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Chapter : 04
As soon as Lian’s breath reached my ear, my expression naturally soured.
‘What the hell is this—words or a fart?’
I roughly ran my hand through my bangs.
“What… When did I ever tell you not to talk?”
“You did. When the young ladies came out, you grabbed the back of my head and slammed me onto this table while saying that.”
Lian frowned and pointed at the table. Then, with his index finger, he poked his own cheek.
“Can’t you see the mark left on my face because of you, Director?”
What was truly irritating was that there really was a mark on his face shaped like the table.
‘Ugh… so annoying…’
I barely held back a sigh.
“Uh…”
“…”
“I-I’m sorry for just slamming you like that. I didn’t mean to.”
“No, it didn’t hurt at all. Our director has fists like cotton.”
The corner of Lian’s right eye narrowed as if he was about to wink—a habitual tic. I quickly responded before his wink disease flared up.
“Anyway… it wasn’t that I told you to shut up completely, but that you shouldn’t talk nonsense. We have to eavesdrop on Violet and her friends’ conversation.”
Lian slowly blinked. Soon, I noticed the corners of his eyes droop slightly.
“Director.”
“…”
“So, everything I’ve said until now… was all pointless?”
Without a second’s hesitation, he answered:
“Of course.”
A small sigh escaped from Lian’s mouth.
“Hah… it’s so shocking I can’t even speak.”
“…”
“How can you be so cold to me? I’m the youngest, and you’re the director.”
“…”
“Don’t you feel sorry for me, coming all the way from far away?”
Lian placed his hand on his forehead and pretended to sob.
‘Excuse me, Lian. You said you couldn’t say anything, yet here you are rambling away.’
I held back a groan.
‘What were we even talking about…?’
It was always like this whenever I spoke with Lian. He talked too much, and everything he said made me flustered and get drawn in.
After a moment, I steered the conversation back on track.
“Anyway… did you hear what Violet and her friends were talking about, or not?”
“Can I tell now? I’ll tell you if the director allows me.”
Lian, who had been sulking, immediately changed his expression and grinned.
‘After chattering nonstop until now, and now he wants permission to speak?’
I’ve never met someone this peculiar in my life.
‘Even worse than Chase.’
I had to get an answer, so I decided to play along.
“Yes, you have my permission.”
“Really?”
“Yes. So, did you hear it or not?”
“I heard it.”
“You said ‘His Highness’… right?”
“Yeah.”
So I wasn’t the only one who heard it as ‘His Highness’.
‘Then it’s certain.’
Violet must have a crush on someone. That someone was the one referred to as ‘His Highness’.
A sense of relief washed over me.
‘Johan didn’t even get to confess, and Violet rejected him.’
Johan Veloster, you got rejected!
I thought I’d have to give my favorite to another girl, but that wasn’t the case.
‘God is on my side.’
Plans began forming in my head. If I reject the commission now and approach Johan under the guise of coincidence to win his favor…
“Director.”
While I imagined a wedding with Johan, Lian interrupted my daydream. I startled and snapped out of my fantasy.
“Yes…?”
Lian, who had been quietly studying me, added:
“Why do you like him?”
“…Excuse me?”
“The director is smiling right now.”
“…”
“Like you’ve regained something precious that was taken from you.”
His previously languid, Chase-like tone had sharpened.
‘W-what…?’
The way he gave me that sharp look, the sudden drop in his voice—it all made Lian feel like a different person.
‘Why is he acting like this all of a sudden?’
Whatever it was, I couldn’t let him know I had been imagining myself in a wedding dress. I decided to play it cool.
“I wasn’t smiling.”
“You were.”
“I wasn’t.”
“I said you were.”
“Then I must have a smiling face, I guess.”
“You’ve only ever seen the director smile four times since joining the center.”
Lian held up four fingers.
‘What is this guy even counting…’
I turned my gaze elsewhere, ignoring him. Then a thought struck me.
‘But… who exactly is the “His Highness” Violet likes?’
Of course, it was easy to narrow down who could be called ‘His Highness’. Princes, crown princes, dukes, marquises…
‘Only those of high status can be called His Highness.’
But the problem was, in the Carnon Empire… there were too many potential ‘His Highnesses’.
Because this world was basically a game stuffed with popular male leads.
I recalled the many ‘His Highnesses’.
‘Duke Karline Leversel from .’
‘Duke Euclid Aaron from .’
‘Duke Trosian Politeum Rochard from …’
‘…I’d be up all night trying to count all the dukes here.’
Suddenly, Lian tapped my shoulder.
“Oh? Director, it looks like the young ladies are leaving?”
Sure enough, Violet and her friends had moved slightly away from the salon.
‘I can’t let this chance slip.’
I jumped to my feet and motioned to him.
“Follow me, quickly.”
“Oh my…”
Lian shook his head left and right, snickering. When he finally stood, a large shadow fell over my head.
“I understand your feelings, Director. You may speak harshly, but you really did need me.”
“…”
“You want to come with me so badly, baby…”
Lian, mumbling, suddenly stopped. He froze, staring at me like a statue.
‘Huh…?’
What is he doing?
I blinked, and his red eyes quickly refocused.
“Ah…”
“…”
“Flapping your hands like a baby bird.”
“…?”
“Then why did you act like you weren’t coming with me earlier? Is this ‘push and pull’?”
A sly smile spread across Lian’s face again. I grimaced.
‘Baby bird… push and pull…’
What kind of brain does this guy have to say things like that without hesitation?
I wanted to smack him, but Violet had moved slightly farther away.
‘I’ll be patient.’
I grabbed Lian and moved.
“Enough. Just follow me quickly. And please, for the love of God, shut up while we’re moving.”
“Yeah, yeah.”
A playful voice faded behind me. I held his sleeve and stepped forward.
‘This guy… can’t we just fire him?’
I seriously considered how to make this parachute employee quit.
After parting from her friends, Violet headed somewhere alone. She stopped in front of Valenri Atelier.
I hid in the alley with Lian, watching Violet enter the atelier.
“Valenri Atelier, huh…”
Even I, who hated fitting dresses, knew it was famous.
‘The designer’s taste is so good that once you go, you can never stop coming back.’
Luckily, this wasn’t an exclusive appointment-only atelier. That meant I could watch Violet up close from inside.
‘But…’
The problem was that a staff member would follow anyone who entered. Several employees were waiting by the windows.
‘I’ll have to act natural so it doesn’t look suspicious.’
I poked Lian’s side, and he lowered his height to meet mine.
“Listen carefully, youngest. From now on, you and I are a married couple.”
I said it casually.
‘When a man and woman are sneaking in together, pretending to be a couple is the best act.’
But Lian seemed slightly surprised. He stared blankly at me without blinking, and only after ten seconds did he quietly exhale.
“…Director.”
For some reason, his eyes had narrowed.
“Why?”
“So… that’s what it was?”
“What do you mean?”
He didn’t answer directly, instead sending me a pointed look.
‘What kind of ridiculous setup is he building now?’
I narrowed my eyes.
“Spit it out. What is it?”
Suddenly, Lian pressed his hand against the wall and cornered me. I hunched my shoulders in surprise.
“Why… why are you doing this?”
“You really had no idea. Absolutely none.”
He leaned closer and whispered in my ear, in this private moment:
“I didn’t know the director wanted to marry me.”
