After getting out of jail, I moped around the Princess' Manor for a few days.

I finally got it into my head that I wasn't the female protagonist of this world. I didn't have the luck that came with all protagonists. I couldn't just crook my finger and expect men to be as obsessed with me as they'd been in my original world.

But then, I remembered I was still a princess. I could take what I want. I didn't even need to crook a finger.

So, I set my sights on Felix Lodge, the newly minted third-ranked scholar in the imperial exams. I heard that during the palace exam, Father was leaning toward making him the top-ranked scholar because he was more talented than the others.

However, Felix was just too handsome. Per tradition, the most handsome scholar had to be ranked third, so Father appointed him as such instead.

I asked around about Felix's background. He came from poverty. His widowed mother had raised him alone, and they'd suffered their whole lives. He had no power, no influence, and no betrothed.

It was a triple bingo. I had to have someone like that in my household.

And so, five days later, I hosted a banquet to admire the flowers in my manor. I dragged Christopher and a few of my other younger brothers along. With that, nobody dared refuse my invitation.

But when I saw Rowan, I was still taken aback. He wore indigo robes, and his hair was neatly bound. He truly was handsome beyond imagination.

The only issue was that I hadn't invited him.

Perhaps he'd just tagged along with my sixth brother, Cameron Sable, since they were on good terms.

When Rowan swept his clear gaze over me, I nodded politely, counting that as a greeting. Then, I turned to entertain the other guests.

I couldn't afford to mess with him, but I could avoid him, couldn't I?

…

When a handmaiden announced that Felix had arrived, my eyes lit up. I went to the main hall to receive him. The moment I saw him, my eyes became brighter still.

He wore coarse linen that had faded from one too many washes, yet he was calm and composed. A gentle, unhurried smile curled his lips, making one feel warm and at ease at the sight of it.

If Rowan was like the cold moon that hung in the sky, then Felix was like a soft cloud. He had the sort of face that suited my plans to take him by force.

I laughed softly. "No wonder Father appointed you as the third-ranked scholar. You truly live up to the tradition it represents."

Felix bowed. "You flatter me, Your Highness."

I led him to the garden, chatting and laughing all the way.

Christopher and my younger brothers let their eyes slide from Felix to Rowan. Then, they looked at me, totally puzzled.

Cameron sidled up to me and whispered, "Claire, weren't you into Lord Gifford? I brought him here for you, but you've switched targets now? I thought he'd be my brother-in-law!"

Gee, thanks. No wonder Rowan looked increasingly upset.

Uh-oh. Why was he coming this way?

Beside me, Felix lifted his gaze slightly. "I'll stop disturbing you, Your Highness."

He bowed, ready to step aside. I reflexively said, "You're not disturbing me."

Rowan paused mid-step. Then, he laughed softly. "I suppose I'm the one intruding, then."

My lips twitched. Did he have to be so cutting?

Still, I pasted on a smile. "Of course not."

Sensing the mood turn, Christopher hurried to smooth things over. "It's about time. Let's begin the banquet."

I quickly agreed, "Yes, we shouldn't keep everyone waiting."

Hopefully, the food would keep Rowan's mouth occupied.

…

Rowan sat three seats down to my right. Felix was a bit farther at the eighth seat down on the right.

I meant to sneak a few glances at Felix, but as my gaze drifted over, it kept lingering on Rowan's striking face. He seemed to have had a few goblets of wine. The alcohol accentuated his features, even tinging the corners of his eyes with a decadent, alluring flush.

My heart started itching again. Annoyed, I downed my drink in one go.

I had to get a grip. Did I want to spend another eight hours behind bars?

I steadied myself and looked up to see Felix stand and leave his seat. The best way to forget one man was to go after another, so I followed him out under the excuse of needing some air.

…

Felix was by the pond in the garden. He'd been drinking, though one couldn't tell from his face. Only his eyes shimmered gently, lending him a hint of tenderness. They made him even more radiant than the flowers blossoming around him.

I had to win Felix over, no matter what.

