At the young duke of Posilia’s sudden confession, I took a step back and even staggered as my feet got tangled.
I knew that Delian had feelings for me.
And I also knew that he wouldn’t become Leila’s lover like in my previous life.
But I didn’t expect him to confess to me so directly like this.
Especially when such dirty rumors about him two-timing women were circulating.
Seeing my expression, Delian gave a bitter smile as if he knew exactly what I was thinking.
“I’m not asking you to be with me right now. I just thought that to somehow quell these rumors, I needed to convey my feelings to you.”
Hearing that, I tilted my head and looked at the young duke.
Conveying feelings to quell rumors……?
“I want to make the rumors true.”
I momentarily frowned at the young duke’s words.
“Of course, not all of it true. Just part of it, and with slight modifications to the content.”
The young duke then began to carefully explain the plans he had been thinking of until now.
His plan was, honestly, quite plausible.
The young duke proposed to reverse the content of ‘I seduced the young duke of Posilia.’
He suggested spreading rumors that he had feelings for me and approached me first, making people think the previous rumors were just Leila’s misunderstanding.
“The reason I confessed my feelings is that I didn’t want you to think my feelings for you were insincere. If you keep pushing me away, I can just say that you rejected me and put an end to the rumors.”
It wasn’t a bad proposal.
It wouldn’t hurt my pride either.
But something felt off.
The very fact of using someone’s genuine feelings to spread rumors wasn’t very appealing.
……I don’t have feelings for the young duke of Posilia.
If rumors spread throughout the academy that I rejected him after he confessed his feelings for me, it would only end up hurting Delian’s pride.
Reminded of my past self who always treated others sincerely, I couldn’t accept his proposal.
After listening to him and contemplating for a while, I eventually shook my head.
“Why……”
The young duke looked at me with a frustrated expression, as if he couldn’t understand me.
“It’s a really good proposal. But I want to refuse for reasons similar to yours.”
At my words, he looked at me as if he couldn’t comprehend.
“I don’t want to use the feelings of a young duke who likes me.”
Hearing that, the young duke let out a deep sigh.
“You wouldn’t be using me, it’s just that I……”
“No, in the end, no matter what happens, it’s your face that gets tarnished. I don’t want that situation. I’ll resolve my own issues.”
At my firm voice, Delian fidgeted anxiously for a while before sighing again.
Unlike before, it was a sigh filled with resignation.
“And, I’m sorry.”
I bowed to Delian.
He hurriedly raised me up.
“I would prefer if you weren’t involved with me anymore. I don’t want to cause you any more trouble.”
The young duke frowned at my words.
Then, step by step, he slowly approached me.
“I’m sorry, but that won’t do.”
At those words, I raised my head to look up at the young duke.
His face, which somehow resembled Grace’s yet was overflowing with masculinity, was looking down at me.
“I understand that you’re rejecting me. But whether to be involved with someone or not, whether to like someone or not, that’s for me to decide.”
He looked down at me with a strange expression for a while, then, more flustered than I was, he quickly left the place while apologizing.
I just stood there watching the young duke’s retreating back for a long time.
Just as I was about to move and return to the classroom, I heard a rustling sound from behind.
……Could it be that someone eavesdropped on our conversation earlier?
I tried to calm my pounding heart as I slowly turned around.
“You are……”
I couldn’t help but be surprised the moment I faced the figure who had made their presence known behind me.
Detrian Crescent.
The crown prince was looking at me.
“How is Your Highness the Crown Prince……”
* * *
The crown prince’s day was extremely busy.
He would wake up at dawn to train his body and acquire the necessary skills to succeed the throne.
Attending meetings with nobles who hold important positions in the imperial palace and the emperor was also part of his routine.
However, what made the crown prince even busier was a tradition passed down through generations in the Gellions Empire, known only to the emperor and the crown prince.
Upon being appointed as crown prince, he would live like a thief to collect information needed by the imperial family until he became emperor.
