THJHWTDM-CHAPTER 26

Chapter 26

One person stumbled, and the young ladies nearby got caught up as well, all of them toppling over together in a clumsy heap.

“Hey! That hurts!”
“What’s this because of you?”
“Why are you doing this to me? Hee… it hurts…!”

Their irritated voices carried all the way up to the second floor.

‘Serves them right!’

Hehe, a victorious smile spread across Rubiana’s lips.

Finally, peace had arrived.

Rubiana looked up at Elion and smiled brightly.

“Thank you, Your Highness.”

“For what?”

“Thanks to you, I was able to properly teach those young ladies a lesson and get rid of them.”

Elion’s face twisted in confusion.

“I didn’t do anything, though?”

Rubiana was equally puzzled by his question.

“What do you mean? It was all thanks to Your Highness.”

“What did I do?”

“You appeared with your handsome face. That’s not something just anyone can do.”

Hohoho, Rubiana laughed contentedly.

Elion, staring blankly at her smiling face for a moment, asked again,

“Am I really handsome? Do you think so?”

“….”

What is he saying?

She was dumbfounded.

Rubiana stopped laughing and narrowed her eyes at him.

“What kind of question is that? Don’t you even look in the mirror?”

Ah, really. Best not to speak.

This was a world of novels.

Naturally, looks were concentrated on the main characters.

A non-main character being beautiful or handsome?

Such a person simply didn’t exist. Never.

Although Duke Elion Klitzmann was a secretive figure, he was undeniably a main character, and therefore fully reaped the benefits of a striking appearance.

Beautiful people knew very well that they were beautiful.

There was no way he could not know.

He had heard it drilled into him repeatedly since childhood.

‘My older sister in my past life was like that too.’

Praised endlessly by relatives, the neighborhood, and at school for her beauty, she eventually became an actress and was admired for it nationwide.

‘It’s worse to pretend you don’t know you’re handsome than to brag about it.’

Shaking her head, Rubiana led the way up the stairs.

Nobles did not wear ready-made clothing.

All their garments were custom-made.

The clothes displayed in stores were for exhibition, not sale.

However, thanks to Rubiana’s clear explanation, Elion was able to purchase one of the display outfits.

Luckily, his model-like build meant the clothes fit reasonably well. Of course, his developed chest muscles made the chest a bit tight, but he decided that was satisfactory.

“This outfit will be paid for by the Payson family,” Rubiana told the clerk.

Elion, overhearing this, widened his eyes and immediately opened his mouth.

“No—”

“Please, just hear me out.”

But Rubiana was faster.

She quickly leaned close to his ear and began explaining quietly.

Elion felt warmth rise to his earlobe from her breath.

“If we mention Your Highness’s name here, the newspapers will report that we were on a date in the marketplace at midday.”

“…I see.”

That would be unacceptable.

Their relationship needed to remain as secret as possible.

Elion soon nodded, signaling his agreement with Rubiana.

“Then I’ll gratefully accept it.”
“Yes.”

The clerk, having confirmed their agreement, finally bowed politely.

“Understood, Miss. I will send the invoice to the Payson family.”
“Please do.”

Leaving the boutique, Rubiana and Elion immediately got into a hired carriage.

Perhaps because the clientele were mainly nobles, the carriage was quite comfortable.

“And take us to the circus theater in Grieger, please.”
“Yes, sir.”

As the carriage began moving slowly, Rubiana’s eyes sparkled.

‘Finally!’

She could now carry out “the heroine’s work.”

She would be able to save the citizens of the capital from the monsters.

The labor of the Royal Knights and the Capital Patrol, who were on duty in a state of emergency even now, could be lessened.

Rubiana’s heart raced with excitement as she gazed out the window at the scenery.

Elion noticed her twitching lips as she grinned and realized anew how varied human expressions could be.

“You seem excited to watch the circus.”
“Of course! Thank you for accompanying me, Your Highness.”

Her bright, cheerful expression caught in Elion’s blue eyes, creating a fascinating curiosity.

