It wasn’t long before Rudrick realized the source of his irritation.
He had finished his meeting with the imperial knight and was just leaving the room.
“Then let’s do that and…”
In the middle of his sentence, he paused.
In the distance, he saw a group of familiar faces, the division commanders, approaching.
Wondering what had happened to cause them to gather in such a large group when nothing much had happened today, Rudrick glanced in the direction of the division commanders and frowned.
For some reason, the faces of the division commanders as they approached him were strangely filled with determination.
Rudrick knew those faces very well.
When they looked like that, they were either about to do something stupid, or had already done something stupid.
Even he had gotten screwed over a few days ago.
What outrageous things they’re going to come up with, Rudrick thought as he stared at them with his eyes strangely sunken.
‘Shall I tell them to get lost already?’
If he did, they’d obey his orders without question.
Today was one of the few days of the year that Rudrick was in a decent mood.
When he finally yielded to his own stubbornness and broke the news to the Emperor that he was going north, he was in the worst mood. Later, when he made arrangements with the imperial knight to travel north, he felt better.
Most of all, I was able to make my schedule.
‘I’ll just let him see you today.’
With that thought, Rudrick gestured for the imperial knight to leave.
The knight, whose complexion had already been badly affected by the arrival of the division commanders of the Bouser Knights, recognized his signal like a ghost, and with a quick salute, he trotted off.
At the same time, the thunderous voices of the division commanders could be heard.
“Your Excellency!”
Rudrick turned to them with a weary expression.
The division commanders rushed toward him in a single stride, looking strangely grave and yet somehow amused, and Rudrick suddenly recalled a sense of unease he had forgotten.
‘Should I tell them to leave?’
He wondered if he’d dug his own grave by getting carried away, if he ought to come to his senses now and send these bombs back.
The person at the forefront of the bombs spoke up.
It was Ruth Fedex, the division commander.
“I have a message for you,” Ruth said.
“…Keep it short.”
“It’s a matter of some importance.”
I stared at him incredulously, and Ruth lowered her voice.
“It concerns the Princess.”
Rudrick’s body froze.
He hesitated, wondering what on earth could possibly be happening to Dahlia that would bring them here, but also fearing that something might have happened.
No, in fact, there was no hesitation from the moment her name was spoken. Rudrick sighed softly and nodded toward his office.
“Let’s go in.”
Once inside, the first thing they talked about was this.
“First, we’d like to apologize for the confusion we caused you with our poorly researched and misleading information.”
Rudrik looked at Ruth in disbelief as she suddenly rattled off a string of apologies.
He knew, of course, that the division commanders weren’t exactly thrilled with the courtesy.
They’d been looking for him when he’d disappeared for a while, and they’d been freaking out when they didn’t find him afterward.
Still, that’s not the only reason they seized him.
He’d been angry at first, but after a while, the annoyance had outweighed the anger, and Rudrick was ready to send them on their way.
“Never mind, I don’t really care, so if you’ve said all you need to say, just go away…”
“And as for the princess.”
At the same time, Ruth Fedex blurted out, “You’re trying to snatch her, aren’t you?”
“What?”
The next words froze Rudrick in place for a moment.
“I was wondering if you might be taking advantage of the opportunity while things are still unclear with Lord Goldman.”
How did you know that?
I wondered if perhaps some words had slipped out of my mouth that I was not aware of, but I could not recall any such thing, which would mean that they had noticed something…
After all, had you noticed something strange when I disappeared and then returned that day?
But before Rudrick could figure out why, he forced himself to keep a straight face, dreading the thought of what would happen if the other division commanders found out.
But it seemed to be too late.
“Again…”
Every time it happened, the sight of the division commanders’ heads was beyond his imagination.
“Really?”
“Your Excellency…! I can’t believe you’re that serious.”
“What do you mean, I knew you wouldn’t give up so easily!”
The ensuing chatter caused Rudrick to scratch his head in confusion.
By the time he tried to control his expression, the division commanders had already seen his moment of weakness.
Rudrick was about to give a speech when he realized he’d better get rid of those noisy bastards now, better late than never.
“So, we’ve been thinking about something.”
He paused, involuntarily.
“Yes, we’ve put our heads together and come up with some solutions.”
“I’m sure it’s hard to solve a problem like this on your own.”
“We won’t let you down this time.”
