Chapter: 06
Once again, I reminded myself that I was a person with tastes firmer than anyone else’s.
‘Like a thousand-year-old pine tree.’
No matter how much the platform tried to promote certain works, it was useless.
If the synopsis didn’t show that the male lead was kind and dependable, I would never read it.
‘Only kind men hold the key to world peace.’
But… <The Crown Prince’s Bedside Affairs> was an exception.
That work had an overwhelming…
…reputation for being extremely, ridiculously erotic, according to the reviews.
[Wow, C-val… I normally don’t swear, but reading this made me a cursing granny because of that damn Kachin guy.]
[The male lead is so provocative it made me dizzy. I went to the hospital today because I felt so faint, and they said it was short-term amnesia. I’m not sure if I have amnesia. It’s just that Castilian is so sexy, handsome, and insanely awesome.]
ㄴ[I’m not sure. It’s just that Castilian is so sexy, handsome, and insanely awesome.]
[I probably drooled on my pillow more while reading this than the heroine did because of that damn guy.]
Was it really that intense?
‘Alright, let’s see how incredible this Castilian guy really is.’
I started reading out of stubborn curiosity—and was conquered in just three lines.
“This f*ck, insane. Crazy guy. Wow…”
Castilian was so extraordinary that “crazy” came out naturally.
Unparalleled + obsessive + sexy + sheer madness.
‘Now I see why everyone calls him Kachin.’
He was the type of character who didn’t need anyone’s approval to be captivating.
‘My favorite is my favorite, and Kachin guy is Kachin guy.’
For a while, I lived lost in Castilian’s sexiness.
Then I looked at the pile of Johan’s merchandise in my room and came back to my senses.
“Sorry, Johan. I got distracted for a moment, carried away by dopamine… But you’re still the best.”
Well, that was a long time ago now.
‘Back in the day…’
Recalling <The Crown Prince’s Bedside Affairs> vaguely, I suddenly felt something strange.
‘Huh? Come to think of it…’
Rian, Castilian.
‘The name of this crazy youngest and the crown prince are similar.’
Blinking rapidly, I slowly looked up at Rian.
‘…Could it be?’
Rian tilted his head slightly when our eyes met.
“Oh my, Center Director…”
“……”
“You look at me like that every day, and you still want to look now?”
For a moment… just a brief suspicion, I immediately reflected.
‘I’m sorry, <The Crown Prince’s Bedside Affairs> author, I’m sorry.’
Rian de Vichel could never be Castilian.
First, Rian had black hair, while Castilian was blond.
They both had red eyes… but red eyes were common for male leads.
‘Even among the dozen or so grand dukes in this world, most have red eyes.’
Second, Castilian would never make a “baby bird” joke.
‘Kachin guy is so quiet and cool.’
Every word he seriously spoke to the heroine was precious.
『“Filone.”
“…Yes, Your Highness.”
“Cry. Just like you clung to me last night.”
“……”
“Your voice suits being hoarse.”』
In contrast, Rian gave off no sense of weight at all.
“Do you like this, darling?”
Floppy and flimsy, like Chase oppa, as if a gust of wind could blow him away…
I was finally certain.
‘The guy next to me could never be Kachin.’
At that moment, I overheard a conversation between Violet and the designer.
“But, young lady, the crown prince will attend this ball?”
“Actually, I’m not sure… but from what I’ve heard, it seems possible he might attend this time.”
“Oh, I’ll pray every day. Since our Violet young lady wishes so earnestly, I hope the crown prince will definitely attend.”
“Just hearing that is enough, thank you.”
Listening to them, I was puzzled.
‘Indeed. If Violet likes the crown prince, that means she’s seen him.’
How on earth did she see him…?
It was natural to wonder.
Castilian had never appeared publicly since he was a prince.
So except for some working in the royal palace, no one had seen him in person.
‘I only know because I’m possessed.’
In this context, it was puzzling how Violet could have fallen for him.
