PNA~07

Chapter 07

“I did hear rumors that you’d disappeared from the royal family. But here…?”

“Haha! You must be surprised to see me as a teacher!”

Erne laughed awkwardly, trying to hide her fluster.

She had been so focused on the original story setting—that he was the hidden villain—that it hadn’t even occurred to her that he might know her real identity.

‘How did he find out?’

Unless someone was a central noble from the capital, very few had actually seen the face of the lost princess Erne.

Especially Duke Douglas, the hidden villain, had never once encountered her during her time as a princess.

That’s why Erne was more flustered than anyone.

Had she perhaps unknowingly passed by him once?

Erne bit her tongue and tried to put on a serious expression.

Her blonde hair and golden eyes bore a striking resemblance to Queen Nesheld, so when she left the royal family, she even went as far as dyeing her hair red with a magical potion from a “Crow.”

“Could you please keep this a secret…?”

Now that all her efforts were in vain, Erne pleaded with Duke Douglas with a discouraged expression.

But it was Duke Douglas who was more taken aback by her sudden tears and clasped hands.

“You don’t need to speak so formally to me.”

“But…!”

“If the princess wishes it to be a secret, I won’t report it to the royal family.”

“Really…?”

She was so surprised that he agreed so easily that she quickly wiped her tears and gave a sheepish smile.

“I came because I was curious about who had been teaching Shuknen, since he’s become so well-behaved lately.”

“Oh?”

So, it wasn’t because she was teaching him something strange—it was just simple curiosity about how well he was doing?

Feeling proud of her teaching, Erne quickly brushed off her earlier fears.

“You’re such a wonderful princess; no wonder the boy has changed.”

As the handsome man smiled gently and praised her, Erne’s face grew hotter, and she had to duck her head to hide her flushed cheeks.

“You must have a reason for leaving the palace and founding Cheong… Cheonghak-dong.”

“Yes. I’m not going back to the royal family. If I do, I’ll be forced into an unwanted marriage and live like my mother. I don’t want that.”

The duke managed to pronounce the tongue-twisting “Cheonghak-dong” correctly and seemed genuinely trying to understand why Erne had left the royal family.

Well, it did make sense. A woman who’d basically won the lottery by regaining her status as a princess had suddenly left it all behind to build a school and teach children in this remote village.

Though he didn’t say it, Duke Douglas’s thoughts were likely written all over his face.

Even if he were to drag her back to the palace by force, Erne would just run away again.

‘I’ll escape before the next scene with a kimchi slap and orange juice comes up! Why stick around to witness more trainwreck drama?!’

Erne clenched her fists and stared at the duke in front of her.

He really was ridiculously good-looking. She hadn’t met the male lead yet, but if he looked like this, maybe the female lead ought to reconsider him.

“But Duke, how did you recognize me with different hair color?”

At her question, a faint snort escaped Duke Douglas.

“Hmph.”

“…”

“Because I am Duke Douglas.”

Oh. Yeah. That shut her right up.

Instead of replying, Erne simply stared at the god-sculpted duke’s face—and ended up seeing blood.

Meaning, she got a nosebleed.

He had been softly smiling at her the whole time, but suddenly his expression twisted into a frown.

“Princess.”

“Yes?”

“Your nose…”

“Wha—?!”

Yelp. Erne panicked and started looking for a handkerchief.

Her nose had started feeling warm, and apparently, the duke’s dangerously handsome appearance had triggered her personal tastes—and her nosebleed.

‘What kind of disgrace is this, Erne?!’

Near tears, she desperately searched for a handkerchief but couldn’t find one and just pinched her nose shut.

Thankfully, the kids were all outside playing on the swing she had built, or she’d have been teased by them for days.

“Wait.”

Seeing her pinch her nose with her bare hand, the duke searched through his clothes and pulled out a handkerchief.

He even helped wipe the blood and pinch her nose for her.

‘Can a hidden villain be this gentle?!’

Stunned, Erne’s eyes went wide.

“Are you alright?”

“Y-Yes.”

“Does this happen often?”

