‘……Do you have something to say to me?’
When he didn’t say anything, Nelia spoke first.
“……Duke.”
“Yes, please speak.”
Nelia gathered her courage and mentioned what happened earlier.
“I don’t understand why you spoke as you did earlier, but thank you for helping me. I was the one who made the necklace like that…….”
“I know you’re not the real culprit.”
Nelia’s eyes widened.
If he knew I was not the real culprit, then it means he was watching from the moment Leighton dropped the necklace.
Duke Hart gave a wry smile.
“It’s a repayment for the help you gave me last time.”
“You……? When did I…….”
“If you can’t remember, it’s fine.”
Duke Hart said it was okay, but Nelia felt uneasy about what he just said.
‘Did Nelia have a connection with Duke Hart in the original……?’
It seemed like Duke Hart stepped forward in this situation because Nelia had helped him significantly in the past…….
However, trying to recall, there was no description of any past for Nelia, who was an extra.
While she was thinking deeply about the original, trying to find some other clue, she heard Duke Hart’s voice.
“What is your relationship with that man from earlier?”
It was an unexpected question. Nelia cast her eyes down and answered.
“He’s my brother…….”
It was rather embarrassing. Such a man being her brother.
She couldn’t say anything even if Duke Hart criticized her for having such a brother.
“I’m glad he’s your brother.”
But the Duke uttered a sentence she couldn’t understand.
It’s a relief that someone like Leighton is your brother.
‘Is he making fun of me……?’
But his angelic and gentle smile didn’t look like he was teasing or ridiculing her.
Smiling, the Duke asked.
“Can you tell me your name?”
“My name?”
“Yes, your name.”
Nelia replied awkwardly to the belated formal request.
“It’s Nelia……”
“Nelia…….”
Duke Hart quietly repeated her name.
She had purposely left out her last name, but seeing as he didn’t ask, it seemed he wasn’t that curious about her background.
Just then, a loud voice came from the second floor.
“Duke Hart!”
When she looked towards the source of the voice, an unfamiliar man was peeking out from the second floor, looking at Duke Hart.
“The Emperor is looking for you!”
“I’ll be there soon.”
Duke Hart replied casually to the man who had come to find him, then turned back to Nelia.
“I must be going now.”
“Ah, yes……!”
Nelia was grateful to the man who had suddenly appeared to take Duke Hart away.
She had almost continued an awkward conversation.
Unaware of Nelia’s feelings, the Duke smiled gently.
“See you again, Nelia.”
Under the light, his silver eyes shimmered subtly.
“Let’s meet again next time.”
[Star Icon][Star Icon][Star Icon][Star Icon]‘Let’s meet again next time……?’
His words were strange, as if they would meet again.
When Nelia returned to the party, she saw Leighton sitting obediently next to her parents, and quickly forgot about the Duke.
‘That kid…… should have been like this from the beginning.’
Nelia glared at Leighton as she took her seat next to him.
“Oh, you’re back.”
Back? She barely held back a sharp retort.
Leighton seemed to be regaining his senses now, looking at her as if he realized the catastrophe that had occurred earlier.
“I could have handled it well enough…… even if you hadn’t stepped in.”
Sure, you would have handled it well.
The guy who knocked out the Crown Prince and was about to run away.
“Let’s not talk about what happened earlier.”
When Nelia replied coldly, Leighton asked hesitantly.
“That man earlier was Duke Hart, right……?”
“Yes, it was Duke Hart.”
“But why did he do that……? I clearly dropped the necklace and it broke.”
“You’re leaving without a word of thanks, even though you know all this?”
Layton was increasingly becoming an owner of a surprising character.
“I don’t know either.”
“That’s odd……”
Layton stared at Nelia while stroking his chin.
“There’s no way I’d fall for you……”
“That’s enough, stop talking nonsense.”
Nelia gave Layton a stern look and made a decision. She would tell her parents what had happened immediately after the party.
If Layton continued to cause such incidents, his lifespan might be shortened.
“Good evening.”
A middleaged man with a splendid beard stood at the podium.
The orchestra ceased their performance as if to commence the official schedule of the party.
The man, in white formal attire adorned with intricate golden embroidery and a red badge, appeared to be of significant rank.
“Seems the Emperor is going to speak.”
“It seems so.”
The voices of the excited parents were heard.
As expected, the man at the front was the party’s host, the Emperor ‘Arhen Lasian’.
“Ladies and gentlemen, I thank you all for attending this gathering.”
Next to the Emperor stood the handsome man seen earlier.
It was the Crown Prince Carlos, whom they had unexpectedly encountered just an hour ago.
“Today, we gather here to formally introduce my son, who has been crowned as the Crown Prince.”
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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