I’m Really Not Trying to Be Chased by the Heroine as the Villainous Playboy! – Chapter 533

Chapter 80: Xue Nuo’s Hobby

“Is it… strange to wear a formal dress?”

Xue Nuo, attending a gala for the first time, had no clue about these unspoken rules.

Honest Barbara was about to explain but was immediately hushed by the mature teacher.

The mature teacher began spouting nonsense with a serious face: “It’s not strange at all! The prettier you dress, the more boys will like you. Isn’t that common sense?”

Xue Nuo frowned, feeling something was off: “He’s just my apprentice.”

“But isn’t an apprentice a boy? Don’t worry, seeing you look so good, that kid might just be thrilled!”

In the distance, the figure of a black-haired boy came into view.

Encouraged by the crowd, Xue Nuo was hurriedly pushed towards Roy as if she were being nudged to take a dive into love.

To those around her, Xue Nuo was just a naive girl starting to explore romance, and they were delightfully pushing her towards a beautiful encounter.

It was like being pried by a bunch of troublesome aunts and uncles, bored office veterans just wanting to enjoy the sight of young love, reminiscing about their youthful days.

And unlike them, who would dare gossip about the teacher-apprentice relationship of a duke’s daughter like Xue Nuo?

On the other side, the black-haired boy was also dressed formally.

He hadn’t forgotten that his mentor was keen on dancing last time, so he naturally made preparations.

What surprised him was that although many from the Lionheart Kingdom, Golden Sands Duchy, Nia’s friends, and familiar student council members had already returned home, he still had Mark, leading the academy’s commoners, and White, leading the southern noble faction, coming respectfully to greet him.

One could say that by saving Mark and White, Roy had truly earned their gratitude.

Oddly enough, many unfamiliar Southern nobles were just as respectful—an ambassador from the Southern Seas even came specifically to thank Roy for his previous efforts in eliminating sea beast disasters, declaring “The Southern Sea nation will never forget your generosity and friendship,” which left Roy utterly perplexed.

He felt he hadn’t done anything at all?

Thinking back to when Charlotte and the others nearly wreaked havoc on the vacation island, Roy felt a bit embarrassed!

When the silver-haired beauty made her grand entrance, the crowd wisely dispersed.

Only the imperial prince looked a bit reluctant, wearing a somber expression and wanting to intervene.

However, less than two steps in, a towering figure blocked his path.

The gray-haired old man, draped in gray robes, smiled kindly: “Your Highness, please don’t be too formal at today’s gala… Oh, I suggest you try the red braised beef; it should suit the tastes of the Empire quite well…”

Winter nodded awkwardly, feeling panicked but daring not to show any disrespect to the “Sage,” ending up being led away to the other side of the banquet.

No one could disturb the gathering of the boy and girl.

Xue Nuo still couldn’t find the second teacher in formal dress and asked nervously, “Is wearing this okay?”

Roy raised an eyebrow, not catching the undertone of her words and instinctively following the proper polite response: “Of course not! A person is defined by their attire; beauty deserves a stunning outfit.”

“Do you… like it?” Xue Nuo hesitated.

Roy paused slightly before smiling back, “No one dislikes a pretty woman, do they?”

“Then that’s good.”

As long as he liked it, it seemed there was no need to worry about anything else, right?

The corner of her mouth finally relaxed, and Xue Nuo inadvertently smiled lightly, nearly sending Roy into a daze.

“Shall we go?” Xue Nuo extended a fair arm, inviting him to take it.

“Is that appropriate?” As Roy reached out, he hesitated.

“What’s inappropriate about it?”

“Isn’t it a bit too intimate?” Roy felt uncertain.

At a gala, unless under extraordinary circumstances, people of the opposite sex wouldn’t typically hold hands.

In Roy’s previous world, a mentor was to be respected for a lifetime, and such closeness was uncommon. But Veszyra didn’t seem to make a fuss over this…

Unexpectedly, Xue Nuo blinked and smiled softly: “There’s nothing to worry about. We are just mentor and apprentice; a little intimacy is perfectly fine, right?”

“You don’t need to be too formal around me.”

Be gentle with the apprentice.

Xue Nuo hadn’t forgotten the teachings of her elders.

With that, Xue Nuo actively leaned in and linked her arm with Roy’s.

The warm touch and the cool scent of blue roses from her silver hair made Roy feel elated.

Xue Nuo was tall and, in her high heels, moved closer so that Roy felt as if he were being led around like a little brother, embarrassed yet unable to suppress his joy.

However, one could still say Xue Nuo was, after all, the elder—this level of physical contact didn’t make her at all bashful.

The boy pondered internally, unaware that the silver-haired girl was far from as calm as she seemed, her long legs beneath the dress had unconsciously tightened.

Those seemingly indifferent eyes deliberately avoided his gaze, and a faint blush crept onto her fair cheeks, barely noticeable under the brilliant lights.

The banquet just involved chatting, drinking, and enjoying good food.

After the director’s brief and witty opening remarks, the banquet officially commenced.

Roy, using the excuse of needing to dance soon, abruptly interrupted Xue Nuo’s attempt to drink; finally relieved, he quickly led her away from the drink area to taste other foods.

The food at the banquet was decent, but being in formal wear and having to consider the lovely girl beside him, Roy found it hard to indulge fully, sampling everything rather than diving in and stuffing his face, which left him itching for more.

In times like these, he admired Xue Nuo a bit.

No matter what she ate, her expression stayed the same, showing no interest in delicacies—perhaps that’s why she was so slender…

Until they passed the dessert area.

Just as Roy was about to continue forward, he noticed Xue Nuo standing still, not moving an inch.

“Xue Nuo?”

Following her line of sight, he spotted a row of delicate little cakes topped with blueberry jam, and suddenly understood.

It had been mentioned in the original work that Xue Nuo had a weakness for sweetness, especially her homeland’s blueberry cake.

Her face maintained an air of aloofness, yet her eyes sparkled with excitement, her delicate throat quivering—this reminded Roy of his little dog, drooling over meat bones, and he couldn’t help but twitch his mouth.

“Pfft.”

Xue Nuo suddenly snapped her gaze away, pretending nothing happened: “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing, just thinking that Xue Nuo also has a cute side sometimes. If you want to eat, just go for it.”

“Correction! I didn’t want to eat; I just happened to catch a glimpse and suddenly felt nostalgic.”

Tch, now the apprentice had seen her vulnerable side.

She had to maintain the image of being a mentor and elder, or she would be looked down upon…

Straightening her posture, she casually averted her gaze: “Compared to cake, I’m much more fond of the red wine from my hometown…”

Roy’s smile vanished.

“No, no, no! I think the cake sounds fantastic!”

“No need. I have no interest in sweets.”

Despite her slender, elegant frame, Xue Nuo was still Class 5. Without the Evil Dragon Blood Armor to boost his strength, Roy was unable to resist and was practically dragged along.

If Xue Nuo were to throw a drunken fit before all the staff and ambassadors, disrespected him, and it made its way back to Charlotte and the others…

Just thinking about it made Roy sweat profusely.

As he saw her reaching for the drinks, the boy came up with a quick idea: “But I’m really interested! I really want to try the cake!”

Upon hearing that, the silver-haired girl finally stopped, helplessly murmuring, “…I really can’t deal with you.”