“Uh…”

Erne tilted her head, trying to recall her vague memories.

How often counted as “often,” anyway?

She did tend to get nosebleeds when faced with particularly attractive people.

It was her first time since becoming Erne, but back in her old life as Yoon Daeun in South Korea, she had once gotten a nosebleed after seeing her favorite idol in person. So it wasn’t entirely unheard of.

“Not that often. Just sometimes. I’m okay now.”

But something about the duke’s expression seemed off.

His face was slightly twisted, like he was holding back a strange kind of sadness.

Blink, blink.

‘No way. I must’ve imagined it.’

Erne shook off the odd feeling and let out a chuckle.

Then she frowned at the bloodstained handkerchief in embarrassment.

Sensing her discomfort, the duke spoke up.

“You can return it later.”

“I’ll be sure to wash it before I do. What a mess this turned into… Anyway, please, Duke, let’s keep this from the royal family.”

Maybe that was too shameless. Erne started to worry when he didn’t answer right away.

But Duke Douglas just gave her a bitter smile and slowly nodded.

“I’ll keep it a secret. Since it’s your command, Princess.”

“It’s not… exactly a command…”

Erne couldn’t shake the feeling that he was misunderstanding something.

But since she couldn’t quite figure out what, she simply nodded in agreement.

“Shuknen is a really good kid. He’s got great class participation… well, honestly, just having him stay seated is a huge accomplishment!”

She couldn’t bring herself to lie.

“I’ve heard his attention span is noticeably worse than other children.”

“True, but it’s not a problem. He just has clear likes and dislikes. That’s all.”

Before she knew it, Erne was smiling brightly again.

Her face still had some faint blood stains, though she didn’t seem to notice.

But the duke, now firmly convinced of his misunderstanding, didn’t mind.

Instead, he went on talking about Shuknen’s daily habits, answering unasked questions like any concerned parent would.

“Does the royal family know?”

“Hm.”

What was he talking about? Erne gave a sheepish smile, assuming he meant Cheonghak-dong.

Her mother, the Queen, might’ve known—but since she never came looking, Erne chose to interpret that in the way most convenient for her.

Which made answering easier.

“They don’t. And they shouldn’t.”

Absolutely. Never. Erne pressed her lips together firmly.

If they found out she was in Vanessa, they might come snatch her back and try to make her heir to the throne.

So she preferred to believe they thought she’d given up on becoming the next queen.

The thought that they didn’t know this place existed made her feel truly free from the mess of the royal family.

But Duke Douglas’s expression darkened again.

Erne didn’t notice and kept talking cheerfully.

“I like my life now. The children are the future of Nesheld. Teaching them is so fulfilling.”

“The future… So the children are your future?”

“Yes. I feel truly alive here. Unlike in the palace, here I actually feel like I exist.”

Of course, she didn’t say “like a human being.”

In the royal family, she had been just an extra in a messy story. But after escaping and settling in Vanessa, she finally felt like she was living as a real person.

She no longer heard the grand dramatic soundtrack that used to play in her mind daily—proof that she was far from that mess.

And she liked that.

She glanced at the duke. He seemed lost in deep, complicated thoughts.

Before they knew it, they had reached the swing where the children were playing.

That’s when the duke finally spoke again.

“There’s something I’ve been wondering, Princess.”

“Yes? Go ahead.”

Shuknen’s eating habits? His weaknesses? His social skills? His talents?

Erne was prepared to answer anything.

But the duke’s question was entirely different.

“Why do you keep speaking formally to me? You’re the one and only princess of Nesheld. I’d prefer you spoke casually.”

“Huh? That’s a bit…”

Erne glanced nervously at him, sweat forming at her brow.

He seemed completely sincere in wanting her to speak casually.

But when she hesitated, his face grew visibly disappointed.

Erne hurriedly opened her mouth.

“I can’t speak casually to you, Duke.”

“…Why? Am I that uncomfortable to be around?”

“N-No!”

That was true, but there was an even bigger problem for Erne.

Something serious and important.

“You’re the parent of my student. How could I talk informally to a student’s guardian?!”