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Grace seemed to have no particular thoughts about it at the moment.

Anyway, in the original story, the Crown Prince was the first to fall, so their romantic storyline was flowing smoothly without any issues for now.

“Where are you going, Princess?”

“Oh, I’m on my way to return the book that His Highness the Crown Prince lent me last time.”

“A book?”

“The Dynamics and Considerations on the Trends and History of the Continent.”

The book that Grace pulled out did not look like it would be interesting at all.

It seemed like it would take quite some time just to understand the title.

“Do you actually find this interesting?”

“Yes, it was quite enjoyable.”

To me, both Grace, who found it enjoyable to read, and the Crown Prince, who recommended it, didn’t seem quite normal. They were a perfect match.

“I’d like to ask His Highness to recommend more books.”

If I were Grace, I wouldn’t say that again.

“I’m sure he’d be delighted to recommend more.”

Cameron would pretend to fetch the stars if she asked.

“That would be wonderful.”

Grace smiled shyly. Such a modest sister.

“So, you’re going to the Crown Prince’s palace now?”

“Yes. But I’m worried it might be an inconvenience since he might be busy with work.”

There’s no way Grace visiting him would be seen as an inconvenience.

Wait a minute. Cameron is working? Does that mean Roan is there too?

I have to go.

Or, what if he doesn’t like it if she visits while he’s busy? What if he finds it annoying?

I wasn’t Grace, and Roan wasn’t Cameron. The scenario I just imagined seemed quite likely.

Hmm. In that case, I should use the ‘main character’s friend’ card.

I’m just following the main character, and by sheer coincidence, Roan is there too?!

That’s why it’s good to be friends with the main character. Just by being nearby, you get to see the main and supporting male leads who are hard to meet.

“I’ll go with you.”

“Pardon? You too, Duchess?”

“Yes!”

“Alright. But why do you want to come along?”

To see Roan.

“Well, it’s been a while since I’ve toured the palace. I’m also curious about the Crown Prince’s palace.”

I vaguely explained my plan to create a situation where I would coincidentally meet Roan.

For a moment, Grace’s expression changed slightly upon hearing my words.

But it was such a fleeting moment that I almost forgot about it.

Soon enough, she returned to her usual gentle expression.

Did I see it wrong?

***

The distance between the Princess’s palace and the Crown Prince’s palace wasn’t far, considering the vastness of the royal grounds.

Grace and I arrived there soon.

“The Princess?”

“Yes. She says she’s here to return a book.”

“Ah, I see.”

A slight smile played on the Crown Prince’s face. Roan watched Cameron’s gradually brightening demeanor with an indifferent expression beside him.

“Let her in.”

“Ah, there is one more person with her.”

“Who might that be?”

The Crown Prince asked with a puzzled expression.

“Well,” the attendant, conscious of Roan, paused for a moment before speaking, “it is the Duchess of Bannister.”

Roan’s expression, which had seemed unbreakably indifferent, changed instantly the moment the Duchess was mentioned. Cameron glanced at Roan briefly.

“The Duchess? What brings her here?”

“She says she followed the Princess.”

“Followed her?”

Were they close?

“Let them both in.”

Roan’s gaze was fixed on the door, as if he was watching for someone to enter.

“We greet the little sun of the Empire.”

“We greet His Highness the Crown Prince.”

The two women bowed to the Crown Prince seated in the center of the room. Their gazes soon turned to someone standing beside the Crown Prince.

“Oh my, I didn’t expect Roan to be here. What a coincidence! Haha.”

**

I hoped my poor acting would sound natural to him.

“I greet the Duke of Bannister.”

Grace smiled as she calmly greeted the Duke.

“…….”

However, the Duke was still staring at someone with an awkward gaze. Then he responded, a beat slower.

“…Yes.”

It was an answer directed at no one in particular.

“Your Highness, I enjoyed the book very much.”

Grace said something to the Crown Prince that was hard to believe. That book really didn’t seem interesting at all.

“I’m glad you enjoyed it, Grace. By the way, you said I could call you by your name.”

Oh, he’s already calling her by name? Very nice, hehe.

“It’s fine. How could I dare?”

