TOSWB 12

Chapter : 12

I thought the original story had already ended, but apparently this was episode 12.

I knew it.
He was pretending to be kind in a way that didn’t suit him at all.

True to his icy, sharp-featured appearance, Leopold didn’t even like sweet things.

I had no idea why the imperial palace pâtissier—who knew his tastes perfectly well—had prepared a tea time like this, but—

This was obviously Leopold trying to dump snacks he didn’t want onto me, since he knew I hated refusing food.

“…Ugh.”

That aside, it looked way too delicious.

I couldn’t bear to look at it, so I swallowed my tears and sharply turned my head away. But at that reaction, Leopold—who had seemed indifferent until now—suddenly stiffened.

“…Are you worried I poisoned it or something?”

He glared at me with eyes cold enough to drip frost as he spoke.

“What?”

Why was he being so overly sensitive?

…And poison, seriously? Maybe he’d been through so many assassination attempts that even his thoughts were this brutal.

Leopold really did live in a completely different world from mine.

As I was thinking that, Leopold spoke again, as if pressing me for an answer.

“Do you really trust me that little?”

Trust?

I just couldn’t eat it because I was watching my diet—why did trust even come into this?

Today, Leopold felt strangely touchy.

In his golden eyes was even a faint trace of resentment toward me.

I brushed it off lightly and changed the subject.

“No, it’s fine. Anyway, tell me why you called me here.”

“….”

It seemed Leopold finally gave up on handing me the tart. He clicked his tongue softly, set the plate down, and spoke in a cool voice that felt oddly sharp.

“Do I need a reason?”

“Huh?”

He seemed to abandon even the pretense of kindness and stared at me with a brazen expression.

Why would he meet me without a reason? At least, I had none.

I tilted my head slightly, wondering if I’d misheard.

“What did you say?”

“We’re friends.”

“Friends?”

At Leopold’s shameless declaration, I froze, lips pressed shut.

He seemed to be saying there was nothing strange about visiting a friend’s place and having tea together.

But since when were we friends? We were far too distant for that word.

Leopold disliked how I associated with Evelyn, and I felt the same about him. Our relationship was worse than strangers—“enemies” would fit better.

So when did we become friends…?

Just as I was about to say that, something clicked, and I asked in surprise,

“Did you mean that seriously?”

On the day of the victory banquet, he’d told the Empress he would make me his friend and call for me often—but I’d assumed it was just a way to defy her.

I stared straight at Leopold, demanding an answer.

“I’ve always been serious.”

After dropping that cryptic line, Leopold lifted his teacup as if nothing had happened.

It wasn’t something I could just let slide.

“…What do you mean, ‘serious’?”

I asked again, but he said nothing. His head was lowered, and I couldn’t see his expression.

I leaned forward to look at his face across the table.

“Leo?”

“….”

What was that about? I was curious.

I wanted to press him further, but there was something about his atmosphere that told me I shouldn’t. So I closed my mouth and picked up my teacup like he had.

“….”

“….”

Since Leopold had gone silent, an awkward stillness filled the room again.

…Yeah, I’m not coming here twice.

This was probably the first and last time I’d ever meet Leopold privately anyway.

It was rude, but I should just finish my tea quickly and leave.

As I was carefully blowing on the hot tea and sipping it—

Knock, knock.

Urgent knocking sounded at the door. I set my teacup down and turned my head.

“Your Highness!”

A familiar figure stood there—a young man with black hair and black eyes, solidly built, wearing a knight’s uniform.

Ah, I’d seen him a few times in my previous life too. Was his name Charlotte? He was definitely Leopold’s bodyguard.

He was said to be quite skilled, but since the person he protected was Leopold—dubbed the “Sword Saint”—he rarely had a chance to shine.

In other words, he was an extra, just like me. This was the first time I’d seen him up close.

Looking on the verge of tears, he hurried to Leopold.

“This is troubling, Your Highness. You skipped all of today’s scheduled lessons!”

Hmm… he felt more like a manager or scheduler than a bodyguard.

Now that I thought about it, this was exactly the period when the palace was fervently educating Leopold.

Originally an illegitimate child, Leopold had lived outside the palace until thirteen before entering it. And it had been less than two months since then.

No matter how talented he was, without learning, it was all meaningless. Though with his memories from a previous life, he probably already knew everything anyway.

“…Shouldn’t you go?”

“….”

I glanced at Leopold’s calm-looking profile and prompted him subtly.

If he’d skipped his lessons because of me, there was no reason for me to stay—since all we’d done was kill time.

Even if it was repetition, attending class again would be more worthwhile than hanging around here with me.

Whatever we were doing.

“Please go, Your Highness.”

At the urging, Leopold turned his gaze to me. His golden eyes locked onto mine.

What are you looking at?

I raised my teacup again and stared back blankly.

Then Leopold spoke.

“I don’t want my time with my friend interrupted right now.”

Me?

What was he talking about? We weren’t even friends to begin with—

Before I could respond, Charlotte asked in shock,

“A friend? Your Highness?!”

That’s the surprising part?

And that sounded exactly like what the Empress had said.

Charlotte looked so shocked he nearly forgot the person in front of him was his lord.

Well, it wasn’t strange. Leopold having a friend was unthinkable—especially in the imperial palace.

“But… a friend? Where exactly—”

“….”

Did he not know I was here?

It had been a long time since I’d been treated like this. Ah, right—I still looked like the devoted sidekick of the female lead’s friend.

So this was what having an extra’s presence felt like—barely noticeable.

“…Ahem.”

I cleared my throat lightly to announce my existence.

“Ah! W-What? When did you get there?”

“….”

Only then did Charlotte notice me, startled. He really was easily surprised.

How could he miss me when I was sitting right in front of Leopold? I was even closer than Leopold was.

“…Hmph.”

Stab.

I deliberately stabbed a fork into a piece of cake and stuffed it into my mouth.

It wasn’t that my presence was that faint. It was just that Leopold’s presence was overwhelmingly strong.

I decided to blame him.

“This person is…?”

Charlotte looked at me as he asked.

“….”

His gaze wasn’t judgmental like the Empress’s, but it was full of confusion.

A girl with slightly below-average looks, not from a famous noble family, suddenly claiming to be Leopold’s friend—of course he wouldn’t believe it.

But I didn’t feel the need to correct him. I never wanted to be acknowledged as Leopold’s friend anyway… and we weren’t friends.

Even after spending five years together in my previous life, I never got anywhere close to being his friend.

It would be the same even after fifty years.

I avoided Charlotte’s gaze and looked out the window.

“…I’ll be leaving soon, so it’s fine.”

My tone was indifferent, as if talking about someone else’s business. Charlotte relaxed slightly.

“Oh, I see.”

“….”

In contrast to Charlotte, Leopold shot me a dissatisfied glare, his expression still cool. He clearly didn’t like that I wasn’t playing along.

Trying to use me as an excuse to skip class—how old was he, skipping lessons and dragging others into trouble?

“Then I’ll wait outside, Your Highness. I won’t miss you this time!”

“….”

Charlotte left after saying that. The only exit from the room was the door he’d just gone through—basically telling us to wrap things up quickly.

I urged Leopold, who showed no sign of moving.

“If you’re thirteen, act like a kid and just obediently attend your lessons for inheriting the throne.”

“….”

With Charlotte gone, I spoke more casually.

Leopold frowned, clearly irritated by my mocking tone.