When the Female Lead Went Off-Script, the Main Male Lead Became the Tyrant's Empress

Haster cast his gaze toward the windows of the Great Palace’s banquet hall, which glowed with yellow light.

He had left after reassuring himself that his goddaughter was having a good time, but it still weighed on his mind.

It might not look very good for her godfather to leave the girl entirely in her chaperone’s care.

“If we need an alliance without love that only considers the practical benefits for both sides anyway, wouldn’t someone we know be much better than a stranger with the same qualifications?”

Haster was standing with his arms crossed, wondering whether he should return to the banquet hall, when Arden, who had been muttering to himself, suddenly spoke without any context.

Haster had thought he was deliberately joking around to indulge in escapism, but it seemed he was still giving the matter some thought in his own way as the Crown Prince.

Haster tried to determine which princess candidate Arden might have some connection with and asked.

“Do you already have someone in mind?”

Arden’s eyes sparkled at the curious question directed at him.

“You.”

“What?”

“I was thinking of marrying you.”

Madman.

After calling someone over, all he had to say was deranged nonsense.

Whether the listener found it displeasing or not, Arden blocked the entrance to the gazebo with his body and prattled on about whatever he wanted to say.

“Honestly, you don’t fall short of the qualifications for Crown Princess either. You’re an imperial relative and a great noble, and you’re a young ruler governing a territory that is called a grand duchy but is practically a grand principality. Your power and honor go without saying.”

“…….”

“Huh? Wait. The more I think about this, the better it sounds. I’m not joking. If you became Empress, you could establish yourself and expand your influence in the central government more quickly, and it would be easier for us to keep the nobles in check too. As for an heir, we could adopt from a collateral branch. No, we could simply name Clary…….”

Haster looked at his cousin, who was speaking enthusiastically, with coldly settled eyes.

As expected, this bastard was clearly not in his right mind.

Haster had merely listened with the thought, Keep talking. Let’s see how far you go, but it only became more absurd.

Arden had thrown out the idea carelessly, yet he was now going, ‘Huh?’ and convincing himself.

What did he mean, ‘Huh?’

The raisin must have blocked a blood vessel in his brain instead of his airway.

What exactly was supposed to work?

Not only was every word in every sentence wrong, even the spaces between them were wrong.

The coronation was just around the corner, yet the Crown Prince was still indulging in escapism.

“You’ve lost your mind.”

“……That hurt me.”

Haster scoffed at Arden, who fabricated a dejected expression despite not being hurt in the slightest.

“Do you think I would agree to your insane plan?”

“I don’t think it’s entirely impossible.”

There wasn’t the slightest hesitation in his voice as he answered as though it were perfectly obvious.

To Arden, the world was no different from an open safe.

If he reached out his hand, he could obtain anything, whether it was a lover who would spend the night with him, nobles who would swear loyalty, wealth, or power.

He was occasionally rejected, but that only lasted for a moment.

In the end, everything rolled into his hands.

Because he wanted it.

“What an utter fool.”

However, Haster wasn’t interested enough in him to play along with his nonsense.

Arden had probably only wanted to prattle about something ridiculous and hadn’t said it because he actually expected anything.

“Aw. You’re too cold, darling.”

“Who are you calling darling?”

“But think about it. I’m telling you, this could work.”

Haster looked at him with disgust.

He didn’t hit fools, but he wanted to make an exception this time.

“If it sounds so plausible, say it before His Majesty and the councilors first.”

It was obvious that if Arden spouted such nonsense, they would not only treat him like a madman but also consider it a fatal problem that made him unfit to inherit the throne.

Even if Haster somehow accepted the proposal, they would be more likely to think, ‘Their Highnesses have finally lost their minds from excessive state affairs,’ than, ‘The two of them must be planning something.’

“Just because you’re interested in men doesn’t mean I would be interested too-”

“I’m not interested in men either! I was talking about forming a purely political alliance where all we shared was the same family register!”