The Male Lead Knelt Before Me

The perfume dealer was so close that it was so ridiculous that I was lost.

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However, as I followed Veloca, the scenery looked really similar to the way I lost before, so it seemed that I would not be able to find it even if I came again

So I thought I’d definitely come with Veloca if I had to come next time.
I didn’t want to get lost again.

Let’s see, the one Lena had been using…….
oh, here it is!

Among the many perfumes, I picked one with a jasmine flowers label on it.

When I smelled it, it was right what I, ‘Lena’, usually used.

I found the perfume I wanted, but there were so many perfumes on the shelves that my feet didn’t step off easily.

‘I want to try it all out.’

Of course, it was my desire only.

It’s the fact that came to mind lately, but Lena couldn’t use anything but the perfume I picked up earlier.

This is because using other perfumes could cause hives on the skin.

Maybe I could spray a little on the test paper and smell it.… No! Even just a drop of it can make me sick, so just be satisfied by looking at them with my eyes.

‘More than that, I was going to buy something for Rael too.’

When I was about to buy it, I thought that perfume was not a very good gift.

 

Everyone has different preferences, so if I gave him the wrong gift, he’d only appreciate it, but the gift itself would become a useless gift.

And my body is a problem too.

“Are you done?”

“Oh, yes.
I’ve picked everything………”

Veloca tilted her head as I blurted the end of the sentence.

“Is there anything else you want to buy?”

“I want to buy a gift for Rael.
And after thinking about it, I wondered if I could give him perfume as a gift.
But because of my body condition, it’s too difficult.”

“Ah, that something will come up to your skin if you spray anything, right? But why do you want to give a gift to Rael?”

“Because he hurt himself while supporting me from falling last time.
I wanted to give it to him as a gift because it bothers me.”

“Ah, that’s right.
If it’s a perfume gift….… I know Rael’s favourite perfume, so would you like to go with it?”

“Really? Good.”

Veloca, who went to the display stand, pointed at a perfume at once.

“This is it.”

“Thank you, Veloca.”

“This isn’t something to be grateful for.”

 

I shrugged because Veloca said that wasn’t a big deal, but for me, it was something to be grateful for.

Because thanks to her help, I was able to give Rael a gift.

***

“Oh, I’m tired.”

I lay down as if I were falling.

I could feel my wet hair wetting the blanket, but I didn’t have the strength to get up.

I really walked around a lot today.

Still, it was worthwhile considering that Rael liked the perfume I bought him for.
I also saw a handsome man.……..

As I bury my face in a pillow, the subtle scent of florals lingers on the tip of my nose.

That man, will he come to see the play?

He didn’t seem to enjoy it very much, so there’s a higher chance that he wouldn’t come.

‘But I still hope for him to come.
As soon as possible.’

Now, I could confidently say that I could recognize the man, but as time went on, I might couldn’t recognize the man.

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In fact, my memory of the man is already hazy compared to the first time I saw him.

Other than the man’s silver hair colour, his black eyes, and that he has large hands and is very tall, nothing comes to mind.

If it weren’t for the hat, I would have remembered it longer.

Thinking of the black hat with a wide brim that was large enough to cover most of his face made me angry.

Because of that hat, the corner of the man’s lips was more often seen than his entire face!

Ugh, I regret it.

If I knew I’d keep thinking about him like this, I’d at least ask for his name, as Veloca said.

Or somehow making some connection.

Sighing, I buried my face completely in the pillow.

***

The applause poured out and the curtains closed.

Gasp, gasp—

I was out of breath until the end of my throat, but rather than thinking it was hard, I was feeling more regret that the performance was over.

It’s already been three months since I became Lena and started performing on the stage.

Still, today’s stage is over but that’s just how it is.
It’s more regrettable when the existing play is completely over, and it’s time to start a new play.

Especially, when was removed from the play, I felt uneasy for a while.

Well, maybe because it was my first time becoming a lead role in a play.

“Drink, Lena.”

“Thank you.”

I moistened my throat with the water Veloca handed me.
Oh, my whole body is drenched with sweat.
Where’s the towel?

“Here.
Use this.”

Towels popped out before I could find them.
It was Rael.

“How did you know I was looking for a towel?”

“I know what you are thinking without telling me.”

Well, the times we spent together are worthy moments.

I also, before, I used to think that I couldn’t get used to this life, but now it’s my everyday life.

“Thank you.”

After a brief greeting and receiving the towel, Rael said.

“You’re so cool today, too.
The way you sing was also great.”

“Rael was cool, too.”

“I know you’re just saying it out of courtesy.”

