After I, a Penniless Noble, Entered a Fake Engagement with the Most Elegant Duke’s Daughter at the Academy, For Some Reason She Started Showering Me with Love

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Chapter 02.3: Playing Lovers Is Surprisingly Fun

And so, Operation Overwhelming Husband Love was carried out regardless of time or place,

Spreading scandalous rumors about the duke’s daughter all across the academy.

Along with that, my mental energy was steadily being drained,

To the point where collapsing in the garden after school had become part of my daily routine.

“You look really tired.”

“…You, on the other hand, are glowing, Yuri.”

“You noticed? My skin’s been feeling especially firm lately.”

Yuri sat gracefully in one of the garden chairs, resting her hand against her cheek.

Her skin had always been flawless and radiant,

But somehow, it looked even more refreshed than usual.

“Maybe it’s the effect of Operation Overwhelming Husband Love.”

“Please stop accepting that name like it’s normal.”

My head hurt.

No—at this rate, it might actually split open.

“I think it’s a great name, honestly.”

“The fact that you can say that with a straight face blows my mind.”

“Does it?”

She tilted her head slightly, looking genuinely confused.

That was the confusing part.

Did she not feel any sense of embarrassment at all?

Or was it that, the higher your noble status, the farther removed you became from basic common sense?

Sure, I wanted money—

But not enough to throw away my dignity just to get it.

“Still, I don’t get what’s so fun about any of this.”

Feeding me in the cafeteria.

Showing up during my classes.

Clinging to my arm without warning and loudly calling me “my husband.”

I didn’t find any of that remotely fun.

Not in a million years could I call her “my wife.”

“It’s fun.”

But clearly… Yuri felt differently.

“Meals, classes… just sharing time with someone else feels really new to me. Even I’m surprised, but I’ve gotten kind of hooked on it.”

“What do you mean someone else? Don’t you have classmates?”

“Being in the same room for a lecture doesn’t count as sharing.”

“Is that so?”

“That’s exactly how it is.”

“Hmm.”

I kind of understood… but also kind of didn’t.

Still, it was obvious from her tone and expression that Yuri was genuinely enjoying herself.

Maybe it was like how a common meal could feel tastier than a fancy one when you try it for the first time—

Even if the quality wasn’t higher, the experience itself left a stronger impression.

Personally, I just liked expensive food because it tasted good.

As I thought that, I sipped my tea again with a quiet zzzz.

“Even if it’s just pretend, experiencing what love feels like has been nice. I don’t know what real love is like, but imagining it like this is kind of fun.”

“That’s unexpected. I thought you weren’t into that kind of stuff.”

“Why?”

“Because you’ve rejected every proposal that’s come your way, right?”

She had the looks and the status.

Marriage proposals must’ve been flooding in nonstop.

I figured she’d gotten sick of it all and settled for a fake engagement with me.

But… maybe I’d been wrong?

“Of course I long for love. But how could I fall for someone who only cares about my face or my family name?”

“…So that really is the kind of people who come after you, huh?”

When she gave me a soft smile in response, I decided to leave it at that.

Honestly, it seemed like men—regardless of rank—were all the same when it came to that stuff.

“That’s what I like about you—you don’t treat me any differently because of my face or my status. It makes it easier for me to talk to you.”

“No, I do treat you differently, you know?”

“But you don’t use formal speech, do you?”

“That’s because you told me not to.”

Otherwise, there’s no way I’d casually call a duke’s daughter by a nickname. That’d be terrifying.

“I really like that honest side of you.”

“…I don’t get girls at all.”

With a sigh, I flopped forward onto the table.

Yuri chuckled, and for some reason, that laugh felt like getting your head gently patted by an older sister.

Embarrassed, I quietly straightened up and brought my teacup to my lips…

It was empty.

“Want another cup?”

“…Yeah, please.”

Still feeling a bit shy, I handed her my empty cup.

And just like that, our usual tea time continued—

Though “usual” still felt a little too new and delicate.

It lasted until the chime of the bell echoed from the school building, signaling the end of the day.

The sun still shone gently over the garden,

But Yuri’s face carried a faint, melancholic shadow—like the warmth of a fading sunset.

“So, it’s over already. What a shame.”

“Can’t really hang around forever.”

“You’re staying in the dorms, right? You still have some time before curfew, don’t you?”

“Yeah, but…”

Just remembering the dorm mother’s smiling face whenever I got back late made me shiver.

“…I’ll head back. I’d stay longer if I could.”

“I see…”

Seeing Yuri’s shoulders slump so quietly tugged at me.

But time was the one thing I couldn’t fight.

“Maybe I’ll use my family’s power to extend your curfew…”

“Please don’t.”

I quickly shut down Yuri, who was muttering something dangerous under her breath.

It was probably just a noble-style joke—

But I hadn’t spent enough time with her to fully understand her sense of humor yet.

“I’ll come see you before class tomorrow. That’s good enough, right?”

“You promise?”

“Yes, yes. Promise, promise.”

I couldn’t help but laugh at how childish her tone sounded.

But honestly, knowing she looked forward to our time together that much…

I didn’t really mind.

As I stood up, something that had been bugging me for a while finally surfaced, so I decided to ask.

“By the way… I’ve been wondering—why did you even want a fake engagement in the first place?”

“Hm?”

Yuri tilted her head.

“Like I said before—because all those marriage proposals were annoying.”

“Yeah, I get that… But you’re from a duke’s family. With that kind of status, couldn’t you just reject all of them outright without needing to go through all this?”

She’d joked earlier about bending dorm rules with noble power,

But the truth was—that kind of power wasn’t a joke for someone like her.

Especially here, in this academy, Yuri was the only daughter of a duke.

No one could stop her.

If she really wanted to force something through, she could.

Sure, there might be some backlash from using that power too freely.

But if it were just to shut down unwanted proposals, she could’ve easily done that without needing a fake engagement.

That was all I’d meant by the question—just a passing curiosity.

But judging by her expression, I must’ve hit a nerve.

It seemed like this was something she hadn’t wanted me to ask.

“…Sorry. Just forget I asked. And can you please stop making that face?”

There was probably no one else who could look so naturally displeased.