It’s Trouble Because Unrequited Love Is So Fun - Chapter 69

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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***

On the way out of the restaurant after finishing our meal.

Raphael spoke to Serenthia as if in passing.

“…During the meal, I was going to ask you about a way to find the key to the Princess’s Palace.”

“Ah! Yes, I have all the methods for that.”

Though I won’t explain it directly to Raphael just yet!

I smiled playfully.

But Raphael’s next words came as somewhat of a shock to me.

“Tomorrow you’ll be exploring the Princess’s Palace together with Max Rosemary. Is that alright? I can adjust the schedule if needed.”

He must be thinking that I would feel ‘uncomfortable after receiving harsh words from Rosemary.’

My past is probably much, much more miserable than he expects…

I answered with a bright smile.

“Of course. I’m perfectly fine with it! …Actually, I wanted to meet him.”

Because I need to find out what scheme he’s plotting.

Then, Raphael turned his gaze away and quietly murmured.

“…Stand behind me. Quietly.”

Those words sounded like he meant to protect me.

No, I wanted to believe that’s what he meant.

***

“Hello, Serenthia. It’s been a while, my sister.”

…Despite my firm resolution last night, my expression stiffened slightly the moment I arrived at the Princess’s Palace and faced Max.

If Veronica had physically abused me, Max had tormented me terribly.

“Just because you have some architectural skills, you dare to ignore me, the eldest son of the family?”

Of course, he would throw tantrums claiming I ignored him when I never had.

“Serenthia, you’re like a footstool to me. You exist to lift me higher.”

He had gaslighted me countless times.

Like when I had difficulty facing Mother, directly confronting someone who abused you in childhood is never easy.

Max Rosemary’s purple eyes somehow always looked unpleasant to me.

But I am no longer the Serenthia of the past.

“It’s been a while, but I’m not happy to see you, brother.”

When I stared at Max without answering him, Raphael seemed displeased.

“I’m not happy to see you either, Max Rosemary. Why don’t you get lost.”

That made sense, since the Princess’s Palace was only open for exactly one hour per day due to the Emperor’s orders.

Even then, we had to move carefully under the condition that nothing should be damaged.

But with Max blocking our way, he must have seemed like an obstacle that needed to be removed to Raphael.

Max tried to smooth over the situation with a smile.

“Can’t I even speak to my sister? How heartless, Your Grace.”

However, Raphael was indeed a formidable opponent.

“Right. Your face looks quite free-spirited, making you seem exactly like a poorly designed blueprint, so I’d like you to remove that face quickly.”

Max Rosemary wasn’t used to Raphael’s way of speaking, but I was quite familiar with it. Nevertheless…

“Oh…”

…He might be even stronger at verbal attacks than I am.

‘But I’ll deliver the finishing blow!’

With an expression that showed I didn’t care about someone like Max Rosemary, I smiled nastily.

“Hey. Max, do you have time to be doing this?”

I curved my lips into an arc and deliberately linked arms with Raphael.

I was prepared to be pushed away, but surprisingly he quietly allowed me to link arms.

“Let’s go quickly, honey. To find the key!”

I strolled through the Princess’s Palace as if taking a walk.

‘Of course, there’s nothing to be gained here.’

So I just pretended to enjoy a lakeside walk with Raphael.

It was quite an enjoyable time.

If only Max Rosemary wasn’t constantly staring daggers at us from behind!

***

Watching Serenthia wander around the lakeside and come up empty-handed, Max inwardly sneered.

‘Stupid girl. I already know everything.’

Except for the sudden variable that was Serenthia, everything was going according to plan.

He was confident.

Since what Father, Count Rosemary, had told him couldn’t be wrong, there was no way he would lose to someone like Serenthia.

He gripped the note case his father had given him in his pocket.

‘Should I start setting the mood?’

He looked up at a small tree branch at the edge of the lakeside and grinned wickedly.

It wasn’t the key to the Princess’s Palace, but he would lay the groundwork by claiming he found something amazing first.

