# 35
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The man who caught me was an unfamiliar man.
He moved so quickly to catch me that his curly red hair was right next to my forehead, rubbing against it as he swayed.
He seemed as surprised as I was, so the man quickly closed his eyes and asked
“Are you hurt anywhere?”
I didn't realize until I heard his question that I had been holding my breath the whole time.
After releasing the tension in my lip, which I had bitten unconsciously, I nodded.
“…Oh, no. I’m fine.”
After the man heard my response, he sighed deeply in relief and helped me up.
The way he pulled his hand from my waist and took a step back was gentle and polite.
“Please excuse me for placing my hand on the lady’s body.”
“…No, thank you. You saved me.”
'Honestly, I could have broken something.'
My heart was beating hard as if it were in my throat. It was out of the question that I would get a fracture in a world without plaster.
I finally managed to calm myf down, adjust my clothes, and looked up to thank him properly. Then I realized that the person who caught me did not have red hair.
The curly hair, blowing gently in the breeze from the lake and looking red under the setting sun, was closer to golden brown.
His nose was straight under his slightly drooping bangs, and his gentle green eyes were gently slanted.
Even in the short time I looked at him, I could tell he was very handsome.
His friendly and calm demeanor, with a hint of a smile, made him seem like the embodiment of kindness.
Simply…
'Wow, he's the type of secondary male hero.'
Exactly. He looked just like the kind of secondary hero you'd find in romance novels, with his brown hair and green eyes.
'He's so handsome...'
For over 20 years, I have firmly believed that men should be nice and handsome.
In that sense, this guy was my type.
Unconsciously, my mouth opened. I quickly closed it and regained my composure.
'Pull yourf together, Eloise!'
I can't be amazed by a strange face whose name I don't even know!
Yes. After clearing my throat, I began to watch the man cloy.
With his appearance, he didn't look like just a passing person, but no matter how much I racked my brain, I couldn't remember any character in the novel who matched that appearance.
'He looks just like a secondary hero. But he couldn't be a secondary hero, right?'
Naturally, this novel was so focused on the love story between Ian and Diana that it did not leave room for a secondary hero of this caliber.
Not that I call it a love story...
However, this means that there was no room in the story for a secondary hero from the beginning.
'The author was so obsessed with the main hero that he described every other character as unattractive.'
I sighed silently at the author's behavior, which I had not thought about for a while.
The man, who was looking at me calmly, probably mistook my reaction for annoyance, suddenly growled apologetically and stepped back.
He placed one hand on his chest and bowed slightly.
“I apologize for the late introduction, Her Highness the Grand Duchess of Claude. I am Haydn Roger, Duke Roger.”
“Hayden Roger…oh.”
“Finally, the name came to mind, and I was dumbfounded.
The current emperor, known for his gentle charisma, had a solid base of noble supporters.
The House of Roger, often called the founders of the empire, was a prominent family supportive of the emperor.
Moreover, Haydn Roger, who inherited the title of Duke at a young age, was a childhood friend of the current Emperor.
Perhaps that is why he is mentioned several times in the story as a character who helped the Emperor deal with difficult situations.
'No wonder. He is the Emperor's close friend.'
This explains the appearance.
I nodded inwardly and smiled belatedly
“Duke Roger, I apologize. “I’m not good with faces, so I didn’t recognize you right away.”
“No need to apologise, Your Highness. This is our first time seeing each other up close, after all. If anything, it was my fault for suddenly showing up and scaring you.”
His smooth ability to shift blame onto himf was impressive.
“But you recognized me right away, didn't you?”
“How could I not recognize Her Highness the Grand Duchess of Claude?”
His soft, smiling eyes looked exceptionally kind.
I had to try hard to keep my mouth from closing again.
“I heard that you attended the Duchess Prilloz’s monsoon party yesterday, Your Highness, but I did not expect to see you at the Royal Palace today.”
“News spreads fast here.”
As expected, my story seemed to reach all corners of the capital in just one day.
I nodded with a calm smile.
“Yes. If we had met there, the first meeting would have been even more perfect. Aren’t you coming, Duke Roger?”
“I had some urgent business to take care of. But if I had known you would be there, Your Highness, I would have adjusted my schedule to attend the meeting.”
He simply agreed, his eyes narrowing in half.
Seeing his mouth open slightly, revealing a glimpse of his oral cavity, was impressive.
'...If Ian were a quarter of this man, Diana would be happier than she is now.'
I struggled hard to suppress the sob that was about to escape me.
Meanwhile, Duke Roger glanced around before asking.
“It seems that you did not come with His Highness the Grand Duke today.”
“Oh, I came to the palace alone today.”
“How did you end up coming here alone…?”
“Her Highness the Princess summoned me.”
“Ah, I see.”
Duke Roger, who was looking at me curiously, nodded as if he understood the moment the princess's name came out of my mouth.
The intentional princess name seemed like a free pass even here.
“So His Highness the Grand Duke did not accompany you today…?”
He muttered and then smiled quickly.
He extended his hand to me, wearing a white glove.
“Then would it be okay if I walked you to your carriage today? The road here is lined with uneven stones, making it difficult to walk alone with shoes.”
“Ah…”
At Hayden Roger's words, she looked down the stone road for the first time.
Unlike the other paths in the palace that were lined with flat stones, this path had uneven stones placed on top of the dirt. It appears to have been deliberately placed this way to create the effect of a natural garden.
'No wonder I stumbled, walking carelessly in a place like this.'
Now that I looked at it, I was relieved that I didn't break anything.
“Then can I ask for your help?”
"naturally."
He smiled lightly and led me gracefully out of the hydrangea garden.
“Please watch your step.”
"Thanks."
He didn't forget to adjust his speed to match mine.
Until now, I had only strictly accompanied Ian, so I didn't realize the difference.
But the accompaniment of another person made the contrast clear.
‘Ian still has a long way to go….’
That's why having something to compare is important.
While I was sobbing internally, Duke Roger smoothly guided me to where the carriage was waiting for me.
After he let go of my hand, he took a step back and bowed again.
“Thank you for letting me accompany you.”
“Actually, I should be the one thanking you.”
“It is not an opportunity given to anyone to accompany the flower of the social world, Her Highness the Grand Duchess.”
Beautiful people definitely know how to say the right things.
Every word he said was nothing compared to Ian's.
My mood improved with him, and I smiled at him.
“That's a compliment.”
“It's not an exaggeration at all.”
He gently held my hand, kissed her back gently, and his deep green eyes curved into a charming smile.
“It was an honor to accompany you.”
'...What is this?'
Is he flirting with me now?