The Male Lead Knelt Before Me - Chapter 84

“Greetings, Lord Egon, Ah, forgive me. I should call you the Duke.”

I hurriedly corrected my words.

The time Caleb told me to call him by his knighthood title was because I was part of the Royal Knight.

I already left the Royal Knights and have  no connection with him at all, so I should call him by his title ‘The Duke’.

I can’t believe I called him Lord Egon.

Really, habits are scary.

“You can call me whatever you want, Elena.”

“Thank you, Duke. But I will call you by your title, Duke. Because I have to get used to it.”

And there’s a sense of distance if I called him ‘The Duke’.

 I don’t think it’s weird for the others to hear.

After saying that, I suddenly felt awkward facing him like this.

Because I suddenly remembered what the Crown Prince told me.

That Caleb didn’t seem to like me.

“W-well, what brings you here, Duke? Isn’t it time for you to be in the Knight’s office?”

“It should be like that, initially, but I am here to meet someone related to work.”

“I see.”

Indeed…… There’s no way Caleb would just walk around the Imperial Palace for nothing.

“You’re still busy, as always.”

“That’s not true.”

I knew it was a lie.

Because I’ve watched and observed him, right next to him, these past few months.

But that didn’t mean I could act like I was before.

It would be best for me to greet my goodbye and go my way.

I tried to open my mouth with that idea in mind, but Caleb was faster than me.

“Elena.”

“Yes?”

“I heard before you said you didn’t have a partner to go to the birthday banquet. Do you still have no partner right now?”

It’s when I spoke with Lord Vessel before that he was aware of it.

I didn’t feel anything when it was Lord Vessel who asked me that, but now I somehow feel a little embarrassed that Caleb asked me.

“Yes, still not……”

“There you are.”

Suddenly I was startled by the voice coming from behind.

I looked back and saw the Crown Prince standing there.

“Do both of you still have something to talk about? If so, then go on. I will wait a little longer.”

“No, there is no more. I just happened to greet her when I was on my way.”

“Is that so? Then, you don’t mind me taking Lady Oreu with me.”

“Excuse me but why is your highness taking the lady……”

“Didn’t you hear? That I chose Lady’s song as the present for the Emperor.”

“Song?”

“That’s right. As I was contemplating which kind of present I should give to the Emperor this year, Count Va Der told me that this lady is a Kitara. That’s why the Lady has been coming in and out from my office, not to the Imperial administration office. Moreover.”

Suddenly, the Crown Prince grabbed my hand and pulled me toward him.

“We’re going to attend the Birthday Banquet together. As a partner.”

I was dumbfounded by the voice coming from my side.

Although I was surprised that I have a partner whom I don’t know, I was more surprised when I knew the identity of my partner.

‘The Crown Prince is my partner? Since when?’

I was so dumbfounded that my lips twitched, but the Crown Prince grab my hand and pulled me away.

“Then, excuse us, Duke. I will see you at the birthday banquet.”

Uh, then we moved away from Caleb.

When I looked back, I saw Caleb bowing his head slightly to greet the Crown Prince.

Although the Crown Prince couldn’t see it.

I looked at Caleb for some moment then turned my gaze to the Crown Prince.

“SInce when did we become partners?”

“From the moment you accept my offer to sing at the Emperor Birthday Banquet.”

“But I am hearing this for the first time today.”

“I forgot to tell you. I won’t let that happen in the future.”

How shameless.

“Do we have to be partners? I could go alone……”

“I am sure you know how ridiculous that sounds, right? Moreover, it’s not like society would just welcome you if you come alone.”

At that word, I kept my mouth shut.

Because what the Crown Prince said was right.

I never took the Birthday Banquet seriously because I had no intention of going and just accepted it as the ‘end’ of our contract.

But the situation became different.

Because I decided to attend the Birthday Banquet.

The ballroom is usually said as a battleground without a weapon, as it is a place where one could find a life partner or showing off one’s influence.

