Chapter 13
Hmm… What should I do while waiting…
It was while I was bored, staring blankly at the empty desk, that the thought suddenly crossed my mind.
‘Wait a minute, with the ever-vigilant Lord Shuian out of the picture… isn’t this an opportunity?’
An opportunity to pepper the relatively loose-lipped Xenon with all sorts of questions while Lord Shuian was away.
This is my chance!
Quickly gathering my thoughts, I sprang up from my seat and strode over to Xenon, who was reviewing documents.
“Sir, I have something to ask you. Do you have a moment?”
“Yes! My lady. Ask me anything!”
“Thank you. As you know, I like His Highness, right?”
“Yes, that’s right!”
“…By any chance, up until now, has there been anyone by His Highness’s side who could be called a lover… someone like that?”
In truth, this was something I already knew the answer to. Of course, there couldn’t have been a woman by Axel’s side.
Given his personality and the main plot of the novel where he’s the sub-male lead—absolutely! There was no way. But even though I was certain, the reason I asked anyway was because I wanted to hear the confirmation straight from someone.
“Hmm…”
Contrary to my expectation that he’d immediately say, “No, there hasn’t been!” Xenon didn’t quickly deny it. Instead, he furrowed his brow, as if deep in thought.
As his silence stretched on, an inexplicable anxiety began to grip me.
What? What is it! Don’t tell me there was someone? No, wait. There’s no way that could be true…!
Just as my expression, tinged with dismay, was starting to harden into stiffness, Xenon finally seemed to recall something he’d forgotten. With a refreshed look on his face, he beamed at me brightly.
“Ah! Right. When His Highness was young, there was a princess he was briefly promised to in a political marriage!”
I finally remembered. Ha ha.
At those words, I couldn’t help but yelp.
“What?!”
Is that for real? There really was someone?
No way!
My face twisted fiercely as I slammed my fist down on the desk with a bang. Startled, Xenon stammered in fright.
“Eek! Wh-why are you doing that?!”
My anger flared up briefly, but soon I felt utterly drained, my head spinning. It was like all the blood was draining from my body.
Like feeling the emotions of a mother-in-law in some trashy drama, I clutched my head and staggered.
“M-my lady!”
Xenon came over and steadied me as I wobbled, unable to keep my balance. Pressing my hand to my forehead, I asked him in a voice that sounded half-dead.
“Sigh… Okay. That could happen. So, Sir, how old was His Highness when that took place?”
“Uh… I think His Highness was around thirteen at the time.”
Thirteen, huh. Yeah. That was a relatively okay age. If it had been after he became an adult, I might have really collapsed.
Still, the shock didn’t fully fade, and my awkwardly furrowed brow refused to relax. Xenon, fidgeting anxiously beside me, added one more comment.
“D-don’t worry, my lady! It was just a promise made when they were children, so it’s been fizzled out for ages. Other than that, there’s really been no one by His Highness’s side! You know that too—everyone’s afraid of the Grand Duke. You’re the one and only person who acts like this around him.”
“…Sir. That princess won’t be coming to the empire, right?”
But again, no answer came. In this déjà vu-like situation, anxiety bubbled up once more. I lifted my head to look up at Xenon. He averted his gaze to the side, as if deliberately avoiding the question, just like a child.
I called out to Xenon again, and only then did he hesitantly part his tightly sealed lips.
“…Sir?”
“Uh… I heard that in two months, when the delegation from the Evanres Kingdom arrives, she’ll be coming with them… Oh, my lady! Stay with me!”
The moment I heard those words, my body collapsed backward as if fainting, and Xenon caught me in his arms.
It was while I was down from that overwhelming stress that a familiar voice suddenly came from behind us.
“…What are you two doing?”
“Y-Your Highness, my lady…!”
Xenon tried to hand me over to him as if he’d met a savior, but I sprang up even faster. Xenon stared at me with wide eyes, as if he’d seen someone rise from the grave.
I strode over to Axel and faced him with a grave look in my eyes.
“Your Highness, we need to talk.”
Sensing the unusual atmosphere, Lord Shuian quickly grabbed the flustered Xenon, bowed politely, and left the office.
In that moment, laced with a hint of tension, we both spoke at the same time.
“…So, what were you doing with Xenon?”
“Your Highness, did you really promise a political marriage with that princess?”
Why is Xenon coming up here? Axel furrowed his brow similarly at the unexpected mention.
Once again, we questioned each other simultaneously.
“Sir Xenon?”
“…Political marriage?”
Can’t you tell from seeing me collapsed? What do you mean, what were we doing? It was like a mother grabbing her neck in rage and collapsing, with her son catching her!
My mind wasn’t functioning normally anymore. Axel sighed.
“…Xenon must have said something unnecessary. It’s not something for you to worry about, my lady.”
Those words shocked me. Unnecessary? And not something for me to worry about?
It was true, but it felt oddly like he was drawing a line, and it rubbed me the wrong way.
“No, Your Highness. I absolutely must hear it! Please answer me!”
“Shouldn’t you answer first? I asked before you.”
His eyes showed a firm resolve not to respond until I spoke first. I clamped my lips shut and glared at him. I couldn’t understand why he was fixating on such a weird point.
This wasn’t just about answering or not. It was a matter of pride.
It would be easy to just answer.
But admitting with my own mouth that I was so shocked by the fact he had a fiancée that I collapsed— that was too embarrassing for me.
Yet, I absolutely had to hear his answer…
After agonizing, I decided to weave in a little white lie. It wasn’t a complete falsehood, so it should be fine.
“…It was just that I almost fell, and Sir Xenon caught me.”
“I see the lady expresses being embraced as ‘catching.'”
Why is he nitpicking like this today! At his subtly sarcastic tone, I widened my eyes and brazenly shouted.
“Yes. That’s how I express it! Satisfied? Now it’s your turn to answer, Your Highness.”
“…The political marriage was just something the adults from both families discussed when we were children. And even that became as if it never happened afterward. Is that enough?”
My head understood that it couldn’t be helped and that it was already in the past, but I still couldn’t stop it from bothering me.
It was like discovering traces of an ex-girlfriend (not really an ex) from a boyfriend (not really a boyfriend)…?
With my lips firmly sealed, I looked up at Axel and cautiously voiced the anxiety I’d been holding inside.
“Your Highness, if… just if, a political marriage proposal came up again now… you’d naturally refuse, right…?”
You wouldn’t, right? You won’t do it? Hurry and say you won’t!
I gazed at him with desperate eyes, urging an answer. Axel lowered his gaze slightly toward me, brought his hand to his mouth, and quietly parted his lips.
“…Well. I’m not sure.”
That single, curt word completely turned my insides upside down. I shouted faster than anyone.
“You said you have no intention of a loveless marriage!”
The moment I got the video orb for you, I came with both hands full—how could you do this!
It was a betrayal on the level of buying a photocard for 100,000 won, only for some scandal to break the next day and tank its value straight down.
