Chapter 32
“Why wouldn’t I be okay? It’s just a fake relationship anyway.”
Franz was the only person aware of their fake relationship.
At least, among those close to Claire, he was the sole confidant.
Because no one was as trustworthy as her younger brother.
“He isn’t treating you poorly, right?”
“Not at all. He’s been very kind, so don’t worry.”
In fact, sometimes it was so over-the-top that she couldn’t help but suspect if they’d hired an actor who looked just like him.
She hadn’t expected him to treat her this well.
‘He’s so different from the boy I used to know.’
Perhaps being suppressed by his uncle as a child had made him skilled at putting on an act, or maybe it was because she was no longer Priscilla now.
As Claire fell into brief contemplation, an odd question interrupted her thoughts.
“You’re not actually falling for him, are you?”
“What?”
“If you are, I’m against it.”
Franz, whose thoughts had veered off in an unexpected direction after Claire reassured him, spoke seriously.
Watching the extravagant fake romance unfold, Franz felt conflicted.
The two of them seemed closer than he had expected.
“The Crown Prince’s position is far too precarious. No matter how you look at it, it’s bound to cause heartache…”
“Franz.”
Claire looked at him with an incredulous expression. He sounded like a father trying to meddle in his daughter’s love life.
Sensing her displeasure, Franz hastily tried to justify himself.
“No, I mean, I’m just worried about you…”
“How old do you think I am?”
“You’re nineteen…”
Claire, momentarily at a loss for words, gestured for him to come closer.
Franz hesitated before stepping forward.
Thwack!
“Ow!”
“Get a grip. Do you think I’m really your daughter?”
“It hurts, sis!”
Rubbing his stinging forehead with a pained expression, Franz pouted.
“That’s what you get for saying nonsense.”
“Well, you could end up actually falling for him in the meantime.”
“Me? Fall for the Crown Prince? Are you insane? I don’t like younger men.”
“At the moment, His Highness is older than you…”
“Regardless! Stop imagining weird things. Got it?”
Issuing a stern warning, Claire flicked her brother’s forehead one more time before leaving the mansion.
***
In the Episteme Guild office.
Theodore sat, as usual, with his white mask firmly concealing his face, legs crossed.
Claire entered and greeted him.
“It’s been a while, Teddy.”
“Yes, I’ve seen the newspapers about you enough times not to bother asking how you’ve been.”
“Well, at least it saves me from having to explain.”
Claire sat casually across from him, a soft smile on her lips.
“What brings you here today?”
“I want to know every detail about Countess McQuarry’s activities. Is that possible?”
“That’s so easy it almost feels wrong to charge for it.”
Theodore smirked as he accepted her request. He promised to send reports to Franz’s mansion daily.
The task was so quickly settled that Claire didn’t linger. She stood up without hesitation.
“Thanks. I’ll leave it in your hands.”
“You’re leaving already?”
“Yeah. Do you have something else to say?”
Theodore hesitated. For some reason, it felt a little disappointing to part ways after only talking business.
But unable to come up with anything, a sudden image of her bare neckline flashed through his mind.
“What kind of accessories do you like?”
“Why are you asking that all of a sudden?”
“Just curious.”
“Hmm, I don’t have any particular preference. I usually just wear whatever the maids give me.”
Claire answered easily, then brought up a question that had just occurred to her.
“By the way, do you happen to know what His Highness likes? Come to think of it, he never mentioned any personal preferences.”
“I didn’t think it would be necessary.”
“Well, it is now, since we’re supposed to be in a relationship.”
Knowing your partner’s hobbies and preferences is a basic part of being in a relationship.
After a brief pause, Theodore calmly replied.
“Then ask him yourself. That’s the path to becoming a true couple, isn’t it?”
Hearing that, Claire’s lips twitched slightly, and her expression turned ambiguous.
If they were truly a couple, his advice would be correct—to learn about each other gradually. However, she and the Crown Prince were in a fake relationship.
Becoming a “true” couple was an impossibility.
‘Does he not know about our arrangement? I thought there was a chance he might know…’
After all, the man in front of her was the one who had introduced her to Theodore in the first place.
Still, Claire had no intention of revealing the truth. She simply responded with an “Alright,” and left the room.
Just then, Rune appeared, carrying a bag of cookies, and recognized her.
“Oh! Are you leaving now?”
“Yes.”
“Oh man, I should’ve come earlier!”
Pouting in disappointment, Rune then looked up with sparkling eyes.
“Hey, I’ve got something I’ve been curious about.”
“What is it?”
