Episode 46: Tea Party (4)
It took quite a while for Julius to open his eyes. Although the injuries had healed quickly, his body still felt the full extent of the damage, requiring thorough treatment.
The first person Julius found upon opening his eyes was his mother.
‘Mother?’
However, there was no one by his side, not even his mother. The cold, empty room felt indifferent.
‘No one came.’
Even though he was a prince, isn’t this too much? Julius briefly felt resentment but soon shook his head.
‘Mother must be busy. She didn’t come because she trusts I’m fine.’
It’s difficult to inform others about a prince’s discomfort, and refusing visitors for health reasons was understandable.
Even so, he couldn’t help but feel lonely. Julius bit his lip and stood up. Although his wounds had healed, there was still lingering pain, causing discomfort in his side. Julius gritted his teeth.
‘Why did I rush out, thinking I’d gain anything?’
Pushing Sienna away and wrapping her around was purely instinctive. When you see someone approaching with a knife, your body moves first.
‘But it was a foolish act. Mother didn’t want that. I should have just left it alone.’
In the end, even the child isn’t by my side.
It was all loss without any praise. When Julius licked his lips, he noticed a small card on his table. Seeing the sender, he was surprised to find it was from Duke Stewart.
‘Did the Duke send this?’
Clutching his side, Julius opened the card. Inside was a brief message:
[Foolish idiot, are you okay?]
Although no name was written, he knew who sent it as soon as he read it. Tears welled up in Julius’s eyes, and he covered them with his palms.
“Sister.”
Without saying a word, Julius couldn’t understand why he was crying so much as he wiped his eyes with his sleeve.
‘…Who does this foolish woman think she is, calling me a fool?’
Seeing that it was sent by Duke Stewart himself, it seemed he was currently staying at Duke Stewart’s residence.
‘I don’t know what happened after I collapsed, but if Sienna is not in the palace, it’s a relief.’
Julius wiped away his tears and, when he looked up again, determination was written all over his face.
Sienna was right. If he continued like this, he would indeed be a foolish idiot.
* * *
When I woke up in the morning, blood-red eyes were staring at me intently.
“Are you awake?”
As soon as I opened my eyes and met someone else’s gaze, I felt my heart stop! I pressed my trembling heart with my palm and pushed Percy’s face closer since he was nearby.
“Go away.”
It was a mumbled phrase in my half-asleep state, but it came out smoothly. In the current situation, it meant that it was a suitable line for the character Sienna Riatta.
‘If I speak lines appropriate for the villain’s speech on my own, the system won’t interfere.’
Once again, I recalled the rules of the lines I had learned. With my head still resting on a soft pillow without getting up, I blinked my eyes, and long fingers swept away the hair on my forehead.
The white gloves were noticeable again this morning.
“It seems like you’ve awakened.”
I pushed his hand away again and pursed my lips.
“Why bother asking when you’ve seen? Do you want to say something more to me?”
I was a little surprised, but it wasn’t so unpleasant. I just spat out the words, thinking Sienna might say something like this.
In response to my words, the deep iris inside Percy’s red eyes seemed to contract like a cat.
“It seems like you’re getting more provocative in your speech.”
He chin-chucked and smirked.
“Honestly, you and I don’t match well.”
Unintentionally, my face turned red. Percy always used polite language with me, but occasionally, he would speak like this.
‘Not good for the heart.’
Let’s get up for now. Just to avoid that guy staring down at me with his chin in hand and a languid gaze.
I got up, sweeping my hair to the side. And with a light grumble, I replied, “I’m not trying to seek your evaluation, you know?”
Before the system could babble, I wanted to say something first, but Percy replied promptly.
“I didn’t ask you to listen.”
“…Fine, but for some reason, I’m getting annoyed.”
I squinted at Percy, and his thumb lightly brushed against my eye. Then, gently tidying my tousled hair, he whispered.
“You look so gentle, speaking so calmly. You’re just lovely, like a cat.”
