My ultimate bias, Edgar de Bellic, had golden hair that seemed to carry the scent of warm sunlight when you buried your nose in it. He had a tall nose, prominent cheeks, and cute freckles. He was an adorable man.
 
But the man in front of me right now…
 
He has the blue eyes and blonde hair, but there’s something off about his image. He was much more refined and exuded a mature aura that couldn’t be associated with youthful charm. Moreover, he had a strangely languid and sensual atmosphere.
 
If the original description wasn’t wrong, this person is not Edgar. In this novel, there was only one man I knew who had blonde hair and emitted such an intriguing vibe.
 
‘Crown Prince Jarvis de Bellic.’
 
The most famous playboy in the empire and a supporting character in the original work. He later meets the heroine and falls in love, only to deeply regret his past actions. 
 
No, where did my adorable ultimate bias go, and why is this man here?
 
I was taken aback by this unexpected encounter with a supporting character. Crown Prince Jarvis glanced at me with his characteristic languid gaze.
 
“I’m sure I’ve seen your face before…”
 
As if rummaging through his memories, Jarvis slightly furrowed his brows and then exclaimed, 
 
“Ah! You’re the little deer that jumped into my arms at the square the other day!”
 
“No, that’s not me.”
 
I quickly dismissed his absurd claim.
 
“Then, were you the squirrel that clung to the hem of my cloak and shed tears yesterday?”
 
“No.”
 
“The white rabbit that was crying on my bed ten days ago?”
 
“Absolutely not.”
 
What kind of Pokémon are you collecting?
 
Crown Prince Jarvis, who was struggling with a furrowed brow after getting it wrong repeatedly, called out names such as a sparrow, a hedgehog, a cat, and so on. I don’t know why he remembers all the women he’s been with as animals, but one thing was certain.
 
‘He’s not normal either.’
 
I knew from the novel, but it was even more serious seeing it in front of me. I inwardly sighed as I watched Crown Prince Jarvis holding a book called ⟨500 Shades of Viscount Jeveneau⟩.
 
The male lead is a crazy obsessive man. The supporting male lead is a lascivious man who is out of his mind. There are only these two options… Could it be that the author hates Adelia? If not, they can’t be so cruel as to make such a harsh choice.
 
I bowed my head with a highly rational suspicion. Even though he was the crown prince, I couldn’t just say hello and run away.
 
“It’s an honor to meet you, Your Highness. I’m Duchess Wheaton.”
 
“Duchess Wheaton?”
 
Prince Jarvis looked me up and down and cocked his head.
 
“Is that what you look like? Something feels different….”
 
As expected of someone who meets anyone and everyone regardless of gender. There’s nothing to gain by staying here any longer, so I’d better leave quickly!
 
“I’m sorry to disturb you while you’re reading. I’ll leave now, so I hope you have a pleasant time.”
 
“No need for that.”
 
Jarvis grinned, showing his even teeth.
 
“Since we’ve met like this, how about we sit down and have a chat?”
 
“No, thank you.”
 
It was an insincere offer. I didn’t want to get involved with the royal family any further, and someone might misunderstand and cause unnecessary trouble. The words of refusal that never came out in front of Leticia came out all at once.
 
“I was just about to head back to the Duke’s residence as it’s getting quite late. If the opportunity arises, I hope to see you next time.”
 
I politely finished the conversation, bowed again, and turned to leave. But maybe because I was in a hurry, my foot caught on the protruding roots of a ring-shaped tree and I stumbled forward. My body lurched forward in an instant.
 
‘Damn it!’
 
I reflexively closed my eyes and waited for the pain that was about to come. But my body, which should have fallen to the ground, was completely fine.
 
“Are you okay?”
 
I opened my eyes at the voice in my ear and looked down at Crown Prince Jarvis’ hand holding onto my waist.
 
“I’m sorry.”
 
I struggled to get out of his firm embrace.
 
“Wait, you’re going to fall again.”
 
Unable to find my balance, I stumbled as I tried to pull away from him. Then, his large hand grabbed onto my elbow.
 
“Be careful.”
 
‘Huh?’
 
I was wearing gloves that only went up to my elbows, and Crown Prince Jarvis had taken off his gloves, probably because he was reading a book alone, so I could feel his skin against mine.
 
And then.
 
‘What is this?’
 
An inexplicable energy slowly seeped through my skin, and I soon felt it spreading throughout my body, a sensation I had never experienced before in my life.
 
For a moment, I stood there frozen by this sensation, then I realized that the strange energy I couldn’t describe in words was the neutralization of the curse I had read about in the book.
 
