Chapter 24

At her words, Eurell’s eyes wavered violently. After a moment of deliberation, he asked,

“Who…?”

“Someone you know.”

Without wasting any more time, she resumed walking.

Eurell tried to make sense of her words while keeping a certain distance behind her. Unaware that she was teasing him for his reaction, Eurell appeared to be seriously contemplating her statement.

Seeing this, a sly smile crept onto her face.

“Lady Shaterian, if I may,”

He began.

“Yes?”

“When you… seduce a man, I must still act as your escort.”

“And?”

“That would mean… your private life… How exactly do you plan to seduce him?”

So that’s what he’d been thinking about all this time. Did he seriously think I do something scandalous right in front of him?

Looking at Eurell’s deeply furrowed brows, she pondered how to tease him further.

“Don’t worry. Even if you invade my private life while escorting me, I’ll forgive you.”

“Private…”

Eurell’s face instantly turned red.

Oh? He’s embarrassed by this?

“Don’t imagine things. What are you imagining?”

“I’m not imagining anything.”

He retorted, his face scrunching up.

Though he tried to appear calm, the redness of his face and the way his pupils darted around betrayed him.

When she smirked, Eurell turned his head sharply.

“Aren’t you going to hurry?”

“Oh!”

She had completely forgotten they were walking somewhere.

Stopping her teasing, she resumed her steps.

Or at least, she tried to.

If not for Eched, who was staring at them with sharp eyes.

Eched? What’s he doing here?

As she wondered, he began walking toward them with heavy steps, his expression clearly displeased.

She looked at him with some curiosity, intrigued by the emotions so plainly displayed on his face.

“Shaterian Melis.”

This time, he addressed her by her full name, surname included. It had been a long time since she’d heard it spoken.

“What is it?”

She looked at him with a face that said she had no idea why he seemed so upset.

“Who are you planning to seduce?”

This sharp-eared fellow must have overheard their conversation.

Shrugging, she replied nonchalantly,

“You.”

“…What?”

“I was on my way to seduce you.”

Eched looked at her as if he couldn’t believe what he’d just heard.

It made sense that he wouldn’t believe it. If anything, she’d be more likely to prank him than seduce him.

“But I mean it.”

“…Is that so?”

His frown slowly faded, and his expression returned to its usual impassiveness.

What was his problem?

‘Did he think I was going to seduce someone else?’

Why did Eched care? Was it because we had kissed?

A dangerous thought crossed her mind.

‘No way, no way.’

He had once mistaken her for “her reincarnation.”

Could it be…? Was he now under the delusion that he liked me?

Misunderstanding my intentions?

Instinctively, she took a step back.

“What’s wrong?”

He asked, closing the distance she had just created, as if reading her mind.

“Don’t come closer.”

She warned again.

“Why not?”

“I said, don’t come any closer!”

“What are you two doing?”

Unable to bear watching any longer, Eurell intervened.

She edged closer to Eurell, as if his side was a safe haven.

Eched’s eyebrows twitched slightly, though it was barely noticeable.

‘Was there ever a hint of obsession or delusion in his character?’

Absolutely not.

If anything, he had always been calm and composed, which was why readers’ affection had shifted entirely to Orgon.

If he had been the obsessive type, readers wouldn’t have reacted that way.

‘So this behavior is just for me?’

If this was another deviation from the original story…

Then she had dug her own grave. And she had done so thoroughly, with no chance of escape.

As the person responsible for setting this chain of events in motion, she felt like crying.

At that moment.

“Eurell? Eruelle!”

A child’s voice suddenly rang out from somewhere. A lively little girl came running toward Eurell, calling his name repeatedly.

The child had the same blonde hair and golden eyes as Eurell.

Her round hat fluttered as she ran and clung to Eurell’s leg.

“Eruelle!”

“Lucy? What are you doing here…? Don’t run like that; you might fall.”

“Hehe, Eruelle!”

Each time she spoke, the pronunciation of his name changed slightly.

