Chapter 10 - Do You Know My Name? (2/2)

Geez, what was up with Odeletta and this guy uselessly worrying about handkerchiefs?

I ignored the puzzled young man’s voice and kept wiping his man’s jacket. Unfortunately, however much I rubbed the stain, it refused to come out. I ignored the man’s bewildered noises and continued to clean him up as best I could. Unfortunately, the jacket did not return to its original state despite my best efforts.

“I’m sorry, good sir. I’ve made such a big mistake.” I couldn’t believe that I had done this to a handsome man. I continued repentantly. “I’m so sorry. That jacket looks expensive. I’ll make it up to you.”

I didn’t know much about the Bellafleur’s wealth, but I should be able to make up for this jacket, right? The man nodded, looking even more perplexed than I did.

“It’s alright, My Lady. You needn’t worry too much,” he said reassuringly.

“But your clothes are completely stained.”

“I’m fine. I’m more worried about your handkerchief.”

“Really, it’s nothing!” I cried. “So don’t worry about it too much.”

“Then if you don’t mind, I’d like to give you a gift.”

“…Huh?” That was an unexpected windfall. I blinked my eyes dazedly, and the man fixed his gaze on me.

“May I ask your name?”

“Uh…” I was too stunned to answer immediately. However, I didn’t think there was any reason not to tell him. “My name is Maristella Janice La Bellafleur.”

I thought it would be rude not to ask him likewise, and so I did so. “What’s your name?”

“Ah.” The man’s eyebrows lifted at me. “You don’t know my name?”

“…What?” How could I know his name? This was the first time I saw him today. I shook my head, and the young man seemed even more confused by my response.

“O-oh. You may not know,” he muttered. “My name is—”

“Marie!”

The last voice that I wanted to hear burst out at this moment. I turned my head sideways, and saw Dorothea staring at me with a dark expression. Why was she here all of a sudden?

“Dorothea?” I asked with a puzzled expression.

“Marie, what on earth is the meaning of this?” Dorothea’s voice quivered as she strode over to me with an expression of disbelief.

“What’s wrong, Dorothea?”

“What’s wrong with you?” Dorothea shot back coldly. “How dare you be with the Crown Prince?”

…What?

“The Crown Prince?”

N-no way! No way! I stared at the man in front of me with rounded eyes. The man’s face was blank with emotion and he said nothing, but I came to stunned realization as soon as I saw his face.

‘There really are several surprises today.’

It seemed that the person whose cocktail I accidentally knocked over was the male protagonist, Crown Prince Xavier. I never even considered this possibility. I looked at him numbly for a moment, and confirmed my answer. Yes, I was right.

‘Silver hair resembling the full moon and blue eyes resembling the deep sea.’

Why didn’t I look at him more carefully than before? I flushed in shame. Well, it was common sense for a lady who attended several parties to recognize the Crown Prince, so what excuse could I make? No, would anyone even believe it? This was even more embarrassing than when Odeletta asked me why I hung around with Dorothea.

I stared at Xavier with a bewildered look, while he looked back with the same emotionless face. Was he mad because I didn’t recognize him? Or did he think I was joking? The silence stretched on, only adding to my anxiety.

“Marie.”

“…”

“Marie!” Dorothea shouted at me. “How dare you be with the Crown Prince.”

“…What?” Wait a minute. What did she just say? I looked back at her with a more foolish expression than before.

Dare to? Dare to?

I was dumbfounded. Why would she say that when I was with the Crown Prince? Maristella was a noble, wasn’t she? And Dorothea was a noble as well, and our fathers were both counts, right? I wasn’t being impudent in this situation, was I?

I was about to snap back at Dorothea, but someone spoke before I did.

“My Lady.” It was Xavier’s voice. I turned to him, and he was looking rather dazed. However, his eyes were on Dorothea, not me. I quickly summed up the situation. If this young man really was the Crown Prince of the empire…then…

‘I’m in a situation where the original female lead and original male lead met!’

No! I screamed inwardly. The situation I wanted to prevent was unfolding in front of me right now.