As they spoke, they sounded beyond serious, almost excited, and Rudrick squinted suspiciously.
Of course, it was understandable that the division commanders were excited.
Watching someone who thinks the most interesting thing in the world is other people’s love affairs after being wounded must be quite amusing.
But then again, I’ve been screwed over by trusting them before.
There was no telling what they would do to get caught up in their whims again.
‘But why is this…tempting, right?’
To be honest, he didn’t have any ideas of where to go from here.
Yes, Ruth Fedex was right.
The day he realized Dahlia’s true feelings. He’d vowed to himself that he’d do whatever it took to change her mind, even if it meant getting involved with Goldman.
But there was one huge problem.
‘By what means?’
The issue was that he had never been in a relationship before.
No, dating, no romance. Having never been interested in the opposite sex in the first place, he’d spent his life dismissing those rose-colored feelings as other people’s business.
He convinced himself that it could never happen to him. He never imagined it would happen to him.
‘Damn.’
After all, despite his confident declaration that he would try to emotionally engage with people, he hadn’t done anything so far, and he had no idea what to do.
It’s a good thing the division commanders have been thinking of ways to do this, at least they might have more experience than he, who’s been living a boring life.
‘…Shall we hear it?’
If they’re right, a group of people putting their heads together might come up with a good solution. Even if they are still unreliable.
And if I think all those methods are wrong, I don’t have to do them.
Feeling confident that Rudrick would not be swept away this time, he asked, oblivious to the fact that he was already halfway there.
“What have you been thinking about?”
The division commanders’ eyes lit up at his surprisingly positive response. They slowly spoke seriously, trying to control their excitement.
“The way to do it is…”
✿
The reason I grabbed Jeron was obvious.
It was to test my masterpiece of deliberation: ‘101 Ways to Flirt with Lord River.’
Or, more accurately, 101 Ways to Seduce Lord River.
I had a hard time gathering all these methods at first. I would spend my days researching how I could flirt effortlessly and effectively, especially since I had almost no experience in dating.
Half of the reason I was late packing was because of this piece of string.
So I was eager to try out the methods I’d found.
I had asked Hestia for advice before he arrived, but she was of little help, as she said I could do whatever I wanted.
I needed someone different from me, someone who could give me a rational assessment, and that’s where Jeron came in.
And he gave me exactly what I was expecting, a very sharp assessment.
“Why!” (Dahlia)
I looked at him in exasperation, already practicing the 31st of my 101 Ways to Flirt with Lord River.
“No, where did you learn all that crap in the first place, you didn’t seriously think it was going to work, did you?” (Jeron)
“…Is it really that bad?” (Dahlia)
“What do you mean?”
But I’ve been reading books and asking around for advice, and I’ve picked out the best ones…
Maybe Jeron has his standards set too high? I had already been dismissed one-third of the time, but I couldn’t give up.
“Then listen to this one more.” (Dahlia)
“Okay.”
Then turning to Jeron, who looked fed up, I spoke earnestly.
“Lord River, I can’t get enough of you…” (Dahlia)
“What?”
I raised my thumb in the air.
“My love.” (Dahlia)
Jeron’s expression turned rotten.
“Ha?”
“Well, how about this, Lord River, I’ve seen you again, and my heart is so, so, so…” (Dahlia)
“Ugh! Who says something like that!” (Jeron)
Hestia, who had been watching in bewilderment from the sidelines, now racking her brains, interrupted.
“Why? I think that’s fine.”
“Seriously, am I the only one here who is actually normal?” (Jeron)
“No, why would you think you’re normal when there are plenty of people who are fine?”
I smiled awkwardly at the look on Jeron’s face, like he didn’t know what the hell that meant. Then I waved my hand hastily in case he was really going to leave.
“Okay, fine, I won’t make jokes anymore.” (Dahlia)
“…You mean, you’ve been joking all along, right?” (Jeron)
“Of course. Now I’m serious. Watch this.” (Dahlia)
Everything I’ve done so far has been serious, but I have no choice. It’s okay, I’ll save the best for last.
I took a small, deep breath.
Then I slowly spoke with the most sincere eyes in the world.
“You have to look closely to see it… It’s lovely the longer you look.”
I pointed a finger at Jeron and winked.
“Lord River is just plain cute.” (Dahlia)
“Just die.” (Jeron)
It wasn’t long before Rudrick realized the source of his irritation.
