Chapter 70
Chapter 70
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 70
Chapter Title: Festival in Disguise
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Four days later.
As promised, Lark cleared his entire day's schedule and came to Lubon to hang out.
I'd been looking forward to it, so I had him try on the completed men's suit sample and marveled at the sight.
Clap, clap, clap...
“......Cool. Amazing. I'm thrilled......”
“......What?”
“I'm just in awe. You're so perfectly cool......”
Lark chuckled in disbelief at me, my jaw practically on the floor as I stuck out my tongue and clapped.
“Hey, Your Highness.”
“Yeah.”
“That cravat you're wearing right now. Could you maybe yank it loose with a bit of wild, untamed flair...?”
Lark paused at my request, then tilted his head slightly and roughly tugged at the black tie around his neck.
“......Like this?”
Oh my god. The gesture paired perfectly with his haughty, arrogant, wildly alluring expression. He nailed what I hadn't even asked for.
“Haa......”
Overwhelmed by surging exhilaration, I covered my face. This was going to be a massive hit—no doubt about it.
“Why are you so perfect? You're smart and handsome—couldn't you have one flaw? Why make other guys feel so inadequate......”
“Ha.”
Lark let out an awkward laugh at the effusive praise.
Forcing down my rising smile, I approached him and began neatly retying the loosened tie.
Lark stiffened slightly under my touch, then quietly spoke.
“Duchess.”
“Yes.”
“Why are you so good to me?”
“Huh?”
“I mean, the watch was a birthday gift, sure. Though it was way too extravagant for me to deserve.”
Gazing obliquely at the empty air, Lark continued.
“You don't usually shower someone you're just casually friends with in gifts like this, do you? Isn't that something lovers do? Or am I mistaken......”
“Ah.”
Now that I thought about it, yeah, it might seem odd.
Just four days after gifting him a 50 million-mark diamond wristwatch, here I was handing over a full custom-made outfit.
*Ahem. But these are all gifts with a purpose.*
I hadn't broached the modeling request yet, so I brushed it off.
“It's because I'm grateful to you for all sorts of things.”
“That's really it? Not even a tiny bit of ulterior motive?”
Lark arched one eyebrow slyly, pressing his thumb and forefinger together in a 'this much?' gesture as he leaned in close.
I flinched at the proximity. Immunity to this divinely sculpted face was impossible—no matter how many times I saw it...
“Don't worry. How could I harbor irreverent thoughts toward Your Highness, of all people.”
I finished tying the tie, pushed against his chest, and stated it flatly. He smirked, shrugging.
“Not like you're some humble guy who only needs to marry five times. You're not hitting on me or anything?”
“Hey, why put it so disappointingly?”
“I'm sad about it. You're turning me into a lazy crown prince who skips work for other thoughts.”
“What's that supposed to mean? You're just dumping your work laziness on me?”
“Heh heh. Kidding......”
Smirking and rubbing his forehead, Lark flopped onto the drawing room sofa and languidly tilted his head back.
For some reason, his closed-eyed expression looked more exhausted than ever.
Puzzled, I quickly sat beside him and asked.
“Something going on?”
“Hmm...... No.”
“There is, though?”
“Yeah, actually there is.”
“What?”
“A bit of an argument with Father. I disappointed His Majesty.”
“With the Emperor? Over what?”
Lark cracked one eye open, glanced at me, and smiled.
“Secret.”
“Come on, tell me. Sharing troubles halves them, you know.”
“It's really nothing.”
“......”
He seemed reluctant, cutting it off and closing his eyes again, so I didn't press.
After a long silence, a sigh-like complaint escaped his lips.
“I don't wanna work......”
“Oh?”
It was so human, so unlike Lark—a rare whine.
“I wanna play...... The capital's in festival season, but I'm the only one who can't.”
“......”
“No, more precisely, I shouldn't......”
He wants to play? Coming from Lark?
Thinking about it, it was a bit sad. The national holiday celebrating his birthday, and the man of the hour couldn't join in.
“Sometimes I think about it. What if I'd been born into an ordinary family, ordinarily.”
“......”
“I'm not dissatisfied with my life now, or anything...... But maybe I'd be a little happier.”
Staring blankly at the ceiling with his head back, Lark turned to me and smiled.
