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Chapter 15
All she had done was talk about the handkerchief Theo had given to Rosearin and invite him to attend the tea party, yet Theo was saying something that sounded incredibly serious to Liriope.
She blinked repeatedly, desperately trying to make sense of the confusing situation.
Theo, who had been watching her with an unreadable expression, let out a short sigh before continuing.
“Even so, if you still can’t trust me, then I’ll tell you everything.”
‘…Huh?’
“It’s true that I gave her a handkerchief.”
“It was before our engagement papers were exchanged, and giving her that handkerchief wasn’t anything special. So I have absolutely no reason to feel sorry toward you.”
“N-No… It’s not that… I mean, it’s not about apologizing… I think there’s some kind of misunderstanding.”
“It was the day I had been summoned to the Imperial Palace, and it had rained heavily the day before. Arriving too early would’ve only been troublesome, so I used a carriage instead of a teleportation portal. While I was traveling, I happened to come across that count’s daughter.”
‘That’s not what I was asking you to explain about the handkerchief…’
“Her carriage wheel had gotten stuck, and the coachman was trying to fix it. She was standing outside. Like I said, it had rained the previous day, so there were muddy puddles everywhere. As my carriage passed by, mud splashed onto her clothes, so I stopped the carriage.”
Theo’s calm explanation made it clear that he hadn’t considered the incident special in the slightest.
Maybe that was why the original story had never mentioned it—because he hadn’t felt anything for Rosearin at the time.
After all, before meeting Rosearin during the Harvest Festival, Theo had never paid more attention to any woman than he would to a pebble lying in his path.
“I tried to compensate her, but she firmly refused. So I gave her my handkerchief and told her she could come collect compensation anytime if she changed her mind.”
“Ah… I see…”
“Of course, that happened before we got engaged. Now, it wouldn’t be appropriate for her to come to me asking for compensation.”
‘…Hmm?’
“So I think it’d be better if you paid her instead. You can take as much money from me as you need.”
“…Why would I do that?”
Liriope tilted her head in confusion, and Theo curled one corner of his lips upward as he answered.
“Because I’m officially your man now. I can’t go around casually talking to other women.”
“…”
“And I don’t want to make you worry, even a little.”
Theo spoke with a lazy smile.
‘W-What is with this man…?’
She was starting to doubt whether this was really the same man who had treated women like pebbles before meeting Rosearin.
Men who weren’t interested in women usually didn’t possess this kind of natural charm.
What on earth had this man been eating to become so effortlessly captivating over something so small?
“I-I’m not worried at all, you know?”
“Really? My lover seems like the jealous type. Was I mistaken?”
Smiling languidly, Theo picked up the small golden bell sitting beside the table and gave it a gentle shake.
“It looks like we’re finished eating. What would you like for dessert, Ripe?”
As he spoke, he glanced at Liriope’s plate, which had somehow been completely emptied of meat.
The moment the golden bell rang cheerfully, a waiter who had clearly been waiting nearby approached and quickly handed Liriope the dessert menu.
“We confidently recommend today’s fresh strawberry cake and strawberry ice cream, made with strawberries that arrived this morning.”
Liriope’s eyes sparkled.
She handed the menu right back to the waiter.
“When it comes to dessert, cake and ice cream are the only correct answer. I’ll have both.”
The waiter bowed and hurried away.
“Ah, I ordered without asking. Theo, was there another dessert you wanted…?”
“Coffee is enough.”
“Then have coffee with the strawberry cake. Fresh strawberry cake goes perfectly with coffee.”
Of all fruits, strawberries were her absolute favorite.
When it came to strawberry cake or strawberry ice cream, she could never get enough of them.
Thinking about the strawberry cake she would soon be eating, Liriope unconsciously grinned from ear to ear.
Theo watched her with an odd look before the corner of his mouth lifted into a faint smile.
Feeling slightly embarrassed under his gaze, Liriope suddenly remembered the invitation that still hadn’t been settled.
“So… you’ll come, right?”
“If you want me to visit the ducal estate, I can come anytime.”
“No, not just anytime. I mean the day Miss Rosearin is invited.”
“I still don’t see any reason why I need to be there. Ripe, you can just take care of the handkerchief for me.”
“Why would I collect your handkerchief for you?”
“Because you’re my fiancée.”
“Even if you’re my fiancé, I wouldn’t expect you to retrieve a handkerchief I lent to someone else on my behalf.”
“I see.”
“Exactly. So please take care of your own handkerchief, and accept my invitation.”
“…If it’s what you want, then of course I’ll come.”
Theo shrugged once.
