Chapter 9
Aside from briefly crossing paths at large events like banquets, I had barely ever spoken directly with Sier Persent.
Even so, I knew quite a bit about him.
Partly because of the original novel, and partly because there was someone around me who constantly showered him with praise.
At the very least, the Sier I knew was not someone who would lower his eyes like this, as if deeply hurt.
“……”
Sier bit his lip as though holding back tears and turned his head to the side.
“I—I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to do that, but it seems I ended up putting pressure on you, my lady…”
But the 모습 he had shown since the theater was completely different from the Sier I knew.
“I apologize, Your Highness. Please forget what I just said.”
I bowed politely and apologized.
No matter how prestigious my family was, he was still royalty.
What I had said earlier had been quite rude.
Because I was bowing, I couldn’t see his expression.
I didn’t raise my head until I heard him say it was fine.
“No, it’s my fault. I tried to hold on to someone who didn’t want it…”
He quickly helped me straighten up. Thankfully, he didn’t seem angry.
With the start of the original story drawing closer, I had been thinking too carelessly.
‘This isn’t a novel. It’s reality.’
Transmigrators in novels often forget that the people around them aren’t characters and end up saying rude things.
But as I’d said many times, fiction and reality were different.
This was a rigid, fully structured class society.
A single word could decide life or death.
If I carelessly said something like “you’re like a puppy” again, it wouldn’t just slide by.
‘I could even be charged with insulting royalty…?’
I glanced at his face.
…Get it together. I really need to be more careful.
****
‘Does she… hate me?’
Sier stared at the place where Tian had been standing, his expression unsettled, and pondered seriously.
He knew she was cool-headed and rational.
He also knew she was the type to say plainly that she disliked something, no matter who the other person was.
But it hadn’t felt like this before.
He bit his lip.
It was a habit that surfaced whenever he was deep in thought.
Since she didn’t remember past events, this was probably only their second meeting for her.
He didn’t mean to boast, but he was royalty.
Yet Lady Tian had reacted this strongly…
“Could it be… really…?”
No—surely not.
He denied it in his head, but the scene from earlier kept resurfacing.
Anyone could see she had been clearly uncomfortable.
“I must have… misunderstood.”
Just as he was about to brush it off—
“I don’t think you misunderstood. I heard it very clearly. And since this is the second time, even if you try to deny it—”
Terdeo, speaking without thinking, suddenly felt the killing intent radiating from Sier and hurriedly covered his mouth.
“C-could it be that she didn’t mean the situation was ‘dog-like,’ but rather that Your Highness resembles a puppy…? Something like that?”
“……”
“A puppy… cute and small…”
He trailed off, watching Sier’s expression carefully.
It wasn’t completely impossible—but the probability wasn’t high either.
If that had been her intent, she would have corrected herself immediately.
Instead, Lady Tian had promptly acknowledged her mistake and apologized politely.
‘Yeah… there’s no way.’
No matter how you looked at it, no one would think of a puppy when looking at him.
His sharp eyes only seemed gentle at first glance—it was an illusion.
What was the use of being born that way?
They were usually sharply angled, making him look fierce.
And his personality—how sly and calculating it was.
‘He always glares so fiercely, yet only in front of Lady Tian does he lower his eyes so meekly… honestly.’
Watching the stark contrast in his lord’s behavior, Terdeo grumbled internally.
If he had to compare his master to an animal, without a doubt it would be a fox.
And yet—
“What should I do…?”
Sier muttered bitterly, completely unlike himself.
Having already seen everything, Terdeo couldn’t pretend otherwise and tried to comfort him.
“There’s no need to rush. It’s only been two times so far. Lady Arvid said she’d help—try asking her again, Your Highness.”
“…Alright.”
He answered weakly, shadows cast over his face.
Whenever it involved Lady Ellopez, Sier was always one of two things.
Either grinning foolishly or utterly deflated.
Neither was a good look, but the former was still better than the latter.
Terdeo had served as Sier’s aide for seven years now.
There was no way he wouldn’t know how deep his master’s feelings for Lady Ellopez ran.
‘The method shouldn’t be wrong…’
As he went to contact Leila, Terdeo thought carefully.
He didn’t have much dating experience, but generally, when courting a noblewoman, appearing weak was the right approach.
Especially when the other party was Lady Ellopez.
The reasoning was simple.
Her parents were the powerful Duke of Ellopez and a Duchess who dominated high society.
And that wasn’t all.
Her eldest brother was an exceptional financial officer.
Her second brother was the Empire’s greatest swordsman, a Sword Master.
And she herself was the next Tower Master candidate, unmatched in the magic world.
For someone surrounded by excellence like that, showing off would only backfire.
‘It’d just be a disadvantage.’
…So then what exactly was the problem?
Completely missing the core issue, Terdeo trudged along.
****
Once again, Sier appeared before me, and I blinked.
Now I was certain.
“To meet like this by chance… it seems we really are fated.”
That damn talk about fate again.
At his flimsy excuse, I let out a laugh in disbelief.
“Hahaha! By that logic, everyone in this plaza would be fated together.”
I stopped laughing and turned serious. He looked flustered and glanced around.
“They say when coincidences repeat, it becomes destiny…”
He spoke like he was reciting a line from a drama.
Awkwardly, as if he’d practiced it beforehand.
“…When coincidences repeat, that’s called doing it on purpose.”
If this were a situation where chance encounters were actually possible, I might have played along.
But this was absurd.
The place I came to after receiving Leila’s letter was a small jewelry shop tucked away in a corner of the plaza.
Like before, it was hidden from public view—a place where you couldn’t meet someone by chance.
“Enough joking. Go ahead and explain yourself, Your Highness. The person I was supposed to meet was clearly Leila Arvid. So why is it that every time, you are the one standing in front of me?”
“…A coincidence—”
“Drop that damn coincidence excuse. I know it’s a lie. If you were going to deceive me, you shouldn’t have let yourself get caught.”
I’d sworn not to behave rudely toward royalty just recently, but his absurd insistence made the words slip out.
He fell silent.
Perhaps he had no excuse—his parted lips slowly closed again.
It wasn’t that I couldn’t guess the reason.
The Ellopez family had always been neutral, never involving themselves in the struggle for the throne.
‘Whichever side gets Ellopez on their side is more likely to become the next emperor.’
All the princes were grown, yet no crown prince had been chosen.
I knew Eukleid would become crown prince, but at this point in time, that hadn’t happened yet.
And just then, the Arvid family had brought up breaking off the engagement first.
It made sense that he’d try to seize the opportunity.
I didn’t know what Leila was thinking by helping the Second Prince, but frankly, it was getting irritating.
“You’re trying to use me to drag the Ellopez family into the succession struggle. I know your plan.”
I snapped irritably, my face twisted.
“W-wait, my lady.”
“This method is unpleasant.”
“It’s a misunderstanding. I had no such intention at all.”
“A misunderstanding? You can still say that in this situation?”
“Is it because… of last time? Is that why you’re angry?”
Last time? What was he talking about? I’d only just realized what was happening.
And angry? Since when?
I was about to retort—
“I like you, my lady.”
“I figured you would—wait, what?”
“I did it because I like you.”