It seemed Eurell’s name was too difficult for the child to say. The sight made her smile faintly.

Eurell picked up the smiling child and adjusted her crooked hat.

The little girl wrapped her short, chubby arms around Eurell’s neck, and he seemed entirely accustomed to indulging her affection.

“Ah, this is my niece, Lucy.”

“Hello, Lucy.”

She greeted the child warmly, lowering herself to the child’s eye level.

Lucy’s wary eyes wavered slightly before she glanced at Eurell.

“Say hello, Lucy.”

Eurell gently tucked a stray strand of hair behind the child’s ear.

“Hello, I’m Lucy.”

The child said with her small mouth, her plump cheeks moving adorably. They looked so soft and white that she felt tempted to pinch them.

“Nice to meet you.”

Instead of her cheeks, she pressed her index finger to the small hand Lucy extended toward her. The child grabbed it tightly and burst into giggles.

‘So cute.’

Eurell tried to get Lucy to greet Eched as well, but the child glanced nervously at him before quickly turning her head away.

“Rejected by a child, huh?”

She teased, but Eched didn’t seem to care. Eurell, however, looked apologetic.

“Why are you here? Where’s your father?”

“Daddy’s over there, talking!”

Lucy pointed toward a bush. Eurell glanced in that direction, momentarily lost in thought.

“Lady Shaterian, may I take Lucy back to her father? It seems she wandered off while he was talking.”

“Of course. Eched and I will head back to the office. Take your time. Understood?”

Eched nodded, indicating he had no objections.

“Pretty lady! Bye!”

“Bye, come again!”

Lucy waved only to her as she walked away.

“Even a good-looking face is useless. I guess I have a face kids like.”

Feeling smug, she chuckled to herself.

“Am I good-looking?”

Eched asked out of nowhere.

She nodded without hesitation.

“Yes, you are.”

“To the point that I’m your type?”

She nodded again absentmindedly, then froze.

He was her type, but… she hadn’t meant to admit that.

“This face has its uses, then.”

Though she hesitated, Eched already looked satisfied with her answer.

“Are there any other parts of me you like besides my face?”

Suddenly brimming with confidence, Eched asked the question.

She felt it was her duty to shatter that confidence.

“Don’t get the wrong idea. I said I like people who look like you, not you specifically.”

“But I’m this good-looking. Can’t I be your type?”

Ha! What nonsense.

“Do you ever look in the mirror and think, ‘Wow, I’m handsome’?”

“No.”

Exactly as she thought. He didn’t care about his appearance at all.

“I like people who look in the mirror every day and say, ‘Wow, I’m handsome,’ or, ‘I look amazing today.’”

‘Let’s see him try to argue with that.’

As expected, Eched couldn’t respond. He stared at her for a long moment before muttering, as if he truly couldn’t understand.

“You have peculiar tastes.”

“Yep. Very.”

If she ever met someone that narcissistic, she’d probably punch him.

‘Then again, I’m kind of narcissistic too.’

During her reclusive years, she’d spent the first three months just admiring her reflection. Even now, she sometimes praised herself in the mirror after a bath.

“Oh! I almost forgot. I was on my way to talk to you.”

She finally remembered why she had been looking for him.

“Alright, tell me. Why were you trying to seduce me?”

Was trying to tease Eurelle another way of digging my own grave?

She glared at him, swallowing her words. That wasn’t the important part.

“The Emperor says we should get married.”

“Hmm… is that so?”

“Yeah. But marriage isn’t something you can just do because one side wants to, right? I don’t think I can refuse the Emperor, so you’ll have to say no.”

“Hmm, I see.”

Eched fell silent, his face thoughtful.

“Why not just get married?”

“No way. Why would I marry you?”

“I don’t mind.”

“Well, I do.”

Their gazes met in silence. Finally, Eched nodded.

“Then I’ll respect your wishes.”

She had expected him to be stubborn, but he backed down surprisingly easily.

Suspicious, she eyed him.

Was this some kind of trick?

“Really?”