The Hero's Forsaken Princess
Chapter 76: The Crown Prince’s Proposal

Chapter 76: The Crown Prince’s Proposal

’The woman in Sylvana’s vision is the third princess of Averion... and the wife of General Stormholt.’ Crown Prince Cassian had conflicting thoughts as he gazed at Eve.

He didn’t know how he would react after learning her identity, so he shifted his gaze to Sylvana, who stood quietly in the corner of the banquet hall.

’Sylvana told me to have this woman to guarantee my success. But it’s not going to be easy... especially if she’s Alaric’s wife. Furthermore, she also told me that Alaric might be a hindrance to my goal. If I can’t make him serve me... I have to eliminate him.’

Crown Prince Cassian brought his attention back to Eve. ’Does it mean... in order to have this woman, I have to eliminate General Stormholt?’

He gazed at Eve intently. He couldn’t deny that she possessed an ethereal beauty.

’So aside from her beauty, what more can she offer me? Why should I rely on her if I want to conquer all the kingdoms?’

"Sister, why are you here? The royal physician advised you to stay at home." Princess Alessandra’s voice snapped Prince Cassian out of his deep thoughts.

Alessandra already joined them on the stage, pulling Eve away from Prince Cassian. However, the moment she called Eve sister, the noblemen were now convinced that the beautiful woman standing on the stage was indeed Princess Evelina!

The banquet hall erupted into whispers, expressing various sentiments regarding Princess Eve’s real appearance.

"Oh my gosh! How could this happen?!"

"The ugly duckling suddenly turns into a beautiful swan?"

"Are we dreaming?"

"Oh gosh! Maybe this is why the royal family hid the third princess from the public. It turns out she is so beautiful that every man in the kingdom can fall for her. Noblemen will start to fight for her attention and to marry her!"

"She has been hiding her true beauty. No wonder she was married to our kingdom’s hero!"

Princess Thalia was both surprised and annoyed by this turn of events. She didn’t expect the ugly and mute princess would become a beautiful princess in one night. And she could even sing very well!

"What is going on here, Princess Aliyah? Is that really your ugly sister, Eve? The mute princess?" Thalia asked the second princess in disbelief.

"Yes. It’s her," Aliyah responded, feeling frustrated. "Is she trying to defy our queen mother? She forbids her from showing her real face to anyone."

Princess Thalia was taken aback for a moment upon hearing that. ’So all this time Princess Eve is just pretending to be mute and wearing an ugly disguise as per Queen Amara’s order. So what made her defy the queen tonight?’

"If I were you, I would get my brother away from that woman. She might seduce your brother at this moment. She is a vixen!" Princess Aliyah whispered to Thalia, urging her to separate Crown Prince Cassian from Eve. She had seen how Prince Cassian had shown interest in Eve earlier.

Thalia nodded in agreement. Without further ado, she also climbed onto the stage and grabbed her brother’s hand.

"Brother, we should leave now," Thalia said with urgency in her voice.

But Crown Prince Cassian didn’t leave his spot. "Why should we leave? The party is not yet over," he replied while eyeing Eve meaningfully.

Prince Cassian shifted his gaze to her sister, giving her a warning glare. Thalia had no choice but to release his arm. If her parents couldn’t control her brother, even she had no power over him.

’Damn it! I guess it’s better this way. If my brother will take a fancy to this woman, then I know he will do everything to have her. This will be in favor of me. He will be the one to separate Eve from Alaric,’ Thalia thought, smiling inwardly as she darted her gaze back and forth between Prince Cassian and Eve.

"Do you feel unwell, Princess? Are you seriously ill? If you need help, maybe I can find a cure to your illness. You can come with me to Kingdom Eldara." Crown Prince Cassian didn’t hesitate to make such a sudden offer.

Princess Alessandra was displeased by the concern Prince Cassian was showing Eve.

But Eve gave him a polite smile while shaking her head. "Thank you for your offer, Crown Prince Cassian. But I’m not seriously ill. I have already recovered, otherwise, I wouldn’t be here standing before you."

"Oh. But the royal family said you couldn’t attend the gathering today because you were sick. So what’s with this surprise performance? Are you a member of the Siren Ensemble?" Prince Cassian was sharp enough to notice the strange atmosphere surrounding the royal family.

"I’m not a member of the Siren Ensemble. Unfortunately, one of their members was not feeling well so I volunteered to perform on her behalf. As the third princess of Kingdom Averion, I want to honor your presence with my performance. I hope you like it, Crown Prince." Eve deliberately used Crown Prince Cassian to prevent Queen Amara from punishing her for defying her tonight.