After a few pleasantries, I cut straight to the chase. "Felix, how about you be with me? I can grant you status and wealth."

I studied his expression. He was rather surprised, but at least not the kind that meant I was getting hauled off to jail. I sighed in relief and continued, "I'm the eldest princess born of the empress and the sibling of the crown prince. My maternal grandfather is Philip Gray, the chancellor."

Felix didn't answer for a long while, and I didn't press him. Honestly, he'd be a bit boring if he had no backbone or pride.

After a long silence, he asked, "Are you asking me to marry into the imperial family as a prince consort, Your Highness?"

Huh?

"Not exactly," I said. Having a husband made it inconvenient to have a reverse harem. "You just need to occasionally do some… wicked things with me."

Felix looked like he understood what I meant… and also like he was completely baffled.

His face flushed crimson, and he parted his lips to speak, but a cool voice interrupted our conversation, "You sure are enjoying yourself, Your Highness."

It was Rowan. He stood about ten paces away. A light breeze passed, making the flower petals beside him rustle and fall to his feet.

A scene like that would usually make me drool a little, but in that moment, all I felt was my scalp prickling. He hadn't heard what I'd just said, had he?

Damn it! I felt like I'd be given a minimum sentence of ten years. I was done for.

…

Felix looked like he'd just spotted a savior when Rowan joined us. He bowed in a quick farewell and hurried off, like a ghost was chasing him.

Only Rowan and I remained by the pond.

He stood a few steps away, his face unreadable. "Your Highness, I sought you out to apologize for the misunderstanding the other day. I didn't expect to interrupt your delightful pastime."

Misunderstanding? No, there was no misunderstanding.

But he said he wanted to apologize.

I snapped into seriousness at once. "Yeah, you really got the wrong idea about me that day. Go on, then. Apologize. I'm listening."

Rowan fixed his gaze on me. After a while, he suddenly laughed softly. "Your Highness, is today also a misunderstanding? I suppose it is. Otherwise, you wouldn't flirt with me and then turn around and flirt with Mr. Lodge. You are of royal blood and have an exalted status, but please, don't toy with me anymore."

Maybe he'd been drinking—there was a faint flush to his cheeks, and a vivid red petal rested on his shoulder.

Honestly, with a face like his, how could he think I was just toying with him? Why didn't he think I'd genuinely been asking for a kiss?

Still, toying with him wasn't a crime that was supposed to land me in prison. So, yeah—I'd let him continue thinking I'd been toying with him.

I dipped my head solemnly. "Alright."

…

When I returned to the banquet, I found that Felix had already left.

I was a princess with power, status, and looks, yet I'd still scared him off. I couldn't understand it, but I figured he would come back. I couldn't think of a reason for him not to.

Well, given his good looks, I was willing to wait a few days.

At least, that was the plan. I didn't expect my body to get impatient before my mind did. All I could say was that I was a female protagonist in a spicy romance novel—everyone knew what our bodies were like.

Christopher had recently sent me a batch of guards and subtly hinted that I could have my pick of them to enjoy myself. He wanted me to leave his court officials alone.

Rude.

I hadn't planned on humoring him, but one of the young guards was right up my alley.

He had tanned skin, and his features were bold and defined. He was only 20 years old, yet he already had broad shoulders and a figure as solid as a wall. His face was sharp and stern, and he was always in black armor as he silently stood watch at my manor's gates.

Sometimes, when I called on him to answer a question or two, the faintest blush would spread across his square, striking face. It was irresistibly tempting to tease him.

I lounged in my seat and summoned him to help me put on my shoes and socks.

The guard, Derrick Stone, looked flustered as he waved his hands, saying he didn't dare offend me.

I arched a brow at him.

He pressed his lips together, looking like he was making a momentous decision. Then, he said, "Yes, Your Highness."

How adorable.

He dropped to one knee at my feet and supported my ankle with his fingers. However, his cool and distant gaze was fixed somewhere off to the side.

I smiled and tipped his chin up with my toe. "Focus when you're working, Mr. Guard."