“Does the Crown Prince really call you ‘baby’?”
“What? Of course not.”
It seemed the story from the Marquis’s party had spread this far.
Even being called “dear” was awkward enough; there was no way he’d call her that.
When Claire firmly denied it, Rune looked slightly disappointed.
“Really? Not even when it’s just the two of you?”
“Not at all. And if anything, it’s me who should be calling him that.”
“Why?”
“Well—”
Claire suppressed the urge to say, “Because I’m much older than him,” and improvised instead.
“Because he’s more like a baby than I am.”
“Pfft! Hahaha! Oh, sorry, sorry. I wasn’t laughing at you—just, uh, I choked for a second.”
Rune’s face turned red as he awkwardly covered up his laughter. Just imagining how Theodore might react to being treated like a baby was entertaining enough.
Hiding his twitching grin, Rune waved his hand enthusiastically, still chuckling.
“Take care, pretty sis!”
“Sure, see you next time.”
Unaware that Rune would soon call Theodore “Baby Prince” after returning to the room—and be kicked out within a minute for his audacity—Claire walked away.
***
The meeting at the salon marked the beginning of Claire and Nina exchanging letters and building a friendship.
A few days later, to deepen their connection, Claire invited Nina for tea.
To keep this meeting hidden from the Marquis’s household, she chose Franz’s mansion as the venue.
“Nina Merison, welcome.”
“Thank you for inviting me today, Lady Ravello. It’s not much, but here’s a gift.”
Nina shyly handed over a neatly wrapped cake box.
She couldn’t hide her excitement, as it had been a while since she was last invited to tea.
“Thank you. Shall we enjoy it with tea?”
“Yes, I’d love to.”
Soon, Becca served slices of the cake on plates, and Claire sat across from Nina.
For a moment, a heavy silence fell over the room.
Claire smiled, but her thoughts were scattered. It had been so long since she tried to make a friend that she wasn’t sure what to say.
Especially since Nina, while outwardly her peer, was much younger than she was.
‘What should I talk about?’
Nina was in the same predicament.
‘I need to say something interesting…’
Lost in similar thoughts, neither spoke for some time.
In the strangely awkward atmosphere, their eyes met.
“…Pfft.”
“Haha.”
They both burst into laughter at the same time, realizing they had been tiptoeing around each other.
After a good laugh, the mood lightened significantly. The two began sharing the cake and catching up.
Though they had exchanged news through letters, talking face-to-face felt much more personal and brought them closer quickly.
At one point, Nina voiced a question that had been on her mind since receiving the invitation.
“But why did you invite me here instead of the Marquis’s residence?”
Claire answered with a gentle smile.
“Before I moved into the Marquis’s residence, I lived here. This place feels more like home to me.”
“Oh… Then I’ve been invited to your real home. That’s such an honor.”
Nina’s eyes sparkled with genuine delight. Being welcomed into such a personal space naturally made her feel more at ease.
“To be honest… I wasn’t sure if I should invite you.”
At that moment, Claire hesitated before speaking carefully.
“After all, you’re engaged to my uncle. I was worried it might make you uncomfortable to associate with me.”
“Oh, no! Not at all—please don’t worry about that.”
Despite having similar concerns herself, Nina was flustered by Claire’s unexpected humility and quickly waved her hands in denial.
Though Nina had initially harbored doubts about Claire’s intentions and felt cautious even while exchanging letters, meeting Claire in person had dispelled those fears.
Claire was warm and approachable, so unlike Alex that Nina often forgot they were related.
“Really? I wasn’t sure. I don’t know much about the relationship between you and my uncle. Does he treat you well?”
Claire’s bright expression remained, but her eyes briefly glimmered with sharpness.
She had been waiting for the chance to gauge the nature of Nina and Alex’s engagement.
“Uh…”
Nina hesitated, her face clouding over. Even though she felt comfortable with Claire, it was difficult to criticize her fiancé openly.
Sensing Nina’s hesitation, Claire decided to take the lead.
“Honestly, I don’t get along with my uncle. He doesn’t care for me much. My father and uncle were never close to begin with…”
She deliberately said something negative about Alex to make it easier for Nina to open up, even bowing her head slightly in a gesture of apology.
“Sorry if that’s uncomfortable for you to hear as his fiancée.”
“Oh, no, it’s fine. I don’t… have a good relationship with him either.”
Just as Claire intended, Nina felt a sense of camaraderie and spoke honestly.
Gently holding Nina’s hand, Claire asked softly.
“How did you come to be engaged to my uncle?”
—
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