Don't Come Near Me, I'm Just a Background Character [BL Harem]

26 - Unwed Fiancés

I let out a downtrodden expression and silently relented, clicking open the small lock lining the box's fold with dead fish eyes.

Lucius's eyes gleamed brightly and he immediately reached out to grab one of the stacked miniature cheesecakes. I smacked his pesky hand to the side with a deadpan stare and snapped, "can't you see I'm having a grieving moment? Keep your thieving hands away, you're not getting any today."

I bemoaned my fortune and shoved the cakes into my mouth, one after the other, in an inwardly sobbing frenzy. The prince watched my half-hazard eating with distressed eyes. He looked away with slightly reddened eyes and exclaimed, "h-hmph, it's not like I wanted to eat those useless things anyway! Y-you keep it away! I really don't want it!"

I ignored his antics and simply drowned myself in the taste of sugar and green tea. Ahhh, why does this always happen to me...? First, it was transmigrating into this goddamn otome game as a dead character, then it was dealing with those out of character capture targets, and now...!

I shed imaginary tears and slammed my forehead onto the edge of the table in sorrow. The wronged prince jumped and snapped his attention to my sugar-high stupor. Meanwhile, my thoughts seemed to have followed railroad tracks to self-preservation and had become more and more strange.

—so even if he acts this way to me, he must act this way to his father! I am his father figure...! He had a hard childhood, but he feels safe around me, but since he's not accustomed to feeling warmth, he's blushing out of nervousness. He has a big sweet tooth, of course he feels wronged. He wants the sweets that cannot be replicated by chefs in the palace. As the only true chef around him, he needs to feel like his source of sustenance is secured by putting me by him.

Ah, it's troubling that he's trying to scout me to be the Head Chef in the palace. I have other aspirations, so I'll have to decline, but I appreciate the offer.

My mind nulled the thought of the future king as a potential out of character capture target, protecting my sanity. I snapped my head back up and clenched my fist. My eyes shined with a determined gaze. I laughed triumphantly, "You know what, Prince, the rest of the sweets are yours!"

The smirk spread on my face made me look like a foolish elephant drunk on seaweed. I held up a miniature cheesecake, with its pastry slightly smeared on my fingers, and pushed it in front of his mouth with an expectant nudge.

The prince's face turned blank before it flushed bright red. He tentatively moved his head closer and bit down into the cake. He stilled and seemed to be frozen with his eyes fixed on my pastry-covered fingers. He looked at them for a few long seconds before he hesitantly withdrew. I responded to his gaze with a quizzical stare but, in the end, brushed it off, and took the rest of the unbitten pastry into my mouth.

Mm, tastes like home. I swallowed the rest of the cake and licked the moist crumbs off of my fingers with relish. When I finished and glanced back up, I saw the prince's face a dripping shade of red, with his neck and ears completely flushed. He stared at my lips with yearning.

Thinking that it was a crumb lingering on my mouth, I licked my lips with my tongue to get rid of it. His face turned absolute scarlet and the hands covering his cheeks shot down into his lap. The word 'strange' surfaced in my mind momentarily but I shot it down before I could spiral down further. ...he must still be hungry!

I laughed awkwardly and gestured towards the box, "the rest is yours. Would you excuse me, your highness?"

He looked at the pile of sweets then back at my saliva-stained lips. In a daze, he unintentionally answered, "...no, don't leave."

My open mouth slowly shut. After a few seconds of loud silence, he snapped out of his daze and immediately turned stiff. He coughed, "I-I mean... I have to discuss something regarding the selection."

An unsettling feeling rose from my stomach, but I swallowed it back down and forced a smile. "R-right. Of course, Prince."

----

"My father believes that you are a perfect fit as the primary aid, considering your background, magical prowess, and educational background. Thus, I am here to provide you an opportunity to bypass the preliminary stages of examination. Meanwhile, you shall be briefed on royal etiquette, as well as..."

My face paled.

Voices were heard outside before the large door creaked open and two maids entered, with the younger maid trailing a half-step behind the other. The maid in front approached the tea table and bowed respectfully. Her gray-hair tied in a tight bun bobbed slightly with her big gesture. She moved close to the prince and whispered something in his ear. I waited patiently and watched her retreat expeditiously.

He hesitated, covering his mouth and moving his gaze downward bashfully. "No, change it. Move his belongings to the imperial guest room on the floor." he gestured to the left. The two maids bowed and scurried off.

I looked at him quizzically. He didn't mean... "Your highness...?"

He looked away and huffed, " I-I have no choice. S-since you have gained my father's favor and we will soon be meeting often to discuss these kinds of things, I figured that it's better to put you close to my room."

"I don't need-"

He interrupted, "Don't concern yourself, it's not too hard to do. And if you need any help, just come to my room. Hmph, you're really so troublesome, but there's no helping it." He ushered me out, pushing my back towards the door with red ears.

The door slammed shut behind me. I stood outside, motionless. My face contorted into a perplexed expression.

----

(A/N: Lucius' POV.)

The door slammed shut. I stumbled into the bathroom and gazed into the mirror. Loose hair stuck out on the side of my head. I hastily brushed it down and bit the inside of my mouth vexingly. I can't believe he saw me like that... My busy hands halted and my heart beat out of my chest. I stomped out of the bathroom angrily. It's not like I care! It's just that I... I... I batted the thought out of my head and tried to quell the rapid beating in my chest.

I rested my forehead on the cold stone wall in the hallway. Why did I tell him that... why did I move him... to that place...?

My blank face suddenly flushed bright red. I clutched my chest and felt a stuffy feeling fill it. Why is my heart beating so fast...?

I covered my mouth. A-anyway, it doesn't matter! It's not like I had that intention when I moved him to that place...! It was- it was simply out of convenience! It's... it's really not like that! I would never think of that lowly guy in that way!

----

(A/N: Remis' POV.)

I caressed the silky sheets on the bed with relish and slammed my face straight into the goose-feather pillows. Breathing in the refreshing scent of floral perfume, I flipped over and gazed at the ornamental crystal chandelier above.

"It really is an extravagant room..." I mumbled. Why would his highness put me in this room? Foreign royalty or esteemed guests were hosted here. Them, along with... A slight blush crept onto my cheeks.

Unwed fiancés...