Chapter 28

As Franz pointed out each change in Roy one by one, he let out a deep sigh.

Roy felt as if she had been caught doing something bad in secret.

In the end, she had no choice but to admit her true identity.

“……There were some circumstances.”

“What circumstances?”

“I can’t tell you.”

“……”

How pathetic must she look to him now, with rumors spreading that she was a nobleman’s male lover?

Standing there like a puppet, Roy felt completely miserable.

Unlike Franz, Roy had no dignity that could overwhelm everyone simply by appearing. She also did not have the natural nobility that showed in every word and gesture.

She was only forcing herself to wear the role of a great nobleman’s lover, clumsily copying them and trying to endure.

Standing in front of someone who knew the truth about her situation made the mask she had carefully built to hide her true feelings break apart in an instant.

“Please pretend you didn’t see me. It was nice meeting you like this, Your Highness. I’ll be going now……”

“Roy.”

Franz grabbed Roy’s wrist as she tried to turn away.

“What happened?”

“……”

Roy silently bit her lower lip tightly.

“How can you just leave like this? I finally found you again.”

“……”

“Yes. There must have been a reason. A lot must have happened while I was away. I understand. Whatever your reason for pretending to be the Duke’s male lover, I understand everything.”

Even though Roy had not explained a single thing about this ridiculous situation, Franz was trying to understand her.

His voice was so full of emotion that it almost sounded desperate.

“So don’t run away like this. If you leave like that, I’ll……”

Roy raised her head.

Franz’s eyes were red. He looked as if he might burst into tears at any moment.

Roy, flustered, quickly stepped in front of him and covered him with her body.

“Your Highness, why are you worrying about something like this? This is a noble banquet hall. What if people tease you for being a crybaby Crown Prince? You absolutely can’t do that. Stop crying.”

“That’s because you’re treating me so coldly, like a stranger…… Have you forgotten me?”

“How could I forget Your Highness? Where else in the world would there be another Crown Prince who cries this much……”

Franz had only grown physically, but he was still the same person as before.

His heart was still gentle, and he was still warm and affectionate.

And Roy was still weak when it came to Franz.

When they were young, Franz had been the person of her age whom Roy had spent the most time with.

However, in their relationship, Roy’s role had been closer to that of a nanny than a friend.

Even though she stayed with him as his playmate, whenever Franz got hurt while they were together, Roy was always the one who got punished.

Because of that, Roy had developed a sense of responsibility to protect Franz from a young age.

He was not simply a friend she could casually put her arm around.

He was someone she had to protect.

But Roy had never hated or disliked Franz.

Franz had always been warm. Without the arrogant attitude common among royalty, he sincerely relied on Roy and liked her.

His pure heart had always been openly shown through his words and actions.

How could anyone truly hate someone like that?

She had never planned for him to follow her around and discover her secret, though……

Anyway, because of all that, Roy always had complicated feelings when she thought about Franz.

She could neither simply like him nor hate him.

Right now, she only wanted to hug him and comfort him.

But this was not a suitable place for that, so Roy carefully stroked Franz’s hand instead.

“Are you okay now?”

“……Yeah. I’m sorry for showing you such an embarrassing side of me when we finally met again after so long.”

Franz had barely managed to hold back his tears before giving an embarrassed smile.

“No. I was also so surprised that I……”

Even if she had been surprised, she should not have simply left Franz like that.

Roy had probably lost her composure because she was afraid that her identity might be discovered in such an unfamiliar place.

“How have you been all this time? You’re still working at Elysia Estate, right?”

“Yes, well…… I’m always the same.”

Roy answered somewhat awkwardly before quickly changing the subject.

“I heard from the maids that Your Highness has been doing well too. I heard that the royal budget reform plan you passed was printed on the front page of the newspaper in huge letters a while ago.”

“Yeah, it was.”

Franz smiled awkwardly.

“But I still have a long way to go. I want to become someone worthy of that position before His Majesty passes away……”

Franz muttered worriedly.

There was a hereditary illness in the imperial family.

Franz had inherited that illness, which was why he had been sick as a child. Recently, the Emperor had also suffered an attack of the same illness and suddenly collapsed while handling state affairs.

He had recovered to some extent and had returned to his duties, but rumors were quietly spreading inside and outside the palace that it would not be strange if he collapsed again at any time.

