~Chapter 16~
I lightly rolled my stiff shoulders, using Carlos’s solemn presence as a background.
What I said earlier wasn’t empty words.
Having a grown man’s full weight leaning on my shoulders could have easily caused a cramp if I wasn’t careful.
So, I needed to take the opportunity to firmly correct Carlos’s bad habits. I couldn’t stand reckless, irritating people, and a team member who acted without thinking was even worse.
“So… are you going to apologize, or not?”
“……I will. I’m late in saying it, but I apologize for acting on my own. At the time, I wasn’t feeling well, and I unintentionally caused offense.”
“Good. I like it when you’re straightforward.”
I nodded silently, then hurriedly bent down. There was something that had been bothering me—leaving the scattered stacks of documents on the floor as they were.
These were materials for today’s meeting. If anyone stepped on them… it would only make our security team look sloppy!
I quickly gathered the papers and tapped them down onto my arms. Carlos’s hand reached out to help, moving alongside mine.
It was essentially the same situation as earlier.
As I brought the scattered documents back into my arms, our eyes met—Violet’s gaze and mine—quiet and calm.
Still, it was much better than before. I suppose she had calmed down.
I scratched my cheek awkwardly and took the opportunity to speak.
“You know… so you only remember the escort proposal, the carriage ride, and what happened until the entrance, right?”
“……Huh?”
“Uh, I mean… you tried to ruin the banquet, but then you came back, right? You pulled yourself together and didn’t cause any incidents. That’s correct, isn’t it?”
I deliberately left out what happened in between. It was a necessary step to gauge his reaction.
If he remembered everything I babbled about at the banquet, I would kick myself for ages.
After all, going berserk meant he had lost all rationality. Would he remember every minor word I said in the middle of it?
Even if my orders weren’t fully carried out…
It had still been a rampage!
I tried to calm myself before speaking.
Carlos listened, paused slightly, hardened his expression, and finally answered.
“‘No incidents’… That’s correct. You’re right.”
“Yes, see? If you came back quietly, then that’s a relief. Well done.”
“I… did well?”
“Huh?”
Carlos chuckled softly, still wearing that self-deprecating expression.
Why ask that?
I stared blankly ahead, but it was useless.
“All the documents are packed. Shall we go? For the competition?”
The topic shifted instantly.
Well, that’s how it should have gone, of course… but something about Carlos seemed unnaturally calm.
At some point, he calmly grabbed my arm and helped me stand.
I straightened my appearance in the rush, but I was still flustered, my unease lingering.
Is this what a stance shift feels like?
He carried all the documents ahead and then called me back, turning to face me.
“We’ll be late, Miss Lutiens.”
“Oh, yes. Let’s go.”
His expression was completely unreadable, but the faintest trace of a smile made him seem… almost human.
I hurried to walk alongside him, deciding it was best to stop overthinking.
“Shall we hold hands?”
“Not a chance.”
I was too busy worrying about how our relationship had suddenly changed to even respond.
We managed to attend the conference without being late.
Perhaps it was because Carlos was a prince, but he knew the royal security’s layout like the back of his hand.
We used a shortcut due to time constraints, but that shouldn’t have been an issue.
Even just our arrival was enough to silence the room; no one dared speak a word.
No one would know that we had discreetly slipped through the oval switch, down the refined underground stairs, and exited from the third gap on the left side of the lobby.
‘Still…’
Things felt increasingly serious.
Even though everyone was gathered, the meeting hadn’t started yet. Hostile glares and snickers flowed freely.
The tension it brought was significant.
The silence seemed natural, and everyone’s eyes were fixed on Carlos, whispering among themselves.
“Wow…”
Seeing it like this, I could almost understand how it felt to be a neglected prince.
It was a strange feeling. The initial politeness from Isid and the attitude of Director Dice were so different from this reaction.
I realized how kind and trustworthy the Velos security team had been all along.
“What do you mean, ‘wow’?”
Carlos asked casually, tilting his chin toward me.
I covered my mouth nonchalantly.
“Oh, it’s just… surprising. I was wondering how bad your reputation must be to provoke this kind of reaction.”
“…….”
Oh no.
“Uh… if that was unpleasant, I’m sorry. I really meant it sincerely.”
I paused briefly after saying it, but I had no ill intentions. I had just said what I felt.
“I didn’t say it was unpleasant. And my reputation being bad… well, that’s true.”
Carlos answered politely and quickly straightened his posture, distancing himself from me.
“This makes me feel terribly guilty.”
“That’s fine. It’s funny to expect a good reputation when you’re being treated poorly.”
“Hmm, still…”
Watching his self-deprecating expression made me uncomfortable.
How bad could his reputation be if low-ranking officers could be so rude in front of a prince?
The original novel only focused on the female lead’s romance, so details like this weren’t covered.
For example, the extent of Carlos’s power within the palace—those kinds of things.
Hearing him speak left a bitter taste in my mouth.
Perhaps because he had resigned himself to it, he casually brushed off something that couldn’t possibly be casual.
I observed his stiffened expression and quickly looked forward as a voice rang out.
“Um, ahem! First, I apologize for the delayed start. Thank you all for attending. Let’s begin the meeting.”
Finally, the meeting was about to proceed.
The head of the Royal Security stood tall at the central podium, using his abilities to project authority in his voice.
The conference hall featured semi-circular stepped seating and a large podium at the front.
At the highest point of the convex central podium, a seat had been prepared, and someone began approaching it.
“Huh…?!”
“Oh…!”
The appearance of a man with pink hair caused a stir in the room.
“Hmm?”
Who was this person?
I strained my eyes to get a better look at his pink hair.
Parted neatly to reveal his eyebrows, his expression was kind.
His uniform jacket, trimmed in gold, indicated royalty.
The badge on his chest also looked significant.
As he approached and people began bowing, the suspicion in my mind became certainty.
“May the Goddess’s blessings reach you. I greet His Highness, the Crown Prince of Deloard!”
“What brings you here! I greet Your Highness, the noble Crown Prince!”
I poked Carlos in the side.
“Team leader.”
Like everyone else, his eyes were fixed on the podium, serious.
Carlos seemed surprised too… so that must mean…
“That person… is he your brother?”
Even though it was obvious, I was still shocked.
Even as siblings, how could they look so different?
The Crown Prince and Carlos were opposites.
Pink and black. Light and dark.
The only similarity was their eye color—but Carlos’s eyes were darker.
“The Crown Prince’s portrait… have you never seen it?”
“Of course not.”
Why would I?
I shook my head carefully. Carlos, like me earlier, had a sharp, chilled gaze.
“Every citizen of the kingdom should know that. How could you not have looked?”
“I might not have known. I don’t care much about palace affairs.”
The novel didn’t even describe the Crown Prince’s appearance.
“……Miss Lutiens, just how little interest do you have in me?”
I thought for a moment and answered honestly.
“Some. A lot.”
Until recently, avoiding the protagonist entirely had been a long-held dream. Even facing Carlos was horrifying—I just wanted to run.
Yeah. No matter who the male lead was, I couldn’t possibly care.
It wasn’t my place.
I grinned and turned my head, and for some reason, his eyes looked hurt.
“……More shocking than the fact that my brother came here is what you just said, Miss Lutiens.”
Until just moments ago, he seemed fixedly staring at the podium.
Carlos couldn’t take his eyes off me for a while.
