Chapter 04
Jay blinked, stunned. He hadn’t expected this kind of reaction from Pdea at all.
He thought blocking the Lady Duke’s path might earn him a slap—or at least a scolding about daring to stand in her way.
But instead, what came back was a comment about how she hadn’t realized he liked her so much.
It felt strangely familiar—like when she’d casually asked him what names would be good for their future children.
Feeling his ears heat up, Jay fidgeted with them and tried to change the subject.
“…Ahem, if you’re looking for Claire, he’s not here. His schedule was busy today.”
He deliberately brought up his friend. With Elena nearby, he wanted to avoid any conversation that might cause the same kind of misunderstanding as before.
Since Pdea had always seemed interested in Claire, he thought telling her Claire wasn’t here would make her lose interest and leave.
But Pdea frowned.
“That doesn’t matter. Whether Claire is here or not.”
“It… doesn’t matter? Then why are you here—”
Her tone toward Claire was oddly curt, not at all like someone talking about the person she supposedly liked.
Jay didn’t quite believe her. It was more likely she had come to see Claire but didn’t know his plans had suddenly changed.
Then a worrying thought crossed his mind—would she take her bad mood out on Elena?
I have to stop that.
He straightened his shoulders, making sure Elena was completely hidden behind him.
Stories he’d heard came to mind—Pdea ruining Elena’s dress out of jealousy, or grabbing her hair in anger.
With Claire gone, Jay felt he was the only one who could protect Elena.
“Of course I came to see you.”
“…M-me?”
The muscles in his body tensed, then slackened in surprise. His raised brows twitched.
Pdea’s answer had gone far beyond anything he’d expected. She hadn’t come for Claire or Elena—she had come for him.
“That day, you mentioned being close. So I thought… why not start now?”
“…What do you mean?”
“Being close.”
Jay’s eyes darted, confused. Why was this topic coming up again?
Hadn’t he said they weren’t close enough to have children?
He risked a glance toward Elena. She looked curious about what they were saying, but thankfully didn’t seem to have heard clearly.
Not wanting her to misunderstand any further, Jay quickly leaned toward Pdea so only she could hear.
“I already told you—I have a lady I’m interested in.”
Tilting her head, Pdea gave him a quick once-over, then removed her hat and leaned in as well.
“I know. I won’t get in your way. You do your thing, I’ll do mine.”
Her breath brushed his ear, making him flinch and straighten up quickly. He hadn’t realized they’d gotten that close—or that she would whisper back.
Flustered, his cheeks warmed. Noticing this, Pdea let out a soft chuckle.
“If I’d known you’d rush over to me like that, I would’ve come sooner.”
She patted his arm and walked past him. Jay didn’t stop her; her teasing words had thrown him completely off balance.
It wasn’t true that he had hurried to see her out of longing—but hearing it so often, he worried others might actually believe it……including Elena.
Wait—Elena?
Snapping back to attention, Jay looked over—just in time to see Pdea gripping Elena’s chin and cheek.
* * *
Elena froze, trembling as Pdea held her face. This felt worse than having her hair pulled—this time, it might not stop there.
She squeezed her eyes shut.
A minute or two earlier—
Elena had already recognized Pdea. She’d heard Jay mutter her name and saw her walking over without her hat.
Fear rooted her to the spot at first, but as Pdea drew closer, she forced herself to stand, trembling.
“G-greetings, my lady…”
Pdea didn’t acknowledge her. That wasn’t unusual, but today, the pressure in her presence was even heavier.
Elena bowed her head lower and lower, unable to endure the oppressive aura.
Then she felt the sting of eyes on the top of her head—just like the time her hair had been grabbed.
Except now, instead of her hair, long, slender fingers gripped her chin and cheek, tilting her face upward.
“…Eek!”
Her expression was pure shock as her eyes met Pdea’s sharp gaze.
Her breath caught. Her eyes darted nervously. This wasn’t going to end with just hair-pulling—she was sure of it.
“What’s your name?”
Elena flinched. Was this some new form of intimidation? Pdea already knew her name—there was no reason to ask.
When she hesitated too long, Pdea lightly shook her face, moving it back and forth.
“…E-Elena! Elena Art…!”
Only then did the shaking stop. Elena peeked one eye open, but Pdea’s gaze was still razor-sharp.
She was certain she’d given the wrong answer somehow. Closing her eyes again, she clasped her hands tightly, wishing it would end quickly.
* * *
Pdea studied Elena closely. Her gaze was as sharp as a blade.
I thought so… she really is the heroine.
She’d already suspected it. She’d known Jay and Elena would be here and the girl’s looks matched the novel’s description perfectly.
But she’d asked anyway because of what had happened at the Imperial ball—when Jay had said he wanted to “enjoy himself” with other women before marriage.
Pdea had wondered if that meant he was seeing multiple young ladies similar to Elena, and she wanted to see for herself.
Now certain this was Elena, she still didn’t let go. She might as well use this chance to study Jay’s taste in women more closely.
Her fingers moved more deliberately, making Elena’s head follow.
Elena, terrified, thought the real bullying was about to start and squeezed her eyes shut.
Then Pdea’s low voice came.
“Eyes.”
“….”
“Open your eyes.”
The short, commanding tone made Elena’s stomach twist with fear. She obeyed, trembling.
Seeing her teary, wide-eyed expression, Pdea’s brow twitched upward.
The sight of those sparkling eyes broke her plan to scrutinize them coldly—her soft gaze, combined with her timid trembling, made her look almost… cute.
Like a hamster or a puppy.
“Cute.”
“…Huh?”
Elena’s lips, puffed up from her cheeks being squished, parted in shock. That was the last thing she’d expected from Pdea’s mouth.
For her, hearing “cute” was somehow more overwhelming than any insult.
“Why don’t you join us? I’ll make sure you behave.”
