-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Vine
Chapter: 56
Chapter Title: Not Her Type
-----------------------------------------------------------------
“Huh?”
Startled by Harrison’s sudden words, I let out a foolish sound.
But it didn’t seem like empty flattery.
“If that’s what you want, my lady, I’ll protect you.”
He gazed at me with careful yet resolute eyes.
His green eyes sparkled so beautifully that it felt like he was declaring himself to be my knight.
‘…Is this the charm of a sub-male lead?’
His earnest attitude nearly swept me away in the moment.
But a little thought made it clear this was just something nice to hear.
‘If I want it? That’s weird.’
He was really saying this because the person he truly wanted to protect was someone else.
‘Acting all magnanimous.’
“No. You should be protecting Crown Prince Luciano, not me.”
I simply told him to ignore me and do what he wanted.
My consideration was top-notch, right?
Harrison looked flustered, as if he hadn’t expected me to read his feelings so well.
“Would that be better?”
He hesitated, asking a strange question.
Why ask me that?
From the start, the one you’d stake your life to protect is Luciano.
‘Hasn’t fully recovered his confidence yet? Still got some of that meekness left?’
I needed to show even more consideration.
“Of course. Do whatever you want.”
I flashed him a big smile to show I was fine.
Harrison’s expression turned strange.
Not quite a smile, not quite a frown—a complicated mix.
Just then, a chilly wind blew in.
Even with my shawl on, the cold seeped through, making me shiver.
“We’ve been outside too long. Shall we head in?”
When I asked Harrison’s opinion.
“…Yes. That would be best.”
His voice came back oddly deflated.
As we reentered the banquet hall, eyes turned our way but quickly scattered.
It looked like they were deliberately pretending not to care.
Whenever Harrison and I moved, the children slunk away.
They seemed to think it best not to get involved.
“I’ll rest here. If you have business, go ahead.”
I settled in a quiet corner and spoke to Harrison, who’d been following me.
Harrison must have friends too.
‘It’d be boring for him sticking only with me.’
When I looked up, he gave an awkward smile.
“I don’t have any business either. Is it uncomfortable having me around?”
“No.”
“Then, may I stay by your side? I’ll be quiet.”
Did Harrison not have friends?
Well, he’d only recently returned from a distant territory.
“Sure.”
I gave permission readily and looked around at the people.
The children were avoiding even glancing our way, so I could leisurely take in the banquet hall.
I ignored the kids and focused on the adults.
The face I was looking for wasn’t there.
No matter how I craned my neck, nothing.
“Who are you looking for?”
“Huh? Oh…”
I beckoned Harrison with a hand gesture.
Catching the signal, he bent down.
I whispered softly into Harrison’s ear.
“Doesn’t anyone from the Bennett family come today?”
This was the first party since the Bennett family member had stayed in the capital.
Everyone had been waiting for their attendance, and more than half were here for that reason.
“Are you hoping to get close to that person too, my lady?”
To be precise, I wanted to confirm if the Bennett family member staying in the capital was indeed Lady Ophelia.
“But it’d be good to at least say hello, right?”
Unable to reveal my true intentions, I said it that way, and Harrison wrinkled his nose.
“What to do? They’re not coming today.”
“They’re not?”
Disappointing.
Just their presence would bolster Luciano.
A high-ranking noble attending a party signaled interest in the protagonist.
“I heard they’re resting because their health isn’t great.”
‘Ah, no helping it then.’
It seemed Lady Ophelia was the one, but her poor health worried me.
“Are they very unwell?”
“It’s not any specific illness. Just that due to their age, their condition varies day by day.”
It was meant to reassure, but it worried me more.
‘Harrison’s surprisingly well-informed.’
I looked at him anew with fresh eyes.
My gaze puzzled him, and he met it steadily.
Just as I opened my mouth under his questioning look.
“Why are you two together.”
A cold voice struck my ear like lightning.
It was so icy it scared me to turn my head.
When I stiffly turned, I met burning eyes.
Luciano had arrived without a sound.
‘Royals are usually announced at the entrance, but he slipped in quietly.’
Maybe because of those red eyes, he truly looked like he’d spit fire.
I should’ve anticipated this with Harrison beside me, but I’d been too complacent.
As silence dragged on, Luciano’s eyes grew fiercer, flicking between me and Harrison.
“Crown Prince Luciano, when did you arrive? You came so quietly, I didn’t even notice.”
I snapped to my senses and called out brightly.
