Chapter 35
It turned out he wasn’t just here to pick a fight, but was actually the culprit who nearly ruined her life.
Nearly being engaged to Viscount Berta, fleeing after punching him only to end up in Theron’s carriage by chance.
And then absorbing Theron’s magic, leading to an uncontrollable situation – all of it.
‘It’s all because of him?’
Aveline’s heart sank coldly as she faced the man who had nearly ruined her life.
‘I absolutely can’t let this slide.’
Although Aveline hadn’t experienced many people yet, she knew enough not to appear weak to someone showing such blatant hostility.
Recalling the characters with terrifying mouths from the books she had read, Aveline opened her mouth towards Count Huan.
“Count, could you please speak a little more quietly?”
“Quietly? Hahaha, would it be troublesome if others heard?”
Count Huan, assuming Aveline was embarrassed, replied with a snicker.
“No, that’s not it…”
Aveline looked straight at Count Huan’s face and took a step forward.
Surprised by Aveline’s sudden approach, Count Huan faltered.
“I’m worried about your overworked vocal cords. Usually, you must have to shout at the top of your lungs while looking up at others, but with me, you can speak softer than usual and I’ll still hear you perfectly well.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean our eye levels are the same.”
Aveline gave a slight eye smile to the flustered Count Huan.
“Are you implying that I’m short…!”
Count Huan’s face turned red with anger as he caught on to Aveline’s meaning.
Aveline widened her eyes and covered her mouth as if she knew nothing.
“My, I didn’t say a word about that?”
“Are you playing games with me!”
Count Huan lost his composure and shouted, his Achilles’ heel having been touched.
“My, my.”
Just then, someone clicked their tongue and came to stand beside Aveline.
“…Duke Ribes?”
Count Huan’s angry expression shifted to surprise at Theron’s unexpected appearance.
His face clearly showed that he thought there was no need for Theron, from the noble faction, to intervene in a dispute among imperial faction members.
‘What? When did he come?’
Aveline was equally surprised by Theron’s unexpected appearance.
She had run away specifically to get away from him.
Theron, who had naturally positioned himself next to Aveline, looked down at Count Huan with a relaxed expression.
In contrast, Count Huan had taken two steps back to more comfortably fit Theron, who was about two heads taller than him, into his field of vision.
Seeing this, Theron spoke with an indifferent expression.
“Indeed, Miss Herolds is quite considerate.”
“W-what did you say!?”
A vein popped on Count Huan’s forehead.
“I said you’re short.”
Theron shrugged lightly, seemingly unconcerned with the other’s reaction.
“How dare you say such a rude thing…!”
Count Huan trembled, verbally beaten by Theron.
“I was merely honestly expressing my impression. It saddens me that you can’t appreciate my sincerity and instead get angry.”
Theron mimicked Count Huan’s earlier tone when speaking to Aveline.
“Are you mocking me?”
“Why would I mock the Count?”
“Didn’t you say I was short!”
Count Huan fumed, as if that was exactly what bothered him.
“Who said someone was short?”
At that moment, the Crown Prince intervened.
He seemed to have approached after hearing the commotion.
“Your Highness!”
Count Huan brightened up as if he had found an ally when Crown Prince Serio appeared.
Beside Serio were Ares and Count Herolds, who had followed him.
“What’s going on?”
Confused by the situation where all the key figures had gathered in one place, Ares whispered to Aveline.
Aveline briefly explained to Ares what had just happened.
“What?!”
Ares jumped up upon learning who had tried to match Aveline with Viscount Berta.
Ares also remembered the incident from back then.
How Aveline had nearly become engaged to Viscount Berta out of nowhere, and how she had unfortunately become entangled with Duke Ribes.
Aveline quickly stopped Ares, who was growling as if about to pounce.
“It seems the situation has escalated enough, so let’s just watch for now.”
Indeed, the gathering of these individuals was once again drawing people’s attention.
“Explain the situation directly.”
Meanwhile, Serio asked Count Huan for the full story.
Count Huan, who had been unable to calm down and had been fuming all along, suddenly glared at Aveline.
“It’s all because of that young lady!”
