The Princeliest Prince of All - Chapter 7
Leonard’s face scrunched up even more, like a crushed cookie.
He preferred things that were hard, smooth, and cold, which were easier for him to touch.
But Sera’s body was soft, smooth, and warm.
“Do you always have to be so prickly?”
Leonard seemed too distracted to pay attention to Sera’s retort.
His already pale face was losing color, but he continued to poke and rub the inside of Sera’s arm.
Sera shrank back, feeling ticklish.
“Sera.”
“Yes?”
Does the voice buff from romance fantasy novels apply here?
When Leonard called her name in his low, baritone voice, Sera felt her heart rate increase slightly.
“Hand me the basin below.”
Sera suddenly realized the purpose of the basin under the table.
When she handed the ornately crafted basin to him, Leonard immediately began retching.
“Ugh, uuurk, blehhh.”
Ugh.
Sera grimaced in disgust.
Fortunately, only water came out, but Sera’s heart rate plummeted.
No woman would feel her heart race for a man who vomited after touching her.
Sera shook her head in disbelief.
* * *
Several days had passed since Sera officially became the prickly prince’s personal maid and unofficially became a mysophobe’s personal trainer.
Sera’s daily routine had become noticeably busier.
Previously, she used to pretend to help in the kitchen and then enjoy the garden during Princess Leticia’s walk, but now she had no such leisure.
Tasks like changing the prince’s shoes and tying his cravat were all Sera’s responsibility.
Contact training to prevent vomiting was done before every meal, and it was considered a success if Leonard only dry-heaved.
The only silver lining was that Leonard could now touch things Sera had previously handled.
Of course, she had to mix these small success stories into her complaints and spread them around.
Sera’s workload had become more intense than ever.
“What’s with the face?”
Leonard frowned at Sera, who was pouting in front of delicious food.
It was their first attempt at having a meal together at a small table.
For Leonard, the best outcome he could hope for was that he was too preoccupied with potential saliva spray to scrutinize the food’s quality as closely as usual.
“I want to resign.”
“Did you forget about the contract? Unless there’s someone willing to pay off your debt?”
Leonard smiled slyly.
Sera mirrored his smirk.
“Yes. I’ve been thinking… maybe the empress will pay it off if I tell her that you’ve been blackmailing me?”
The attendant serving food gasped at Sera’s disrespectful remark.
But Sera remained unfazed.
She wasn’t afraid of a prince who would faint if she hugged him tightly.
Leonard’s eyes twitched nervously at her bold attitude.
If this crazy woman, who would hike her skirt up to her knees because she found rolling up her sleeves bothersome, actually did that, it could be trouble.
“…What’re your complaints?”
“I’m bored out of my mind.”
Sera’s complaint was somewhat valid.
Even though her working hours remained the same, her workload had increased, and she had gone from being an unnoticed extra to working right under her boss’s nose, making her feel like her working hours had stretched.
Of course, it was a problem that she was demanding a work-life balance in a monarchical era.
Regardless, Sera resolutely raised a finger and continued.
“Give me an hour of break time in the morning and afternoon. You need to practice contact training with other people anyway, right?”
“Aren’t you already resting all the time while I work?”
Leonard’s retort made Sera flinch.
It was true that Leonard was busier than he looked.
Despite not having had a coronation, he was still the heir and had his own share of duties in governance.
While he worked, Sera mostly lounged on the office sofa.
She had started sitting upright for the first couple of days, but as no one reprimanded her, she eventually started lying down.
Hmph, he couldn’t manage without Sir Evan or the attendants passing him documents, yet he was acting all high and mighty.
“You won’t even let me eat cookies because of the crumbs, and there isn’t a single flower in the garden. It’s no fun working here.”
Leonard squinted at Sera, who was boldly demanding break time.
Was there some ulterior motive behind her request?
“You’re not planning to run off to the empress’s palace, are you?”
“No way? I have loyalty, you know. I plan to visit Her Highness the Princess.”
Sera’s face lit up with a rare smile as she thought of Leticia.
She needed to purify her eyes with solid gold after staring at only plated gold every day.
And Leonard’s suspicion deepened upon seeing that smile.
Who was Leticia?
Leonard’s only sister and the next in line for the throne, a potential rival.
Even though the siblings got along well and Leticia had no intentions of seizing power, Leonard couldn’t help but be cautious.
“Why do you want to go there?”
“Because it’s fun there.”
A handsome man and a beautiful woman in a secret romance, which no one else knows about.
But Sera does.
It’s like she’s watching a K-drama through a VR set.
And she had been missing out on the live show for several days now.
