Xavier let out a heavy, miserable sigh. He hung up the phone and pulled up Ziko's video call instead. Just as he was about to hit dial, a clear, sweet voice called out from behind him.
"Oh, isn't that Scarlet's husband? What are you doing out here all by yourself?"
Xavier turned around and saw a young girl dressed in a gorgeous, elegant gown. She was standing right behind him with beautifully long, flowing hair. Her features were incredibly soft and gentle, and her big, round eyes sparkled like pools of clear, deep water.
Xavier studied the girl's face for a moment. She looked awfully familiar, but he just couldn't place where he'd seen her before. Looking utterly confused, he asked, "Do I know you?"
The girl stepped closer to him. "I'm Annie. I'm Scarlet's cousin. Don't you remember me? We actually chatted a bit at your wedding."
Hearing her say that, it suddenly clicked for Xavier. He smiled and asked, "Ah, were you one of the bridesmaids that day?"
Annie was thrilled that Xavier remembered her. She elegantly raised a slender eyebrow, and as her gaze swept around him, she asked with faint curiosity, "Where's my cousin? Isn't she with you?"
Xavier pursed his lips. He desperately didn't want anyone to know that his own wife had just abandoned him. Forcing a polite smile, he lied. "She went to look at some other things. She told me to wait for her right here."
Annie batted her long, curled eyelashes, hiding a dark, calculating glint in her eyes. She had actually overheard Xavier earlier. She knew Scarlet had completely ditched him.
That precious cousin of hers really didn't know how good she had it. How could she just throw away such a gorgeous, top-tier husband like it was nothing? If only he belonged to her.
You see, Annie's mother was the Empress's younger sister and held the title of princess. Yet even as the eldest daughter, officially holding the title of princess herself, Annie simply wasn't qualified to be addressed with the respect of "Your Highness," and her husbands were nowhere near as impressive as Scarlet's. She was deeply jealous of Scarlet and loathed her for it. She wanted absolutely nothing more than to steal her life.
As for Sophia — well, she wasn't even of royal blood. No matter how talented she was, she could never inherit the empire. Annie never even considered her a threat.
If the rumors on the Star Network were actually true, she could totally use this chance to snatch up that whole harem of husbands for herself. After all, they were the absolute elite males of the Empire. And considering Scarlet was still stuck at F-rank, it was obvious they hadn't even slept together yet.
Annie made up her mind. A sickeningly sweet smile spread across her face, and her eyes softened as they landed on Xavier's incredibly handsome face.
"Well, what perfect timing. I actually haven't seen my cousin in ages, and I really miss her. Why don't I wait here with you?"
Annie then glanced at the clothes in Xavier's hands. "Oh, do you like those clothes? If you do, I can just buy them for you. Consider it a little welcome gift. You are my cousin's dear husband, after all. Since you're practically my brother-in-law, it's only right I give you a little welcome gift. It's the least I could do," Annie said, her expression growing even softer as she leaned much closer to Xavier. "Is there anything else you'd like to buy, brother-in-law? Just tell me and I'll pay for it altogether."
Xavier actually had quite a lot he wanted to buy, and had already left it all at the front desk. It was rare for him to get out of the palace, and he definitely didn't want to go back empty-handed, so he nodded earnestly. "I'll have to trouble you, then."
Annie followed Xavier to the front desk. But the moment she heard the total was five million star coins, she was completely dumbfounded.
Looking at the absolute mountain of shirts, pants, shoes and accessories, her eyebrows slowly knitted together. This guy really doesn't hold back, she thought. Five million, just like that. She didn't even make that much in a month.
Annie was starting to get angry, feeling like Xavier was treating her like a total sucker. The look in her eyes instantly shifted from delighted to annoyed. She was just about to come up with an excuse to say no, when she heard Xavier say in his earnest, honest way, "Don't worry. I won't actually make you pay for it. Consider this a loan. Once I'm back at Helda Palace, I'll ask the Empress for the money and pay you back double."
Double? Well, that wouldn't be so bad, she thought. Plus, it'll leave a good impression on him. Not a bad deal at all.
Annie's enthusiasm instantly skyrocketed back to one hundred percent. With a shy little smile, she said, "Oh, it's no problem at all. I told you it was a gift."
She opened her light brain and gave it a quick scan at the counter. But the exact second the transaction went through, her heart bled just a little.
Right at that moment, the light elevator doors a short distance away chimed open, and out stepped a striking young woman holding a pot of flowers. Seeing the two of them sharing a smile at the front desk, she gave a sweet little smile of her own.
"Oh my. Am I interrupting something? Or did I arrive just in time?"
Scarlet had just taken a stroll through the greenhouse downstairs. She hadn't found any flower seeds, as the flowers there — exactly like the ones at Helda Palace — were all grown using the latest biotech. It didn't need seeds at all and bloomed beautifully all year round. But the demihuman who helped her had been incredibly polite, acting like a breath of fresh air. So she'd happily bought a pot of sunflowers anyway.
Who would have thought that upon returning she'd spot Xavier chatting up another girl? His eyes were curved into a bright, dazzling smile, a stark contrast to the way he usually treated her.
Scarlet paused for a moment. She really hadn't planned on interrupting. But as she tilted her head and got a good look at the girl's face, the words were out of her mouth before she even realized it.
Now walking away wasn't really an option.
Princess Annie. The original host's absolute worst enemy. The two of them clashed in absolutely every way possible. Princess Annie despised the original host for growing up in the slums, reeking of poverty and completely unworthy of the title of imperial princess. The original host mocked Princess Annie right back, calling her incompetent and morally bankrupt, saying she was inferior to Sophia in every way but still delusionally trying to replace her. She even coveted the throne.
In the original story line, Princess Annie was fiercely ambitious, but unfortunately completely lacked the natural talent to back it up. Her mental power level had been stuck at rank B, unable to break through. So she set her sights on the original host's beastmen husbands. She wanted to exploit them to break through her own level. While Scarlet was down on her luck, Annie tried every trick in the book, openly and secretly, to steal them away.
As for whether she succeeded — Scarlet had no idea, because by that point in the story, she was already dead.