Derrick's breathing seemed a bit quick, and his ears were so red they looked like they might bleed. Just when things were getting interesting, a handmaiden announced that Felix was requesting an audience.

Ugh, could he have picked a worse time?

I sat up, smoothed my clothes, and winked at Derrick. "Am I pretty, Mr. Guard?"

He froze for a moment, then immediately lowered his head. His voice was barely above a whisper as he answered, "You are."

…

Felix wore dark robes that day. Even seated, he had his back straight, looking refined and composed. When he saw me, he stood and bowed in greeting.

I waved him off, took the main seat, and looked at him with a smile.

He didn't dodge or avert his gaze. He looked straight into my eyes and asked, "Your Highness, does your earlier offer still count?"

"Of course."

"I'm willing to marry you, then."

Uh, what? Marry me? When did I ever say anything about marriage?

Then, I saw the look on Felix's face. He'd clearly struggled a lot before making up his mind. If he was this torn over deciding to be my husband… I was worried he would bash his head against the wall right in front of me if I told him I only wanted him as a boy toy.

Whatever—boy toy or husband, I would get him in my hands first.

Once he'd lost himself to me, he wouldn't be able to refuse my true offer, even if he wanted to. Anyway, if we really couldn't come to terms in the end, I'd just accept him as my husband.

He had no power and status, so he probably couldn't do anything if I started a reverse harem. Controlling him would be child's play.

Suddenly, I thought of Rowan. If he were my husband, I probably wouldn't even be able to have guards in my manor.

The thought made a chill shoot through me. I'd done good deeds all my life—surely I didn't deserve such a punishment.

…

I told Felix that we didn't know each other well yet, so we had to spend more time together. We needed to first build a little affection and develop feelings for each other before picking a date to marry.

The idea of that was clearly a bit too modern for him, but he agreed anyway because I found him a great job.

He was so innocent that he didn't realize the gift that had been bestowed on him came with a price tag. His body was already in my pocket!

I used the excuse that I wanted him to tutor me, so he started coming to the Princess' Manor every day.

Felix took academics seriously. When he lectured me, he was fully focused.

Well, so was I. I would focus all my attention on him.

When that happened, he would lift the book in his hand to subtly shield his face, leaving only the tips of his faintly flushed ears peeking out.

Was he deliberately seducing me with this routine? Because it worked like magic.

…

It had been a month since I'd come to this world, and I, the female protagonist of a spicy romance novel, had yet to get any action.

I thought with us seeing each other every day, I'd have my wicked way with Felix in three days, tops. But it had already been five days, and all I'd done was touch his hand. Even that was only because he was teaching me calligraphy.

His fingers were rough. The second his hand settled over mine, he yanked it back like he'd been jolted.

I caught it and smiled at him. Based on my experience, this was when Felix should lean in and kiss me. But after we held that pose for a long beat, he actually pushed me away.

He'd pushed me away! I was honestly speechless.

Something had to be wrong with him.

"Your Highness, I've overstepped," he said, bowing to me in apology.

I mean, in these pure-romance worlds, did babies just appear out of thin air? Couldn't we get a bit of a spicy plot in here?

I couldn't take it anymore. At this rate, how was I supposed to have my wicked way with Felix?

Just then, inspiration struck. I remembered I'd decided to take him by force.

Right. Since I wanted to force him to submit to me, why was I being all coy with him?

So, I tilted his chin up. "Felix Lodge, remember who I am."

Then, I sealed his lips with mine while his eyes were still wide with shock. I had to get him before he could react.

He froze for a heartbeat. Humiliation and shock mixed with just a touch of shyness formed a blush on his face. It was gorgeous, really.

Unfortunately, he quickly schooled his features and lowered his head. "Yes, Your Highness."

He seemed a little aggrieved.

Damn it! That only made him more tempting.

…

After that day, I became bolder.

I ordered Felix to serve me tea mouth-to-mouth, and I had him fill in my brows with the hand he used for calligraphy.