Chapter 34: [Chapter 034] Who is tempting whom?
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Early morning. Roardnes's chamber was as bustling as ever. His master was exhibiting an unprecedented behavior by attending the Crown Prince's birthday party for two consecutive days, an event he had not attended in years. With his brow furrowed, Roardnes was pondering over a few jackets on his bed. Having bathed without assistance, he stood only in a towel, his well-defined muscles still glistening from the water.
Neil, who had barged into the Crown Prince's chamber in search of new clothes, frowned naturally.
"There are plenty of ornate clothes, Your Highness. It's just that you don't wear them often."
"Pick the most flamboyant and visually appealing one."
Roardnes, having stopped his deliberation, stretched out on the small couch, his body much larger than the furniture.
"Why don't you just have a servant do this? The servants of the Second Prince are lucky. They have such high-quality personnel doing their work."
"Just pick something out."
Neil, boasting the best aesthetic sense in the entire Second Royal Knight Order, filled with dark-skinned men, grinned and winked. In truth, no matter what he wore, his master was a sight to behold.
'If only he would shut up.'
"But don't you usually just wear whatever the servant picks out? Why are you even calling me this early in the morning? And attending the birthday party for two days in a row? Other royals don't even attend that often. It's not like you're on a date. Are you really thinking of finding a bride?"
Amusing himself at his own thoughts, Neil was delighted at the prospect of dressing up Roardnes, who was suddenly so concerned with his appearance.
"A date... I suppose it's something like that."
".....Yes?"
Neil shuddered as he looked at Roardnes, whose lips were twisted into a smirk.
"A... what?"
"I'm going on a date with the Countess of Acacia, so make me look as splendid as possible."
Neil almost threw the jacket in shock.
"Oh, come on!"
Grabbing the jacket, he strode towards Roardnes, who was lying on the couch like a statue.
"You're finally doing it! You're finally getting involved with her? Even though this country is quite decadent, and they say Your Highness is at the pinnacle of it! Even though the Duke of Trovica is only half your uncle! How could you with that woman?!"
Neil shouted in a low voice and jumped as he held the pearl-colored jacket. When Roardnes, who had been ignoring his complaints with half-closed eyes, sat up abruptly and snatched it away, Neil swallowed hard.
"Are you listening to me?"
Determined not to give up the jacket, Neil held it tightly. With a smile that he rarely showed, Roardnes easily took it from him. Was this the smile a man on a date would have?
'This atmosphere... could it be?'
".....It's not a date, is it?"
When Roardnes simply smiled calmly, without any excitement, Neil opened his mouth.
"A seduction...?"
"It seems like you're finally thinking of doing some work. If you had babbled one more time..."
"My head would have hit the ground. Or maybe my shinbone would have been broken in two."
Neil looked up at Roardnes, who was putting on the shirt he had brought. As Roardnes's always-tense back muscles rippled, Neil unconsciously swallowed.
"It's not like I'm doing this for you."
"I'm sure you're going to use that woman."
Without explaining further, Roardnes expressed his annoyance with a furrowed brow, and Neil understood immediately.
"That lying woman was trying to seduce Your Highness!"
Neil, his servant, muttered to himself. "To think you'd try to seduce such a woman! How audacious!" He clenched his fist determinedly and refused to hand Roardnes the jacket.
"What?" Roardnes asked.
"Your Highness."
"What is it?"
"Actually, Your Highness looks best with nothing on."
Neil placed the jacket neatly on the couch and quickly unbuttoned the shirt that was fastened all the way up, revealing his collarbone. "Perfect!"
A man who looked more beautiful the less he wore. That was Roardnes Kozma d'Ronta, the crown prince's greatest playboy.
***
"Your Highness?"
Roardnes snapped back to reality, remembering the morning's events. Blie, with her hair half-pulled back, was looking at him. Unlike he had expected, her attire, while not modest, didn't seem designed to seduce someone.
"Is something uncomfortable?"
"You're beautiful."
Blie's eyes widened in surprise at his sudden compliment.
"I took a little extra care today. Even though we're pretending to be lovers, I wanted to maintain your dignity. And since it's still debutante season..."
When he complimented a woman, most would blush and become flustered. If he spoke to them then, they would ramble on and give away any information he wanted, too dazed to even realize they'd spoken. But this woman, while embarrassed, seemed unaffected, almost indifferent to his praise.
