YL 12

Chapter 12

It was something that an eighteen-year-old simply could not have done.

Even if she hadn’t completely withdrawn from high society—which she had—it was impossible.

If not for his almost supernatural instincts, Enoch would never have even realized that she had been shaken.

But what surprised him even more came next.

“Is there something wrong with the armor? I’ve never really looked at it… Isn’t it just ordinary armor?”

“You’ve never seen it?”

“I’ve never been interested in knights. Father handles all of those things.”

He hadn’t asked whether she had ever seen her family’s knights.

It was as if there was no need.

As if she already knew exactly what he had meant.

Yet she answered with such innocent sincerity that she seemed completely ignorant.

Her response was so guileless that he had almost believed it.

If not for those eyes.

Eyes that seemed to mischievously say:

“Just like you, I didn’t lie either.”

He couldn’t help letting out a bitter laugh.

He had lost.

The woman standing before him had been plotting from the very beginning.

Everything she had said had been true.

Just…

Not the whole truth.

She had seen straight through him.

She had realized that while his own answer was sincere, it also wasn’t the complete truth.

So she had returned the favor with the exact same kind of answer.

“Just like your answer… mine is the same.”

He couldn’t even get angry.

He had done exactly the same thing.

He had no right.

She knew that.

That was probably why she had deliberately looked at him with that teasing expression.

Her cleverness left him speechless.

Before he could think of a comeback…

The dance ended.

He had lost.

So, out of petty frustration…

He resorted to a cheap trick.

“You danced wonderfully, my lady.”

The crafty young woman immediately understood what he actually meant.

Her face instantly crumpled.

For a brief moment, he felt victorious.

Though it was probably a victory neither of them truly considered a win.

Then…

She disappeared like an arrow shot from a bow.

Watching her practically run away in her high heels—as though she wanted nothing more than to get as far away from him as possible—left him strangely unsettled.

No…

It made him feel genuinely bad.

What’s wrong with me?

For perhaps the first time in his life, Enoch found himself asking such a question.

As he frowned, Hereis—completely unaware of Enoch’s thoughts—snorted incredulously.

“What? Rosen? Seriously? Of all people, you took advice from Rosen? One of the Empire’s greatest Casanovas?”

To Hereis, the answer was absurd.

There were plenty of people one could ask for advice.

Yet Enoch Chester had gone to Rosen?

Sure, asking Rosen about women made sense.

Anyone would.

But Hereis knew Enoch better than anyone.

There was no way Enoch had sincerely sought romantic advice.

The man had gone his entire life with almost no interest in women.

In fact, Hereis sometimes wondered if Enoch even recognized women as a separate species.

So there had to be another motive.

The young lady was certainly extraordinarily beautiful.

But other than that…

Even Hereis knew almost nothing about her.

What possible benefit was Enoch trying to gain?

The Empire had two famous Casanovas.

More accurately…

One was famous.

The other was the real thing.

The publicly celebrated one was Count Colin Seffert, known as the Knight of Flowers.

With his breathtaking beauty, elegant sword dances, and shamelessly romantic lines, he captivated women everywhere.

If someone asked who the Empire’s greatest Casanova was…

Everyone would answer:

Colin Seffert.

But those who truly knew…

Knew otherwise.

The real Casanova was not Colin.

It was Rosen Dainer.

The slightly airheaded-looking right-hand man of the Duke of Chester.

No one understood how he did it.

Yet Rosen possessed an almost supernatural talent for making women fall for him.

The fact that Enoch had sought advice from him left Hereis completely dumbfounded.

Only then did Enoch seem to realize his mistake.

His expression stiffened.

Seeing that, Hereis rubbed his forehead.

“So you really didn’t even think of that.”

Then he sighed dramatically.

“One careless mistake completely unlike you, and an innocent young lady’s life is practically over. Do you realize that? What crime did she ever commit?”

He sounded genuinely sympathetic.

Enoch wasn’t convinced.

She doesn’t seem like the type to collapse over something like that…

It would certainly become troublesome.

But…

He somehow couldn’t imagine her being defeated so easily.

He thought so unconsciously.

Though Hereis, of course, had no idea.

Just as Hereis prepared to lecture him further—

Bang!

The lounge door suddenly flew open.

Both men instantly turned toward the room.

The moment Hereis saw the woman who entered and immediately flopped onto the sofa…

He silently screamed.

It’s her!

The very woman Enoch had danced with.

Enoch had recognized her as well.

His expression stiffened.

Fortunately, because the two men were hidden out on the balcony—and because years of training allowed them to erase their presence almost instinctively—

Rose never noticed them.

Thinking she was alone…

She sprawled across the sofa, groaning dramatically as she kicked off her shoes.

“Ahh… My feet were killing me.”