During the day, he would wear clothes similar to ordinary people, pull his hat down low, and wander around the marketplace to directly observe the empire’s economic situation with his own eyes. At night, he would pull a cloak over himself and move around collecting information.
This fact was a tradition known only to the emperor, the crown prince, and the commander of the imperial knights who oversees all knights in the imperial palace, and should not be leaked to anyone.
In truth, this tradition couldn’t help but be considered quite malicious.
If the emperor or the knight commander were caught, it would diminish the dignity of the imperial family, but the crown prince’s actions could be dismissed as a temporary deviation due to youthful impulse, which is why this tradition was created.
So today, the crown prince once again left the imperial palace after changing his clothes, having been tasked with a job by the emperor.
Following orders to tail someone, he was diligently pursuing the person when he saw them disappear into an academy called Gelly the On.
However, since Gelly the On didn’t allow outsiders to enter freely without an entry pass, the crown prince was in a predicament when he caught sight of Rowenloa being dragged away somewhere with her wrist held by the young duke of Posilia.
In fact, these days, the crown prince’s mind was filled with thoughts of Rowenloa Masipacius.
A feeling he had never experienced before.
At first, it was just curiosity.
In a way, it was quite obvious.
‘You’re the first woman who has treated me like this!’
This was the very first emotion that Crown Prince Detrian Crescent felt toward Rowenloa Masipacius.
But that emotion gradually transformed into curiosity.
The young lady from a noble family who he thought had just luckily acquired spirit power seemed to have some kind of story, and she didn’t hesitate to put herself on the line to protect something.
Perhaps the crown prince, who didn’t have many opportunities to talk comfortably with others, was attracted to Rowenloa for this reason.
Eventually, he invited Rowenloa to his castle.
This time too, it was just out of curiosity.
The curiosity of wondering how she would look when facing him without a cloak.
And her face, seen without the cloak, was beautiful.
She, shining under the sunlight rather than the moonlight, was truly beautiful.
He spent a long time watching her read a book in the warm sunlight coming through the window, and approached her as if entranced.
Although…… he did get hit on the head with a book.
Since that day, a slight tickling sensation of an unknown emotion had settled in the crown prince’s heart.
Even in the most crowded places, the crown prince could spot her instantly.
When he found her chatting with another man, he felt somehow frustrated and angry.
Detrian simply defined that emotion as childish jealousy, like a child whose friend had been taken away.
But Detrian’s feelings as he watched Rowenloa being led somewhere by another man’s hand were definitely not a child’s jealousy.
That jealousy was far too sticky and deep to be called childish.
To feel his heart stirred by a woman he had barely met a few times.
Detrian tried hard to focus on the task he had been assigned.
But his legs, contrary to his will, were following them.
From what he overheard, it seemed Rowenloa was in quite a difficult situation at the academy, and Delian Posilia standing in front of her appeared to be trying to help her.
Holding the position of crown prince yet unable to help even her who was suffering from rumors at the academy.
The crown prince felt an inexplicable anger toward himself.
But suddenly, he saw the young duke confessing his feelings to Rowenloa, telling her that he liked her.
He watched the situation with blazing eyes.
Please, reject him.
Reject him.
As if his inner thoughts had reached Rowenloa, she bowed her head to the young duke of Posilia, saying she was sorry.
After the young duke of Posilia left, the crown prince let out a light sigh of relief.
But then he saw Rowenloa, who had heard it, straighten her body awkwardly and slowly turn toward him.
Detrian thought in his mind that he should run away.
But the moment their eyes met, he couldn’t move his body.
Today again, she was beautiful.
More than anything else in this world.
In an instant, a plan formed in the crown prince’s mind.
A position where, as crown prince, he could elevate Rowenloa the most.
A position where his status as crown prince could make Rowenloa shine the brightest.
It was her upcoming debutante ball.
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Meldean_1
What did I tell yall he fell for her like “Anne with an e” go check it out its a great old time-ish drama its great whatever version is okay as well🙂↕️