"You don't need to worry about my dignity. As you know, my reputation isn't the best in the empire."
"I've heard as much. But you're also very famous, so I think a little image management is necessary."
Huh.
'I've heard as much?'
Was she challenging him? But Blie's expression was calm, as if she were simply giving him advice.
This content is taken from freeweɓnovel.cѳm.
"I have no intention of doing any image management."
"What?"
"I mean I'll do whatever it takes to get the title of 'new lovers'."
***
A new lover. Those words made me realize that Roardnes was more serious about this play than I had thought. The word "lover" as it rolled off his tongue made my throat dry. When the conversation stalled, my eyes naturally drifted to his attire.
The Crown Prince's birthday party lasted three days. On the first day, all the nobles and royals of the capital attended. On the second day, most of the royals were absent. Naturally, everyone dressed impeccably on the first day, in somewhat classic styles. On the second day, the atmosphere was a bit more relaxed, with people wearing more fashionable attire. I didn't know much about men's fashion, but I didn't think anyone would dress as casually as Roardnes. My eyes kept returning to his unbuttoned shirt. His jacket was carelessly tossed in a corner of the carriage, and his cravat was nowhere to be found. His broad shoulders pushed his shirt open, revealing his deep collarbone. No matter how hard I tried to look away, it was too captivating. The white shirt he wore was wrinkle-free and perfectly ironed but stretched slightly to fit his body.
"I wonder why I find it so frustrating," I mused, staring at the way his shirt gaped open, revealing too much of his chest. A sharp gaze fell upon me.
"Ah!"
I realized I had been staring a little too intently at his masculine form. Heat rushed to my cheeks as I glanced up at him. Our eyes met, his a fiery red. A faint smile, like a lifeless flower, played on his lips. He raised an eyebrow slightly and slowly smoothed down his disheveled hair, buttoning his shirt.
"...?"
The slight upturn of one corner of his mouth was the satisfied grin of a predator after a successful hunt. As if he had accomplished his goal.
"...What goal?"
As the carriage came to a stop, the jumbled thoughts in my head ceased abruptly. Roardnes, now haphazardly dressed in a cravat and jacket, had already stepped out and was offering me his hand. As soon as he alighted, a small commotion arose. It was more of a gasp than a sound. The outside was completely dark, but the entrance of Athilchard Hall was romantically illuminated with glittering lights and decorations.
"Shall we go, my lady?"
His hand, offered to me, was far too large, with thick knuckles and long fingers. I hesitated slightly before taking it. Through the thin glove, I could feel the rough calluses of his palm. But at the same time, my head felt a little light. The warmth of his hand, which was gripping mine far too intimately, was almost melting my hand.
***
Athilchard Hall was already teeming with people. As soon as we entered, there was a brief moment of silence, followed by renewed commotion. However, there were a few people who stood out, their eyes fixed on us.
"Countess Jusetta seems to be very interested in us."
"Is that the lady with the crimson hair, Countess Jusetta?"
"Noura Jusetta. She's also a maid to Her Highness, the Crown Princess."
I finally understood why Doris had called me yesterday. As soon as Roardnes finished speaking, her eyes met mine. I smiled reflexively. She seemed surprised and returned a stiff smile, turning her head towards her group.
"Is there another reason why you wanted to attend this party besides showing off to Noel of Trovica?"
He gestured slightly towards a familiar figure standing in a corner.
"That man there...?"
It was Jimsker, Noel's aide.
"It's not like I would ignore him just because he's not here."
"I didn't know Jimsker would be here."
"It's not a bad idea to show him from time to time."
Before I could question him further, Roardnes hailed a servant carrying a tray of champagne. All eyes in the room were drawn to his finger.
"Let's drink. To our romance."
Startled, I could barely bring the champagne glass to my lips as Roardnes clinked his glass against mine. Ignoring the curious gazes, he pulled me closer, our arms entwined in a pose that was more suited for a private setting. A low chuckle escaped his lips as he enjoyed the attention.
"This is just the beginning..."
Roardnes protectively wrapped his arm around my shoulders, shielding me from the passing servants. His hot breath brushed against my ear.
"...You shouldn't be so stiff."
Even though his lips were inches away, his words sent shivers down my spine.
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