“Nah. Then I'd never get to see the precious daughter of a noble house like you, Duchess.”
“Guess I was wrong.”
“Hm? About what?”
“I thought Your Highness was someone totally content with your life. If it were me, I couldn't last a day—I'd bolt. But you're handling it so well. Um, how to put it......”
Leaning my cheek against the sofa back, I studied his face closely and added.
“Of course it's a position that's bound to be tough, but I figured since it's your nature, it wasn't that hard for you.”
Those who wear the crown must bear its weight.
Me? I'd chuck it and run if someone tried making me emperor.
Living a full 'my' life comes with too many caveats. Too much to give up.
But I'd assumed Lark—the 'perfect' crown prince material everyone praised—was different.
That he just wasn't the playing type, that he enjoyed work more than play.
That's how he'd always seemed, and not just to me—everyone who'd witnessed it was amazed.
“I thought you were the type who gets thorns in your mouth if you slack even a day.”
“Haha...... Who actually likes working.”
“......”
Staring at his bittersweet profile, I suddenly sprang up.
“Your Highness.”
“Yeah.”
“I've got something I want to do......”
“What?”
“I'm still being punished right now, so I need your permission. Think it's possible?”
“Whatever it is, I'll allow it—as long as you're not asking me to sell the country.”
Oh, the thrill of abusing power.
I grinned at his cool crown prince approval.
* * *
Capital, Debienne Street.
The capital during national holiday week for Lark's birthday was buzzing.
The streets overflowed with daytime revelers and visitors from nearby territories come to see the festival—no room to step.
Even in the dense crowd, we stood out. Whispers followed us.
“What's with those lion heads......”
“Masks in broad daylight? Aren't mask games for evening?”
The crown prince who shouldn't play and the duchess under house arrest showing up would cause a riot, so we were fully geared.
Worn clothes on purpose, plus lion masks covering faces, hair, even eyes.
“The thrill of abusing power is the best! Inspector general's power abuse supreme!”
“Shh, shh.”
I'd only whispered it near Lark's ear, but he panicked anyway, pressing a finger to the lion mouth.
“Ah, we're standing out too much.”
“You can't enjoy a festival without masks. As long as no one grabs and forces them off, we're fine—don't worry.”
“You wanted to play that badly?”
“Me? Come on. You're the one who wanted to, so I graciously came along.”
“Hahaha...... Knew it? I know your heart, Duchess.”
“Ahem.”
“Over there—let's check it out.”
Sure enough, Lark seemed childishly excited, uncharacteristically so. He grabbed my hand and quickened his pace.
“Your Highness, doesn't this remind you of old times? We held hands and wandered like this back then.”
“No, Duchess. Shh. Tone down the 'Your Highness.'”
“Oh, right. So what should I call you? Ah, like back then......”
I pondered a moment, then said.
“Oppa?”
Lark stumbled mid-stride.
“Works?”
“......Yeah, sure.”
“Then you call me,”
“Ruby?”
He turned and replied instantly. I could feel his smile through the mask.
“Haha, perfect.”
“Great, Ruby. Time flies when you're having fun, so let's make the most of it. Magic show at Debienne's third block central stage around now—let's catch that first.”
Lark, who knew the festival schedule and venues by heart, was hilarious. How heartbroken he'd been all these years.
“Man, first real festival in seven years.”
Tightening his grip on my hand, glancing around as we hurried, Lark sighed in awe.
“Seven years? You mean since that day we played, you haven't seen a festival?”
“Yeah. Father caught me after dropping you off—got reamed out big time. After that, festival seasons meant tight surveillance.”
“Oh my god. How'd he catch you?”
“On the way back, some kid my age picked a fight. Bumped shoulders by accident.”
“Oh.”
“I don't go bumping shoulders anywhere, but this guy was twice my size? I even apologized, but he kept harassing and grabbing me. Total jerk temper.”
“Poor luck. So, what—you fought?”
“Well...... More like I unilaterally,”
Thwack!
“Ow!”
That's when it happened.
As Lark pulled me along eagerly, my body slammed into someone and lurched hard.
“You okay?”
“Y-yeah. I'm f......”
A large shadow loomed behind Lark, who checked on me in surprise.
“Hey, fuck! What the hell?”
It was the guy I'd bumped into. His face was as brutish as his build, and he spat curses right away.