Chapter 28.
“Ah!”
As soon as I flung open the door to Joachim’s room, I gasped in shock.
He was standing there, half-naked with only a towel wrapped around his waist, staring right at me.
I nearly backed out and slammed the door shut behind me.
But let’s not forget. I’m Rene Stade.
Rene wouldn’t be shocked by the sight of a naked man. She might even appreciate it.
But I just couldn’t brazenly appreciate it…
‘…This guy’s built like a beast.’
No, look up. No, look down. Wait, what am I supposed to do?
No matter where I turned my eyes, it felt like I was seeing something I shouldn’t. In the end, I squeezed my eyes shut tight.
Screw Rene’s character— this isn’t right! I’m a modern person with intellect and morals.
“…Am I that hideous?”
Even with my eyes closed, I heard his voice, laced with hurt. At those words, I cautiously cracked my eyes open, only to see his body even closer, and I hurriedly turned my head away.
Shoot, I shouldn’t do this. As I pondered how to salvage the character breakdown I’d just committed, a stunned voice came from beside me.
“Is it… that unbearable to look at?”
“…What are you talking about?”
If he meant his body, then yes. It definitely wasn’t all-ages appropriate visuals.
“Are you… turning away from me?”
His voice still trembled with shock, and I furrowed my brow.
What? He couldn’t have been waiting like this on purpose just to show me, right?
“There isn’t a woman alive who could turn away from you right now, Duke Rommel. I don’t know every woman’s heart, but I can guarantee that.”
“But Your Highness is turning away from me right now.”
“…I suppose my gaze might make you uncomfortable.”
A scoffing laugh escaped him, as if that was absurd.
“Why do you think I’m here like this?”
Suddenly, Joachim—or rather, his body—intruded into my field of vision.
When I tried to turn my head the other way, he urgently followed my gaze, as if begging me not to avoid him.
“Why do you think I fought so hard to get in here? Because my presence disgusts you?”
Joachim shook his head again, as if the very idea was ridiculous.
“If I think about all the foolish things I’ve done just to hold Your Highness’s gaze on me a little longer… I want to go back and beat my past self senseless.”
Joachim knelt on one knee right at the edge of my vision, leaving me nowhere to escape.
“Please, don’t turn away from me.”
I can say with certainty that no woman could turn away from that face and body.
Friedrich might be the ultimate heartthrob in this world, but this guy is one of the top beauties too.
So, my heart aches a bit right now. Who knew I had such a soft side?
“…If I wanted to turn away, I wouldn’t have come here in the first place.”
As I narrowed my brow and swept my hair back, a spark of light flickered in Joachim’s eyes.
‘Still, it’s my first day here, so I figured I should at least drop by once.’
If I were truly Rene… I’d have pushed Joachim straight onto the bed by now.
“Whoa, hold on!”
I’d only thought it, but Joachim was already reaching for the towel around his waist.
I hurriedly grabbed his hand to stop him, and he made a face like he’d just realized something, then guided my hand to the knot in the towel.
With a sly smile, he said,
“My apologies. I nearly deprived Your Highness of her pleasure.”
“No, no. Duke, let’s… since it’s nighttime, how about we do something quiet and peaceful instead.”
Joachim looked puzzled for a moment, then his expression shifted to understanding as he asked,
“Would that satisfy you?”
“Oh… I’d really appreciate it if you’d take my words at face value and not read too much into them, Duke.”
I had no idea what he was thinking, but I probably shouldn’t ask.
Joachim and Elsa are neck and neck when it comes to overinterpreting things.
I flashed a bright smile and quickly scanned the room. Thankfully, I spotted his robe discarded to the side.
I hurried over, grabbed it, and draped it over his shoulders. It was so massive due to his build that I could have used it as a blanket.
‘He’s not exactly bulky, so I didn’t think much of it, but up close, he’s huge…’
I even tied a pretty ribbon knot at his waist, and Joachim stared at me with an even more bewildered expression.
His eyes clearly tried to decipher my intentions, but he’d never guess why I’d really come here.
The most Rene-like quiet activity I could do at night while keeping it all-ages appropriate. That would be…!
“Ta-da, I meant knitting.”
I pulled two pairs of knitting needles from my pocket with a grin, and Joachim’s face twisted strangely, like he’d heard something utterly absurd.
Of course, I knew that… but I decided to brazen it out like Rene would.
“There’s nothing more fun than knitting at night. It’s a miracle cure for insomnia. Don’t you have insomnia, Duke?”
“…I do, actually.”
Joachim muttered with a face as shocked as before.
“Are you serious? Do you mean that literally? Or is it some new euphemism…”
“Oh, no. Literal knitting. Don’t think anything weird.”
I grabbed his hand and pulled him to his feet. He rose with a coy downward glance, as if he’d been waiting for it.
“Come on, this way.”
In the end, I did lead him to the bed. But not with any impure intentions.
It was just that there wasn’t a table wider than the bed to lay out the yarn and needles.
But Joachim fiddled with his robe, clearly convinced I had no intention of just innocently knitting.
“Is the robe uncomfortable? Then I’ll step out while you get dressed.”
“…No, Your Highness.”
Though his following expression turned a bit sulky. As I picked up the needles, I casually asked,
“Do you know how to knit?”
“I don’t.”
Then he suddenly switched to a beaming smile and looked at me.
“Teach me.”
…Dangerous! It feels like he’s doing this on purpose, which makes it even more dangerous!
I smiled awkwardly and demonstrated for him.
“First, hold the needles like this.”
“Like this?”
…This is serious. He really has no dexterity at all.
It looked like it was going to be a rough road, so I steeled myself.
“No, like this.”
I demonstrated again.
Joachim fidgeted his hands a few times, then furrowed his brow in frustration, like he couldn’t stand it himself.
With no other choice, I took his hands directly and adjusted his grip.
“Like I said, this way.”
“…”
Joachim lowered his eyes coyly again and nodded. After that, it was just like with Friedrich.
Joachim couldn’t grasp it just by watching, so I ended up holding his hands one by one to show him.
When we finally completed one row together, I unraveled the whole thing right in front of his proud face. His expression turned to despair.
“Your Highness.”
“Now, try it again.”
“…I don’t remember well.”
Joachim practically pouted, fidgeting restlessly.
Realizing anew how quickly Friedrich had picked it up, I grabbed the needles once more.
“Alright, let’s try it one more time.”
Before I knew it, the smile had vanished from Joachim’s face. He nodded with a serious, grave expression.
…But while Joachim overflowed with enthusiasm, his dexterity was truly, truly abysmal!
‘When did I fall asleep?’
I must have dozed off without realizing it; I had no memory of the end.
Slowly opening my eyes, I looked beside me and saw Joachim sleeping soundly.
And beneath the slipped robe hem, his exposed chest…
‘…I should cover that.’
There was no one else to see, but he might catch a cold.
I gently pulled the blanket up to his chin.
‘He said he had insomnia.’
Seeing him sleep so well, last night’s knitting must have worked wonders for a good night’s rest.
‘Good thing I didn’t grab Joachim’s chest.’
If I’d repeated the mistake I made with Friedrich here, it’d be a disaster.
Friedrich let it slide because he’s good-natured…
‘What is he up to, I wonder.’
I felt oddly concerned, wondering if he’d heard that I’d gone to Joachim’s bedroom.
