The Duke of Hermont’s Male Mistress
Chapter 27
A sudden wave of fatigue washed over Vitor, making him want to drop the act, head back, and share a drink with Roy just like the other day.
It had been utterly fascinating to watch snacks constantly disappear into that small mouth. He recalled Roy chewing away, blurting out questions that normally would never have been asked.
He had wondered what deep thoughts were behind such a serious expression, but the questions turned out to be utterly trivial. Things Roy had been curious about all along, kept bottled up inside.
Vitor could have answered hundreds of questions like that. Ever since that day, watching Roy's expressions gradually grow richer had been quite the spectacle.
What side would show today? If a little drunk, Roy would probably meekly accept nuts fed straight into that mouth. He had restrained himself at the tavern because of prying eyes, but there would be no problem when it was just the two of them.
As his thoughts reached that point, his sunken mood slowly lifted. Naturally, his pace quickened.
"Vi—Vitor?"
"Where is Louise?"
Finding Vitor, Alan grew flustered and fidgety. Roy was nowhere to be seen beside him.
"Well, that is... that person suddenly appeared."
"That person?"
Unable to bring himself to speak the name, Alan gestured toward a dark corner of the banquet hall.
In a corner where the light barely reached, blanketed in soft shadows.
There stood Roy, side by side with a man.
And.
"Looks like they know each other. Did you know about this?"
"……."
Roy was smiling brightly.
With a smile so clear and radiant, it felt entirely foreign.
* * *
Roy was thoroughly bewildered.
"What do you call the Duke, Louise-ssi?"
Vitor had left Alan by her side, but Alan seemed somewhat displeased with her, and more and more people were crowding around.
"Not during work, but in private. Surely you don't just call him 'Your Grace'?"
"In private... I occasionally use his name."
"I knew it! Then do you have pet names for each other, too?"
With Vitor gone, the questions grew even more shameless. Their eyes sparkled, waiting for something to slip from Roy's mouth.
It was the very question she and Vitor had joked about in the carriage, laughing off the idea that anyone would actually ask something so absurd.
They're really asking this. Why on earth do they care?
Though she could not fathom it, Roy continued, playing along with their expectations.
"In informal settings, there is something the Duke occasionally calls me, but……."
"What is it?"
"Well……."
Even though they had prepared their story beforehand, saying it out loud made her face burn.
Roy squeezed her eyes shut and spoke.
"……Baby sweet pea."
A brief silence fell.
Followed by a delightful burst of laughter.
"Hahaha! To think the Duke of Hermont would say such a thing!"
"I know, right? I knew he had a playful side, but isn't this the first time he's given a lover such an affectionate pet name?"
"Indeed. Then what do the two of you usually talk about?"
"Surprisingly, the Duke often brings up trivial matters. He has quite a sense of humor, but since I am still lacking, I often get nervous. So sometimes my words come out a bit sharp, but the Duke tends to take it gently in stride."
"How adorable. Isn't that charm precisely what made the Duke fall for you?"
"He must truly be in love. Good heavens."
Roy spoke with an apt mixture of truth and lies. The young ladies became completely enthralled by Roy's tale, as if they were the ones dating Vitor.
The questions kept coming, their tone gentle yet relentless. It was a tremendous relief that she and Vitor had matched their stories in the carriage.
"If you're too nervous, it's fine to borrow some liquid courage to confess your true feelings."
"That's right. Would you like a drink, Louise-ssi?"
One of the young ladies, who had been listening intently to Roy, offered a glass of champagne. It was the same sweet, low-proof alcohol she had tasted earlier.
Thinking this amount would not make her drunk, Roy accepted it readily. She could not afford to get drunk anyway.
Feeling an odd bitterness in her mouth, she downed the champagne in one gulp. The young ladies murmured softly, seemingly surprised.
By the way, when on earth is the Duke coming back?
It felt like he had been gone for quite some time.
Dealing with the young ladies before her was not particularly difficult, but the constant tension left the back of her neck stiff and sore.