He had finished his meeting with the imperial knight and was just leaving the room.
“Then let’s do that and…”
In the middle of his sentence, he paused.
In the distance, he saw a group of familiar faces, the division commanders, approaching.
Wondering what had happened to cause them to gather in such a large group when nothing much had happened today, Rudrick glanced in the direction of the division commanders and frowned.
For some reason, the faces of the division commanders as they approached him were strangely filled with determination.
Rudrick knew those faces very well.
When they looked like that, they were either about to do something stupid, or had already done something stupid.
Even he had gotten screwed over a few days ago.
What outrageous things they’re going to come up with, Rudrick thought as he stared at them with his eyes strangely sunken.
‘Shall I tell them to get lost already?’
If he did, they’d obey his orders without question.
Today was one of the few days of the year that Rudrick was in a decent mood.
When he finally yielded to his own stubbornness and broke the news to the Emperor that he was going north, he was in the worst mood. Later, when he made arrangements with the imperial knight to travel north, he felt better.
Most of all, I was able to make my schedule.
‘I’ll just let him see you today.’
With that thought, Rudrick gestured for the imperial knight to leave.
The knight, whose complexion had already been badly affected by the arrival of the division commanders of the Bouser Knights, recognized his signal like a ghost, and with a quick salute, he trotted off.
At the same time, the thunderous voices of the division commanders could be heard.
“Your Excellency!”
Rudrick turned to them with a weary expression.
The division commanders rushed toward him in a single stride, looking strangely grave and yet somehow amused, and Rudrick suddenly recalled a sense of unease he had forgotten.
‘Should I tell them to leave?’
He wondered if he’d dug his own grave by getting carried away, if he ought to come to his senses now and send these bombs back.
The person at the forefront of the bombs spoke up.
It was Ruth Fedex, the division commander.
“I have a message for you,” Ruth said.
“…Keep it short.”
“It’s a matter of some importance.”
I stared at him incredulously, and Ruth lowered her voice.
“It concerns the Princess.”
Rudrick’s body froze.
He hesitated, wondering what on earth could possibly be happening to Dahlia that would bring them here, but also fearing that something might have happened.
No, in fact, there was no hesitation from the moment her name was spoken. Rudrick sighed softly and nodded toward his office.
“Let’s go in.”
Once inside, the first thing they talked about was this.
“First, we’d like to apologize for the confusion we caused you with our poorly researched and misleading information.”
Rudrik looked at Ruth in disbelief as she suddenly rattled off a string of apologies.
He knew, of course, that the division commanders weren’t exactly thrilled with the courtesy.
They’d been looking for him when he’d disappeared for a while, and they’d been freaking out when they didn’t find him afterward.
Still, that’s not the only reason they seized him.
He’d been angry at first, but after a while, the annoyance had outweighed the anger, and Rudrick was ready to send them on their way.
“Never mind, I don’t really care, so if you’ve said all you need to say, just go away…”
“And as for the princess.”
At the same time, Ruth Fedex blurted out, “You’re trying to snatch her, aren’t you?”
“What?”
The next words froze Rudrick in place for a moment.
“I was wondering if you might be taking advantage of the opportunity while things are still unclear with Lord Goldman.”
How did you know that?
I wondered if perhaps some words had slipped out of my mouth that I was not aware of, but I could not recall any such thing, which would mean that they had noticed something…
After all, had you noticed something strange when I disappeared and then returned that day?
But before Rudrick could figure out why, he forced himself to keep a straight face, dreading the thought of what would happen if the other division commanders found out.
But it seemed to be too late.
“Again…”
Every time it happened, the sight of the division commanders’ heads was beyond his imagination.
“Really?”
“Your Excellency…! I can’t believe you’re that serious.”
“What do you mean, I knew you wouldn’t give up so easily!”
The ensuing chatter caused Rudrick to scratch his head in confusion.
By the time he tried to control his expression, the division commanders had already seen his moment of weakness.
Rudrick was about to give a speech when he realized he’d better get rid of those noisy bastards now, better late than never.
“So, we’ve been thinking about something.”
He paused, involuntarily.
“Yes, we’ve put our heads together and come up with some solutions.”
“I’m sure it’s hard to solve a problem like this on your own.”
“We won’t let you down this time.”
