/
“I had a vague suspicion, but when I saw Theon Fried’s handkerchief, I was convinced.”
‘You still remember Theon,  the Spirit King teases me to the end.’
“I can’t believe it even today. The fact that the princess is leaning on my shoulder, or the fact that we sit side by side like this and playing the piano
 When I return home, it will be like a dream again.”
Then he hugged Dorothea as if trying to hold the dream to reality.
“Then don’t leave me, Princess.”
He leaned his forehead against her and whispered.
Dorothea’s lips pressed against his warm forehead.
“I’m not leaving.”
“A good person won’t lie, so the princess’ promise must be sincere, right?”
He chuckled, like a joke. But he meant it.
* * *
A few days later, Dorothea learned that Theon had applied as Raymond’s aide.
Unless there is a major incident, Theon will be able to get there easily.
His skills and background were too good for him to become an aide, and the final decision-maker was Raymond.
Dorothea touched the spirit stone brooch at the news.
“What do you think, Princess?”
“Ethan!”
Ethan had come to her a little earlier than the piano lesson time.
“You look pretty serious, do you have any concerns?”
“No, nothing.”
Dorothea smiled and shook her head. How could she say she was thinking about Theon?
‘It’s not because I love him, but because of the spirit of darkness, it was hard to completely ignore him.’
“I heard that Theon Fried applied to be the Crown Prince’s aide.”
Dorothea’s eyes shook as Ethan said that with a smile.
Then again, Ethan laughed.
“I can’t believe you were thinking of Theon Fried before you met me
.”
“No, it’s not like that
! I was thinking of you and naturally went that way. But I was thinking of you too.”
“You think of me and Ethan together, that’s not good, right?”
Ethan asked with a smile that was happy to tease Dorothea.
Then, Dorothea’s expression became sullen.
“Okay, Princess. But seriously, I still wonder why you thought of Theon Fried so seriously?”
“Because of the spirit. After all, Theon can only live with the Spirit of Light
 that’s what I was thinking.”
“You ignored your last words.”
Dorothea hugged him.
“I love you, Ethan. So I don’t want to hurt you.”
At Dorothea’s whisper, Ethan had no choice but to surrender.
“Let’s go to piano lessons together, Ethan.”
* * *
‘Should I say Lucky or unlucky?’
Ethan runs into Theon Fried on his way home from piano lessons with Dorothea.
Ethan and Theon both recognized each other and even stopped walking, but they were not willing to greet each other first.
Just as Ethan was thinking about ignoring him, the polite Theon Fried greeted him first.
“Long time no see, Ethan Bronte.”
‘I wish I had passed by pretending not to know.’
“It’s been a long time. Theon Fried.”
Ethan greeted him with a fake smile and remembered Dorothea this morning.
“Because of the spirit. After all, Theon can only live with the Spirit of Light
 that’s what I was thinking.”
Dorothea didn’t say anything after that, but Ethan knew what she was thinking.
If she gave Theon the Spirit Stone, he wouldn’t have to be an aide.
It’s an unusual move for Theon, but he will not be able to serve as Raymond’s aide for the rest of his life.
Either return to Friedia to succeed the Grand Duke, or rise to a higher position in the center. One of the two should be done, but Theon can’t.
A choice that would only lead to trouble in the long run.
Dorothea worried about that, too.
Of course, Ethan knew that her worries were not caused by feelings of love.
There’s the inevitable bonding that can only arise because they have known each other for a long time, the guilt and responsibility of the past, the duty to keep him alive, and a little bit of compassion.
But Ethan was jealous of her feelings no matter what.
He didn’t want Theon to take even a single piece of her time, thoughts, and heart.
“I heard that you’ve applied for a position as an aide to His Highness the Crown Prince.”
“I never told anyone, but somehow everyone knows about it.”
Theon wondered why everyone knew about it when he hadn’t even been confirmed for the position yet.
Conversely, it was somewhat unpleasant for Ethan Bronte to know that.
“I heard that Ethan is also teaching the princess the piano.”
“The princess asked me to do it first.”
Theon’s expression hardened at Ethan’s bright smile.
