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 - Chapter 03.3: The Royal Most Likely to Inherit the Throne

Chapter 03.3: The Royal Most Likely to Inherit the Throne

This is fraud.

A total breach of contract.

I demand a proper explanation.

I wanted to grab Yuri by the shoulders and demand answers for dragging me into this fake engagement—

But there was no way I could do something so disrespectful in front of Prince Lionel.

Actually, just speaking in front of royalty was already terrifying enough.

I was a broke, fallen viscount.

The gap between us was like a rabbit trying to survive next to a lion.

All I could do was sit there, bracing myself, hoping not to get eaten.

Prince Lionel, who had been facing Yuri, turned his golden eyes toward me for a moment, then gently closed them.

“So you’re still spouting such nonsense.”

He let out a heavy, tired sigh.

“I am royalty. You are a duke’s daughter. Our duty lies with the kingdom, not ourselves. A marriage between us wouldn’t just strengthen the bond between the royal family and the dukedom—it would also bring stability to this fragile nation. I find your free-spirited nature charming, Lady Yuliana, but it’s time you grew up a little.”

“…Fufu.”

Yuri let out a soft laugh in response to the prince’s perfectly noble reasoning.

But there was something off about it—

A trace of bitterness, almost like she was laughing at herself.

I had a very bad feeling about this.

Please, I silently begged, don’t say anything crazy to royalty.

Then Yuri smiled brightly and said—

“Don’t bark, coward.”

She just threw it out there.

“…It’s over.”

Father. Mother.

And dear little sister.

It seems this is where I fall.

Please forgive your useless eldest son.

From heaven, I pray for your happiness.

“For the sake of the family? For the kingdom? I won’t marry someone I don’t even love for something like that. Maybe you’re confused because women are constantly throwing themselves at you, But let me tell you—women don’t fall for someone out of obligation. Go learn how to treat a lady properly from your mother and try again.”

So strong… her words were way too strong…

I didn’t disagree with what she said, but seriously—

Calling out someone who proposed to you just to introduce another man as your fiancé and then saying that?

To a prince, no less?

Even as a duke’s daughter, this was way beyond what she could get away with.

Was this it? Was she about to be charged with treason?

Please, no.

I really didn’t want to see the kingdom fall apart because the royal family and the duke’s house ended up at odds over something like this.

That’s what I was thinking—

But strangely, Prince Lionel didn’t react.

Why…?

When I cautiously glanced at him, the cold, stern look he always wore seemed slightly twisted.

He looked displeased… but not exactly angry at Yuri.

If anything, it felt like his frustration was aimed inward rather than at someone else.

It kind of reminded me of that feeling I’d been seeing more often lately—

Envy.

“We’re clearly at an impasse.”

“No, we’re just charging at each other head-on.”

Yuri calmly corrected his words without missing a beat.

Prince Lionel narrowed his golden eyes slightly, as if scolding her—

Then shifted his gaze toward me.

“You must have your hands full, being paired with Lady Yuliana.”

Even though I should’ve been his romantic rival, Prince Lionel looked at me with sympathy.

What was that about?

Just a minute ago, I was trembling in fear of him—

But now, I suddenly felt a weird sense of camaraderie.

Maybe it was because we were both suffering thanks to the same person—Yuri.

Despite his usually cold expression, the weariness behind his eyes made me want to side with him a little.

“Fufu, don’t be ridiculous. My dear husband and I are totally in love. When we walk through the halls, we’re showered with envy and admiration. There’s no way my husband feels burdened by anything!”

“It’s tough.”

“Dear husband!?”

The moment I agreed, Yuri looked at me like she couldn’t believe what she just heard.

“No way! I haven’t caused any trouble for you, right!?”

“I’d really appreciate it if you realized that you have.”

“Realized…? But all I’ve done is push a little for our engagement, crash a few of your classes, and tease my sweet, inexperienced husband a tiny bit…”

“What you need isn’t realization—it’s reflection.”

At least she gets it.

Don’t tilt your head like that.

That’s the problem.

Everything you just listed—that’s the problem.

Even when I gave her a sharp sideways glance, she just played dumb and smiled like she had no clue.

I let out a long sigh—

And Prince Lionel let a faint smile slip at the corner of his mouth.

“At the very least, I can see you two are quite close.”

Is he blind?

I had to hold myself back from blurting that out.

“Of course we are.”

Yuri puffed out her modest chest with pride, so I gave her a tired look in return.

Prince Lionel let out another small sigh—this time with a hint of bitterness—then turned on his heel.

“Then I’ll be taking my leave.”

“Already?”

“I only came because you summoned me. I have no other business here. Besides, I wouldn’t want to interrupt your precious little social gathering any further.”

He glanced around the room.

The students who had been dancing, chatting, and enjoying themselves had all gone quiet, watching us in complete silence.

Even the orchestra had stopped playing.