Of course I wasn’t really sure about the fact since I only just heard it.

I never went to a ballroom before. And that’s also the case for the original Elena.

Because the Baron Oreu couple died before Elena could make her debut.

Anyway, as far as I know, my existence in society is awfully rotten.

Since I originally was a commoner who luckily adopted and became an aristocrat with no parents and no property, moreover I worked as an actor before……

‘It is obvious how the others will treat me.’

No matter how much Count Van Der claimed as my guardian, she wouldn’t be able to hide my origin.

However, if I go to the Banquet with the Crown Prince, moreover if they know I was invited by the Crown Prince himself to present a song to the Emperor as Kitara, they won’t treat me recklessly.

They will have no choice but to accept me.

“I see. So, you’re helping me.”

“Rather than helping you, it’s for the sake of the performance. Even if you’re Kitara, wouldn’t my face and the Emperor get impacted if you become a laughing stock in society after singing for the Emperor?”

“Well, that’s for sure. But will it be okay if you don’t go with your lover instead, Your Highness?”

“I’ve taken care of all of them.”

What’s going on?

I still vividly remember him saying date more than two ladies proudly.

“Aren’t you curious as to why?”

“Am I supposed to be curious……?”

I am not really that curious though.

“Whether you’re curious or not doesn’t matter. I just want to tell you the reason, so go ahead and ask me.”

For a moment, without me realizing it, I naturally count the days left before the Birthday Banquet.

“So what’s the reason?”

“I’d thought I’d focus on one woman only.”

As if he had expected it, the Crown Prince answered me immediately.

And at the same time, I looked at him with my eyes wide open, surprised.

Did I hear it right?

I can’t believe he, such a man, said that!

“I guess you have someone you’re interested in.”

“I am. I am very interested.”

I see.

I was nodding my head casually then stopped.

Come to think of it, this man…… When I said I was worried about the rumor circulating, didn’t he ask me to marry him a few days ago?

But he said he has someone he is interested in?

I actually thought it might not be the case, but after confirming it like this, I realized the Crown Prince’s personality.

‘As expected. He’s trash. A total trash……’

I don’t know who the lady is, but I feel sorry for her.

I hoped that the woman who got the Crown Prince’s interest would recognize his trashy personality and run away from him.

Anyway, after that day, I stopped by the Crown Prince’s office every day except on weekends.

And in the evening, I practiced singing on my own at the mansion. On weekends, the teacher who was sent by the Count came to teach me manners and how to dance.

‘I don’t think I need to learn how to dance though……’

Whenever I practiced dancing, I thought like that, but I couldn’t help it because the crown prince asked me earnestly.

At the ball or the banquet, it is customary to have the first dance with our own partner. So if the Crown Prince dances by himself, he’ll be ridiculed at. That means I have to show perfect dance for the sake of the Crown Prince’s dignity.

I knew that the banquet would be my first ball and that dance would be my first time dancing, so it was quite burdensome to ask for a perfect dance.

However, there was no way for me to refuse so I had to practice dancing to death before the Birthday Banquet.

Just like that, the time passed and the long awaited Birthday Banquet finally came.

* * * * *

“It is certainly worth the money.”

Those were what the Crown Prince said when he stared at me after I was dressed.

I knew it was a compliment, but I didn’t feel happy.

Why didn’t he just say I am pretty?

“I have been struggling since the morning.”

I remembered having to come to the Crown Prince’s palace early in the morning to dress up.

Because he said I have to be perfect as I attend as his partner.

For some reason, the Crown Prince kindly offered that I spend the night at the palace so that I wouldn’t have trouble getting to the palace early in the morning, but I despised the idea and instead elected to stay in the mansion and get up at dawn and head to the palace.

And as soon as I came, the maids caught me and dressed me up for hours.

“I think the maids must have a harder time than you.”

“Well, that’s right.”

Well, in terms of work, it was sure that the maids suffered more.

Because I just have to sit down and move as the maids told me to.

