Yohan momentarily froze at her blunt words. He hadn’t expected her to respond like this.
“…I see. I’m honored to hear that Her Highness the Princess took a liking to me.”
Yohan only responded in a calm voice, his expression almost emotionless. Any trace of surprise was hidden deep in his blue eyes.
“Doesn’t seem like you’re too interested. Is it rare for someone like me to catch your attention?”
It was Yohan’s first time meeting Laryana, and he knew nothing about her, but he could tell immediately.
She was quite capricious.
And, as expected of royalty, she was arrogant.
“I wasn’t expecting much from the start. Right now, I’m just satisfied with us getting to know each other. Heh.”
Laryana set down her teacup and continued nonchalantly, as though the matter was already settled.
“So, what do you think? Care to become my man?”
She smiled elegantly.
“Becoming the Princess’s man, isn’t that a glorious opportunity to share in the royalty’s brilliance? I think it’s quite an offer.”
As she said, it was a rare opportunity for Yohan. Born the third son of a noble family, how often would he get a chance to be linked with a princess?
“To be honest, I’d have to decline.”
But Yohan already had Fransia. Even without the royal brilliance or the wealth of the Duke of Ferbache, he wouldn’t betray her.
“Oh, an interesting response. I didn’t expect you to turn me down right away.”
Laryana’s eyebrow rose slightly.
“Why?”
“Because I already have a lover.”
“You don’t want to betray your lover?”
“That’s right.”
Yohan’s unwavering, deep blue eyes sparked even more interest in Laryana.
“Hm, I see. Actually, I was half-joking anyway. We’ve just met, so it wouldn’t make sense to jump into a relationship right away, right?”
Laryana squinted one eye and winked at Yohan. Even her playful gesture was so stunning that it was almost unnerving.
“This is a problem time will solve. I’m sure even the grand wizard Harssen is a bit troubled after just meeting me. As we continue to meet, I’m sure you’ll open your heart naturally.”
There was certainty in her words, as though she predicted that Yohan would eventually be won over by time.
Yohan didn’t like the certainty, but he couldn’t argue with her.
“Have I been too rude?”
Seeing the faint displeasure in his expression, Laryana tilted her head slightly. Her golden hair cascaded down.
“It’s not so much rude as it is a bit surprising that you’d say something like that after I called you over. This is the first time I’ve met Her Highness the Princess.”
Laryana subtly raised the corner of her mouth.
“So, you don’t understand why I’m acting this way?”
“That’s correct.”
“Hm… how should I explain this…”
She tapped her finger on her lips and smiled brightly, a fresh, lively smile that matched her casual demeanor.
“You see, His Majesty is starting to look for a suitor for me, right? Probably a prince from another country or a high-ranking noble. But I don’t want to marry like that. I want to choose the man I spend my life with.”
Laryana had just celebrated her twentieth birthday. Despite being a princess, the reason she didn’t have a suitor at her age was due to her stubbornness.
“So, have you chosen me?”
Yohan asked with a hard expression.
Laryana leaned forward slowly, closing the distance between them.
“That’s right. Isn’t it great for both of us?”
She would be happy to choose her own husband, and Yohan could gain enormous wealth and power through his connection to the royal family.
If he were an ordinary man, he would have accepted her proposal.
But relationships shouldn’t be built that way. A relationship where the roles of giver and receiver are clearly defined doesn’t last.
He never intended to betray Fransia, either.
“Being chosen by Her Highness the Princess is more than I deserve. However, my heart is already set.”
Yohan’s voice was steady, without a hint of wavering.
“I can never betray my bond with Lady Ferbache.”
He refused firmly, but Laryana didn’t give up.
“Heh, no need to decide right now. I wasn’t expecting an answer immediately.”
At this point, Laryana’s feelings for Yohan were just curiosity and interest, but that alone made him a special person to her.
“I don’t think I can give you the answer you’re looking for, but I understand.”
Yohan nodded stiffly, and Laryana seemed satisfied with that, smiling. The first step is always to create a crack to slip into.
“Alright then. Shall we enjoy our tea time now?”
Laryana lightly rang a small bell with her fingertip, and a clear chime spread through the garden. Soon, servants appeared, setting down teacups on a silver tray.
The steam rising from the tea carried an exotic fragrance, and the subtle scent of flowers and herbs tickled their noses.
“Exotic, isn’t it?”
“Indeed.”
Laryana smiled slyly.
“Heh, I had it specially brought for today. The first meeting should be special, after all.”
As the servant poured the tea, Laryana closed her eyes, breathing in the aroma.
“We’ve already talked about everything important, so let’s just have some light conversation now.”
“…Yes.”
