Chapter: 05
I barely managed to stop myself from rolling my eyes to the sky.
“No… please, get a grip, youngest one.”
“I’m always in my right mind. That’s why I listened properly when the Center Director proposed,” Rian said, placing his hand over his chest as if to emphasize his words.
‘Not once have I seen anyone who talks like that actually be in their right mind,’ I thought.
I straightened my eyebrows and added,
“We’re not really getting married. We’re just acting. We need to follow Miss Violet into the fitting room.”
“…….”
“If I go in there, I’ll be closer to Miss Violet. Close enough that she could overhear our conversation.”
“…….”
“So, to avoid any unnecessary suspicion, we have to pretend to be a couple looking at merchandise.”
Rian’s gaze followed my hand pointing toward the fitting room.
“Pretend?”
“Yes.”
He turned to me, his eyes narrowing slightly.
“Can’t it be real instead of pretend?”
…At that point, I even thought,
‘He must be drunk.’
Either he came to work after drinking, or someone spiked his tea in the salon earlier.
It was a completely reasonable suspicion.
‘His speech slurs as if he’s drunk, and he keeps saying things no sane person would.’
I pressed my throbbing temples hard.
“Stop talking nonsense.”
Before Rian could spout even more absurdities, I quickly opened my bag.
‘Just in case, I brought an extra hat—and now it comes in handy.’
Standing on tiptoe, I placed the hat on the crown of Rian’s head.
“Put this on quickly.”
“Center Director… are you telling me to hide my beauty with this shabby hat?”
“Yes, youngest one. You look suspicious.”
“That’s just cruel…”
Rian pouted but pressed the hat down over his head.
‘Oh… covering his signature red eyes and (reluctantly admitting it) handsome face definitely makes him less noticeable.’
Which makes me wonder—whose male lead is this guy, anyway?
With everything prepared, we finally entered the salon together.
“Welcome. This is Valenri’s Fashion Salon.”
I quickly scanned the space but didn’t see Violet.
‘Maybe she went to the fitting room.’
A staff member approached us.
“Hello, what are you looking for today?”
I saw her quickly scanning Rian. I cleared my throat and spoke.
“Ah, we…”
“We’re here to look at necklaces,” he said.
Suddenly, I felt Rian’s warmth at my waist. He leaned down, tilting his face close to mine.
“I want to gift a necklace to my beloved wife,” he said.
I didn’t expect that at all.
‘I knew he’d act well since he’s so cheeky… but I didn’t expect this level of skill.’
And more than his acting, what caught my attention was…
The cheek resting against my crown, his warm breath above my head.
The thick, hot hand wrapped around me, the solid chest I felt at my back.
Even his voice and tone were different from usual.
‘He’s always so flighty, I never realized he could speak so seriously…’
Flustered, I stared blankly into the air.
Rian lowered his gaze to me.
“Isn’t that right, darling?”
Finally, I snapped back to reality.
‘Right, I have to act.’
I laughed coquettishly, pretending to be overwhelmed with happiness by my handsome, caring husband.
“Yes, that’s right. My darling loves me so much! Oh-ho-ho!”
For the sake of the alibi, I even clung to Rian’s arm.
‘…His arm is surprisingly solid.’
Soren or Chase’s arms hadn’t felt like this.
“This way, please.”
The staff guided us to the jewelry display. The jewelry sparkled under the lights so brightly it was almost blinding.
‘Such dazzling luxury… how much could all this cost…’
Still, I had to act perfectly, so I pretended to carefully select a necklace.
One caught my eye. It was a gold-colored gem, similar in color to my own eyes.
“Um… darling?”
“Yes, darling.”
“I like this one…”
I was about to say, “I like it,” when I saw the price tag.
I froze.
‘…Insane. How many zeroes is that?’
I had no intention of buying it, but even joking about liking it was impossible at that price.
‘Just touching it would make my hands shake.’
Rian nodded toward the necklace I was eyeing.
“You like this one, darling?”
My heart, shocked at the sight of the price, immediately calmed.
‘Darling…’
The cringe-worthy nickname sent shivers all over me.
‘Which story’s male lead is this guy even from?’
A male lead this sweet was from a million-seller novel?
‘I don’t understand readers’ tastes at all.’
After a moment, I heard rustling from the fitting room side. Violet appeared.
The designer immediately cheered.
“Miss Bringer!! You’re so beautiful! Truly the most beautiful in the empire!”
“R-really…?”
“I told you, lilac suits Miss Violet perfectly. My eyes never lie.”
Indeed, I completely agreed with the designer.
‘…She’s really beautiful.’
Violet, in a pale lilac dress, looked like a single violet flower, true to her name.
Her silky light-brown hair fell beautifully even without wind, and her flushed cheeks seemed like soft petals.
I had always known Violet was beautiful.
But at this moment, I realized one more thing.
‘No wonder Johan would fall for her.’
Earlier, I had been foolish to think I had a chance because Johan was rejected.
‘No matter who Violet likes, Johan likes Violet.’
I was just the Center Director.
Realizing there was no chance made my mood immediately gloomy.
Suddenly, Rian draped his arm around my shoulders.
“Why the sudden mood drop? Because Miss Violet’s pretty?”
I shot him a glance.
“…No, it’s not that. What does her being pretty have to do with me?”
“Should I buy you a necklace? Will that cheer you up, Center Director?”
“Huh?”
“The necklace,” he said, nodding toward it.
The one with an almost unimaginable number of zeroes.
“Are you crazy…? Why would you buy this for me?”
“Because you’re in a bad mood.”
I blinked like an ox, dumbfounded.
‘This guy… is he rich?’
Ah, that makes sense.
The male lead’s official keywords were #wealthy, #incredible.
None of the male leads I’d seen were poor, so Rian must be wealthy too.
‘No wonder prices in this world are so high—there are so many rich male leads.’
Violet stood in front of the mirror, inspecting herself repeatedly.
‘You don’t need to do that—you’re already beautiful.’
Even if she hadn’t showered for a week, she’d still be beautiful.
After tilting her head for a while, Violet asked the designer,
“Am I really okay in this…?”
“Of course! Miss Violet, do you not like the dress?”
“Oh, no! The dress is very beautiful, but…”
“…….”
“I just… lack confidence. I wonder if His Imperial Highness, the Crown Prince, will like it…”
She trailed off, embarrassed.
…Wait a minute.
‘Did I just hear that right?’
I tugged on Rian’s sleeve.
“…Youngest one.”
“Yes, yes?”
“Did you hear that?”
My flushed face reflected in his red eyes.
Rian, staring at me, touched his own chin.
“Seems like that’s the case…”
“…….”
“The Center Director seems to have a slight hearing problem,” he said, tapping his ear.
‘What nonsense is this?’
I bristled quietly.
“I’m just asking to confirm. I heard perfectly fine.”
“Good to know.”
Rian smirked.
“Stop changing the subject. Did you hear what Miss Violet just said?”
“I did.”
“She said His Imperial Highness, right?”
When he confirmed, my previously muddled thoughts cleared instantly.
‘The man Violet likes… is him.’
I had said there were too many “His Highnesses” in this world.
Yet all those candidates were eliminated at once.
Why?
‘Because, strangely, there’s only one Crown Prince.’
He was the first prince of the Carnon Empire, now the Crown Prince.
‘Castilian La Idebert Carnon.’
He was the male lead of the 19+ romance novel The Crown Prince’s Bedside Affairs, and my first love in my previous life.
