Chapter 45
“I’ve actually seen you several times at social gatherings, my lady.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes. I always wanted to speak to you, but there was never an opportunity…”
Milo smiled shyly.
“It makes me so happy to meet you like this.”
“…”
“I mean it, my lady.”
Katrina hesitated.
Even if she rejected Milo right here, the duke would surely have several other candidates lined up for her.
Meeting every single one of them would be exhausting…
The Duke of Abiche would probably keep bringing men until her engagement was settled.
In that case, maybe it was better to just choose Milo now.
At least until the engagement, I think I could tolerate it.
Besides, during that period, she likely wouldn’t have to see him very often.
“I’ve prepared a gift for you, my lady.”
“…A gift?”
“Yes, just a moment.”
When Milo turned his head, his servant approached, carrying a box.
“This is something currently in fashion among the nobility… Do you know what it is?”
“No, I’m not sure.”
It had been a long time since she’d had anything to do with high society.
Three years ago, she’d swept through the social scene, but that had only been to serve her plan to return.
“I’m relieved. I was worried it might be too predictable a gift.”
Taking the box from his servant, Milo opened it in front of her.
It was a simple bottle of perfume.
“This scent is all the rage right now. Every lady owns at least one.”
“Oh my. What a lovely gift.”
Now that she thought about it, Katrina didn’t own any perfume at the moment.
Since coming back, I haven’t bought anything like that.
She’d only purchased necessities, never luxuries.
A perfume or two wouldn’t be a bad idea.
“Would you like to try it now?”
Milo took out the beautifully wrapped bottle.
“I think it would be perfect for you to try it right away.”
“Shall I?”
She was curious about the scent herself.
“I’ll spray it for you. Please give me your wrist.”
Katrina extended her wrist.
Milo’s eyes wavered for a moment.
“You have such beautiful hands.”
“Thank you for the compliment.”
“They’re so fair. So very fair…”
What’s with him?
Just as Katrina was starting to feel uneasy, Milo regained his composure and looked at her again.
“Ahem. I’ll spray it now.”
The moment he carefully placed his hand on her wrist—
“Don’t spray that.”
A deep shadow fell over her.
Before she could even identify the man who had suddenly appeared, the perfume vanished from Milo’s hand.
“Who do you think you are…!”
Milo leapt to his feet in anger.
But as soon as he saw the man’s face, his expression froze.
“Y-Your Highness the Crown Prince…!”
Milo blurted out in shock.
Katrina, too, frowned when she recognized Raymond.
“Hello, Katrina.”
He greeted her as casually as if nothing had happened—so naturally it almost felt like they’d just run into each other on the street.
“…Your Highness.”
Katrina spoke in a low voice.
“What are you doing here?”
Raymond, why on earth are you here?
Both she and Milo were momentarily thrown off.
The intruder who had barged into her arranged meeting left them stunned.
Raymond, however, spoke with complete nonchalance.
“Why, I came to see you, of course.”
“…”
“You’ve just returned from Asiuth after such a long time.”
And why would you come to see me?
Especially here, of all places—in the middle of a meeting?
Not one word of his made sense.
“Ahem! Your Highness, with all due respect, I am currently having an important meeting with Lady Abiche.”
“Is that so?”
“And the perfume you took was a gift for Lady Abiche. I must ask that you return it…”
Raymond looked over the perfume in his hand.
“Is that so?”
Then, with an unruffled smile, he sprayed it directly into Milo’s eyes—pshhk.
“Argh!”
Milo screamed in pain.
“Lord Karold!”
Katrina was startled.
This was beyond anything she could have imagined.
What kind of absurd scene is this?!
“Your Highness, what on earth are you doing?” she demanded.
Raymond ignored her and addressed Milo instead.
“Why am I doing this, you ask?”
“…What?”
“And Lord Karold, are you sure you should still be here? You must be quite busy.”
“I—I’m not busy at all…”
“That can’t be right. I hear your lover is waiting for you at the pleasure district, neck craned, looking for you.”
“W-What are you talking about?!”
Flustered, Milo took several steps back.
“Lady Abiche, I must apologize, but I think we’ll have to end our meeting here…”
“…”
“I’ll send you a letter.”
With that, he hurriedly left.
Raymond watched him go, looking amused.
Katrina, meanwhile, was left staring at the scene in disbelief.
“Your Highness, are you out of your mind?”
Crashing someone’s arranged meeting—
Has he gone insane?
Raymond shamelessly sat down in the seat Milo had just vacated.
“Why are you mad? You did the same thing to me.”
“…What?”
She blinked at him in confusion.
“You used to interrupt me whenever I was with another woman.”
“When did I ever—”
Katrina stopped herself mid-protest.
Memories surfaced—times from before she’d returned.
Back when she’d been forced to pretend to love Raymond.
She’d had to play the role of keeping other women away from him—because that’s what Katrina, in the game, had always done.
Three years ago, she’d still been desperately following the game’s script in hopes of returning.
With those memories resurfacing, she found herself unable to deny his words.
While she was at a loss for a response, Raymond calmly called over a server to order tea.
Unbelievable. Absolutely unbelievable.
“And shouldn’t you be thanking me?”
“…What?”
What nonsense is he spouting now?
“I just got rid of a bad man for you.”
“…”
Katrina stared at him, speechless.
The worst man in her life was sitting right in front of her.
“Why are you doing this?”
Their relationship had ended at the harmony meeting.
True, that day Raymond had kissed her.
And acted in ways she still didn’t understand.
But—
“I told you, let’s never see each other again.”
Katrina had ended it.
Raymond, you claim to like me?
What a joke.
It was the most laughable thing in the world.
How could the man who had toyed with her all this time dare say such a thing?
With a dry, mocking tone, she asked:
“Do you need perfume or something?”
He might be pretending to be fine right now, but without it, he must be in quite some discomfort.
After all, the sedative you used to take doesn’t work so well anymore because of me.
The perfume she’d given him was addictive—one spray was enough to make all other sedatives ineffective.
“Raymond, aren’t you about ready for some perfume?”
She curved her lips into a smile.
She looked at the arrogant man before her.
“I bet you are. Your body must be a mess right now…”
Her gaze swept over him deliberately.
“Shall I give you some?”
Go on—beg for it.
Do what you once made me do.
