Chapter 54
“What did you say?!”
Only then did I come to my senses and take in the situation—but the bag that had been in my hand was nowhere to be seen.
Instead, all I could see was a boy running off in the distance, clutching my bag.
“Oh dear. I thought he was only good at snatching things quickly, but it seems he’s quite skilled at sprinting too. Don’t you think so, miss?”
But more than the boy fleeing with my bag, what caught my attention was the low, hushed voice coming from behind me.
The voice, calmly observing the pickpocketing scene, sounded remarkably relaxed.
It almost seemed as if he were enjoying the situation.
And on top of that… the voice felt strangely familiar, which unsettled me even more.
With a blank expression, I slowly turned around.
The man was draped in a dark robe, and beneath it, the corners of his lips were faintly lifted.
If that were all I had seen, I might not have been sure of my guess.
I would have simply taken him for an ordinary passerby who didn’t want to miss an interesting spectacle.
“Well then. The pickpocket boy has made a clean escape. What shall we do now, miss?”
However, the green eyes revealed beneath the slightly lifted robe were anything but common.
It seemed he had no intention of hiding who he was, as he smiled leisurely.
The way his eyes curved gently as he smiled was as beautiful as ever.
“But why do you sound so excited? Is it just my imagination?”
“Ah, have I been found out? Your actions were quite intriguing, miss.”
Whether he truly meant it or not, a faint trace of interest lingered in his low, calm voice.
The way he seemed to enjoy watching my every reaction was a little irritating, so I deliberately replied in a crooked, teasing tone.
“Don’t tell me you’re in cahoots with that pickpocket boy?”
“Not at all. If I had to choose a side, I’d say I’m on yours, miss.”
At his courteous reply, I let out a low sigh and pressed a hand to my forehead.
“Ha… Being a charming woman is exhausting. I get so much love like this.”
When I answered jokingly, the man let out a soft chuckle, indulging my nonsense.
That clear laugh was so lovely that I had to clutch my suddenly pounding chest once again.
“As expected, you’re someone who completely shatters my expectations. I can’t take my eyes off you, wondering where you’ll leap next.”
Just as I thought maybe that’s enough joking around, the man spoke to me.
Caught up in his gaze, it felt as though only the two of us remained in the noisy plaza.
It was a strange, unfamiliar sensation—but not an unpleasant one.
Rather, I found it fascinating that I could feel something like this from this man.
Spurred by a curiosity I didn’t even know I had, I stepped closer to him first.
“That’s exactly my charm. Once you fall for it, you won’t be able to escape.”
“If I’m floundering after falling for your charm, will you reach out a hand to me?”
“Hm. That’s something I’ll have to think about. As you know, there’s already someone holding my hand, isn’t there?”
As if he already knew what I was going to do, the man smoothly bent slightly toward me.
Accepting his courtesy without hesitation, I leaned in and whispered softly by his ear.
“If you keep calling me by such a burdensome title, His Grace the Grand Duke of Clovis might get jealous… Your Highness the Crown Prince.”
Well, that was the setting, after all.
I swallowed the rest of my words.
When I stepped back with a light hee of laughter, Crown Prince Julius, who had been watching me, wore a slightly dazed expression.
Not long after, he let out a low laugh. That refreshing laugh was truly beautiful.
Julius smiled casually, saying he’d thought I wouldn’t be surprised.
“Still, it seems you’re in need of some help, my lady.”
As Julius finished speaking and turned his head, I followed his gaze.
It was directed toward the path where the pickpocket boy had run off.
While I was talking with Julius, the boy had long since disappeared.
Realizing what Julius was getting at, I shook my head as if to say there was no need to worry.
“It’s fine. Life’s already hard enough as it is—letting something like that slide isn’t so bad, is it?”
“Hm. Even so, that is undeniably a crime. If we notify the capital guard, they could catch him quickly.”
“Oh my, how kind of you. Are you worried about me? But really, I’m perfectly fine.”
In response to Julius’s concerned tone, I shook my head and brought out what I had been hiding.
When Julius saw what was in my hand, he let out a quiet “Ah—” in realization, the shadow on his face lifting at last.
