CHAPTER 10
He couldn’t possibly have come just to greet them politely, right? If so, then his real motive was obvious.
He was definitely trying to flirt again, even after Riana’s shocking confession!
“Miss Riana. And Bastian.”
Calling their names one by one, he met their eyes and blinked sweetly with his long lashes.
“D-Duke, what brings you to the main building at this hour?”
Bastian stepped forward and subtly moved Riana behind him, trying his best to block the duke’s advances.
“And what is the butler doing here?”
“I was just here to guide Miss Riana…”
Killian nodded kindly, like he was being generous.
“Then finish guiding her.”
“Y-Yes! Uh, Miss Riana, this is your room.”
Bastian pointed to the first door in the 4th-floor hallway.
Before Riana could even thank him for the kind explanation, Killian interrupted.
“That’ll be all. Good work, Bastian.”
“W-Well, yes, but…”
Bastian hesitated awkwardly, but Killian added,
“You can leave now.”
“…Yes, sir.”
The huge butler disappeared so fast that Riana wondered if Killian had used magic.
Gulp. Riana swallowed her nervousness.
And she told herself again:
‘No matter what he says—block him. Absolutely no. I don’t like him.’
While she was firmly clenching her teeth in determination, Killian smiled ever so softly.
“Just as the butler said, this is your room, Miss Riana.”
Even though he was introducing someone else’s room, he casually opened the door and stepped inside like it was his own.
‘Well, it is true that every part of this mansion basically belongs to him.’
Riana followed with an uncomfortable look, like an unwanted guest. But the moment she stepped in, her eyes widened.
“What is this…”
The inside of the room was stunning.
“So many flowers…”
They were everywhere. The moment she entered, it felt like she was walking into a flower field.
While she was still stunned and looking around, Killian’s calm voice dropped by her ear.
“Do you like it?”
Click.
The door behind her closed right after Killian glanced toward it.
“Flowers.”
His voice, soft like petals, brushed her ear.
‘So he really is a magician.’
The scent of flowers filling the room, spring summoned in autumn, and the way his glance sealed them in together and warmed the air…
The whole moment itself was like magic.
Riana stared at him blankly again, the man who somehow looked perfect surrounded by flowers.
“Miss Riana?”
“No.”
She suddenly blurted out her refusal like an answering machine, then shook her head quickly.
“No, I mean, I don’t like it. I don’t like flowers.”
She scrunched up her face like she was genuinely disgusted.
“Ugh, I’m not a bee. Why would I like flowers?”
Killian’s eyes wavered. He wasn’t a bee either, but he did like flowers.
When he saw the reaction he was hoping for, Riana took it further, shivering exaggeratedly.
“Don’t tell me all these flowers are for me? That would be too much.”
“Of course not.”
He had matched all the flowers to her pink eye color, but okay—never mind.
With a snap of his fingers, all the flowers disappeared, except for one peony in his hand.
“But one flower’s fine, right?”
“Sure. Here! I took it. Happy now?”
Riana smiled and immediately tossed the flower onto the table.
“…That was fast.”
“Peonies aren’t really my thing.”
“Then what kind of flower is your thing, Miss Riana?”
“Hmm, maybe the roses by the window earlier? But they’re gone now, so oh well.”
She shrugged as if she were genuinely disappointed. But her exaggerated acting was clearly meant to tease him.
“…Then I’ll give you one next time we meet.”
Next time we meet? You mean when you come chasing after me again?
Riana forced herself to speak in a polite tone.
“You really don’t need to.”
“I really will. If it’s for you, Miss Riana. And—”
Killian casually picked up the peony she threw and placed it in a vase by the window. Riana watched his movements.
He looked at the peony and said gently,
“It was just a pure gesture of kindness. You don’t have to feel pressured.”
“What are you talking about? I can think of several things it could be.”
“My feelings for you, Miss Riana.”
“You mean that love-at-first-sight thing?”
Killian looked at her calmly and nodded.
“Wait, did you forget what I said yesterday?”
“I thought your words might make me change my mind.”
“Well, of course…”
Of course you’d change your mind—I told you I was a man! With a very convincing voice and chest.
“I didn’t change.”
No, seriously, I told you I’m a man!
“So don’t feel pressured.”
His voice was sweet like the flowers that once filled the room.
“It’s okay if you don’t have feelings for me yet.”
“…”
“We still have many nights ahead of us.”
It was like he was saying, “No matter your feelings now or your preferences—by the end of all those nights, you’ll fall in love with me.”
‘Wait, is this not a romance fantasy?’
Riana left the main building without ever falling asleep.
It wasn’t even her usual bedtime, so she couldn’t sleep—and her mind was spinning too much anyway.
So she decided to take a walk around the Duke’s estate.
‘If this isn’t a ro-fan (romantic fantasy), that would be a disaster…’
She walked slowly along the garden path, deep in thought.
If the Duke actually preferred men, then pretending to be a crossdressing man was basically suicidal.
So she had to figure out what kind of story this was.
‘If I didn’t recognize the male lead, then next…’
Of course—she needed to find the female lead.
…Hopefully there was one.
Surprisingly, finding the female lead was easy.
On the west side of the estate, in a small garden magically filled with blooming flowers.
Everyone—maids, wizards working at the estate, and guests—had gathered to watch something.
“Deborah Millicent, I’ve come to propose to you.”
“I refuse.”
A woman with sparkling light-blond hair and violet eyes like violets rejected him coldly.
The crowd buzzed.
“Oh my, she turned him down again.”
“What does the prince even see in her?!”
Riana was just as shocked. She stood there blinking in surprise.
‘Whoa. I found the female lead.’
And at that moment, the title of the story popped into her head.
『Boss, Please Be My Employee』
It was a romantic fantasy webtoon about a woman who quits her job and starts her own company, growing in love and success.
That cold beauty who just rejected the prince? She was the female lead.
If Riana remembered right, the male lead was the CEO of the company the female lead used to work for. Which meant…
‘That duke is the male lead!’
Meanwhile, the prince just left casually after being rejected. Deborah also walked off without a care.
As the crowd dispersed, only Riana stood frozen in place.
‘So the plot is…’
A super talented woman learns the ropes while working at someone else’s company and ends up stealing both their business knowledge and the CEO’s heart.
‘Then what about the villainess?’
Riana squeezed her eyes shut, trying to remember.
“…There isn’t one!”
There was no cruel villainess who dies terribly. Not even some extra who gets poisoned or executed or torn apart!
“How can it be this wholesome?!”
A healing ro-fan with no tragic drama. A sweet story full of dreams and hope, with no bloodshed!
Riana let out a relieved sigh through her teeth.
“…I’m safe.”
Finally, she’d found a story where she didn’t have to worry about being beheaded.
That had never happened before.
Until now, she had always been on edge—terrified that the villainess role would land on her at any moment.
But now she’d finally reached a place where she didn’t need to worry about losing her neck!
‘I can actually relax during these two months I planned to stay here.’
With her heart full of emotion, Riana took a light step forward.
Suddenly, the place felt cozy.
Now she was curious to explore her new workplace.
The Droche Ducal Estate was big—like a university campus.
To the east were the isolation tower and buildings related to the ducal family. In the center was the main residence. And to the west was a magic company the duke ran.
The busiest part was the west. Between the buildings, well-dressed women and neatly styled men bustled around—probably noble-born mage employees.
Riana strolled through the western part of the estate, secretly admiring the mages’ glamorous appearances.
