Chapter 108

Only Princess Florin, unaware of the full picture, looked back and forth between me and my brother in confusion.

“Lady Roha, where are you going? I’d like to come too—”

“Oh, I’m just going to meet Armin. Would you like to come along, Your Highness?”

Pettily annoyed, I threw out the offer without thinking. But the princess hesitated briefly before shaking her head.

“No, thank you. I’ll stay at the mansion today.”

She then mumbled out some vague excuse.

“I was out late last night, so I’m feeling a little tired…”

We had just lounged on a comfy sofa at the duke’s estate and chatted—that was the entirety of her “outing.” And this morning, she had clearly said she wanted to go out, didn’t she?

“Then shall we postpone our visit to the bookstore until tomorrow?”

“The bookstore? You were planning to visit a bookstore with Vivi?”

The sudden change from saying she’d stay home to recalling our earlier conversation clearly flustered Princess Florin.

“Ah… well, I wanted to pick up some books I wouldn’t be able to find in Gellang…”

She lowered her head in embarrassment—and the way Sasha looked at her just then… good grief. That gaze alone was enough to be put on display.

“If you don’t mind,” he said.

“Yes?”

“Would it be alright if I escorted you there?”

My jaw literally dropped.

“Brother.”

“Vivi, you’re still here?”

“I—Wow. Seriously…”

Not once, in all the years we’d known each other, had my brother ever gone to a bookstore with me. Maybe he was uncomfortable because I liked romance novels, or maybe he just didn’t care, but buying books was always something I did alone. And yet here he was, volunteering to escort the princess—without her even asking.

This wasn’t just formal hospitality for a visiting dignitary. There was something more to it.

“This is going nowhere. Your Highness, is it alright if my brother accompanies you instead of me?”

Princess Florin hesitated for a moment, then nodded.

That settled it. It was now perfectly clear who the odd one out was in this little group.

“Don’t try to stop me. I’ve got someone to meet too. Someone who actually likes me—me, and no one else.”

Feeling unexpectedly left out, I suddenly missed Armin all the more.

* * *

The weather was beautiful. Despite the suddenness of my message, Armin gladly agreed to go on a date, and now we were strolling through the park together.

The warm day had brought out lots of people. As we walked down a tree-lined path lush with greenery, I passionately told Armin all about my brother and Princess Florin.

“Now I finally get why Sasha always looked so horrified when it was just the three of us together.”

The expression on Alessandro Roha’s face… honestly, it was something I was afraid I’d see again in my dreams.

“Really? You’re making me curious now.”

Cherry blossom petals floated down on the breeze like falling pink snow. Armin plucked one off my forehead as he spoke.

“Is that so? Then would you like to come over to my house?”

“I’ll pass.”

“Why not?”

His blunt rejection stung a little. But after hearing his reason, I had to nod in understanding.

“I’m trying not to get involved with the royal family at all.”

“Oh.”

I nodded. I suddenly recalled how chaotic the ballroom became when Princess Florin pointed to Sasha. It had been quite a scene.

“You’re right. You shouldn’t come near our house for a while.”

“That’s a bit extreme…”

“No, seriously. What if she sees you properly and ends up liking you instead?”

Obviously, right? No matter how amazing Sasha might be, I couldn’t look at my twin and my boyfriend with the same eyes. Of course Armin looked way better to me.

As I kept sternly warning him to stay away from our house, Armin looked at me with a smile he was clearly trying to hold back. What? Did he think I was joking?

“I’m serious! Don’t come by. You mustn’t get caught by the Princess.”

I had thought Crown Prince Zeta was a good person at first too. I still believed Princess Florin was decent, but having been burned once, I couldn’t help feeling a little cautious now.

We were walking down the cherry blossom-lined path, Armin chuckling beside me, when he suddenly spoke up halfway down the road.

“But something still doesn’t make sense to me.”

“What doesn’t?”

“That Sasha’s fallen for Princess Florin.”

What’s there not to understand? It was obvious just by looking at him.

“Oh, please. You can tell at a glance. Which is exactly why I can’t bring you home.”

“Sasha’s a very pragmatic person. And we all know Princess Florin has to find her spouse through a divine oracle.”

“So?”

“So even if he does have feelings for her, unless he’s the one the oracle names, there’s no future there.”

