My Unrequited Love Is an Absolute Secret - Chapter 98

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 98

This year’s prom theme at Riverside School was the Academy Awards.
Just as Hollywood celebrated its brightest stars, the school would honor the students who had illuminated Riverside School.
I couldn’t even imagine how magnificently Aemerus had decorated the venue to match this theme.
[Aemerus!]
Robin’s voice rang out from the first floor.
He’d been waiting all day after hearing that Aemerus was coming.
I didn’t know what the two of them were doing, but Robin’s laughter echoed through the house.
[Robin, how can he be so happy seeing Aemerus again when he just saw him recently?]
My mother shook her head in bewilderment.
I, who saw Aemerus’s face every single day without tiring of it, felt caught and pretended not to hear.
[Let’s head downstairs now. We should greet our guest.]
[Yes.]
My mother adjusted my hair one last time before opening the door.
[Sigh.]
There was no reason to be nervous.
Yet somehow, I was.
I took a deep breath and carefully descended the stairs.
With each step, my pointed-toe stiletto heels peeked out from beneath my dress hem.
I’d deliberately chosen gold shoes to match the Academy Awards theme.
Since they were new, I’d been wearing them in my room beforehand.
[Will you be okay going down? Should I hold your hand?]
My mother seemed worried I might step on my dress and fall while descending the stairs.
I shook my head, saying I was fine.
My dress wasn’t excessively long or voluminous, and my heels weren’t too high, so I could walk down easily on my own.
Still, my mother didn’t lose that anxious look in her eyes.
I held my skirt with both hands and slowly made my way down the stairs.
With each step, as I drew closer to the ground floor, the men’s conversation grew quieter.
The silence seemed strange, so I looked up and saw Aemerus staring at me with his mouth open, while my father and Robin were quietly stifling their laughter at his reaction.
“Hi, Aemerus.”
As I greeted him, he suddenly snapped back to reality.
His dazed reaction was so endearing that I laughed out loud.
“Am I pretty? Thanks.”
When I asked back, Aemerus wiped his mouth with a bewildered expression.
“Did I really just say that out loud?”
“No. But I can tell just from your expression.”
At my words, my family burst into laughter they’d been holding back.
“You can’t hide your expression like that, honestly.”
At my father’s teasing remark, Aemerus touched the back of his neck with an embarrassed smile.
He had swept his bangs back neatly instead of letting them fall naturally with their usual part.
With his straight forehead fully exposed, his deep green eyes shone all the more brilliantly.
“Wow….”
Without realizing it, I looked Aemerus up and down.
He wore a deep navy tuxedo that matched the color of my dress.
A silk cummerbund adorned his lean, muscular abdomen with not an ounce of fat, and even that looked impossibly sexy.
“You look amazing today too! Like an elite villain.”
“An elite villain…?”
I wondered what kind of comparison that was supposed to be.
Looking at him with sparkling eyes, it seemed like a compliment, but I couldn’t quite tell if I should be pleased about it.
Seeing his ambiguous expression, I kindly offered an explanation.
“A charming villain who’s more popular than the hero.”
Wasn’t that still a bad thing in the end?
But there was no time to ask further.
My father, who had been watching us both, grumbled and interjected into the conversation.
“Listening to this, I feel a bit left out. You never told me I looked amazing.”
“Dad, my face and your face are identical, so it would be strange to compliment you. I’m not some narcissist.”
I shrugged my shoulders and asked Aemerus.
“By the way, where’s the gold?”
We had decided to add gold accessories to match the Oscar Awards theme, but no matter how hard I looked, I couldn’t find any gold on him.
I was squinting, wondering if it might be a watch.
Aemerus rolled up the sleeve of his tuxedo jacket and subtly showed me his cufflinks.
Then he winked at me mysteriously, as if to say it was just between us.
“Oh….”
“What? What is it? Tell me too!”
Robin, who was too short to see, whined to be let in on the secret, but I only laughed and remained silent.
Even if it wasn’t much of a secret, sometimes you want to share something with just one person.
“And this.”
I pinned a boutonniere made of white sweet peas to the lapel of Aemerus’s jacket.
Since the colors of the dress and tuxedo were so striking, I deliberately chose a modest flower.
I went through so much trouble selecting a flower that wouldn’t match anyone else’s, would complement the outfit, and had a beautiful meaning.
