Chapter 19: Chapter 19

Vivian left those words unsaid and smiled a naughty smile. At that, Carden also smiled faintly. It was a smile that looked dejected yet relieved at the same time.

Just as she had been in the past, Vivian had a unique charm of making the other person relax with an unexpected and bold action.

“I want to tell you. Will you listen to my story?”

“Of course.”

As if she had waited patiently, Vivian responded readily. She wouldn’t dig further into an issue if the person at question refused, but she wouldn’t stop them either if they wanted to talk.

“It’s a problem with men…….”

I could tell that much.

“There must be at least twenty pairs of couples I’ve already connected within this Royal Palace. Did you know that?”

Vivian cleared her throat and proudly put her hands on her hips.

This statement was not an exaggeration or bluff. Vivian was an expert in this field. She was such an expert that no one had noticed she had never dated, and people came to find her for love advice after they heard the rumors about her.

Of course, the disadvantage was she became naive in her own matters. Just as there was saying that a doctor couldn’t fix his own illness, it was the world’s balance to gain something while one lost something at the same time.

“Where should I start from…….?”

“Speak comfortably and start from the beginning.”

Carden fiddled with the edge of the dress and hesitated, then started to speak with a sullen expression.

“I think his Majesty, the Emperor, and His Highness, the Duke, are standing against each other because of me.”

It was a concern befitting a female protagonist.

Vivian listened courteously to her, whose eyes sparkled like the stars in the night sky.

“Sir Scholar! No, Ray!”

Vivian, who had sighed continuously, suddenly raised her head. The moment she found Ray, she ran over excitedly as if she’d waited for him. Her face that had previously looked so hopeless had immediately brightened like a spring flower.

At the figure of Vivian who welcomed him more than usual, Ray’s eyes narrowed for a split second. He stopped in his steps, tilted his head, and slowly approached her.

“You look happy. Did something good happen?”

Ray stared at Vivian. His gaze felt like he saw something unusual, and Vivian cleared her throat momentarily. She, herself, realized that she had reacted agitatedly like a dog that wagged its tail like crazy.

“No, not in particular.”

However, she didn’t erase the wide smile that filled her face.

“If there is something in particular, it would be that I really, really wanted to see Ray all day long. This must have been how the fox awaited the little prince, right?”

“…….”

Ray kept his silence. Vivian let out a puff of air in laughter as his speechless figure looked rather cute. The face covered by a hood probably had an expression that wondered, Had this woman fallen ill?

“Now you really seem like a scholar.”

“Does that mean that I didn’t appear to be a scholar prior to this?”

“Indeed. You seemed to be like some well-raised aristocrat.”

His elegant and formal speech contained the unique accent that aristocrats used. There was elegance in his actions while being polite, there was a unique leisure in his body, and his generosity was neat to the point that it didn’t feel burdensome.

And most importantly, the sharp wariness, as one pretended to be friendly –  the way he drew the lines of the boundary were beyond that of an expert. It would have been hard to learn such skills without the intention to debut into society.

“The other scholars aren’t that skilled.”

“I wonder. I was educated by some fated meeting, and much of it is my natural personality.”

It was only a moment that he remained frozen. Despite having been attacked unexpectedly, Ray expertly returned a response to Vivian’s question. Of course, the shallow smile that hid his heart was an additional option.

“A fated meeting? I’m curious…….”

“…….”

Without answering, he put down a book in front of her with a loud noise. It was a sort of warning. A warning tells her to not to trespass without his permission.

“I would like to borrow this book.”

However, Vivian ignored the warning.

“If it’s about Ray, I want to know whatever it is.”

She let go of the reins that she had barely held onto all this time and started to hurtle forward like she had gone mad. She pushed forward as though she was a person without a care for tomorrow.

“Please tell me. Whatever it is, I’ll learn.”

“…….”

“Or should I tell you about myself?”n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

“I don’t understand why you are like this.”

It was to the point that Ray started to guard against Vivian openly.