“T-Talking about their future? They’ve only known each other for two days!”

I was completely flustered by how Armin skipped over dating and jumped straight to marriage. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized he had a point.

“Vivi, do you really think Sasha’s the type to fall for someone knowing it’ll be that difficult?”

“No.”

There was no need to think twice. My brother, Alessandro Roha, didn’t even glance at things he couldn’t have.

He always went for what he knew he could grasp. Of course, since he was capable, even the seemingly impossible had always opened up for him—like a path paved smooth.

There weren’t many nobles his age making a name for themselves in the Council. Sasha, who had risen above the limits of a Viscount’s household to become a key figure, was growing ever more influential.

“It’s not just that it’s only been two days. When Prince Garbo returns from Gellang, Princess Florin’s partner will likely be decided. I can’t imagine Sasha pining for someone like that.”

“Oh.”

Now that he mentioned it, it did make sense.

“Then what is it? Sasha is being way too nice to Princess Florin.”

“Maybe you just misunderstood Sasha trying to treat an important guest with proper courtesy,” Armin suggested.

He had a point. After all, I was the only one who had ever seen Sasha act that way. No one was in a better position to judge than me, but Armin’s words were oddly convincing.

“Hm…”

We’d been told to treat our guests well—especially not just any guest, but a state guest. Someone being given royal-level hospitality. And the place she visited? It was the Viscount estate that Sasha would eventually inherit.

“Maybe you’re right, Armin… but still, I’ve never seen that kind of expression on Sasha’s face before.”

I felt a twinge of pity. In romance novels, there’s always that one supporting male character who gazes longingly at a woman out of reach—only to slip and fall while trying to climb a tree too high. It’s a classic trope. Especially when that man is brown-haired, capable, and seemingly ordinary.

Sasha was one of the people I loved most in the world. But I couldn’t imagine some foreign god declaring him the chosen partner of a princess through divine oracle.

“I kind of hope you’re right too,” Armin said gently, slipping his hand into mine.

Our gloved fingers interlocked, and I could feel the warmth and strength of his larger hand.

“How about you focus on me a little, since it’s our long-awaited date?”

“D-Date…”

Ever since we started preparing for marriage, Armin had gotten much more direct about expressing himself.

“And there’s something else.”

“Yes?”

“I’m getting uneasy about postponing the wedding with no clear end in sight.”

He was being so honest.

Looking straight into my eyes, he told me he was anxious—and despite thinking I’d gotten used to Armin’s god-like face, my heart started pounding all over again.

“But we were told not to marry until the oracle is complete.”

“They said marriage was banned. Not engagement.”

“What?”

“We were originally planning to skip the engagement and go straight to the wedding, remember?”

His grip on my hand tightened slightly.

“But since everything’s ready, how about we get engaged first? I’m worried some useless insect might start hovering around.”

“Engaged…”

I repeated the word in a daze. I was always anxious, too. Like now—going so far as to ban Armin from even coming to my house because I was afraid Princess Florin might fall for him at first sight. Pathetic.

Armin laughed at me. Surprised by the sudden laughter, I looked up, and he brushed my cheek with a fond smile.

“Not that you could marry anyone else anyway, not with the whole trial situation.”

“Ugh! Stop bringing that up, seriously.”

Things had calmed down a bit now, but I really didn’t want to relive how long my name had been dragged through the papers. The entire country had read in excruciating detail just how much Vivian Roha loved Armin Grey.

Even now, I wanted to crawl into a hole and die just thinking about it.

“Oh right. I think that book is supposed to be released today.”

“Please don’t.”

Armin’s violet eyes sparkled with amusement.

“Let’s swing by the bookstore real quick.”

“I said no!”

“I should probably get, like, five copies.”

“Why five?! You have the original manuscript, Armin!”

I couldn’t help it—I shrieked.

Armin burst into uncontrollable laughter.

“Stop teasing me already! I can’t believe it even became a real book!”

Blushing furiously, I started pounding on his back. Not that it hurt him—my strength was like a feather in comparison.

The book Armin meant had a hot pink cover with gold-embossed lettering. It was as flashy as it sounded.

The title? Twenty Creative Ways to Express Love.

And the author? Vivian Roha.

Me.