Chapter 19
Marco’s eyes widened in shock at Franz’s nonchalant attitude.
“What?”
‘Iella Crallens has a crush on Franz?’
More than that, he was even more shocked by the fact that she was interested in a man at all. From what he had seen, she didn’t seem to care about men in the slightest.
It was confusing, but Franz wasn’t the type to lie or joke about something like this—and had no reason to—so it had to be true. Still, Marco was dazed. That just showed how shocked he was.
“……”
Marco was momentarily at a loss for words, trying to think of something to say, and then suddenly burst into laughter.
“Hahahaha!”
Even though passersby glanced at him in surprise, he didn’t care in the slightest.
One might think it rude to laugh in someone’s face like that, but Franz didn’t mind at all.
“Haha.”
Things were turning out far more amusing than expected. Not that it was likely to happen, but if Franz really wanted to, winning this year’s club trophy would be easy.
‘But what about Andrew, thinking he’s already won?’
Nothing was more entertaining than watching an underdog beat someone who seemed unbeatable.
“Franz, you’re seriously the luckiest guy alive. No matter how great someone is, there’s no one better than you.”
Franz gave a small chuckle at the compliment laced with laughter. He could see right through Marco’s thoughts, but let it slide.
“So what are you going to do now?”
“Well. What should I do?”
Franz’s answer was simple.
“Fair enough. It’s not like it’s the first time. No reason to act like this is anything new.”
Marco nodded, acknowledging it, but his own mind was feeling even more tangled. A question suddenly popped into his head.
‘Has Franz ever cared about all those admirers?’
Not once. Not even once.
Right now, no one could say what kind of effect Iella might have on Franz, or what kind of ripple it might cause. Not even Franz himself seemed to know.
Of course, it was possible she might not affect him at all. But if she did?
Then things would get very interesting.
“Welcome back, Your Highness. Did your visit with Countess Winston go well?”
The butler Murray greeted Franz with a bow.
Even now, Murray was a fine-looking middle-aged man—someone who had been called handsome since his youth. He had started his career as a footman, where looks were a prerequisite, and worked his way up to head butler. In that time, he had flawlessly gone from pretty youth to dashing adult to elegant senior. And of course, his competence needed no mention.
Franz responded to Murray’s greeting with graceful steps.
“She’s as stern as ever. And still pesters me to get married every time she sees me.”
“She means well, Your Highness.”
“I know.”
His gentle voice, his soft smile, the slight upward curve of his lips—all of it conveyed the warmth in Franz’s eyes.
Even a man could admire how handsome he was—how much more so a woman? Murray understood perfectly why the prince’s popularity was sky-high.
After being betrayed by someone he had trusted deeply, Franz had closed himself off to new love. As someone who sincerely wished for his happiness, Murray couldn’t help but feel sad about that.
He truly hoped Franz would meet someone kind who would cherish him with all her heart.
The servants of the Grenville estate stood in a neat line on either side of the entrance, bowing deeply as Franz passed.
He returned their greetings and made his way to the second floor. The first place he went was his office. Waiting in the antechamber was Hans.
“Welcome back, sir.”
Hans didn’t ask a single thing about what had happened earlier that day. It wasn’t that he wasn’t curious. He simply trusted and followed.
“Yeah.”
As Franz entered the office, the first thing that caught his eye was a leather organizer sitting on the desk. It was neatly placed beside a silver tray piled with documents and letters, along with a gift box from his Aunt Sylvia.
Franz stared at it for a moment, eyes narrowing, then decided to ignore it.
“These are the documents requiring your approval. You need to finish them before tonight’s ball at the Duke of Morris’s residence.”
“Hm.”
Though hosted by the Duchess of Morris to welcome Countess Winston, the ball was essentially a royal gala, attended by upper nobility, royal officials, semi-nobles, and minor aristocrats alike.
Banquets, parties, and balls were often held for business or social purposes, and Franz constantly received invitations.
Any party Franz attended wasn’t just about mingling. Men sought business opportunities by befriending him. Women made every effort to catch his eye.
In short, the social world was overflowing with people trying to get close to him. He was so busy with events that even ten bodies wouldn’t be enough. Though he couldn’t attend every event, he never missed an important one.
“And these are materials for tomorrow’s hotel meeting. They’re about events the hotel will be hosting during the Rose Festival. Currently, every room in the main hotel is fully booked through the end of the festival.”
Hans placed a heavy bundle of documents on the desk. As Franz removed his cravat and jacket, Hans stepped forward to take them. Just then, a servant brought in afternoon tea, set it down, and left.
Franz unbuttoned a few buttons on his shirt and collapsed into the chair.
“What time is tomorrow’s meeting?”
“Eleven o’clock.”
“Got it. You can go.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Oh, wait.”
Hans turned just in time to be called back.
“Yes, Your Highness?”
Franz quickly wrote a letter, sealed it with wax, and handed it over.
“Send this letter and gift to Aunt Sylvia.”
“Yes, sir. Understood.”
Hans bowed and left the office with the letter. Franz sat alone and began reviewing the documents and letters.
Today, for some reason, he was unusually distracted and could only finish his work after a long while. He signed the last document and gave a light tug on the bell rope. Hans soon returned.
“You called, Your Highness?”
Franz handed over the signed papers and sealed replies.
“Also, have them review these materials again.”
“All of them, sir?”
“All of them. Tell them to come up with something fresh, not the same old boring events. I’m not paying them to do mediocre work. If they don’t want to get fired, they better take this seriously.”
The sharp tone sent a chill down Hans’s spine, even though the “neck” being threatened wasn’t his.
“Yes, sir. Understood.”
Hans quickly gathered the documents and left.
Once the office was quiet again, Franz rubbed his eyes and sank deep into the chair, exhausted.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
His elegant fingers tapped rhythmically on the desk.
Then suddenly—tap. Silence.
Franz slowly opened his eyes and turned toward the leather organizer he’d set aside. He stared at it, then pulled it closer, hesitating.
“Should I open it… or not…”
If he didn’t, his curiosity would torture him. If he did, his conscience would.
A strange mix of instinct and curiosity pushed him forward. Franz sat in deep thought, eyes fixed on the item. Then, he suddenly remembered Iella, nervously fidgeting in front of him.
From afar, her face had looked forgettably plain. But up close, her almond-shaped eyes and thick lashes stood out. Her lips, nervously bitten, were plump and red. Even her eyebrows were dark and well-shaped.
Her features were distinct even without makeup—perhaps that was why.
She wasn’t so beautiful that the club guys needed to make a fuss. But still, her looks were appealing enough that their reactions weren’t entirely unreasonable.
Why had he thought she was plain-looking? Who knows. But even if she wasn’t plain—
So what?
“What should I do…”
Franz tapped the organizer, still debating.
“She’s probably figured it out by now.”
How would she react? That was going to be interesting.
Taking her belongings had been impulsive. But leaving a letter behind—that was intentional. The only thing he didn’t understand was why he’d gone so far.
He glanced at the clock on the wall. The short hand was pointing at six.
With a resolute expression, Franz placed the organizer in the safe and locked it.
Knock knock.
Right on cue, Hans entered the office again.
“Your Highness. It’s almost time to leave. You’ll need to get ready now.”
“Alright.”
As Franz nodded, Hans signaled to the nearby attendants to help prepare. The attendants responded immediately, moving in perfect sync.