A calm cat! Percy was handsome, and his voice was enough to send shivers down my spine, but I couldn’t stand his comment.
Unconsciously pulling him into a hug with both arms, I looked at him and said, “You’re starting to feel too much.”
“An honor.”
This time, he was sincere! But Percy brushed it off with another light joke.
As Percy took a step back, I smoothly slipped out of bed. He held my hand as I put on slippers and asked, “Are you very hungry?”
I rolled my eyes at his question and replied in a small voice, “I usually just drink coffee in the morning.”
‘Not really!’ I prefer to start my day with a hearty breakfast. But I said that because it felt like something Sienna would say, starting with a strong espresso.
Instead, I focused my gaze.
‘Percy! Please understand my heart! You always knew without me saying anything!’
I need breakfast!
“Well…”
Percy’s eyes met mine and softened. Although he called me a calm cat, he seemed even more like one.
“Actually, I’m not fond of breakfast either.”
I felt despair.
‘Ah, I had a feeling.’
Percy gave off the vibe of a rebellious guy who lives by his own rules, cool and composed, maybe good at drinking, smoking, but still smelling clean and neat.
Such a guy wouldn’t fit into a regular breakfast routine.
‘But I still need breakfast!’
As I hesitated to say it, Percy smiled and added, “But today, I’ll have breakfast with you. I happen to like chubby cats.”
Hooray!
I raised my chin and replied confidently with my eyes closed.
“I’m not particularly interested in catering to your tastes.”
Even as I spoke, my mind was focused on one thing.
‘I’m glad I can have breakfast!’
Lost in the joy of being able to have breakfast, I didn’t notice Percy’s cute gaze fixed on me.
* * *
I just want to eat quietly, but thanks to the ridiculous control of the system, even eating became a struggle as I found myself acting like a picky seven-year-old child.
“Why is this salad so crunchy? It’s hard to chew.”
The salad is really fresh.
“Why is there so much bacon? Do you want to ruin my health?”
Good thing there’s a lot of bacon.
“How did you know I like my eggs over-easy?”
Next time, bring them over-easy again.
As if understanding my words perfectly, the maids of Stewart Manor, who were always precise, smiled brightly as they placed a teacup in front of me.
“Princess, you seem to be in a good mood today. You’re talking more than usual.”
“Really? You really don’t know anything about me, do you?”
“Haha, is that so? How much milk would you like in your tea?”
“Pour more or less, it doesn’t matter.”
More. I like my milk tea to be very milky. More like milk tea than black tea. Oh, and lots of honey.
Percy, who was watching me and the maids silently, chuckled and asked, “Isn’t it hard to manage the upper echelons?”
The maid replied with a laugh, “Oh my, what are you talking about, sir? Who could be as honest as the princess?”
“Honest?”
“The princess’s every thought is written on her face.”
The maid’s words echoed something Percy had once told me. With my mouth full of salad, I grinned.
‘Am I that simple?’
Even when I pour out harsh words, my expression remains honest enough to convey my intentions at a glance, right?
“Hmm.”
At the maid’s response, Percy tapped his chin and made a nasal sound. Then, with his long hand, he gestured gracefully to the attendants.
Suddenly, they all rushed out!
‘Why are they kicking them out?!’
Suddenly, Percy and I were the only ones left in the vast dining room. Percy gracefully poured honey into my teacup, as if nothing had happened. I narrowed my eyes.
“What’s the deal?”
Why did they kick out the attendants all of a sudden while we were eating?
‘Am I too fussy about what I eat? But if I don’t eat it, am I being too stubborn?’
I was busy arguing with myself inwardly when Percy shrugged.
“You don’t like it.”
What? I furrowed my brows even more as I struggled to understand his words, and this time, he didn’t offer me a napkin to wipe my mouth. Instead, he just shrugged and had a very pleased expression on his face.
“Wouldn’t it be more fun if only I could read your expressions?”
