Chapter : 12
Noel crossed his legs leisurely and waited for Selene’s reaction.
Selene made an uncomfortable expression.
“Me? Do you really have to? This isn’t something to brag about, but I don’t think I’d be of much help…”
It was a reaction well within his expectations. Noel decided to test Selene a little.
“Recently, I came into possession of a mansion. But since I live in the Imperial Palace, I don’t really need it.”
“Oh, really?”
“Yes. So I’ve been using it as a place to store rare gemstones and fabrics that have come in from various places. I’ve been giving them away as gifts, but there’s still quite a lot left.”
“I see.”
“If you were willing to become one of my people, I’d like to give you that mansion. Along with everything stored there.”
Noel narrowed his eyes, speaking in a gentle tone.
‘Temptation through material things is quite primitive.’
He didn’t blink, determined not to miss even the smallest reaction from Selene.
As Noel watched, Selene—who had been hesitating and rolling her eyes—slightly furrowed her brow.
She looked like she was debating whether to speak, then clasped her teacup in both hands and looked straight at Noel.
“Um… I don’t really need a house. Where I live now isn’t technically my own place, but… I like it.”
When Noel gazed at her intently, Selene quickly shifted her eyes to the dessert tray.
“Everyone’s worked really hard on the garden, too. If I moved, I’d have to go through all that effort again… And I bought clothes today as well…”
Though she rambled, her point was clear.
‘I don’t need it.’
People who are greedy for money are easier to handle, which is convenient.
Noel was selecting his next card in his mind when Selene spoke again.
“His Highness must have had some reason for making such an offer. I really appreciate that, but I truly don’t have the ability to deserve something like that.”
Noel didn’t know it, but Selene’s long-dormant office-worker instincts were kicking in.
It felt like she was about to be handed something huge.
That unmistakable feeling that if she answered carelessly, she’d be in serious trouble.
The kind of feeling you get when someone is about to dump an impossible workload on you—something no amount of overtime could ever fix.
Selene’s intuition was screaming.
“I haven’t even been in the capital for very long, since I came up from the countryside… And, well, there must be plenty of young ladies from good families lining up already… If my family needs to be of help, wouldn’t my older brother know better?”
Noel was mildly impressed. She had grasped the intent behind his deliberately vague words far more easily than expected.
As Noel quickly masked his impressed gaze, Selene pulled her eyes away from the dessert tray and looked startled.
“Ah—did I take this too seriously? Was it just a light-hearted noble joke about becoming close?”
Her face flushed red as she covered it with her hands.
“I’m sorry…”
As Selene floundered, words Noel hadn’t expected escaped his mouth.
“You’re right. Friends. I’d like us to be friends.”
Selene stared at him, still holding her cheeks.
“Friends… with the Crown Prince? Is that allowed?”
“Of course.”
“Oh… really? Then, well…”
Noel felt his previously relaxed posture stiffen.
Everything had gone off-script.
He had intended to lure and bind her with sweet words and temptation, but instead his own true intentions had slipped out first.
When Selene wasn’t looking, Noel shook his head slightly.
‘Maybe it’s more fun when things don’t go as expected…’
Lowering his eyebrows to put on a pitiful expression, Noel said,
“As you know, I haven’t been at the Imperial Palace for very long, so I don’t have a single friend.”
Selene seemed to think for a moment, then nodded.
“Making friends isn’t easy. Usually it’s easier if you share hobbies or things you like.”
Following her gaze toward the dessert tray, Noel replied,
“And what are your hobbies, Lady Weden?”
“Me? Lying down at home.”
“And what do you like?”
“Lying down.”
When Noel didn’t respond, Selene looked at him and smiled gently.
“Most of life’s worries get solved if you lie down.”
Noel looked surprised for a moment, then leaned back and laughed.
“Haha. It seems you truly love your home. Please invite me someday. We’re friends, after all. And since we’re friends now, may I call you Selene?”
“Huh? Well… yes.”
