CHAPTER 086
"Your Highness?"
I encountered Philip on the street a few days after that incident.
It was three days ago.
Things had been quiet, but three days ago, I received a letter from him.
I was reluctant, so I politely declined with a reason, but Philip showed up in front of me.
I was just planning to buy some desserts to share with Bella!
How did I end up facing him head-on?
Wasn't Philip someone I could only meet where Charlotte was?
'Ah...!'
No, it wasn't.
He must have sorted out his feelings for Charlotte, so he wouldn’t be meeting her in such places anymore.
So, did he follow my movements?
Since I had already declined his meeting request, it was possible.
If I had known this would happen, I should have come out with Bella!
No matter how skilled my escort knight was, he couldn't stop Philip, the Crown Prince.
At that moment, I missed Bella, who was likely practicing swordsmanship at the mansion.
As I stood there, my eyes wide with shock, Philip spoke.
"I have something to say to you, my lady."
"To me? What do you want to say...?"
I smiled awkwardly.
"And here on the street..."
I don't want to talk to you! I tried to express my reluctance as politely as possible.
"Let's move. This isn't a conversation to have here."
I hate that even more!
Suspecting the secret, what if something happens if I follow him?
While I was in a dilemma, Philip pointed to a café across the street.
"Over there. I just want to talk, so don't worry."
Over there?
The café was located on a bustling street and didn't seem dangerous, but I decided to stay cautious.
You never know what might happen.
'Stay calm, Selina. You have the protective magic that Lewis cast on you!'
Recalling the ring's existence calmed me down a bit.
If worst comes to worst, I'll use it.
I nodded resolutely.
"Okay. I'll go."
The café Philip led me to was empty. It seemed he had reserved the place in advance.
What does he want to talk about here?
As I sat down and waited for Philip to speak, he finally opened his mouth.
"I know what you saw."
"Gasp."
My mouth gaped open. I quickly shut it, realizing my mistake.
"Pardon? What do you mean...?"
It seemed too late, but I tried to feign ignorance. Sigh.
Philip repeated his words without batting an eye.
"The magic stone."
"The one on the table that time? Why are you telling me this...?"
"I know that you and the Marquis obtained a similar magic stone on Silon Island."
"...!"
My eyes grew even wider.
He just said it outright?
"I also think you know what that magic stone is."
"So, um... why are you telling me this...?"
My heart was pounding loudly. I couldn't understand why Philip was doing this.
"What do you plan to do if I go and tell the Marquis everything?"
"Will you tell him? I thought we had quite a close relationship."
That's a delusion on your part...
I couldn't bring myself to say that aloud.
"I know you're closer to the Marquis than just friends."
Philip spoke with certainty.
"I'm not asking you to betray the Marquis. Can't you be close to me as well?"
That makes no sense...
"There's no harm in being on my side, is there?"
Philip continued to coax me.
Ugh, no thanks, I'm already on Lewis's side!
I grumbled internally.
"No matter how respected the Marquis is as the Tower Master, he is still just a Marquis of the Empire. Can being close to him compare to being close to the future emperor?"
"Benefits?"
So, Philip befriends people based on benefits.
I tried to stay composed because he was the Crown Prince.
I decided firmly.
"No, Your Highness. Whatever you say, my answer will likely be a refusal."
This conversation had to end. There was nothing more to hear.
"If you plan to make such proposals, it's better not to make them to anyone."
I glanced around as I stood up.
"Excuse me. I'll be leaving first!"
And I quickly walked towards the exit as if running away.
* * *
Selina hurriedly left, her footsteps echoing.
The bell on the café door sounded distant.
Philip stared in the direction she disappeared.
"She’s fast."
He had intended to get closer to her to extract information about Lewis. He didn’t expect such strong resistance.
Looking at Sir Schuster, who approached, Philip let out a hollow laugh.
"She's more determined than I thought."
He had believed his offer would be quite attractive.
"Isn't it better to be close to the Crown Prince than the Marquis?"
He hadn't expected to be rejected so quickly.
"Come to think of it, Lady Elsner’s attitude towards me has changed a bit."
