I blinked in wonder.
The royal family... isn’t just Adrian?
Before I could even begin to ponder his enigmatic words, Rudnine quickly began to think on his own.
"The rest of the excuses are up to you. I'm only going to focus on 'attendance' and 'partnership.'"
“Rudd, I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
"The birthday party is in three days. I don't have time... Yvonne, I'm sorry. I have to go right now."
He gave me an apologetic look, then gently took my hand and helped me up.
I got up and stood facing him, having been escorted by him without realizing it.
"...Actually, I don't like the method I'm trying to pursue. It involves keeping Yvonne with another man. I have to keep an eye on you, so I'll be right there by your side."
'Another man?'
I decided to ask him what he was planning later, but first I decided to ask him what I was curious about.
“Oh, then... Is Rudd coming to His Highness Adrian’s birthday banquet?!”
In fact, the Duke of Iels' family had a long history of not attending royal banquets, so Rudnine had assumed the same.
He raised his eyebrows, rather puzzled.
"If Yvonne's going, how could I not? Of course I'll go. I'll apply the hand cream Yvonne gave me and make myself look pretty before I go."
As I watched him staring straight at me with his eyes shining, my face gradually turned bright red.
It's as if he's saying he's going to dress up and come for me.
Hand cream is the same...
"Yes..."
Embarrassed, I lowered my head and glanced up at him, but I bit my lip.
“Don’t do this, Yvonne.”
"Yes?"
“I told you not to make me want to do it.”
After mumbling softly, Rudnine frowned, sighed briefly, carefully let go of my hand, and turned around.
'What do you want to do?'
He said, avoiding my puzzled gaze.
“I will go.”
"Yes."
I felt reluctant to send him away, so I followed him, my back to my chest, and my tail between my legs.
What's this.
I didn't even have time to do anything, be it a dirty deed or a confession.
It was a truly wholesome meeting... tsk.
I walked through the lobby of the mansion to the porch to see him off, and before I got into the carriage I had called for in advance, he stared blankly behind me.
“Why are you like that? Ah...”
I turned my head to follow his gaze, and Pembe, who had followed me, was standing there.
You were in the dining room the whole time, you punk!
I smiled calmly and picked up Pembe from the floor.
“This is the hamster I’m raising.”
“A hamster?”
“Yes. Isn’t it cute? It’s a bit big, though.”
I answered without thinking much, brushing Pembe's board round back.
Pembe was doing a good job of hiding the fact that he was a familiar and was playing the role of an ordinary hamster.
Even Lady Alentia, a black magician, didn't catch on.
Rather, thanks to his cute appearance, he was very beloved by everyone except Carol.
I guessed that would be the case since Rudnine is also a very affectionate person.
The moment my eyes met his, I had a gut feeling that something was wrong.
'Uh?'
It felt like a sharp, sharpened sword was aiming at Pembe.
He circled back towards me, then walked towards me in an instant, bending down.
His expression changes subtly as he looks closely at Pembe.
“...It’s strange.”
"Yes?"
“Can I touch it?”
Rudnine raised his head and asked for my permission. His large hand reached out toward Pembe.
“Oh, no!”
It was clear that he had noticed that Pembe was no ordinary hamster!
I was so scared that my face turned pale, and I hugged Pembe and quickly ran behind the porch pillar.
“Ugh.”
"Uh?"
Looking behind the pillar, I saw that I had unknowingly used my magic power when I pushed Rudnine away and ran away.
Gray smoke was rising from the floor.
I was so embarrassed that I opened my eyes wide, leaned out from behind the pillar, and shouted.
“Are you okay, Rudd?!”
“…Of course I’m fine, Yvonne.”
Rudnine slowly raised and lowered his shoulders, indicating that he hadn't even scratched a single bone.
Then he looked intently at Pembe, who was in my arms.
“Yvonne. Is that hamster more precious than me?”
"Huh? No. That's not it. Haha. Pembe, hurry up and go back to your room."
"Uh, yeah."
As I lowered Pembe to the floor, he ran along the floor with his short limbs and quickly went inside.
Feeling embarrassed, I approached him hesitantly as he stood there blankly.
“Um, I’m sorry. Pembe is a bit shy and might bite people...”
Rudnine's face hardened even more seriously as he made up a lie to make an excuse.
I smiled brightly to reassure him, but he just stared at me without smiling.
'Hmm?'
Between us two who are silent, only the sound of rain soaking the ground resonates.
Surely, he might notice that Pembe is a familiar and mistake me for a warlock?
I was shaking inside in fear, but he took a step closer to me and closed the distance between us.
As the tall man stood before me, I swallowed and looked up at him.
