Valentine, the only ‘prince’ around in this country, had been neglecting his studies lately.
Thanks to that, he completely failed the recent monthly exam, but in reality, such problems were nothing at all.
He was researching a romance novel.
It wasn’t because it was fun.
When he read that book, it felt like having fleas crawling all over his body, so much so that he had to spray himself with cold water while reading it.
Still, he had one reason for reading the novel.
To compare with his heart.
Valentine knew that he had some special feelings for Clarisse.
However, is this the ‘only’ thing commonly discussed in novels? Or it was not clear whether it was the ‘impulsive’ thing that often appears in gossip magazines.
He thought he was probably closer to the latter.
There was no way he could truly like a girl like that in the first place.
She always seems to have dirt or rocks in her hands, not to mention how strong-willed and violently she goes about things.
Where does it end with her!
He had more than one complaint about Clarisse.
Despite her not being as conventionally attractive as him, there are times when she looks surprisingly pretty, which can be confusing. Even though he may not know what cosmetics she uses, there are times when she exudes an irresistible fragrance that captivates people.
There…
Before he knew it, he couldn’t concentrate on the book at all, and all he could think about was Clarisse for hours.
‘Now she’s even interrupting my reading!’
He added a new line to his complaints about Clarisse.
The problem was that she came into his head without warning and interfered with his studies or reading.
It was clear that this girl wasn’t really helpful at all.
He flipped through the novel, unable to concentrate at all.
Then he found a phrase that particularly caught his eye.
…[You want to test my heart?]
He can’t believe this idiotic development is still going on.
Valentine clicked his tongue briefly.
Because the male protagonist of this novel was truly stupid.
He met the female protagonist when he was young and fell for her at first sight, yet until the age of fifteen, he failed to realize his feelings and remained by her side merely as a “friend.”
However, it is clear to everyone that he is deeply in love with her and can’t move from where he is standing next to her.
But that fool is still saying that he is testing his heart.
Is a relationship easy?
If he likes someone, he might as well rush over and offer them flowers or his heart right away, but it still might not be enough.
“It’s a truly pathetic novel.”
Even though he thought it was a novel with absolutely nothing to learn, he continued to read the following content.
[You will know when you look at each other quietly and hold hands.]
What a truly frustrating method of verification. Valentine rested his chin and sighed.
[At that moment, the warmth that gathers in your hand becomes truly precious.]
Tak.
He closed the book.
He thought it would be better to refer to another book.
After returning a novel with a nerdy male protagonist to the library, he stopped Eugenie who was passing by.
“McLeod.”
“…Yes?”
She looked back at him, furrowing her brows as if she felt some kind of physiological discomfort.
But Valentine also felt a strange sense of discomfort whenever he saw her, so he also furrowed his brows.
“Clarisse, did you see her?”
“Yes, I saw her.”
That was the only answer.
Valentine changed the subject, saying, ‘She seems like a stubborn fellow, doesn’t she?’
“I’m asking where you saw it. How about trying to understand the intention of the test taker?”
“Prince, you are not a test taker. Besides, we’re not close enough for me to bother understanding the intentions behind it.”
“Since we’re not close, wouldn’t you want to prevent this unnecessary conversation from dragging on?”
“Yes, that would have happened if the prince had asked the right question in the first place.”
How can she stay silent like this!
Valentine refrained from wanting to ask more and asked again.
“Can you tell me where Clarisse is? Dear Miss McLeod.”
“Please stop with ‘Dear’.”
With a horrified expression, Eugenie gestured towards the study room with her fingertips in response.
“It’s by the window on the left.”
“Thank you so much, huh?”
“Yes, you just need to know.”
And Eugenie, who was taking a step forward, seemed to have remembered something, so she stopped and looked back at Valentine and said.
“It seems like she has been staying up all night.”
“What?”
“So, I suggest you go back to your room.”
She left with just those words, heading towards the area where other test takers were calling from.
‘What are you talking about all of a sudden?’
There is no reason for her to report to Valentine that Clarisse stayed up all night studying.
He never asked that in the first place.
As he headed towards the study room, grumbling to himself, he pushed open the thick door. Just then, the words he wanted to say to Clarisse came to mind.
He said there is no study method as stupid as staying up all night studying.
