Chapter 25
Declan wasn’t acting like this for no reason. He had definitely become suspicious of Prina for something…
“What could someone as ordinary as me possibly be hiding, Your Grace?”
While answering calmly, Prina desperately racked her brain, trying to figure out why Declan had suddenly taken an interest in her.
But no plausible reason came to mind.
“Really? I only asked because you seem very reluctant to undergo verification, Miss Prina.”
His gaze swept over her from head to toe.
Was he suspicious of her because of the Count Seiton incident?
But…
What did that have to do with divine verification?!
“…Your Grace.”
“Yes, Miss Prina. Go ahead.”
Panicking and trembling wouldn’t help. If he realized she’d been caught off guard, he’d only dig deeper.
How do other people usually treat Declan?
Most people admired him and showered him with excessive goodwill.
So she needed to do the same.
“It’s not that I dislike it. I’m just honored. I don’t know what to do with myself knowing that someone as busy as Your Grace would personally help me.”
She lowered her eyes, pretending to be genuinely touched.
“Is that so?”
“Yes. I was ignorant and didn’t even realize registration was required. I’ll go to the temple and register today.”
Prina did her best not to appear suspicious in Declan’s eyes.
However—
“Oh, so you’re saying you don’t want to go with me?”
Declan was annoyingly perceptive.
“…That’s not it. I simply didn’t want Your Grace to waste your valuable time on someone like me.”
Prina forced a smile.
“You said it was an honor to meet me.”
Why was he bringing that up all of a sudden?
As Prina blinked in confusion, Declan began pressing her.
“Was that a lie, perhaps?”
“W-Well…”
“Do you dislike me, Miss Prina?”
“O-Of course not.”
Was he seriously asking that?
What commoner could dare tell a grand duke—and the mastermind behind everything—that they disliked him?
Back then, just seeing Hugo had automatically made her smile.
Now she had to consciously force the corners of her mouth upward.
That was because she’d believed Hugo’s feelings were genuine.
She’d been thoroughly deceived.
“Really? That’s a relief.”
She had no idea what was so relieving about it.
“You said being with me was an honor. Then enjoy it, Miss Prina.”
I’m not enjoying this at all.
Faced with the mastermind pretending to be the epitome of kindness, Prina was so dumbfounded she couldn’t even speak.
Wow. This is a disaster, isn’t it?
* * *
Prina returned to Daisy Hall in a daze.
“Prina, who was that handsome nobleman earlier?! He was unbelievably good-looking!”
“Wait, don’t tell me a nobleman is interested in you…!”
“He was just asking for directions.”
The workers from other departments who had rushed over with curiosity looked disappointed and dispersed.
After that… how exactly had she parted ways with Declan?
“Miss Prina, what time do you get off work?”
Declan had said it as though he fully intended to come find her himself.
Terrifying. Absolutely terrifying.
A grand duke personally clearing his schedule just to accompany a common worker registering for divine verification.
…He was definitely using the verification as an excuse to investigate something else.
But maybe this is an opportunity.
She needed to get closer to Declan if she wanted to remove the ring’s imprint.
“Prina! I brought your blind date!”
At that moment, her coworker Hannah called out to her.
What was that supposed to mean?
Hannah looked at her proudly, as if saying, Didn’t I do a great job?
“You said you’d go on a blind date. The guy I brought apparently had a crush on you already.”
On me?
No matter how hard she searched her memory…
“You are listening to me, right, Prina? Once the banquet is over, you’re going on that date. No arguments.”
“Mm-hm. Sure.”
She remembered.
Hannah had worked alongside Prina in the imperial kitchen during the victory banquet.
Watching Prina agonize over Hugo’s impending assassination, Hannah had mistakenly assumed she was heartbroken over being ghosted.
…This is my fault!
She should have properly declined back then, but she had been too distracted and answered absentmindedly.
Just then, another Daisy Hall worker who had overheard their conversation approached.
“Oh, Hannah! Prina already has someone!”
I do?
“You know that ridiculously handsome guy from the Third Knight Order!”
“That’s right. He’s been pining after our Prina for years.”
The workers burst into giggles.
“…You’re not talking about Havel, are you?”
“Of course we are, Prina!”
Prina was dumbfounded.
Seriously, these people…
“Prina, do you really not know Havel likes you?”
“…Guys, can we stop?”
“What? So you did know?”
Know what?
Turning away from the others, Prina looked at Hannah.
“Hannah, actually… I don’t really want to date anyone right now. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner.”
She genuinely felt bad.
Hannah had gone through all this trouble to set someone up for her.
If only she had paid more attention back then, Hannah wouldn’t have wasted her effort.
“Still, why don’t you meet him just once? He’s really a good match, Prina.”
“…”
“Even if you’re not interested now, your feelings might change once you meet him…”
Since she’d already found a candidate, Hannah seemed to be in a difficult position.
Prina felt responsible.
“Okay, Hannah. I’ll meet him at least once. Bring him next time.”
“R-Really?”
Prina nodded.
I’ll meet him and politely reject him when the time is right.
But that was a problem for later.
Glancing at the clock, she saw there was still some time left before work ended.
Will Declan really come?
If he did, she’d have no choice but to undergo divine verification.
She still had no idea why he’d suddenly become obsessed with the matter, but…
If I try to avoid the verification now, it’ll only make me look more suspicious.
So she had no choice but to go along with it.
* * *
At last, it was time to leave work.
Prina hurried out of Daisy Hall.
Just this morning she’d been worrying about how to approach Declan.
Yet now…
Maybe people really couldn’t overcome their instincts.
She desperately didn’t want to run into him.
How did I ever date a man like that?
At this point, it was a perfectly reasonable question.
And there was only one answer.
Because Hugo was incredibly sweet!
If mud splashed onto Prina’s shoes, he was the type of man who would immediately kneel on one knee.
It felt like only yesterday that he’d carefully held her ankle and cleaned her shoes.
The fact that all of it had been an act…
It was enough to give her chills.
As she exited through the rear gate of the imperial palace, Prina looked around.
No sign of him.
Right?
Despite asking about her quitting time, Declan was nowhere to be seen.
She had even thought he might send someone to Daisy Hall, but that hadn’t happened either.
Was the divine verification thing just something he said in passing?
If so, that would be a relief.
“Prina!”
Huh?
That cheerful voice…
Hannah?
Running into a Daisy Hall coworker after work wasn’t unusual. This was the palace’s rear gate, after all.
“I’ve been looking everywhere for you! So you’d already gotten off work!”
But standing beside Hannah was an unfamiliar knight, stiff as a board.
“Guess who I brought! Ta-da! This is your blind date!”
…She’d already brought him?
Prina had noticed Hannah disappear before quitting time and assumed she’d gone home early.
Could it be she’d actually left to bring a date for Prina?
Her initiative was on the level of a runaway locomotive.
“…Ahem. H-Hello! My name is Parvan!”
His booming voice was filled with nervousness.
Looking closer, he seemed oddly familiar.
“Hello, Sir Knight. You’ve visited Daisy Hall quite often, haven’t you?”
“Gasp. Y-You remember me?”
“Of course.”
Naturally, Prina didn’t remember every knight she met.
But the man before her had always been particularly polite, making him memorable.
Hmm. What should I do?
Declan, whom she’d expected to send someone after her, was nowhere to be found.
At this timing, proceeding with the blind date didn’t seem like such a bad idea after all.
