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Only after seeing the light slowly return to Yulan's eyes did I let out a sigh of relief.
I hadn't wanted to find out in this manner that Yulan's attitude toward me had been remarkably gentle until now.
Brushing back his disheveled hair to tidy himself, he reached out his hand once more.
“Let us go, Princess. Your candidates for lovers are all upstairs.”
Dazed, I accepted the escort and followed him.
Once we opened the door to the room that had looked like an ordinary office, a dark underground corridor appeared.
After passing through forks in the road two or three times, I began to lose my sense of direction.
The corridor, clearly designed to make one wander in circles, felt as if it were provoking me, saying, ‘Go on, try and memorize this.’
Just as I was turning my head here and there, trying my best to remember even the smallest differences.
“Princess, how did you know the jewels in the chandelier were different?”
“Huh? All of a sudden?”
I was bewildered by the randomness of the question, and in that moment, Yulan lifted my held hand and pressed a kiss onto the back of it.
The awkward, soft sensation against the back of my hand made my body shudder involuntarily.
At that, Yulan let out a small laugh.
“If he is a man who has the audacity to scam a rough commoner like me, imagine how boldly he would try to strip a naive Princess like you once he meets you?”
“Wha—what nonsense is….”
“Exactly. To ensure such nonsense doesn't happen, shouldn't we teach him a lesson beforehand, Princess?”
I felt it occasionally, but Yulan didn't seem to care about his position at all.
For the Imperial Family—no, even for a Baron—referring to oneself as a commoner to lower one's status was something that should never be done, even as a joke.
‘But if I point that out here, he'll just twist my words, claiming the Princess insulted the Prince or something.’
In the end, there was only one thing I could do.
Give Yulan the answer he wanted.
“……There was a scratch.”
“A scratch?”
“On the emerald hanging from the first chandelier I saw, I noticed there were many small scratches here and there. I remembered it because I thought it was a waste to use such an expensive piece in that state.”
As I continued my slow explanation, I glanced at Yulan, wondering if he would tell me to stop.
However, seeing the way the corners of his mouth were curled up, it seemed he was determined to hear everything from A to Z from my own lips.
‘He's not a child throwing a tantrum to get praised; why do I have to explain things to this extent?’
The thought made me feel a bit reluctant, but what could I do?
If he wanted it, I was in a position where I'd have to recite everything from my initial impressions of the chandelier to how it should be changed to better suit the office's image.
After a small sigh, I continued speaking without stopping this time.
“The one I saw just now didn't have a single scratch. It was a bit faded because of the candlelight, but the jewel itself was clean.”
“Could they have been made at different times? Or perhaps the jewel had too many scratches, so it was replaced.”
“A person who pays enough attention to make the type of wood on the floor and the grain of the window frames identical wouldn't bother making chandeliers separately each time. ……And you aren't someone who would be struggling financially.”
At my small addition, Yulan smiled, revealing his teeth.
Since it was the first time I had seen him smile so brightly, I found myself momentarily flustered.
Because of that, I lost my balance for a second and stumbled forward.
“……!”
Holding me firmly without wavering, he asked in a voice laced with amusement.
“Princess, do you perhaps need my money? Why are you acting so coquettishly?”
“What do you mean, coquettishly……!”
“Yes, yes. Should I lower the commission fee? Or shall I give you a kiss instead?”
Seeing him continue with nonsense while pretending not to hear a word I said, I lost the will to argue further.
Letting out a deep sigh, I pushed his shoulder away with force.
Despite how clingy he had been with his words, Yulan let himself be pushed away quite easily.
“I don't mind if you charge me double or triple the commission, just please proceed with the work as quickly as possible.”
“Hmm. Well, as long as you pick the man who will become your lover today. It could be done in under an hour.”
“You're very confident. Are there really that many handsome, good-acting commoners among your guild members?”
“Enough to make the Princess faint from surprise.”
The moment Yulan finished speaking, he stopped walking.
I looked around, but no doors or stairs were visible.
Frowning, I narrowed my eyes to examine the area more closely.
However, Yulan's hand moved faster than I could find anything.
When he pulled a candlestick hanging on one of the identical-looking walls, a secret door opened with a clatter.
Beyond it lay a set of old wooden stairs and several oak barrels lined up.
If one had come down those stairs, they would have simply thought it was the basement of an ordinary tavern.
With a click, the secret door closed, leaving only a plain wall behind.
“……I'm realizing all over again that you're close to being a criminal.”
“I'm not close to it; I am a criminal. Despite how I look, I'm the real deal—I've even been wanted before.”
His tone was like a joke, but there was no lie in his eyes.
Even if I hadn't checked his eyes, I wouldn't have doubted those words.
‘Considering how he used to drag anyone he wanted and threaten them, well.’
But by now, the time we had spent together was too intimate to feel fear toward him.
Even if it hadn't been a long time, every moment had been so intense, as if compressed, that it was difficult to treat him like a complete stranger and a criminal.
The hand still holding mine was warm, and the arm holding my waist felt reliable.
The fact that I wasn't worried at all while climbing the creaking stairs was certainly because of that.
Once we reached the top of the stairs, the sound of boisterous chatter leaked through a thin door.
“Wait, how many people are outside?”
“Hmm. I think there are a bit more than twenty.”
“Is it… is it okay to go out in… this state in front of so many people?”
The arm that had felt so reliable just a moment ago now felt burdensome.
There probably weren't many people here who knew my face, but I had to be careful at least until the engagement talk was completely settled.
‘Especially considering my plan. It's not good at all to be clinging to a man who isn't my lover.’
At that thought, I forcefully pulled away the hand and arm escorting me. Yulan's eyebrows drooped into an inverted V as he spoke in an exaggerated tone.
“The Princess is truly cold-hearted. To think you threw me away in an instant after throwing yourself into my arms.”
“Stop talking nonsense and just open the door.”
“As you wish.”
After tidying my clothes, I stepped through the door Yulan opened.
Click. The moment the sound of my heels echoed, the boisterous interior fell silent instantly, and dozens of eyes fixed upon me.
Filling every single table, it was clear at a glance that these were people who did rough work.
There was no need to examine their appearances closely.
The strange atmosphere emanating from them and their scar-covered forearms spoke for themselves.
While I stood frozen like a statue, unable to speak, a heavy arm was draped over my shoulder.
“Now, which one of you is the shameless commoner who is my lady's long-time lover?”
Naturally, no one answered Yulan's question or raised their hand.
However, as if he had fully expected this, he pointed out a few people with his finger.
“Jack, Sol, Vic. Come up to my room.”
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