Chapter 1449: Intermission 8: The Future With You (5)
Leon, Tris, and Johanne were busy preparing all sorts of things.
Just from looking at them, it was pretty obvious what they were planning. There were bottles being brought out, glasses being arranged, and enough preparation happening that anyone could tell tonight was probably going to end with everyone getting at least a little drunk.
Personally, I wasn’t particularly eager to get drunk tonight.
It wasn’t that I disliked drinking. Far from it, actually. I enjoyed a good drink every now and then. I just hadn’t been in the mood for it recently.
Still, it wasn’t like I had any reason to refuse their invitation.
If they were going through all this effort and wanted me to join them, then there wasn’t much point in turning them down. Besides, it had been quite a while since I’d had genuinely good wine.
Thinking about it that way, maybe it wouldn’t be so bad.
While everyone continued preparing things around the room, I found my attention drifting elsewhere.
More specifically, toward Leon.
I wasn’t even trying to stare.
At least, that’s what I wanted to tell myself.
But somehow my eyes kept finding their way back to him.
For some reason, I still found it difficult to believe that he was actually here.
Charlotte had told me before that Leon was incredibly busy these days. From what she’d said, he had all sorts of responsibilities piled onto his shoulders. Even now, he was apparently helping Myrcella with various matters involving the kingdom while also helping stabilize her position on the throne.
The more I thought about it, the stranger it seemed.
Honestly, if someone were to describe the situation from the outside, it almost sounded like Leon was the one running everything while Myrcella was the one carrying out the decisions.
Maybe that wasn’t entirely fair.
But it was hard not to think it.
At first, I’d definitely found him suspicious.
Anyone would have.
A man that influential, that capable, and somehow involved in so many important matters naturally raised questions.
But the more I learned about him, the harder it became to believe he had some hidden agenda lurking behind everything.
At least not the kind I had initially imagined.
The way he interacted with the women around him never seemed fake.
Whenever I saw him with them, he genuinely looked like he cared.
Not the way someone would pretend to care.
Not the way someone would act if they were only trying to gain something.
It looked real.
That was probably why I eventually stopped worrying about it.
Did he gain things from those relationships?
Maybe.
Realistically, probably.
But I never got the impression that he was simply using people for his own benefit.
There was a difference.
At least, that’s what I felt.
While I was lost in thought, a voice suddenly interrupted me.
"You’ve been looking at Leon quite a lot, haven’t you?"
I immediately turned toward Tris.
She was grinning.
Actually, calling it a grin was putting it lightly.
The woman looked entirely too pleased with herself.
The smile stretched from ear to ear as if she’d just caught me committing some terrible crime.
And judging from how amused she looked, she was clearly enjoying every second of my discomfort.
"He might not be looking at you right now," she continued casually, "but he’s definitely noticed."
My face immediately grew warmer.
"And honestly," she added, sounding way too entertained, "he can probably hear this conversation too. He’s just pretending not to."
Well.
That was a horrifying thought.
The worst part was that it was probably true.
Leon had a tendency to notice things.
A lot of things.
Far more things than most people should reasonably notice.
"I’m not looking at him, you know."
The moment the words left my mouth, Tris gave me a look.
It was the kind of look that instantly communicated she didn’t believe a single word I’d just said.
"You don’t have to pretend."
"I’m not pretending."
"Mhm."
"I mean it."
"Mhm."
I frowned.
"You don’t believe me."
"Not even a little."
This woman was impossible.
"I’m seeing everything, you know?" she said.
If she was seeing everything, then maybe she could have chosen not to comment on it.
That would’ve been nice.
Very nice, actually.
Unfortunately, Tris seemed completely opposed to the idea of allowing me any dignity.
"And besides," she said, leaning slightly closer, "you’re wearing some pretty sexy lingerie underneath those clothes, aren’t you?"
I nearly choked.
"H-How did you even notice that?"
Seriously.
How?
I had gone out of my way to make sure it wasn’t obvious.
Or at least I thought I had.
Tris looked entirely too proud of herself.
"You’re wearing something sleeveless," she said matter-of-factly.
"So?"
"So all I had to do was look near your arm."
"..."
"I caught a glimpse of a very nice bra."
I immediately looked away.
My face somehow felt even hotter than before.
"And if you’re wearing that," she continued, "then I’m assuming you’re probably wearing something equally nice underneath too."
"T-That doesn’t mean anything."
"Of course it means something."
"It doesn’t."
"Mhm."
"It really doesn’t."
"Mhm."
I wanted to throw something at her.
Not hard.
Just enough to annoy her.
Unfortunately, she’d probably enjoy that too.
"So considering all of that," Tris continued, completely ignoring my suffering, "I’d say you prepared yourself just in case you ended up having sex with Leon."
"Y-You’re saying that way too loudly!"
I immediately glanced toward Leon.
To my relief, he wasn’t looking in our direction.
Unfortunately, that didn’t make me feel any better.
"I wasn’t even being loud," Tris said.
Technically, she wasn’t.
That was the problem.
If she had been shouting, I could’ve at least blamed the volume.
Instead, she was speaking normally.
Which meant there was a very real chance Leon could hear every word.
Or maybe he couldn’t.
Or maybe he could.
Honestly, I didn’t know.
And I wasn’t sure I wanted to know.
The important thing was that I didn’t want Leon getting the impression that I was some kind of pervert.
"M-More importantly, that’s not why."
"Oh?"
"I just wore this for the occasion."
"The occasion."
"Yes."
"The occasion."
"Stop repeating it like that."
"I’m just making sure I understand."
I groaned.
"It doesn’t mean I was thinking about anything."
"Of course."
"I wasn’t."
"Naturally."
"You’re impossible."
"And yet you’re still talking to me."
She wasn’t wrong.
Unfortunately.
The grin on her face only widened.
It was becoming increasingly obvious that she had absolutely no intention of letting this go.
Not now.
Possibly not ever.
Then, after letting me suffer for another few seconds, she suddenly leaned closer and lowered her voice.
"Don’t worry."
Her tone immediately caught my attention.
"We’re planning to let you join in."
I blinked.
For a moment, I just stared at her.
"J-Join in on what?"