As Selene smiled awkwardly, Noel picked up a slice of strawberry pie from the dessert tray, placed it on a small plate, and slid it in front of her.
“You haven’t been able to take your eyes off it.”
‘Ah, that was satisfying.’
After the dessert feast—no, the productive conversation with the Crown Prince—I was finally able to go home.
As I walked along the garden corridor under Noel’s escort, I saw someone running toward us from afar.
Huh?
“Arkas?”
Sweat was beading on his forehead, as if he’d run a long way.
I looked between him and Noel in confusion. Noel tilted his head slightly and addressed Arkas.
“What brings Count Weden all the way here?”
Arkas paused to catch his breath, then bowed respectfully to Noel.
“Arkas Weden greets Your Highness the Crown Prince. I received word that Seli… Selene was here.”
“Yes, we happened to meet and had a pleasant conversation. She also enjoyed some delicious desserts. Isn’t that right, Selene?”
Noel looked at me with a refreshing smile.
Since he wasn’t wrong, I smiled and nodded.
Then Arkas spoke in a low voice.
“She hasn’t even had her debut yet, so I was quite worried when she didn’t return at the appointed time.”
Usually all smiles or teary-eyed, Arkas now looked very much like a strict guardian.
“Oh dear, I told someone to contact you right away. It seems it was delayed.”
Arkas glanced at my hand resting on Noel’s arm, his face hardening.
“It’s fine. If you’re finished talking, we’ll be taking our leave now. Come on, Seli.”
Yikes. He’s mad.
I bowed to Noel, then turned and tugged at Arkas’s sleeve.
“No, it’s just that I ran into some… uh, what was her name, anyway—some very pretty young ladies…”
Why was I making excuses when I hadn’t even come here by choice?
Still, I figured anyone would worry if someone they lived with didn’t come home on time.
“I definitely said I was going home.”
As I earnestly explained the situation, Arkas quietly watched me, then smiled.
“Did you have fun?”
I’d completely forgotten about his existence, but seeing the sweat on his forehead made me realize how much he must’ve searched for me. I felt bad.
“Sorry…”
“For what? Don’t worry. I postponed the rest of my schedule.”
Damn it. Planners are terrifying.
After watching Arkas and Selene disappear through the entrance at the end of the corridor, Noel turned away. The bright smile he’d worn just moments ago had vanished.
He entered the sitting room where Eloy and Viviana were chatting.
When the door opened and Noel walked in, Eloy set down her teacup.
“You didn’t say anything unnecessary, did you?”
Noel smiled brightly as he took a seat.
“I don’t say unnecessary things.”
“So? How was she?”
“She seems like a good person.”
Eloy smiled sweetly, lifting her teacup.
“That’s a relief. It would’ve been troublesome if she hadn’t been to your liking, Noel.”
Viviana, sitting neatly on the sofa and breaking apart a cookie, spoke up.
“She didn’t look like she might run away, did she?”
“She said she wanted to go home.”
The moment Noel finished speaking, Viviana dropped her cookie, and Eloy nearly dropped her teacup.
“What?!”
“She merely meant she wanted to return to her residence. She seems to like her home to an unusual degree.”
Viviana and Eloy let out sighs of relief, then glared at Noel reproachfully.
“You startled us!”
“Please make sure she doesn’t develop such thoughts.”
The two young ladies nodded in unison.
The sitting room fell silent, as if it had never been noisy at all.
Noel pondered how he might make use of having become her friend.
Eloy found the girl of prophecy—whose face was cute and personality kind—utterly charming.
“We both come from the countryside, so we’ll get close quickly~”
“Don’t act rashly and ruin everything,” Viviana warned.
In truth, Viviana still wasn’t convinced about that girl.
More than anything, she didn’t like that Eloy might become close to her first.
Seated together around the same table, all three were thinking the same thing.
The reward for sealing the Demon King would be unimaginably vast and sweet.
Only the closest helper at the moment Selene sealed the Demon King would be able to claim that glory.
Without looking at one another, all three thought:
‘I need to become close to her first.’
