DUMBW 10

Chapter 10

In the Shadow of the Ceremony
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The grand hall shimmered with gold and laughter, filled with the music and chatter of the nobility.
It was the annual aristocratic ceremony—a glittering event of prestige.
And there I was, walking in beside Professor Saphir.

“Relax, my lady♡ You’re all stiff with tension again.”
“Q–quiet! Th-this is an official occasion!”

My heart wouldn’t calm down.
This time, I wasn’t in my usual boyish attire.
Wearing a dress and walking beside the professor as his fiancée felt… unbearably awkward.

—

Amidst the crowd, a voice suddenly called out.

“Well, well. Isn’t that you, Saphir?”

When I turned, I saw a tall figure standing there.
Their long blond hair was elegantly tied up, their features strikingly beautiful—
but the voice carried a slightly low tone, giving off a mysterious, androgynous air.

“My my♡ It’s been ages, Lionel.”
The professor’s eyes softened as he smiled, clearly pleased to see them.

Lionel?
…Who on earth is that?

—

The two began chatting effortlessly.

“You haven’t changed a bit. Still wearing that smile that makes people lose their composure.”
“Oh, and you—still as charming as ever♡”

They laughed together, the kind of warm laughter that hinted at a long, shared history.
Something pricked sharply inside my chest.

It was as if I wasn’t even there.
—Even though I was supposed to be his fiancée.

“Saphir, you used to flirt with me quite a lot, didn’t you?”
“My♡ Did I really? I can’t seem to recall~”

He brushed it off so easily, so playfully.
But before I knew it, my foot stomped against the marble floor.

“…! Professor, shouldn’t we be moving along already!”
My own voice came out sharper than I intended.

—

Lionel looked at me, clearly amused, lips curling into a faint smile.
“How adorable. So you’re the fiancée now?”
“Th-that’s right! So what if I am!”

I stepped forward and said it loud enough for everyone to hear.
At that, the professor looked at me, eyes narrowing slightly—
with a hint of amusement… and something softer beneath it.

“Fufu♡ Yes, that’s right. I’m with this precious young lady now.”

Lionel shrugged lightly and lifted their glass.
“Then I wish you both happiness.”
And with that, they disappeared into the crowd.

—

On the way home from the ceremony,
I couldn’t stop pouting.

“Don’t glare like that, dear. You’ll get wrinkles♡”
“Wha—! I-I am not glaring!”

The words tangled in my throat.
I didn’t even know why I felt so irritated.

But one thing had become painfully clear—
I didn’t know anything about Professor Saphir’s past.
No, not just the past.
I didn’t really know him at all.
There was still so much I didn’t understand about him.

And that ignorance—
that gap between us—
was something I simply couldn’t stand.