No matter how she looked at it, his clothes were spotlessly clean, as if he had just changed into a fresh set.

 

“Ahaha, of course I changed into clean clothes for the perfect crime… Ha, look at your red eyes.”

 

“You said you’d grant my request. Look somewhere else.”

 

“You’re not actually sick, are you?”

 

“I’m not, so please stop looking.”

 

“Your face looks like someone who’s very sick. Your eyes are all swollen.”

 

“Ah, seriously!”

 

To hide her face completely, she had no choice … really no other option … but to bury herself against him again.

 

In truth, she also wanted to use his cool yet comforting scent that smelled faintly of grass, and the broad chest that enveloped her so fully, solely for her own comfort and safety.

 

It felt quite nice.

 

Staying in this embrace made her feel as though all the fatigue that had tormented her all day would completely melt away.

 

So, couldn’t she stay like this just a little longer?

 

‘…It’s warm.’

 

Having someone who would drop everything and come running the moment they heard even the slightest news about her, without asking questions, was a surprisingly big comfort.

 

Even though he must have seen that she was physically fine, the fact that he insisted on hearing confirmation directly from her was oddly endearing.

 

As if reflecting her subconscious, her hand unconsciously gripped and tugged at the hem of his coat. 

 

Don’t leave me…

 

‘Maybe it’s because he’s so big… I can hear his heartbeat really clearly…’

 

Pressed against his body, the strong, rhythmic pounding … presumably Theodore’s … tickled her ear.

 

Even that felt good.

 

The pulse that kept drumming against her eardrums, the body heat so high it felt warm, somehow came across as gentle consolation, making the corners of her eyes sting.

 

“Renata, I answered your question sincerely, so how about you answer mine now?”

 

“What answer?”

 

“I asked who was bothering you.”

 

He had eyes and ears planted everywhere; his people would report it to him anyway. 

 

So why was he pressing her like this?

 

Still, there was no reason not to tell him.

 

After all, the other party had been the first to show unpleasant feelings toward her, and the most effective way to counterattack would be through the person she was most attached to … the prince.

 

“Your Highness, are you seriously dating Lady Brenman? If Lady Brenman is engaged to marry you instead of the Crown Prince, please let me know in advance. Preparing for a wedding takes far longer than people imagine.”

 

“Just curse at me. Don’t put a hex on me.”

 

“Despite that, the lady was treating me like a romantic rival.”

 

At that moment, Theodore gripped both of Renata’s shoulders with his hands and gently pulled her away from his body so he could look her in the eyes.

 

“So, you don’t like it?”

 

“Wouldn’t anyone feel bad if they were suddenly grabbed on the street and insulted?”

 

“I’m asking if you hate the idea of others seeing you in that light.”

 

“If you wanted to use me that way, you should have discussed it with me beforehand.”

 

“Would you have given permission if I had discussed it?”

 

Renata had been about to answer ‘No’ immediately, but when she met his quietly burning, flame-like eyes, she silently closed her mouth.

 

It was a gaze filled with an emotion she had never experienced before.

 

It was too soft to be anger or hatred, and too fervent to be calm or joy.

 

As they stared at each other at such close range that their breaths mingled, Theodore’s gaze slowly drifted downward.

 

Thanks to his scorching stare, she could clearly tell where he was looking.

 

From her eyes to her cheeks, to her lips, and back to her eyes. His blue eyes half-disappeared behind a soft, gentle smile.

 

“Wow, what’s this? Why aren’t you saying you hate it?”

 

“…I was going to.”

 

“Then can you answer quickly? I got my hopes up for a second there.”

 

He slowly slid the finger that had been gently stroking the corner of her eye downward, brushing against her full lips.

 

“Anyway, I understand that you don’t want it. If I treat someone as special, that person will inevitably face countless attacks.”

 

Every place his fingertips touched grew warmly hot. She swallowed a shaky breath and tucked her lips inward.

 

“Well, as you know, I’m quite popular. If necessary, I’ll find someone suitable on my own. At least it won’t cause you any harm.”

 

She had just received reassurance that he wouldn’t put her in a difficult position, yet she didn’t feel happy at all.

 

No … if anything, her mood had clearly sunk.

 

Just as she wondered whether the accumulated fatigue had finally broken her reason, Theodore buried his face near her collarbone and let out a soft, suppressed chuckle.

 

“I told you not to give me false hope.”

 

As she unconsciously reached behind his head to brush aside the hair that was tickling her neck and face, a sudden old memory flashed across Renata’s mind.

 

The image of a man much larger than her standing in front of her tear-streaked face, his shoulders shaking slightly as he laughed.

 

“You look like you’re upset right now because I said I’d meet someone else.”

 

A person who hid his identity, a reliable ally who always took her side, silver hair, initials…

 

“That’s not it, right?”

 

No, it couldn’t be. This was definitely…

 

“Yes, it’s just your misunderstanding.”

 

💫

 

In the hall decorated with dazzling, eye-catching jewels, nobles dressed in equally splendid attire were gradually gathering one by one.

 

Some time passed.

 

A gentleman repeatedly took out his pocket watch, tilting his head in confusion.

 

As if the behavior were contagious, others around him also began glancing at the time.

 

“…Didn’t they say the banquet would start on the hour?”

 

“That’s what I heard. Maybe something came up.”

 

Thirty minutes past the scheduled start time, the protagonist of the banquet and winner of the hunting festival … the Crown Prince … still had not appeared.

 

The king, who had already taken his seat on the dais, let out a deep sigh and gestured to the orchestra to begin the banquet.

 

Just as the sheet music fluttered and the performance was about to start, the doors of the hall burst open violently.

 

“Theodore, you insane bastard!”

 

The Crown Prince, whose appearance was as perfect as a masterpiece painting, stormed in with a face more disheveled than ever before.

 

The man who was praised as someone who seemed like he would go through life without ever frowning, a person with a god-given perfect temperament.

 

“You son of a bitch, do you even know what you’ve done?!”

 

He spewed curses that even street thugs would use, right in the middle of a royal-hosted event … a banquet attended by high-ranking nobles.

 

The hall fell deathly silent at Karlheinz’s unbelievable words and behavior, as if cold water had been poured over everyone.

 

Because of the silence, even the Crown Prince’s rough, agitated breathing could be heard clearly throughout the room.

 

Unlike the Crown Prince, who looked ready to grab him by the collar at any moment, Theodore smiled slyly.

 

“You already heard? I just gave the eldest son of the Bargardt family a little push into the lake because he was bragging that he wanted to swim.”

 

At those words, Renata, who had been maintaining a proper smile behind him, gaped in shock.

 

‘He caused another accident already?’

 

Sensing the fierce glare boring into his back, Theodore slightly turned his head, met her eyes, and smiled brightly.

 

Then he slowly moved his lips and silently mouthed to Renata:

 

‘Are you going to help me?’

 

She wanted to say “Of course not,” but she already had several months of experience accumulated.

 

‘He won’t listen even if I try to stop him, so why even ask?’

 

Thus, Renata boldly nodded, turned around, and looked at the king.

 

She had expected the king to be quite shocked since the usually dignified Crown Prince had shown such a rough side, but reality was completely different.

 

The king was barely maintaining a calm expression, while the queen looked utterly devastated.

 

If anything, their eyes seemed to say, so it’s finally come out.

 

Wondering if they had already known about the Crown Prince’s dual nature, Renata briefly felt flustered before bowing to the king.

 

Sensing the king’s gaze upon her, she glanced sideways toward the orchestra, then rolled her eyes back and tilted her head slightly, as if asking for his intention.