“I mean it, why don’t you believe me? I’m so disappointed.”

Of course, I wasn’t really disappointed.
It was a joke.

Knowing that Rael smiled briefly.

We had a conversation for a while, and then Bill came running to me, calling me anxiously.

“Lena! Lena!”

“It’s Bill.
Looks like someone else is here, looking for you.”

“I know.”

Bill, who first guided me to the Viscount, who did all sorts of chores in the theatre, turned out to be a messenger of communication between actors and audiences.

While I was leisurely exchanging conversation with Rael, Bill hurriedly ran towards us.

“Lena! Someone, looking for you!”

As I guessed with Rael, Bill shouted to me.

As was expected, I was able to ask questions with ease.

“Who is it this time?”

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“I don’t know.
I’ve never seen him before.”

“Still, wouldn’t you get a rough sense from what he’s wearing? Commoner or aristocrat…… something like that.”

“Uh, I didn’t see his face because you were wearing a hoodie, but he looked like an aristocrat! His way of speaking is cheeky.
When I heard his voice, he was like a young man.”

That sounds credible.
Surely, most of the aristocrats are using informal speech from the first meeting…

“Anyway, don’t you know anything other than that?”

“Yes.”

“Should I just go where I usually go?”

“That’s right, too.”

“Thank you for telling me.
And I’m sorry, can I have your hand for a minute?”

“Huh? Here.
But what about my hands?”

“Because of the towels.
Please clean it up for me.”

Bill, who got a towel from me unexpectedly, still didn’t notice the situation after I waved my hand a couple of times and walked away.

Then, a little later, Bill said ‘huh?’ and Veloca’s hissing sounds as if she was holding back her laughter.

Even though I didn’t have to look at it, I could roughly draw the situation, but I tried to ignore the two.

* * *

‘I’m sure he’s here.’

I looked around diligently.

But there was still no one around.

‘Why isn’t he here? I was sure that he would be here…….
wasn’t he? Should I go back and ask again?’

It was a time when I was about to turn around, agonizing.

Behind the pillar, a man in a long brown robe covering most of his body walked out.

The man with the dirty blonde hair was quite handsome but somehow had a bad personality impression.

‘Is this the man that Bill was talking about?’

After a long time of uncertainty.
The man opened his mouth.

“Are you Lena?”

Looking at the way he talks, it’s true that he’s the one.

“Yes, that’s right.”

“Let’s move from here.
I have something to tell you.”

It’s so natural for him to talk informally to someone for the first time.

It was unpleasant, but I was kind of nervous.

It’s funny because I felt that he was different from those aristocrats who had been looking for me.

‘If I do the same I’ve done to this man, I’ll lose your neck.’

I opened my mouth as calmly as possible with certainty beyond my premonition.

“I’ll show you to the parlour room.”

“Let’s go.”

The man willingly followed me.

Since it’s the first time we’ve met each other, it’s normal for each other to doubt and be suspicious, but I got a little scared by his unconcerned behaviour.

That means he’s either a powerful person or a man with great power.

I brought the man into the parlour room and sat down across the table.

“………Would you like some tea?”

I winked at the kettle, tea leaves and teacups on the table.

It’s quite annoying to boil water, but if the talk gets longer, it would be better to have tea.

“That’s enough.
Since we’re not going to have a long talk.”

If that’s the case, then.

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I waited patiently for the man’s next words to follow.

I expected the man to come up with his intention right away, but contrary, the man didn’t open his mouth easily.

He just scans me up and down with his blue eyes that are as clear and cold as ice.

Most of the people who claimed to be “sponsors” didn’t look at me with the sticky gaze like that, but it was clear that this man is evaluating me anyway.

I looked at the man in front of me because his gaze was so uncomfortable.

“You said you want to talk to me about something?”

“Yeah.”

“And what is it about………..”

“Are you usually this impatient?”

I think it’s been about 5 minutes since we came into the parlour room, but he’s saying that I’m impatient?

I think I’ve put up with it a lot.
No, let’s be more patient with this person.
Be patient.

I’m holding it in for now because he might be a more powerful man than I thought.

“I was curious what you wanted to say to me.
It’s hard to hold back when we are curious about something.”

“Well, that’s true.
Then I’ll tell you.
But I think it would be better if I identify myself before talking about the topic.”

What is this feeling? The feeling about getting stuck in this annoying, dangerous thing?

“Enosh Le Elphida.
That’s my name.
And I’m ……..”

The man opened the collar of his shirt and pulled out the necklace that he was hiding under the robe.

“The Crown Prince of this Empire.”

