“Lady Loris, the weather tomorrow will be fine. I wonder if I might have the honor of spending the day with you? A carriage will arrive at the academy gates at ten in the morning.”
“Leonhart”
...
—Dormitory. The room shared with Misha—
It all started about an hour ago.
I had just finished up with my student council duties. There had been plenty of tedious matters involving Secretary Meretskov, and I'd only returned to my dormitory room in the evening.
I had just finished taking a bath, my hair was still damp, and I was wearing a loose-fitting nightgown. My plan was to roll around in bed a few times and then go to sleep to enjoy my life.
Just then, Misha came in carrying two cups of hot milk.
“Someone seems to have delivered a letter,” she said.
“Throw it away for me,” I replied.
Misha was just about to nod and agree as she placed a cup of milk on my table. But the moment she looked back at it, she let out a small gasp and said in surprise, “It's a letter from the Crown Prince!”
I didn't quite understand why she was so shocked. In fact, I wanted to tell her to just get rid of that nuisance of a letter so it wouldn't ruin my peaceful evening.
But out of politeness and my character setting, I sat up anyway, pretending to be surprised and thrilled:
“What did you say?”
“The... The Crown Prince's letter...” Misha recoiled a couple of steps, startled by my sudden movement, nearly spilling the milk.
The envelope was white, sealed with the Edelstein family's griffon wax seal.
I took the letter. Misha tactfully averted her eyes, probably afraid she would catch a glimpse of some lovey-dovey contents.
As if that was even possible. I wasn't that type of person anyway. My hands were perfectly steady as I tore open the envelope—after all, I was no longer the little girl whose heartbeat was subject to forced scripts.
But I still had a bad feeling in my gut.
And the contents of the letter were incredibly simple.
“Lady Loris, the weather tomorrow will be fine. I wonder if I might have the honor of spending the day with you? A carriage will arrive at the academy gates at ten in the morning. —Leonhart”
After reading it, I felt as if all means of resistance had been stripped away. I took a deep breath, completely drained of strength, and weakly massaged my forehead.
I'm sorry, weekend. In the end, I failed to protect you.
—
And so, Sunday morning arrived.
Sunlight squeezed through the gap in the curtains, dancing across my eyelids.
I didn't want to wake up.
Because waking up meant I had to go out with Leonhart, the male lead.
With that thought in mind, I opened my eyes and stared at the embroidery on my pillow, a profound, inexplicable sense of misery washing over me.
Why couldn't my holiday be spent sleeping? Why couldn't the Crown Prince just stay in his palace and handle state affairs?
Human God, it's time to exert your power and change the plot.
I thought and even prayed silently in my heart. Yet, there was absolutely no response; it seemed even the deity had no intention of protecting my weekend.
Well, time to sit up.
Yesterday's letter was still sitting on my table. I walked over, stared at it for ten seconds, and, still clinging to a sliver of hope from my dreams, flipped it over—hoping to see the words “just kidding” written on the back.
Regrettably, there was nothing.
On another note, why had Leonhart suddenly invited me out?
I hadn't targeted him recently... I wondered if something had gone wrong somewhere else. Reality and the game really were two completely different things; even following the script step by step didn't seem to work out.
Besides, in theory, I could refuse this invitation—but that was only in theory. In practice, refusal was impossible.
I simply had no reason to turn him down.
My setting was his fiancée. His invitation to go out with him was perfectly reasonable and in line with noble etiquette; no one would find anything amiss with it.
If I said “I'm not going,” he would ask “Why?”
If I stubbornly said “I don't want to go,” that excuse in the high society circle would be equivalent to slapping him in the face, and might even be interpreted as breaking off the engagement and declaring war on the world.
Therefore, I couldn't slap Leonhart's face.
Which meant I had no choice but to go.
And this event would become the most important thing on my schedule today. Even though this specific plot point had never been mentioned in the game... Oh, right, I remembered. In this world, Liliana was the heroine, while I was the villainess.
The romantic subplot between me and Crown Prince Leonhart naturally wouldn't be featured in the game, as it would overshadow the main heroine and steal the spotlight.
Anyway.
Misha, who was already awake, had hung the clothes I was to wear today on the hanger. For some reason, she was acting more and more like my second personal maid, except for her habit of wanting to bathe together. My Guardian Knight, Shirune, had also silently materialized nearby, her two demonic horns as prominent as ever.
Since I was going out with the prince, my makeup and attire naturally had to be meticulously prepared as a matter of etiquette.
Shirune and Misha both helped me.
“Thank you for your hard work...” I thanked them both in advance, though only in my mind.
I stood in front of the mirror, watching Misha style my hair.
Today, she didn't put my hair up in a bun. Instead, she braided my long, pale-blonde hair into a loose side ponytail that draped over my left shoulder, with a few stray strands framing my ears, making my neck look even more delicate.
Misha took several pieces of jewelry out of my jewelry box and held them up to my head to see how they looked. Ultimately, she selected a pair of small pearl earrings and a delicate silver pendant necklace.
