Chapter 15

A person who insisted on the word ‘you’ which had no affection, used the honorific term ‘you’.

It was a bigger thing than inviting me or serving tea.

“What’s wrong with you all of a sudden?”

Were you really crazy?

I swallowed my last words, but I spoke as if I had been complaining without realizing it.

Unlike me, Prince Luciano was nonchalant.

“What’s the problem?”

You, you were the problem!

“You suddenly use honorifics to me!”

“Is that a complaint?”

“No, it’s not a complaint. But it’s strange, isn’t it?”

“Is that strange?”

No, this guy! That was weird! Of course, it was really weird!

“You’ve been ignoring me a lot. You didn’t even want to call me by name, and ‘you’, that’s how you called me.”

“… Did you come to me persistently, knowing that?”

I could hear you! Don’t curse at me like you’re talking to yourself!

“That’s not the problem! Don’t change the subject. Why on earth are you doing this to me? Is it a new kind of bullying? Pretending to be nice?”

Prince Luciano’s attitude change was so sudden that frankly, I was about to get a little scared.

I crossed my hands in an X-shape and wrapped them around my arms.

Prince Luciano frowned at my defensive posture.

“Does this feel like bullying?”

“That’s how strange it is. I’ve been treated worse than a stone on the roadside.”

I was just telling the truth, but he grimaced as if he hadn’t heard anything.

“That’s, uh… your personality seems to have changed a lot.”

“I told you I wanted to get along with you at that time. And no matter how different I may be, it’s not the same as the way the prince treats me.”

I already showed you everything, so what was the use of pretending to be a sunshine now?

‘And since I’ve already shown my worst self, there’s nothing to fear or regret now.’

Because of this kind of mentality, I spit out the words unevenly.

Prince Luciano sighed again as if tired of my shameless behavior.

“I’ve decided to respect you a little. That’s all.”

“Huh, respect?”

Unbeknownst to me, a ridiculous and dejected sound came out.

Wasn’t that a word that really didn’t fit us?

Prince Luciano looked calm even though he could clearly see my reaction in shock.

‘Is his personality also a bit shameless?’

“How on earth have I been ignored all this time?”

“It would be better not to know.”

Don’t answer things like that.

I kept getting choked up.

“I can’t control my emotions.”

“Why?”

Yeah, I didn’t know why I was so angry when you said you respect me.

Was it because one year felt like a waste of time?

Or was it because I tried to end the relationship?

I just had a complicated mind.

“Why did you suddenly want to respect me?”

“Because I found out that you were someone I could respect.”

You seemed to be working hard on the answer from before, but the substance of the conversation was missing.

“Where did you get that feeling?”

“You have proved it.”

I closed my mouth and thought, ‘When did I?’

‘Is that it?’

I wanted to believe that it wasn’t true, but only one incident came to mind when he mentioned proof.

“You mean that day–”

I covered my mouth with my hands as I spoke.

The muffin incident.

It was something I never wanted to say myself.

However Prince Luciano nodded as if he had noticed what I was about to say.

“That’s right.”

Were you really starting to believe me with that?

I thought it was an event that would cut off the relationship, turned out I got a favorable impression from him.

‘Of course I ate desperately to prove it, but–’

I showed a shocking scene at the end.

Did you wanted to see me again after seeing that?

“It’s very embarrassing.”

“What’s so embarrassing about that? You’ve tried, and I’ve only acknowledged it.”

“So, you’re going to treat me properly now.”

Prince Luciano answered only with his eyes.

He seemed to know that it was rude to say it directly.

I also realized that there were many problems with the way this prince talked.

Was it because we haven’t talked to each other, so I was able to see him for a year?

It took quite a while to believe in Prince Luciano’s words.

If you really respect me, why didn’t you answer my letter I sent after I got better?

Why did you treat me so rudely at the tea party?

There were some things that bothered me.

But I decided not to delve into it deeply.

In the first place, 『Your Majesty, don’t be obsessed!』wasn’t a novel that took the probability properly.

Several comments have said that the novel was a mess in that sense.

‘If I tried to find the probability in such a novel, my head will explode.’

I quickly decided to accept the reality.

Wasn’t this all because the main character’s buff?

It was only natural for the main character to be liked by the people around her in romance fantasy novel!

Even if the protagonist stumbles and rolls forward, people around her would say, ‘Oh!’ ‘What a cool fall!’ something like that. It was romance fantasy novel we were talking about.

“Huh, the main character’s life is–”

–cool.

“What?”

