Chapter 32
Even though she couldn’t understand the situation, Edith took a step forward and intervened.
“Your Highness, I’m sorry, but meeting with a friend is important to me. I’ll join you shortly after a brief conversation.”
What kind of relationship do they have? I can’t tell if it’s good or bad.
“Don’t be too late, Edith.”
Reluctantly permitted, Clyde disappeared with only another attendant.
Edith couldn’t help but wonder why Clyde wanted to meet Adrian alone. What was going on?
Adrian grabbed the sleeve of her dress and led her towards an empty balcony. There was nobody around as they walked through the corridor in front of the reception room where the audience with the prince had ended.
Taking a breath of fresh air, Adrian stood tall with his chest out.
He retied the knot at the back of his head, which he had tied to tidy up his hair. When the strands continued to flutter, he decided to untie the knot altogether. Running his hand through his hair from the forehead felt refreshing.
“Edith, did His Highness keep you waiting?”
His blue eyes, which had been looking towards the setting sun, slowly descended towards Edith.
Even though Adrian seemed tired, his presence was dazzling. He appeared lively in the morning, but at this late hour, he seemed somewhat languid. Edith noticed his slightly drooping shoulders.
As they leaned against the railing, their hands intertwined.
“You must be more tired,” Adrian said, holding her hand with both of his. The subtle curl of his lips was intriguing. He seemed to be sending her a message, urging her to come closer.
“Adrian, we should take it slow.”
She had to exert extraordinary patience as she turned her head instead of moving closer to his tempting lips.
He didn’t let go of her hand.
“We’re not like that…”
He couldn’t hide his disappointment as he left his sentence unfinished.
“I’ve never drawn a clear line or made a decision about us, Edith.”
Even though such a beauty was actively approaching her, she couldn’t easily open her heart. She desired to establish various relationships with someone handsome and refined. But Adrian was too burdensome. Being labeled as the most popular figure in the social circle, with countless attention attached to him, wasn’t easy for Edith.
Moreover, Adrian was the main character of the original novel.
Edith wasn’t sure yet. Was it certain that the day the empire crumbled would come?
If the love line changes, there may be no one to prevent the tragedy of bloodshed. Someone else may fail to fulfill Adrian’s role. Maybe Edith, or another omega, might fail in his role.
Would she want to hold Adrian in her arms if this anxiety and danger disappeared?
Well… maybe she could broaden her perspective.
Anyway, he automatically made her heart race just by his presence.
Even after the disappointing conversation had passed, he remained kind.
“Edith, did you hear about the temperament test?”
Instead of loosening his tied jaw, Adrian intertwined his fingers and held her hand firmly.
“Did His Highness mention that? I was worried he might explain it to me in a different way. So, he asked for time to speak with you immediately after his audience.”
“What’s the matter?”
Adrian, who appeared to be at ease in front of Edith, was showing a different side. Just like last time, he treated her with ease this time as well.
As he unbuttoned the shirt that had been choking his neck, he gently touched his neckline.
“I’ve heard rumors even outside the palace that you’re being watched. It seems some nobles are uncomfortable with you, too.”
“Well, my opinions can be a bit harsh.”
Clyde’s actions, using his opinions without reservation, were becoming worrisome.
Edith had barely had any time to deal with the external pressure as she was practically with him 24/7. However, the nobles attending the imperial council meetings clearly showed some discomfort towards the prince’s close attendant.
If Adrian’s influence had already reached her ears, perhaps things were progressing quite well. What if she happened to be wandering around and got assassinated? What then?
“Could it be that people around me see me as His Highness’s right-hand man?”
“That’s right.”
“However, I’m just a newly appointed chamberlain. It hasn’t been long since I took office.”
“His Highness mentioned that you lack caution, and it seems to be true.”
Adrian scrutinized her with a melancholic gaze. She wished he wouldn’t scrutinize her face so much; it made her heart flutter too much.
“You’ve always been like that. Very intelligent and academically successful, but careless in strange places.”
“Me?”
“You’ve dropped your lecture notes more than once. You even lost your stationery almost every day.”
“How did you…?”
