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“Hmm?”
What are you talking about? I gave him a serious look because I didn’t understand what he was saying, and Demimore chuckled loudly as if it were funny.
“Let’s do it, then.”
“…….”
“Mary may not know, but this is really precious; in fact, I feel more obligated to you. I think it would be impolite to decline, so I’ll accept it for the time being.”
That was my intention, you idiot.
Demimore exaggeratedly raised his hands and grinned as if he couldn’t defeat me.
“I’ll give it to you if you ask me to return it later.”
“Taking something you gave is the cheapest thing to do.”
Demimore placed his hand on my head. Why are you holding onto another person’s head? Demimore looked quite perplexed when I turned my head to look at him.
“What…”
“Oh, I’m sorry.”
Demimore quickly apologized and withdrew as I cautiously opened my mouth. No, I should be more surprised than you are, but why do you seem more surprised? He looked so surprised, I couldn’t possibly be more surprised.
“Really. I’m really sorry.”
“No, it’s alright. Why are you suddenly acting like that?”
Did the original Mary become obsessed with Demimore when she received this gaze from him? Demimore stared at me with eyes that seemed to contain the sun, which is warm and friendly.
“Because you’re cute,”
When I heard that, I took a step back from Demimore and covered my mouth with my palm.
“I didn’t want to say it because I figured you would be like this,”
Demimore smiled, his eyes bent, as he saw my astonished expression. You said it despite knowing that this would happen.
Demimore fiddled with his ears as he stared at me in silence.
“Shall we go back, Lady Mary?”
Without saying anything, I nodded in agreement because it appeared that he was going to take me to the location where the salon had originally been held. I was still covering my mouth with my palm. I walked as far away from Demimore as I could.
Demimore stopped as we continued to walk in silence.
“Mary.”
I turned my neck like an ungreased robot and looked at Demimore.
“Are you going to keep your distance like this?”
“Yes…”
“Cancel.”
“…….”
“I’m canceling it. I take back the cute comment. Mary is not cute at all. Okay?”
Phew, that’s how it’s gonna come out.
Demimore raised his hand and gestured for me to get closer as I lowered the hand that was covering my mouth. I thought he was surprised, and I was overreacting, so I rushed up to him. Demimore laughed when I made an awkward smile.
“Do you not think you’re cute?”
“No, I’m cute.”
“What?”
Demimore asked back in a dumbfounded tone. Even though I am now Mary, I can’t deny how cute she is.
Regardless of Demimore’s gaze, I brazenly continued.
“No, I’m cute, but……. Hearing others say it is kind of embarrassing.”
“Wow, I can’t really tell.”
Demimore shook his head. I didn’t know I could joke around with Demimore like this. He had the kind of charm that makes people feel at ease. But how is it that he differs so much from his brother? ….
“By the way.”
“What?”
“I’ve been wondering for a long time, when did we start talking casually?”
Unconsciously, I shut my mouth in response to Demimore’s words. I was so excited back at the hunting ground that I just talked to Demimore casually.
“B, because we’re friends?”
“Hmm.”
“If you’re uncomfortable, should I use honorifics when I address you?”
Demimore scoffed at my remarks.
“It’s okay. I’ll let it go.”
“Really?”
“Yes, because we’re friends.”
“However, it appears that the young lords also attended a salon today.”
“Oh, yes.”
I carefully asked as to what it was I was curious about.
Why did you divide the meetings into genders? .. Can’t we just do it all together?
It had been on my mind a little. I think Yohan Borneau was there as well. Why didn’t any of my great brothers in the mansion come here?
“The Conler’s usually don’t go.”
“Is that so?”
“Yeah. Because they don’t get along with the first prince.”
I thought the Imperial family and the Grand Duchy were in partnership; why does Cameron hate Conler so much; and will these relations be severed when Cameron becomes emperor later?
“They could have come today.”
“Why?”
“Cameron didn’t attend.”
