Chapter 5: How to Avoid an Engagement(9)

As a result, the girl, who had ended up in a strange pose because I didn’t fall, looked at me with a flustered expression. Hmm, seems a bit pitiful.

“Oh dear, I’m falling!”

Impressed by the girl’s determination not to give up on tripping me, I pretended to stumble and fall in a manner that wouldn’t embarrass her.

“Are you okay?”

And thus, I landed perfectly in the crown prince’s arms.

Oh my, what a nice timing!

Since I had intentionally aimed to fall in this direction, I was able to safely receive the crown prince’s help. The fan club members who saw Eden’s arm around my waist sent me looks of envy and jealousy.

I brushed off the envious looks and shouted loudly at the dazed girl.

“What are you doing? To suddenly stick out your foot, that’s just too much!”

It was time to showcase the acting skills I had honed over time! I performed with all the sincerity I could muster, my eyes welling up with fake tears.

“What!”

“Are you trying to deny it now? You stuck out your foot to make me fall!”

Currently, the girl was still in the position of having stuck out her foot. It seemed she hadn’t changed her stance because she was too dazed. Heh, foolish girl. You’ve walked right into my trap!

I shouted a bit more, feigning indignation.

“I didn’t do anything… This is really too much!”

“Oh, it’s just that, I…”

The girl couldn’t bring herself to deny it outright. After all, it was true that she had tried to trip me. She must have felt guilty and couldn’t firmly deny it.

After a while of pretending to be upset and shouting, the girl hesitated and took a step back.

“Ugh, I’m sorry!”

In the end, my tactic of stubbornly insisting worked. The girl, grudgingly apologizing, ran down the hallway in tears.

“Ah? President!”

It was fascinating to see that when one girl ran out, the entire fan club followed her. It seemed she was the president of Eden’s fan club.

Oh, so I ended up taking down the president. I guess that’s quite something.

“Your skill in driving them away is impressive.”

Eden released his arm from around my waist and praised me. Wow, a compliment? It’s said that when someone does something out of character, it means they’re close to death. Could it be that His Highness…

Here.”

While I was lost in such absurd thoughts, Eden held out his palm towards me. Was he asking me to read his palm or something?

As I stared blankly at his hand for a while, Eden said in a matter-of-fact tone.

“Open your hand.”

“Huh?”

Was he trying to do a high five? Following Eden’s lead, I opened my hand, and a crisp sound echoed through the hallway as our palms met.

“Hmm, good.”

Our prince has changed.

To be so satisfied just with a simple high five. It turns out he’s not into abusing power, but rather into high fives.

Is this a good thing?

***

After the meeting in the principal’s office and helping the prince, I ended up missing all the morning classes.

It didn’t really matter since the exams were over and the classes were just doing pointless things, but I was a bit disappointed that I missed the last magic department class since I would soon be transferring to the swordsmanship department.

‘But where’s Alec?’

During lunch break, I hurried to find Alec, but he was nowhere to be seen in the dining hall. With the subtle difference in the end times of the magic and swordsmanship classes, I had to deliver the shocking news that I wouldn’t be able to have lunch with him anymore.

Our Alec… probably has to eat alone because he has no friends, how pitiful…

As I was worrying about Alec alone, I spotted a man being dragged along from a distance, exuding an aura of normalcy.

“Alec!”

I waved my arms energetically, wondering what was going on this time. As I got closer, I saw that Alec’s neck was pitifully held by Dia’s hand, and his face was full of despair.

Why are those two together? Did they become friends while I was away?

As I stared at the two of them with suspicion, Dia approached with a beautiful smile, like a blooming flower in spring.

“Radel, I’ve been looking for you for a while.”

“Um, well… why is Alec in this state?”

According to Dia, she found Alec and persistently asked him where I was. When Alec didn’t know my whereabouts, she dragged him along to look for me. At that time, a very tired-looking Alec held onto my arm tightly.

“I-I was scared, sob.”

“It’s okay, it’s okay.”

As I comforted the trembling Alec, I glanced at Dia. Dia’s eyes were sparkling… Hmm. I’m not sure what it is, but I’m really scared when Dia’s eyes shine like that. As I hesitated, Dia ran toward me.

“Radel, congratulations!”

I was about to block her with my arm, thinking she might attack, but Dia embraced me and started jumping up and down.

Hmm, is this a hug?

“Radel is the top student, and you’re transferring to the swordsmanship department?”

Well, being the top student is one thing, but how does she know about the transfer? I was very curious about Dia’s information network. Could it be that Dia recommended me? With her action-oriented and proactive nature, it’s possible.

“We’ll be able to see each other every day now!”

“But we already see each other every day.”

I had already seen her enough to be bored. I smiled faintly at the extremely excited Dia.

I didn’t expect her to be this happy. Ah, but if I transfer to the swordsmanship department, I’ll see Kyle every day too.

Wow, that’s really exciting.

As I eagerly anticipated seeing a face that is a feast for the eyes every day, Dia suddenly turned her head as if she had spotted something and began shouting loudly.

“Kailon!”

Oh, sharp eyes? Seeing Kyle walking with a perfect stride like a model, Dia waved her hand.

As I watched Dia, I crouched down to observe the exhausted Alec lying on the ground.

He’s in a terrible state; how long did she drag him around?

“Come here! Let’s have lunch together…”

“Decline.”