“You performed quite skillfully, young lady.”
“Ah… that. You were surprised when I suddenly called you Alex, weren’t you?”
“Well, a little.”

He chuckled softly.

“I couldn’t help it, but… I’m sorry for turning a superb sword master, born into a family of spirit mages, into an incomplete person who could not become one.”

Rubiana scratched her cheek awkwardly, recalling the past.

“Did they call you that?”
“Yes. It hurt a little, but thanks to Your Highness, I could take revenge, so I’m glad.”

She shrugged, acting nonchalant.

From the way Elion looked at her, she sensed a hint of sympathy.

‘Oh no… this secretive Duke… is pitying me again?’

She was grateful when pity came at her request, but it was frustrating when it didn’t.

Rubiana deliberately smiled brightly to calm him.

“There’s nothing to see in that, Your Highness. Thanks to meeting you, I regained my health and will eventually become a spirit mage.”
“….”
“I’m certain of it. So when I become a spirit mage, meet me in the Royal Knights. My goal is to join the first elite unit of spirit mages.”
“…Good. Do your best.”

Finally, a faint smile appeared on Elion’s lips.

Rubiana’s gaze returned to the window.

‘Huh? There it is, that shabby hut!’

Her eyes widened as she spotted a half-collapsed hut.

She squinted and fixed her gaze outside.

‘After passing the hut, go for about five more minutes… it’s the place with a few scrawny trees gathered… Ah, there it is!’

She knocked on the wall near the driver’s seat and called out,

“Wait! Stop here!”

At her urgent call, the carriage immediately halted.

Elion asked with surprise,

“Why suddenly?”
“Well, um…”

Rubiana blushed, fidgeting.

Though it was a planned performance she had practiced, actually doing it was embarrassing.

As a noble young lady and the heroine, pretending to urgently relieve herself in front of a man, and especially in front of the secretive duke, was mortifying.

But it had to be done.

She had spent the whole night tossing and turning, thinking of other ways, but nothing suitable came to mind.

With her head bowed, face flushed, Rubiana twisted her body slightly.

She assumed he would understand without her speaking.

Fortunately, her assumption was correct.

“Ah! Ah…”

Elion, guessing her predicament, let out a low exclamation and flushed.

Seeing his face turn bright red, Rubiana was utterly shocked.

‘Why… why are you more embarrassed than me?!’

She desperately wanted to shout, but she held back.

I’m just acting like a lady who urgently needs to go!

‘Sacrifice the cow for the sake of the ox.’

Biting her lower lip, Rubiana opened the carriage door and bolted out.

‘Ugh… so embarrassing. Embarrassing. Embarrassing!’

How would she ever face Elion again?

She felt like plunging her face into a dish of water and dying.

‘No! I can’t think about dying at such an important moment.’

Opening the carriage door wide, Rubiana dashed forward.

Watching Rubiana sprinting away at full speed, Elion couldn’t help but chuckle.

A young lady so urgently needing to go that she made the carriage stop and ran like mad!

He had never seen or even heard of such a thing.

“Pfft, hahahaha!”

Once he started laughing, it didn’t stop.

Then he realized he hadn’t laughed so heartily in a long time.

‘…Huh?’

It wasn’t just laughter.

When she had suddenly knelt before him, how startled he had been! He feared he might even dream about it.

Every act of sharing magic with her had been intoxicating. His mind had gone completely blank.

And realizing later how shamelessly he had invaded her mouth, he had felt so embarrassed he wanted to imprison himself for immorality.

An overwhelming flood of emotions.

Something he had never experienced before.

‘But… recently, knowing Miss Payson, it happens constantly.’

Experiencing emotions surge and ebb… it wasn’t unpleasant.

It even felt somewhat enjoyable.

As Elion recalled the past few days with Rubiana,

“Uwaaaah!”

Rubiana’s scream pierced the air.

Elion’s heart skipped a beat.

He immediately ran toward her.

As he moved his legs quickly, he scolded himself.

He shouldn’t have left her alone, he should have been more meticulous, he should have tried harder.