I’m Really Not Trying to Be Chased by the Heroine as the Villainous Playboy! – Chapter 41

Chapter 41: Teasing Turns into Being Teased

The formal dinner party was held inside the villa.

As guests began to arrive, the young nobles who had lingered outside one by one stepped into the official venue.

The place was adorned opulently, with candlelight and electric light mingling beautifully, and the aroma of fine wines wafted through the air, intoxicating everyone.

But what truly made the young nobles feel uneasy were the big shots standing around.

Duke Raymond, Marquis of Ironblood, Count Woodpecker, and the griffon knight Claude…

Even though everyone was dressed in splendid attire and wore serene expressions, their reputations were deafening. They were either dignitaries of the Lionheart Kingdom or heroes who had slain dragons over a decade ago.

Faced with these legendary figures they had heard about since childhood, the youngsters felt a mix of yearning and respect, but mostly, tension.

Amidst these anxious, awkward young people, only two figures stood out as calm and composed, shining bright, not showing a shred of nervousness even in front of the host of the banquet, Duke Raymond.

“Lord Raymond, on behalf of the Reinhardt royal family, I extend our most sincere blessings to you.”

“There’s no need to stand on ceremony, just call me Uncle!”

After the pleasantries, Raymond looked at the young couple holding hands before him, a smirk creeping onto his face as he teasingly said, “They say you have no interest in men, but it seems that’s not the case now, is it?”

No, no, our princess is definitely a girl-loving girl!

Roy subconsciously tried to pull his hand away to avoid misunderstandings, but Charlotte tightened her grip even more.

That soft, warm skin carried a pleasant fragrance, drawing closer, making Roy feel decidedly uncomfortable.

“I just wasn’t interested in those previous guys,” Charlotte huffed, sneaking a glance at Roy from the corner of her eye.

Roy was confused by her stare.

“So, does that mean you’re interested in someone now?” Karl, standing next to Old Raymond, suddenly perked up and asked eagerly.

“I heard that the princess got along quite well with young Roy at the matchmaking event? Too bad you didn’t stay for dinner; if convenient, you two could arrange another time to chat.”

“Uh, well…”

Faced with Karl’s enthusiastic inquiry, Charlotte awkwardly averted her gaze.

Leaving the matchmaking event was practically a dark chapter in Charlotte’s history. If she had stayed for dinner back then, her relationship with Roy would likely be different now. But what was it supposed to be now?

Most importantly, what did Roy think of her?

With a belly full of anxiety, the normally graceful princess now stuttered, appearing quite flustered.

Roy, witnessing this, felt even more anxious than Charlotte.

Come on, Dad, don’t throw me under the bus! Building up a bit of rapport isn’t easy!

If she’s not interested, prolonging this will definitely kill the vibe!

“Father, we know what we’re doing, so don’t worry about it,” Roy complained to his dad.

“Exactly! You shouldn’t meddle in the affairs of the young ones,” Old Raymond said, pulling Karl away. Before leaving, he shot Roy and Charlotte a knowing smile that said, “You understand.”

Seriously, Karl usually has it together, but why does he get so riled up when it comes to Charlotte?

Once the two elders left, Roy finally let out a sigh of relief and led Charlotte to wander around the venue.

But thanks to Karl’s words, Roy’s previously calm demeanor began to flutter, making him realize just how ambiguous his current position with the princess was.

Looking around, he noticed it was rare for noble men and women to hold hands like this; it seemed he and Charlotte were a tad too close.

No wonder my old man misunderstood!

He even caught sight of a woman in the corner throwing them a teasing, suggestive look.

“Charlotte, is it really appropriate for us to keep holding hands like this?”

Roy tried to pull his hand from around Charlotte’s waist, only for her to react quickly and tighten her grip.

“What’s wrong with it?” the little princess pouted, her beautiful eyes narrowing slightly, “Isn’t it like this at dance parties?”

“Is it just holding hands? Look how nervous you are,” Charlotte continued, moving closer, smirking as if reveling in Roy’s embarrassment.

The two of them stood face-to-face, close enough for Roy to admire her stunning features in the light, even noticing the fine hair on her cheeks.

Roy felt flustered under her gaze and lowered his head.

“Hehe, are you shy?” Charlotte covered her mouth, giggling with delight.

Although it wasn’t unpleasant, Roy felt a bit indignant.

As a self-proclaimed expert on romance (thanks to previous life experiences with dating sims), there was no way he could be toyed with by a mere innocent little girl!

“Aren’t you also holding on really tight since a bit ago? Looks like you’re lacking experience too?” Roy adjusted his breathing and shot back lightly.

“Could it be that Charlotte really has no interest in men?”

Tremble, you girl-loving girl, take that piercing blow!

“Uh, no, it’s just that there weren’t any suitable ones before!”

As Roy anticipated, Charlotte’s expression froze, her tone immediately turning chaotic.

But it wasn’t the awkwardness of having her truth exposed; it was a deep sense of helplessness.

Forget about others, why did Roy think she was a lesbian?!

“I’m just not interested in those guys!” Charlotte started off defiantly, then quickly lowered her voice to a whisper, “But if it’s you… it’s not totally out of the question…”

Roy realized where this was heading but was caught off guard by Charlotte’s sudden acceptance.

Whether it was the lighting or not, a faint blush crept onto the girl’s cheeks, resembling a sweet, juicy little apple that made one want to take a bite.

Damn it, why is she kinda cute?!

“Clearly, I’m the villain here?” Roy feigned a carefree tone to hide his inner turmoil.

“After today, there will probably be a lot of rumors going around. The noble Lionheart princess rejected so many gentlemen yet ended up with a worthless scoundrel as her partner.”

Roy spoke casually, reflecting on how different the princess was from the disdainful depiction of her in the original story.

However, Charlotte’s voice became serious.

“I don’t care what they say.”

“I only care about what I see.”

With that, Charlotte reached out her hand, opening her palm to cup Roy’s face, locking their gazes.

Her crimson eyes were filled with warmth, passion, approval, and an emotion Roy couldn’t decipher—a certain softness.

Charlotte smiled, radiating pure confidence, completely unfazed by the surrounding gossip, “So you don’t need to worry about those boring rumors.”

“Honestly, I don’t care about those rumors either.”

“Huh?”

“I just don’t want you to be dragged down by them.”

“You care about me?” Charlotte’s heart raced for a moment, but she masked it with graceful poise, playfully asking.

Yet Roy gazed into her eyes with utmost seriousness: “Isn’t that a given?”

In an instant, staring into the youth’s eyes, as dark as the night, and the surprised expression reflected in them, Charlotte’s facade crumbled.

Her heart raced like a little deer joyfully dancing.