ICOF 12

Chapter 12

If this scene had background music, it would probably be something like this.

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly.

Whii-oo whii-oo—waa waa—

A dusty wasteland.

A man sits on a horse, wearing a fierce expression.

With a gun in hand, he shoots down outlaws without hesitation.

Here, I’m the protagonist riding the horse—and the one blocking my path is none other than Sir Theodore, the rumored playboy.

No matter how saintly he may be, I must stop him with endless chatter and nonsense.

The moment I saw him, my heart started pounding.

But just to be clear—this wasn’t the kind of pounding you feel when you fall in love.

This was pure stress.

As I walked in wearing a dirty dress stained with dirt and grass, he looked me over with an already tired expression.

Yes, that bottom-of-the-barrel princess in the royal calculations—that’s me!

Standing beside him, I started talking.

“Sir Theodore, didn’t I tell you we shouldn’t see each other again?”

His dark brown eyes immediately filled with amusement.

“It’s already entertaining before we’ve even greeted each other. Why would I stop?”

A strong opponent.

Theodore gave a polite bow, and I awkwardly returned it.

“Greetings, Your Highness.”

“Hello, Sir Theodore.”

Yes, yes—I’m the rude princess who skips greetings. You don’t need to say it.

“Now that we’ve greeted each other, can we get to the point?”

“I came here to do exactly that.”

Another strong opponent.

“Ahem… go ahead.”

He gestured for me to sit, then sat across from me, smiling lazily.

“I like how unwavering your heart is.”

“Simmons mattress?”

“…Pardon?”

“Oh, nothing. I just tend to ramble and act a bit airheaded… anyway, please don’t like anything about me.”

Something flickered in Theodore’s eyes.

Like a jackal refusing to lose its prey.

“You don’t even know me well yet. Why do you dislike me so much?”

“Instinct.”

“Your instinct is wrong.”

He leaned back on the sofa, stretching his shoulders, his fitted suit pulling tightly across his chest.

He looked completely at ease—too much so.

“I’ve never been wrong about my instincts.”

He leaned forward playfully.

“Is that so? Then didn’t you sense that a charming man would come today and ask you out?”

“He already did.”

“…What?”

“He came with a big gemstone and asked for it already.”

When I mimed a ring with my fingers, Theodore smirked.

“So you already have competition? Is that why you’re so relaxed?”

I crossed my legs, secretly shaking my foot under my dress.

I wish I could actually be as relaxed as I look.

But I wasn’t.

I didn’t know his intentions, but I felt like getting involved with him would be dangerous.

“I’m not relaxed. I just… if this makes you uncomfortable, tell me. But I’ll choose someone who feels safe to me. And honestly, you seem like the type who would cheat.”

Theodore covered his mouth and chuckled, then looked straight at me.

“Your Highness, I’ve met enough women. I have no intention of cheating after marriage.”

“That’s what everyone says at first. Then four weeks later—‘Let’s meet again sometime’—and that’s the end.”

Even my cynical joke didn’t faze him.

“I don’t fully understand your humor, but I see your point. If you’re concerned, ask Princess Rosa. Even though we only dated briefly, you can ask if I ever cheated on her.”

I thought about my sister.

Rosa? Our Rosa… Hmm.

“Maybe. But she’s a bit dense—maybe she just didn’t notice.”

“…You have a way of provoking me. It makes me want to break through that strong wall of yours.”

I scoffed.

“You just said I had an unwavering heart.”

“That’s exactly what I mean. I’m also looking for someone who is consistent, someone who doesn’t give their heart away easily. Don’t you understand?”

His expression turned serious.

Why?

Shouldn’t playboys meet seductive women and sincere men meet sincere women?

Why force opposites together just to suffer through it?

If it fails, it’s the children who suffer.

It felt like he had seen right through my ideal type.

But… what if he really was looking for the same thing?

Still, I stayed in character.

“So what? You’ve had your fun, and now you want someone simple like me?”

“My reputation is exaggerated. And you are not simple. You are sharp and wise. So instead of rumors, I hope you’ll see the truth.”

“…”

For a moment, we sat in silence, trying to read each other.

What if I really was misunderstanding him?

After all, I had suffered from exaggerated rumors too.

Maybe he had as well.

But still… if my brother-in-law hadn’t arranged this, we would’ve lived separate lives.

Why go this far?

Theodore sighed briefly and changed the subject, pointing at my dirty dress.

“Did you kneel before the man with the big ring?”

I was dumbfounded.

What kind of imagination is that?

“You think I did that? I just fell. Like I said, I’m a bit clumsy.”

He chuckled again, and the tension eased slightly.

“I can appreciate all kinds of beauty.”

“Really? Have you ever faced an enemy who won’t die no matter how many times you shoot them?”

“…”

He stared at me for a moment, then smiled.

“I’ll be honest. I was born the only son of a humble family. My father only cared about money, and my mother, feeling lonely, cheated. I may have inherited both traits. I am very capable when it comes to making money, and I’ve met many women in search of someone who would love only me.”

He loosened his tie slightly, as if the reality suffocated him.

“But I never found such a woman. Some rejected me because of my status, some turned away due to their parents, and others only cared about my wealth. Contrary to what you think, I was always the one who got hurt.”

He spoke calmly, but my intuition told me he wasn’t lying.

Why was he telling me all this when we barely knew each other?

And I realized—one of the women he mentioned, who turned away because of her parents… was probably my sister.

I felt a bit guilty on her behalf.

Still… why me?

Giselle had only ever loved Adrian.

For all he knows, I might still like Adrian.

“But you, Your Highness, only looked at one person. You stood firm despite opposition. You have enough wealth not to care about money. And more importantly—I can guarantee that you will feel safe with me.”

At that last part, my face flushed.

Why did that embarrass me?

Still… even if I felt a bit sorry for him—

I couldn’t hand over a harmless rabbit like me to a seasoned jackal.

“Well… then we’re even more incompatible. The me who chased Adrian and the me now are different. I want to try free dating. And… this is a secret, but I’m saving money on the side. I’m very interested in building a private fund. So your research is wrong.”

Theodore leaned back and laughed.

“You’re quite formidable. After hearing my story, you feel no sympathy?”

“You’re not someone who needs pity. You turned out well despite everything. Pity doesn’t suit you.”

His eyes flickered briefly.

But he quickly smiled again.

“That only makes me want you more.”

…What?

I sighed.

“Today’s been exhausting. I can’t handle any more flirting. No matter how much you try, it won’t work.”

Thankfully, he didn’t push further.

He stood up smoothly and simply extended his hand.

“I’ll take my leave for today. But next time, I hope you’ll open your heart to me—even just a little.”