A necklace shaped of a combination of two stars and the moon hung in the air.
It is the crest representing the Empire Family at the empire I’m living at.

In addition, as the man pulled out his necklace, the robe flowed down to his elbow, and the sleeves exposed were tightly covered with gold embroidery.

But it was hard to believe the man’s identity with this.
Because, what kind of Crown Prince, not only does he go around alone, but also looking for me?

“I’m sorry, but I couldn’t believe you.”

“What?”

“I don’t believe you’re the Crown Prince.
Honestly, Everyone can make a necklace with the Imperial pattern like that.”

“Don’t you see Izaka here? “Izaka” is a sacred object that is passed on only to the emperor and his successor.

The man pointed a half-moon-shaped jewel at the centre of the necklace, a little bit excited.

It just looks like an expensive jewel, but he said it’s a sacred object?

“I’m sorry, but I don’t have eyes for that.”

“Ha…… I’ll show you another piece of evidence”

The man grabbed the necklace, which he said was a holy object.

“I, Enosh Le Elphida, as a member of the Imperial Family, swear to God that I will never tell lies about my identity.”

Swear?

As soon as I wondered while listening to the man’s words, a blue light came out of the necklace.

And on the back of the man’s hand which grabbed the necklace, the same pattern as the Imperial pattern was engraved in blue and then disappeared.

‘Just now, what is it?’

The light shone very quickly and then disappeared.

When I blinked blankly, the man straightened his posture with an arrogant face.

“Just know that this is an honour for you.
Imperial oaths are not common to see.”

Did he just say the oath of the Imperial Family?

The oath of the Imperial Family was literally an oath made by the Imperial Families of the Elphida Empire risking their ‘life span’ to God through the holy objects.

Because it is an oath to God, it is absolute, and if you break the oath, your life span will be shortened by 5 years.

It doesn’t do much good, it’s a ritual used to show trust as a member of the Imperial Family.

I know that only the Emperor and his successor could do it because the oath only could be done by using the sacred object.……..

‘So, he’s really the Crown Prince?’

I was not sure, but what he had done fit the circumstance.

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It was partly because of his clothes and attitude, but there would be no reason for him to lie to me that he was the Crown Prince.

But there’s something that keeps bothering me.

‘Why did the Crown Prince come to me?’

That’s something I don’t know.

There was nothing in my surroundings and my status to be entangled with the Crown Prince.
But that idea didn’t last long.

“Elena Oreu.”

Because I’m so distracted by the man’s voice that penetrated my ears.

“How did you know…..….”

“I already told you who I am.
So it’s easy for me, the Crown Prince, to identify your real name.”

The Crown Prince laughed, as he arrogantly called my name.

“I’d like to offer a proposal to you.”

“A proposal?”

“That’s right.”

The Crown Prince nodded, took a rolled paper out of his arms and put it on the table.

“Open it.”

I opened the rolled paper carefully.
Soon, a portrait of a man came into my sight.

“Gasp.”

So, so handsome.
No, oh my god, does such a man exist in the world?

Of course, the Crown Prince in front of me is also handsome, but…….

Perhaps because the man in the portrait was really my cup of tea, I kept looking at him.

With sharp eyes and blueish silver hair, the overall impression is that he looks cool!

It was then when I was staring at the man in the portrait due to the unexpected luxury to my eyes.

But why does he look so familiar?

I feel like I’ve seen this man before…….

Is it because the colour of his eyes is black that I often saw in my previous life?

“Well, who is this guy?”

“Caleb Egon.”

My body trembled at the overly familiar name.

“All Imperial citizens would know about him.”

The Crown Prince added.
As if you couldn’t know.

The Crown Prince added.
As if there’s a way I couldn’t have known about him.

Just like when he confidently said he knew my name.

Needless to say, Caleb Egon was a very famous man in this Elphida Empire where I am.

Many citizens might don’t even know the name of the Emperor or the Crown Prince of the Empire, but they would know his name.

Caleb Egon, the youngest duke and the commander of the Royal Knights of the Imperial Knights, was a hero among the Empire citizens, who fought magical beasts and cared for the citizens’ safety and was an idol of those who dreamed of becoming knights.

But I knew one more thing besides that.

The fact that Caleb Egon is the male protagonist of the novel,  that I possessed!

“Why are you showing me his portrait?”

“I already told you.”

The Crown Prince glanced at the portrait I was holding and added.

“I’d like to offer you a proposal.”

Don’t tell me the offer is……….

He’s not asking me to seduce the male lead, right?

I don’t think……….

“Seduce the Duke.”