Chapter 61
‘Aaaahhh.’
H-His Majesty’s finger is on my forehead……!
The finger only tapped lightly and quickly pulled away, but it felt like all the nerves in my body had rushed there, and my forehead tingled.
I might look fine on the outside, but I’m still not used to this kind of unexpected touch…!
‘Good thing I washed up.’
For some reason, I’d really felt like washing up thoroughly today.
As I was praising my past self, His Majesty opened his mouth.
“Saint, I don’t know what you’re thinking this time, but I’m not interested in dating.”
“Huh. Why?”
“……Do I have to explain the reason to the Saint?”
No, that’s not it.
It was just that his firm, decisive tone made me blurt out a “why” without thinking.
And why did my heart drop with a heavy thud at the words “not interested in dating”?
‘Don’t get your hopes up. Please…….’
My heart, listen carefully. Even if you flutter like that, there’s nothing I can do!
That face! Look at that beauty!
Do you think there’s any space for me to squeeze in by his side!
I have been taking potions lately to strengthen my heart.
But that’s just so I can live long and remove the obstacles that interfere with His Majesty’s happiness, not because I was thinking of anything more.
I’ve seriously thought about it a few times, but the possibility of His Majesty and I becoming that kind of relationship is……
‘The same as Minister Ebon confessing that he likes me.’
In other words, something that could never happen.
So no matter how long it takes, I’ll slowly reduce these pink feelings toward His Majesty and leave only pure fan devotion……
“Saint.”
“Yes?”
His Majesty started to speak, then paused for a moment.
As if organizing his thoughts, he lightly tapped the desk with his fingertips.
“What kind of life does the Saint want?”
“The life I want?”
This was such an easy question that if you tapped it, the answer would pop right out.
What else could I possibly want……!
The life I want is to fangirl over His Majesty while wishing for his happiness!
I moved my lips without hesitation.
“I—.”
“Isn’t the Saint the one who wants to date?”
What did I just hear and see?
“……D-da-date?”
His Majesty’s gaze was fixed directly on me.
With eyes as clear as a calm lake, as if he couldn’t utter a single word he didn’t mean from his heart—dating, of all things.
With that face, saying something like that so seriously……!
‘Who! With whom! Could you please specify using the six W’s!’
A thousand thoughts flashed through my head in an instant, but first I had to restrain myself.
Let go of me—His Majesty was the one who started flirting first.
‘Endure. I can endure……!’
Clench. I pressed my toes hard against the floor beneath the desk.
After taking several deep breaths in my mind, I asked His Majesty,
“W-who would I even be dating……?”
Even so, I couldn’t stop my voice from trembling.
“With the person the Saint has been interested in lately.”
“……!”
This time my heart nearly jumped out of my mouth.
The only person I’ve been interested in lately is His Majesty.
I knew the day would come when he found out, but I never thought it would be today.
“H-how did you know?”
“It was too obvious to pretend not to notice.”
“It was obvious?!”
“Do you know what the Saint mutters to herself the most these days?”
“I don’t think I do…….”
“‘I like him so much I could go crazy.’”
I stopped breathing for a moment at that fatal blow.
Dizzy. I really could’ve gone crazy.
After doing something so bold, it was clear His Majesty still had no idea what it meant.
Should I sign the loyalty contract that Siana did too?
So I wouldn’t be able to harm His Majesty. I……!
“How could I not know?”
As he said that, His Majesty’s right eyebrow moved slightly.
I had expected he might be in a bad mood, and that things wouldn’t go well.
But was I really going to be rejected like this without even making a proper confession?
I didn’t know the reason, but my heart pounded loudly, echoing in my ears.
I never intended to confess in the first place.
But sudden fear and impatience made my thoughts and body move as if deploying a defense mechanism.
If I’m going to be rejected anyway, better to confess and then be rejected……!
“The truth is—!”
“You like Sir Slin.”
“What!? The person I like is Your Majesty?!”
……
“Ah.”
I hurriedly covered my mouth with my hand and looked away, pretending nothing had happened.
If I stayed quiet, maybe like last time, His Majesty would take “like” in a different sense.
But.
“…….”
His Majesty was wearing an expression I had never seen before—one I couldn’t read at all.
Judging by it, he seemed to have realized it properly this time.
“Haha…….”
“…….”
An awkward air hung between us.
‘I’m going to be rejected……. I’m getting rejected…….’
Still, at least I confessed before being rejected, so it’s a little less unfair…… wait, can that even be considered a confession……!
‘Why Sir Slin of all people—!’
The sudden appearance of an even more absurd candidate than Minister Ebon had made the words slip out reflexively.
At what point?!
I wanted to interrogate him about how my feelings had been misunderstood like that, but this wasn’t the situation for it.
‘At least we’re alone in the study.’
Captain Henkel and Kadiyan were in the hallway, so at least they wouldn’t witness my rejection in real time. Sob.
“Saint.”
After a long silence, His Majesty spoke.