I’d almost said “Luci” out of habit but hurriedly corrected it.
It was a formal occasion, so it was natural, but Luciano’s brow twitched in displeasure.
His sharp gaze intensified even more.
“Is that important right now?”
His voice was edged with steel.
His expression screamed that such questions were irrelevant, so I denied it quickly.
“No.”
In this atmosphere, how he entered quietly didn’t matter.
“Why are you two together.”
“Greetings, Your Highness.”
“Quiet.”
At Luciano’s cold command, Harrison’s eyes widened before he clamped his mouth shut.
As he slowly bowed his head, he looked on the verge of shrinking back again.
I felt like I needed to do something before Harrison lost his spirit again.
“Espin.”
Luciano called my name savagely, having caught me glancing at Harrison.
“It’s just…”
I was about to say Harrison had helped me.
“You two aren’t even close enough to have exchanged names.”
I swallowed the words Luciano spat out.
Come to think of it, we’d never formally introduced ourselves.
I knew Harrison knew my name.
He’d recognized me back when Billy mistook him for my benefactor and invited him to our estate.
But I’d never properly learned Harrison’s name from him.
‘No, wait. Betty told me earlier.’
I’d been saying it in my head so much that I thought we’d exchanged names naturally.
“Espin, why are you with someone whose name you don’t even know.”
Luciano’s suspicious gaze didn’t waver.
“I know his name.”
“How do you know?”
Luciano’s voice turned irritable.
He clearly disliked me building any rapport with Harrison.
He was probably worried Harrison might accidentally spill something about the past.
From Luciano’s position, it was a past he didn’t want revealed.
I understood his wariness.
“He helped me out of a bind earlier. That’s when I learned it.”
Luciano flinched and closed the distance.
His eyes urgently scanned me.
“What happened? Were you hurt?”
“No, nothing like that.”
Only then did Luciano’s anxious air ease a bit.
But the suspicion and displeasure remained.
“What did he help you with.”
Luciano was tenacious.
Knowing he’d pry until he got an answer, I told the truth.
“Something got on my shoe, and he cleaned it off.”
Of course, suitably summarized.
No need to recount the whole thing with Betty in detail.
At my neat explanation, Luciano’s eyes dropped to my shoes.
His gaze darkened further at the spotless white shoes.
He shot Harrison a sidelong glare, and Harrison fidgeted uncomfortably.
The awkward air bothered me, so I stepped in.
“It’s not a big deal, right?”
Meaning, lighten up.
But Luciano’s eyes snapped to me.
I shut my mouth at the blazing intensity.
It wasn’t serious, so be relieved!
What’s there to be mad about!
As I grumbled inwardly.
“I can do that too.”
I didn’t catch Luciano’s meaning right away.
“Do what?”
“I can clean your shoes too.”
So don’t leave it to others.
Under his warning stare, I gaped silently.
Was he telling me to use a prince as a shoeshine?
In a place with this many people?
Even I have common sense, no matter how brazen I am.
“Th-thank you for your concern.”
I’ll just take the sentiment.
Calm down.
I laughed it off.
“I’m not joking. Don’t ask unrelated people next time.”
Luciano looked dead serious.
Maybe we’d been too casual lately.
“Hey, don’t approach Espin.”
Luciano warned Harrison.
I jumped in shock at his words.
‘No, he’s a male lead candidate! Don’t say that!’
“What are you saying! D-don’t say things like that.”
Desperate, informal speech slipped out, and I hurriedly smoothed it over.
I’d planned to build ties with Harrison, so I had to be desperate.
‘What if he takes you seriously and avoids me!’
Luciano’s eyes flashed fiercely.
“Don’t say things like that? Why, do you like this guy?”
“N-no, that’s…”
If I said yes here, he’d explode, so I hemmed and hawed, and flames rose in Luciano’s eyes.
“What? You really like this guy?”
“No, it’s…”
I just faltered under his gritted teeth.
Saying I was interested felt wrong.
Saying I wasn’t felt wrong too.
“Ah…”
Harrison, who’d been listening to our exchange, let out a low exclamation.
He seemed to have realized something, while Luciano scowled, displeased at Harrison butting in.
Harrison gave a wry smile.
“I can guess what Your Highness is worried about, but you don’t need to be.”
“You know what I’m worried about?”
Luciano shot back coldly at the loaded words.
Even under Luciano’s ferocity, Harrison’s wry smile deepened.
“Because I’m not the lady’s type.”
“!”
I Thought I Was the Protagonist