My arms and legs, which had felt heavy before, now felt lighter. But…
 
‘What is this, like iced americano with all the ice melted?’
 
Why does everything feel so stuffy and heavy?
 
Although it felt like my entire body was being filled with energy, it was more like my HP was slowly increasing by one point at a time, like water droplets falling from a frozen water bottle.
 
I had expected some kind of special reaction when our skin touched, but it wasn’t as intense as I thought it would be.
 
‘So this is why it takes six months for the curse to be lifted.’
 
As soon as Crown Prince Jarvis’ hand, which had been holding onto my elbow, let go, the energy that had been spreading throughout my body disappeared in an instant. I snapped back to reality after being lost in thought.
 
“Edgar always sits under this tree and reads books whenever he gets a chance. I wondered what was so interesting about it, so I tried it myself. I never expected to have a canary land on my finger like this.”
 
“What? A canary…?”
 
I was inwardly startled as I looked at Crown Prince Jarvis’ face staring down at me with a playful smile. He looked so cold, but his words were unexpectedly warm.
 
Objectively speaking, Crown Prince Jarvis’ face was quite impressive. From his manly eyelids and sharply angled jawline to his high nose and lips that looked like they were drawn on. It was a handsome appearance that anyone would turn to look at, but he gave off a cold impression that made it hard to say anything.
 
Unless he opened his mouth.
 
“Thank you for your help.”
 
I quickly stepped back from him, swallowing my resentment at why he had decided to follow Edgar’s habit today.
 
“When a lady is in distress, it is a gentleman’s duty to help her, so there’s no need for thanks. Instead, how about we have a cup of tea together next time?”
 
Jarvis lowered his head slightly and met my gaze. His shining blue eyes and reddening blonde hair in the sunset were beautiful, and his gentle smile that revealed his even teeth was like a prince from a fairy tale. But I just felt sorry for him. Who? Adelia.
 
“If there’s a chance next time, I’ll come visit with my husband. Well then, I’ll take my leave now.”
 
I quickly bowed my head and turned my back after cutting off any further possibility. Jarvis meets with women regardless of their marital status, but his motto is not to stop women from going or let them go. He probably won’t make any more moves.
 
Feeling suddenly exhausted from the unexpected encounter, I hurriedly left the garden without properly hearing Jarvis’ faint voice from behind.
 
“…Interesting.”

* * *

“You’ve arrived.”
 
Milto, who was sitting by the window at Rocco Bakery, stood up abruptly as I entered. Then, Remida, who was sitting across from him drinking milk, also tried to get up. I raised my hand and gestured for her to stay seated before approaching the table.
 
“Did you wait long?”
 
“No, I didn’t wait long.”
 
I looked down at the table. I had been worried about what to choose, but it seemed that Milto had already picked out several different desserts for us. When I sent him a pleased look, his cheeks turned red.
 
“Did the mutroi grass sell well?”
 
When I asked while sitting across from him, Remida’s face came to mind.
 
“Yes! The knight bargained for me, and I got a much better price than I thought.”
 
She sounded excited. When I looked at Milto, he was smiling proudly.
 
At that moment, the waiter came over and placed a teacup in front of me. When I turned my head, it was the same waiter who was there during the commotion a few days ago. I had purposely stopped by because I was worried that he might have been fired because of that incident, but fortunately he was still working.
 
The waiter seemed to recognize me and poured tea into my cup before bowing his head in greeting.
 
“I was really grateful then, Duchess Wheaton.”
 
Sincerity was written all over the waiter’s face. I had heard from the ladies earlier that my reputation among the common people had improved after that incident. Although it wasn’t something I had done intentionally, like they said, it wasn’t a bad thing to gain people’s favor.
 
“It’s nothing special, but I’ll treat you as a token of my gratitude.”
 
“Oh my, thank you. I’ll drink it well.”
 
I discreetly lifted my teacup, pretending not to notice the gaze of the people around me. 
 
“It’s delicious.” 
 
I said with a gracious smile, prompting the waiter’s cheeks to flush. The onlookers let out a surprised sigh. They must have already been familiar with Roeni’s wickedness, so even if they had heard rumors about the previous incident, they wouldn’t easily believe it.
 
“What happened?” 
 
Milto asked as the clerk bowed politely and walked away. Lily, who had been looking curiously at him since earlier, spoke up as if she had been dying to tell him.
 
“You know, a few days ago, Madam…”
 
As Lily’s words became more intriguing, Milto and Remida’s expressions changed rapidly. Watching their expressive faces, I tilted my teacup. The tea was exceptionally sweet, as if it contained someone’s kindness and heart.