I Share Secrets With the Crown Prince

The Crown Prince, whom I first saw at an imperial party—insanely handsome—suddenly acted as if he knew me. “I heard that a woman who suddenly looked like an East Asian was adopted into the Rubiche family, so I wondered. But to think it was you. I wasn’t crazy. I wasn’t losing my mind after all.” And then, as he said that, he started crying his eyes out. On top of that, it turns out this man was my boss back in Korea. The Crown Prince, known as the madman of the Empire—my former boss—would call me to the imperial palace every chance he got. “Tell me about Korea.” “It’s been five years, so my memory’s a bit fuzzy.” “Just tell me. For me, it’s been more than twenty years.” That big of a time difference? Surprised, I looked at his face— and saw him crying again. Why does he keep crying? “I missed you so much. It was driving me mad.” Then he buried his face in my palm and started sobbing, making things even more awkward for me. Because we were in the middle of a meal, and the Empress and Emperor were staring at us mid-bite with expressions like they’d lost their appetites.