The resolve I had just a moment ago disappeared, and my mind became cluttered again.
Being with Kaern was one thing, but holding hands with him was a completely different matter.
Holding hands with Kaern was too much for me to handle.
So, I should have let go of his hand right then.
But if I did that here, by tomorrow, the social circles would undoubtedly be abuzz with talk about Kaern and me.
And it wouldn’t just be an insult to me, but also to Kaern for being with me, so such a situation had to be avoided at all costs.
‘For his future, I must avoid such gossip as much as possible, but this time, I can’t help it.’
After all, I am still Kaern’s fiancée.
Though I was embarrassed and shy, I wanted to show a demeanor befitting the fiancée of Kaern.
So, I straightened my neck to keep my head from looking down and tried to behave as confidently as possible.
It seems that without realizing, I had put more strength into the hand I was holding with Kaern.
His voice came softly near my ear.
“Are you really okay?”
“……Yes. I’m fine.”
I lifted my head, smiled at him, and together we slowly walked further into the banquet hall.
“Oh, Duke Laverion. Have you arrived?”
A man who was conversing with others called out to Kaern and approached us.
Many others were also lingering around Kaern, waiting for an opportunity.
I, standing by Kaern’s side, occasionally exchanged greetings with people but didn’t engage much in conversation.
Amidst this uncomfortable situation, the banquet hall’s doors opened and the doorman’s loud voice filled the hall.
“Enter His Majesty Benedict Royden, the radiant sun of the Royden Empire, and Her Majesty Monica Royden, the noble moon. Everyone, please pay your respects to His and Her Majesty.”
The emperor and empress, adorned with all sorts of sparkling things, entered, followed by the crown prince and other royal family members.
All the nobles attending the banquet bowed their heads in unison towards them.
While bowing beside Kaern, our hands naturally parted.
I felt a slight sense of relief mixed with a tinge of disappointment.
“Everyone, please raise your heads.”
At the emperor’s command, everyone looked up towards the stage where the emperor and empress sat side by side, the crown prince a step below, and the princes and princesses another step below.
The youngest prince, the star of today’s event, was sleeping soundly in the arms of his nanny.
I cautiously looked again at the emperor and empress.
The age difference between the two was evident to anyone.
That was because the current empress was the emperor’s wife from a remarriage, after the previous empress had passed away after a long illness.
And the youngest prince sleeping there was the first child born to the current empress and the emperor.
“Today, we express our gratitude to those who have attended the banquet celebrating the birth of the prince.”
While the emperor gave a lengthy speech, I pretended to be attentive while carefully observing my surroundings.
I was looking to see if there were any familiar faces.
But the banquet hall was too vast and filled with too many people, making it hard to find anyone.
‘I’ll have to look again when I get a chance.’
To attract less attention, I needed to be away from Kaern.
And to naturally separate from him, I had no choice but to meet those people.
“May you all comfortably enjoy the feast prepared by the royal family.”
As I was lost in these thoughts, the emperor’s speech ended.
Simultaneously, skilled musicians began playing, and beautiful melodies filled the banquet hall.
The nobles gathered in small groups, just like before, and started conversing.
Of course, those who had gathered around Kaern were sneakily looking around again.
I, too, was being as observant as they were.
The difference was that they wanted to be by Kaern’s side, while I wanted to avoid unnecessary attention and misunderstandings.
But fortunately, before I could make any move, the right moment came.
“Duke Laverion. His Majesty the Emperor requests your presence.”
A man who seemed to be the emperor’s attendant approached Kaern and spoke politely.
The nobles couldn’t hide their disappointed expressions at the attendant’s words.
On the other hand, I let out a sigh of relief and didn’t miss the opportunity to speak.
“Please go, Duke. I’ll be fine here by myself. I have friends here.”
At my words, Kaern slightly furrowed his left eyebrow, as if something displeased him.
Even though I was concerned about his reaction, I couldn’t miss this chance to escape the attention of many people.
“Duke Laverion.”
When Kaern didn’t move despite being summoned by the emperor, the attendant became increasingly restless and urged him again.
“Let’s go together.”
“No, it seems His Majesty the Emperor has something to discuss with you alone.”
I shook my head slightly at his suggestion to go together and mentioned the emperor to justify my refusal.
“The lady is right. His Majesty the Emperor asked specifically for the duke to come alone.”
Turns Out He’s Been Secretly in Love with Me
One-line summary: He acts like he doesn’t like her but is actually playing hard to get.
Synopsis:
Xu Muzhou like her. He has liked her for a very long time, and through repeated schemes, he finally closed the distance with her.
But this is still far from enough.
He wants to be the one who stands out among her many suitors, to fight for her attention, and to make her take the initiative to pursue him.
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