“It suits you well.”
“You too.”
All my careful deliberation had been worth it.
The delicate petals of the flower contrasted beautifully with the intense colors of the fabric, creating a harmonious balance.
*Kiss.*
After tying the corsage around my wrist, Aemerus brought his lips to the back of my hand and smiled warmly.
Needless to say, my heart melted completely.
“Should we head out now? Everyone’s waiting.”
“Wait! Let’s take a photo before we go.”
A photo was indeed essential—it would feel incomplete without one.
Only after taking a group photo with Aemerus included was I finally released.
“Then I’ll be on my way. I might be late, so please get some rest first.”
“We can trust Aemerus.”
“Still, if anything comes up, call us right away.”
“Of course.”
Because Aemerus had earned such trust from my parents, they saw her off without particular concern.
Leaving behind Robin’s voice as he whined about coming along, I linked my arm through Aemerus’s and stepped outside.
A massive limousine that Aemerus had rented awaited us directly ahead.
Inside were fellow ice hockey players and their partners.
“They say the protagonist always makes a grand entrance last, but aren’t you overdoing it?”
Randy poked his face out the window and offered a playful reproach instead of a greeting.
Knowing it was affectionate teasing, I laughed and shot back.
“Hey, Randy. You look amazing today.”
“Thanks, Lili. I wasn’t talking about you. You’re absolutely stunning today.”
Randy winked at me with a cheeky grin.
As he reached to open the car’s back door, Aemerus’s brow furrowed.
“Lili is my girlfriend. You shouldn’t be making her faint.”
“Honestly, this guy doesn’t know how to take a joke.”
Watching Randy shake his head as if there was no saving him, I giggled.
Soon, the limousine carrying Aemerus and me pulled away.
The party would begin in the evening, and before that, we’d take photos at a nearby park and have dinner at the Hotel Restaurant.
“Come on over, you two.”
“Did you two coordinate your outfits in blue? You look great together.”
Female students attending as partners of the hockey players greeted Aemerus and me.
“Thanks. You all look wonderful too. Everyone’s absolutely glowing.”
“Don’t even mention it. I skipped lunch getting ready like this.”
“I just want to take photos and grab dinner already.”
“Why do you keep saying things that kill the mood?”
Tyler suddenly interjected into the girls’ conversation, offering a pointed hint.
‘No wonder he’s not popular with girls.’
I wasn’t particularly close with the female students gathered here.
But in this moment, we became of one heart and mind, exchanging a knowing look that only girls understand.
“Come now, don’t be like that. Captain, why don’t you open some champagne?”
Before the atmosphere could deteriorate beyond repair, Randy quickly stepped in.
‘Asking if it’s non-alcoholic would be too tactless here.’
Instead of satisfying my curiosity, I accepted the champagne Randy offered and handed it to Aemerus.
The champagne bottle felt surprisingly substantial in weight.
Aemerus caught it effortlessly with one hand, then deftly unwrapped the packaging.
“Aren’t you supposed to shake it?”
“In the car? Are you insane? What if someone gets hurt?”
The sudden commotion that erupted proved that champagne was indeed effective at lifting the mood.
Aemerus paid no attention to the chaos and popped the cork.
The first person he sought out was, surprisingly, not me but Tyler.
“Tyler. Your performance in this championship game was truly impressive.”
Tyler’s shoulders tensed with pride.
However, his smugness didn’t last long.
Champagne foam overflowed from the glass, drenching his hand and pants.
“Ugh!”
Tyler jumped in shock, bumped his head against the ceiling, and let out a yelp.
“Oh no, I’m sorry. Who shook the champagne?”
“Not me.”
“Not me either.”
But I caught Randy winking at Aemerus with a conspiratorial grin.
‘Hopeless.’
What kind of signal had they exchanged in that brief moment?
Shaking my head, I pulled a handkerchief from my clutch.
“Does anyone need something to wipe with?”
Tyler happened to ask just as I offered him the handkerchief.
“Here. Use this.”
“Thanks. The rest of you girls should take notes from Lili.”
Why was I being insulted after helping him?
I narrowed my eyes and whispered into Aemerus’s ear.
“Why didn’t you just dump the whole thing on him?”
Seeing me so irritated, Aemerus’s lips curled into a smile.
“Should I do that now?”
“…No. Never mind. Just pour me a glass of champagne.”
I couldn’t waste precious champagne on Tyler.
Watching me hold out my glass with such dignity, Aemerus finally burst into genuine laughter.

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