CHAPTER 065
The main character being absolutely good might be my preconceived notion.
Come to think of it, the qualifications for the male protagonist aren’t grandiose.
He just needs to be kind to the female lead, right? It doesn't mean his character has to be righteous.
Take Louis, who was notorious among the nobles, yet he was still a supporting male lead.
"Wow, this is... unbelievable."
Having never doubted Philip before, I felt as if I’d been hit hard on the back of my head.
* * *
Philip left the noisy scene.
His ever-present knight accompanied him, saying, “It was a close call.”
He was referring to the old woman earlier.
“You’re right. It’s fortunate that nothing happened.”
Philip responded indifferently.
Carriage accidents were rare in streets frequented by nobles but not uncommon in areas crowded with commoners.
However, Philip never intervened in such matters.
Because he had no reason to.
He knew how to distinguish between people who were important to him and those who weren’t.
The old woman was of no importance to Philip. It was unfortunate, but that was that.
Philip was more concerned about something else.
Lewis and Selina, who had appeared at the scene.
‘I didn’t expect to meet them in such a place.’
Maybe Lewis rescued the old woman at Selina’s request.
Would he save someone unrelated to himself? That was absurd.
Philip didn’t trust Lewis.
In fact, he rather disliked him.
Few people would know this.
No matter what he thought or planned inside, Philip always pretended to be a good person.
Philip was satisfied with his life as the crown prince.
He was the next in line for the throne, and everyone treated him with the respect due to a crown prince, so he had no complaints.
But after the new tower master was appointed,
The newly appointed tower master, Lewis, constantly irritated him.
Maybe it was because Lewis was in a position where the Emperor couldn’t order him around.
Lewis was outrageously impolite.
His status was clearly lower, wasn’t it?
Wasn’t the Marquis title bestowed by the Emperor?
Although Lewis was the Duke’s nephew, he had no title to inherit because his father was a commoner, making him a half-noble.
Every time Lewis acted rudely in front of him, Philip was annoyed.
The problem was that the imperial family wasn’t as powerful as it should be.
Lewis probably figured him out, considering how he constantly got under Philip’s skin.
Recently, his close interactions with Selina were also because of Lewis.
He thought he might find some of Lewis’s weaknesses if he got close to her.
Initially, he tried to get close to Selina to approach Charlotte, but now he sought Charlotte to meet Selina.
A few days later, Philip met Charlotte. The young lady he had been interested in since he first saw her.
“Have you been to this restaurant before?”
“No, it’s my first time. The ambiance is really nice.”
Charlotte smiled and looked around. They were the only ones in the restaurant.
Philip smiled at Charlotte.
“I always remember your preferences, Young Lady Yaniels.”
Philip repeated his usual lines.
“You’re different from others.”
“You are special to me.”
He emphasized that she was special to him. So she could understand.
But in conversations with Charlotte, he realized she wasn’t very perceptive.
“Your Highness is considerate to everyone.”
She nonchalantly brushed off his indirect words.
He meant that she was special, but Charlotte thought he was considerate to everyone.
She believed he remembered everyone’s preferences and extended kindness to all.
“You even remembered my birthday present. I didn’t expect you to remember my birthday.”
Though he adored her, he often felt deflated.
Philip smiled awkwardly.
“It’s because you are Young Lady Yaniels. I don’t have the attentiveness to remember everyone’s birthday.”
Despite this direct statement—
“You’re so humble.”
It didn’t get through.
It felt like talking to a wall.
She was kind, indeed kind. Was it because she saw the world too beautifully that it was frustrating?
‘No, her purity is her charm.’
Philip consoled himself.
His mood worsened in the next moment.
“Speaking of which, someone else likes this kind of clean ambiance.”
“Someone else?”
“Marquis Bloomberg.”
To think Louis’s name would come out of Charlotte’s mouth.
Maybe they were connected as friends of friends since both were close to Selina.
Philip, displeased but hiding it, asked,
“I didn’t know you knew Marquis Bloomberg’s preferences.”
“I had a meal with Young Lady Elsner. He was nicer than I thought.”
Even at the magic tower, the mages were always tense. Nice, really?
“You must have had a very bad image of the Marquis.”
Philip joked with a slight smile.