The entire ballroom was as still as a cave at midnight.

A duke’s daughter and a member of the royal family exchanging barbs.

Yeah… no wonder we drew attention.

I swallowed hard, only just realizing how out of hand things had gotten.

“I wouldn’t mind if you did interrupt it, though.”

“I’m not selfish enough for that.”

Yuri pouted.

Well… that was basically him calling her selfish.

Can’t say he’s wrong, though.

“I’ll leave now—But allow me one final word before I go.”

He turned back to Yuri, his expression suddenly serious.

“For nobles, personal feelings are trivial. That’s how it must be. I hope you’ll make a wise decision, Lady Yuliana.”

“Go home, Coward.”

Even at the end, Yuri hurled one last insult at royalty.

My nerves were in shambles—

But Prince Lionel didn’t punish her, nor did he respond.

He simply walked out of the ballroom without a word.

“Haaaah…”

All the strength drained from my body.

I nearly collapsed right there—

But Yuri caught me before I could fall.

Surprisingly, she actually looked a little guilty this time, her eyebrows lowered apologetically.

“Sorry… I caused you some trouble.”

“I seriously thought I was going to die. And I don’t mean that as a joke.”

Honestly, it wouldn’t have been strange if I’d been executed for disrespecting royalty.

But Yuri clearly didn’t share that fear, shaking her head with a sheepish smile.

“Even His Highness said it himself—he’s a reasonable man. He’s not the type to hand out punishment over something like this.”

“You know him that well?”

“Hmm? Don’t tell me… you jealous?”

The way her face lit up with amusement made me instantly regret asking.

“Well, given my position, I’ve had plenty of chances to interact with him. And yes, I know how capable he is.”

“Yet you still went after him like that?”

“…It was one of those ‘you said it, so I said it back’ kind of things.”

She lowered her eyes for a moment, like recalling the exchange—

And when she looked back up, I could see real irritation in her gaze.

“It just pissed me off. It felt like he was saying, ‘I’m enduring it, so you should too.’ That kind of logic really gets under my skin.”

“Well, if nothing else, I can tell you really don’t like him.”

Yuri looked every bit the perfect noble lady on the outside—

But on the inside, she was honest with her feelings and totally free-spirited.

Compared to someone like Prince Lionel, who strictly followed his duty and upheld tradition,

It was no surprise that they didn’t get along.

Not that I had any idea who would be a good match for Yuri.

Just as that thought crossed my mind, she suddenly grabbed my hand, making me jump in surprise.

When I looked, Yuri was staring up at me—her forced smile barely hiding her lingering irritation.

“Let’s dance. I need to blow off some steam.”

“Wait—”

I understood the feeling, sure, but that was not something I could just go along with.

“I don’t really go to social events, okay? I forgot how to dance.”

“Then I’ll teach you.”

“You’re gonna throw me in the deep end now?”

“It’s just a student party, not an actual noble ball. Even if you mess up, no one’s going to care.”

I really doubted that…

But before I could argue, she pulled me into the circle of dancing students.

“You can leave the escorting to me.”

“…If I step on your foot, don’t blame me.”

“If you leave a scar, then you’ll really be my husband.”

She teasingly stuck out her slender leg, and I gave a helpless shrug.

“I’ll pass. That’d be a waste of something too pretty.”

The dance that followed—well, thanks to Yuri, I somehow managed to not make a complete fool of myself.

I was shaky at first, but as we kept moving, my body slowly started to remember.

Guess muscle memory really doesn’t fade that easily.

Once I got the rhythm back, I had just enough brain space to start thinking again.

And what came to mind were Yuri’s words from earlier.

Enduring it, huh…

Maybe it was rude of me to dwell on who she meant or what exactly he was enduring—

Ow!?

“Sorry, I stepped on you.”

“I thought you were supposed to be the better dancer here?”

“Come to think of it, I haven’t attended many social events lately either. Guess I’m a bit out of practice.”

Yuri let out a soft laugh and looked up at me with those slightly sultry, upturned eyes.

“Looks like I’ve damaged you a little… so I guess you’re officially my husband now?”

“Isn’t that the same thing?”

In the end, we danced until we were sweating, then ate together.

Unlike the first time I ever attended a social gathering, this one…

Well, I actually enjoyed myself.

And honestly, that was probably all thanks to Yuri.

◆◆◆

A few days passed after the social gathering.

I figured we’d run into each other again at some point—

But I didn’t expect it to be this soon.

“Come here. Let me pet you.”

In the rose maze, right by the entrance wall,

Prince Lionel was down on all fours, reaching out toward a cat.

And then—

Hiss!

It snarled and bolted.

“…It ran away.”

Wait… wasn’t he supposed to be the prince most likely to become king?

Watching him crouched there, sulking like a heartbroken child,

I quietly began to worry about this country’s future.

◆ End of Chapter 3 ◆

To be continued.