the resemblance between the two as they smiled, felt a prickle of suspicion.

Perhaps Carl Lindbergh saw a reflection of his real sister in Lulu.

〈My poor sister, never knowing her parents’ faces…〉

Adrian gently tilted Carl’s chin up, forcing him to meet his gaze.

“Don’t keep secrets from me, Carl Lindbergh.”

“It’s not a secret.”

Adrian, exasperated by Carl’s evasive response, pressed a quick kiss to his lips, then let out a scoff.

Lulu’s jaw dropped as she stared back and forth between Adrian and Carl Lindbergh, whose face was now as red as a beetroot.

Not only was Adrian openly jealous, but this was the first time Lulu had witnessed real-life BL. A strange desire bloomed within her.

Maybe shipping Carl Lindbergh and Adrian wouldn’t be so bad, just like she’d shipped Adrian and Belfry before. 

Carl Lindbergh was definitely no longer a villain, and aesthetically speaking, he was a much better match for Adrian than Belfry Hendrick. 

Lulu smirked. Carl Lindbergh, though slightly unnerved, didn’t pull away from Adrian.

After a moment of silence, Lulu’s voice suddenly turned excessively sweet.

“Please, Your Highness, ask away. Anything you’re curious about. You can also ask, Your Highness the Crown Prince. I’ll answer truthfully, to the best of my knowledge. After all, I need to earn my keep.”

‘Earn my keep’. The familiar phrase made Adrian and Carl exchange a look.