I Taught You Carefully, So Why Are You Obsessed?

The one who had caught me was an unfamiliar man.

He had moved so quickly to grab me that his curly red hair was right next to my forehead, brushing against it as it swayed.

Looking just as surprised as I was, the man blinked rapidly and asked

“Are you hurt anywhere?”

It was only after I heard his question that I realized I had been holding my breath the whole time.

Releasing the tension in my lips, which I had unconsciously bitten down on, I nodded.

“…Oh, no. I’m fine.”

Hearing my response, the man let out a deep sigh of relief and helped me up.

The way he withdrew his hand from my waist and took a step back was gentle and polite.

“Forgive me for laying my hands on a lady’s body.”

“…No, thank you. You saved me.”

‘Honestly, I could’ve broken something.’

My heart pounded as if it were in my throat. Getting a fracture in a world without plaster casts was out of the question.

I finally composed myself, adjusted my clothes, and looked up to properly thank him. It was then that I realized the person who had caught me did not have red hair.

The curly hair, blowing softly in the breeze from the lake and appearing red under the setting sun, was actually closer to a golden brown.

He had a straight nose under his slightly drooping bangs, and his gentle green eyes curved kindly.

Even in the short time I had glanced at him, I could tell he was quite handsome.

His friendly and composed demeanor, with a hint of a smile, made him look like kindness personified.

Simply put…

‘Wow, he’s totally the secondary male lead type.’

Exactly. He looked just like the kind of secondary male lead you’d find in romance novels, with his brown hair and green eyes.

‘He’s so handsome….’

For over 20 years, I had firmly believed that men should be gentle and good-looking.

And in that sense, this man was just my type.

Unconsciously, my mouth fell open. I quickly snapped it shut and regained my composure.

‘Get it together, Eloise!’

I can’t just be awestruck by a stranger’s face whose name I don’t even know!

Ahem. Clearing my throat, I began to observe the man more closely.

With looks like his, he didn’t seem like just a passing extra, but no matter how much I wracked my brain, I couldn’t recall any character in the novel that matched this appearance.

‘He totally looks like a secondary male lead. But he couldn’t be a secondary male lead, right?’

Naturally, this novel was too focused on the love story between Ian and Diana to have room for a secondary male lead of this caliber.

Not that I would call that a love story…

Anyway, that meant there was never any space in the story for a secondary male lead to begin with.

‘And the author was so obsessed with the main male lead that they described every other character like they were unattractive.’

I silently sighed at the author’s behavior, which I hadn’t thought about in a while.

Perhaps mistaking my reaction for discomfort, the man, who had been looking at me quietly, suddenly muttered an apology and stepped back.

He placed one hand on his chest and bowed slightly.

“My apologies for the late introduction, Your Grace the Grand Duchess of Cloud. I am Hayden Roger, Duke of Roger.”

“Hayden Roger… Oh.”

The name finally clicked, and I gasped.

The current emperor, known for his gentle charisma, had a solid base of noble supporters.

And the House of Roger, often called the founders of the empire, was a prominent pro-emperor family.

Moreover, Hayden Roger, who had inherited the title of Duke at a young age, was a childhood friend of the current emperor.

Perhaps that’s why he was mentioned several times in the story as a figure who helped the emperor navigate difficult situations.

‘No wonder. He’s the emperor’s confidant.’

That explains the looks.

I nodded internally and smiled belatedly.

“Duke Roger, I apologize. I’m not great with faces, so I didn’t recognize you immediately.”

“No need to apologize, Your Grace. This is our first time meeting up close, after all. If anything, it was my fault for suddenly appearing and startling you.”

His smooth ability to place the blame on himself was impressive.

“But you recognized me right away, didn’t you?”

“How could I not recognize Your Grace, the Grand Duchess of Cloud?”

His soft, smiling eyes seemed exceptionally kind.

I had to try hard to keep my mouth from falling open again.

“I heard you attended the Duchess of Brilluze’s season party yesterday, Your Grace, but I didn’t expect to see you at the royal grounds today.”

‘News sure spreads fast around here.’

As expected, it seemed my story had reached all corners of the capital in just one day.

I nodded with a calm smile.

“Yes. If we had met there, it would’ve been a much more ideal first meeting. Did you not attend, Duke Roger?”

“I had some urgent business to attend to. But if I had known you were going to be there, Your Grace, I would have adjusted my schedule to attend.”

He casually agreed, his eyes narrowing halfway.

The sight of his mouth slightly open, revealing a glimpse of his mouth cavity, was quite impressive.

‘…If Ian were even a quarter like this man, Diana would be much happier than she is now.’

I struggled hard to suppress a sigh that was about to escape me.

Meanwhile, Duke Roger glanced briefly around me before asking.

“It seems you didn’t come with His Grace the Grand Duke today.”

“Oh, I came to the palace alone today.”

“How did you end up coming all the way here by yourself…?”

“Her Highness the Princess summoned me.”

“Ah, I see.”

Duke Roger, who had been looking at me with curiosity, nodded as if understanding the moment the Princess’s name came out of my mouth.

It seemed that the willful Princess’s name acted like some kind of free pass even here.

“So His Grace the Grand Duke didn’t escort you today…?”

He murmured and then quickly smiled.

He extended a hand to me, clad in a white glove.

“Then would it be alright if I escorted you to your carriage today? The path here is lined with uneven stones, making it difficult to walk alone in shoes.”

“Oh…”

At Hayden Roger’s words, I looked down at the stone path for the first time.

Unlike other paths in the palace that were lined with flat stones, this path had uneven stones laid over dirt. It seemed they were intentionally laid this way to create a natural garden effect.

‘No wonder I tripped, walking carelessly in a place like this.’

Now that I looked at it, it was a relief I hadn’t broken anything.

“Then may I ask for your help?”

“Of course.”

He smiled faintly and gracefully led me out of the hydrangea garden.

“Please watch your step.”

“Thank you.”

He didn’t forget to adjust his pace to mine.

Until now, I’d only ever been escorted stiffly by Ian, so I hadn’t realized the difference.

But being escorted by someone else made the contrast clear.

‘Ian still has a long way to go….’

This is why having something to compare is important.

While I was inwardly lamenting, Duke Roger smoothly guided me to where the carriage was waiting.

After letting go of my hand, he took a step back and bowed again.

“Thank you for allowing me to escort you.”

“Actually, I should be the one thanking you.”

“It’s not an opportunity that’s granted to just anyone to escort the flower of the social scene, Your Grace the Grand Duchess.”

Handsome people sure know how to say the right things.

Every word he spoke was incomparable to Ian’s.

My mood lifted along with his, and I smiled back at him.

“That’s quite a compliment.”

“It’s not at all an exaggeration.”

He gently took my hand, lightly kissed the back of it, and his deep green eyes curved into a charming smile.

“It was an honor to escort you.”

‘…What’s this?’

Is he flirting with me right now?

♧♧♧

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