Chapter 09
Rosé, Do You Want to Get Caught in the Rain with Me?
Princess Ivyne, having finished what felt like an informal interrogation, stood up.
“I’ve said everything I wanted, and I’ve heard everything I wanted. Princess Rosé, do you have anything to say?”
I shook my head.
It seemed her visit had been to judge whether I was suitable to be her brother’s bride.
“Then get some rest. Next time, we’ll meet again in the daylight.”
“Sounds good!”
She casually brushed her hair back, letting it fall naturally, which looked effortless and elegant.
“What are you doing? You should see me off.”
Without announcing her arrival, she expected me to escort her.
I decided to fulfill her wish gladly.
“Of course! Absolutely.”
Princess Ivyne simply smiled at my obedient answer.
I walked ahead and opened the door for her.
It felt strange to do what my lady-in-waiting, Sophia, usually did every day.
Princess Ivyne stepped out, paused in the hallway, and exchanged one last look with me.
“Cute princess, I’ll be looking forward to the next time we meet.”
And then, in an instant, something happened.
Her warm lips touched my forehead.
Peck.
The light sound made me freeze in place.
Why did a simple forehead kiss make me so stiff?
And it was between two women!
She tenderly smoothed my messy bangs with her fingertips, then said goodbye.
“Bye.”
There was not the slightest hesitation as she walked down the long hallway, never looking back.
Cool, as always.
I watched her until she became just a dot in the distance.
I don’t want her to leave… why does it feel so sad?
Could it be… that I liked Princess Ivyne?
For the first time in my life, I agonized over my own feelings.
It was a serious dilemma.
The day started, as usual, with a fortune cookie.
I woke up, face serious, and cracked it open.
Crisp.
The cookie split in half.
“Today is a day where careless words could be dangerous. Watch what you say.”
“Ugh. Another bad one.”
Lately, the fortunes hadn’t had anything encouraging.
“Watch my words,” huh? That was difficult for me, who enjoyed speaking freely.
I had grown up under a permissive father, forming a habit of blunt speech.
How many times had that gotten me into trouble?
Just yesterday, I’d foolishly spoken about Dean’s physique in front of Princess Ivyne… and nearly panicked.
I promised myself to be careful with words today.
At that moment, Sophia returned to my room.
“Sophia, where did you go?”
“Ah! I got information about Princess Rosé’s schedule today.”
Her cheerful face showed no worry. Sophia seemed to have adapted to the castle even faster than I had.
“So, you found out when I’ll meet Dean?”
“Yes! You can get ready and leave now.”
“Perfect.”
Sophia hummed a happy tune while helping me choose a dress.
On my way to meet Dean in the parlor, my gaze was drawn elsewhere.
I stared at the stairs leading to the basement as if hypnotized.
No, maybe I wasn’t just staring—I quietly walked toward them too.
Luckily, no servants were passing by in the hallway.
I didn’t dare step on the stairs, just peered downward.
The basement looked just as ominous and dark as yesterday.
So ominous, I felt as if some extremely mischievous act were happening down there.
What on earth does Dean do down there?
Does he have a secret hobby no one else knows?
Something utterly unexpected, like collecting cute dolls despite seeming indifferent…
Or perhaps something entirely sinister.
“I’m curious…”
I licked my lips. If it’s a hobby, I hoped it was the cute kind.
I imagined Dean hugging a soft bunny plush, like a shy adolescent girl, falling asleep with it…
Hhh…
I drooled a little.
That cute hobby suits him perfectly.
Shaking off my inappropriate imagination, I walked back toward the parlor.
I couldn’t drool in front of him when I actually saw his face.
As it turned out, he wasn’t there yet. I had arrived first.
I wandered aimlessly, then stopped by the window.
Outside, Dean’s castle and the sky came into view.
“Cloudy again today.”
Here, overcast skies were unusually persistent.
Other castles in the distance had clear skies, but over Dean’s castle, grey clouds lingered like someone deliberately placed them there.
At that moment, a familiar voice called.
“Rosé.”
Dean.
I recognized his voice immediately and turned.
He appeared in the parlor, dressed as neat as ever: a well-ironed white shirt and a slim black jacket draped over his shoulders.
But more than his outfit, his handsome face drew attention.
“You’re so handsome today you could destroy the empire.”
I whispered it so quietly I didn’t think he could hear.
Yet, as soon as I finished, the corner of his mouth twitched slightly.
I studied his lips, noticing the twitch had stiffened into a straight line. Strange.
“Rosé, did you sleep well?”
Putting my curiosity aside, I answered cheerfully.
“Yes! Dean, did you sleep well too?”
“Yeah.”
As he spoke, his wheelchair smoothly rolled toward the sofa.
He hadn’t pushed it, nor pressed a button.
The wheelchair moved on its own.
A magically made wheelchair.
Remembering what Dean said, I was impressed.
He gestured for me to sit across from him.
“I have a question for you, Rosé. Can I ask it?”
“Of course! Ask anything!”
He rubbed his sharp jaw as he spoke.
“Rosé… do you usually say whatever comes to mind? Are you blunt by nature?”
I nodded vigorously. No reason to lie.
“Yes! I always speak my mind, and I’ve been scolded by my father countless times. I tried to change, but it’s hard.”
Even in Allen Kingdom, my slips of tongue caused trouble.
I mentally apologized to my father, who always had to fix my mistakes.
“You tried to change, but it didn’t work… am I hearing this right?”
“Yes.”
“Good, I heard it correctly.”
“But Dean… how did you know I was like that?”
“Hmm… I just felt it.”
He had accurately figured me out in only a few days.
“….”
I briefly worried he might have heard everything, despite his hearing issues.
I dismissed the thought. Dean had no reason to pretend to be hard of hearing.
Then I asked him the same. Loudly, of course.
“Then what about you, Dean? What’s your style?”
“Me?”
“Yes!”
Are you the type who hides cute bunny plushies in the basement? I thought to myself and giggled.
“I…”
He trailed off, looking toward the window behind me.
“I like rain.”
“…Excuse me? You mean… rainfall?”
I made a gesture with my finger like falling rain so he could understand.
“Yes. It’s raining right now.”
I tilted my head to follow his gaze.
The grey clouds finally started to sprinkle rain around the castle.
“And I love being caught in the rain.”
I looked back at him. He was smiling… in a slightly mischievous way.
His gaze shifted to mine, and quietly, in the sweetest voice I’d ever heard, he whispered:
“Rosé… do you want to get caught in the rain with me?”
