CHAPTER 35…………………………….
When I didn’t say anything, he seemed to calm down quickly, as if he had settled his emotions in the meantime. Strangely, Theo, who had been angry, now wore a sad expression.
“Sorry for shouting. Still, I don’t want you to get too absorbed in the story. After all, we have to return to Bria. Think about what I said, if only to avoid spending too much emotion on the work.”
Even though his words made sense, I didn’t want to think deeply. I had no intention of pondering his remark about me pouring more emotion than necessary into the work.
“I’m leaving. No matter how much I say I’m not using my emotions, you don’t believe me, and I don’t know what else to do.”
With that, I ran out of Theo’s cabin and got into the carriage. It felt like my chest was being stabbed with needles, realizing that I—the woman who always criticized heroines for running away when a conversation was needed—had made the same choice.
Still, I had no choice but to run.
It was easier to move my feet than to open my mouth.
“Heh.”
The sigh he let out came from self-reproach.
His earlier worries about whether I could return to Bria or whether excessive emotional expenditure would make attachment difficult were all nonsense. In reality, it was just his anxious heart speaking, afraid that I might genuinely fall in love with the Duke.
His hypocrisy had ultimately returned to sting him.
He couldn’t bring himself to confess his feelings, and it was too heavy to simply hide them.
Having fallen for her early on, he had been relieved that she was smart yet oblivious to romance in her own life. Perhaps it also owed something to his childhood habit of hiding his true desires.
He hadn’t asked for much, thinking it would be fine just to call her a friend. That belief began to crack when she came to the capital.
“Seeing you with another man feels disgusting.”
Knock, knock.
A sound came from the door—one that shouldn’t have been there—interrupting his frown.
‘Could it really be Joyce back again?’
He hurriedly opened the door, only to freeze at the unexpected visitor.
“Y-you… how…?”
“I finally found you.”
The voice wasn’t Joyce’s sweet tone at all. It was a low, masculine voice.
“Seems like someone was waiting, but is it okay to look that disappointed? You call him your brother?”
The man who called him “brother” was Noah, the second prince of the Coventin Empire. Meeting his younger brother after so long brought confusion more than joy.
“How did you know I was here?”
“I thought I saw your face at the palace back then. You were in disguise, so I barely recognized you.”
Unlike Noah, who tried to meet his brother’s gaze, he remained cold and avoided his sibling’s eyes.
As soon as he became an adult, the heir to the throne left the palace. That vacancy naturally fell to his brother. Guilt for leaving despite knowing this tormented him.
“I’m sorry. After all, inheriting the throne was my duty…”
“Brother!”
“At that time, I only thought of myself. Even if you resent me…”
“Brother!”
Only after his younger brother called out twice did he finally look him in the eyes.
“You think I came here to settle that? I came because I wanted to see you, brother.”
With those words, the younger brother ran and hugged him. Receiving his sibling in his arms, the tension in his expression eased for the first time, thinking he might be hated.
“Me too.”
Their embrace lingered, overflowing with the emotion of reunion.
“Brother…”
“Mm.”
“Are we… holding on a bit too long?”
“Mm.”
They quickly pulled apart. Even though they were close, they rarely hugged this often, so it was slightly awkward.
“Sit here for now. I’d like to treat you properly, but there’s nothing suitable to offer.”
“No, it’s fine. I need to return to the palace anyway. More importantly, I have something to say…”
Seeing his hesitant younger brother, he seemed to understand what was on his mind. For the sibling struggling to speak, he tried to lighten the mood.
“So… it wasn’t just that you came to see me?”
“…Father wants you. Actually, he was about to come get you himself, but I insisted on coming instead.”
Knowing his brother expected a positive response, he shook his head firmly.
“I’m not going back. Tell Father that.”
“Brother! Are you planning never to see Father again?”
“If it comes to that.”
“What? Then why return to the capital?”
“I didn’t come back to the capital. The capital is just where the woman I want to be with is. I won’t stay long.”
The reunion suddenly filled with awkward tension.
“…I’m sorry, but Father said if he fails to persuade you, I should tell you this: he knows about the heroine. I don’t know what it means, but he said you would understand.”
He understood his father’s intent perfectly.
The one woman he wanted to let shake his world—his father knew about her.
He clenched his eyes shut. Remembering a father who could do anything ruthlessly, he filled his mind with thoughts of protecting her. He could face even the father he wished to avoid, for her.
She was the cause of everything, and the result of everything, for him.
“…Tell Father I’ll come see him.”
“Still, your voice resonance has improved since the first time. With a little more practice, your diaphragmatic breathing will become natural.”
At the start of the week, we only did basic exercises.
Since she seemed to struggle with projecting her voice, almost all the time was spent training diaphragmatic breathing.
After she had first told him she couldn’t perform on stage in Mathias, he practiced without complaint even when given a speech script instead of a drama script.
Apparently, a desire to escape her father’s shadow ran deep in his heart.
“Shall we stop for today?”
He nodded lightly.
“Um…”
As we packed up and headed for the carriage, he asked a sudden question.
“Have you ever felt like someone’s been watching you? Or that you might be followed?”
“No, not at all.”
But he didn’t seem to believe me.
“Should I have?”
“No, it’s just a routine security check in the capital. If you ever feel suspicious, you should tell me.”
I didn’t really feel watched… but maybe I could use this opportunity.
“Actually…”
I trembled like a nervous person, biting my nails.
“I didn’t mention it because I’m sensitive, but lately I’ve felt someone lurking around. Whenever I’m outside alone, it makes me nervous.”
He seemed so flustered at how convincingly I acted scared that he snapped at me.
“Then you should’ve reported to Woodville and gotten guards immediately!”
“You can’t really bring guards quietly to see the Duke. I went straight back to the mansion after finishing my business instead.”
“That’s the right choice.”
“Sigh…”
I let out an exaggerated sigh and glared at him. He looked utterly confused.
“There’s a place I really wanted to go, but I was too scared to go alone. Since it’s closed on holidays, I can only go after lessons with the Duke… It would be great if someone went with me.”
“Is it far?”
Okay, he fell for it.
“Not at all!”
I quickly answered to avoid second thoughts and immediately had the Woodville carriage return to the mansion. As soon as I got into Seymour’s carriage, Feredel looked exasperated.
“You’re treating my carriage like it’s your own.”
I gave him a look that said, “What do you want me to do?” He snorted and sat beside me.
“We’ve arrived at Schwab.”
Unlike last time, I purposely chose a place a little outside the capital to avoid staying overnight.
More memories are always better, so I wanted to go on many dates.
“Wait!”
He was about to get off the carriage but turned when he heard my voice, looking worried.
“What’s wrong?”
I rummaged in my bag and handed him some things. As expected, his face crumpled just like when I handed him the exercise clothes.
“What’s this supposed to mean?”
“You know what it means.”
“I can’t do this.”
“You still have to, though.”
The tension inside the carriage was palpable. Seeing my firm stance, he finally lost his patience and shouted.
“I said I can’t do it!”
