Luinael’s soft hair wound around Isaac’s fingers.
It was mesmerizing to look at, and the texture was just as extraordinary, like silk cascading against his skin.
Marveling at the sensation, Isaac quickly withdrew his hand in shock.
He must’ve lost his mind.
Touching the hair of a royal like that—it was a blatant act of disrespect.
Fortunately, Luinael didn’t seem inclined to punish Isaac for the offense.
Instead, with an absentminded expression, as though lost in thought, he murmured softly.
“Could you… stroke it again?”
“I apologize. I shouldn’t…”
“Please. Like you did the first day we met.”
“……”
Just how audacious was the original Isaac?
Even if he was young, to casually ruffle the hair of a prince like Luinael—it was almost incomprehensible.
But Isaac couldn’t entirely blame him.
He had just done the exact same thing.
Hesitating for a moment, Isaac slowly extended his hand again.
“You’re still as kind as ever, Isaac.”
“Me?”
“Yes.”
“……”
Luinael smiled warmly, like a contented puppy, rubbing his cheek against Isaac’s hand.
Isaac looked down at him in silence.
Kindness, from someone who was destined to be a villain of his era?
The word felt so out of place that it made him chuckle bitterly.
At any rate, this should be enough.
If he kept stroking Luinael’s head while the prince sat there half-dressed, things might take a strange turn.
Awkwardly withdrawing his hand, Isaac noticed Luinael’s lingering gaze following it.
“I’ll dress myself from here.”
“Ah.”
Turning away, Isaac spoke as steadily as he could, brushing off the awkwardness.
Before Luinael could say anything further, he grabbed the soft-looking indoor attire nearby.
At that moment, a familiar blue window appeared before his eyes.
[Congratulations!
By engaging in physical contact and emotional exchange with your match, you’ve earned double BL Points.
Current BL Points: 12
Continue meaningful interactions with your match to earn more points!]
“……”
The message was as unwelcome as ever.
Gritting his teeth, Isaac hastily changed into the indoor clothes.
The only consolation was that he could use these points as an excuse to justify the inexplicable flutter in his chest around Luinael.
All of this was for one goal: to gather enough points to become the protagonist of this genre and escape the damned scenario.
One day, he would leave this cursed novel behind.
Isaac vowed silently, his resolve burning.
“Thank you for your help earlier.”
Turning back to Luinael, Isaac spoke in as calm a tone as he could muster.
Thankfully, Luinael didn’t seem to notice how flustered he had been.
Isaac couldn’t help feeling a bit smug about his acting skills.
“No need to thank me. It was my duty.”
“……”
It wasn’t.
Nothing about the prince’s upbringing would suggest this was his responsibility.
But Isaac was too tired to keep silently arguing with Luinael’s words.
“Well, if that’s all…”
Now that he had finally changed clothes, he just wanted to rest.
As Isaac was about to dismiss Luinael—
Growl.
“……”
“……”
His stomach let out an embarrassingly loud sound.
He’d been so busy with today’s event that he hadn’t had a proper meal.
His body, finally relaxing, reminded him of the hunger he had been suppressing.
‘Damn it.’
To think he’d embarrass himself like this in front of Luinael.
His face flushed uncontrollably.
No amount of acting could save him now.
“I apologize for overlooking that. I’ll have a meal prepared immediately.”
“Ah… Thank you.”
Luinael, to Isaac’s relief, didn’t laugh or tease him.
Instead, he sounded composed—almost serious, as if addressing an important task.
Startled, Isaac could only nod as Luinael exited the room.
Not long after, a servant guided Isaac to the dining room.
To Isaac’s surprise, the servant was none other than Noah, the one he had sent away earlier.
Still visibly shaken, Noah avoided eye contact and trembled slightly.
Though Isaac felt a pang of pity, there wasn’t much he could do.
Acting oblivious was probably the kindest thing he could manage.
As they reached the dining room, Isaac froze in his tracks.
‘Is this a buffet or a meal?’
A massive table, capable of seating twenty people comfortably, was laden with an overwhelming array of dishes.
Each one looked more delicious than the last.
For a moment, Isaac was unsure what to think.
Was there some banquet planned for tonight?
He’d assumed it would just be the two of them dining.
Or was someone else joining them?
Perhaps even the Emperor?
While he was lost in thought, Luinael approached him with a cheerful smile.
“You’re here, Isaac.”
“Uh…”
“You must be hungry. Let’s eat.”
“……”
Guided to the table by Luinael, Isaac stared blankly at the feast before him.
Despite the abundance of food, the only people at the table were him and Luinael.
The servants stood silently near the walls, ready to assist but not dining themselves.
“Is something wrong?”
“No, it’s just… there’s a lot of food.”
“Is there?”
“……”
Luinael blinked in surprise, as if it hadn’t occurred to him.
His genuine confusion only made Isaac more flustered.
Did royals normally eat like this?
No, that couldn’t be.
Isaac had attended imperial banquets and even dined with the late Emperor and Empress.
But even they didn’t prepare meals like this for an ordinary dinner.
This was just excessive.
“It seems a bit much for just the two of us,” Isaac finally remarked.
“Ah… I’m sorry. I told them to prepare plenty, just in case you were very hungry.”
“……”
That didn’t mean they had to serve enough food to feed half the empire.
Isaac sighed inwardly, glancing at the table and then at Luinael, who seemed completely unbothered.
“Thank you for the consideration.”
“No need to thank me. Please, eat as much as you’d like.”
“……Alright.”
Luinael, who had briefly pouted, immediately broke into a bright smile at Isaac’s words.
Isaac, averting his gaze from Luinael’s face, hurriedly moved to take his seat.
“If you’d like, you may sit at the head of the table.”
“No, I can’t do that.”
Isaac firmly declined and quickly settled in the seat next to the head.
No matter how favorably Luinael treated him, accepting such an offer outright was out of the question.
Back when he played the role of the arrogant villain, he wouldn’t have cared a bit about royal authority or anything else, behaving as he pleased.
But not now.
To safely earn recognition as the protagonist and escape the story, it was best to keep a low profile.
The last thing he wanted was to draw unnecessary attention and provoke the emperor, the current protagonist.
Letting out a small sigh, Isaac sat down, deep in thought.
“Hoo…”
“Please try this salmon salad first. It’s exceptionally fresh, caught just this morning.”
“Oh, thank you.”
Isaac, who happened to enjoy salmon, couldn’t help but brighten at the suggestion.
Among the dishes nearby, the vibrant salmon had already caught his eye.
Luinael beamed again and scooped some of the salmon salad onto Isaac’s plate.
A servant who had approached to assist awkwardly stepped back, and Isaac, feeling both flattered and uneasy, spoke up.
“You really don’t have to go to such lengths…”
“I’m doing it because I want to.”
“Haha…”
Facing the bashful Luinael, Isaac could only manage an awkward laugh.
Well, at least he’s not feeding me the salad directly.
That’s something, Isaac thought as he picked up his fork with some effort.
“…!”
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