CH 1.07

I looked down at dozens of baked goods with an ecstatic face. The pieces of bread appeared so marvelous to the extent that I didn’t know if I should eat it.

“Wow …”

On a nearby platter, there was fluffy white bread, butter, and thirty kinds of jam. A walnut pie was on a dish further away.

There was also a cake topped with fermented apricots and tiramisu, which must have been filled with cheese. Other dishes included a golden roasted turkey and a thick meat pie.

But among them, another thing caught my eye the most.

‘It’s expensive, so I haven’t tried them before. Macarons were piled up like a mountain ……!’

My eyes shook. I can’t believe it. Macarons? I knew what they were, but I’ve never tasted them before.

Of course I didn’t have money to spend on something that cost over 1,700 won each, some macarons even cost 3,000 won each plus it certainly wouldn’t make me full.

“You got here first.”

My eyes stopped shaking after a while. The sound of hard shoe soles clacking on the marble floor resounded nearby. Even if I wanted to deny it, Lacius was the only one who walked around like that in this mansion.

I immediately fixed my wandering eyes. Lacius sat down calmly, and then Maynard brought the next dish. What is it this time? It was beyond my wildest expectations: an enormous steak about 3.5cm thick.

‘Whoaa.’

The meat sizzled. Oh my god, meat! Meat! There’s so much meat!

It was a pity that I wouldn’t be able to eat all that greasy food, because I haven’t recovered yet. But that wasn’t the end. Next came fried food.

‘God, am I in heaven?’

A dish of crispy, fried, chewy shrimp.

It was a few hundred won more expensive than other fried food, so I was always hesitant to eat it. But now a mountain of them was in front of me.

“Eat.”

“Yes.”

I reached for the shrimp in excitement, not knowing that Lacius was closely staring at me. Judging from the atmosphere, I think he’ll just let go of what happened earlier, and thinking so made me feel better. I grabbed a shrimp, peeled off the fried skin, and took a bite.

“Ha.”

The firm texture was crispy. I was almost moved to tears. Although it was not outwardly obvious, an emotion that softened my whole heart, spread.

It’s delicious. It was really delicious.

I wanted to eat the steak, but I didn’t know how to cut it, so I was going to watch Lacius eat his first and I’d copy him. But then, I heard the screeching sound of a chair, and soon after, a shadow fell over my head. 

‘….?’

When I looked up questioningly, I saw Lacius. He frowned slightly.

“Do you hate meat? “

“No……?”

“Then I’ll cut it for you. Eat it.”

….?

Lacius bluntly threw cold words and took the bowl of meat. I’m glad he’s being nice, but why?

Lacius acted as if cutting meat was the most important thing he had to do right now. I waited quietly, because I was thrown off by his sudden change in momentum.

“Here, eat. “

Like a knight, Lacius cut the meat beautifully into cubes. I skewered one of the sliced meat pieces, admiring his cutting skills.

“Thank you.”

“You have to eat well to heal your wounds quickly.”

“Yes, thank—huh?”

I almost felt a little touched, but I flinched at the incongruity contained in the words I heard. Then I turned my head and looked at Lacius with a look filled with betrayal.

Hey, but you said you didn’t see anything earlier?

“Ha. Ha. Ha.”

I had nothing to say even if I had ten mouths. Laughing awkwardly, I turned my attention to the newspaper in the corner.

“There’s a rumor in the evening newspaper that Archduke Schweiden is dating? But this time another lady is the target.”

As I opened the newspaper and read the headline, I noticed a hint of disgust on Lacius’ face.

“I went to that restaurant and ordered from a menu but they seemed to have already published scandalous* articles about me.”

*(치정/Chijeong in Kr dictionary it’s described as ‘All sorts of dizzying emotions that results from the love between a man and a woman.in other words ‘crime of passion’.)

“Oh my…”

“Plus, it’s a place where all of the knights dine together.”

He looked  sick of it.

As he narrowed his handsome eyebrows and frowned, a breathtaking sense of pressure fell over the table. I couldn’t understand it at all.

“Have you ever visited the newspaper company with that face?”

“What?”

“No, I mean with that expression right now.  I don’t think anyone would be able to say anything with that……”

Couldn’t he just give them a harsh scolding or maybe stop them with money? However,Lacius shook his head.

“It’s useless. “

“Why?”

“Because the princess is the one behind it.”

The imperial princess.

The biggest obstacle that prevented the male lead from being together with the female lead who had a lower status, was villainess no. 2! Moreover, her power was strong enough to be referred to as the next emperor. It just meant that she couldn’t be dealt with recklessly. I openly displayed an expression of interest.

In the original work, the princess had an incredibly bizarre taste. Because she had some slightly sadistic tendencies, she had a bad habit of wanting to make handsome men cry.

Perhaps because Lacius is an archduke, she couldn’t do anything to him physically. So instead, she made the newspapers and magazines, harass him mentally.

‘Then did she prevent the two leads from being together because she enjoyed teasing Lacius?’

It was an unexplained part of the original story, so I couldn’t tell, but it felt plausible. 

“It became my daily routine to check what nonsense was in the article every morning. I can’t help but see it even if I don’t want to, because I have to read the newspaper to read other articles.”

“Well, then … there’s no way you’d know what’s in the magazine that women usually read.”

“… There’s no need to look there.”

Oh, okay.

I was speechless at the extraordinary ferocity with which the princess continues to torture him. She is, in a sense, a true princess. Too bad for Lacius.

Lacius tapped on the newspaper and continued.

“Not only that, but I also can’t stop women from following me everytime I go to work. I’ll shake them off only for them to stick to me again and again. Bribing a servant was also a common occurrence, and if you cut them off, they will just continue placing more people they’ve raised to be a servant here.”

“Oh …”

“That’s why I only have Maynard and Theobalt in the mansion. I can’t let any maids in carelessly, because they will only end up stealing my underwear or collecting my hair.”

… Crazy fans.

That’s right. I forgot for a moment, but this man was the best bachelor in the empire. He’s handsome; he’s in good shape, and he’s high-ranking.

He’s a triple crowner*, so he must be popular.

*(Triple crowner because he excels in three categories.)

However, the reason why so many people were so obsessed with Lacius was not only because of that, but also because other men in this world were too ugly.

Since Maynard is the basic face here, Lacius, who is unique among them, will have no choice but to receive everyone’s attention. Even me, whose eyes are accustomed to seeing idols, think that Lacius is a handsome man. 

“Even if I’m at the knight’s residence, it’s already normal for someone to peep while I’m taking a bath, and if I say that the training ground is a dangerous place, they’ll still run after me and even faint…”

Gnash. He gritted his teeth threateningly.

Breaking their necks would be easy, but the problem is that all of his opponents are ladies from noble families. Also the princess encourages them, so the battlefield is rather comfortable for them. I unconsciously shook my head understanding Lacius’s heart.

“I happen to have a suggestion for you.” 

“What is it?”

“Marry me. “