Get Ahead of the Fallen Heroine and Make the Bull-Headed Man the Victim - Chapter 144



Chapter 144. Divine One, I’ve been confessed to once more~ (49)

Clyde had been feeling troubled lately.

The childhood friend he cherished, the second princess of this kingdom, Valentina, had recently taken to discussing work matters with an air of calm whenever they met.

No longer did she complain about her siblings or lament the misdeeds of villains as she once did.

This was, in truth, a good thing, for it meant Valentina had shed those unnecessary burdens, maturing into someone who could face difficulties head-on.

Yet, Clyde felt a gnawing unease.

He sensed that he and Valentina were gradually treading upon two entirely different paths.

As they grew older, he, an ordinary commoner, would increasingly find himself unable to assist the princess in her royal duties.

This thought filled him with anxiety, for he truly adored Valentina, who, despite her royal blood, remained so approachable.

To think that he, of all people, had the chance to be her childhood companion—this was a gift from the divine!

To simply give up felt utterly unacceptable.

Thus, after a night of contemplation, Clyde resolved to confess once more.

So, on the afternoon of the following day, Clyde awaited Valentina, who had promised to arrive at this hour.

After they exchanged casual banter for about twenty minutes, Valentina glanced at the time, preparing to leave for her usual activities.

In a sudden burst of courage, Clyde reached out, intending to grasp his childhood friend’s arm.

This was a reckless act, one that the gentle Clyde had never dared before.

“…Ah.”

But Clyde’s hand did not touch Valentina’s arm.

Sensing something amiss, Valentina furrowed her brow and swiftly pulled her arm away, casting an instinctive look of discontent at Clyde.

In that moment, Clyde felt as if he were a thief caught in the act, awkwardness washing over him, and he even let out a strange sound in response.

—

“…I’m sorry, Clyde. I instinctively thought someone was trying to attack me, so I dodged. So, what’s the matter?”

Valentina’s discontent stemmed from a single source.

Her body was already destined to be devoted to the divine, and naturally, she could not allow other men to touch her.

Yet, when she realized that Clyde was, after all, her childhood friend, she felt she should at least offer a slight explanation.

She tucked away her instinctive displeasure, donning a friendly smile as she apologized to Clyde.

This was, of course, an act; she was still unhappy.

But at least it was a privilege of childhood friends, for with others, she wouldn’t even bother to pretend, letting them pay the price for their audacity.

“Uh, no, I should be the one apologizing. I’m sorry, Tina, I was too rude. Truly, I’m sorry.”

Seeing Valentina apologize first, Clyde assumed she despised boorishness, and hurriedly bowed his head in contrition.

“Don’t worry about it~ Let’s just get to the point.”

…And, actually, I don’t hate rude people, alright?

The princess did not voice this last thought; she merely smiled, reassuring her childhood friend not to take it to heart.

“Um, um, well, Tina, even though I was rejected once before, I still can’t let go of my feelings. Do you think I have a chance to stand by your side? I-I’ll work hard to change! I’ll definitely help you, Tina!”

The boy shyly scratched his cheek with his fingers, then mustered all his courage to confess his feelings once more to the object of his affection.

The confession was neither deep nor particularly mature, but it was indeed filled with youthful emotion.

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However, if they both liked each other, the manner of the confession hardly mattered.

“…Um, I’m sorry, Clyde. Can you give me a night to think it over? You caught me off guard, and it’s hard for me to sort out my feelings.”

In truth, the princess had long suspected this might happen, feigning a troubled expression, neither agreeing nor outright refusing, but choosing to reserve her opinion for the time being.

“Ah, it’s fine, it’s fine! One night, two nights, it’s all okay!”

Seeing his childhood friend hesitate, the boy felt a twinge of disappointment, for this essentially signified another failure of his confession.

If she were anyone else, he would have surely left in despair by now.

But since she was the princess, he quickly waved his hands and forced a smile; even if the confession failed, he couldn’t be too rude.

This was Clyde’s way of navigating the world—timid yet perceptive, avoiding conflict, especially when faced with someone of high status, he became even more humble.

Clever, yet it evoked a sense of sadness.

Valentina had only recently come to realize this.

The boy was not inherently gentle; he was gentle only because he had no other choice.

If given the opportunity and power, perhaps even that meager gentleness would vanish.

She simply smiled, offering her apologies to her childhood friend, then turned to leave.

Only a boy, clearly dejected yet feigning indifference, remained behind.

And once she was nearly out of sight, he let out a heavy sigh, disappointment etched across his face.

Through the distance, the dragon’s eye, enhanced by its sharpened vision, gazed upon her Highness the Princess, whose expression was now filled with disappointment.

She had hoped her childhood friend would muster the courage to confess the lies he had spun.

If that were the case, she would still refuse him, but at least she could express her gratitude instead of her apologies.

Indeed, she had no intention of acquiescing, no matter what.

After all, while she cherished gentle souls, she had no fondness for sycophants.

Clyde was just like the others, always seeing her as the Princess, not as ‘Valentina.’

Yet, it was no easy feat, for it was difficult to overlook her royal identity and see her as simply herself.

But fortune smiled upon her, for she had encountered one who cared not for her status yet still chose to gaze upon her.

Though this being would deliberately refer to her as Princess, she knew that to him, her title meant little; after all, he was a divine entity.

How could a mere princess or queen hold any significance for him?

So, since she would certainly not accept her childhood friend’s confession, why did her Highness choose to withhold her opinion?

Heh, that was simply because she wanted to see how the divine being she cared for would react to it.

The now cunning princess covered her mouth with her hand, stifling a smile that twisted at the corners, a glint of mischief flashing in her dim, purplish eyes.

If she guessed correctly, that ‘abominable dark god’ would surely be unable to sit still, appearing before her in no time.

“Um, um, Princess Valentina, that gentleman over there asked if you could help him with the payment. I tried to refuse him, but he looks rather intimidating. Is he someone you know? Could it be a violent fugitive provoking you…?”

As her Highness deliberately gazed into the distance at her childhood friend, a middle-aged man, seemingly the shopkeeper, approached her with an apologetic expression.

The man spoke while pointing to a black-haired youth sipping a drink beneath a parasol at the entrance of his shop.

“Ah, Princess, my apologies, but could you please help me with the payment? It shouldn’t be a problem, right?”

It was Noah, wearing a brazen expression that seemed to defy the heavens. Though his words were polite, his tone was utterly dreadful, lacking any semblance of courtesy, laced instead with mockery and threat.

—See! I told you he would show up!

The moment she laid eyes on him, her heart raced wildly, a feeling she had never experienced in the company of her childhood friend.

Yet, despite the intense joy swelling within her, she feigned dissatisfaction as she strode toward Noah.

After all, she needed to observe how the divine being would truly perceive her genuine confession from Clyde~

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PS. Three updates today, more to come tomorrow!