Something that would move the Emperor to tears.

So that his finding the ‘key to the Princess’s Palace’ would seem perfectly natural.

***

Four days later.

Out of the week-long deadline, three days remained.

I was lying down with a newspaper covering my face.

The headline article I was reading was as follows:

[Breaking News] Max Rosemary finds Princess’s secret letter, becomes hot topic…

[Kairozen Archduchess exploring Princess’s Palace… Results unknown]

“Everyone thinks I’m going to lose to Max?”

Raphael seemed to regard it as someone else’s business, folding the newspaper and organizing documents while drinking tea on the sofa.

“Is that so.”

I asked casually.

“Um, aren’t you worried? About me, I mean. I’ve been just fooling around since we toured the lakeside.”

“Well, it seems like you briefly went to meet the High Priest this morning too.”

…He hit the nail on the head.

‘And I got an incredible hint from the High Priest.’

But without mentioning that fact, I covered my face with the newspaper and said.

“That’s true, but aside from that, I’ve mostly… been playing around!”

Raphael looked at me as if it didn’t matter.

“Because I trust you.”

“…!”

I bolted upright. My eyes nearly popped out. Lately, Raphael’s expressions of affection are frequent…

“…It’s not the same emotion though.”

“Tch, I figured as much. I definitely had expectations.”

“Usually in such cases, don’t you say ‘I definitely had no expectations’?”

Raphael was definitely looking at me with an ordinary expression.

But I opened my eyes wide.

It seemed like Raphael had smiled, or was I wrong?

An optical illusion caused by my optic nerves?

As I stared at him blankly in confusion, Raphael turned his gaze away and said.

“The Emperor told us to gather tomorrow. Max Rosemary might have found the key.”

Things were proceeding exactly as in the future I knew.

Originally, Max Rosemary would definitely find the key to enter the Princess’s Palace at this time.

But…

I quickly came to my senses and nodded.

“I see. That’s really worrying.”

“You seem like the person in the world I’d worry about the least.”

“I’m worried.”

Actually, I’m not worried. But….

“So could you please stay right by my side? Like a natural anxiety reliever…?”

Why go as far as making comparisons?

Obviously, it’s mischief.

And Raphael knew it too.

“Fine, I’ll turn a blind eye.”

Now I was seriously convinced.

This is ‘romantic comedy’ style banter.

‘This kind of feels like a honeymoon, doesn’t it?’

That’s right. I too have now lowered my standards to match Raphael’s, as low as they could go.

But….

“Then could I get away with one more bit of mischief?”

***

“…My new mischief is a café date.”

Raphael obediently came with me to the Coffee House.

He seemed to have a lot he wanted to say in objection to the word ‘date,’ but anyway!

‘Maybe he came because he thought of it as a honeymoon…!’

I looked at Raphael with a fluttering heart.

“This place, you know, is supposedly a Coffee House that the Emperor created for the Princess.”

“I see.”

The current Raphael seemed like someone who wasn’t particularly moved by anything.

I looked up at Raphael and smiled brightly.

“And there might be secrets hidden in this place, you know?”

As I looked around the small Coffee House, the corners of my mouth naturally lifted.

Because the person who first recommended coffee to me and shaped my coffee preferences was Raphael.

“You’ve never had coffee?”

“…No.”

“Then try these beans. They’re ‘Rastea Mountain’ beans grown at high altitude. You can taste the acidity and the aroma is wonderful. Smell it.”

I smiled while facing Raphael and smelling the coffee aroma.

‘Yes, you’re still the same person.’

I habitually handed the menu to Raphael and said,

“Will you have the Rastea Mountain beans?”

…After saying that, I bit my tongue.

Come to think of it, if I let on that I know his preferences….

‘He’ll just think I did thorough research while having a one-sided crush.’

My mind felt at ease.

But then, Raphael raised one eyebrow and asked,

“Rastea Mountain beans? What’s that?”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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