72 Part 3

“Besides, Yulius and his Highness are engaged! They’re in a relationship that allows flirting with each other. Compared to us, they were in a much more position to be forgiven for flirting with each other!”

That’s right!

They aren’t engaged yet. I have forgotten about it because they’re very close to each other.

“I’m on his Highness’ side because we’re childhood friends.”

My brother froze with a troubled expression.

“And, Yulius is my best friend! As her brother, please don’t get in the way of their relationship, Roland!”

“I’m not trying to get in the way.”

“I heard that you’re preventing them from seeing each other.”

“Until his Highness reflects on what he’s done.”

Miss Manika sighed deeply.

“Then, you shouldn’t touch me either until his Highness is done reflecting.”

It was obvious that my brother could not squirm his way out of the conversation.

“My comfort ….”

Miss Manika smiled and said,

“If you don’t like that, please promise me that you won’t interfere with them even though they’re flirting.”

This strategy of hers worked more effectively than we thought.

“I understand. Yulius, please promise me to flirt modestly.”

My brother reluctantly said that while holding his fist tightly.

“If you’re flirting with Miss Manika, please do it modestly as well.”

“Y-you have a deal.”

My brother seemed to hate it, but he nodded in agreement.

As such, Miss Manika’s last day staying at our house came to an end.

The next day, I baked sweets and headed to the castle.

When I knocked on the door to his Highness’s office, I heard a voice allowing me to enter.

When I opened the door, I found his Highness was intently reading the documents and quietly working.

He did not seem to be tied up with a rope today.

“Why don’t you take a break?”

When I called out, his Highness abruptly looked at me.

“Am I hallucinating?”

“I don’t think so. I baked cupcakes. Shall we take a break?”

His Highness slowly stood up, approached me, and hugged me.

“Your existence is too important. I never thought I’d be this lonely just because I couldn’t see your face.”

It made me happy that his Highness felt lonely without me.

“I also wanted to see you!”

His Highness gently smiled at me.

“To think I can hear such sweet words coming from you … I’m not dreaming, am I?”

“First a hallucination, and now a dream? Why don’t you take a little break?”

“That indifferent way of speaking means you’re real!”

His Highness happily patted my head.

His Highness looked quite tired.

“You look tired. Are you okay?”

“I’m tired. Roland is such a slave-driver.”

I giggled.

“It can’t be helped! My brother is the eldest son of Earl Nogger.”

“Well, he’s nothing but persuasive,” his Highness muttered.

I rubbed his Highness’ back and said,

“I’ll make some tea.”

“I’m deprived of Yulius. Please stay here for a while longer.”

He might not have noticed, but my heart was couldn’t stop skipping a beat hearing his sweet voice.

“Thanks to Miss Manika, I can come to visit you today.”

I spoke slowly while thinking back on what was happening in the past week.

“That guy Roland! I envy him.”

“It’s a wonderful thing to have Miss Manika waiting when he gets home, right?”

“Wrong.”

His Highness lightly kissed my nape.

“It’s wonderful to have a woman he loves waiting at home.”

Is that so?

Oh, that’s right.

I would be happy too if his Highness greeted me when he came home.

“Oh yeah. It would be nice to have you stay here in the castle for a week. Whether or not you would comfort me is a different story, though.”

“I don’t want that.”

His Highness was surprised upon hearing my response.

“What? Is it because you can’t work in the castle?”

“Wrong.”

“Then why?”

I rubbed my forehead against his Highness’s chest and said,

“It would be hard to say goodbye after that. I think it would be unbearable to know that I had to go when the week was over.”

Upon hearing my words, his Highness hugged me so tightly.

“Oh, boy! You’re too cute, Yulius, too cute!”

We were in each others’ arms for a while. I made some tea afterward.

We would be prevented from seeing each other again for a while if my brother caught us in the act.

“I felt really bored when I couldn’t see you, Yulius.”

“So did I.”

His Highness giggled.

“Truthfully, I regretted not being flirtier while we were in Laofan.”

I was quite surprised by his remark.

It went over my head that his Highness would say something like “flirt”.

As if my upset feeling was transmitted, his Highness looked at me and smiled.

“Well, it might be good for us to flirt without Roland finding out.”

His words felt like a prick in my heart.

“Well, we’ll take it slow.”

“My heart is likely to break if you say that.”

I retorted with a serious expression, but his Highness rushed back to his desk.

“Yeah, my heart is going to break.”

His Highness sat at his desk and slowly raised his head.

“I’ll win next time!”

“What kind of competition are you talking about?”

I asked, but he would not tell me.

As such, we were then rumored to be an engaged couple with a very close relationship with each other.