T K H C

🍁 Chapter 24

Though I had used a term that was definitely not from this world, Julien and Carol didn’t even mention it.[1]

But Julien changed the subject, and the incongruous feeling quickly went away.

“Oh, but why aren’t you two attending the charity party today?”

“It’s tedious. I have no interest in something like that.”

“Sharon doesn’t want to go.”

Carol and I, who answered in unison, looked at each other and burst into laughter. We had to persuade Madame DeJoue that we didn’t need to go since we hadn’t turned 15 yet.

“……I wish I could skip it, too.”

"You can’t.”

At my words, the prince laughed as if he knew I would say that.

“You don’t really care as long as your body is comfortable, huh?”

It was such an accurate rebuttal that I couldn’t respond. I smiled. Fortunately, Julien did not look sad.

“Get up, both of you. Since you came all the way here, you might as well look around. There are quite a few sights worth seeing.”

Julien stretched like a slender leopard and stood up. The hand that he extended to me was hard, with calluses embedded in them like medals.

This was evidence that his life wasn’t easy.

I put my hand on top of Julien’s.

Carol’s hand rested on his other hand.

“Recognize this glorious day, for this great Carol held your hand.”

…Was she chuuni?[2]

“Huh?

Suddenly surprised by the soft grip in my hand, I turned my head. Julien was staring at me with a gorgeous, glowing face.

"Concentrate. Don’t think about anything else.”

His smiling face was so beautiful that I could only nod dumbly.

“Okay…”

***

Julien fell deep into his thoughts.

As he and Carol thought, Sharon was oblivious.

“No… It’s not that she’s oblivious, but that she doesn’t care.”

His brows furrowed. Sharon sweetly gave him what he wanted, but there was no depth in her actions.

“Carol is getting impatient.”

It was a subtle change, but he and Carol, who were both quick and clever, were being left behind.

Sharon was elegant and adorable, like a drowsy cat under the spring sun. But as transparent as her emotions were, her true self was still hidden.

With a smiling face, she was coldly cutting them off.

‘I am different from you. I am a stranger.’

That was what she seemed to say.

Of course, since she was a good person, Sharon may hesitate out of affection for Carol and himself… But that wasn’t enough.

“It’s annoying.”

Today was the same. The eyes that occasionally stared into the air were so transparent that it seemed like they were crying.

Today, they were at the exhibition hall that served as the venue for the charity event.

Sharon took the lead, and Carol and Julien followed a little bit behind her.