Prologue.
Inside the most famous dessert cafe in the capital.
In the midst of a lively social gathering, one young lady covered her mouth with a fan and whispered.
“Did you all hear the news? The 3rd Princess and Duke Ainluk have broken off their engagement.”
The mention of Duke Ainluk drew the young ladies’ attention.
Duke Ainluk was the head of one of the four great ducal houses and still unmarried.
He had always been popular for his striking appearance and exceptional abilities.
But now, with his engagement to the imperial family recently dissolved, he had become an even more sought-after prospective groom.
“Well, Duke Ainluk has endured a lot all this time. If it weren’t for the imperial decree, he probably would have called it off long ago.”
“Still, is this really okay? I’m worried this might cause some division among the imperial faction.”
The engagement between the 3rd Princess and Duke Ainluk had been decided before either of them was even born.
It was a mechanism to strengthen the bond between the Ainluk family, a core pillar of the imperial faction, and the imperial family itself.
So no matter how much tyranny the 3rd Princess displayed or how many affairs she had, Duke Ainluk never reacted.
They were supposed to hold their wedding the following year, which made the news of the broken engagement all the more impactful.
Meanwhile, Rodellia was watching the entire situation with satisfaction.
‘Finally, Brother Len has come to his senses. All my efforts so far have paid off.’
She had desperately wished for the two of them to break up, so there had never been a day as joyful as today.
Honestly, he was far too good a man to be killed by that villainess.
Thinking that she had saved the poor sub-male lead’s life filled her with a sense of pride.
And as a bonus, her own life should be a bit safer now too.
She struggled to suppress the twitch at the corners of her mouth, hiding her delight, when someone spoke up.
“Well, from what I hear, His Majesty the Emperor has given his approval as well.”
“Oh my, really?”
“I’m not sure of the details, but apparently the duke wanted the breakup so badly that he paid a considerable price for it.”
The young lady leading the conversation gathered everyone closer and continued.
“Rumor has it that the duke has someone he’s been secretly in love with for a long time.”
At that moment, Rodellia, who had been quietly focusing on the conversation, widened her eyes and asked back.
“What? Someone he likes?”
“Come to think of it, Lady Ferris has been close to Duke Ainluk since childhood, hasn’t she?”
“Ah, well, more precisely, he’s close with my brother….”
Rodellia, realizing she had unintentionally raised her voice, trailed off with a look of discomfort.
But it was already too late to shake off the focused attention.
The young lady steering the discussion asked with gleaming eyes.
“By any chance, does Lady Ferris know who Duke Ainluk likes?”
Under the ensuing interrogation, Rodellia felt cold sweat beading on her forehead.
No matter how much she thought about it, there was only one person Alferen Ainluk could possibly like.
‘Could it be that Brother Len has already met the female lead?’
No. That couldn’t be.
The original story’s female lead was still studying abroad in another country, so they couldn’t have met yet.
In that case, he must have lied to the emperor to get the engagement broken.
Rodellia evaded the question with a puzzled expression.
“I’m not sure. I really don’t know. The duke doesn’t talk much about personal matters….”
It was at that moment.
Ding-a-ling.
The sound of someone entering the cafe rang out, and in an instant, those who had been talking about Duke Ainluk fell silent.
The subject of their gossip had appeared.
Brilliant silver hair and dazzlingly cold blue eyes.
The man, with an icy aura that seemed like he wouldn’t bleed even if pricked, scanned the surroundings before fixing his gaze on Rodellia.
Soon, his expression softened, and the young ladies who had been stealing glances blushed.
Meanwhile, Rodellia, who had been lost in thought wondering who Alferen liked, didn’t even notice his arrival and continued forking into her dessert.
The treat in front of her being particularly delicious played a part in that.
Alferen came to a stop in front of Rodellia.
“Rodellia.”
“Huh? Brother Len? What brings you here?”
Rodellia, finally recognizing Alferen, greeted him warmly.
He looked well-dressed, as if he’d come from somewhere important.