Although Edith enjoyed her campus life far from Adrian, he seemed to have noticed her clumsy tendencies. She only caught about half of his attempts to approach her, so perhaps their distance wasn’t as far as she thought.
As he reminisced with a wistful look in his eyes, he was as pure as an iris flower. Despite feeling burdened by his held hand and brushed shoulder, Edith was excited.
“You’ve asked other friends to deliver what you’ve left behind several times. I hesitated to come forward because I thought you might not like it.”
“Is that so? Thank you, albeit belatedly.”
“I even have one of your notebooks.”
“What? Why?”
“It was at the beginning of the semester. I picked up what you left behind and wondered when would be a good time to return it. But then I realized you had lost it first. Do you remember what happened next?”
“…I vaguely remember. I feel embarrassed now, anticipating what you’re going to say next.”
“Yes, Edith. You rewrote everything in a new notebook right there. You remembered quite a lot of content. Even though it wasn’t an easy subject.”
“I can be a bit scatterbrained. Looking back, it’s embarrassing.”
“Not embarrassing… Your humanity is what makes the perfect valedictorian Edith stand out.”
“That’s a bit too much praise.”
“No, really. Thanks to you, there weren’t many people who envied you. You may have had friends who took care of you, but…”
Her nervous hands started to sweat. Edith discreetly twisted her wrist to avoid showing her sticky palms. Adrian, empty-handed, rested his sleeve on his thigh.
He gazed into the distance, his gaze distant and unfocused.
It was somehow difficult to leave. Perhaps she was realizing the gratitude she had never known before. Hearing about memories Adrian had cherished alone for years felt bittersweet.
“Edith, it’s the same now. You need someone to support your outstanding talent.”
“There are plenty of people in the palace. There’s an abundance of chamberlains, too.”
“But you’re working as the prince’s chamberlain. Edith, you shouldn’t be assisting others; you should be taking the lead and receiving support from others. That’s how you’ll shine.”
“But it’s not up to me to decide…”
Although she denied it tactfully, there was a part of Edith that felt stung by Adrian’s words.
Her recent tasks were like that, too. If Clyde hadn’t stood his ground in front of the desk and refused to accept them, she would have been losing and misplacing things regularly.
Clyde usually took care of tidying up the study. Edith couldn’t even tidy up her own desk properly, so he often ended up organizing the documents scattered all over. She hadn’t been explicitly criticized for being untidy, but the reality was that she wasn’t good at it.
Unexpectedly, Adrian’s next words contained surprising content.
“Edith, if you’re going to fulfill the role of the prince’s right-hand man, you need to be prepared.”
“Prepared? That sounds intimidating.”
“It’s unavoidable. I intend to actively utilize you.”
“Hmm…”
“In the future, you may face external pressures, and physical danger may come your way. That’s why I want to help you. I told His Highness that I’ll assist you.”
Adrian chose his words carefully as he swept his hair back. His gentle voice flowed like music.
“I hope you don’t misunderstand. For the time being… I’ll become His Highness’s lover.”
“Lover?”
“It’s a strategy to divert attention. It won’t be a genuine deep relationship.”
It was a bewildering feeling. Edith was perplexed about how to accept his proposal.
Moreover, if things continued like this, it seemed that Adrian and Clyde would form a relationship. It was getting closer to the original novel.
Could they end up hating each other and eventually marry? That possibility couldn’t be ruled out. However, the process was completely different from what Edith had read.
After contemplating for a while, she felt that the biggest reason for the deviation was herself. There was no mention in the novel that Adrian had shown interest in Edith at the academy.
“Adrian, I sincerely congratulate you on getting closer to His Highness. But I feel guilty for pretending because of me.”
“No need to apologize. This is an important issue. Even if you remain as a beta, someone will try to control you, but if you become an omega, you’ll face intense attacks.”
She couldn’t find an immediate response. Given the current situation, it was a quite reasonable assumption.
“Working in the prince’s quarters? It was said that you and His Highness were the only ones in the office.”
“His Highness insisted.”
“If His Highness strongly demanded it, it must have become quite noisy.”
Being a strange position like a chamberlain, and having only started not long ago, they might still be quiet.
It was a good target for nobles who were eager to catch the prince’s flaws.