Count Huan raised his hand to point at Aveline.
‘Why is he suddenly making a fuss about me?’
Who was it that came and picked a fight first?
“What did Miss Herolds do?”
Serio, looking at the bewildered Aveline, asked Count Huan.
“She insulted me!”
What?
Aveline’s sense of reason flew far away at this preposterous accusation.
“That’s not what I saw.”
Logan, who had witnessed the entire scene from the beginning, stepped forward.
“Count Huan approached first and picked a fight while Aveline and I were together.”
“Hmm.”
With Logan’s intervention, Serio’s expression became even more serious.
Even without seeing it directly, one could tell that quick calculations were taking place in his mind.
In fact, Serio was contemplating how to handle the situation where members of the imperial faction were fighting in front of everyone at a party hosted by Duke Nor, who was essentially the leader of the imperial faction.
Even though today’s party was meant to promote harmony, it wasn’t good to show the opposing faction a sign of internal discord.
That alone was enough to hold Count Huan responsible for causing such a big disturbance, and to make matters worse, even the heir of the neutral Casey family had gotten involved.
‘This doesn’t look good in many ways.’
What bothered him the most was Theron, standing beside them with a nonchalant face.
‘He seems to be involved in everything lately.’
Recently, Theron had always been at the center of any commotion.
‘If I were to find a common thread…’
Serio turned his gaze to Aveline, who was looking at Count Huan with an expression of disbelief.
Feeling his gaze on her, Aveline’s green eyes moved in his direction.
As their eyes met, the corners of Aveline’s eyes drooped as if to say she was wronged.
‘Easy to read.’
Seeing her thoughts so clearly displayed on her face, unlike a typical noble, Serio couldn’t help but smile.
And the next moment,
“…”
His eyes met Theron’s, who was watching him with an expressionless face.
“…”
Meeting his cousin’s cool gaze, a conjecture flashed through Serio’s mind.
The common thread in recent events involving Theron – perhaps that young lady was at the center of it all.
“Young lady, come here for a moment.”
Serio, having finished his calculations, called out to Aveline.
It was clearly an action meant to test Theron’s reaction.
Not expecting to be called, Aveline’s face, which had been full of wronged indignation, now filled with bewilderment.
“Me?”
“Yes, you.”
Serio answered, glancing sideways at Theron.
“…”
However, Theron remained expressionless as before, showing no emotion or agitation.
Had he guessed wrong?
Earlier, Theron had clearly seemed displeased when he smiled at Aveline.
Just as he was starting to feel slightly guilty for unnecessarily burdening Aveline, who was following behind him reluctantly as if being dragged to a slaughterhouse,
“Your Highness.”
Theron finally spoke.
As expected.
Serio hid his satisfaction at getting the desired reaction and turned around.
“What’s going on?”
Aveline also looked surprised, not expecting Theron to stop Serio.
Poor young lady.
To have caught Theron’s eye somehow.
Serio felt a tinge of pity for Aveline, not realizing that she had caught his eye as well.
But even so, he couldn’t understand how Theron had come to take an interest in that young lady.
He could only be certain that it wasn’t a romantic interest.
Well, he did engage in the eccentric behavior of giving her flowers, which didn’t suit him, but there must be some hidden intention behind that too.
For this reason, Serio could maintain his composure even when Theron openly made statements protecting Aveline.
He was curious about Aveline’s reaction, though.
No matter how notorious Theron was for being strange, his looks were undeniably beautiful.
A normal young lady would surely be flustered by attention from such a Theron…
‘…?’
However, Aveline’s reaction defied Serio’s expectations.
Aveline was glaring fiercely at Theron.
As if she were warning him about something.
‘What’s this?’
And Theron, looking at such an Aveline…
‘He’s smiling?’
Surprisingly, he was smiling.
And it wasn’t his usual mechanical smile, but a rather human-looking one.
It was an expression Serio had never seen on Theron before.
‘There’s something going on.’
It wasn’t hard to guess that there was something between the two that only they knew about.
What could it be?
Just as Serio’s curiosity began to stir again, Theron opened his mouth.
