I backed away, holding my hands up defensively from the two approaching men. "H-hold on..." I stuttered, smiling stiffly while stumbling and trying to catch myself.
"You should choose wisely, or else we'll choose for you, Young Lord~" the duchess chortled, opening her fan to cover her guileful smile.
I gulped and chuckled awkwardly in response. "D-Duchess, don't you think you're being a little unreasonable right now? After all, a-as a nobleman, I'm expected to preserve my purity until-"
"Oh, I had previously spoken to your mother. She says, and I quote, your success in socializing is all that matters." The duchess twirled a lock of hair around her finger. "This is a good bonding activity between you three. I'm sure your mother will be pleased."
I wanted to smack my forehead and curse my family. I knew that mother loved pushing me into situations, but isn't it just some sort of betrayal at this point? I slumped and cast my eyes up to try and push down the rippling feelings of indignity.
The prince was the first to react to the madam's encouraging words and grabbed my hand with a glint in his eyes.
He blushed and looked down, jumping towards me. "A-as my aide, I demand you choose me!" He said, clumsily leaving a kiss on the back of my hand.
Theodore gazed at the spot touched by the prince with irritation. I could imagine his tail angrily slapping against the floor. He stared at my wrist for a while until he finally grabbed my wrist and kissed my hand, as if to mark his territory.
The cool feeling on my hand was overshadowed by confusion and fazed feelings swarming in my mind. I stood, my eyes glazed over and my mouth pressed into a thin, straight line. The sensation on my hand made me feel especially strange, like something was squirming around in my body, making me feel restless and bewildered, but I disregarded it as my mind buzzed.
Invisible question marks hovered above my head. Why are they acting like they like me? I'm confused.
The original otome game plotline flashed through my head, as I tried to make sense of their increasingly strange and bizarre behaviors. First, it started with the sweets I gave the prince... and, that talk in the library that night with Zier, or I guess, Theodore... they slowly changed after those days, didn't they...
I watched their expressions carefully, unsure of what was going on. More and more confusion sprouted, and I began to grow more and more unsettled as time went on. It should be in their best interests for me to pick the other person. So why are they doing the opposite? Their behavior... isn't following the plotline like it was supposed to. They're supposed to be attached by the hip to Aileen, not me! I grinded my teeth.
I shook off Theodore's mouth on my hand and glared at him with a withering gaze. Screw you, converter! Just be a capture target like you're supposed to be!
Theodore recoiled from my accusing glare. "I-I'm cuter than that annoying prince!" he exclaimed, pointing at the prince. His puppy ears went into airplane mode, and I couldn't help but find it adorable. Subconsciously, I reached out to caress his head, and he purred in satisfaction, shooting the prince a triumphant smirk.
"M-Madam..." I felt my smile twitch and looked to the madam for help. She sat, without a concern for my well-being, her eyelids drooping, as she watched the commotion in front of her.
She responded by turning away ignorantly. "I, personally, think the prince is the better alternative." She let out a wide, toothy smile. "After all, it's important to foster a connection between an aide and his superior."
I gawked at her answer and paled. She's trying to kill me...
It was reaching the end of the selection period for the prince's aides. Since I was chosen as an aide, that meant I had missed the last three weeks of the school year to train with the prince. My precious school year, where none of the annoying capture targets would bother me, was taken away by that traitorous tsundere prince.
Next year will be the start of the game. I'll have no reprieve. I shivered and turned away. And now, because of this goddamn selection, all my remaining peaceful school days this year are gone... because of that damned prince! I turned my accusatory glare to the prince standing mindlessly on one side, with his face red as a tomato. On the other hand... 'Theodore', or whatever I want to call him, has been lying to me for years!
I grabbed the hem of my collar and tugged at it tenaciously to vent my anger. I would rather kiss pigs than these poops on sticks!
I let out a snide, helpless laugh. "Then I choose..."
----
The prince was silent, all the way back to the palace. His eyebrows were drawn into a permanent frown and his eyes were dejected and downtrodden.
I sat next to him, confused but a bit satisfied by his behavior. I didn't understand why he was so aggrieved, but felt that it was even retribution after he took away my last peaceful school days. Anyway, he would thank me later, after he got married, and would be glad that I didn't take away his first kiss.
I nodded to my thoughts and let out a small smile.
The prince saw my actions and became gloomier. A dark aura spread around him, and he seemed to get increasingly agitated at my good mood. His fingers began to tap the pillows laid on the chairs and his frown grew more sinister.
"You're spending summer vacation in the palace." The prince stated point-blank before turning away and averting his gaze out the window. He refused to look me in the eye after he uttered those words.
I blinked once and stared at him quizzically, and immediately, a small speck of fury lit up in my chest. Did I hear that right? I let out a laugh.
Is he serious? I narrowed my eyes and stared at the nape of his neck with killing intent, but he didn't turn back once to clarify those words. So, because I didn't give that little bastard a kiss, he's going to make me stay in that blasted palace after already training there for weeks?
"You need to stay so we can foster a connection between an aide and his superior," he grumbled, propping his chin on his hand, deliberately ignoring my incredulous and sardonic gaze.
His words circled in my mind, intertwining with a familiar sentence spoken to me just a while ago. I snorted and wanted to slap him. Hah! Ridiculous!
I thought back to a few hours ago, and recalled the madam's haunting words. "I, personally, think the prince is the better alternative." She let out a wide, toothy smile. "After all, it's important to foster a connection between an aide and his superior."
I slapped my forehead, not minding the strange gaze Madam Rosé sent at me, and grinded my teeth. This tsundere prince is following the madam's advice to try and steal a kiss from me!
I covered my mouth and looked away, fixing my gaze upon the trembling floor of the carriage.
That's kind of cute, though...
----
After the trip back to the palace, the King personally arranged for my prolonged stay during summer for 'aide training'. I specifically recall him glancing at me wryly, a fond and helpless look in his eyes. The following day, I returned home to pack for the prolonged stay.
I turned the handle of my door wearily with two empty suitcases in hand. As soon as I creaked open the door and revealed my face, frantic cawing ensued. The little snow owl, Nore, was perched outside the windowsill with his little wings fluttering desperately to catch my attention.
I yelped in surprise but quickly ran over to open the window and let the distressed bird in. He squawked and battered my face with his wings before finally settling on my shoulder in indignation.
I chuckled and guiltily gave Nore a treat to appease his mood. "Sorry, I was gone longer than I expected."
The little snow owl jumped up and down angrily, his claws digging into my skin.
I winced and hurriedly added, "Alright, I didn't tell you or Sylvien to move locations! I'm sorry for not saying anything, you must have been worried." I sighed and looked away, pretending to be repentant.
"But Sylvien deserved it." I muttered under my breath, just loud enough so Nore could hear me. My words provoked the bird's ire again, his shark beak assaulting my scalp to voice his protests. I ignored him and flopped onto the floor, bored.
"You don't understand, Nore! He said such terrible things that day! He deserved it, I swear!" I ranted, trying to seek validation for my actions from a bird.
I lolled my head to one side in rage. To my surprise, I found a pile of rolled up papers underneath the bedframe, sitting there with dust collecting on the white pages.
My heartbeat immediately sped up and my brain began to buzz. Are these the letters I missed from Sylvien while I was in the palace? I thought, hastily reaching under the bed to grab a handful of the papers. I figured that as soon as Nore realized I wasn't home, he would leave and bring back the letter with him. I opened one of the letters, and sure enough, Sylvien's urgent handwriting, pleading with me to open the window and let Nore in, met my view.
My eyes narrowed and my breathing grew stagnant. So who had brought these papers into my room?