Episode 62
âHey, you really did a great job.â
After the performance, Yerine patted Eugene on the shoulder behind the stage and said.
Eugene always felt sorry for her after the competition or the actual class.
But for today, he was confident that he had done it perfectly without any regrets.
âYou too.â
It was a short answer, but Yerine smiled very happily.
âGood job. Very good, Eugene.â
The performance is over. She was no longer on stage.
The back of the stage was relatively dark compared to the outside.
Nevertheless, her face seemed to be shining brightly.
âGood job?â
For some reason, the moment Eugene heard it, he felt something wriggling inside.
Of course, todayâs performance was almost perfect.
The audience also cheered and gave a standing ovation.
âWhatâs wrong? You did a good job.â
Eugene was not used to the words that someone else recognized him.
So he couldnât say anything.
As Eugene stared at her face without answering, Yerine tilted her head and raised the corners of her mouth slightly.
Eugene recalled his fatherâs back when he turned around during the performance.
âIs this okay?â
In that situation, the only answer he could say was a short word.
âYou too.â
âYou did a good job, too.â
Looking at Eugene with slightly enlarged eyes, Yerine soon burst into laughter. Eugene sneaked a smile around his mouth, hoping she would not realize his complex feelings.
***
âFather.â
Just in case the Duke of Ace didnât hear his voice, Eugene called his father in a slightly louder voice.
For more,
Eugene was relieved that he had finally looked back at himself, but the moment he saw his blue eyes, he felt frozen from head to toe.
Eventually, he lowered his gaze reflexively.
He has always been like this in front of his father.
Eugene became infinitely smaller in front of him.
ââ¦â¦what is it?â
That was the first word the father gave to his son.
Although he had a voice that had no high and low at all, Eugene could know instinctively.
The Duke was in a bad mood now.
âI have a lot of work to do, so tell me briefly about the matter.â
With an icy voice, Eugene still mused on his lips.
Honestly, there was so much he wanted to say.
But not only couldnât he vomit it all, but he also did not even know what to say first.
Even with the words that came out of his mouth after picking and choosing, he couldnât really ask what he really wanted to ask his father.
âSince youâve been working hard, why donât you take a little more rest at the banquet hall?â
Taking the word out, Eugene glanced up.
His eyes were so blue that they seemed to belong to wolves, not to humans.
Then Eugene quietly lowered his head again.
The moment he saw his fatherâs eyes, Eugene realized.
For more,
âYes, Father.â
Eugene kept his back down until the Duke arrived at the exit.
It was all over the place.
He wanted to get rid of all these cumbersome clothes and go to the sparrow and practice magic.
Thatâs how he felt at ease.
âI was permitted to remain at the banquet at any moment⦠.â
Under these circumstances, he could not have enjoyed the banquet with ease.
âShould I not go?â
But there will still be professors left in the banquet hall.
It was obvious that it would be uncomfortable to hear that he had left the banquet
âHa. What should I do?â
Eugene sighed and scratched his head.
At that moment, Yerineâs face flashed through his head, smiling brightly and saying, âThank you for your hard work.â
âGood job. You really did a good job.â
Her voice still seemed to be heard vividly in his ears.
Eugene stopped scratching his head.
She was one of the reasons he heard bitter words from the Duke. Of course, Eugene thought his efforts were more to blame for not meeting expectations, but it was true that because of her appearance, Eugene was under more pressure than before.
Still, Eugene didnât resent her at all.
Of course, it was true that he was envious. And sometimes he felt a sense of inferiority bloomed when he saw her.
But the moment she told me that he did well, Eugene felt his heart warm.
After pondering the moment, Eugene turned around with a fist in his right hand and began to walk.
He was heading for the banquet hall, now.
âIf I go back now, it wonât be too late.â
He had no intention to return to the banquet hall, but Eugene did not know whether his judgment was right.
But one thing was certain, that he wanted to see Yerineâs face again.
***
âEugene!â
Looking at Eugene standing in a crooked way, Rachel shouted in surprise.
Then, Rayl and Astra, caught in Eugeneâs conversation, broke into a cold sweat and tried hard to escape the situation with a smile.
âNo, we werenât really talking about you, Eugene.â
âThatâs right. We were just talking about the performance.â
But now such excuses have not worked.
Eugeneâs eyes, looking at Rayl and Astra, grew thinner and thinner, and the two slipped away from his gaze.
âSpade said that I helped her but you asked if it wasnât the other way around. Didnât I hear that right?â
âNo, honestly, everyone would think like us, Prince, can you imagine Eugene helping Yerine?â
Cassius shook his head at Raylâs words.
âI would never have believed, either, if Yerine hadnât told me.â
âLook.â
âRayl Diamond, if you donât want to be hit by my magic, shut up.â
While everyone was bickering like that, the bell rang, and Rachel laughed quietly covering her mouth.
âCome on, everybody, stop. I think the ball will start now.â
Erica clung to me and grabbed my right arm.
âNow letâs go to the corner, Yerine.â
âOh? Uh, yeah.â
As soon as I was about to follow her without much thought, someone wrapped his hand around my shoulder.
âWait.â
It was none other than Cassius.
He spoke in a subdued voice, with his golden eyes sharply open, which had only been softly shining since the banquet began.
âYerine was supposed to go with me.â
âââââ