DTRAF 13

Chapter 13

We Don’t Accept the Male Lead’s Dating Advice!

Reinhardt immediately turned his gaze toward the Second Knight Order.

Normally, Lysa would have been drinking with her subordinates, but she was nowhere to be seen.

He quickly scanned the surrounding area, yet neither she nor Amelie was anywhere in sight.

Damn it.

Cursing under his breath, Reinhardt hurried to the place where Amelie had been handing out drinks.

Only the servants she had brought with her remained.

“Where did Amelie Garnet go?”

His sharp tone came without any explanation.

The servants shrank back in fear as the Crown Prince suddenly approached them with such an intimidating presence.

One rather timid-looking servant finally managed to point toward the palace garden with a trembling hand.

“M-Milady said she had something important to take care of and went to the garden for a little while.”

The moment he heard that, Reinhardt headed straight for the garden.

As the humid summer breeze brushed against him, his expression gradually darkened.

I’ve completely let my guard down.

Twice.

He had made the same mistake twice today.

And both times, it had been because of Amelie Garnet.

His repeated lapses in judgment had left him angry—not at her, but at himself.

Biting down on his lip, he finally arrived at the rear garden.

“…Why is she hiding over there?”

His blue eyes swept the area until they quickly spotted a head of honey-colored hair.

Amelie had concealed herself behind a patch of bushes, peering intently toward something beyond them.

“Amelie Garnet.”

“Ah! You scared me!”

Approaching without making a sound, Reinhardt called her name.

Startled, Amelie nearly fell backward.

“What are you plotting this time—”

“Shhh!”

She clamped a hand over his mouth and yanked him into the bushes.

The shrubbery was far too small to hide two people comfortably.

Forced into the cramped space, Amelie and Reinhardt had no choice but to press tightly against each other.

“Why are you here?”

Momentarily distracted by their sudden closeness, Reinhardt was pulled back to reality when Amelie demanded an explanation in an annoyed whisper.

That’s my question.

She was the one who had mysteriously disappeared and was now lurking suspiciously in the bushes.

To Reinhardt, her question was utterly ridiculous.

“You’re the one who should explain yourself. What exactly are you doing here? What’s your plan this time? Are you trying to drag Lysa into trouble again?”

“How could I get Lysa into trouble when she isn’t even here?”

“You must have lured her here somehow.”

“I didn’t. So stop worrying about Lysa and lower your voice.”

Speaking in little more than a whisper, Amelie cautiously poked her head above the bushes to look around.

She looked remarkably like a meerkat standing watch.

“Oh! They’re here!”

The little honey-brown meerkat spotted something and immediately ducked back into hiding.

Reinhardt, however, rose slightly and looked toward the direction she’d been staring.

“Rowan Harbor?”

The man entering the garden was Rowan Harbor, walking with an oddly nervous gait.

Not long afterward, Claire Moran followed him into the garden.

Both were elite members of the First Knight Order.

Claire, in particular, was Lysa’s most trusted subordinate.

For the two of them to meet secretly in an empty garden…

Reinhardt’s expression became serious.

He couldn’t imagine the reason, but his instincts told him this wasn’t something trivial.

“Why are those two meeting in secret at this hour? Don’t tell me… you’re planning to use them to harm Lysa—”

“Reinhardt, Sir Harbor and Sir Claire would never do anything that would hurt Lysa. Think simply. What do you suppose a man and a woman sneak away together at night for?”

Seriously… you’re hopeless.

Amelie looked at him as though speaking to an inexperienced rookie.

Naturally, Reinhardt didn’t notice.

Nor did he want to ask any more questions and risk damaging his pride.

So he simply continued watching the pair.

“By the way… do you know what time the fireworks start?”

While Reinhardt remained on high alert, ready to jump out at the slightest sign of danger, Amelie suddenly asked an unrelated question.

“Is that really important right now?”

“It’s the most important thing. Please tell me?”

Lately, Amelie had either looked indifferent or uncomfortable around him.

Seeing her ask so earnestly was unusual.

Staring into her hazel eyes, sparkling with anticipation, Reinhardt reluctantly pulled out his pocket watch.

“It’s 8:52 now. They should start in eight minutes.”

“So they begin at nine… That’s soon.”

The eyes that had been focused on him lit up even brighter with excitement.

Does she really like fireworks that much?

This version of Amelie Garnet—

Filled with nothing but innocent anticipation—

Was something he had never seen before.

He’d never realized just how expressive she could be.

“But… do you really have to keep staring at me like that?”

Covering her face with one hand, Amelie awkwardly shuffled backward.

It only amounted to about a foot of distance.

I was staring at her?

Reinhardt’s eyes widened slightly.

He hadn’t even realized he’d been looking at her the entire time.

The realization left him strangely unsettled.

“Lysa isn’t even here anymore, so you can stop keeping watch over me.”

Amelie turned her face away and muttered quietly.

“Keeping watch?”

Reinhardt frowned as though he’d heard something absurd.

There was no need to keep watch over her.

Even if Amelie decided to cause trouble this instant, restraining her would be effortless.

And even if she somehow escaped…

There was no way she’d ever get out of the Imperial Palace.

So it was obvious.

The reason he’d been watching her wasn’t because he was monitoring her.

The problem was…

He still didn’t know what the reason actually was.

Fwoosh—BOOM!

As Reinhardt sank into thought, the first firework exploded overhead, announcing the start of the display.

“They’ve started!”

Amelie sprang upright like a coiled spring.

Peeking over the bushes, she fixed her eyes on Rowan Harbor and Claire Moran.

Reinhardt followed her gaze.

“I hope Sir Harbor finally calms down…”

Listening to Amelie murmur something that sounded almost like a prayer, Reinhardt continued observing.

Contrary to her hopes, Rowan Harbor looked visibly nervous.

As dazzling fireworks illuminated the night sky above them, Reinhardt finally understood why the two had chosen to meet in secret.

“So those two are together. I never expected it. Looks like the Knight Order needs stricter discipline.”

“The fact that you’re only noticing now is what’s really surprising.”

“Still… why are you secretly spying on them? Like some kind of pervert.”

“What? Pervert?”

Amelie whipped around and glared at him.

“I came here to help make sure those two got together safely! Do you have any idea how much advice and encouragement I gave Sir Harbor? If you knew, you’d probably—”

“Rowan Harbor is taking something out.”

“Really?”

Though Reinhardt had interrupted her mid-sentence, Amelie forgot all about being annoyed.

She immediately refocused on the scene beyond the bushes.

Under the watchful eyes of both hidden observers, Rowan Harbor presented Claire Moran with a carefully wrapped gift while saying something.

A moment later…

Claire stepped closer.

“Oh my.”

Then—

She kissed him.

Amelie let out a short gasp of amazement.

“Sir Claire is way bolder than I expected! That’s so cool!”

“For someone who claims you’re just helping them, you seem to be enjoying this a little too much.”

“Of course I am! My dopamine levels are through the roof right now!”

Even in the face of Reinhardt’s dry sarcasm, Amelie turned toward him with a radiant smile, her face glowing with excitement.

Reinhardt froze.

Did… Amelie Garnet always smile like that?

She had smiled at him before whenever their eyes met.

But those smiles had always left him feeling irritated.

Now…

He couldn’t look away.

“Oh, right. What happened tonight stays between us. It’s our little secret, okay?”

As she spoke of their secret, the corners of Amelie’s lips curved into a beautiful smile.

Once again, Reinhardt felt that strange, unfamiliar sensation wrapping itself around his heart.