“No! A date? Not at all! Not at all, Your Highness!”

As Leon smiled and began to withdraw, Bella, afraid of being dragged back into the balcony, desperately continued the conversation.

“What should I do about your clothes? I…”

“Clothes can be changed, you know.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Enough. If you apologize one more time, it’ll make a hundred.”

Bella quickly took out her handkerchief and carefully wiped Leon’s chest. Though it was not a problem that could be solved with a mere handkerchief, Bella was desperate to avoid being left alone with Everitt at all costs.

‘Even if he thinks I’m strange, it’s better to cling to a normal male lead.’

Seeing Bella clinging to Leon, Everitt made no attempt to hide his displeasure as he spoke.

“Miss Carta. Don’t we have important matters to discuss? I still haven’t heard your answer to my question.”

Bella turned pale, afraid this lunatic might repeat his question about f*cking in front of Leon. She turned to Everitt and opened her mouth.

“That completely unimportant question, I have no desire to answer it! And I have nothing more to say to Your Grace. As Her Highness’s faithful lady-in-waiting, I’ve even been mistaken by another noble gentleman as dating one of the Princess’s potential fiancés, so I would appreciate if you could understand my wish to withdraw from here!”

After rapidly spilling out these words, Bella didn’t wait for Everitt’s response and immediately turned to Leon.

“Let’s go, Your Highness. A handkerchief won’t be enough, so I’ll help you change. Or at least with the laundry… I can’t bear how sorry I feel leaving things like this. Please let me do something to make it up to you.”

“Bella Carta. Do you plan to run away like this? How will you deal with the consequences?”

With Leon as her reliable support, Bella inwardly scoffed.

‘What’s he saying, spouting lines like a third-rate villain.’

Right on cue, Leon lightly placed his hand on Bella’s shoulder and intervened.

“Grand Duke Myers, the lady says the conversation is over. I don’t know what happened, but it would be proper to let her go from here.”

“That’s right. Then excuse me.”

Bella quickly grabbed the hem of her skirt, bowed to Everitt, and then deliberately took Leon’s arm. Leon acknowledged Everitt with a slight nod and turned away.

Everitt leaned against the balcony door with a cold smile, watching as Leon and Bella disappeared into the crowd.

As they walked together, Leon tilted his head slightly and asked.

“Seems like it was an awkward situation?”

“…Yes. I ended up using Your Highness unintentionally. I’m sor—”

“‘I’m sorry’ is forbidden.”

Leon smiled charmingly, truly like a prince from a fairy tale.

“It’s fine. I’m actually glad if ruining my clothes was of help to you.”

When Bella looked at his soaked shirt with an apologetic expression, Leon spoke.

“Don’t make that face. You said you’d do anything, so I’d like you to help me with something else. I also have something I want to tell you. Would you mind stopping by my room for a moment?”

“What?”

Bella’s expression stiffened.

“Even so, it’s late, and visiting your room is a bit…”

As Bella hesitated cautiously, Leon laughed out loud.

“Haha, you offered to help me change, so were you planning to have me change clothes in the hallway?”

“Ah, no, of course not.”

Bella, who had blurted out those words just to escape the immediate situation without thinking that far ahead, waved her hands in slight confusion.

“Don’t worry. I won’t ask you to dress me. And we’re here already. That’s my room right there.”

Leon’s room was close to the ballroom, so they arrived after just a brief exchange.

A servant waiting in front of the door opened it upon seeing Leon, and Leon gestured politely toward the inside with his hand extended to Bella, as if saying “Ladies first.”

After a moment’s hesitation, Bella finally stepped into Leon’s room.

Just inside the door was a drawing room with several more rooms beyond it. Leon approached one of them and opened the door.

As the door opened, lights came on brightly inside. Through the open door, a soft carpet on the floor and an armchair were the first things visible. It was quite a large room, not much different from the drawing room at first glance. Clothes were neatly hung on the opposite wall.

“This is the dressing room. I’d appreciate if you could pick out a shirt and jacket for me to change into, Miss Carta. I’ll leave the door open.”

So his request was simply to choose clothes for him to wear?

While she trusted Leon, a corner of her mind had been creeping with worry about being dragged into a bedroom without warning. But his request remained within reasonable bounds, and his attitude was gentlemanly.

Had Leon ever given her an inappropriate look? He had never acted strangely or said anything unpleasant. He was kind, appropriately respectful, and moderately friendly. Exactly like Leon Herbert from the early stages of the game.

“Yes, I’ll do that.”

Upon entering the dressing room, the first thing that caught her eye was a large full-length mirror. It wasn’t visible from outside the door, but it was positioned at an angle where someone sitting in the armchair would have a direct view.

‘I wonder if Leon looks at himself in that mirror while changing clothes, just like Natalie. Or maybe has someone else try on clothes for him occasionally.’

Considering he asked her to choose his clothes, perhaps he usually has others select them for him. A young prince who wears clothes chosen by others—it was a bit cute.

In the game, she had plenty of opportunities to choose the female protagonist’s clothes but never the male lead’s, so this piqued her interest.

“What color do you like?”

“Blue and pink.”

“Haha, pink might be a bit much for a gentleman, so I’ll focus on blue options.”

Look at him immediately saying pink. Pink makes you think of Natalie, and Natalie makes you think of pink. My goodness, you really like Her Highness that much.

Bella forced herself not to smile too broadly as she selected two or three outfits that would suit Leon.

“Do you like any of these?”

“They all look good. Thank you. Could you put them here?”

“Yes. Then I’ll step outside while you change.”

As Bella set down the clothes and turned to leave, Leon quickly blocked her path.

“No, there’s still something I’d like Miss Carta to do for me.”

“…Pardon? W-what is it?”

The smile instantly vanished from Bella’s face. As she hesitantly took a step back, Leon took two steps closer and pointed to his chest, soaked with cognac.

“Now you must take responsibility for what you’ve done. You spilled it, so lick it.”

“…What?”

Bella couldn’t comprehend what she’d just heard and looked up at Leon with a confused expression. He was smiling gently.

“Lick it. Until the stain is gone.”

The next moment, Leon grabbed Bella’s hair and pressed her face against his chest, pushing firmly.

“Ugh.”

Her nose and lips were pressed against the fabric. A strong alcohol scent rose sharply. The shirt was completely soaked with cognac, as if the spilled glass had been full, and it clung to Leon’s skin. Through the wet shirt, his warm body temperature felt raw against her face.

Her throat burned.

Leon. Even Leon.

With her face pressed against his chest, Bella asked in a trembling voice.

“Your Highness? You’re joking, right?”

“Miss Carta, I like to be clear about debts. Who just saved you from the Grand Duke? Instead of repaying the favor, you’ve dirtied my clothes.”

“B-but, I bumped into Your Highness by accident…”