What excuse are you making? So... Ugh.
“Yvonne.”
"Yes."
His voice calling my name is so sweet that it makes me dizzy.
“I like it much better.”
'Uh?'
My lips parted in a daze, speechless. Hmm? What do you like?
His eyes, which sparkled like dark river water bathed in starlight, curved gently.
“I love Yvonne. So please, just treat me like you do now.”
“...Ah, Rudd.”
“Don’t kick me out of the fishing grounds without permission.”
He smiled wistfully, gently took hold of my fingertips, and kissed the back of my hand.
“Yes, I’ll really go. I’ll take care of it quickly.”
The carriage carrying him, who waved goodbye to me as I was lost in thought, glided out of the Argenthoz townhouse.
Pour pour pour.
The rain continued to fall. Even though Rudnine had long since left, I continued to stand on the porch, dazed.
I returned to my room thanks to the trio of Carols who came to pick me up when I didn't return.
“What happened?”
To Carol's worried question, I shook my head and gave a curt answer.
"No."
It's confusing.
How…. Duke Rudnine Iels, me?
That day, that sunny day.
At that cafe, the perfect-looking guy I was meeting with miraculously said he liked me.
It felt like a mirage. It felt like a lie, like a staged play, like a dream.
...If this is a dream, I’m going crazy from the futility.
Like a child who has a large candy he wanted but has it snatched away from him, he will just collapse and start crying.
“How in the world... this could happen.”
As I was sitting alone in bed, dazed, after washing up, Pembe suddenly jumped up in front of me.
"That guy, earlier. He's unusually perceptive. Did he notice anything? What's wrong, Yvonne? Are you crying?"
“No. This is sweat.”
I wiped the sweat from my eyes, gave Pembe a cold reply, and then pulled the blanket up to my head and lay down.
My heart is pounding so hard in this complicated and unbelievable situation that I can't sleep.
It's going to be a long night.
That night in the palace of the deep sea.
The Third Prince gaped at the man who had confidently climbed over the palace wall in the deep sea at that time of the night when rain was falling lightly.
Third Prince Felix, who was reading a book late into the night because he couldn't sleep, initially judged him to be an assassin.
He used to live so quietly.
Is it not worth keeping alive anymore?
He quickly devised a plan to at least save his mother, the concubine Evelyn.
But his eyes and mouth opened wide as he realized who the man was approaching him.
“Ah, no. Where, where is... where, what the... How? Ah, no."
Third Prince Felix was wearing his pajamas to go straight to bed after reading, and his mouth was hanging open like a loose, drooping pajama.
Because it was so absurd.
“Nice to meet you, Your Highness.”
But the man who climbed over the fence in the rain smiled with a relaxed smile.
A breathtakingly handsome young man, his black hair soaked in rain running back in his hands.
Felix was shocked when he recognized him at a glance.
“Oh my God! Are you saying hello now?!”
“...Since Your Highness did not call, I have come here. I am sorry, Your Highness.”
Felix's breath was caught in his throat at the shameless man's response.
Somehow, he had to get this man out of the Palace of the Deep Sea as quickly as possible.
“No, that’s what I mean, I have no intention of meeting you!”
“Wow, Felix?”
At that moment, Felix's mother, the concubine Evelyn, who was a bright and alert sleeper, heard the commotion and came out of the bedroom.
“Huh? Who are you?”
“Mother! It’s nothing.”
The mother, with her eyes wide open, looked back and forth between him and the strange man.
Felix quickly led her back into her bedroom.
Felix, who had barely managed to get Evelyn, who was full of questions, back to sleep, approached the man still waiting outside, sighed, and rubbed his temples.
“So, are you Duke Rudnine Iels?”
“Yes. I, Duke of Iels, subject of the Verbent Empire, greet you, Your Royal Highness Felix Delk Verbent, Third Prince of the Golden Imperial Family.”
Rudnine knelt on one knee and bowed respectfully to the royal family.
It had been a long time since he had received such a formal greeting, and Felix felt goosebumps and fear.
It was a deserted, ambitious time. It was a palace in the deep sea, abandoned, but Felix carefully observed his surroundings.
After making sure no one was there, he raised both arms, clearly showing that his head hurt.
“What the hell are you doing! Get up, Duke!”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
Felix growled at Rudnine, who was looking at him with a grin.
"I've also returned all the medicines and supplements the Duke sent me back then. Isn't that a sufficient answer?"
“That’s what you said.”
Unlike the excited Felix, Rudnine responded calmly and turned his gaze towards the room Evelyn had entered.
And then he opened his mouth calmly.
"I didn't fully grasp what was important to Your Highness. I apologize. May I start over, one by one?"