With the mindset of a condemned prisoner who had given up on everything, I waited for what would come next.
And shortly after.
His Majesty and I ended up arguing.
“Ha, this is ridiculous! Seriously!”
After work, I locked my door and tore at a cushion.
Since I had no one to take my anger out on, I targeted the poor cushion instead.
“Pyu, pyu!”
Maybe thinking I was angry, Pyu also hurled a yarn knot at the cushion.
“No, Pyu.”
“Pyuu?”
“Our opponent isn’t the cushion.”
I glared out the window.
In the direction where the main palace stood.
“Alrend Khan Leodius. ……His Majesty.”
Adding “His Majesty” at the end was absolutely not because I was scared.
“The more I think about it, the more unfair it feels.”
The trigger for the fight had been something His Majesty said at dawn when he rejected me.
“The Saint should meet someone better. I’m not a good person.”
“……Just say I don’t appeal to you romantically. You are a good person, Your Majesty?”
“No.”
“You are.”
“I said no.”
“You are.”
The bickering that started like that eventually escalated until we were raising our voices.
“Wow! Where are you going to find someone better than you, Your Majesty! At this rate, I’ll never date in my lifetime while searching for someone better than you!”
“If you look, you’ll find someone.”
“Where? And if I don’t find anyone! Will Your Majesty take responsibility for me?”
“I will.”
“Don’t lie. You have no intention of taking responsibility. And the ‘responsibility’ I mean and the one you mean are different, you know?!”
“Shin Ari, I……!”
“Ah, ah. I don’t care. Just take it back. What you said about not being a good person.”
“I can’t do that.”
“Stubborn.”
“Look who’s talking.”
We stopped arguing at the knock from Captain Henkel.
I know it was childish, and that the atmosphere got unnecessarily overheated, but it still feels unfair.
“How dare he criticize my favorite.”
That was something I couldn’t tolerate, even if it was His Majesty.
There was a time I thought His Majesty had a terrible personality, but the one I’ve experienced is a good person. (Though his personality still seems bad.)
Did I ever praise his character the way I praise his face?
He could just acknowledge that he’s a good person without feeling burdened.
There’s no need to stubbornly insist that he’s not.
“Just you wait.”
For the first time in a while, I felt a fighting spirit boiling up from the depths of my fangirl devotion.
“I’ll make you admit it.”
The next day.
After spending the night almost entirely awake, I headed to His Majesty’s study when the time came.
When I flung the door open boldly, His Majesty, seated at his desk, closed the book he was reading and sneered.
“I thought you wouldn’t come, but you did.”
“Tsk.”
“……Tsk?”
His Majesty looked flustered, as if he couldn’t believe I had clicked my tongue at him.
After closing the door, I strode into the study.
“If we’re not going to date, is there any reason for me to try to look good in front of Your Majesty?”
“Shin Ari.”
“What.”
“……It’s nothing.”
He called my name like he had something to say, then lightly shook his head.
This is why love is the problem.
Where did the fighting spirit I burned with all night go? Just seeing his face makes me like him to death again.
‘No.’
I tightened my eyes and hardened my expression.
Otherwise, I might start grinning again at any moment.
“Look at this.”
I placed the bundle of papers I had been holding carefully against my chest onto his desk.
I set it down harder than expected and momentarily panicked that the scattered pages might fall to the floor.
If they fell, I’d have to awkwardly pick them up, and that would ruin the image.
Right now, I have to win the upper hand in this showdown with His Majesty.
Fortunately, since he was seated at his usual wide desk rather than the one used for lessons, the bundle of papers landed safely without a single sheet falling off.
“What is all this?”
With my arms crossed, I gestured toward the papers with my chin.
“What do you think.”
Burning with fighting spirit, I had written them all night……
“It’s fan-conversion material.”
“Fan……conversion?”
Dozens of pages were densely filled with my handwriting, which I had tried to make pretty.
After finishing, my finger joints had stiffened in the shape of holding a pen, and it took effort to straighten them.
To make someone become a fan, you have to put in a lot of effort.
‘If this were my previous world, I would’ve made a fan-conversion video and sent a link……. But when you’re the desperate one, you dig the well yourself.’
Heh heh. But even without a video, my materials were solid.
I forced down the corners of my lips that wanted to rise confidently and spoke like a cool-headed analyst.
“Your Majesty needs to look at yourself objectively.”
“…….”
The way he looked up at me seemed to say, “What are you up to this time.”
This composition right now…… I’m engraving it in relief onto my corneas……
For a moment, I felt dizzy, but I pulled myself together.
Today is an important day for the pride of my fangirl life……!
“Today’s lesson will be conducted by me.”
“…….”
His Majesty stared at me without replying.
Ignoring him, I picked up one of the sheets I had prepared.
If someone insults my favorite,
“The first topic is ‘Examining the Fan-Conversion Points of Alrend Khan Leodius.’”
Promotion is the best answer.
