Chapter 22
I snorted softly as I watched Theodore. At my reaction, he frowned as if displeased.
“What? Why are you laughing at me?”
“Paladins aren’t allowed to date, are they? You’ve never even been in a relationship—what kind of advice are you giving?”
A faint blush crept onto Theodore’s face.
“You’re one to talk.”
“……”
That hit a nerve.
It’s not like I have born-single written on my forehead. How did he know?
Is he actually reading my mind or something?
“…How did you know I’ve never dated?”
This time, Theodore snorted.
“You can tell at a glance. Anyone can see you have no idea how to deal with men. If you’d dated even once, you wouldn’t have acted like that toward the duke.”
I have dated, you know?!
…Well, it was in a game, but still.
Seeing my lips stick out in a sulk, Theodore let out a quiet chuckle.
“Men understand men best. Who knows? I might actually be helpful.”
“……”
Well… in a situation where nothing was working, it might be better to borrow Theodore’s help than to stew alone with my worries.
As I hesitated, Theodore sat down on a suitably sized rock. He brushed the spot next to him with his palm a couple of times, clearing a place to sit.
Grinning brightly, he said,
“Come on. Spill it all to your big brother.”
Big brother, my foot.
It was obvious he was enjoying this.
I shot Theodore a sulky glare, then sat beside him and explained everything that had happened between Jerome and me.
To my surprise, Theodore listened with an unusually serious expression.
After sitting quietly and hearing me out, he finally spoke.
“There are two possibilities. One is that the duke has another woman.”
What?
Another rival on top of Vivian?
If another woman had appeared, Jerome suddenly changing his attitude would make sense.
Jerome Winston, you jerk. We only had one meal together, and you already found another woman?
Didn’t take him for such a lightweight.
…If there really is another woman, what am I supposed to do?
While I was spiraling on my own, Theodore continued.
“But judging by the circumstances, the other possibility is more likely.”
“What is it?”
I swallowed hard and waited for him to continue.
“The reason the duke is being cold to you is because he has feelings for you.”
He treated me like he’d lost all affection for the world—and that’s because he has feelings?
“That’s ridiculous. If he has feelings for me, why is he acting so cold?”
“Because he feels guilty. You were put in danger because of him. He doesn’t want you to be in any more danger.”
I frowned.
Guilt, sure, maybe.
But Vivian is already dead—what danger is left?
“The one who put me in danger, Lady Vivian, is dead. There shouldn’t be any more danger because of her.”
“Do you know why dogs bark?” Theodore asked instead of answering.
“Because they’re scared?”
“Exactly. The more afraid they are, the louder they bark. It’s a kind of defense mechanism.”
He continued,
“The Duke of Winston is the same. Because he’s afraid, he pushes you away harder. Like a hedgehog raising its quills to keep others from getting close.”
I listened silently.
“But it’s hard to say that’s him trying to protect you. It’s more like he’s running away from his fear.”
I still didn’t understand.
What is he even afraid of?
What danger is he trying to protect me from?
And why does he have to do it in such a rude way?
The more I listened, the more confused I became.
“What exactly is he afraid of?”
“That, I don’t know.”
“…Then what should I do to change his mind?”
“How about finding another man? His reason for pushing you away feels off, and I’ve never seen the duke get close to women in the first place.”
Theodore spoke in a tone that mixed joking with sincerity.
“There were even rumors that the duke might be impotent. If he had holy power, he’d be perfect paladin material.”
I shook my head firmly.
“No. It has to be Duke Jerome Winston.”
Theodore chuckled.
“What do you even like about him? It’s not his personality. His looks? His power?”
“Both?”
He looked mildly surprised.
“You’re incredibly honest.”
Was that too blunt?
Still, I couldn’t exactly say it was because I needed to return to the real world. And there was no need to pretend to be modest in front of Theodore.
Resting his chin on his hand, he asked,
“Is becoming a duchess your dream?”
“That’s not wrong.”
“You’re more ambitious than you look. Fair enough—if you’re going to aim, aim high. I like ambitious people.”
Theodore adjusted his posture and continued seriously.
“The duke is the type who prioritizes reason over emotion. If you push, he’ll run. Maintaining distance is important.”
I nodded and listened closely.
Maintain distance.
I didn’t know how to do that, but I’d remember it.
“You can’t act emotionally with the duke. Especially like earlier—being all clingy and asking him to please let you stay close is basically begging him to dump you.”
Ugh. Clingy.
“…What part of that was clingy?”
“Didn’t you say you felt hurt?”
“Well, I was hurt…”
“That works in a confirmed romantic relationship. But when you’re not even officially together, acting emotional with a rational guy like Jerome only backfires.”
Put that way, it made some sense.
Jerome… what a difficult man.
Theodore lightly tapped my head with his finger.
“And it’s important to make your presence felt. Etch yourself into the duke’s mind.”
“How?”
“Do you really know nothing about dating?”
“……”
If I did, do you think I’d be in this mess?
The retort nearly escaped my throat—you’ve never dated either, so how do you know all this?—but I swallowed it down for the sake of free advice.
Still, why is this guy so well-versed in romance?
“For example, something like this. Situations where you shouldn’t realistically run into each other, yet you keep appearing ‘by coincidence.’ Create natural points of contact. The key is that your intention must not be obvious.”
Oh. That’s something I’ve seen in romance novels and dramas.
Like meeting a handsome guy by chance on public transport, only to find out he’s your new classmate. Or running into your first love at work.
With the explanation becoming easier to follow, I nodded in concentration.
“Make him think about you more and more. But never let it show that you like him.”
“……”
My head throbbed at the ice-hot-chocolate logic.
Make him think about me, but don’t show that I like him? What kind of nonsense is that?
Even so, Theodore’s lecture continued.
“Lastly, give the duke a reason to choose you.”
“How?”
“Leave him wanting more. Make yourself someone he’d regret losing—someone he’d never be able to meet again.”
“……”
Are we even speaking the same language right now?
Then why can’t I understand a single word?
My head started to hurt again.
Wouldn’t it be easier to just level up my mind-control skill and use it on Jerome?
Make him like me, tell him to fill out the marriage registration, and hold the wedding.
That would be way faster.
Seeing my tightly furrowed brow, Theodore chuckled.
“If it still doesn’t work, I’ll step in as the final option.”
The final option?
I don’t know what that is, but… thanks for caring, I guess.
If Theodore and Jerome had swapped personalities, things wouldn’t be this hard.
When I let out a deep sigh, my true feelings slipped out without me realizing it.
“It would’ve been better if he were a count instead of a duke.”
“Huh?”
At that moment, Theodore’s face flushed red, and a system window appeared.
[Theodore Blair’s favorability has increased by 5.]
[Theodore Blair’s favorability: 15]
…Huh?
That’s not what I meant.
Unintentionally, I’d just taken another step toward Theodore’s eventual execution.