"What do you mean, Your Highness?"
Sir Schuster asked at Philip's mumbling.
"Her gaze and tone. It seemed like she was wary, and I guess that was true. Since when?"
Philip had long forgotten about the incident where he witnessed the old woman in danger.
So he couldn't pinpoint the exact reason.
This only made him more curious.
"When she helped me choose a gift for Lady Charlotte, I didn't feel any wariness."
Aside from the recent incident in the magic department, there was no reason for her to distance herself from him.
"I thought she would be easy to sway, but she isn’t. Other ladies would have already been convinced."
Both Charlotte and Selina.
It was unfortunate that every woman he approached was so firm.
Even though it was a proposal from the Crown Prince.
"Sir."
"Yes, Your Highness."
"Do you think I'm unattractive?"
"Excuse me?"
Sir Schuster wore a puzzled expression.
How should he answer such a question?
Your Highness is plenty attractive?
"Never mind. Forget I asked."
"Yes, Your Highness."
Fortunately, Philip quickly changed the topic. This was a relief for Sir Schuster, who was struggling with how to respond.
* * *
This is crazy, this is crazy!
I quickly walked to where the carriage was waiting.
He’s not following me, is he? When I turned around, there was no one suspicious.
"No one’s hiding behind me, right?"
"Don’t worry. There’s no one behind you."
The escort knight’s words were somewhat reassuring.
I thought he might block me when I tried to leave, but he didn’t...
It seems he really tried to persuade me with words.
What on earth is going on? I couldn't believe Philip admitted it outright.
What was he thinking, being so honest? Did he really want to befriend me?
Did he think I’d be swayed by his straightforward approach?
"This really won't do."
I muttered, thinking about Philip’s words as I got into the carriage.
Did he really think that would work?
Considering his confident demeanor, he probably thought I would accept his offer.
Completely absurd. He probably didn’t realize what was wrong with his proposal.
At that moment, I fully understood why Charlotte rejected Philip’s feelings.
As soon as I arrived at the mansion, I contacted Lewis.
"Marquis, I ran into the Crown Prince on the street earlier."
Lewis was particularly sensitive about anything related to Philip. As expected, when I explained what had happened, Lewis immediately responded.
- He’s insane. Not even worth listening to.
"Right? How did I end up encountering the Crown Prince like that on the street!"
- Were you very startled?
"Of course. Even the knight with me must have been very surprised!"
With most people, he could have stopped them. But the Crown Prince is too high-ranking.
I was amazed that I had the courage to leave after speaking my mind.
Normally, I wouldn’t have just walked out like that.
It seemed living among such dangerous people had given me some courage.
While feeling oddly proud of myself, Lewis asked.
- Where are you now?
"In my room. I was originally planning to buy cake to have with Bella and some tea."
I still craved the cake I couldn't buy.
As I lamented, Lewis asked again.
- Can I come over now?
"Yes, you can!"
Soon after, Lewis appeared.
Not by a carriage entering the front gate but by directly appearing in the mansion's drawing room through magic.
"It takes too long by carriage."
Though using teleportation magic is faster...
But Lewis's expression was stern when he saw me.
"You were very startled by what happened earlier?"
"I was surprised, but nothing serious happened. We just talked."
Still, Lewis seemed troubled.
"It bothers me. I feel like you’re in danger because of me."
"Aren’t you worried that the Crown Prince is targeting you?"
Philip himself had mentioned the magic stone.
There was no denying now that Philip was behind it.
"That doesn’t worry me."
Lewis responded immediately.
"Even if he tries to harm me, it’s just a small magic stone."
"But still."
He’s the Crown Prince of the Empire. I’d be a bit worried, wouldn’t you?
Seeing my concern, Lewis asked.
"The magic stone is still in my lab. Does having it stop me from living my daily life?"
"No, you're perfectly fine."
"There have been many who tried to harm me before."
Now the Crown Prince of the Empire was added to that list, but he really seemed unaffected.
"What bothers me is that he went behind my back and approached you."
Comments
Post a Comment