Whether she truly believed nobody was around…

Or simply didn’t care…

It was absolutely not behavior befitting a noble lady.

Both Hereis and Enoch were stunned.

Then…

As though all her pent-up irritation finally exploded…

Rose suddenly shouted at the empty air.

“This is all because of that damn bastard! Ugh! What grudge does that son of a bitch have against me?!”

Listening to her heartfelt outburst…

Hereis quietly whispered to Enoch.

“…Wow.”

“What a personality.”

Enoch said nothing.

But even he looked thoroughly shocked.

Watching him…

Hereis found himself liking Rose even more.

Nobody in the Empire would ever dare describe Enoch that way.

Nor could anyone force that expression onto his face.

More importantly…

Those were insults Hereis himself had always wanted to say.

But he valued his life too much.

So…

He silently began cheering her on.

Go!

Keep going!

You don’t know we’re here anyway! Say everything you’ve got! Do it for everyone else’s mental health!

It was an incredibly wholesome form of support.

As if rewarding his encouragement…

Rose continued cursing with all her heart.

“I don’t even want to go back anymore. Damn Enoch Chester. Because of that bastard I’m stuck in this mess. He should go drown himself in a plate of water! How dare he dump this gigantic pile of crap on me! Ugh… How am I supposed to pay him back for this?”

Wow.

Amazing.

Absolutely incredible.

Hereis trembled with joy.

“Go drown yourself in a plate of water.”

He absolutely loved that one.

Seeing Enoch’s utterly dumbfounded face doubled his endorphins.

He was so excited to see how this unprecedented young lady would eventually get her revenge on Enoch that he felt he wouldn’t be able to sleep.

“So what if everyone likes him? If they want to marry him, they should know their place! Or just throw themselves at him… Ah, wait. They’re already doing that. Argh! This is so annoying! Not me! I said NOT ME! You people can fight over him all you want!”

Her desperate cry practically screamed:

“Leave me out of your mess!”

Hereis nearly died trying not to laugh.

But he absolutely couldn’t make a sound.

Half of Enoch’s sanity had already been shattered by insults no one had ever dared say to his face.

Who knew what Enoch might do if Hereis laughed now?

Besides…

He desperately wanted to hear what other outrageous things Rose might say.

And above all…

He couldn’t let her discover they were hiding there.

Unfortunately…

His wish wasn’t granted.

Instead…

Another person burst into the room like a meteor.

“Rose Stacy!”

“…Ah, shit.”

Liana Stacy.

Hearing Rose mutter the curse under her breath, Hereis sincerely admired her.

He had sisters himself.

He knew women fairly well.

But he had never met a noble lady quite like this.

What an incredible personality.

The contrast made it even better.

Her face looked so angelic.

Finishing that thought, Hereis examined the newcomer.

Judging purely by appearance, the newly arrived woman looked far more intimidating.

She strode in confidently while shouting Rose’s name.

They clearly knew each other well.

Probably relatives.

She looked too old to simply be a friend.

Yet…

They barely resembled one another.

Perhaps only their faded pink hair—like dull cherry blossoms—was remotely similar.

Everything else was different.

Their eyes.

Their faces.

Their figures.

Nothing matched.

If they were truly related…

Then one of them had clearly inherited every good gene.

Enoch apparently thought the same.

His expression soured the moment he looked at Liana Stacy.

She wasn’t hideously ugly.

But she certainly wasn’t beautiful.

More than her face, it was her attitude and unpleasant demeanor that made her seem unattractive.

Having grown up in the Imperial Palace, Hereis considered his aesthetic judgment quite refined.

He frowned in complete agreement with Enoch.

Rose was no different.

Her beautiful face twisted into an ugly scowl as she snapped back.

“Liana Stacy. Where are your manners? You’re always preaching about dignity and elegance. Why don’t you show some yourself? While you’re at it, take that unpleasant body of yours and leave. Who barges into a room without permission when someone is already using it?”

Wow.

Incredible.

Absolutely incredible.

Her words were razor-sharp.

Every sentence perfectly turned the knife.

Hereis almost wondered if she secretly took classes in verbal warfare.

Then another realization struck him.

Liana Stacy.

So they really were biological sisters.

Yet they looked absolutely nothing alike.

The mystery of genetics truly was astonishing.

Did someone pick one of them up off the street?

It was a completely reasonable thought.

Though he wasn’t sure which one.

His curiosity was answered almost immediately.

“Big Sister! You can’t just kick the door open like that! Where are your manners? And Rose, you shouldn’t talk to your sister like that.”

“My sister? I only have one sister.”

“Ruby.”

“Since when did I have two?”

“Ruby Stacy! Listen to how she’s talking! Stop scolding me and say something to her!”

“You’re the one who started being mean to Rose.”

“You too?!”

“Big Sister. That’s enough. Hurry back.”

“Father is looking for you.”