“Who wouldn’t prefer a rising star over one who has lost its luster?”

‘He keeps saying we’ll see.’

At this rate, my ears might rot off.

I shrugged off the hand gripping my shoulder disdainfully.

The Crown Prince’s grip was strong, but the muscles I’d developed through cleaning and cooking were nothing to scoff at either.

With a bright smile, I sidled up next to Kashar.

“My lover is the jealous type!”

What nonsense is he talking after being so reserved earlier?

Each time I grinned, the Crown Prince’s brows narrowed.

‘You seem to only know how to make a mess.’

Using Kashar as a shield, I hid my body.

“Oh my, there’s a pebble here!”

As I tilted my body, I could see the back of the Crown Prince within arm’s reach.

Pretending to stumble, I brushed against him. Silver foil stuck to Valentide’s buttocks.

“I guess I’m dizzy from being out too long. Darling, shall we return to the castle?”

Holding tightly onto Kashar’s arm and looking around, everyone—from Jaina to the Crown Prince—had peculiar expressions.

I chuckled and greeted everyone.

“Take care!”

Valentide’s face crumpled.

Before he could say anything, a guard stepped forward.

“Your Highness, the Empress Mother is looking for you.”

“…Tsk, fine.”

As the Crown Prince clicked his tongue and grabbed the reins—

Pff[Dash]!

“…??”

Pwoo, pff, puff, pwoo[Dash]!

A loud fart echoed through Nikea Street.

“Oh, my goodness.”

“Phew[Dash]!”

A noblewoman standing by the fountain dropped her fan into the water.

A couple sipping tea on the secondfloor balcony spat it out onto each other’s faces.

A passing child exclaimed,

“Mom, that big bro farted!”

“Shh, shush!”

“It’s so loud…ugh[Dash]!”

The woman quickly carried her child away.

All eyes on the street focused on the Crown Prince.

“My, my. They say men are all about their butts; you really should work on your hipups.”

Covering my mouth with my hand, I widened my eyes.

“Don’t worry too much! You’re neither a rabid dog nor someone so pathetic someone would pick you up. Ah, of course, you should still eat well and exercise!”

Both your unprotected butt and unfiltered brain!

‘It’s a fart, you brat.’

What I had attached to Valentide’s buttocks was a fart bomb.

I had brought it with me, forgetting to give it to those overstudious kids.

‘He was an enemy from the start anyway.’

Getting back at him like this made me feel refreshed.

“I didn’t…!”

It sounded like an excuse no matter how he phrased it.

Unable to bear the public’s glare, Valentide trembled.

His face turned so red I worried it might burst, but the farting didn’t stop.

Pff. Pff. Pff.

The rhythmically exploding noise made passing kids laugh.

“Wow, it’s a rabbit fart!”

“No, it’s an acorn fart!”

After the kids who loved fart jokes passed by, all that remained was silence.

The Crown Prince struck the horse’s flank out of frustration.

Heeyah[Dash]!

The horse, struck unexpectedly, bolted down the street.

Following him were hidden guards, and fluttering down from the Crown Prince’s butt were pieces of silver foil.

‘Good job, fart bomb.’

The sight of a person completing their mission was this beautiful.

I was very curious about what the headline would be in tomorrow’s social news.

‘I should ask Dracu to get me the newspaper.’

While I was feeling excited, Jaina was still in shock.

“What did I just see… or hear…”

She was so startled she was mumbling incoherently.

“Lord Enders, maybe you should go home and rest.”

“…Yeah. I need to go and get some rest.”

Jaina, who seemed mentally drained, slowly made her way through the crowd.

Now, only Kashar and I were left.

‘This is bad.’

Kashar wasn’t aware I had left the house today.

‘I heard he was in another territory today!’

Whether the meeting place had changed or what, we ran into each other unexpectedly.

“Ah, haha. Good afternoon, darling!”

At my greeting, Kashar narrowed his eyes and muttered.

“Maybe I should put you in chains.”
The remark acted like a spell, cutting off my hollow laughter.

“……It was in the original work, wasn’t it?”

Cassard shackled the female protagonist’s ankle.

As someone who had read the scene in a book, I couldn’t dismiss that statement as a joke.

“You were the one who told me not to cheat. Even wondered why she looked like that.”

Stroking his chin, Cassard finally narrowed his eyes.

“Good. I always wanted to kill that bastard.”

Cassard’s solutions were always extreme.

“It’s not cheating!”

“Then?”

Whether it was a surprise gift or whatever, first and foremost, it was important not to be confined.

“I just bumped into her while going to buy a gift!”

Though it was a lame excuse to me, he did ensure to take revenge.

At my words, Cassard blinked.

“……A gift?”

“Yes, your birthday is coming up.”

His birthday, which even he had forgotten.

“I haven’t celebrated it since I was the crown prince.”

“Still, it’s the day you were born.”

I wanted him to experience a warm birthday, something he never had even when he was the crown prince.