CH 29

[Prince Claude POV]

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Something has been missing lately.

As I wondered what that was, I realized that Bridgette had stopped coming to my side for a while.

“Is something the matter, Your Highness Claude?”

“Sufia, thanks for your concern, but it’s nothing.”

“Is that so? I am relieved to hear that.”

My petty worries got noticed by Sufia, Kaisar’s former fiancée.

I returned her concern telling her that it was nothing, something trivial, and she smiled at me like a blooming flower.

Apparently, Sufia seems to believe that I was the one who saved her from the abduction incident. Yet, no matter how much I deny it, she doesn’t believe me. On the contrary, she thinks I was the masked man, so lately, I just smile back whenever she asks me about it.

It’s a small price to pay if it allows her to live her school life in peace.

Seemingly nothing has changed since that incident.

However, once I realized that Bridgette was no longer by my side, I constantly followed her with my eyes.

She is one of my potential fiancées, and even if she doesn’t become my wife, it’s highly likely that I’ll take her as my consort.

It used to be just that, but the moment I realized that she was gone from my side, I couldn’t stop thinking about Bridgette.

She has an unusually dignified appearance for a woman, with slanted eyes and hair tied up in a formal manner, which suits her well and gives her a beauty that other candidates do not have.

If I were to use an analogy, she is like a single white lily blooming on a cliff. Such is her beauty.

Of course, I knew that she was one of my fiancée candidates, but I wasn’t aware of her beauty among the other candidates until now.

I was surprised to find myself becoming so solidly aware of her only after she was no longer by my side.

“Hey, Bridgette.”

“What is it, His Highness Claude?”

Then, at lunchtime, I made up my mind to go up to Bridgette and talk to her.

Normally, I don’t have to go over to talk to people of the opposite s*x because they come to me without me saying a word, but Bridgette no longer did anymore, so I had to take the initiative.

“—I was wondering if we could have lunch together. I haven’t had a chance to talk to you recently, and it’s been a while.”

“I see. I am happy that Your Highness Prince Claude has invited me to join him, but…”

“—Then let’s go to the cafeteria with the others right away.”

As I hear that she is glad that I asked her out, and before she can finish, I take her hand to go to the cafeteria. But the next moment, I feel a shock in my hand as I grab her hand.

It took me a few seconds to realize that my hand got brushed off by her.