Weeping Men: The Innocent Princess's Secret Delight - Chapter 2.5
She was so pleased with the gem she had just found. For a moment, she couldn’t even pretend to be innocent.
“Lord Kaizen.”
“……”
“You’re cute.”
Her raw impression slipped out. Kaizen’s face contorted. He seemed unable to understand why he was being told such a thing in this situation.
Even while looking at him like that, Judith just kept smiling, not bothering to resolve his confusion.
The possessiveness darkly lingering in her jade-colored eyes rippled.
***
“Thank you for your advice, young duke.”
“I’m glad if my opinion was of help to you, Marquis.”
After sending off the visitor who had come for consultation, Froyzen maintained his smiling face as he glanced at the terrace upstairs.
The terrace where the princess had gone to rest was empty.
“……”
Froyzen swirled the liquor in his hand, considering the possibilities. There were two cases.
Either the close guard had also gotten a break time. Or…
“Young duke. About the dessert you showcased this time.”
At that moment, someone’s voice cut off his thoughts. Froyzen quickly swallowed the liquor and put on a smile again.
“Yes. What would you like to know?”
His attitude was perfect. That’s why no one in the hall realized how out of place it was.
***
As soon as he came down from the terrace to the hall, Kaizen returned to his usual rigid demeanor.
“I’ll be away for a moment. I apologize.”
And then he fled. His steps were very hurried as if he was pretending to have an appointment with someone, even checking the time as he left.
‘Everyone in the empire knows you don’t have friends, what are you doing.’
Knowing it was an excuse, she let him go anyway. She knew he was running away because he was ashamed of showing his raw self to her on the terrace.
‘When he comes back, I should treat him as usual. I shouldn’t tease him again and make him embarrassed like before. That side of him is for my eyes only.’
While making plans to torment him for a long time, she leisurely went around greeting people, and the music in the ballroom changed. It was a waltz for the first dance. Judith prepared to dance as soon as she heard the waltz.
Originally, the first dance is performed by the host of the party. So the Duke should step out with the Duchess, but since the Duchess had passed away, Judith, the highest-ranking woman in this hall, should step out and dance with the Duke.
‘I like it. There’s no pressure at all.’
After dancing the first dance with a partner who couldn’t possibly cause any rumors, she could use that as an excuse to refuse dance requests from others. Judith was pleased that her partner would be the Duke.
“It wouldn’t be right for me to thoughtlessly step in where young people are enjoying themselves. It would kill the mood of the party. Why don’t you dance with my son instead, Your Highness.”
Until he said those unnecessary words.
“Ah……”
Judith blinked her eyes, pretending to be innocent as she looked around. In the circular formation, only Froyzen had taken a step forward. His determination not to miss the opportunity his father had set up was evident.
There was no excuse to escape right away.
‘If I dance with Froyzen, who knows what rumors might spread……”
As she was hesitating, pretending to be shy while hiding her unwelcome thoughts, it happened.
Creeeeak—
The sound of the ballroom door opening and closing rang out loudly.
To some, that sound was noise interrupting the appreciation of the waltz, but to Judith, it was salvation.
“I’ll do as you say, Duke.”
With flushed cheeks, Judith turned towards Froyzen. Froyzen extended his hand with a friendly smile. To which Judith,
“Lord Kaizen!”
She lightly passed by the outstretched hand and headed towards the door.
“……”
Froyzen withdrew his hand, clenching his fist. He was still smiling, but a vein bulged on his forehead, hidden by his hair.
On the other hand, Kaizen looked bewildered.
“Your Highness? What……”
“The Duke requested it. He asked me to dance the first dance with his son instead of himself. You’ll dance with me, won’t you?”
He was being dragged along in confusion, but upon hearing Judith’s words, he visibly stiffened. He fidgeted as if wanting to pull his hand away, glanced towards where the Duke was, and then lowered his head.
Judith forcibly pulled him to the center of the hall, positioning him in front of her.
Then, she leaned close to Kaizen, who was fidgeting as if wearing ill-fitting clothes and whispered.
“Help me.”
“……!”
As if it was unexpected, Kaizen suddenly raised his head to look at Judith. Judith deliberately smiled wistfully. It was a smile that made it seem like she had a deep past connection with Froyzen.
“……Your hand.”
Kaizen made his decision. He extended his hand as if escorting her and took his position.
Judith placed her hand on his and took the waltz position, thinking to herself.
‘This is working well……’
He has a protective instinct towards her. She had noticed it at the kidnapping scene.
She didn’t know why, but why not use such a convenient tool?
Of course, the Duke and Froyzen had never been so forceful that she actually needed help. Perhaps her act of playing pitiful just now might cause discord in the family, but Judith didn’t care much.
If they were a family that would conflict over something this trivial, they were already cracked from the beginning. She quickly rationalized that even if it wasn’t her, they would have surely burst over some other trigger.
Anyway, thanks to Kaizen becoming cooperative, the first dance started smoothly. In the ballroom filled with an awkward atmosphere, Judith, who was the only one enjoying herself, slowly dropped her pretense of looking wistful. Then, she spoke playfully.
“I thought it wasn’t Lord Kaizen earlier.”
Realizing she was referring to his behavior on the terrace, Kaizen momentarily hesitated. Judith naturally led the dance while teasing him more specifically.
“You were just wiping off something that got on me, but your speech became casual. Your hands were even trembling.”
Kaizen just rolled his eyes instead of answering. It was clear he wanted to pretend he didn’t know. She couldn’t let that happen.
“In the end, you even left a mark like this on the princess’s wrist.”
During a turning motion where their hands were joined, she slightly rolled up her sleeve to show her wrist. There was a clear red handprint there.
“! When did you get hurt!”
Kaizen raised his voice in shock. He tried to grab her hand to check, but Judith naturally avoided it within the dance movements, covering her sleeve as she answered.
“When you grabbed me saying it wasn’t allowed.”
“……”
It seems he realized he hadn’t controlled his strength. Kaizen, who quickly became quiet, stayed still for a while before hesitantly speaking.
“I’m sorry for showing such an unseemly side. ……Could you please forget about it?”
So he thinks of it as unseemly. I thought it was cute.
Judith narrowed her eyes with a smile and tilted her head.
“I don’t think I can?”
“……”
Kaizen didn’t respond. Perhaps he too had sensed the princess’s true nature.
