The Princeliest Prince of All - Chapter 4
“Ah, that’s because you seemed to have a slight fever….”
The wet cloth was actually a handkerchief.
A crudely made handkerchief, with a plain white cloth cut and roughly hemmed, and small yellow flowers embroidered on it, like something a child would make.
“It’s not dirty, I swear!”
Seeing Leonard’s decaying expression, Sera hastily explained.
Of course, it did look a bit like a rag, but it was a new handkerchief she had made herself a few days ago and had never even washed.
Sera had made the handkerchief as part of her bridal training.
Since she arrived in this world, all she had done was watch the male and female leads and work as a maid, so she hadn’t learned anything a noble lady should, and was just starting with things like this.
Having reached marriageable age, Sera was under increasing pressure to leave the palace.
After five years, she thought it was time to stop being an onlooker and adapt to life in this world.
She planned to retire at the end of the year and use the savings she had accumulated to find a marriage partner.
“I cleaned everything properly… You’re not really going to burn everything, are you? Please overlook it just this once!”
“Shut up. My head is pounding.”
Leonard got up.
His ceremonial clothes were cleaner than before, indicating the crazy woman had dusted them.
However, there was another unexpected detail.
Not only his outer garments but also his shirt had its buttons undone down to his chest.
Leonard clutched his clothes as if to crush them.
“I-I undid them because you seemed to have trouble breathing! I did it with my eyes closed!”
“Fine. Whatever.”
Perhaps because it happened while he was unconscious, he didn’t feel as disgusted as he thought he would.
As Leonard lowered his legs from the sofa, Sera quickly crouched and held out his shoes.
Why had she even taken off his shoes, though he didn’t breathe through his feet?
It was ridiculous, but Leonard, true to his mysophobic nature, accepted the help of putting on his shoes.
And then he realized, a moment too late.
He had always put on and taken off his shoes by himself because he didn’t want anyone touching him.
“Sena Brande.”
“It’s Sera Brandt. But please call me whatever you like. I’ll change my name. Even my surname.”
Despite saying everything she wanted, she seemed oddly lacking in pride.
Her unfamiliar name and her menial tasks suggested she didn’t have any strong backing.
Seeing that she hadn’t called anyone because it would bring him disgrace, Leonard realized she wouldn’t run her mouth recklessly.
He considered a more useful way to employ this crazy woman instead of charging her family for the books.
He also needed a way to cover up the lie he had told the empress.
“I’ll cancel burning the books.”
“Thank you! I am eternally grateful—”
“Instead.”
“Yes….”
It was too soon to be relieved.
Sera straightened up again, disappointed.
Leonard’s gaze traveled from her feet upward.
Her tousled brown hair and slightly darker brown eyes were visibly downcast.
Perhaps because she looked less disheveled, she wasn’t so unbearable to look at anymore.
“I’ll still charge for the books.”
“You’re contradicting yourself…”
If you’re not burning the books, why charge for them, scammer.
Sera pouted.
“With your body.”
Woof, woof.
A dog tied up in the prince’s backyard barked.
Leonard’s fiery gaze landed squarely between Sera’s eyebrows.
One might imagine a dark and abusive romance at this point, but Leonard was a mysophobic prince.
Sera looked at Leonard with an incredibly dry expression.
“Y…You’re not going to torture me, are you?”
“Don’t say filthy things. I’ll tell you what to do tomorrow, so you can go back today.”
Sera felt relieved.
Come to think of it, Leonard was too meticulous to engage in bloody torture.
And the prince she had spoken to for the first time today, despite his nasty manner of speaking, didn’t seem as imposing as in the original story.
At most, he might use her as an air purifier to suck up the dust floating around the palace.
“Should I keep today’s events a secret, Your Highness?”
“You’re more perceptive than I thought.”
Or maybe I’m just too simple.
Besides, I’m hungry.
Sera held out her hand to Leonard to indicate she was ready to leave.
“What.”
“Give me my handkerchief.”
The wet handkerchief was still in Leonard’s hand.
Unlike the prince, Sera had a normal sense of cleanliness and intended to wash and reuse her first handmade item, even if it had touched someone she didn’t like.
And Leonard, for no good reason, didn’t want to return the useless rag.
“Get out.”
Whoosh.
Sera Brandt, quickly abandoning her claim to the handkerchief, swiftly exited the study.
Bang! The door closed, and Leonard was left alone in the now quiet study. He slowly buttoned his shirt.
Was it his mother’s warning about being pushed off the throne, or the absurd incident that had just happened?
He didn’t even realize he was touching the buttons Sera had once touched.
As he reached for the doorknob to leave the study, Leonard, again, realized a moment too late.
He was barehanded.
Realizing he had almost grabbed the dirty doorknob with his bare hand, a wave of disgust surged through him.
Where were his gloves?
Leonard glanced around.
His favorite white gloves were neatly folded on the side table next to the sofa.
Why had she taken off his gloves too?
Instead of wearing the presumably contaminated gloves again, Leonard carefully turned the doorknob with the handkerchief he was holding.