“I’m here to pick you up in Adrian’s place. He suddenly got a stomachache.”
That’s strange. Why does something always seem to happen to my brother only when he’s supposed to come pick me up?
Is he doing this on purpose because he doesn’t want to bother?
Rodellia furrowed her brow at the reasonable suspicion.
“Gosh, I don’t know why my brother always dumps these annoying tasks on you, Brother Len.”
“I’m doing it because I want to.”
As their eyes met, a faint smile spread across Alferen’s lips.
At that moment, the surrounding young ladies let out sighs of longing.
“Huh….”
The smile of Duke Ainruk, renowned for his usual cold demeanor, was an exceedingly rare and lethally charming sight.
Meanwhile, Rodellia, for whom his smiles were an everyday occurrence, rose from her seat without giving it much thought.
When he politely extended his hand, she placed hers atop it and said,
“I’ll be going now.”
“…Yes, take care on your way.”
The young ladies bid Rodellia farewell with dazed expressions.
It was especially awkward since they had just been wondering who Duke Ainruk’s lover might be, making their faces all the more meaningful.
Unaware of any of this, Rodellia climbed into the carriage with Alferen. Then, she promptly asked,
“Everyone’s in an uproar about your broken engagement, Brother.”
“It’s interest that will fade soon enough.”
Alferen replied nonchalantly, naturally shifting his body to block the sunlight.
Next, knowing how much Rodellia disliked stuffiness, he cracked open the carriage window a bit, and she said,
“By the way, have you found someone you like, Len?”
In that moment, Alferen’s broad shoulders twitched.
Oblivious to this, Rodellia raised her voice.
“No, the young ladies were saying that earlier. That you broke off the engagement because you have a lover now.”
“…Is that so?”
“I don’t know who it is, but you have to get my permission before dating anyone. Got it? Especially someone as handsome as you—it’s all too easy for weird people to latch on.”
I went through all that trouble to break off the engagement, so he absolutely can’t get involved with some strange woman before meeting the female lead!
Moreover, it was uncertain whether the Third Princess Nanael would willingly let go of Alferen.
Until the female lead appeared, it was hard to feel completely at ease, and tension instinctively gripped her body.
Meanwhile, at Rodellia’s chattering words, Alferen let out a soft chuckle.
“You’re right. It definitely needs your confirmation, for you.”
He followed this with a peculiar glance, but Rodellia, utterly elated by the success of the broken engagement, was unlikely to notice.
“Of course, of course. I’ll take responsibility and help you meet someone great!”
She straightened her shoulders and puffed up with pride, and he pulled something from his pocket, holding it out.
“So, about that.”
What he produced was a velvet ring case.
Inside the case was a pink diamond embedded, resembling Rodellia’s hair color.
Blinking in confusion, wondering what this was, he grinned.
“What do you think? Do you like it?”
“Hmm, well. If it’s a gift, shouldn’t the recipient’s taste matter more than mine?”
Of course, if it’s from someone like Alferen, there’d be plenty of people who’d be thrilled even with a plain stone ring.
At her casual response, Alferen persisted stubbornly.
“What about you?”
“It’s pretty. I don’t know who’s getting it, but they’ll love it for sure.”
Honestly, it’s my taste too.
She added this in a low murmur to herself.
Pleased by her positive reaction, Alferen slipped the ring onto her finger and said,
“Then keep it for yourself.”
“Huh?”
“This is yours now.”
“…Huh?”
Rodellia wore a blank expression, not immediately understanding.
Flustered by the sudden gift of a ring, whose intent she couldn’t grasp, he explained,
“The truth is, because of what happened at the Magic Tower, Princess Nanael suspects something between us. His Majesty seemed to know as well, which is why he so readily approved the broken engagement.”
“Ah.”
If it’s about what happened at the Magic Tower…
Just as a sudden recollection made Rodelia’s face begin to flush hotly.
“So, Rodellia Ferris.”
Alferen continued with a grave tone.
“Would you mind pretending to be my lover for a while? Just until I find someone good, like you said.”
