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Chapter 10
Liriope stared blankly at the communication orb after the connection was suddenly cut off.
For a moment, she wondered if it had broken, turning it over in her hands and even tapping it a few times.
When she pressed and held the power button, the orb lit back up, displaying the default screen filled with the crests of noble families.
So it wasn’t broken.
‘That jerk… did he hang up on purpose?’
Liriope’s brow furrowed fiercely.
She had been baffled by the single word ten minutes, but then it suddenly dawned on her that he probably meant he would send an escort in ten minutes.
Her eyes narrowed instantly.
‘Seriously, this Northern Duke bastard.’
Was he afflicted with some kind of disease that prevented him from speaking in complete sentences?
How was she supposed to understand what he meant if he just threw out the words ten minutes and disconnected?
She only figured it out because she was quick-witted and good at reading between the lines.
Someone less perceptive might spend an entire week trying to decipher the meaning of those two words.
At least the excitement that Theo’s smile had stirred in her heart had finally settled down.
That much was fortunate.
Still…
She really didn’t like his personality.
But since he had readily agreed to send someone within ten minutes, she decided to let it slide.
If someone could arrive from the Grand Duchy in only ten minutes, then he was obviously planning to use a transportation portal.
Transportation portals were incredibly expensive.
She could overlook his irritating personality for that much.
Of course, to the Grand Duke who ruled the North, the cost of a transportation portal was probably nothing more than pocket change.
So Liriope patiently waited ten minutes.
She waited…
But the one who appeared before her wasn’t an escort knight.
It was Theo himself.
“Wait… why are you here, Theo?!”
At Liriope’s flustered question, Theo answered more calmly than ever.
“Why else? I came to escort my fiancée.”
‘Exactly. Why are you the one escorting me?’
The words remained trapped inside her mouth.
Apparently, the thought had been written all over her face.
Theo smiled with the same relaxed grin she had seen through the communication orb.
“You’ve got the face of someone thinking, ‘Why did it have to be you?’”
He placed particular emphasis on the word you.
Caught red-handed, Liriope awkwardly cleared her throat.
She desperately wanted to ask why he had come in person.
But she couldn’t bring herself to.
Instead, she put on her best business smile and asked the safest question she could think of.
“…Aren’t you busy?”
Theo casually shrugged.
“Busy or not, what choice do I have? My fiancée said she needed an escort.”
“I mean… you could’ve just sent another guard…”
“The most trustworthy guard in the Grand Duchy is me.”
“…”
“And your father would feel much more at ease knowing you’re with me. He trusts me more than Sir Gray.”
Murmuring the last part almost to himself, Theo looked around.
“Where is your graduation project?”
“I’m leaving without telling Father. And it’s not my graduation project—it’s Rinix.”
“There are no secrets in this world. So… where’s Rinix? Since I’m already here, I’d like to see him.”
‘This guy… he actually came here to see my phoenix, didn’t he?’
Liriope narrowed her eyes suspiciously.
Last time, Rinix had been unusually fond of Theo.
Apparently, Theo had taken a liking to Rinix as well.
‘Hmph. Then I’m definitely not letting you see him.’
“He’s sleeping in my room. It’s his afternoon nap time.”
A trace of disappointment crossed Theo’s face.
But he didn’t seem willing to wake Rinix just for that, so he simply nodded.
“Still… having you accompany me is a bit…”
‘A bit too much pressure.’
She trailed off awkwardly, unable to finish the sentence.
Theo pursed his lips.
“If it makes you uncomfortable, just think of me as the escort I sent.”
He spoke as though he had seen straight through her thoughts.
Liriope shot him an exasperated look.
“What kind of crazy woman thinks of her fiancé as an escort knight?”
“I’m relieved to know you’re at least aware that I’m your fiancé.”
Theo laughed pleasantly.
“Did you think I’d stamp the engagement contract without knowing that?”
“When I saw you standing there with that idiot Kadin, I wondered whether you weren’t aware.”
He placed strong emphasis on the word weren’t.
Apparently, stressing certain words was his favorite habit whenever he wanted to make a point.
“That situation couldn’t be helped.”
“There will always be situations that can’t be helped, Ripe.”
“That doesn’t mean I have anything going on with His Highness the Crown Prince… Wait, why are you calling me Ripe?”
“Hm?”
Theo tilted his head to one side.
‘Seriously? Even that is unfairly handsome?’
Even his slightly puzzled expression, with his head tilted just a little, was enough to charm anyone.
Liriope had to desperately hold onto her sanity so she wouldn’t be swept away by his looks.
