TCBCVF 19

~Chapter 19~

My first impression of seeing the male lead of this world was—

“Wow… no wonder Seraphina fell for him.”

To say he was just “handsome” would’ve been an insult to his looks.

He looked like a statue carved by the gods themselves.

His pale platinum blond hair and icy blue eyes, like a frozen ocean.

His tall, lean build and solid frame.

He was already flawless physically, but there was also a natural nobility to him.

Even the smallest movements—his gestures or his gaze—radiated aristocracy.

Of course, the princess was dazzlingly beautiful too, but the Duke…

“He’s overwhelming.”

I felt my mouth go dry.

“What the—Brother!”

The princess greeted him in a surprised but cheerful voice.

“Didn’t you say you were busy?”

“I am.”

He responded plainly, then casually shrugged.

“Still, I thought I should make an appearance at the salon at least once.”

At the same time, his icy blue gaze brushed past me.

“Eva, when were you planning to introduce this lady?”

“Oh, this is my… friend, Larit Ansi. I’ve mentioned her a few times, remember?”

The princess hesitated for a moment but introduced me as her friend.

“Thank goodness.”

We hadn’t even signed a formal friend contract yet, so I was worried it might be awkward.

The princess glanced back at me.

“Lady Ansi, this is my older brother—Dietrich von Claudius.”

I swallowed hard.

…So I was now face-to-face with the man destined for Seraphina.

I felt an urge to flee, but I stood my ground, firm on my toes.

Then I offered a polite bow.

“Larit Ansi, greeting the Duke of Claudius.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Lady Ansi.”

The Duke placed a hand over his chest and bowed in return.

“……”

Strangely, something about it felt… off.

Both the princess and the duke—neither of them showed even a hint of contempt or superiority.

If anything, I was the one who had been eager to escape.

“Don’t act awkward.”

Just as I tried to smile politely, I froze.

“…Ah.”

Was it just my imagination?

I felt as though the Duke’s icy blue eyes were gazing straight into me.

…My breathing became disordered.

Just then—

Guests began pouring into the salon.

The princess’s eyes widened as she darted off.

“Brother, I have to go greet the guests! Take care of Lady Ansi for me!”

The moment I heard her clear voice, I snapped back to reality.

Wait, what? Just the Duke and me? Alone?!

Panic struck me like a lightning bolt.

“I-I’m fine on my own…”

The princess spun around while hurrying away.

“Oh, my friend… well, temporary friend anyway!”

She seemed to instinctively say “friend,” then corrected herself.

“Anyway, how could I possibly leave my friend all alone?”

“But…”

“Brother, if you abandon Lady Ansi, you’re dead. Got it?!”

Clenching her fists and waving them, she then vanished into the crowd.

What do I do?!

I was speechless.

At that moment, the Duke looked down at me.

“Lady Ansi.”

He then held out his arm to me.

A perfect escort posture, like straight out of an etiquette manual.

“Shall we go?”

His eyes curved gently as he smiled.

“Ah… yes.”

As if hypnotized, I placed my hand in his.

Then my mind snapped awake.

“That smile with that face is cheating!”

The Duke and I walked into the salon side by side.

Guests who had arrived earlier were admiring the artwork on display.

I looked around the salon, my eyes lighting up.

“Ah, they actually removed all the floral decorations just like I advised.”

Without the clutter, the art pieces could be viewed more comfortably.

The lighting had also clearly been adjusted with care.

It was soft and gentle, so as not to damage the artwork.

“Eva sent me a document about the salon’s layout.”

The Duke spoke up beside me.

“She said you gave her some advice on it.”

Wait, what?! Did something go wrong?!

I turned toward him, tense and stiff.

“Eva claimed she did most of the work herself… but I have a feeling you were the key contributor.”

His blue eyes held a faint smile as he looked at me.

“Am I correct?”

“Ah, well…”

What should I say?

Suddenly, I remembered the princess’s excited face.

“With this document, I’ll totally crush my brother’s pride!”

…She had been so happy.

To say I’d done most of the work—it didn’t feel right.

“You don’t have to answer if it’s difficult.”

The Duke shrugged softly, then met my eyes with a warm smile.

“I just wanted to say—it was excellent.”

“Ah…”

Feeling my face heat up, I turned my gaze to the artwork on the wall.

“Th-that’s very flattering.”

But then, he asked curiously—

“Why do you think it’s just flattery?”

“Huh?”

“I genuinely believe the document was exceptional.”

He’s… serious? Not just being polite?

In that moment, I forgot my embarrassment and just stared blankly at him.

He gave a small nod.

“I’ve reviewed many documents in my time, but this one stood out.”

“Ah…”

What do I do? I’m so happy.

Not knowing what else to do, I bowed my head low.

The Duke, perhaps noticing my awkwardness, kindly changed the subject.

“So, are you enjoying the artworks?”

“Ah, yes! I really like them.”

I nodded hastily.

Come to think of it, I’d heard the Duke had quite a refined artistic sense.

Perhaps that’s why the pieces chosen for the salon were all so beautiful.

The only problem was—

“I can’t focus on any of them.”

Because, honestly—

“The Duke himself looks more like a work of art than anything else here…”

I swallowed the words rising up my throat.

His blindingly handsome features made it hard to pay attention to anything else.

While I was trying (and failing) to focus—

I spotted a group of nobles chatting by a sculpture.

It depicted a nymph transforming into a tree.

“Ah, this must be from the nymph legend.”

It was a well-known myth.

The story went like this:

There once was a nymph who served a god.

She loved that god dearly, but the god never once returned her gaze.

Heartbroken, the nymph eventually turned into a white birch tree.

“This sculptor probably wanted to emphasize the nymph’s sorrow and despair.”

A stout, middle-aged noble was proudly explaining.

“The nymph was tired of unrequited love and ultimately abandoned even herself.”

He paused for effect, then added in a dramatic tone—

“Choosing to become a birch tree… that’s the depth of her self-loathing.”

“Hooh…”

“How tragic…”

The noble’s seriousness cast a solemn air over the group.

Listening nearby, I muttered without thinking—

“It doesn’t have to be interpreted that way, though.”

“Then how would you interpret it, Lady Ansi?”

Gasp.

I looked up at the Duke with wide, startled eyes.