Chapter 64

It was unexpected.

I can’t even understand why I did such a thing myself.

With a face that was trying not to smile and a flushed, heated face, I hurried back to my room, making sure not to meet anyone. My footsteps were a bit heavy, and I might have closed the door a bit loudly. But I couldn’t help it; I slid down the door and slumped to the floor.

I’ve never been more grateful for Hans, my roommate, not being here today!

If he were here, he would have worried about what happened, laughed at my face, and pried into the details.

“Ah… I messed up…”

I think my mistake was that I couldn’t just brush off the troublesome maid, even though I should have used my strength and position to handle the situation.

I have a fiancée, and I thought she would eventually give up if I didn’t respond, but now I realize that was a naive thought. I had some business with the gardener in the servants' quarters and was tired of the daily letters, so I decided to meet her in that garden.

The content of the letters wasn’t really significant—just things like wanting to meet, being complimented on her beauty recently, and some trivial events at the outer palace. It was clever, but not a decisive move. Asking if I wanted to go to the year-end festival in the capital after the birthday celebration this year was probably out of the question.

Honestly… I was really annoyed by that woman, Erene, and her troublesome fiancé, but today, I might have a little gratitude.

It was embarrassing to have to ask for help from Lady Yuria, who happened to pass by.

But even though she probably thought it was troublesome, she helped me and believed that I wasn’t deeply involved with Erene and that I wasn’t the type to toy with women, which made me incredibly happy!

If she had thought otherwise, I might have been devastated.

Honestly, now that I think about it, I could have handled the situation more calmly… That hot-blooded, boar knight, who I thought was always confrontational with me, turned out to be Erene’s fiancé… Really, he caused a lot of trouble by believing only his fiancée’s words!

But, as he said, it’s true that you never know when your beloved might be kidnapped.

No, I really was planning to wait.

She herself said she is shy when it comes to love, and now, the relationship between Dean and the princess is still ambiguous. The engagement hasn’t been officially announced yet, and it’s just an engagement, so it could be broken. Since she is royalty, I understand that political situations can change.

So, once things settle down, my position will be more stable… and I wanted to advance our relationship and confess during that time.

Even if I were to speed things up, I wanted to make sure everything was in place first. I wanted to make her feel secure and welcome her with open arms.

But, it’s true that there has been a slight change since that social party.

Lady Yuria von Vandied, when properly dressed, can be quite dazzling, yet she is usually a modest woman by the princess’s side. The atmosphere has shifted to suggest that she would be a perfect wife. Some people even commented that we would eventually end up together because I am always by her side, but that also means she is still available.

Sigh… No, I’m getting too anxious.

I wanted to be cool and calm in front of her.

“Ah… damn…”

Being calm and composed is just what others say; I’m just a young man.

I can’t deny that I have a cold side because of some family issues when I was young. That’s why I have a strong desire to build a warm family from the start. I absolutely want to avoid any trouble with women.

Also, it’s not that I’m bad-mouthing my father, but the arranged meetings he set up for me to solidify my position and prevent family disputes were not good. One of the women he introduced me to spoke condescendingly, acted clingy, and tried to dominate. She was my age, by the way.

Furthermore, since she was the only daughter of a wealthy merchant, it might have been her upbringing, but we just didn’t get along. In the end, her family showed such a strong desire for power that even my father was taken aback, and the engagement was called off. I was genuinely relieved.

Since then, I’ve had a bit of distrust towards the women who approached me…

When I first met Lady Yuria, I was also looking at her with a critical eye.

But when I saw how she looked at the princess, I didn’t sense any desire for power.

That sparked my interest, and we started exchanging letters. I observed her interactions with Dean and her attentiveness.

Ah, this person really enjoys her work. She is satisfied and proud of her current job.

That made me gradually lean towards her, who doesn’t care about status, honor, or appearance. I felt a bit superior when I noticed her small feminine qualities that others didn’t.

(If this person were my lover, it would be wonderful.)

Since then, I’ve been taking action.

She started to choose more carefree words and laugh in our conversations.

We even went out, and she accepted a gift from me, even though I was a bit forceful.

“But, that was unfair…!!”

I admit, it was embarrassing. I had no composure.

I was aware that I did something quite bold, like grabbing her arm and pulling her into a hiding spot.

But then, she!

Her face turned red, and she seemed to be mulling over my words, turning even redder.

She didn’t give me a clear answer, but it wasn’t a definite no.

After the garden party.

She seemed to be in a panic, and I understand that it was sudden for her.

But, in the end, that means…

“There’s room for consideration, isn’t it?”

If it were something she didn’t like, she would have immediately rejected it.

Her reaction was almost an answer!

I impulsively kissed her lightly and then came back like this, running away.

“Ah…”

My face is still hot.

The garden party is just a little while away.

I used to think it was troublesome, but now I’m a bit looking forward to it.

I’ll be a bit embarrassed, but I’ll approach her with proper words and attitude.

I want to see her.

I’ve never realized that I have such feelings for someone!

“…I can’t laugh at Dean anymore”

Really, we might be similar.

I hope she can accept my sincere and somewhat heavy feelings.

I wish for that more than anything.

For now, once the redness in my face subsides.

I’ll work even harder and try to be more likable by the day of the garden party.

I still have something to do!