Guiding the Male Lead out of His Trauma - Chapter 14.1
Maybe now was the perfect time to shake off this prince.
Just as he had done to me, I shamelessly asked,
“Lord Isadore, are you alright with so many people joining us for the day?”
The prince, caught off guard by something he hadn’t expected, quickly looked the two up and down.
“…Well, this is a bit unexpected.”
Maybe he hadn’t planned for all of us to share a carriage, so he turned to his aide for confirmation.
There must be carriages overflowing at the palace, so there’s no need to squeeze in together, right?
But the prince’s aide utterly crushed my hopes.
“Judging by the size, it should comfortably seat four.”
“I’ll ride on the coachman’s seat. Lord Isadore, please go ahead and get in.”
“Ah, that’s best. Thank you for your trouble.”
…Too much loyalty is a problem too.
No matter how much I looked at him resentfully, the prince’s aide just ignored me with ease.
“Just buy me a carriage someday. That’ll be enough.”
“I’ll make sure to send you a good one.”
No, wait. He’s not loyal. He’s just an opportunist, that man.
Stunned, I glared at the prince, who looked expectant at the thought of tagging along with me.
Meanwhile, his shameless aide opened the carriage door and headed straight for the coachman’s seat.
With everything settled, Isadore beamed.
“It’s later than I thought. How about we eat first?”
…Is this really the best I can do?
Really?
As I took the prince’s hand and got into the carriage, I thought gloomily of the gold coins about to leave my pocket.
I saw the two other’s eyebrows twitch at the same time.
* * *
The restaurant in District 1’s south, run by that royal chef the prince was so fond of, was excellent.
Luxurious course meals, polite staff,
A beautiful, immaculate interior, and even a private space separated from other guests.
But even in a place this extravagant, I had two reasons I couldn’t truly enjoy myself.
First and foremost.
‘…It’s obvious. There are just too many matching details.’
Large windows that let in plenty of light,
Abundant, seasonal flowers decorating every corner,
A cozy, lavish interior made with premium building materials.
‘This is the restaurant Millia worked at before entering the academy.’
Since today’s outing was partly to find Millia, I should have been happy.
‘…But this is strange. There isn’t a single person here who matches Millia’s description.’
Could it really be a coincidence? My heart, which had fluttered with hope for a moment, rapidly deflated.
Millia Ernst.
She, who would become an S-Class Guide, was the only daughter of a fallen noble family and worked at a noble restaurant before entering the academy.
Everything matched the original story, so she should be here.
‘Why isn’t she?’
Is there another restaurant similar to this one nearby?
‘No…’
Maybe something else has changed because of a variable I’m unaware of.
I wasn’t sure yet, but I didn’t stop scanning the surroundings, trying not to alert the others.
Because I was so flustered by Millia’s absence, I kept checking every server’s face and couldn’t even taste the food.
Of course, there was a second reason I couldn’t focus on eating.
“When I heard your new sponsor family was Brondearn, I didn’t get the impression you were thrilled, but you seem to have grown pretty close already. Maybe you get along better than I expected?”
“…Ah, yes.”
“If that’s how it seems, then I’m glad.”
Unlike Hyacine, who answered stiffly, Acteon was composed.
Both seemed to realize he was the prince, but went along with me and the aide, acting as if nothing was amiss.
Even so, the three of them maintained an awkward wall between one another, never quite mingling.
‘Ugh, this is uncomfortable.’
Unable to tell if the food was going into my mouth or my nose, the meal finally ended.
The person I thought might be Millia never appeared.
Eventually, deciding I’d have to try something else, I stood up… only for Isadore to stop me.
“Pelsea.”
“Yes.”
Just as I was bracing myself and trembling with my coin purse, the prince’s aide intervened.
He approached a staff member and whispered something.
The staff’s face first flashed with confusion, then paled, and finally brightened.
Seeing this, the prince nonchalantly ushered me out.
“Let’s go.”
This man.
He teased me all that time, only to pay the bill himself.
Well, at least I didn’t lose any money unnecessarily.
“Lord Isadore, do you want something from me?”
At my direct question, Acteon and Hyacine stiffened, while the prince remained perfectly relaxed.
“From you? Hm…”
Feigning indifference, he smiled.
“I want quite a lot, actually. Didn’t you realize that until now?”
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