It Seemed My Fiancé Hated Me, So I Distanced Myself—But for Some Reason, He Complained - Chapter 19

“Clarissa”

“Y-yes? What is it?”

His Highness, who had been cursing Ryan, suddenly turned to face me.

“You no longer need to suffer because of that man. From today onward, I will protect you.”

“Huh…?”

His Highness said that with a smile.

I was so bewildered that I could only stare back at him blankly.

The time for the garden party arrived.

Young nobles from the kingdom entered one after another. Among them were Lord Ryan and Chelsea.

Standing beside the ever-handsome Lord Ryan was Chelsea, wearing a lovely pink dress and looking quite pleased.

I thought Lord Ryan must be in high spirits with such a charming young lady by his side, but surprisingly, he looked bored.

“Shall we go now, Clarissa?”

“Yes.”

His Highness offered me his hand. We, who had been waiting discreetly on the side, stepped into the garden that served as the venue.

Walking through the venue hand-in-hand with His Highness.

The moment His Highness was spotted, the entire venue buzzed with excitement.

“Look, it’s Prince Lucas! How beautiful he is!”

“To see His Highness up close like this.”

The young ladies blushed as they gazed at Prince Lucas and whispered among themselves. Then, one of them spoke up in a puzzled tone.

“Oh? Who is the young lady beside him?”

My heart thumped loudly. Instantly, all the times I had been badmouthed while standing next to Lord Ryan flashed through my mind.

If I had received such scornful looks even when I was with Lord Ryan, how much colder would the stares be now that I was with the prince?

I felt so frightened that I nearly stopped in my tracks.

But the words I heard were unexpectedly different.

“What a beautiful person! I wonder which family she’s from? I’ve never seen her before!”

“I don’t know her either. Could there be such a lovely person among the influential nobles?”

“Perhaps she’s from a foreign country? Her ruby-colored eyes are so beautiful.”

The young ladies were looking at me with enchanted expressions. My mind couldn’t keep up with this unexpected turn of events. Were they talking about someone else?

Puzzled, I glanced around the venue and made eye contact with some young gentlemen who were whispering among themselves while looking my way. The moment our eyes met, their faces turned red, and they quickly averted their gazes.

Receiving such reactions, which I had never experienced before, left me utterly bewildered.

“Everyone is looking at you, Clarissa. I feel proud too, though it bothers me a little that the young gentlemen are so captivated by you.”

Prince Lucas chuckled mischievously beside me.

“There must be some mistake.”

“There’s no mistake. You are very beautiful, Clarissa. It’s no wonder everyone’s eyes are glued to you.”

Even though Prince Lucas said that, I couldn’t believe it at all.