I'm Looking for the Male Lead for the Ending - Chapter 33
Chapter 17.2
At my words, he silently gazed at the lapis lazuli brooch resting in my hand. I had expected him to take the brooch right away when I handed it to him, but for some reason, he didn’t react, and his laid-back demeanor left me feeling uneasy.
“Your Highness?”
“I appreciate the kind words, but that brooch isn’t mine.”
“Yes?”
“So, there’s no need for you to return it to me.”
The casual rejection sent a shiver of embarrassment down my spine. I shifted my gaze to the system window in disbelief, wondering if perhaps I had misinterpreted something, but the message still said that the brooch belonged to him.
I swallowed dryly and opened my mouth to speak again.
“Take a good look. Is this really not Your Highness’s brooch?”
“Yes, it’s not mine.”
He now shrugged his shoulders and spoke calmly. Despite his demeanor, I opened my mouth again.
“The adjutant seemed certain that this brooch belonged to Your Highness.”
“But as the owner, I don’t think it’s mine, Young Lady.”
‘This is driving me crazy, seriously.’
My lips were dry in this situation that wasn’t going as planned, while the system window in front of me seemed to flash incessantly as if urging me to make a choice. I could barely tear my eyes away from the system window, which seemed like it might forcibly open the route at any moment, and added hastily.
“Still, it would be best if Your Highness accepted the brooch. Otherwise, I’d have no choice but to blame the adjutant for accusing me of theft.”
Seemingly taken aback by the unexpected response, as he reluctantly took the brooch I offered as if resigned, I checked the system window. However, as if mocking me, there was no response from the system window.
‘…Is it saying that I can’t undo it because the window has already passed?’
I bit my lips and held back my rising emotions when the Grand Duke, who was quietly looking at the brooch, uttered something unexpected.
“I received an unexpected gift, so it’s only fair to return the favor.”
With these brief words, Estieren extended a jewelry box inlaid with diamonds towards me. When I asked him with his eyes what it was, he smiled and answered.
“Consider it as a token of gratitude for the brooch you gave me.”
In the end, I hesitantly accepted the jewelry box. As I reluctantly opened it under Estieren’s urging gaze, inside was a hair ornament in the shape of a lily of the valley. The corners of his mouth curved up slowly as I raised my head with a look of disbelief.
“It’s a prize I received for winning the tournament today, but it holds no significance to me.”
“….”
“Since you gave me something meaningful, I thought it was only right for me to give something of equal value in return.”
“But this is…”
“Ardi!”
It was a significant item to receive in return for returning the item to the original owner.
As I was closing the lid of the jewelry box and trying to return it to him, I heard an angry voice calling me from a distance. I flinched and turned my head to see my father and brother approaching. My father’s eyes flashed sharply for a moment as if he had noticed the person who was talking to me.
“I didn’t expect to see Your Highness the Grand Duke here.”
“It’s been a while, Marquis.”
I naturally turned my gaze towards the Grand Duke and glanced at the jewelry box in my hand.
A hair ornament in the shape of a lily of the valley.
This was the prize awarded to the winner of this year’s competition. Of course, while it was referred to as a prize, it wasn’t meant to be worn by the winners themselves, but rather, it was often given as a gift to their lovers. As the language of the lily of the valley symbolized ‘rediscovered happiness,’ winning the tournament and receiving this ornament implied the intention to bestow happiness upon the lady.
But just as this world wouldn’t allow me happiness, I had never had this accessory in all my many iterations of life.
“Congratulations on your victory, Your Highness. Honestly, I didn’t expect you, as the captain of the imperial knights, to participate in such a tournament…”
“This time, the prize caught my interest.”
I flinched at the sound of the Grand Duke’s voice in my ear and turned to look at him. Even though he didn’t turn his gaze towards me, a smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.
I removed my gaze from him and at the jewelry box in my hand before lifting my head to look at the system window while cradling the finely crafted jewelry box. Even if the system wished for me to open the route, and even if the route would be opened regardless of my choice, I still wanted to make the decision myself.
With determination, I pressed the ‘YES’ button on the system window.
[ 〈SYSTEM〉
Congratulations. Estieren Kaisian route has been opened. From now on, you can pursue Estieren Kaisian! ]
And what followed was certainly something I, too, had not expected.
[ 〈SYSTEM〉 MISSION!
Find the lost fragments of memory! Progress through the hidden route to find the lost fragments of memory. If you find all the fragments, you’ll be able to recover your lost memories.
Will you accept the mission?
[ YES / NO ]
*Recovery of lost memories on success. ]
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