It only gave them a momentary sense of pride from staying up all night, but there was a risk of blowing the next day away.
‘Well, if it’s Clarisse, it won’t be a problem if she stays up all night for about three days.’
He looked around the study room, which seemed to be a little less crowded than usual. Thankfully, thanks to Eugenie’s prior information, he was able to spot the pink-haired girl right away.
With her unruly hair sticking out in all directions, she had her head buried on the desk, seemingly not bothering to tidy up.
‘…It’s ugly, really.’
It looks like she’s tearing out her hair while thinking about a difficult problem. Valentine was a little relieved because the figure looked truly ugly.
Because, according to the romance novels he read, most of the male protagonists who fell in love had the illusion that they were ‘pretty’ even when they saw such ugly things.
‘As expected, that feeling was an impulse.’
He sat down next to Clarisse, somewhat relieved, and patted her on the back.
“What is the problem that makes you worry like this?”
Despite asking the question in a light voice, Clarisse didn’t answer.
Instead, the face that had been facing the floor turned towards him with a faint sigh.
“….?”
Valentine was taken aback and stared at the white face that suddenly appeared.
‘…Are you sleeping?’
The question that naturally came to mind was truly stupid. After staying up all night, isn’t it natural to take a nap like this?
However, he found himself staring quietly at Clarisse’s face without even considering this fact.
From the reddened forehead pressed against the desk to the neatly closed eyes, the charmingly curved eyelashes, and the firmly sealed lips.
‘Pretty…’
In a moment when words came to mind without much thought.
Valentine suddenly came to his senses and quickly shook his head.
He can’t believe he says pretty, where on earth is that?
Where is the beauty in that hideous face that sleeps with a bright red mark on her forehead?
Moreover, if he looks closely, he can see that the area around her eyes is dark due to being tired from staying up all night…
‘Damn it, it’s cute.’
He firmly grasped his pounding heart with one hand in a useless place.
Another carriage accident occurred.
Seriously, hitting someone out of the blue like that without any consideration.
‘Even things like this are violent. Ah really…’
For some reason, his entire body felt weak, and he slumped down next to Clarisse.
Being in this position, he could understand why Clarisse had fallen asleep.
The warm sunlight falling on his back felt incredibly pleasant and warm. It almost felt like even that warmth was melting away any remaining tension.
Soon the sound of deep breathing was heard from nearby. That soft sound was so lovely that he listened to it without even realizing it.
In response, Clarisse’s soft cheeks moved slightly.
It was somehow nice to see that. He found himself wanting to keep staring at her as they lay side by side like this.
‘Ah, her lips… moved as well.’
Did she dream of eating something? In that brief moment, when her pink lips parted and closed, he found himself smiling without realizing it.
At this point, he started wondering what on earth she was doing in her dream, looking so pretty.
No, more than that, he wanted to know if Valentine appeared in that world.
If so, they might have held hands in the dream, cherishing the warmth gathered where they touched.
“…I hope so.”
At the moment, his desperation deepened, and he muttered that.
The amber eyes, which had been hidden behind eyelids all along, opened brightly.
As they lay face down, their eyes met and lasted for a few seconds.
Valentine abruptly rose to his feet, his lips tightly sealed as if to prevent a scream from bursting forth.
Because of his somewhat noisy behavior, several test takers sitting around looked at him for a moment.
Of course, realizing it was nothing serious, they quickly returned their attention to their respective studies.
Clarisse woke up and rubbed her eyes, feeling a little dazed.
“Prince…?”
“Y, you…!”
Where did she suddenly open her eyes like that?
He was about to ask this question, but stopped. If a response indicating that his mumbling was heard were to come back, it would put Valentine in a difficult situation.
“…D, did you sleep well?”
Valentine came up with a plausible answer. At least he thought so.
But for some reason, Clarisse was looking at him with a very suspicious look in her eyes.
‘Could it be that I got caught?’
The fact that he was lying face down, staring at Clarisse’s face.
‘That’s… a little difficult.’
The fact that he has a crush on Clarisse should be a secret.
Because it’s embarrassing!
There’s no one in the world who likes that kid who licks rocks…!
“Prince, are you hiding something from me?”
“….!”
How did she know?
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