Charlotte replied matter-of-factly.
“I’ve heard various rumors about the Marquis since coming to the capital. I’m not sure if Your Highness knows, but...”
Of course, I know.
Louis’s reputation matched his temperament perfectly.
He deserved it.
“But after meeting him through Young LadyElsner, he wasn’t as bad as the rumors. He’s a bit stiff, but I think it’s because he’s aloof.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes. According to Young Lady Elsner, he’s someone you feel tense around but can rely on a lot.”
“········.”
“I’m not that close to him, but if Young Lady Elsner is close to him, he must be a decent person.”
Philip’s mood plummeted.
To hear Charlotte praising Louis.
Of all people, her!
“That’s surprising. The Marquis doesn’t mind seeing others’ blood. To think you see him that way.”
“I think it shows that people are multi-faceted.”
Is there really a need to put a positive spin on the Marquis?
Philip wanted to ask Charlotte sincerely.
To think the words of the lovely Charlotte could be so displeasing. In a way, it was another one of Louis’s tricks.
Chapter 10 Philip’s Misunderstanding
Since seeing Philip on the street that day, I hadn’t met him.
I hardly had opportunities to meet the crown prince anyway.
Maybe I could see him if I went to the library with Charlotte, but I wouldn’t be going there for a while.
“The Day of Raphael is approaching.”
I had other things to do now.
As the Duke said, the Day of Raphael was coming.
It’s a day commemorating the saint, Raphael Rubellio, who is considered a great figure in the Empire.
On that day, a young noblelady of age would play the role of commemorating him.
She would lay flowers and recite a eulogy from the podium, a role that not just anyone could play.
Since it’s a solemn day, representing it in front of everyone was significant.
I heard the competition was tough and the selection process strict.
“Would you two like to participate in the exam?”
The Duke called Bella and me to the drawing room and asked.
Bella seemed a bit reluctant.
“Do we have to do it? It sounds troublesome.”
“It’s not mandatory. I thought it’d be a good experience. It’s your first Day of Raphael since coming of age, right?”
“I feel like I’d fail anyway.”
The Duke laughed off Bella’s pessimistic comment.
“If you succeed, great; if not, it’s fine. Just give it a try.”
The exam would be anything but light!
Anyway, the Duke’s suggestion came with good intentions.
Playing a significant role in the memorial service is meaningful. As a young noble lady, trying once is worthwhile!
“Bella, should we apply together?”
“Are you going to?”
“Yeah!”
Wouldn’t trying it be a good experience?
“Then I’ll join you.”
Bella seemed to have changed her mind after I decided to participate. Maybe it was also an opportunity to get away from Louis?
Anyway, we submitted our applications that day.
Applicants would gather at a designated place to take the exam.
Thus, when I said Bella and I would be away for a while, Lewis responded reluctantly.
“You’ll be gone for quite some time.”
“Five days isn’t that long. I thought it’d be good to experience it once.”
Only after answering did it dawn on me.
“Oh, it’ll be noisy while I’m there. Can you bear it?”
The noise.
I pointed to my head with my finger.
He already had magic stones stored in the tower’s office. How much more would the noise torment Lewis?
“The noise is fine. Being apart from you is the problem.”
“Really?”
This time, what Lewis wanted wasn’t my ability to suppress the noise but just me.
The Marquis, really. How will you manage being apart for a bit?
I unintentionally reached out to him.
My hand landed on his head. As I stroked his hair, he looked at me with a curious expression.
It felt like I knew what he meant with just a look.
‘What are you doing?’
Well... I’m trying to comfort you in my own way?
I quickly spoke up.
“I’ll miss you too. But after just four nights, we’ll meet again! You can wait that long, right?”
If it’s not the noise that’s the issue, let’s just bear it, friend!
I thought he’d swat my hand away, asking what I was doing, but surprisingly, Lewis stayed still.
Even as I stroked his hair, he just remained still.
Lewis wasn’t the type to leave such things alone.
With his expressionless face staring at me yet his actions so calm, the combination was odd.
It was like looking at a tamed wild beast...
Expressionless Lewis was not easy on the eyes, that’s for sure.
In the past, I’d have been too scared to even meet his gaze. Stroking his hair? Impossible!
Hmm, should I stop now?
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