After that, Yohan continued a mundane conversation with Laryana, listening to various stories she shared.
Meeting the third princess, Laryana Rogino… as the nature of the task suggested, it wasn’t a pleasant one.
There was a clear arrogance in her—typical of those at the top of power, who believed the world revolved around them—and it was obvious that she had an agenda.
“Quite a bother, isn’t it?”
As soon as he shook off the cassis attached to Fransia, the Third Princess clung to him immediately. Yohan sighed inwardly, even though he was talking to her.
He knew it wouldn’t be easy to be involved with the heroine of this story, but wasn’t this a bit too difficult?
However, now it was impossible to give up on everything. After all, he had genuinely come to like Fransia.
With an unwilling smile, Yohan had to match Laryana’s mood.
“See… I told you, your smile is really nice.”
Laryana, distracted, clumsily placed her teacup down. Watching her hand movements quietly, Yohan immediately took out a handkerchief and placed it on the table.
“Be careful, as the hot tea might spill.”
His tone was calm, but his actions carried a considerate thoughtfulness towards her.
“Ah… thank you.”
Laryana, who had been admiring Yohan’s face, accepted his handkerchief and gently wiped the spilled tea. The small gesture felt good.
“…Sorry for spacing out. But it’s not my fault the Harssen Grand Mage is too handsome, right? You know, I can’t take my eyes off you.”
Laryana said the same thing Fransia had said. Yohan, remembering how her face turned red at that moment, couldn’t help but smile.
It wasn’t the forced smile that showed only the corners of his mouth lifting, but a soft, natural smile, as though his brow was also relaxed.
“Ah… you smiled for real.”
Laryana felt like her breath stopped for a moment. His bright smile, as refreshing as the garden of glowing petals, seemed to stop time around him.
She was entranced.
That was the right expression for it…
“…Is it wrong to smile?”
Yohan tilted his head as he looked at Laryana, who had become frozen like a statue.
He hadn’t realized what he had done at all.
“Hmm… It’s not that you shouldn’t smile, but I think it’s better to be careful. You can’t charm women all the time, right?”
Laryana awkwardly adjusted her neck, which wasn’t even itchy, then lightly smiled and shrugged her shoulders.
“Then, should I always stay expressionless?”
“Well, when talking to me, you only gave forced smiles, so wouldn’t that be enough?”
Laryana squinted one eye.
Her playful attitude was a way to hide the fact that her heart was racing. She didn’t want to give control to him, not even a little.
“Hehe…”
Laryana chuckled softly and cautiously turned her attention to her teacup. Honestly, that was a close call.
It made her feel something for him because he wasn’t like that before.
After seeing only forced smiles, the sincere one made her feel charmed by him.
“…Should I try to be a little more sincere?”
Spending time like this, she felt a growing desire to get to know him slowly.
What began as a simple game of teasing was slowly turning into something real.
“Hmm.”
Laryana, who had been staring only at her teacup, carefully lifted her gaze. She saw Yohan Harssen staring at her blankly.
As she looked at him, her heart began to race again. At first, it hadn’t been like this, but once she started noticing him, she couldn’t help but be conscious of him.
“…Alright. Let’s call it a day for today. You’ve had a long journey, Grand Mage Harssen.”
Feeling that she couldn’t continue like this, Laryana smiled awkwardly and stood up from her seat.
If they continued talking, she might genuinely fall for him.
“Yes. It was an honor to meet you, Your Highness.”
Yohan, as though he had been waiting for that moment, smiled and stood up as well.
Laryana didn’t like something about how he looked, but her heart had already melted at his smile, and she couldn’t say anything.
“…I’ll call you again.”
“Yes. Please feel free to summon me anytime.”
She smiled lightly, but her gaze wasn’t on him. He was wearing that same refreshing smile from earlier.
“…….”
The more she recalled that smile, the hotter her face became. Her heart wouldn’t stop racing. If this continued, her face would turn bright red.
“…….”
Yohan noticed Laryana suddenly becoming passive, but didn’t delve into it.
“Well then, I’ll take my leave.”
He tidied his clothes and politely bid her farewell.
Laryana watched Yohan’s back as he left, carefully brushing the cold feeling left by the teacup against her fingertips.
‘…I’ve never been so easily swayed before.’
Laryana leaned her chin on the table and pouted her lips. Just a smile, and her heart was moved—was she really this easy?
Of course, there had been considerate gestures and undeniable grace behind it, but…
Even so, she couldn’t forgive herself for being so easily won over by a smile.
‘He’s more dangerous than I thought.’
A man who could stir a woman’s heart just by his gaze and smile… How many tears must have been shed by women in his shadow?
Laryana suddenly became curious about that.