Suddenly, I recalled something Chase oppa had said long ago.
“Crown Prince Castilian enrolled in the academy. A year junior.”
“Oh, really?”
At that time, I had responded without much interest and then forgotten.
‘I wasn’t aware that I had been possessed.’
I wished I had remembered sooner and asked about Kachin…
‘Ah, right. That’s not the issue right now.’
I crossed my arms, turning my back to Violet.
“Violet young lady likes the crown prince…”
“That’s right.”
Rian, like me, leaned against the jewelry display with his back to Violet.
I sighed lightly and added,
“Is there… any hope?”
Not for Violet, but for Johan.
To turn the heart of a woman who likes the second highest-ranking man in the empire…
‘And that man is Kachin guy…’
Even though Johan is a good person, I had to admit the chances were slim.
Objectively, how could a mere marquis compete with a crown prince?
‘Suddenly, I feel sorry for Johan.’
I didn’t want my favorite to end up with another woman, but I also didn’t want him to fail in love and become depressed.
‘I really am a hypocrite, going back and forth like this.’
At that moment, Rian muttered.
“Is there any hope?”
It was a lower voice than usual.
I looked at him.
“For what?”
“For me.”
Rian’s gaze was fixed on the floor.
‘For me…?’
What did he mean?
“Excuse me?”
When I asked, Rian suddenly snapped out of his daze and looked at me with a slightly surprised expression.
After a brief, unreadable expression, he gestured toward the necklace with golden jewels.
“This… necklace my wife wants.”
“……”
“Since it caught the Center Director’s eye, there might be hope, right? Shall I buy it for you?”
He said with a mischievous smile.
‘Of course…’
This guy was talking nonsense again.
“Stop saying ridiculous things.”
“I’m not. Then what were all the things I said before? Nonsense? Cow dung?”
“Just be quiet, seriously.”
“After talking to me so nicely before, now you say that again. Our Center Director is too difficult.”
I finally managed to escape the boutique, restraining the crazy youngest who insisted on buying the necklace.
‘Why did I even suspect that Rian and Castilian were the same just because their names were similar…’
Though I wasn’t personally acquainted with Kachin, I felt I should kneel and apologize.
‘Sorry, Castilian.’
I must have had a momentary crazy thought since I hadn’t seen you in so long.
There’s no way you and this crazy youngest are the same person.
“Center Director, then what about the necklace next to it? The one with the same eye color as mine.”
“……”
“If I buy that, wouldn’t you think of me every time you wear it?”
Until I fell asleep after work, I kept silently apologizing to the author of <The Crown Prince’s Bedside Affairs>.
The next morning, at the counseling center.
Clang!
A sudden shattering of glass echoed through the quiet center.
“…Bringger young lady likes, likes the crown prince?”
The culprit was Pin, drinking melon juice.
Similarly, the other staff looked pale.
Heaven, eating a sandwich, froze with food in her mouth, and Isadora’s glasses had slid down to the tip of her nose without her adjusting them.
Suppressing a sigh, I answered.
“That’s what I heard…”
Isadora, mouth agape like a fish, slowly blinked.
Her deep nasolabial lines disappeared, replaced by her black eyes rolling from side to side.
A moment later, she gasped, “Hup!”
“…Advance payment. Where did you put the advance payment from the Marquis?”
Heaven answered.
“Huh? I already put it in the bank.”
“In the bank?”
“Yes.”
Isadora and I bit our lips simultaneously.
‘Damn, 50,000 gold all at once…’
Recently, the law was stricter: without royal documents, withdrawals over 30,000 gold per week weren’t allowed.
It was wise to keep the money in a safe place.
‘But what if we move the money before even starting work?’
Isadora’s lips trembled, probably thinking the same thing.
For a while, the staff and I fell into deep contemplation.
‘Do we proceed with the work as is, or tell Johan the truth and withdraw?’
We had to decide quickly.
Johan was on his way to the counseling center.