Meanwhile, Crown Prince Cassian sensed the unwelcomed atmosphere around the members of the Valemont Royal Family. They were so eager to take Eve away from the banquet hall. The moment Princess Alessandra joined them on the stage, Prince Cassian noticed the hostility in her eyes as she looked at Eve.

Crown Prince Cassian also heard the sentiments of the crowd earlier. At first, they didn’t believe that the woman was the third princess. They looked like they had seen a different person and they couldn’t recognize her at all.

Crown Prince Cassian’s interest was piqued further because of everyone’s reaction. He was also puzzled as to why General Alaric stormed out of the banquet hall, instead of approaching his wife.

As Prince Cassian tried to figure out things, he recalled Thalia’s words– ’She is just a fake princess.’

He glanced in the direction of King Solomon and Queen Amara. At that certain moment, he realized something.

’Princess Evelina didn’t inherit any of their physical attributes. Does it mean... she is not Queen Amara’s biological daughter? The queen doesn’t show any fondness at all upon seeing the third princess, while King Solomon continues staring at his daughter with longing.’

With his intelligence and sharp eyes, Crown Prince Cassian managed to put the pieces of the puzzle together.

’Princess Evelina’s song and the way the royal family reacted when her face was revealed... I can finally grasp the situation,’ Prince Cassian smirked inwardly.

"Princess Evelina, this is my first time visiting this kingdom, do you mind if I request you to accompany me and tour me around the castle right now?" Crown Prince Cassian boldly requested Eve, not minding the disapproving look coming from the Valemont royal family. He felt the need to take Eve away from that banquet hall.

Eve was caught by surprise by Crown Prince Cassian’s sudden request. Even though she was the third princess of Averion, she wasn’t really familiar with the areas around the castle.

She was only allowed to stay in Lotus Pavilion. She could only visit the Queen’s pavilion and the other princesses’ quarters if she needed to serve them. She was not allowed to visit King Solomon’s quarters and Crown Prince Stefan’s quarters.

"Princess Evelina?" He called her out softly. He could see some hesitation in her eyes. But he didn’t want to waste this opportunity to have a private moment with her.

After her long silence, Eve finally spoke up. "It’s my honor to accompany you, Crown Prince Cassian."

The banquet hall already felt suffocating. She needed to step outside and breathe some fresh air. She knew she had already angered the royal family, especially Queen Amara, by gatecrashing the grand banquet and revealing her true face to the nobles.

Tonight, she had already accomplished her goal—unmasking in front of everyone, showcasing her true beauty and musical talent to impress the nobles. She had made a strong impression on them. Even the Crown Prince of Eldara had begun to acknowledge her.

"Crown Prince Cassian, you can’t leave. This grand banquet is prepared for you! But if you insist on going around the castle, I can accompany you on my sister’s behalf. I am more familiar with the beautiful spots here than her." Princess Alessandra stopped him. She couldn’t allow Crown Prince Cassian to leave with Eve.

Crown Prince Cassian frowned at her last remarks. "I want to be alone with Princess Evelina," he declared firmly.

Thalia immediately grabbed Alessandra’s hand. "Princess Alessandra, can you tour me around? Let Princess Evelina entertain my brother. I want to be with you."

Eve’s eyebrows twitched upon hearing Thalia. She could tell that Thalia was deliberately pushing her to go with her brother. She looked around and she finally noticed that Alaric was no longer in the banquet hall.

’Alaric left the banquet hall... I didn’t see his reactions at all.’ Eve’s expression became saddened as she thought about Alaric. She finally revealed to him that she was not mute. Was he mad?

"Princess Evelina, shall we leave?" Crown Prince Cassian extended his right hand in front of Eve.

Eve smiled faintly before accepting his hand. "Yes, Crown Prince Cassian."

The two immediately left the banquet hall, ignoring the curious gazes coming from the other nobles.

Eve decided to bring Prince Cassian to the palace garden. It was the most quiet place in the castle right now.

"Princess Evelina. Since we are now alone. I will be frank with you. I’ll tell you what I want." Crown Prince Cassian broke the silence between them.

He was not the type of man who would woo a woman. He couldn’t even do sweet talking so being direct was his best approach.

"Divorce your husband. Marry me. I’ll give you everything– my wealth and my power. Let’s conquer all the kingdoms together!"

Eve: "..."

That proposal was too sudden, making Eve speechless.

Meanwhile, hidden in the shadows, someone overheard them— Alaric.