The pendant featured a teardrop-shaped sapphire. It wasn't large, but it caught the sunlight beautifully.
“All done!” Misha took two steps back, clasping her hands together as her eyes sparkled. “Lady Loris, you look absolutely beautiful today...”
I looked at myself in the mirror.
A pale-blue dress, a golden side ponytail, the small sapphire nestled against a fair neck, and those—well, those emerald-green eyes were indeed quite stunning.
Shirune leaned down before me, helping me slip on my white lace gloves and shoes.
I felt like I was somewhere between a useless young lady who couldn't even dress herself and an exquisitely crafted dress-up doll.
It was hard to describe.
I put on a pair of white low-heeled leather shoes and draped a matching silk shawl over my shoulders. While wearing this much clothing during the summer was a bit warm, the breathable quality of noble fabrics was guaranteed. Besides, this was all part of the etiquette expected of a young noblewoman.
Seeing this, Misha hesitated for a moment before whispering, “Oh, right, Lady Loris. Someone came to visit not long ago and mentioned that you have a tea party scheduled for this afternoon...”
Thump.
Suddenly, I remembered.
Earlier this week, someone had badgered me relentlessly, and since I had no way out of it, I had agreed to attend... After all, I used to dodge these ladylike tea parties whenever possible.
But this time, I had a valid excuse. Besides, it was perfectly normal for a villainess like me to go back on her word.
“Cancel that,” I said, my tone as flat as if I were reading a weather report. “Tell them I have an appointment with His Highness.”
As long as I had someone pass along the message that “the young lady of the Aldheim family has business today and cannot attend,” those young ladies would do nothing more than whisper behind my back for a bit before carrying on with their own amusement.
High society social gatherings were just like that.
If anything, I actually felt a wave of relief.
I really hadn't wanted to go to that tea party anyway.
It wasn't because there was anything wrong with the party itself—the black tea was premium, the desserts were excellent, and those young ladies were well-behaved, never daring to say anything out of line in my presence.
But perfectly playing my part in that kind of setting was just too exhausting.
Sitting with those “noble ladies with whom I shared a good relationship,” talking about newly released perfumes, fashionable fabrics, and the latest campus gossip, all while maintaining a delicate balance of being neither too intimate nor too distant.
My facial expressions had to be closely monitored as well.
Smiling too much made one look frivolous, while smiling too little made one look arrogant. Talking too much showed a lack of discretion, while talking too little made one look anti-social.
Every step was a potential minefield.
By comparison, although going out with the Crown Prince was also tiring, at least I wouldn't be surrounded by a dozen young ladies asking, “Lady Loris, where did you have this dress made?” “Lady Loris, what perfume are you using?” or “Lady Loris, how have things been between you and His Highness lately?”
Thinking of this, my mood actually improved a bit.
“My lady, the carriage has arrived.”
Shirune's voice drifted in from outside the door, measured and bearing her usual composure.
I took a deep breath, gathered up my skirt in a practiced, natural motion, and, reflecting back on the complexities of life, stepped calmly out of the room.
Misha waved goodbye from the side, a trace of reluctance in her eyes.
“Lady Loris, I wish you a pleasant trip.”
Though she probably didn't actually want to offer such a blessing.
...
Stepping outside, I saw my personal half-demon knight.
Shirune was standing in the corridor. She wore a silver-gray dress, her long hair tied in a high ponytail, with a decorative rapier slung at her waist. As a guardian, this was only natural; she never disarmed herself, even on holidays.
Her silver-white hair shimmered with a cool luster under the morning sun. Her ears twitched slightly, and her tail peeked out from beneath her skirt, lightly sweeping the floor.
When she saw me, her eyes lingered for a brief moment, as if she couldn't look away.
It seemed my attire today was indeed exceptionally dazzling.
“It suits you very well,” Shirune said, lowering her head for some reason.
“Of course it does, since you were the one who chose it,” I replied, a trace of confusion in my voice.
The two of us headed toward the main entrance of the academy, passing through the grand architecture and walking by the dean's statue and the monuments of great heroes from generations past.
As I approached the academy gates, my footsteps faltered slightly, and my eyes narrowed.
The April sunlight was quite harsh, and the distant maple leaves hung limp and lifeless.
Parked right in front of the academy's majestic, lion-like main gate was a carriage.
This was by no means an ordinary carriage.
The carriage body was deep chestnut, adorned with gold filigree. Four white steeds stood in a neat line at the front, their manes fluttering in the morning breeze. Every single one of them was worth a fortune.
The door of the carriage was engraved with the Edelstein family's griffon crest, the silver emblem reflecting a blinding glare under the sunlight.
Two people stood beside the carriage.
One was the coachman, clad in a deep blue uniform with his hat pulled low, obscuring his face.
The other was—
Leonhart.
He stood beside the carriage, wearing a light gray suit jacket over a white shirt, with a dark blue tie at his collar. His golden hair almost seemed to glow in the sunlight, and his icy blue eyes were directed toward the academy gates—specifically, looking at me.
He maintained a gentle smile, his posture poised.
Despite the grand display, I showed no outward emotion whatsoever.