“My father and Gemma call me Liri.”
“So?”
“It just feels strange… hearing someone else call me by a nickname no one else uses.”
In truth, she wanted to say it bothered her.
She had merely chosen a gentler way of putting it.
Theo smiled lazily at her.
“Of course it does. I’m not someone else. I’m your fiancé.”
“…”
“And soon, I’ll be your husband.”
He smiled mischievously.
The moment Liriope saw that smile…
Her heart dropped.
That smile…
It was supposed to belong only to the heroine.
A smile he had never shown anyone else.
A smile reserved for only one person.
Liriope could only blink in utter confusion.
The more she thought about it, the more tangled everything seemed.
Liriope couldn’t shake the stiffness from her expression.
The biggest problem was that, in trying to survive by changing the original story, she had somehow become involved with the original male lead.
Soon the original plot would begin.
And when it did…
Theo and Rosearin would inevitably be drawn toward each other as though by fate.
No…
Perhaps fate had already tied the thread connecting them into an unbreakable knot.
After all, even the handkerchief incident—which had never existed in the original story—proved that their connection had already begun.
The thought that she had unintentionally become an obstacle standing between them filled Liriope with fear.
She had distanced herself from the Crown Prince to avoid her tragic ending.
Only to end up wedged between the male lead and the heroine instead.
Wasn’t that putting herself even closer to death?
‘I need to stay focused. As long as I don’t interfere with the two of them and end the engagement with the Northern Duke as smoothly as possible, everything should be fine.’
Eventually, she and Theo left together for the city.
They sat facing each other inside the carriage.
Liriope stared out the window, deep in thought, strengthening her resolve.
Only then did she notice Theo staring at her.
Turning away from the scenery outside, she looked back at him.
Theo met her gaze with his usual lazy, arrogant eyes.
“Is there something on my face?”
Liriope asked, touching her cheek.
“No.”
‘Then why are you staring at me like that, you jerk?’
“I was just thinking… you really are beautiful.”
For a moment, Liriope’s eyes widened so much they nearly popped out.
She hadn’t expected those words after such a simple denial.
“I suppose it’s because I’ve only ever remembered you as a proud little lady. Seeing you now… this feeling is rather refreshing.”
‘And exactly what kind of feeling would that be?’
The words rose all the way to her throat.
But she couldn’t bring herself to say them.
Instead, she could only blink rapidly.
Her ears began to burn.
Soon her entire face grew hot.
She didn’t even need a mirror to know she must be bright red.
“Wh… what…”
Unable to even lift her head because her heart was pounding so hard it felt ready to leap from her chest, Liriope muttered weakly.
Theo watched her with an unreadable expression before continuing.
“Well… let’s say it’s simply the realization that I never knew my fiancée was actually this beautiful.”
Liriope couldn’t take it anymore.
She covered her face with both hands.
“Wh-Why are you doing this?”
“What did I do?”
Theo asked, his voice tinged with amusement.
Still hiding her face, Liriope sounded as though she might cry.
Hearing him laugh only made her blush even harder.
“I didn’t realize you’d get this embarrassed. At this rate, I’m really going to misunderstand and think you truly like me, Ripe.”
“…”
“If this is all an act, then you’re an incredible actress.”
“It’s not an act.”
“Well, either way, it’s refreshing.”
“…”
“So… you can lower your hands now. I can’t see your face.”
His voice had become so gentle it almost sounded like a whisper.
Liriope was completely confused.
Had this man truly decided to seduce her today?
“Show me, Ripe.”
His pleading whisper left her with no choice.
Slowly, she lowered her hands.
Unable to meet his eyes, her gaze fell only as far as the golden buttons decorating his uniform.
Still unable to adjust to the overwhelming situation, she turned toward the window and asked,
“Are you the type who only likes pretty faces?”
If that were true…
Objectively speaking, Rosearin was far prettier than she was.
Then Rosearin really would be his destined partner.
In the original novel, the Crown Prince had been captivated by Rosearin’s beauty from the very beginning.
Theo, on the other hand, had gradually fallen for her because of her kindness and character.
If anyone was obsessed with appearances, it had been the Crown Prince.
But after Theo suddenly started calling her beautiful and saying she was refreshing—as though he were deliberately flirting with her—she couldn’t help wondering if he also cared about looks.
After all, people naturally noticed appearances first.
Yet Theo’s answer caught her completely off guard.
“Not at all. I’m the type who falls for someone once I’m certain they’re my person.”
It sounded…
As though he were saying Liriope was already his person.
Her heart pounded so violently that it felt ready to burst out of her chest.
