Chapter 5.5 Part 1
Only Twice, But Still Twice – Theodore’s POV (I)
As soon as I parted with Urschel, who was engrossed in his sweets, while we were at Prince Leodore’s coming-of-age celebration party, I quickly regretted it.
“Oh my, you are so adorable! Won’t you be a male lover in my marquess house?”
“You, what’s your name? I’m Milena, daughter of Baron Kersey! Now, tell me your name!”
“Would you like to have tea with me now?”
Aside from those, there were other types of comments as well:
“Who are you? The ladies have been all over you for a while now.”
“Guards, I don’t know who this is. Take him out.”
“You’re new here, aren’t you? Where are you from? I’m a Count, do you think you deserve to appear before me?”
All I wanted to do was get some beverages and this was what I ended up with. When I was with Urschel, I could feel people looking at me, but they never talked to me like this. When Urschel said he wanted me to stay with him, he was probably concerned that I would get entangled with these people.
In fact, when I mentioned my name they all scampered away like spiders.
“Minusle?! …That House of Minusle? Heeee! I was speaking out of turn! I apologize!”
“House of Minusle… I-I’m sorry! Please at least spare my family!”
“I-I’m sorry for my ignorance. Please be so kind as to forgive me…!”
“You’re from the House of Minusle?! I’m sorry for my ignorance!”
“Heeeee! Mi-Min-Minusle? Pl-please pardon me!”
“House of Minusle… you- Huh? The House of Minusle? Wha-wha-wha-wha… I-I apologize. I’m apologizing to you, so please, spare my life at least…!”
A simple mention of the House’s name would make everyone tremble and desperately ask for forgiveness. It was almost like they were begging for their lives… Nine times out of ten, I believed it was probably due to the Duke. I felt like releasing a sigh as I grabbed a drink from a nearby chamberlain.
‘Let’s quickly return to Urschel.’
After continuously being in the spotlight, I had already lost my appetite. I didn’t even know why I was attracting so much attention. Somehow, I managed to slip past the eyes of the crowd—that was when it happened.
“Hello, Theodore.”
Upon being called out, I looked up and, much to my surprise, there he was—His Highness Leodore. The graceful man approached me with a congenial smile on his face. A young nobleman who seemed to be his close aide was also present, one step back from His Highness.
“Could I have a moment of your time?” He asked me.
The thought of Urschel waiting for me was on my mind, but I couldn’t just casually decline a request from royalty.
“Yes, that’s fine.”
“Glad to hear that. Ben, could you please leave the two of us alone?”
“Yes, of course.”
He bowed and left; His Highness Leodore led me toward the garden, which was void of people.
What in the world would the star of the party have to do with me? This was the first time I had ever been involved with His Highness Leodore. I didn’t even know him before today. So, when I greeted him, I wondered why something felt off at this moment… His Highness Leodore appeared so calm on the surface, but I couldn’t tell what was going through his mind. I felt even more confused.
“Theodore. I have a lot of questions to ask you, do you mind?”
“It’s okay…”
I inadvertently frowned at what His Highness Leodore said.
“Let’s get straight to the point… Were you welcomed into the duke’s household as Urschel’s fiancé?”
I lapsed into a long pause before my brain reacted.
HUH?
I was at a loss for words.
I… I was sure I was just a pawn for the House of Minusle. However, I couldn’t possibly say that out loud, even if the other party was His Highness Leodore. But, he just asked me whether I was to be Urschel’s fiancé?
Urschel’s fiancé???
Of course, there was no such agreement. The Duke never mentioned anything of that sort. But I knew engagement talks were not entirely out of question. In my recent studies, I had learned that some noble families marry off their adopted children to their biological children to keep the family line going. Never had I thought of such practice as something that would happen to me.
That was apparently His Highness Leodore’s concern.
However, it would be hasty of me to answer that I was just an adopted child since I didn’t know even 30% of the Duke’s intentions. Perhaps the duke had some ideas of his own.
Suddenly, at that moment, a voice that wasn’t my own echoed in my head.
‘To the Duke, everyone except for Urschel was a pawn. If I, the pawn, think and act on my own, there’s no knowing what he would say or do to me later. I can’t say anything rash. Now that the Duke is in control of my life, all I can say to His Highness Leodore is this:’
“…You can ask my father that question. There’s nothing I can say.”
When I said that, His Highness Leodore’s smile grew darker.
“I didn’t expect to be told something like that after simply asking whether you’re his fiancé or not. House of Minusle is really good at insinuating speech.”
‘Insinuating speech’? I had no idea what he meant by that. Maybe Urschel would know… His Highness Leodore then looked at me with a smile still on his face.
“I think I’ll have no problem confiding in you. You’re nominally just an adopted child with no right of inheritance, and, although you’re talented, you don’t yet have the right status.”
His words were quite prickly. What he said in the next moment, however, caught me off guard.
“I, for one, would like to have Urschel as my fiancé. I want him to be my consort in the future.”
I gasped—I wasn’t merely struck speechless. I gasped, out of breath for real. I, myself, had no idea why it happened; I just choked up and couldn’t speak.
His Highness Leodore carried on talking, disregarding me. “However, your adoptive father, the Duke of Minusle, turned me down harshly. I’ve been unable to make contact with Urschel for several years now, ever since I last saw him. Theodore. I want Urschel at all costs… Even if it means ultimately destroying the House of Minusle.”
