Chapter 22

 

 

The trip was much more enjoyable than I thought.

 

It was so much fun that it was disappointing to return home, and I was able to shake off all my trivial thoughts.

 

Originally, I was going to come back within two months, but I sent a letter to my dad and had fun at the villa for six months.

 

This is why I think I will also be happy even though I didn’t marry someone.

 

It was a very happy trip that made me didn’t want to get married.

 

Before returning to the castle, I was thinking of purchasing new clothes and jewelry from the capital.

 

I entered a jewelry shop that is said to be the hottest in the capital these days.

 

At that moment, someone with bright golden hair and a  warm-looking face was in front of me.

 

“Your Highness, the princess?”

 

“·······Huh? Duke Blair?”

 

What a coincidence.

 

When I met the male lead here, it felt like my heart, which had nothing to heal, was more completely healed.

 

The male lead is a handsome man with gentle eyes just like my brother. Even though my brother is more handsome.

 

Since I was reincarnated as my favorite’s little sister, it wasn’t too bad.

 

I couldn’t have his love to me as an opposite sex, but it was thrilling to have my favorite’s love to myself.  However, seeing the original male lead gave me a different feeling.

 

My favorite is my favorite, the male lead is the male lead, and the villain is the villain. They gave me such different feelings.

 

“I heard you went on a trip, are you on your way back?”

 

“Yes, I’ve been out for too long. By the way, what brings Duke of Blair here?”

 

Apart from meeting the male lead, the location was strange. As it was a store that targeted women’s tastes rather than men, I didn’t understand why the male lead was here.

 

“I have a person I want to give a gift to.”

 

“…… Who?”

 

By any chance? Is it the female lead?

 

Did he meet Cecil at the birthday party where the thing between me and the villain happened?

 

I was curious and I was a little jealous of their fateful encounter.

 

No, not a little, but a lot.

 

I can ask Cecil directly for the details later.

 

Of course, assuming that the person the male lead referred to is the female lead, Cecil.

 

“Is the person who you wanted to give a gift to is the Marquis’ daughter Lady Cecil?”

 

“Maybe.”

 

Is that right? No?

 

The male lead was smiling lightly.

 

So I was confused whether Cecil was right or not.

 

“Then is it a different person? Who is it?”

 

“I’ll say it’s a secret for now.”

 

“Do I know them?”

 

“Hmm… no. You probably don’t know. It’s just my crush.”

 

Isn’t that the female lead? Then who took the male lead’s heart? I was curious. But then the flow of the original story changes enormously!

 

I wanted to ask more, but now I decided to step down.

 

For me, I know many things about the male lead, but from his point of view, I was just the princess who he had rarely encountered.

 

Hence I can’t dig this or that from his point of view.

 

“If it’s not rude to Your Highness, can you help me choose a gift?”

 

“Yes! Of course!”

 

“I don’t have a good eye for it…”

 

“But don’t you usually order people for this kind of thing?”

 

He laughed awkwardly when he heard my question.

 

Was this also seen by the female lead in the original?

 

Really, these moments made me understand the female lead’s feelings.

 

Even if I wasn’t the female lead, that face and that behavior would attack my heart.

 

If the villain had shown this pure appearance, it would have been better.

 

What was I thinking again?

 

Fortunately, the male lead’s voice intervened and I was able to escape from my thoughts.

 

“As much as I like the person, I want to give them the best present.”

 

“Wow!”

 

As expected of the male lead! How can he have such a sweet personality?

 

It was different compared to someone with black hair.

 

He wasn’t the male lead for no reason.

 

Having such a charming personality, he took the title of the male lead.

 

I can’t believe I met such a sweet person!

 

“With that sincerity, that person will definitely know how you feel!”

 

“……Really?”

 

“It would be difficult if she was already married, but if she has a fiancee, the duke will be able to win!”

 

The only person who can defeat the male lead is my brother.

 

However, my older brother also said that he had no intention of getting married, and there was no lady appointed as the Crown Prince yet, so there would be no objection from the male lead’s point of view.

 

However, the male lead has not yet received his title. So unless my brother, who is the Crown Prince, likes the same woman, no one would be more attractive than him.

 

Ummm… and the villain could also win.

 

Even in the novel, the villain and the male protagonist faced each other, but in the end, the ending is where the male lead married the female lead.

