Chapter 38
That meant, could it be…?
“Ah, and I’m sorry, but could you all clear the room for a bit? I have something private to discuss.”
“Understood, Your Highness. If there’s anything you need, please call for us at any time.”
With those words, the staff began to vanish from sight without a sound or trace.
‘Ah, no… Don’t leave me alone here…!’
Startled, I whipped my head around, scanning the surroundings, but the madam had already disappeared too. All those employees had vanished in an instant.
Do they all learn stealth or something…? How is this possible!
The dressing room, which had already felt spacious, now seemed even more vast.
In the eerily quiet space, where it felt like echoes might reverberate, it was the Crown Prince who spoke first.
“So, how have you been in the meantime? Lady Melberine?”
“Yes. I’ve… been well.”
“That’s good to hear, but aren’t you curious about how I’ve been?”
Even as he said that, the Crown Prince didn’t erase the smile from his face.
“Haha, Your Highness… have you been at peace as well?”
He responded as if he’d been waiting for the question, his tone suddenly turning deeply somber as an added touch.
“…No. Not at peace at all. In fact, I’ve recently suffered a great disappointment.”
For some reason, I had a strong premonition that it was connected to me.
Haha, I tried to brush it off with an awkward laugh, but the Crown Prince deliberately brought it up.
“Someone said they don’t like me anymore… It broke my heart.”
“I-is that so…?”
“And on top of that, they even said it’s not me anymore, but someone like a little brother to me—Axel… When I heard that, I thought my heart was being torn apart.”
He produced a handkerchief from somewhere and dabbed at his eyes with a feigned sad expression.
The Crown Prince’s acting was masterful. If I weren’t the one involved in this story, I might have been completely fooled.
Faced with this unexpected formidable opponent, I tensed up sharply.
I could sense it instinctively. Without a doubt, the Crown Prince was enjoying this situation!
He had a devilish interior that belied his outward appearance.
Where had that angelic figure gone, the one who had kindly smiled at me when we first met…!
No, wait.
From the moment he kindly smiled at a stalker like me, it might have been hard to see him as normal.
“Lady, do you have any idea why that might be?”
The Crown Prince was now openly asking me for the reason. After a brief moment of hesitation about whether to play along, I rolled my eyes and opened my mouth.
“W-well, I’m not sure… But didn’t Your Highness not really care anyway?”
“Hm? Me? No way. I care a lot.”
The Crown Prince denied it with wide, rounded eyes. I was flustered by his words.
Is this acting too? Why lie about this?
Even though this was before the original story began, it was a well-known fact to everyone that the Crown Prince didn’t like Judith, who followed him around like a stalker.
“Y-you found it annoying how she followed you around like a stalker and clung to you, didn’t you? You’ve never once accepted Jud… I mean, me.”
“Hm. Did I ever tell you that I found it annoying or that I disliked it?”
I fell silent, as if struck in a vital spot. Come to think of it, nowhere in the original story did the Crown Prince ever say he disliked Judith.
I, and everyone else, had just assumed he did. Because any normal person would naturally find it dislikeable.
But the important thing was that the Crown Prince was far from normal.
“And I think not accepting you was something I couldn’t help as well.”
Couldn’t help?
“It’s painful for me to say this myself, but you weren’t truly fond of me. It wasn’t me you wanted—it was the position of Crown Princess.”
I closed my mouth in surprise at the words he uttered with a smile. I hadn’t expected to hear the truth I’d only suspected straight from his lips.
Judith’s obsession with the Crown Princess position wasn’t normal if she truly liked the Crown Prince.
Suddenly, the Crown Prince drew closer to me.
“So, why the sudden change of heart? Hm? I’ve been curious.”
“W-well… Isn’t the human heart the easiest thing in the world to change, Your Highness…? I think it can shift without any major reason.”
I forced an awkward smile and stepped back. He stared at me with a piercing gaze, as if trying to read my inner thoughts.
“Indeed… You do seem quite different from before.”
For a moment, his eyes sharpened keenly, but then he smiled as if it didn’t matter. …As expected, the Crown Prince made me uncomfortable.
No matter how outstanding his looks were, I didn’t want to be with him any longer.
As I stealthily plotted my escape, I heard words that made me doubt my ears.
“But now that I think about you not following me around anymore, it feels quite regrettable.”
“…Pardon?”
What?
Despite my bewildered question, the Crown Prince steadfastly continued.
“It was thrilling and fun, like playing tag.”
…Is he serious?
Judging by his oddly wistful expression, he seemed genuine.
Shaking my head inwardly, thinking he truly wasn’t in his right mind, the Crown Prince addressed me again.
“Then, these outfits must all be here to pick as gifts for Axel, right? Honestly, when I first heard the rumor, I couldn’t believe it. I never imagined you’d show interest in Axel. May I ask what about him caught your eye?”
Upon hearing that question, I flinched for a moment.
…Right now, he’s asking what I like about Axel?
The Crown Prince had just uttered a question that one should absolutely never ask a fan. My eyes, which had been filled with a desperate longing to go home during our conversation, transformed in an instant.
The dead, fish-like gaze came alive, sparkling with vitality. Sensing something amiss, the Crown Prince called my name softly.
“His sharp eyes that soften gently when he smiles. The right corner of his mouth that cutely lifts when he gives a faint smile. The distinct jawline and features contrasting with his soft, fluffy-looking face that seems to have downy fuzz. A face with perfect symmetry and golden ratios, as if sculpted by the gods over centuries. Broad shoulders honed by training, and a wide chest that would make you fall asleep the moment you lean on it. The taut muscles visible under his stretched shirt. On the outside, he seems like a prickly kitten, but inside, he’s got that contrasting charm of being soft and sticky like glutinous rice cake!”
In truth, this was woefully insufficient to fully explain what I liked about Axel, but I cut it off at a reasonable point due to shortness of breath.
Hah, hah. As I panted like I’d just done intense exercise, he stared at me with a dazed look. Seeing him flustered for the first time made me feel refreshed, like I’d landed a solid blow.
Underestimating my fan dedication.
With a triumphant expression, I looked at the Crown Prince, but soon reality hit me.
…Uh. Wait, is it okay for me to act like this?
It had been so long since I’d heard someone ask what I liked about him that I’d lost my senses and blurted it all out, but belatedly, I wondered if this was alright.
‘I should be thinking of a way to escape this place, not drawing more aggro…!’
In my despondent state, I closed my eyes and groaned inwardly.
Clap clap clap clap.
A clear applause rang out.
…Hm?
I slowly opened my eyes to see the Crown Prince clapping with a face that looked somehow shocked. He also appeared oddly moved.
“How is this possible…?”
Soon, he added one more sentence.
“How… could there be someone who thinks exactly like me? Not only is it my first time encountering this, but for it to be you, my lady.”