“Do you always talk like that?”
“What do you mean, like that?”
“It’s about subtly touching a sensitive part of a person.”
Theon asked, inclined to pass on everything bluntly.
He knew Ethan had cold eyes when he looked at him. He is smiling, but there is a sharp light inside as if he is holding a sword.
Not only now, but a long time ago, when they met in Cerritian.
When he and Raymond visited Dorothea, Ethan’s eyes were wary as if he was marking the territory.
Theon looked into Ethan’s eyes and asked, and Ethan laughed.
“Of course not, I only do that to you, Theon.”
Ethan, with his eyes narrowed, confused Theon with his honesty.
“why
?”
“Are you asking because you really don’t know?”
Ethan tilted his head innocently.
Theon must already know why.
“Are you really serious about the princess?”
“She’s definitely not someone to be taken lightly, right?”
“I’m asking if you really have a heart.”
Theon’s expression was serious. Ethan recognized the same attitude in him.
How dare Theon Fried ask Ethan Bronte about the sincerity of his feelings for Dorothea?
If Ethan was the type to use his fists, he might have already punched Theon in the face.
“Theon Fried, are you really serious about the princess?”
Ethan’s white face also turned cold with a smile.
“Yes. At least more than you
”
“more than me?”
Ethan’s brow furrowed in an instant.
“Don’t make assumptions about other people’s feelings, Theon Fried. Because I am much more sincere than you think.”
Ethan said in a voice as cold as ice.
‘I’ve been waiting for her like crazy, longer than you.’
It’s not that he needs the power of the spirits, so he’s interested, but he’s loved all of Dorothea’s appearance, even when she is suffering, hurting, screaming, giving up on everything, and falling apart.
But people don’t easily believe his sincerity.
‘I’ve never said that I love anyone easily, so why does everyone take my heart lightly?’
Even Dorothea, before the return, took an entire life to believe his sincerity.
why? Because he’s so handsome and popular that he can’t possibly love only one person sincerely? Because his gentle smile seems so lighthearted? Because she believes all these rumors and gossip that he never started?
If he were ugly and didn’t get along with people, would Theon have these suspicions?
Ethan thought his appearance could be poisonous at times.
“Can you assure me that you have no other purpose in your heart for Princess Dorothea?”
“What do you mean?”
Ethan’s eyes narrowed at Theon’s question.
Spirit, he wanted to bring up that story and crush Theon, but Ethan held back.
‘Made Ethan to be a good person’ is on the princess’s bucket list, and it’s difficult to answer when asked how she knew about the spirits.
“Don’t sway the Princess with your shallow love. She is already suffering enough.”
“What do you mean?”
“You don’t have to know.”
Ethan said, raising one corner of his mouth.
Theon’s red eyes were full of hostility.
Does he know Ethan Bronte’s contribution to his survival is huge?
The reason he took an active interest in Dorothea was because the spirits of light came from Ethan.
How many times he wanted to kill Theon before, but he held back for Dorothea’s sake.
But Theon Fried doesn’t know that.
“How far are you going to be rude, Ethan Bronte?”
“I intend to maintain this level of rudeness in the future.”
“Don’t be rude and be careful. If your actions put pressure on the princess, I will not stand still.”
Theon clenched his fists at Ethan’s arrogant and rude attitude.
‘Would she know? This side of Ethan?’
‘If she’d come to me instead of hanging out with someone like that, I’d be able to treat her better than anyone else.’
“Are you jealous of me
?”
Ethan asked, raising one eyebrow.
“I just don’t want someone as rude as you around the princess.”
“Ah, do you think it’s better for you to be with the princess than me?”
Along with Ethan’s narrowed eyes, the corners of his mouth rose slightly.
“Do you want me to be the bad guy? Don’t you want me to be trash that doesn’t suit the princess, and that she would hate?”
“
..”
Ethan’s voice was quite memorable and his words pierced the very core of Theon’s heart.
However, there is one reason that Ethan can understand his heart clearly.
“It’s called jealousy, young master.”
Because he was madly jealous of Theon Fried.
What Theon felt was probably nothing compared to what Ethan felt.