Chapter 143

I was shocked by the crown prince’s question.

“Oh my god, Your Royal Highness ……”

“That rumor is true ……”

With the sudden appearance of the Crown Prince, whispers have already started around me.

I want to alienate myself from this guy as soon as possible. Just as I took a step, the hem of my skirt tensed up. Turning around, the Crown Prince stood holding his skirt like a child. I looked around and whispered.

“What are you doing now?”

“Please join us for a dance, come along, public lady.”

“I said dance alone.”

“It’s nominally the Crown Prince’s birthday party, and I’m so pathetic to be refused a dance by my partner.”

The crown prince exaggeratedly mimicked a sullen expression. But didn’t loosen his grip on the hem of my skirt. I looked down at that hand and frowned.

It’s not like he’s a child, why is he like this?

His behavior was rude in the extreme, but not alone together, but in a striking situation where he couldn’t knock the royal hand hard enough. He was well aware of that, too, which was why he did what he did.

“Besides me, there are many ladies who want to be the dance partner of His Royal Highness.”

“Is that so?”

The Crown Prince asked rhetorically, then looked around. As a result, the few nobles who were holding their breath and watching the place panicked and turned their heads to avoid contact with the Crown Prince’s line of sight. The groups of young ladies in the arena went silent and even had to shift their seats.

The line of sight that turned across the entire banquet hall once again fell on me.

“Can you see?”

The Crown Prince cocked his head and said.

“The male daughter has a knack for making me miserable since last time.”

I just blinked and answered nothing. The nobles of the field standing around the Crown Prince had stark fear and caution in their eyes. It was different from the feelings expected of a noble who was going to become an emperor in the future.

However, creating that turmoil at the second prince’s birthday banquet last year was as it should be!

The one who cut off the assassin’s head in front of everyone without hesitation. In addition, there are many rumors that the Crown Prince is a “bloodthirsty, insane murderer” in the game.

In this case ……!

Suddenly, I remembered Derrick’s words that the meeting of the great nobles to confirm the succession would be held.

Although he had fought on the battlefield for a long time and brought victory to the empire, he hadn’t received any credit, even from his own father, the emperor.

”…… Just let him be for once.”

At that time, the Crown Prince woke me up from my contemplation.

“For a birthday, isn’t it too much to shut up about receiving something expensive like that?”

“That trinket is a national treasure of one of the defeated countries, male daughter. You can’t buy it even if you give a billion gold.”

I wanted to retort to his words but kept my mouth shut.

The Crown Prince had the same obnoxious face as usual. But for some reason, the way he clutched the hem of his skirt and wouldn’t let go ……

looked a bit unremarkable and forlorn. At the same time, if you don’t like it, compared to the other male leads who just backed off, the persistence is to a frightening degree.

I glanced at the still-floating system window and finally died.

“…… I can’t dance.”

After thinking about it, I had absolutely no idea about the nobles’ dances. But it seemed to me that he wouldn’t be very good at dancing if the rhythm of his body was given to him.

Sure enough, I shouldn’t do the damn quest ……

The moment I made up my mind again.

“Then this will do.”

“Your Highness!”

The Crown Prince let go of his grip on my skirt, and one hand jerked up to my waist. Startled, I let out a small scream and grabbed his shoulder in panic.

Luckily, he let go of my body immediately. But not the marble floors. Underneath the plain dress and randomly chosen low-heeled leather shoes, there was contact with something hard yet soft.

“What, what are you doing!”

Close enough to feel the breath. I panicked at the contact with his firm body and struggled wildly.

“Ah.”

A low moan came out of Callisto’s mouth. Only then did I stop struggling.

“You know what?”

“What, what? ……”

“You sometimes give me a look like you want a fight when you talk to me.”

The Crown Prince, who had tightly wrapped his arm around my waist, used his other hand on his shoulder and pulled it off, grabbing me.

“Touching the body of royalty is a felony and is not allowed. However, try to keep your feet on the ground.”

“Now, wait a minute ……!”

Because of a guy who kept moving, my body was also driven. I realized later that he lifted my whole body up on his feet.

He moved his body slowly to the beat. It was an amazing feeling to move your weight on someone else’s feet. It was only a few centimeters, and for fear of falling, I unconsciously gripped him, following the movement with careful balance.

In that moment, we were too close. Not on a stage, but on the edge of the darkness, dancing in an eccentric manner. And, there was no telling if there were any onlookers around.

