“Really?”
Nayson doubted his own ears.
Ian Klein Martinez.
Even disregarding his status as the Crown Prince, he was a person whose presence was overflowing. With his perfectly flawless appearance, tall height, and good build…
‘How can he not stand out wherever he is?’
“Isn’t the problem that your presence is too strong? That’s why, even though you do not engage in external activities, the Empress regards the Crown Prince as an eyesore, and…”
Nayson stopped speaking with a surprised expression. Fortunately, there was no particular change in Ian’s face, so he cautiously continued.
“So what I want to say is…”
“Yeah, I understood well enough.”
“But why did you suddenly ask that? Did someone say to the Crown Prince that you lack presence or something like that?”
“It’s not that.”
Ian, who had been lightly tapping the desk with his fingertips, furrowed his brows.
‘Simon is Simon, but why am I considered a newcomer?’
He could not easily shake off that question that had suddenly occurred to him. He knew that Rosebelia had mistaken him and Simon, who had confessed to her, for one another during the duel request.
But Simon was clearly rejected in his confession, and he had accepted a duel and was now in the midst of dueling her.
‘Normally, people who cross swords with each other are considered to have more presence, aren’t they?’
“Didn’t the Second Crown Prince touch the Crown Prince’s feelings again?”
Ian, who had burst into laughter, tilted his head slightly.
“Nayson, there’s no one as easy to deal with as Enoch.”
Ian, the First Crown Prince, was born to the Empress Dowager, and Enoch, the Second Crown Prince, was the son of the Empress.
Ian’s mother, Violet Blayton, had given birth before the Empress, so from the moment he was born, Ian had been restrained by the Empress’s faction.
Since Enoch’s birth, and Violet’s death, he had been living a life close to neglect, but that was precisely what Ian sincerely wanted. He had also continued a life that was like living in isolation on his own will.
‘I wish it was like Enoch, someone whose thoughts are clearly visible…’
Rosebelia was a person who was hard to grasp.
She had joined the White Knight Order out of admiration for Gabriel, and at the banquet, Ian felt a shiver for the first time when he crossed swords with Rosebelia.
He had requested a duel with her because he wanted to feel that sensation again.
Now, he had become her only dueling partner, and consistently crossing swords with her had achieved his goal.
But he couldn’t understand why he kept worrying about such trivial matters.
‘No? It’s not uncomfortable at all.’
He had thought she was cold and indifferent when they had conversed at the banquet, but Rosebelia turned out to be a person with varied expressions. Sometimes she smiled like a child.
‘You should be especially careful in the square; you never know what might pop out.’
She also had a strong voice.
Ian, recalling how Rosebelia had rescued him twice in the square, covered his lips with his palm. The corners of his mouth were uncontrollably twitching inside his hand.
At that slightly unfamiliar sensation, Ian unconsciously crumpled his fingertips.
“Then who on earth is this insane person…”
“Mind your language, Nayson.”
Nayson, startled by the cool voice, furrowed his brows as if wronged.
“No, I was taking your side, wasn’t I?”
“I didn’t say that I lack presence or anything like that. I just…”
Ian, about to offer an excuse, suddenly closed his mouth.
‘Why am I so concerned about this?’
A sigh escaped him in succession. Ian’s eyes, as he roughly ran his hand through his hair, revealed a confused expression.
“I understand. I misspoke.”
Nayson prided himself on having the quickest wit in the empire.
If the person who could disturb Ian like this must be an important person, perhaps he was troubled by the fact that he seemed to lack presence to that person.
‘Is Commander Gabriel not paying attention to the Crown Prince?’
“Okay, never speak ill of that person again.”
“I don’t even know who they are, but I will never speak ill of them.”
Ian, nodding his head, rummaged through his pocket. What he held in his hand was candy he had received from Rosebelia.
“What is that?”
“……Yes, it’s something like that.”
Why did he even bring it when it’s not even something to eat?
‘Hurry and eat it, Simon.’
‘I won’t eat, being a newbie…….’
Irritation flared up as he recalled that situation. Ian clenched and unclenched his fists repeatedly. The candy rolling around inside was annoying.
Should he just throw it away since it’s annoying?
His fingertips trembled at the thought. As if instinctively refusing to throw it away, a stronger force was felt in his palm.
Ian, getting up from his chair, crumpled the candy back into his pocket, and lightly flicked his hand at Nathan.
“Yes, yes. Then please sleep.”
[Star Icon]“I’m really sorry about yesterday, Rose.”
“It’s okay. I understand that it was an unavoidable situation.”
My Step-brother Is Obsessed With Me (Female-dominant)
A gentle female protagonist vs pitiful in the early stage, and a sick male protagonist in the later stage
Cheng Songer transmigrated into the body of a vicious cannon fodder female supporting character with the same name as her in a female-dominant novel.
In the original story, the cannon fodder female supporting character was inhumane, committing domestic violence, gambling excessively, being lustful, and even wanting to sell her stepbrother to a brothel for money.
As luck would have it, she just happened to transmigrate at this time.
Seeing Cheng Qingzhi biting his lip, enduring the tears in his eyes, looking pitiful, her heart softened.
She stuffed the money back into the Madam’s hand and reached out to him.
“Brother, come home with me.”