Relieved, Liriope nodded with a smile.
If Theo and Rosearin met earlier than they had in the original story, maybe they could begin developing feelings for each other without waiting until the Harvest Festival.
‘But if that happens… won’t it change the part where Kadin falls for Rosearin during the hunting festival…?’
If Theo and Rosearin became close beforehand, then with Theo’s personality, he’d undoubtedly choose Rosearin as his hunting festival partner.
‘No… maybe not. I’m still officially his fiancée, so he might be forced to choose me instead.’
But knowing Theo, there was no way he’d leave Rosearin alone throughout such a dangerous hunting festival.
That would naturally put the two of them together.
If that happened, then perhaps the episode where Kadin fell for Rosearin would instead become Theo’s story.
‘Well… that would actually be better for the male and female leads.’
They could avoid Kadin’s obsessive attachment altogether, removing one more obstacle from the couple’s path.
Liriope nodded unconsciously, convinced that would surely happen.
At that very moment, a neatly cut piece of strawberry cake was suddenly held in front of her face on a fork.
Coming back to her senses, she looked down at the table.
At some point, dessert had already arrived, filling the table with strawberry cake and strawberry ice cream.
And Theo was holding out a fork with a piece of strawberry cake toward her.
Liriope blinked slowly in surprise as she stared at him.
Completely unfazed by her expression, Theo opened his own mouth in an exaggerated gesture, silently urging her to say, “Ah.”
She could already feel everyone’s eyes on them.
Even worse were the whispers drifting through the restaurant.
“Oh my goodness!”
“How romantic!”
Meanwhile, Theo acted as though neither the stares nor the admiring voices existed, continuing to move the fork toward her insistently.
‘What on earth did this idiot eat to become like this?!’
Countless thoughts raced through her mind.
But the instant she accepted the bite of strawberry cake…
Every unnecessary thought vanished.
Liriope could confidently declare that this was the greatest strawberry cake she had ever eaten in her entire life.
It was that delicious.
Without even realizing it, she practically snatched the fork from Theo’s hand and began devouring the cake on her plate.
Dignity?
Who cared about dignity?
The cake practically melted inside her mouth.
It was sweet and refreshing without being overwhelmingly sugary.
No combination of words could ever properly describe how incredible it tasted.
As she inhaled the cake, delighted little sounds escaped her lips.
“Mmm…!”
Across from her, Theo sipped his coffee with elegant composure, smiling as he watched her.
The surrounding nobles, amused by the stark contrast between Theo’s refined demeanor and Liriope’s enthusiastic eating, began whispering among themselves once again.
A short while later—
“Lady!”
Just as Liriope was sadly lamenting the fact that half of her strawberry cake had already disappeared while diligently shoveling another bite into her mouth, a familiar shout came from behind her.
She quickly turned around.
Standing at the entrance to the restaurant’s second floor was the Crown Prince, Kadin, wearing a black silk cloak pulled over his head while flaring his nostrils dramatically.
‘…Why is he here now?’
The moment she saw Kadin, Liriope frowned deeply.
She swallowed the cake filling her mouth and deliberately turned away, pretending she hadn’t seen him.
Heavy footsteps echoed behind her.
Then, completely lacking any sense of tact, Kadin marched over and plopped himself into the empty chair without so much as acknowledging Theo sitting across from her.
“Honestly… I can’t believe you’d go this far.”
Liriope raised an eyebrow.
“What are you talking about?”
“I don’t know who told you I was secretly going out today, or why you’re putting on this whole performance, but I already told you I’d agree to marry you even without all this.”
‘…What kind of nonsense is he talking about now?’
“Utter nonsense.”
Theo voiced Liriope’s exact thoughts aloud.
Still sitting elegantly, he calmly set his coffee cup down on the table.
Both Kadin and Liriope turned to stare at him.
“What?!”
“Stop talking nonsense and get lost, idiot.”
“Y-You…!”
“Whether you sneak out or stay in the palace has never mattered to Ripe, so stop flattering yourself.”
“Y-You…!”
“And where exactly did you learn such disgraceful manners as joining someone else’s meal without permission? Did you eat your etiquette because you were hungry?”
Theo spoke in the same calm tone as ever, casually delivering words that pierced straight through Kadin.
Then, as though to make a point, he scooped up a spoonful of strawberry ice cream and held it out to Liriope.
She blinked at his hand.
But realizing that refusing now would only make the situation even stranger, she obediently opened her mouth and accepted the bite.
Kadin’s jewel-like blue eyes widened so far they looked ready to pop out.
“W-What… what are you two doing right now?!”