 

“Is that person very pretty?”

 

“Yes. That person is very beautiful.”

 

“Which part of her do you like?”

 

“… Well?”

 

No, doesn’t wanting to give a present mean that he likes her?

 

Then there must be a reason why he fell in love with her.

 

I wondered. I don’t know who it is, but I felt a little envious.

 

Who will be loved by the man?

 

I wanted to know as I was curious.

 

Maybe the original story has changed.

 

So, that gave me a glimmer of hope that I might be able to live.

 

“You can’t even tell me that much? I need to help you choose a gift for that person.”

 

“……”

 

“Can’t you tell me her hair color or eye color? If you tell me, it will be helpful in choosing a gift.”

 

“It’s a bit difficult.”

 

It seemed that he didn’t want to reveal anything about her.

 

I don’t know who it is, but I was very envious to think that she was loved by such a man.

 

Meanwhile, I was always anxious because of the villain.

 

I’ve been suffering from nightmares, worried about the tragedy of my family dying before my eyes.

 

“If you didn’t want to, I can’t help it.”

 

“I’m sorry.”

 

“What’s there to be sorry about? If the duke just doesn’t want to talk, it can’t be helped.”

 

“Sorry.”

 

The male lead smiled next to me.

 

As he is a warm-looking man in the first place, he could grab a person’s heart just by smiling.

 

If he smiles like that, I’m sure there’s no woman in the world who won’t fall for it.

 

“Hmm… no matter what kind of person you like,”

 

“Yes.”

 

“You’re a good person, so if you tell them how you feel, they’ll definitely like you.”

 

“…… How do you know if I’m a good person or not?”

 

Well… because I read it in a novel.

 

Because I know the original, I can’t help but know that you, the male lead, is a good person.

 

In the original, the male lead is written as a warm and friendly person .

 

Of course, the villain also acted kindly to the female lead. But that was only for the female lead.

 

“I know just by looking at them. Whether they’re a good person or not.”

 

“I’m glad to hear that from Your Highness.”

 

Previously, he gave me a warm smile, but now it was a very bright smile.

 

The smile on his face, like a man who looked really happy, took my heart away.

 

It felt like my heart was beating rapidly.

 

However, I shouldn’t like the man.

 

Because I wasn’t the man’s fated partner.

 

Even knowing that, I wondered if it was the power of the male lead who could make my heart tremble.

 

“Ah! Did you know that today Chester will return?”

 

“…… Pardon?”

 

I doubted my ears for a moment.

 

Why is the name of the villain coming up?

 

“I heard that he will arrive around today.”

 

Is he really keeping the promise that he will come back before summer?

 

I thought it was at least next year’s summer?

 

So the war ends only after six months like this?

 

I tried to be positive. The reason he came back early is that maybe he was defeated.

 

“… Then, he’s not defeated, right?”

 

Damn it! This trip was so peaceful and enjoyable, it was my fault that I didn’t pay much attention to the outside news.

 

I sincerely hoped that the words of regret for losing this war would come out of male lead’s mouth.

 

“When Chester was commander-in-chief, there was no history of defeat. Again, it’s no surprise.”

 

“Is that so?”

 

I had a feeling that I might be wrong, so I was expecting a little bit.

 

Honestly, I prayed earnestly that the original would be the same this time, but it didn’t go as I wanted.

 

No, it’s like the original story changed from the fact that the villain participated in this war in the first place.

 

Why didn’t I expect this?

 

In the original story, this empire is defeated so I hoped that at least the villain would die there.

 

However, such a wish did not come true.

 

All I wanted was the defeat or death of the villain.

 

However, God did not listen to anything I had hoped for.

 

The villain is a person who doesn’t know love, no, emotions, I felt foolish when I tried to believe the lies that such a person tells.

 

“Yulia.”

 

Someone called my name behind me. A very familiar but disturbing voice.

 

Only my dad and brother can call my name carelessly. Other than my family, there was another person.

 

“Hmm… I heard that you went on a trip, didn’t you?”

 

A familiar low voice came from behind my back.

 

He was definitely angry. No, his voice is clearly different than usual.

 

My heart pounded nervously enough to be afraid to turn my head and see the owner of the voice.

 

I couldn’t expect what expression he would make.