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Chapter : 21
It was truly unbelievable.
‘Seriously…’
And yet, despite all that, he kept pretending to be perfectly normal, even though he was just a soft, overly charming guy on the inside.
But… even as I thought that, my breath felt slightly warm.
Maybe it was because of that fantastically handsome face. My heart had started to pound.
‘No, don’t get fooled.’
That guy is a butter-type man.
‘Don’t forget what kind of person he is just because of his looks…!’
I gave myself a mental pep talk and steadied my mind.
Then I remembered Rian’s question from earlier.
“Uh… what would it be like if you actually met His Highness the Crown Prince?”
“Yes.”
I slowly began imagining inside my head.
Crown Prince Castilian, the only one in this world, living in a dazzling imperial palace.
The irreplaceable male lead who made readers drool with every word he spoke.
‘If that crazy prince and I met…’
But I quickly gave up.
‘No, realistically, how would I even run into the Crown Prince?’
How could an ordinary NPC like me meet the Crown Prince, who never shows himself to anyone?
My brain completely stopped working.
‘I am an S-human incapable of outrageous imagination.’
I answered.
“I don’t know in my current situation.”
“……”
“I can’t imagine anything at all. I don’t even know what His Highness the Crown Prince looks like.”
“I see.”
Rian added briefly.
He seemed strangely different.
‘He’s usually loud—why is he so quiet today?’
Of course, now that Rian was calm, I felt relieved.
He usually rambled unnecessarily and made things difficult for me.
‘I’m naturally introverted and don’t talk much.’
So this situation suited me.
‘…But honestly…’
To be completely truthful… I was slightly bothered by him.
The reason was simple.
‘His face.’
Now that he wasn’t talking, his already dazzling appearance stood out even more.
His handsome face and tall physique, usually hidden beneath his buttery personality.
I had always wondered.
Whose male lead was Rian de Vichelle supposed to be? Why did the novel with such a character become a million-seller?
But now I understood.
‘This guy… definitely succeeded because of the cover.’
It must have been drawn so brilliantly that even with that personality, it still became a bestseller.
‘Author of the Rian series, you should thank the cover artist.’
But whatever the reason, it was strange that Rian was quiet.
‘They say if a person does something unusual, they’ll die…’
Is he sick?
Just a little… very slightly, I was worried.
‘Of course, in this simple game world, there’s no way a death flag would trigger.’
While observing Rian cautiously, I spoke.
“Youngest master, you’re unusually quiet today.”
Rian immediately lifted his gaze.
His red eyes wavered, and soon a smile appeared at the corners of his lips.
“Center Director.”
“……”
“So you really do enjoy talking to me? You always tell me to be quiet, and now you’re complaining because I am quiet?”
His voice, which had been hovering near the carriage floor earlier, shot up as if trying to pierce the ceiling.
‘Ha… I shouldn’t have worried.’
I narrowed my eyes.
“It’s not that I enjoy talking to you. It’s just that someone who’s usually noisy is suddenly too quiet today.”
“Center Director, were you worried about me?”
“No, I wasn’t.”
After holding my gaze for a moment, Rian leaned his elbow against the window frame.
He rested his face against the back of his hand as if it were a habit.
“I’m not in a bad mood. I just…”
Rian trailed off and chuckled.
“I pretended to be quiet so you’d worry about me.”
“……”
“My dear, you fell for my acting. You’re so innocent—how cute.”
He winked, overlapping with Brother Chase’s expression.
‘…Of course.’
Today, I learned one more thing.
‘No matter what happens, I will never worry about this guy.’
Nothing in his life was ever serious. Whatever happened, he would eat well and live comfortably.
Rian soon returned to his usual self.
“By the way, dear, you’re wearing a yellow dress today? I’ve never seen you wear something so bright.”
“……”
“It’s like a flower blooming inside the carriage. The flower’s name is Sienna Willow.”
There he goes again.
I sighed silently and looked out the window.
The scenery of the city had completely changed.
In the distance, the Belloster Marquis’ estate came into view.
* * *
Soon after, Sienna and Rian arrived at the Belloster Marquis’ residence.
And they were stunned.
“We have been waiting for our honored guests who traveled such a long distance.”
The household staff welcomed them so grandly that it nearly caused them to faint in surprise.
‘Oh my goodness. It feels like I’m royalty.’
Even my own household staff didn’t greet me like this…
It was almost like experiencing Castilian’s treatment indirectly.
“This way, please. The Marquis is waiting.”
Guided by the butler, Sienna and Rian headed to the reception room.
The staff they passed along the way greeted them respectfully.
‘Our staff is polite too, but… is this because it’s Johan’s estate?’
The staff here somehow felt very “Johan Belloster.”
Finally, they arrived at the reception room.
Upon seeing them, Johan stood up from the sofa.
“You have arrived.”
He was holding a large stack of documents.
“I apologize, Center Director. I should have come to greet you, but I was occupied with paperwork.”
“No, please don’t say that.”
Sienna sat down and continued.
“I was actually surprised by your consideration. Your staff is very well trained.”
“I informed them in advance. Since important guests were visiting, I instructed them to treat you with utmost care.”
Johan smiled gently.
Sienna’s mouth fell open.
‘M-Me… Johan’s precious person…’
Of course, it probably had no real meaning—but those meaningless words shook the heart of Johan’s number one fan.
“Have you eaten?”
“Yes, of course.”
While casual conversation flowed, Rian remained beside Sienna.
With an expressionless face she had never seen before.
But neither Sienna, speaking to Johan, nor Johan responding to her seemed to notice Rian’s mood.
When the staff brought desserts and tea, Sienna’s eyes widened again.
‘Is this a dessert shop or something?’
So many different sweets were served.
While admiring the extravagant desserts Johan didn’t seem likely to eat, Sienna realized something.
‘Ah, maybe he stocked all this because of his younger sisters?’
That made sense.
Even if he didn’t eat them himself, he would gladly buy them for his sisters.
Sienna handed the script she was holding to Johan.
“A few days ago, we held a meeting among ourselves. The consensus was that we should have a second meeting before the ball.”
Johan quickly reviewed the script.
His tense expression gradually softened, suggesting he was satisfied with the scenario Sienna had written.
He closed the script and said,
“A handkerchief chosen personally by Miss Bringer… Just imagining it makes my heart flutter.”
His round ears turned slightly red.
Watching this, Sienna felt a sharp ache in her heart.
‘…Maybe I shouldn’t have come.’
Of course, she had rushed here because she wanted to see Johan again.
But she still wasn’t immune to his face when he thought about Violet.
‘When will I finally get over this fandom?’
Then Johan continued.
“However, I do have some concerns.”
“……”
“I’ve never visited a place like a dress shop before… I’m worried I might make mistakes.”
“……”
“And according to the script, this time I must guide the situation myself without assistance from staff…”
“……”
“I’m not sure if I can do it properly.”
He looked genuinely worried, his eyes drooping like a sad puppy.
Sienna shook her head.
“No. Please don’t worry. Everything will go well.”
Her expression was firm, as if telling him to trust her.
Johan blinked.
“How can you be so certain?”
“Because…”
Sienna raised her index finger.
“Because the designer at the Valenly Dress Shop—the place where the second meeting will take place—will help you.”