Before Dia could finish her sentence, Kyle began to run away. How annoying must Dia have been for him to flee like that?

“Kailon!”

Dia watched Kyle running away leisurely and then shouted loudly again.

“Radel is here too!”

Me?

As I peeked out from behind Dia, Kyle flinched and stopped running. Seeing him turn around again reminded me of a scene. A massive golden retriever running toward its owner. I felt very sorry for Kyle, but it really resembled that.

“Whew, hehe.”

Seeing Kyle running toward us, Dia gave an evil grin. I hoped she wasn’t thinking of using me to manipulate Kyle in some dangerous way.

“Kyle, it’s been a while.”

“Yeah.”

A brief response, but I was getting used to it. Well, just the fact that the cold man was responding to me was something to be grateful for!

With Kyle joining us, we headed not to the dining hall, but to the garden. When I asked Dia why the garden, she said it was a woman’s romance or something like that. Since I had no real objections, I followed Dia.

“Lunch will be tomato sandwiches, of course!”

Alec, excited, pulled out a tomato sandwich, only to have it snatched away in an instant. Dia and Kyle each took one, leaving Alec without any sandwich. Those shameless people…

I looked at the two with cold eyes and munched on Alec’s sandwich. Indeed, tomato sandwiches are delicious!

“Kyle, you’ve got crumbs on your mouth.”

Kyle, who had taken a big bite of his sandwich, had crumbs all over his mouth. It seemed Kyle was the type who needed looking after.

I naturally reached into my pocket and rummaged around. Then I took out the handkerchief I had received from Mrs. Martina.

“…Thank you.”

As I wiped his mouth for him, Kyle spoke in his usual indifferent manner. It really was genuine gratitude, wasn’t it? Meeting those red and transparent eyes made me feel at ease.

Hmm, speaking of which…

“Kyle seems really innocent.”

“What?”

The first person to react to my offhand remark was Dia. She dropped the sandwich she was eating onto the floor and looked at me with disbelief.

“You don’t know, but Kailon is actually pitch black inside!”

“He doesn’t look like that…”

His eyes are too innocent to be described as pitch black. The transparent, glass-like eyes made Kyle seem gentle and kind. Of course, his facial features are like those of a cold urban man, but his gaze makes him appear like a sweet puppy.

At first, I thought he was a scary man, but it turned out he was gentle, kind, and a bit clumsy… Anyway, those traits made me think of Kyle as innocent.

Look, even now, his tilting head looks pure and cute.

“Innocent…”

Kyle pondered over the sandwich while nodding his head. Meanwhile, Dia stared at Kyle with a cold expression.

“But this handkerchief looks really expensive?”

Perhaps having overcome the sadness of losing his sandwich, Alec spoke nonchalantly. Oh, it seems like Alec’s mental resilience is strengthening. Applause. I admired him inwardly and responded.

“Actually, it was a gift. Speaking of which, I also received an invitation, but I don’t know which family it’s from.”

“Hm, let me see.”

Dia took the handkerchief and began to examine it closely. She then casually gave me an answer.

“It’s from the Raven Duke’s family. See, there’s a wolf emblem here.”

Ah, the Raven Duke’s family… and… me?

“If that’s the case, then Kyle’s…”

So that beautiful woman is Kyle’s mother? I was so surprised that my eyes widened and I couldn’t close my mouth for a while. Is it really true?

“Who gave this to you?”

“L-Lady Martina… I mean, the Duchess.”

Now that I think about it, I probably acted very rudely toward the Duchess. But why didn’t she mention that she was the Duchess herself? Is it her hobby to hide her identity and roam the streets?

Kyle, noticing my confusion, reached out and gently turned my face to look at him.

“So, will you come?”

“…Where to?”

“To my house.”

The question left me speechless. As a mere viscount’s child, I lacked the courage to visit a duke’s household directly.

It was clear I would make mistakes due to nervousness, so it seemed better to refuse the invitation rather than risk a blunder.

In Kyle’s calm, red eyes, my conflicted expression was reflected.

Now that I think about it, he resembled the Duchess Martina in every detail, from his hair to his eyes.

‘How could I not have noticed this resemblance?’

As I bit my lips in regret over my own dullness, Kyle gently brushed the wind-tousled hair from my face and whispered softly.

“Remember what you said before?”

The atmosphere suddenly shifted.

Kyle, who had seemed like a docile puppy earlier, now appeared as a large, menacing predator.

“You said you would give me a gift.”

“Y-Yes, I did.”

Kyle lowered his long, beautiful eyelashes. Looking at his red eyes partially concealed by those lashes, I felt as if I might fall into a deep abyss.

“Instead of a gift, come to my house.”

An invitation to his home felt extremely risky and decadent.

The wolf, disguised as a puppy, was lazily enticing me to his home with a sly smile.

If I follow Kyle now, will I be devoured?

I imagined the wolf and the lamb from Aesop’s fables in my mind. A powerless lamb sitting among a family of wolves.

Hmm, thinking about it, it seems extremely dangerous.

I felt a strong sense that I should not go to the Raven Duke’s residence.

“But….”

“Are you not coming?”

“No, I will definitely go.”

Kyle, who had looked like a beast earlier, suddenly slumped his shoulders as if his menacing demeanor had been an illusion. Seeing him like that, I involuntarily slapped my own mouth.

… I was mistaken. This man is certainly not a gentle, innocent puppy.

Forget the notion of purity. He is completely dark-hearted.