He returned back to normal and looked at me as he took a step closer.
âMore than that, Bebe, youâre very pretty.â
âItâs not just okay. Itâs very pretty. Compared to anyone else, you can beat anyone.â
It was nice to hear that I looked pretty, but it was embarrassing to hear it from two people constantly.
I passed the two of them and ran out of the dressing room after I tried to diffuse my reddened cheeks.
At that moment, the Grand Duke stopped Allen, who had been following around like someone who just thought of something.
âMore than that, Allen, I didnât know you were coming.â
âYeah, Dad! Sheâs my little sister. If I donât take care of her, whoâs going to take care of her? But why did you come?â
ââŚBecause sheâs my daughterâŚâ
The Grand Duke, who was still speechless, reached out to me as I stood still.
âThen everything seems to be ready, so letâs go now.â
At that moment, Allen hastily squeezed between Dad and me.
âAllen, are you going to the political meeting too?â
âItâs not that. But after participating a few times, itâs quite strange that you said you wanted to come, Allen.â
âBecause I will protect Bebe, so donât worry, Dad, go on.â
Then Allen grabbed my hand that I raised to grab my dadâs hand.
âBebe, doesnât it feel better to hold your brotherâs hand?â
âNo. You better hold my hand.â
If it was Allen, I could understand his way of thinking, but the Grand Duke⌠he was being weird.
âDad, do you want to walk hand in hand with me?â
âRather than wanting to go hand in hand⌠Iâm doing this for you, because there is no one who will protect you like me.â
Listening to him again, he wasnât  wrong.
I glanced at the two of them for a moment, then nodded.
âOh my! Â You donât have to, just hold hands!â
âBecause I have two hands!â
But contrary to what I thought was a perfect solution, Dad and Allen only showed strange expressions.
âIf you donât like it, I wonât hold both of your hands. It would be more comfortable to hold Ceciliaâs hand and go.â
After I said that, they both took my hand at the same time.
âNo. Iâd rather go like this.â
âThatâs right. Letâs go like this, Bebe.â
Then I came out of the room with the two men, who had made a dramatic compromise.
My heart was racing, but thanks to the two of them, the tension was much better than before.
If I went like this, I even feel like Iâm going to have a safe day today.
However, my life has not always been so easy.
Just when I left the room and turned to the conference hall, I ran into Harris, who was coming in front of the Grand Dukeâs room. As if she had lost all the world, Harris looked at me with a firm expression on his face, the Grand Duke and Allen alternately.
Harris, who was muttering like a person unable to control her emotions, spit out a sad voice. On the other hand, the Grand Dukeâs reaction was bittersweet.
âAh. Hey, what are you doing here?â
ââŚ.Dad, are you going today?â
For a moment, it was terrifying.
I had expected that Harris would be different in front of the Grand Duke, but never imagined it would be this much. She made a voice like that as if she had become someone else.
Allen just looked at Harris as dryly as someone who had seen her like that often.
âYou are a lovely princess⌠but I am not lovable.â
This made me look like a hindrance.
Unusually, Harris resembled the Grand Duke; a brother and sister who look just like Allen.
Rather, it was awkward to see me holding the hands of two men because I was the ugly duckling among the beautiful black swans. No matter how I decorated myself, I was worse than Harris.
âIf only I had black hair⌠No, itâs me. I like myself.â
So now itâs your turn to let it go. I was about to let go of his hand to send the Grand Duke to Harris, but, looking at Harris with a dry expression, he squeezed my hand tighter.
Just in case, the more I tried to remove my hand, the more the Grand Duke refused to let go of my hand.
I looked up at him in surprise, but there was no change in his expression.
âWhy wonât you let go? Harris will misunderstandâŚâ
Again, Harris came towards us, her hands trembling.
âI⌠Who is going to take my hand?â
âThereâs also Lexit, but itâs okay to come alone, no matter where you are.â
ââŚBut Iâm afraid of going there alone, Dad.â
âIf youâre scared, you donât have to come.â