The royal family... isn’t just Adrian?
Before I could even begin to ponder his enigmatic words, Rudnine quickly began to think on his own.
"The rest of the excuses are up to you. I'm only going to focus on 'attendance' and 'partnership.'"
“Rudd, I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
"The birthday party is in three days. I don't have time... Yvonne, I'm sorry. I have to go right now."
He gave me an apologetic look, then gently took my hand and helped me up.
I got up and stood facing him, having been escorted by him without realizing it.
"...Actually, I don't like the method I'm trying to pursue. It involves keeping Yvonne with another man. I have to keep an eye on you, so I'll be right there by your side."
'Another man?'
I decided to ask him what he was planning later, but first I decided to ask him what I was curious about.
“Oh, then... Is Rudd coming to His Highness Adrian’s birthday banquet?!”
In fact, the Duke of Iels' family had a long history of not attending royal banquets, so Rudnine had assumed the same.
He raised his eyebrows, rather puzzled.
"If Yvonne's going, how could I not? Of course I'll go. I'll apply the hand cream Yvonne gave me and make myself look pretty before I go."
As I watched him staring straight at me with his eyes shining, my face gradually turned bright red.
It's as if he's saying he's going to dress up and come for me.
Hand cream is the same...
"Yes..."
Embarrassed, I lowered my head and glanced up at him, but I bit my lip.
“Don’t do this, Yvonne.”
"Yes?"
“I told you not to make me want to do it.”
After mumbling softly, Rudnine frowned, sighed briefly, carefully let go of my hand, and turned around.
'What do you want to do?'
He said, avoiding my puzzled gaze.
“I will go.”
"Yes."
I felt reluctant to send him away, so I followed him, my back to my chest, and my tail between my legs.
What's this.
I didn't even have time to do anything, be it a dirty deed or a confession.
It was a truly wholesome meeting... tsk.
I walked through the lobby of the mansion to the porch to see him off, and before I got into the carriage I had called for in advance, he stared blankly behind me.
“Why are you like that? Ah...”
I turned my head to follow his gaze, and Pembe, who had followed me, was standing there.
You were in the dining room the whole time, you punk!
I smiled calmly and picked up Pembe from the floor.
“This is the hamster I’m raising.”
“A hamster?”
“Yes. Isn’t it cute? It’s a bit big, though.”
I answered without thinking much, brushing Pembe's board round back.
Pembe was doing a good job of hiding the fact that he was a familiar and was playing the role of an ordinary hamster.
Even Lady Alentia, a black magician, didn't catch on.
Rather, thanks to his cute appearance, he was very beloved by everyone except Carol.
I guessed that would be the case since Rudnine is also a very affectionate person.
The moment my eyes met his, I had a gut feeling that something was wrong.
'Uh?'
It felt like a sharp, sharpened sword was aiming at Pembe.
He circled back towards me, then walked towards me in an instant, bending down.
His expression changes subtly as he looks closely at Pembe.
“...It’s strange.”
"Yes?"
“Can I touch it?”
Rudnine raised his head and asked for my permission. His large hand reached out toward Pembe.
“Oh, no!”
It was clear that he had noticed that Pembe was no ordinary hamster!
I was so scared that my face turned pale, and I hugged Pembe and quickly ran behind the porch pillar.
“Ugh.”
"Uh?"
Looking behind the pillar, I saw that I had unknowingly used my magic power when I pushed Rudnine away and ran away.
Gray smoke was rising from the floor.
I was so embarrassed that I opened my eyes wide, leaned out from behind the pillar, and shouted.
“Are you okay, Rudd?!”
“…Of course I’m fine, Yvonne.”
Rudnine slowly raised and lowered his shoulders, indicating that he hadn't even scratched a single bone.
Then he looked intently at Pembe, who was in my arms.
“Yvonne. Is that hamster more precious than me?”
"Huh? No. That's not it. Haha. Pembe, hurry up and go back to your room."
"Uh, yeah."
As I lowered Pembe to the floor, he ran along the floor with his short limbs and quickly went inside.
Feeling embarrassed, I approached him hesitantly as he stood there blankly.
“Um, I’m sorry. Pembe is a bit shy and might bite people...”
Rudnine's face hardened even more seriously as he made up a lie to make an excuse.
“Then couldn't we ask Yvonne? It's too dangerous.”
“No way! It won't bite. I like it, you know.”
'Hmm?'
Between us two who are silent, only the sound of rain soaking the ground resonates.
Surely, he might notice that Pembe is a familiar and mistake me for a warlock?
I was shaking inside in fear, but he took a step closer to me and closed the distance between us.
As the tall man stood before me, I swallowed and looked up at him.