“That one’s just a decoy. The world’s a scary place these days—how could I carry something truly precious so carelessly? You shouldn’t do that, Your Highness.”
“…?”
“This is the real thing. Snacks I secretly took from the Clovis estate without Ethan knowing! Do you know how hard it was to hide these? There’s no way I’d let them be taken so easily!”
It might be a little different from what you’d usually find in a noble lady’s handbag, but to me, it was precious all the same.
“A-ah… Hahaha!”
Julius seemed momentarily stunned, then burst into hearty laughter as soon as he regained his senses.
Since Julius always wore a refined smile, this was the first time I’d ever seen him laugh so openly.
Feeling awkward, I scratched my cheek lightly and waited for his reaction.
After laughing for quite a while, Julius finally calmed down and wiped the tears gathering at the corners of his eyes.
“Ah… what a shame. I thought I’d found myself a rather good opportunity and rushed over.”
“…?”
Sir, excuse me. I was just kind of pickpocketed—what do you mean, a good opportunity?
What kind of deranged, Ethan-the-mad-dog-level statement is that?
I shot Julius a look demanding an explanation for his outrageous remark.
But instead of answering, he quickly snatched something that had fallen in front of me.
Too late, I looked at him in alarm—but he simply beamed, dangling what I had dropped with a cheerful grin.
“I thought I could legitimately earn the chance to have a cup of tea with Lady Servita.”
Julius even slumped his broad shoulders dramatically, looking genuinely disappointed.
He smiled as if asking me to find him adorable, looking like a drenched mouse…
And honestly, the only reason he still looked so cute had to be main-character privilege.
Staring at him for a moment, I quickly walked up to him and nodded.
“Let’s have tea! I really love tea!”
“Oh? Truly?”
When Julius asked in surprise, my conscience pricked me and I froze for a second.
“O-of course! Like peppermint tea without peppermint, or green tea without tea leaves…?”
What I meant was that I didn’t like bitter tea, in any case.
Even so, I couldn’t bring myself to refuse Julius’s date invitation and pressed on.
As if he sensed my feelings, Julius gently placated my overexcited self.
“Very well. Then shall we go for some sweet cocoa instead? I happen to know a dessert shop that’s just as cute as you are, my lady.”
“Wow! Then let’s go right away!”
Naturally accepting his words, I reached out to take back what he was holding.
“Ah—?”
“Oh dear.”
But as Julius suddenly pulled his hand back, I lost my balance.
“Wah!”
“Oh my. You should be careful.”
If Julius hadn’t quickly caught me, I would have sprawled right in the middle of the plaza.
Enchanted by his gentlemanly touch, I belatedly remembered how he’d playfully pulled his hand away, and felt a little embarrassed.
I slipped out of his grasp with an awkward expression and stared longingly at what he held in his hand.
Julius chuckled lightly and extended his hand toward me.
“I’ll return this once we get to the shop. We wouldn’t want another pickpocket stealing it, now would we?”
“…Is this bait?”
“Hm. So something like this was enough to reel Lady Servita away from that ferocious Grand Duke of Clovis?”
“Rather than that… if you smile prettily like you did just now, I might get bewitched and follow you without a second thought.”
At my playful tone, a glint flashed in Julius’s eyes—he seemed quite interested.
“Oh? Even now?”
“Ah, right now might be a bit difficult. As you know, there’s a fiancé waiting by my side with his eyes wide open.”
Later. Much later.
When I finally escape Ethan’s grasp.
When I free myself from the traces of this damned original story.
Then… will I really be able to get away from Ethan?
Me? From Ethan?
Why couldn’t I give myself a clear answer?
“Lady Servita?”
As I pressed my lips together, trying to sort through my tangled emotions, Julius called out to me.
Only then did I come back to my senses. Shaking my head, I brushed those complicated thoughts away.
That could wait until later. Once I was free from his grip, I’d think about it then.
“Well, anyway. I’ll take the bait this time. After all, it’s an invitation from the Crown Prince himself.”
Caught neatly in Julius’s trap(?), I trotted after him.
Completely unaware that a shadow was stealthily approaching from behind us.