However, the students passing by the academy gates couldn't help but whisper among themselves at the sight.
“Is that the Crown Prince?”
“It really is His Highness! What is he doing here?”
“Are you stupid? He's obviously here to pick up the young lady of the Aldheim family.”
“Wow... The treatment a fiancée gets is on another level...”
“That carriage is way too luxurious. Four white horses, I've never even seen anything like it...”
“Shh, keep it down. She's coming this way.”
Pretending I hadn't heard a thing, I kept walking forward.
As I approached, Leonhart gave a slight bow, his movements as elegant as if he were paying respects at a court ball.
“Lady Loris, you look beautiful today.”
His voice was neither too loud nor too soft, just clear enough for the surrounding crowd to hear.
Standing before him, I looked up. Damn it, he was a full head taller than me; I had to tilt my head back every time I spoke to him.
Speaking of which, since Leonhart had bowed while saying this, I highly suspected he hadn't actually gotten a good look. It was entirely possible that the harsh glare of the sun in his eyes had made him bow just to deliver the compliment blindly.
“Your Highness flatters me,” I said, a standard social smile playing on my lips. “I apologize for keeping you waiting.”
“Not at all. I have only just arrived myself.”
Leonhart stepped aside, personally opened the carriage door, and offered his hand to me.
“After you.”
The moment the carriage door opened, I caught sight of the crimson velvet seats, lace curtains hanging by the windows, a delicate small rug covering the floor, and a subtle scent of pine wafting through the air.
Supported slightly by his hand, I stepped onto the footboard and climbed into the carriage.
I took a seat by the window and smoothed out my skirt.
Then, I looked up at him.
Leonhart followed me in, sitting down directly across from me.
With no outsiders around, the two of us fell into a sudden silence, as if both of us were putting on a front.
But... perhaps I should take the initiative to start a conversation?
After all, my character setting was that of a doting noble lady. Since the Crown Prince himself had invited me out for a day, shouldn't I be showing some excitement or anticipation, if not outright heart palpitations?
Ah... uh... I had to force out some sort of expression.
Let's think of some lines.
At that moment, Leonhart closed the carriage door, shutting out the clamor and whispers of the outside world.
The royal coachman gave a soft call, and the carriage slowly began to move, the wheels clicking rhythmically against the stone pavement.
As I pondered, I glanced out the window. A crowd had gathered at the academy entrance, with a few girls even standing on their tiptoes to peer in our direction, their faces practically screaming the word “jealous.”
At this sight, I couldn't help but sigh inwardly.
By tomorrow, the school's top gossip headline would probably be: “Crown Prince personally picks up fiancée for an outing in a spectacular display.”
Whatever, it was only natural. I was practically the source of all gossip anyway.
“I am truly looking forward to our itinerary today,” I said, having finally come up with a line to convey my joy.
Hopefully, he wouldn't see right through me.
Leonhart pondered for a moment before calmly beginning to introduce our itinerary. In truth, during his silences, he had been closely observing Loris. His goal today was to investigate her change in attitude, looking for any difference between her current reaction and the shy response he remembered from when she was a nine-year-old child.
He was perfect and would never let the conversation fall flat; he was simply staying silent on purpose to observe her.
Once his observation ended, Leonhart spoke in a gentle tone.
“Lady Loris.”
Leonhart's voice pulled me out of my daze.
I turned my head to look at him.
He sat opposite me with his back perfectly straight, his hands folded over his lap, his icy blue eyes fixed on me, and that faint smile still playing on his lips.
“Our itinerary today,” he said, “begins with a theatrical performance at the theater in the North District this morning. For lunch, we will dine at the estate in the Ferins District, and we have reservations for the museum in the afternoon. Of course, you are free to suggest any changes, and we expect to return by evening.”
“It sounds wonderful,” I replied, my cheek twitching slightly as I thought to myself how much I dreaded all the walking.
“If there is anywhere else you would like to go, please let me know at any time.”
“I will leave the arrangements to you, Your Highness.”
He nodded and fell silent once more.
The carriage grew quiet, save for the rumbling of the wheels and the occasional chirping of birds filtering in from outside.
The two of us returned to our tense, silent stand-off.
Actually, calling it a stand-off wasn't entirely accurate.
At any rate, I looked out the window to avoid him, watching the buildings flanking the streets slowly transition from the academy district to the noble district, and then to the bustling city proper.
Sunlight squeezed through the gap in the curtains.
Leonhart sat opposite me, quietly gazing out his side of the window. With both of us looking in opposite directions, the silence in the carriage became somewhat subtle.
If I thought about it, spending an entire day with this Crown Prince—whom I neither loved nor hated, but simply found a bit tiring to be around...
...I would probably end up completely exhausted from putting on a performance all day.
Shirune was riding in the carriage behind ours—a smaller, simpler carriage reserved for guards. I glanced back through the window; her silver-white hair fluttered in the wind, her expression as calm as always.
At least she was there.
If things truly got unbearable, I could probably use a sudden illness as an excuse to make an early retreat.
Rate on N.U.