Chapter 5.5 Part 1
Only Twice, But Still Twice – Theodore’s POV (I)
As soon as I parted with Urschel, who was engrossed in his sweets, while we were at Prince Leodore’s coming-of-age celebration party, I quickly regretted it.
“Oh my, you are so adorable! Won’t you be a male lover in my marquess house?”
“You, what’s your name? I’m Milena, daughter of Baron Kersey! Now, tell me your name!”
“Would you like to have tea with me now?”
Aside from those, there were other types of comments as well:
“Who are you? The ladies have been all over you for a while now.”
“Guards, I don’t know who this is. Take him out.”
“You’re new here, aren’t you? Where are you from? I’m a Count, do you think you deserve to appear before me?”
All I wanted to do was get some beverages and this was what I ended up with. When I was with Urschel, I could feel people looking at me, but they never talked to me like this. When Urschel said he wanted me to stay with him, he was probably concerned that I would get entangled with these people.
In fact, when I mentioned my name they all scampered away like spiders.
“Minusle?! …That House of Minusle? Heeee! I was speaking out of turn! I apologize!”
“House of Minusle… I-I’m sorry! Please at least spare my family!”
“I-I’m sorry for my ignorance. Please be so kind as to forgive me…!”
“You’re from the House of Minusle?! I’m sorry for my ignorance!”
“Heeeee! Mi-Min-Minusle? Pl-please pardon me!”
“House of Minusle… you- Huh? The House of Minusle? Wha-wha-wha-wha… I-I apologize. I’m apologizing to you, so please, spare my life at least…!”
A simple mention of the House’s name would make everyone tremble and desperately ask for forgiveness. It was almost like they were begging for their lives… Nine times out of ten, I believed it was probably due to the Duke. I felt like releasing a sigh as I grabbed a drink from a nearby chamberlain.
‘Let’s quickly return to Urschel.’
After continuously being in the spotlight, I had already lost my appetite. I didn’t even know why I was attracting so much attention. Somehow, I managed to slip past the eyes of the crowd—that was when it happened.
“Hello, Theodore.”
Upon being called out, I looked up and, much to my surprise, there he was—His Highness Leodore. The graceful man approached me with a congenial smile on his face. A young nobleman who seemed to be his close aide was also present, one step back from His Highness.
“Could I have a moment of your time?” He asked me.
The thought of Urschel waiting for me was on my mind, but I couldn’t just casually decline a request from royalty.
“Yes, that’s fine.”
“Glad to hear that. Ben, could you please leave the two of us alone?”
“Yes, of course.”
He bowed and left; His Highness Leodore led me toward the garden, which was void of people.
What in the world would the star of the party have to do with me? This was the first time I had ever been involved with His Highness Leodore. I didn’t even know him before today. So, when I greeted him, I wondered why something felt off at this moment… His Highness Leodore appeared so calm on the surface, but I couldn’t tell what was going through his mind. I felt even more confused.
“Theodore. I have a lot of questions to ask you, do you mind?”
“It’s okay…”
I inadvertently frowned at what His Highness Leodore said.
“Let’s get straight to the point… Were you welcomed into the duke’s household as Urschel’s fiancé?”
I lapsed into a long pause before my brain reacted.
HUH?
I was at a loss for words.
I… I was sure I was just a pawn for the House of Minusle. However, I couldn’t possibly say that out loud, even if the other party was His Highness Leodore. But, he just asked me whether I was to be Urschel’s fiancé?
Urschel’s fiancé???
Of course, there was no such agreement. The Duke never mentioned anything of that sort. But I knew engagement talks were not entirely out of question. In my recent studies, I had learned that some noble families marry off their adopted children to their biological children to keep the family line going. Never had I thought of such practice as something that would happen to me.
That was apparently His Highness Leodore’s concern.
However, it would be hasty of me to answer that I was just an adopted child since I didn’t know even 30% of the Duke’s intentions. Perhaps the duke had some ideas of his own.
Suddenly, at that moment, a voice that wasn’t my own echoed in my head.
‘To the Duke, everyone except for Urschel was a pawn. If I, the pawn, think and act on my own, there’s no knowing what he would say or do to me later. I can’t say anything rash. Now that the Duke is in control of my life, all I can say to His Highness Leodore is this:’
“…You can ask my father that question. There’s nothing I can say.”
When I said that, His Highness Leodore’s smile grew darker.
“I didn’t expect to be told something like that after simply asking whether you’re his fiancé or not. House of Minusle is really good at insinuating speech.”
‘Insinuating speech’? I had no idea what he meant by that. Maybe Urschel would know… His Highness Leodore then looked at me with a smile still on his face.
“I think I’ll have no problem confiding in you. You’re nominally just an adopted child with no right of inheritance, and, although you’re talented, you don’t yet have the right status.”
His words were quite prickly. What he said in the next moment, however, caught me off guard.
“I, for one, would like to have Urschel as my fiancé. I want him to be my consort in the future.”
I gasped—I wasn’t merely struck speechless. I gasped, out of breath for real. I, myself, had no idea why it happened; I just choked up and couldn’t speak.
His Highness Leodore carried on talking, disregarding me. “However, your adoptive father, the Duke of Minusle, turned me down harshly. I’ve been unable to make contact with Urschel for several years now, ever since I last saw him. Theodore. I want Urschel at all costs… Even if it means ultimately destroying the House of Minusle.”