Grace played hard to get.

“What’s the big deal about calling someone by their name?”

The Crown Prince looked slightly sulky.

Watching the newly blossoming romance between them made me feel… a bit envious, honestly.

I want to try that too! I want to flirt with Roan too!

Just as I was lost in thought,

“…Duchess?”

Huh? Suddenly, I heard the Crown Prince’s voice.

“Yes?”

“What brings you here, Duchess?”

He spoke to me in his usual dignified tone.

Hearing him speak to Grace and then to me, the difference in tone was stark.

“Well.”

Actually, I came to see Roan.

“I wanted to stay a bit longer and tour the palace since it’s been a while, and the Princess said she was going to the Crown Prince’s palace.”

Because Roan was here I gave him a vague answer just like I had told the Princess.

“I see. Since when have you two been close?”

“Since today.”

The Crown Prince gave a slight chuckle as if he couldn’t believe my words.

“We had a tea party together today,” Grace explained.

“I see.”

The Crown Prince quickly accepted Grace’s words.

“Duchess.”

Roan, who had been emitting a cold aura, suddenly called out to me. Did he catch on to my acting?

“You didn’t get to tour the palace enough last time you visited?”

Roan seemed really annoyed. Of course, to others, the change might have been barely noticeable, but I could tell.

He probably saw through my act.

At that moment, Grace spoke to Roan.

“It seemed like the Duchess really wanted to tour the palace.”

“That’s right!”

Exactly. As expected of the main character.

“When I said I was going to the Crown Prince’s palace, she even said she wanted to tour around the palace and came along.”

…Huh? Something about that nuance.

That’s definitely what I said, but…

Grace’s words made it sound like I specifically wanted to visit the Crown Prince’s palace.

I couldn’t say anything as her face was filled with a sense of duty to help me.

Hearing Grace’s words, Roan’s face now looked like a statue carved from ice.

Wait, does he think I came to see the Crown Prince?

“Roan,”

Calm down for a moment.

“Did you really want to tour the palace that badly? Or is it for ‘another reason’?”

That’s it. He’s mad because he thinks I came to see the Crown Prince.

“Your Grace, please don’t. The Duchess surely didn’t mean to deceive anyone,” Grace said, trying to defend me. Unfortunately, her words seemed to confirm Roan’s suspicion that I had lied about my intentions to visit the Crown Prince.

“Hold on a second.”

I needed to redirect the conversation.

“I wanted to tour the ‘palace,’ not specifically the ‘Crown Prince’s palace.'”

“Did you suddenly want to tour the palace today?”

His cold eyes seemed to say that I’d never expressed such an interest before. I was at my wit’s end. If I confessed that I came to see Roan, I would be admitting to lying about wanting to tour the palace. If I let it go, I’d be lying about not being interested in the Crown Prince.

I should have just said I came to see Roan. Making up an excuse to avoid Roan’s disapproval only made things worse.

Fine, if I’m going to be a liar anyway.

“…No, that’s not it.”

The atmosphere in the room tightened as I spoke.

“That was an excuse.”

If I’m going to be embarrassed either way, I might as well tell the truth. Just as I was about to continue, Cameron interrupted urgently.

“Duchess, wait.”

His tone was desperate, as if he couldn’t bear what I was about to say.

“You are married. Marriage is a sacred bond that should not be tarnished with careless words.”

So, this is the Crown Prince’s view on marriage. Very fitting for the male lead, I thought absently.

“Yes, I am married.”

“Exactly, so…”

‘Stop right there!’ Cameron wanted to say. He had a foreboding feeling that if the Duchess said what he feared, it would create a rift with his friend, who was standing next to him exuding coldness.

Had she lost interest in him for a while but couldn’t hold back anymore?

The Crown Prince, who had never been rejected by a woman, was digging himself into a deeper misunderstanding. But the words that came out of her mouth shattered everyone’s assumptions in the room.

“So, I came because I missed my husband.”

“Huh?”

Cameron made a stunned noise.

“I’m sorry. I was embarrassed, so I used the palace tour as an excuse.”

“…….”

An awkward atmosphere filled the room. Roan remained completely still, as if he had turned to stone.