BTPE31

Episode 31

After spending a few days with him, one thought kept lingering:

He truly lived up to his nickname, “The Jester of the Empire,” with his absurd antics.

Despite being from a nobler lineage than Randel, he blended in with people effortlessly, without any hint of superiority.

‘But I know… getting involved with people like him never leads to anything good.’

It reminded her of how aristocrats from the capital sometimes visited rural villages and lured in naïve countryside girls.

Then suddenly, Autumn quickly recalled her behavior from earlier.

She had been flustered, yes—but not enough to leave any incriminating impressions.

Straightening her shoulders with a brazen air, she confidently faced him.

“So, what is it that Your Highness wishes to say to me, Prince Theodore?”

Perhaps because she had heard Caitlyn and Randel speak with a constant edge, Autumn’s own tone was noticeably defensive.

Oslo, the dog, had been wary of the strange man from the moment he dangled from the terrace, growling lowly.

“…This dog seems to particularly dislike me.”

“Oslo, sit.”

As if embarrassed about showing his teeth earlier, Oslo obediently lowered his front paws, acting like a well-trained border collie.

“Good boy. Go back to your home for a while, will you? I’ll play with you again later.”

Autumn crouched down, met Oslo’s eyes, and patted his head affectionately.

The clever dog seemed to understand her words. With a sulky look and his tail drooping, he picked up a stick Autumn threw and returned to his usual spot.

“It’s not polite to spy on someone’s private life like this.”

Autumn stood up and brushed the dirt off her dress.

“Playing hooky, are we?”

“W-What?! I was practicing my acting lines!”

Her voice and composure, which she had tried to keep down, were now completely forgotten in her flustered state.

“I can help you.”

Theodore grinned cheekily at her startled reaction.

“I may not look it, but I’m a graduate of the Royal Academy of Cream Kingdom.”

Autumn’s head snapped up.

Her gaze instinctively locked onto him.

‘What? That place?!’

“Oh, of course… I only got in because of my older sister’s recommendation.”

The Royal Academy of the Cream Kingdom—renowned for culture, arts, and fine dining—was famous for being nearly impossible to get into.

‘Right… he’s royalty.’

Even beyond the staggering tuition, only those with remarkable talent—or substantial backing—could enter.

‘It was a place I never even dreamed of.’

But he continued on nonchalantly:

“Of course, I joined mostly because I heard there were a lot of beautiful ladies there.”

“Did you major in acting, then?”

Autumn ignored his meaningless chatter and brought the conversation back on track.

“Finally, you’re looking at me properly.”

Theodore ran a hand through his slightly shimmering hair, looking pleased.

“Actually, I was admitted for my talent in painting, but acting… ah, acting was so enchanting, I changed my path midway.”

He looked at Autumn again and offered with a smile,

“So, what do you think? I could be your acting partner.”

“No thank you, Your Highness.”

“You’re awfully stiff, you know.”

“Really, I’m fine.”

But Autumn remained firm.

Though tempted by the name of the academy, this was something she had to handle on her own.

“You say that, but I hear you get scolded by that guy all the time. Your beautiful face always looks troubled.”

For a moment, Autumn almost gave in to the urge to whine about Randel’s strictness.

‘Is it really so bad to share a bit of my burden with someone?’

As Theodore gently coaxed her, Autumn’s lips began to tremble slightly.

“How could a gentleman just ignore a lady’s worries? Go on, tell me what’s troubling you.”

Though he didn’t raise his voice, his gentle coaxing made her lower her head and pick up her script again.

Despite her silent resistance, Theodore persistently stayed close by.

Eventually, she hesitated, then quietly began to speak.

She poured out the worries she hadn’t even confessed to Randel—her concerns about acting, and the emotional weight of it all.

She hadn’t expected clear answers, so she kept talking, kept unloading everything.

Tucked into a quiet corner of the garden, she told her story.

“Hmm… in my case,” Theodore began.

He had listened with an unusually serious expression.

Then, as if something clicked, he grinned and took off his hat, giving it a shake.

He placed the hat—more like a wide-brimmed fedora—on Autumn’s head.

But her head was so small it nearly covered her entire face.

Then his sweet temptation continued, whispering into her ear:

“Sometimes, taking a walk in the breeze clears your mind. Why not join me? There’s a market in town today, and I was about to head out.”

Autumn swallowed hard.

She shook her head slightly, trying not to show her inner turmoil. But her curiosity was already urging her to say yes.

‘No! This is supposed to be my designated practice time—it’s in the contract.’

Even though she’d been at the villa for a while now, she hadn’t had a chance to properly step outside.

It was a very tempting offer.

Theodore looked into her trembling amber eyes and confidently extended his hand.

“Well? Wouldn’t you like to see the world outside Rosewood with me?”

“Half of me…”

Autumn trailed off uncertainly.

Theodore didn’t care. He bent down, peering into her face playfully.

“Of course, if you step out like this with me, people are bound to notice.”

“What do you mean…?”

He took a step back and stroked his chin thoughtfully before suggesting:

“You’ll need a disguise. How about you pretend to be my companion? I happen to have a bunch of cloaks with hoods in my room that could hide your face.”

His sweet temptation continued.

Autumn tried her best to ignore it, controlling her racing heart.

“Ahem… And not that it’ll happen, but just in case…”

He stepped closer.

Then he delivered his final blow in a quiet voice:

“If the owner of this house finds out your real identity, I’ll take responsibility and defend you.”

“M-My identity?! Why?!”

Autumn gasped and took a step back.

From the very first moment, he’d been teasing her with that cheeky grin and made her nervous.

Now her heart tightened again.

But to say something like that in such a public place?

‘Does he want something from me?’

She looked at him suspiciously.

But Theodore just shrugged exaggeratedly.

“Whoa there, no need to get so intense. I won’t snitch.”

“Just wait here for a moment, would you? Yoo-hoo~”

He disappeared over the balcony, climbing the wall just as easily as he had descended.

Seeing his disappearing figure made Autumn nervously bite her thumbnail.

‘If he reveals my identity to everyone here…!’

“No way.”

Autumn clutched her head and muttered.

“Hm? What was that?”

“Let’s go! I’ll go with you, alright?!”

“Oh-ho~ good choice.”

With that, Theodore vanished into his room.

But only briefly.

Soon, he tossed a long cloak with a hood down to Autumn from above.

“Bwahaha! I’ve gone out wearing this countless times and never once been caught as a noble.”

“If you also don’t want to be caught having come out to meet him carelessly, then I suggest you use it well.”

So that’s what he meant by revealing his identity.

Hunan…

Theodore, who had gathered his own cloak and come down, draped it over Autumn and spoke.

“Shall I just say I used my status to drag you along? Anyway, I’ll make sure to explain it well.”

He gave a confident grin and proudly thumped his chest with his fist.

“Even if it’s just a bit, I’m someone higher than your employer.”

• And though it was only for a moment, with a weak voice from earlier worries and suspicions, Autumn accepted Theodore’s proposal.

“Alright.”