I stepped skillfully while looking around the Crown Princeâs Palace, which I am now familiar with. The servant seems to have given up on staring at me now. Seeing them gently guide me.
Callian allowed me to visit.
This alone made me think that our relationship has made great progress. If it were him, he would have cursed rather than allowed me to visit.
âI need to get money from Sylvester with this.â
Hohoho.
I entered the drawing-room smiling.
As expected, Callian did not come. He always makes me wait. I thought he was doing this on purpose. To take the upper hand in a relationship. But this doesnât mean that Iâm going to be discouraged.
I could wait as long as he wanted. If itâs to meet Callian.
Some may say I donât have any pride, but pride is something that can only be expressed with a little bit of feeling in the first place.
I donât even have a little feeling for Callian. This is the truth. Thatâs why I can wait for him endlessly like this. I sat myself down on the sofa and swept my hair away.
And so I waited for Callian to arrive.
Looking around the drawing-room, there was no change from before. Still a simple and modest drawing-room. I know itâs Fleurâs taste, but it wasnât really suitable for the Crown Prince Palace.
Shall we talk about this?
As I thought about it, I opened my mouth to face Callian who had just come in.
âWhy donât you bring some flowers?â
âWhat?â
At my random remark, Callian frowned and asked back. Frowning, I answered casually.
âI think it would be nice to put it in a colorful vase and decorate it. I can give it to you as a gift.â
âWhat do you mean? Did you just say that out of nowhere? What are you up to?â
âWhat do you mean? Thereâs nothing like that.â
I shrugged and said.
âItâs just that the drawing-room is too dark overall. This doesnât go well with the Crown Prince Palace.â
I continued before Callian said anything more.
âThis is the first room for people who come to the palace for the first time, right? But if itâs so simple like thisâwhat should I say? It doesnât look like it.â
âAre you pointing out my taste in beauty?â
âAh, I know that the room is not in the slightest aesthetic taste of Your Highness.â
I squinted my eyes.
âItâs what the Countess did.â
Callian did not answer. Instead, he just stares at me.
Oh, itâs going to get pierced.
I looked around, avoiding his gaze.
âItâs nice to be modest, but itâs not enough. Your Highnessâ dignity will fall.â
âI know.â Callian ruffled his bangs and clicked his tongue. âSo donât point it out anymore.â
Apparently, he was also thinking the same thing about the drawing-room. But he canât ignore Fleurâs will, so heâll keep it as it is.
Hmm. I nodded.
âThen can I bring the vase as a gift later?â
Callianâs hardened expression softened slightly.
âIf it suits me well, Iâll accept it.â
âI can bring you the other way around.â I laughed and said.
Callianâs forehead narrowed further, but he didnât talk more. It was the meaning of permission.
âShould I bring a vase made of gold?â
I thought I could just steal it moderately from home.
There are many things like that in the mansion, so I thought he wouldnât know even if one disappeared. I hummed to a satisfactory plan. Callian opened his mouth with an even more impressed smile.
âDid you come here to say this?â
âNo way. Of course not.â
I leaned forward.
âI brought you good information.â
Callianâs eyebrows furrowed. He meant to tell him what it is. I proudly raised my chin.
âThe Marquis of Richel.â
Angela Richel, who dared to screw me yesterday. In fact, her father, Marquis Richel, is acting as a spy.
I originally didnât mean to tell Callian this, but yesterday, that thought disappeared. I couldnât screw her properly, so I have to pay you back like this.
It is my belief that I have to pay back more than I have suffered.
I smiled.
âYou were watching the Marquis, werenât you?â
âHow did you know?â
Callian asked with a really surprising look. How do I know this? I know this since it appeared in the original. However, I couldnât say this, so I had no choice but to look elsewhere.
âThatâs not important.â
I said with my index finger flick.
âI have very good information about Marquis Richel.â
âWhat is this?â
âGood enough to confiscate Marquis Richelâs property?â
âGive it to me.â
Callian stretched out his palm and held it out to me. I covered my mouth with a fan and smiled.
âOh, my. Do you believe me this much?â
Callian now withdrew his hand as if he had made a mistake.
Hmm, he coughs and crosses his legs and arms intentionally.
âTell me when you get the evidence. Then Iâll take it.â
Any evidence can be found. So I went out with a more dignified attitude.
âIf you look at the evidence, you wonât be able to say that. Youâll say thank you to me.â
âIâve never met a person who was so proud of herself and told me to say thank you to her.â
âNot this time. Iâm confident.â
âSo, bring evidence. Iâll check it out then.â
âOkay.â
I answered without hesitation.
Then Callian narrowed his eyes. It seems suspicious that I come out so innocently. Well itâs natural. Because Iâm not the kind of person to say goodbye to only such good things.
I rested my chin on the palm of my hand like a calyx and looked at Callian.
âThen what can you do for me?â
âWhat?â
âIf I give you good information, what can you do for me?â
ââ¦.â
Callian closed his eyes and let out a long sigh.
âWhat do you want?â
I tilted my head to one side and blinked.
âPlease escort me to the Imperial Ball in a few days.â
âAre you crazy?â
Callian replied straight away. I wasnât even flustered because it was such an expected answer. So I lifted my body that had leaned forward and shrugged my shoulders.
âItâs okay if you hate it. I can talk directly to His Majesty the Emperor.â
âOphelia! Youâ!â
âYes. Why?â
I glanced at Callian, blinking my eyes deliberately. Callian trembled with his clenched fists. But he wonât be able to insist any more.
As I said, if I go to the Emperor with evidence and information about Marquis Richel, he will lose the credit he will build. Callian took a deep breath, then exhaled slowly and clicked his tongue.
âNot an escort but something else.â
I answered as if I had been waiting.
âThen please have a first dance with me.â
âHooââ
Callian touched his forehead. His crumpled face seemed to be very annoyed. But I have no intention of withdrawing the transaction. This way, I can screw up Fleur properly. As I said. You should pay back more than I have suffered.
As I smiled, Callian raised his eyes slightly and asked me.
âWhy donât you give up on me?â
âBecause I like you.â
This, too, answered immediately. It was also a word that could come out because there was no emotion.
Ha! Callian laughed out loud.
âDo you think Iâll believe you if you tell me you like me with that expressionless face?â
âWhat should I do when I look like this? Can you not point out how I look?â
Callian looked at my face. Then he immediately pulled his chin as if he agreed with me.
Because I know that my face looks scary.
âOkay.â
Callian replied slowly.
âIâll give you the first dance. Is that good?â
âYes.â
I smiled and reached out to him. It meant shaking hands.
âWhatâs with this hand?â
The outstretched hand was embarrassed. So I clasped my hands and opened them and said.
âA token of friendshipâ?â
Callian laughed in vain.
âYouâre crazy.â
âI know.â
It doesnât matter because Iâve heard it so many times.
No, I wonder if it would hurt if Callian said the same thing in a country where I was told that I was crazy to even from my husband. I nodded and winked at Callian.
âI also know Your Highness prefers crazy women.â
âIâm not.â
âEy.â
âI said Iâm not!â
âA strong dishonesty is a strong affirmation.â
âGet out!â
Callian shouted, and so I was kicked out. But I felt good because I achieved everything I wanted.
Until I met Fleur entering the Crown Prince Palace.