Just then, a familiar silhouette caught her eye through the crowd.
……Wh-what?
It was a face that had no reason to be here.
At first, thinking she was seeing things, she looked away.
Yet something felt off. When she raised her head again, the man was looking straight at Roy as well.
Their eyes locked directly. The man even rubbed his eyes, wearing an expression as if doubting his own sight.
And slowly.
Yet with steady, unmistakable steps, he began walking toward Roy.
Hair of a silver so bright it was almost pure white.
The eyes set above sharp, well-defined features were infinitely clear, and there was neither haste nor pretension in his stride.
It was the graceful movement unique to someone who knew his place in the world all too well.
As if this entire venue were a familiar stage, he wove through the crowd with restrained elegance.
Crown Prince Franz de Alexis.
The former master of Elysia Mansion.
As his figure grew clearer, Roy could not conceal her shock.
Why is he here……? That shouldn't be possible.
Even after he arrived right before her eyes, Roy stared blankly, unable to believe it.
"Your Highness……!"
Starting with someone's soft, trembling voice, everyone gathered in the area bowed in unison.
Setting down glasses, lowering fans, and swallowing dry coughs, everyone bowed deeply.
Amidst the low murmurs, the title "His Highness the Crown Prince" echoed one after another.
Franz came to a quiet stop. He swept his gaze around the surroundings once and gave a very slight nod.
"I only intended to look around for a moment, but since such interesting words were being exchanged, I took the liberty of stepping in."
He offered greetings in the calm, measured tone characteristic of royalty, and the nobles held their breath, bowing their heads even deeper.
"Not at all, Your Highness. It is an undeserved honor simply to see you here."
"Indeed. Thanks to Your Highness, this gathering shines all the brighter."
Several nobles offered their greetings in turn. The Crown Prince acknowledged each of them with an even, impartial nod.
After observing just the necessary amount of courtesy, he finally turned his gaze toward Roy.
"However…… it seems I have spotted a familiar face."
His voice was lower and softer than before.
Roy's body froze instantly.
Before she could even manage her expression, her heart tightened first.
Franz's gaze was now fixed entirely on one person alone.
The nobles began to murmur again. They seemed to have noticed as well.
Whom the Crown Prince's words were directed at, and whom he had recognized.
"Could you be, Ro—"
"Your Highness!!"
Before the Crown Prince could finish saying her name, Roy hastily cut him off.
"You are looking for the Duke of Hermont, correct? The Duke told me he had something important to convey should I run into Your Highness."
"The Duke of Hermont……?"
"Yes! I will guide you this way!"
Before Franz could say anything, Roy poured out words in a rush and led him toward a secluded spot.
Are you insane? Why are you even here? What a cursed coincidence…….
Whispers rose behind them, but none of it reached Roy's ears. All of Roy's focus was entirely on Franz, who was being dragged along by the arm in a daze.
Once they arrived beneath the shade of wisteria, slightly away from the garden set up as the banquet hall.
"You're Roy…… aren't you?"
"……."
Franz finally let the name slip from his lips.
"I never expected to see you here. What's with that hair, and those clothes? No, more than that…… why did you come as the Duke of Hermont's partner?"
"You have the wrong person."
Roy spoke firmly before the conversation could drag on any longer.
"Your Highness seems to be mistaken. I am the Duke of Hermont's secretary, and my name is not Roy."
"It's not? Then what is your name?"
"Li—Lionel……."
"I already heard everyone calling you Louise."
"……."
Having reflexively offered a different name, Roy snapped her mouth shut at once. He had known Roy's real name all along.
And the fact that she was actually a woman, too…….
"Ha…… I heard rumors that the Duke brought a male favorite, but with a woman's name, I thought it strange. On top of that, hearing talk about being pretty-faced and easily mistaken for a woman made everything sound suspicious."
"……."
"What on earth happened? What is this appearance, and why the hair……."
The Duke of Hermont’s male favorite.
