Chapter 34
I pulled out a small rabbit-ear-shaped pin that I always carried in my peddler’s bag.
‘…This should be fine, right?’
Honestly, if it were up to me, I’d want to put a huge rabbit headband on him, but I pushed that aside because it seemed like he’d wake up right away.
With that, I approached him, holding the rabbit pin in one hand.
Even though I didn’t have tremors, my hand was shaking uncontrollably; I gripped it tight and managed to pin one onto his hair.
I let out a sigh of relief, but only for a moment before I immediately started targeting spots for other pins.
‘If I fail, run; if I succeed, cutie…!’
I just couldn’t resist the insane combination of sleeping Axel plus rabbit hair pins once it was complete.
‘Your Highness, please endure just this once…!’
It was right when I successfully pinned the last rabbit pin into his black hair. His eyelids lifted, and I met his black eyes head-on.
I blinked rapidly. I felt a dizzying sensation, like a child caught doing something naughty. With my hand still awkwardly raised, I forced a smile and greeted him.
“Haha… Hello, Your Highness. Good morning.”
“…What were you doing just now?”
Axel grabbed my wrist that was floating in the air, eyeing me sharply with suspicion.
Normally, I’d play dumb and say it was nothing, but right now, I was too busy trying to hold back laughter. The gap between the utterly cute and adorable rabbit ears on Axel’s head and his now fierce expression kept making me want to laugh.
My face twisted strangely as I tried to suppress the laughter.
“Heup…”
I quickly turned my head, barely managing to stop the burst of laughter.
His voice, full of suspicion, called me in a tone lower than before. He too had sensed that the situation was flowing strangely.
This is why quick-witted grand dukes are…
I swiftly composed my expression and continued speaking to Axel as if nothing had happened, all innocent-like.
“Come on, Your Highness. What could I possibly have been doing?”
As I said that, I used my floating hand to gently brush off the top of his hair.
“Just this—there was a tiny bit of dust on Your Highness’s hair, so I was brushing it off. Really. Believe me.”
“Just brushing off dust? And you snuck up beside me while I was asleep to do it.”
“As if I’d dare commit any disrespect toward Your Highness.”
“You must know that the more you say that, the less credible it becomes. Tell the truth. What did you do?”
He could have let it go by now, but Axel was quite persistent. Denying it further would only raise more suspicion. I completely changed my strategy.
“More importantly, Your Highness. Why is it so hard to open my eyes today? Ugh.”
As I said that, I scrunched up my face and shielded it with the back of my hand, as if blocking the sunlight. Axel reacted immediately.
“What’s wrong? My lady. Are you hurt somewhere?”
“No, it’s not that… Light is shining from Your Highness’s face, making it hard to keep my eyes open. You’re always handsome, but today especially, your face is full of radiance. Your Highness.”
Before Axel could spit out any harsh words, I plastered a beaming smile on my face. I was desperately embodying the saying that you can’t spit on a smiling face.
At those words, his brow, which had been about to furrow fiercely, immediately relaxed, and he let out a scoffing laugh.
Did it work? I immediately folded my eyes into a smile and held up the camera toward Axel.
“So, about that. Your Highness. Can I take a few photos?”
I still hadn’t captured him with the rabbit pins on. Axel asked sharply.
“You usually take them without asking. Why ask today?”
“Haha. Your Highness, really. When did I ever do that? So, Your Highness. That means I can, right?”
“If I said no, would you not do it?”
“Well…”
I trailed off and brushed it aside with a vague smile.
From what I’d observed of Axel so far, this was essentially permission, so I immediately pulled out the camera and started snapping pictures of him.
I busily shifted angles here and there, capturing him in the camera. After finishing all the shots, I asked him.
“But Your Highness. Did you not sleep well last night?”
“You’re quick to ask.”
Axel, flipping through documents, gave me a small reproach.
“There was a lot to do, so no time to sleep.”
As expected, he seemed to have pulled an all-nighter.
I looked at him with a sympathetic gaze, then started rummaging through my peddler’s bag. I pulled out something and handed it to Axel.
“What’s… this?”
“My photocard!”
“So why are you giving this to me now?”
“To look at whenever you’re feeling drained. This one’s completely special, unlike the usual ones!”
Axel frowned as he looked down at the photocard. His expression said he had no idea what made it special.
“What’s so special about it?”
“More!”
“…More?”
“More cute and adorable! Look at this cheek heart!”
“Cheek heart?”
He stared at me with deep furrows in his brow. It seemed like he was asking what that even meant. I kindly began explaining the cheek heart to him.
“See this hand shape here. It’s like half a heart! You put it against your cheek, so it’s a cheek heart!”
Even after the explanation, Axel wore an uncomprehending expression, but I steadfastly continued.
“From now on, whenever Your Highness seems tired, I’ll give you one of my special photocards.”
“…I don’t think it’ll help much.”
A very realistic response came back, far removed from a fan’s perspective.
At Axel’s answer, I shook my head as if he didn’t get it.
No, no. This is why muggles just don’t understand.
Of course, it might not provide practical help, but it can offer mental support!
“No. Just looking at it gives you strength—that’s what your ultimate bias’s photocard does! It can provide tremendous mental help to Your Highness!”
“What’s an ultimate bias now? Half of what you say, I can’t understand.”
Oh no, I hadn’t even explained ultimate bias to him!
Well, I’d been so absorbed in fangirling over him that I hadn’t had time to explain such things.
I began explaining it to him step by step.
“Ultimate bias means the person you love the most.”
“Love the most?”
Axel’s eyebrow twitched at those words.
“Yes! And my ultimate bias is obviously!”
“…Obviously?”
“Obviously, Your Highness the Grand Duke!”
If I thought his expression looked strangely satisfied after that, was it just my imagination?
“So, Your Highness needs to put in even more effort now.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“I told you. Your ultimate bias is someone who gives you strength just by looking at them. So, to maximize the power of this photocard, Your Highness needs to try a bit harder to make me like you more. Until you become my ultimate bias!”
It might sound like nonsense logic right now, but if I keep pushing like this, maybe someday he’ll come around.
Words can do anything. Just throw it out there for now!
A knock on the door came along with voices. It was Lord Shuian and Xenon.
“Your Highness, we’re coming in.”
“Come in.”
When I heard Axel’s permission to enter, I belatedly made an ‘oh no’ face.
I still hadn’t retrieved the rabbit pins from Axel’s head…!
But the door had already opened.