As they spoke, they sounded beyond serious, almost excited, and Rudrick squinted suspiciously.
Of course, it was understandable that the division commanders were excited.
Watching someone who thinks the most interesting thing in the world is other people’s love affairs after being wounded must be quite amusing.
But then again, I’ve been screwed over by trusting them before.
There was no telling what they would do to get caught up in their whims again.
‘But why is this…tempting, right?’
To be honest, he didn’t have any ideas of where to go from here.
Yes, Ruth Fedex was right.
The day he realized Dahlia’s true feelings. He’d vowed to himself that he’d do whatever it took to change her mind, even if it meant getting involved with Goldman.
But there was one huge problem.
‘By what means?’
The issue was that he had never been in a relationship before.
No, dating, no romance. Having never been interested in the opposite sex in the first place, he’d spent his life dismissing those rose-colored feelings as other people’s business.
He convinced himself that it could never happen to him. He never imagined it would happen to him.
‘Damn.’
After all, despite his confident declaration that he would try to emotionally engage with people, he hadn’t done anything so far, and he had no idea what to do.
It’s a good thing the division commanders have been thinking of ways to do this, at least they might have more experience than he, who’s been living a boring life.
‘…Shall we hear it?’
If they’re right, a group of people putting their heads together might come up with a good solution. Even if they are still unreliable.
And if I think all those methods are wrong, I don’t have to do them.
Feeling confident that Rudrick would not be swept away this time, he asked, oblivious to the fact that he was already halfway there.
“What have you been thinking about?”
The division commanders’ eyes lit up at his surprisingly positive response. They slowly spoke seriously, trying to control their excitement.
“The way to do it is…”
✿
The reason I grabbed Jeron was obvious.
It was to test my masterpiece of deliberation: ‘101 Ways to Flirt with Lord River.’
Or, more accurately, 101 Ways to Seduce Lord River.
I had a hard time gathering all these methods at first. I would spend my days researching how I could flirt effortlessly and effectively, especially since I had almost no experience in dating.
Half of the reason I was late packing was because of this piece of string.
So I was eager to try out the methods I’d found.
I had asked Hestia for advice before he arrived, but she was of little help, as she said I could do whatever I wanted.
I needed someone different from me, someone who could give me a rational assessment, and that’s where Jeron came in.
And he gave me exactly what I was expecting, a very sharp assessment.
“Why!” (Dahlia)
I looked at him in exasperation, already practicing the 31st of my 101 Ways to Flirt with Lord River.
“No, where did you learn all that crap in the first place, you didn’t seriously think it was going to work, did you?” (Jeron)
“…Is it really that bad?” (Dahlia)
“What do you mean?”
But I’ve been reading books and asking around for advice, and I’ve picked out the best ones…
Maybe Jeron has his standards set too high? I had already been dismissed one-third of the time, but I couldn’t give up.
“Then listen to this one more.” (Dahlia)
“Okay.”
Then turning to Jeron, who looked fed up, I spoke earnestly.
“Lord River, I can’t get enough of you…” (Dahlia)
“What?”
I raised my thumb in the air.
“My love.” (Dahlia)
Jeron’s expression turned rotten.
“Ha?”
“Well, how about this, Lord River, I’ve seen you again, and my heart is so, so, so…” (Dahlia)
“Ugh! Who says something like that!” (Jeron)
Hestia, who had been watching in bewilderment from the sidelines, now racking her brains, interrupted.
“Why? I think that’s fine.”
“Seriously, am I the only one here who is actually normal?” (Jeron)
“No, why would you think you’re normal when there are plenty of people who are fine?”
I smiled awkwardly at the look on Jeron’s face, like he didn’t know what the hell that meant. Then I waved my hand hastily in case he was really going to leave.
“Okay, fine, I won’t make jokes anymore.” (Dahlia)
“…You mean, you’ve been joking all along, right?” (Jeron)
“Of course. Now I’m serious. Watch this.” (Dahlia)
Everything I’ve done so far has been serious, but I have no choice. It’s okay, I’ll save the best for last.
I took a small, deep breath.
Then I slowly spoke with the most sincere eyes in the world.
“You have to look closely to see it… It’s lovely the longer you look.”
I pointed a finger at Jeron and winked.
“Lord River is just plain cute.” (Dahlia)
“Just die.” (Jeron)
