Chapter 15
With full determination, I stood in the center of the office—only to find Lionel silently watching me.
His expressionless face made me wonder if I was overdoing it, so I awkwardly looked away. Then he calmly escorted me to the sofa and said,
“It’s only been three days. That’s not really ‘long time no see.’”
Seriously? That’s the problem here?
“It feels like it’s been a long time. That’s what I mean.”
I huffed and sat down on the sofa, crossing my arms as I watched him sit across from me.
In the meantime, the servant brought in tea. The familiar scent of roses eased my mood a little as I placed the cookie case on the table.
“Now that we’re on the topic… Lionel, have you ever wanted to see someone?”
“See someone…?”
Honestly, I expected him to immediately say “No.”
But his expression turned oddly complicated.
“…You have someone?”
“……It’s not a person.”
“‘Not a person’?”
Ah. I think I know what he means.
‘Right, in the novel he had a bird he raised as a child…’
And the First Prince took it away and it died by accident, right?
Of course it wasn’t really an accident. At best negligence, at worst intentional.
After that incident, Lionel stopped keeping pets.
‘He was actually kind of cute back then.’
If he had grown up like that, he would’ve been a proper, well-adjusted nobleman—no talk of “darkening” at all.
What a shame.
‘I’ll punch the First Prince in the back of the head someday.’
And maybe deal with that servant commander too—the one who’s clearly his subordinate.
“I’d like to talk to Lionel alone.”
At my words, the smirking servant commander flinched.
He hesitated, then glanced at Lionel, who had been quietly thinking.
“Leave us.”
“…Ah. Yes, Your Highness. Lady of the Duke’s house.”
The servant withdrew, still glancing at me as he left, which irritated me.
The moment the door closed, I turned to Lionel.
“Your Highness, isn’t that servant a bit disrespectful? Can’t you replace him?”
“I cannot. It’s not within my authority.”
“Ugh… So all the servants here are chosen by Her Majesty the Empress, not you?”
“Yes.”
“So even if you want someone else, you can’t bring them in?”
Lionel casually picked up an almond cookie as he replied.
“I’ve never considered bringing anyone here.”
“Then imagine you did. Someone skilled, perceptive, perfect for the job—but the Empress refuses. Would you just give up?”
“Yes.”
His answer came instantly.
That only made me more frustrated.
“Why?! You’re sixteen! Isn’t that exactly the age for rebellion?”
“I have no need to.”
Lionel’s calm purple eyes met mine. There was no emotion in them at all.
‘Ugh, so frustrating!’
I wanted to shake him like those drama heroines who grab the clueless male lead’s parents by the collar.
At least those guys rebelled! This one is just… obediently suffocating me!
“Okay, then answer me this. You’re training nonstop to become Emperor, right?”
“Yes.”
He nodded calmly.
“But if the First Prince suddenly becomes healthy and tells you to step down, what then?”
“Then…”
He paused, as if he had never considered such a possibility.
I watched him carefully, suddenly tense.
‘Is he hesitating because he doesn’t want to give up the throne?’
But after a moment, he said—
“I would step down.”
“…Right? You’d step down—wait, what? Just like that?”
“Yes. According to imperial law, succession follows the eldest son. If my brother recovers, it is natural for him to take the position.”
“Are you serious right now?”
“Yes.”
“…Then I—!”
“Pardon?”
“No, I mean… Ugh!”
I almost asked what if I became the First Prince’s fiancée instead—but swallowed it back.
He would definitely say “Yes, I would step down.”
And somehow, that answer would annoy me even more than expected.
‘Wait… in the novel, isn’t he supposed to be the obsessive one?’
Why am I the one getting worked up?
“This makes no sense…”
“What doesn’t?”
The fact that you are supposedly the guy who destroys everything and kidnaps people in the future!
‘What if I’m mistaken? What if I reincarnated into a similar but different novel?’
Lionel calmly sitting there while ruining my peace was infuriating.
And then—
The moment he brought a cookie to his mouth, I snatched it from his hand.
“……”
He blinked, clearly not expecting it.
That was it. No reaction beyond staring at me.
“Do you have nothing to say to me?!”
“Say… what?”
“Oh come on! I was about to eat that! Don’t you know even dogs aren’t disturbed when eating?!”
“I see. I’ve never raised a dog, so I didn’t know.”
“That’s not the point!”
A flash of an image crossed my mind—
Young Lionel eagerly reaching for a snack… only for the First Prince to appear and snatch it away every time, leaving him silently watching.
“Repeat after me. ‘That’s mine.’”
“Pardon?”
“Say it. ‘That’s mine. Give it to me.’”
“Technically, isn’t it yours, Lady Cecilia?”
“Ugh, seriously!”
“That’s mine! Give it to me!”
My voice rose in frustration.
Startled, Lionel blinked, then finally repeated obediently:
“That’s mine. Give it to me.”
It was completely flat, like a broken music box—but still.
Good enough.
I decided to move to the next step.
“No. Why would that be yours?”
I pulled the cookie toward myself.
For the first time, Lionel’s expression shifted clearly into confusion.
It was the most vivid emotion I had ever seen on his face.