Franz was the only one with legitimate royal blood through the Empress.

Normally, the throne would naturally pass to him.

However, because Franz had always been physically weak since childhood, his qualifications as heir had constantly been questioned.

So during the long period when they had been out of contact, it seemed that he had been trying hard to prove himself to the Emperor and to the world.

His Highness must have had such a difficult time all this while.

Roy looked at him with sympathy.

“And…… the matter of Elysia Estate wasn’t my decision.”

“What?”

Roy blinked.

“I was worried you might misunderstand and think I gave it to the Duke myself.”

Franz, who had been hesitating whether to say it since earlier, finally spoke as if he were revealing a worry he had kept deep inside.

“I heard that the Duke of Hermont specifically chose that place as his reward for his victory. His Majesty couldn’t refuse because the Duke’s achievements in the Battle of Phuralen were so great, so he gave it to him……”

“The Duke of Hermont chose it? Why……?”

Roy had naturally thought it was Franz’s or the Emperor’s decision.

Actually, Elysia Estate was not much of a reward for such a great victory.

It was not a newly built mansion given to a hero who had saved the country. It was simply an old villa that had been used in the South.

Besides, the ducal family had many much better villas, and Claireville was far from Vitor’s main territory, so it was not even a place he would visit often.

Then why had he specifically wanted this place?

“I don’t know the reason either. I heard he didn’t ask for anything else and wanted only that one thing.”

“……I see.”

“Anyway, I wanted to clear up the misunderstanding. I was afraid you might think I had willingly given it away, or that I didn’t value the memories you had with this estate.”

Roy nodded at Franz’s explanation and calmly answered.

“It’s all right. No matter who Your Highness gives it to, it belongs to you anyway. It’s not really my place to say anything about it.”

Perhaps Franz felt that her tone was too stiff.

“Why are you talking as if you’re keeping your distance from me? Didn’t you miss me?”

Franz lowered the ends of his eyebrows again as if he were hurt.

“I did miss you. But it’s been such a long time since I last saw Your Highness, so it feels a little awkward……”

Franz, who had once been a little prince with a runny nose, had now grown into a proper Crown Prince.

He was easily taller than Roy, and the beautiful face he had as a boy now had an elegant and mature masculinity.

Masculinity on Franz……?

It was a word Roy had never imagined using for him in her entire life.

But the man standing before her now suited the word quite well.

If she had met him for the first time here, even Roy would have bowed her head and secretly looked at him, just like the other nobles.

That was how handsome a man Franz had become.

So it was only natural that Roy felt awkward around him.

“But, Roy. Why is your face so red? Do you have a fever?”

“My face? Mine?”

Franz stared at her and asked innocently.

Roy quickly rubbed her face with her hand.

It really was burning hot.

Why was her face getting hot at a moment like this?

She felt embarrassed for no reason.

“This may be a strange thing to say here…… but you’ve really become very beautiful.”

“……Don’t tease me.”

“I’m serious. You’re much prettier than I imagined. I didn’t expect you to still be disguised as a man, though……”

Did he imagine what I would look like after growing up……?

It was a slightly strange thing to say, but Roy quietly nodded.

Sometimes, when she heard news about Franz from the maids, she also imagined that he must have grown a lot by now.

Then Franz carefully asked,

“But that’s a wig, right? Did you choose it yourself? Why did you choose silver hair?”

“There isn’t any special reason.”

“It’s not because of me? You always said you liked my hair color.”

Franz smiled shyly.

It was the same clear and pure smile he had when he was young.

Seeing that smile brought back a faint memory of Roy saying those words.

“I suppose it might be. I did think Your Highness was beautiful.”

Silver had been engraved in Roy’s mind as the most noble and beautiful color since she was young.

Perhaps that was why, when she chose the wig, she simply picked the color she thought was beautiful and unconsciously chose this hair color.

When Roy answered with a soft smile, Franz suddenly stopped speaking.

For a moment, Roy realized that her words might have sounded rude, so she quickly added,

“I mean, I wasn’t looking down on Your Highness. I just……”

“Should I take Elysia Estate back?”

“What?”

Roy’s eyes widened at Franz’s sudden words.

“It would be petty of me to take back something I already gave away, but if I become Emperor, I can do it. Not just Elysia Estate. Anything.”