Perhaps because he had heard me muttered something, Prince Luciano’s eyes changed as if he were looking at something strange.

“No, I looked back on my life.”

His eyes turned even more reluctant at my excuses.

But now I was so emotional that I didn’t care.

I’ve had a hard time for a year, but I didn’t expect things to work out this easily.

It would be easier next time.

What if Harrison and Damian fall in love with me and wanted to live together?

‘The thought to settle that already hurts my head.’

Prince Luciano’s stinging gaze touched me as I shook my head and tried to shake off my worries.

“What are you looking at?”

Why? Did I look different today?

I looked at Prince Luciano with a proud, confident feeling.

“I wondered if I had lived long enough to look back on my life.”

“….”

It was an inappropriate sentence choice for a 9-year-old.

But I was starting to get a strange feeling.

According to the romance fantasy novel’s law, Prince Luciano should have a passionate response to the level of obsession, but now it was a little subtle.

Was it the prickly eyes that he kept sending?

Now, Prince Luciano’s reaction seemed far from the attitude he showed to his crush.

It was like at a level given to an opponent who has been promoted from inanimate to human.

‘… It’s miserable to say it like that.’

What have I been doing for a year?

And was I still mistaken?

I looked at him carefully and felt better.

There wasn’t much interest in me.

It seemed that Prince Luciano was only trying to treat me like a human being.

As a result, I was confused as to whether the main character buff was properly used.

When you’re confused, it’s best to ask directly.

“Does that mean you want to keep seeing me?”

Prince Luciano flinched as if he had been caught off guard.

“… Yes.”

The answer came a little slower.

He was kind of reluctant to response.

“Are we friends now?”

“Is that what you ask?”

You acted like that, it made me wanted to ask.

I gave him a blank look without answering.

It was up to you whether you would say it or not, but I would listen.

Prince Luciano spoke with a tired look, as if he had been conveyed it properly before.

“Yes, you’re my friend.”

A year has passed, and I finally heard Prince Luciano calling me a friend.

* * *

“What happened, my lady?”

“Huh?”

“I’m worried because you’re spacing out. Did something happen? Did the prince bothered you again?”

I guess the muffin incident made my family thought Prince Luciano was bothering me.

After all, Empress Isabelle made the same mistake, so wouldn’t everyone else think so too?

My nanny’s expression deteriorated because I spaced out for a moment, and then I shook my head quickly.

“No, the prince didn’t bother me.”

“Then, what’s wrong with you after you went to the Imperial Palace?”

After I gained a position as Prince Luciano’s friend, I was in a state of restlessness, and so my nanny was constantly worried about it.

“I became friends with Prince Luciano.”

“Really? How did it go?”

A high-pitched voice revealed my nanny’s astonishment.

See? I wasn’t the only one who was surprised.

“Well, somehow it happened.”

“This is what my lady has been longing for. You should like it, why are you look so down?”

“I didn’t mean to.”

I quickly retorted, and the nurse squinted at me.

You know everything.

Do you want me to say it all?

I surrendered more quickly to that gaze.

“Well, I tried a little,”

I slightly showed my thumb and index finger to show ‘a little bit’ gesture.

The nanny burst into a squeaky laugh.

“So, why don’t you feel good when that’s what you wanted?”

I know right.

He was a friend that I have been eagerly hoping for. Perhaps it was because there were many incidents happened.

‘Or is it because the main character’s buff doesn’t seem to play the part?’

It was more dull than I had thought.

After finishing the tea time roughly, I felt normal like usual when I came back to the mansion.

“I just feel that way.”

“Are you sick and tired of liking the prince?”

“I didn’t say it wasn’t good.”

“It doesn’t mean that you admitted it. Maybe do you like it better when you’re chasing him alone? My lady has a very peculiar personality.”

“Does nanny live to have fun teasing me all the time?”

“Of course. How can I live without that fun?”

“Nanny!”

I cried out and scowl at my nanny’s cheekiness.

The nurse approached me and rubbed my cheek at the signal that I would be angry if she did more.

My plump cheeks shook under the nanny’s palm.

“Oh my, how lovely my lady is!”

Her affectionate voice eased my mind.

“Yes, I’m a little too lovable That’s why I’m worried. What if everyone falls for me?”

When I answered thoughtfully, my nanny burst into laughter.

“Really, my lady.”

My lips pouted at the sight of my nanny, unable to hold back her laughter.

‘Why? I’m serious.’

I was seriously thinking about what would happen with the ending when we all got together.

It was just a pity that my nanny didn’t know I was the main character.