That’s right, but how could he say it was worth the money?

‘If it’s Lord Egon, he would just say I’m pretty.’

Since Lord Egon was the person who told me I was pretty, even my state was a mess because I couldn’t remove my makeup back then……

“Hold on.”

The Crown Prince reached his hand out to me and nodded his finger.

I don’t know if there’s an escort as arrogant as he is.

I reluctantly took the Crown Prince’s hand.

Come to think of it, it was fortunate that the male aristocrats wore gloves when attending the Banquet.

Because if it’s not, I would have to grab the Crown Prince’s bare hand by now.

In front of the Banquet Hall, the attendant who was guarding the front door recognized us and shouted.

“The Crown Prince Enosh, and Lady Elena Oreu are present!”

Then the door opened, and countless eyes turned to me and the Crown Prince at once.

And because of that, I shuddered without realizing.

However I couldn’t stop there.

Because the Crown Prince took my hand and moved.

As I walked, gazes followed me from all directions.

Although the accompaniment in the Banquet Hall flowed softly, my body shuddered from the gazes that contained emotions that were hard to define.

It felt like the first time I went to the Royal Knight’s training field and the knights looked at me.

“Raise your head and look straight ahead.”

“Yes?”

I turned my head to the Crown Prince at the sudden voice.

But he wasn’t looking at me.

He just looked ahead and licked his lips.

“I mean your body suddenly strangely tensed. If you attend as my partner, you should do it correctly. I can’t believe you couldn’t even stand gazes like this.”

Although his tone was the same as his usual, his words sounded as if he’s blaming me.

Perhaps because of that, I felt a sense of frustration.

Who said I can’t stand it?

I straightened up my shrunken body and walked as the Crown Prince led me.

Then sat down at the chair which may be prepared for us.

Since The Banquet began when the Emperor and the Empress presented, people talked and greeted each other until the Emperor and the Empress arrived.

And that is the same case with the Crown Prince.

Even though we were just saying still, people came to the Crown Prince on their own and greeted him.

And last they looked at me.

“What a beautiful lady. It’s an honor to meet you, Lady.”

“Lady, are you the rumored Kitara? Won’t you come to my mansion and sing for me sometime?”

The questions and conversations flowed frantically.

Among them, there was a difficult proposal to sing at their mansion like that.

“That’s……”

“I don’t think that’s possible.”

The Crown Prince opened his mouth before I could say anything.

“Since her song is the present for the Emperor, it should be rare.”

“Is-is that so? Well, it’s a present for His Majesty…… Haha.”

The aristocrat, who was rejected by the Crown Prince, smiled awkwardly.

It looked like he was trying his best to please the Crown Prince.

Moreover, I was treated like a completely regressive canary.

I was dissatisfied with the current situation, so I looked at the Crown Prince, but the Crown Prince did not pay any attention to my gaze.

He just focused on the aristocrats who were talking to him with his relaxed yet conceited smile.

After a few conversations, no one talked to me anymore.

No. To be precise, more like everyone who talked to the Crown Prince earlier walked away.

The rest of them wanted to talk to the Crown Prince but they couldn’t approach him because of their social status, or they just couldn’t approach because they noticed the Crown Prince mood.

Instead, they just looked at us with burdensome gazes.

The Crown Prince didn’t even look at them even though the gaze seemed to be quite bothering.

The sight made me feel a little respectful. Not everyone can do it like the Crown Prince did.

“Since before why are you staring at me?”

“Ah…… I respect you, Your Highness.”

“Me?”

“Everyone is looking at you, but you don’t even care about their gazes. I found that incredible.”

“Such idle talk.”

The Crown Prince stared straight ahead again.

However, I didn’t feel much.

Because I never thought that the Crown Prince would react in any way after hearing my words in the first place.

It was when I followed the Crown Prince and looked straight ahead.

My body suddenly stiffened.

My gazes meet someone who has a strong presence to the point I can see it at a glance from a far.