“Ah.”
“Even though you are a Conler, he still lost to a girl younger than him, so he must be ashamed.”
Is it because of me? Who told him to come at me?
“I didn’t mean to imply that Lady Mary is a weak opponent.”
“I understand. However, you are correct that I am younger than Cameron.”
“I apologize for my slip of the tongue.”
Demimore sincerely bowed to apologize, but I honestly had nothing to say. I was dumbfounded and bent down together. He’s different. Who says there isn’t a best brother out there? He’s here.
“Mary is not weak at all. Rather a very strong person. If it was me, I wouldn’t have the courage to accept that bet.”
“You don’t know that.”
“No.”
Demimore’s eyes looked sad.
“Cameron scares me sometimes.”
You’re still young.
Because I have been exposed to Cameron’s nature, I understand Demimore’s fear of his brother; it must have been sad to live with such fear. Cameron hated Demimore, and Demimore continued to face the effects of that hatred without protection.
I’ve only had a few encounters with Cameron, but even the thought of having to see him every day in a corner of the house makes my blood boil. I wonder how Demimore feels.
I pondered for a moment and then opened my mouth.
“Who said that?”
“…….”
“They say that admitting your fear is a sign of courage.”
“Perhaps the speaker of those words was trying to console himself after experiencing great fear.”
“I don’t care. Some people are unable to acknowledge their fears. A man like Cameron would never be willing to admit his fears.”
“Haha…”
Demimore was just laughing no matter how hard I tried to preach with my fist. He appears to be trying to laugh it off, but his pride has been wounded. I stepped in front of Demimore and blocked him. He tilted his head.
“If it’s because the source is unreliable, follow my advice.”
“Mary.”
“I guarantee it. You’re such a brave man. You admitted your fears, but didn’t you overcome that fear and keep moving forward?”
“move forward?”
“You’re a cool guy.”
I put my left hand on Demimore’s shoulder and nodded to give him as much confidence as I could. He alternately looked at my face and my hand on his shoulder and suddenly laughed.
“It’s true. Do your best; you already possess the courage to do so.”
“Yes, I’ll try.”
“It’s a promise.”
Demimore unexpectedly extended his finger and walked over when I stretched out my pinky. When I tried to move out of his way, Demimore, this time, grabbed me by the shoulder.
“I have a question.”
“What is it?”
“Why did you accept Cameron’s bet?”
I scratched my neck at an unexpected question. It was embarrassing to recall the plethora of emotions I felt at the time. I feel as though I’m disclosing my dark past.
“It wouldn’t have mattered if Mary had refused; no one would have said anything.”
“You think I was reckless, don’t you?”
“In all honesty, yes.”
“I never really cared about the situation.”
“It’s not the same for everyone.”
“That’s right. Prince, the same is true for you.”
Having said that, I took a cautious step forward once more as I played with my black hair, which is a trait that only members of my family possess in this empire.
“It feels really weird to have a surname because I didn’t have a family for a long time.”
“I see.”
“I don’t know. I just want to keep proving that I’m really Conler.”
“You’re already a Conler.”
“Not because of the color of the hair or eyes. But can I really be a real member of this family, there’s something like that.”
“Amazing, Mary.”
I didn’t know what was great, but I thought Demimore would understand these worries; he just smiled, and seemed to be genuinely in awe.
“That concerned me as well. But I thought I couldn’t help it.”
“There are some parts that I think I can’t help it either.”
“You said. If you admit your fear, you can overcome it and move forward.”
I nodded.
“You’re a wonderful person.”
Without saying anything, Demimore and I just exchanged looks. My emotions at the time resembled a deep empathy process. It seems as though we have already traversed each other’s bodies.
“Demimore, I think we could be really good friends.”
“Hmm.”
It’s so messy.
Demimore blurted out the last few words of his sentence. He simply laughed, regardless of whether I put on an unpleasant expression.
“They say friendship is the beginning of something.”