”This is okay, right? Few people notice such a corner.’

Then, the question of whether there was no reason to dance either swept through the mind.

But I can’t afford something like that. I looked like I might be funny, and suddenly there was a low chuckle in my ears.

“Stomp all you want, male female.”

He grinned cheekily at the sight of a listless me.

“…… Are you kidding?”

I glanced at him, catching his movement, and immediately lowered my eyes. Mentally, I thought about crushing the back of my foot with the heel of my leather shoe. But as soon as I wasn’t paying attention, it was as if I lost my center of gravity and fell.

In the sound of my almost nervous endurance. The crown prince laughed again.

“You really can’t dance.”

“What ……”

It’s not that you can’t dance, isn’t this all because of you guys? The moment he suddenly raised his head and tried to retort something.

The Crown Prince’s face filled the field of vision, eyes, nose, not a single one. He was all smiles, like he was enjoying himself immensely.

I can’t believe it’s him, that murderous guy. That look was so strange, I froze as I watched him.

At that moment, the music, the hum of people, couldn’t be heard. A strange, uncontrollable throbbing gradually spread from my heart to my whole body.

The music ended. It started long after the climax, so luckily, it didn’t take long to dance.

With a magnificent ending, the Crown Prince slowly released me from his feet.

“Thank you for your cooperation, male daughter.”

He took a step back before bending over and saluting like any other man would, a formal gesture that was close to perfection.

Completely unlike him, he couldn’t even curtsy face-to-face, and I stood awkwardly.

[System] Burning Prom Night! Dance with him! The mission was successful!

[Do you wish to accept the reward?]

[AcceptedRefused]

The system window floating in mid-air suddenly flashed. Damn game, even if you refuse, as long as the conditions are met, the quest will be completed automatically. Then there’s no reason to reject the reward received for a long time.

[System][Callisto Favorability +5%], Fame +50 (TOTAL: 550)

Looking at the words with the reward written on it, I slowly came back to reality. At the same time, a marvelous gaze and a distracted feeling were detected. I was shocked and mindlessly turned my head.

”Crazy ……!”

Unlike the Crown Prince’s comment that there wouldn’t be anyone who cared, there were many nobles spread around. Moreover, the few couples dancing on the stage illustrated the main character and moved near the corner we were in.

I was flustered and turned around hastily.

“Duchess!”

I heard the Crown Prince call out to me in a panicked voice, but I had no time to care. It was too embarrassing to be caught by everyone dancing in a strange position on the back of my partner’s foot.

‘Dammit! Why can’t you move instantly at this time!’

While cursing the unintelligent game system, I eventually avoided the sight of others and escaped to the gloomy terrace. The terrace wouldn’t have been used often if it wasn’t a secret meeting of lovers. This is the background that the normal mode heroine will utilize every time she attends a party when she officially becomes a “True Duchess”, for the sake of goodwill. Because it’s a damn “love simulation game”. But when I tried to close the door in a hurry, the doorway was stopped by something, and I couldn’t do what I wanted by blocking someone’s foot.

“Why are you running away?”

Through the glass door, the Crown Prince asked with an incomprehensible expression.

“Just spare me, Your Highness-!”

Clang-regardless of whether or not the prongs of the door were touching his feet, I shook the door haphazardly.

“Uh… It was only for a while when I let you step on it as much as you wanted, and now that you’re going to step on my foot, it’s an insult to royalty, male daughter.”

Click, click-! I ignored the guy’s words and ruthlessly slammed his foot with the door.

“Hmm..! If that’s the case, the close guards and nobles will come too, right? Until then, letting me in and drawing the curtains will be more helpful in preventing rumors, right?”

The Crown Prince groaned as he chattered on. It was angry, but it made sense. In fact, if the bastard pushed in with force, there was no way to stop it.

Tired of fighting, I sighed deeply. Opened the glass door. The Crown Prince walked in with a wide smile. I glared at him with a bored look.

“Why are you chasing me? As you wish, I danced.”

“Where in the palace is there a place where the crown prince can’t go? Technically, it’s the male daughter who is occupying my space.”

“Then I’m leaving, goodbye.”

“Huh, can’t even take a joke anymore?”

He panicked and blocked me, reaching backward to pull the curtains closed. Perfect blocking. I was speechless and gave a fake smile.

“But ……”

Suddenly, he narrowed his eyes and looked me up and down.

“Why didn’t you come in the tuxedo I gave you?”