What excuse are you making? So... Ugh.
“Yvonne.”
"Yes."
His voice calling my name is so sweet that it makes me dizzy.
“I like it much better.”
'Uh?'
My lips parted in a daze, speechless. Hmm? What do you like?
His eyes, which sparkled like dark river water bathed in starlight, curved gently.
“I love Yvonne. So please, just treat me like you do now.”
“...Ah, Rudd.”
“Don’t kick me out of the fishing grounds without permission.”
He smiled wistfully, gently took hold of my fingertips, and kissed the back of my hand.
“Yes, I’ll really go. I’ll take care of it quickly.”
The carriage carrying him, who waved goodbye to me as I was lost in thought, glided out of the Argenthoz townhouse.
Pour pour pour.
The rain continued to fall. Even though Rudnine had long since left, I continued to stand on the porch, dazed.
I returned to my room thanks to the trio of Carols who came to pick me up when I didn't return.
“What happened?”
To Carol's worried question, I shook my head and gave a curt answer.
"No."
It's confusing.
How…. Duke Rudnine Iels, me?
That day, that sunny day.
At that cafe, the perfect-looking guy I was meeting with miraculously said he liked me.
It felt like a mirage. It felt like a lie, like a staged play, like a dream.
...If this is a dream, I’m going crazy from the futility.
Like a child who has a large candy he wanted but has it snatched away from him, he will just collapse and start crying.
“How in the world... this could happen.”
As I was sitting alone in bed, dazed, after washing up, Pembe suddenly jumped up in front of me.
"That guy, earlier. He's unusually perceptive. Did he notice anything? What's wrong, Yvonne? Are you crying?"
“No. This is sweat.”
I wiped the sweat from my eyes, gave Pembe a cold reply, and then pulled the blanket up to my head and lay down.
My heart is pounding so hard in this complicated and unbelievable situation that I can't sleep.
It's going to be a long night.
***
That night in the palace of the deep sea.
The Third Prince gaped at the man who had confidently climbed over the palace wall in the deep sea at that time of the night when rain was falling lightly.
Third Prince Felix, who was reading a book late into the night because he couldn't sleep, initially judged him to be an assassin.
He used to live so quietly.
Is it not worth keeping alive anymore?
He quickly devised a plan to at least save his mother, the concubine Evelyn.
But his eyes and mouth opened wide as he realized who the man was approaching him.
“Ah, no. Where, where is... where, what the... How? Ah, no."
Third Prince Felix was wearing his pajamas to go straight to bed after reading, and his mouth was hanging open like a loose, drooping pajama.
Because it was so absurd.
“Nice to meet you, Your Highness.”
But the man who climbed over the fence in the rain smiled with a relaxed smile.
A breathtakingly handsome young man, his black hair soaked in rain running back in his hands.
Felix was shocked when he recognized him at a glance.
“Oh my God! Are you saying hello now?!”
“...Since Your Highness did not call, I have come here. I am sorry, Your Highness.”
Felix's breath was caught in his throat at the shameless man's response.
Somehow, he had to get this man out of the Palace of the Deep Sea as quickly as possible.
“No, that’s what I mean, I have no intention of meeting you!”
“Wow, Felix?”
At that moment, Felix's mother, the concubine Evelyn, who was a bright and alert sleeper, heard the commotion and came out of the bedroom.
“Huh? Who are you?”
“Mother! It’s nothing.”
The mother, with her eyes wide open, looked back and forth between him and the strange man.
Felix quickly led her back into her bedroom.
Felix, who had barely managed to get Evelyn, who was full of questions, back to sleep, approached the man still waiting outside, sighed, and rubbed his temples.
“So, are you Duke Rudnine Iels?”
“Yes. I, Duke of Iels, subject of the Verbent Empire, greet you, Your Royal Highness Felix Delk Verbent, Third Prince of the Golden Imperial Family.”
Rudnine knelt on one knee and bowed respectfully to the royal family.
It had been a long time since he had received such a formal greeting, and Felix felt goosebumps and fear.
It was a deserted, ambitious time. It was a palace in the deep sea, abandoned, but Felix carefully observed his surroundings.
After making sure no one was there, he raised both arms, clearly showing that his head hurt.
“What the hell are you doing! Get up, Duke!”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
Felix growled at Rudnine, who was looking at him with a grin.
"I've also returned all the medicines and supplements the Duke sent me back then. Isn't that a sufficient answer?"
“That’s what you said.”
Unlike the excited Felix, Rudnine responded calmly and turned his gaze towards the room Evelyn had entered.
And then he opened his mouth calmly.
"I didn't fully grasp what was important to Your Highness. I apologize. May I start over, one by one?"
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