I’m Really Not Trying to Be Chased by the Heroine as the Villainous Playboy! – Chapter 550

Chapter 97: Unwanted Thoughts

Rationality told Winter that he had lost.

Going against Roy, who had the backing of many forces, was unwise. At this moment, enduring humiliation and retreating was the best choice.

But he was unwilling.

As a prince, as a man, he had thought victory was in the bag, but it turned out like this—how could he accept it?!

Winter tightened his lovesick expression and pointed at the Black-Haired Boy to accuse him, “Roy Ainbrad, stop playing innocent!”

“What private tutoring? You’re just harboring improper thoughts for my cousin! In the Academy, using the guise of a personal teacher to get close to her isn’t enough, and now you want to take away her happiness?!”

Roy almost lost it but managed to keep a smirk on his face.

Struggling still? Fine, let’s play it out to the end.

“What you said is possible. But with just the two of us, we can’t decide a winner, can we?

“Why not let Miss Xue Nuo choose for herself.”

“Whether she marries His Highness Winter or becomes my private tutor, we should respect the wishes of the person involved, right?”

Roy smiled as he looked at the Silver-Haired Girl on stage.

Not just him, at that moment, everyone’s gaze shifted to the ice rose standing alongside Winter, holding their breath to await the final outcome of the contest.

But Xue Nuo herself was gazing at the Black-Haired Boy, lost in thought.

She had no doubt Roy would support her.

The warm encouragement from last night had indeed filled her with courage.

But that was merely encouragement of the heart.

Facing the deadly trap set by His Highness Winter, she didn’t want to drag her already unfortunate student into the mire.

However, Roy was far more capable than she imagined.

Not only did he bring her warmth, but he also dispelled the darkness and paved a new path for her.

After a long blizzard, they finally welcomed a ray of light before dawn.

And now, it was time for her to make a choice.

Under everyone’s watchful eyes, the Silver-Haired Girl stood up and gracefully walked down from the stage to stand beside the Black-Haired Boy.

With a simple gesture, she reached out and firmly linked her arm with his, before glancing back at Winter with a cold look.

“I choose him.”

Winter’s expression darkened, “Cousin, have you thought this through?”

“He’s just a foreign marquis’s son, a mere kid…”

The Silver-Haired Girl coldly interrupted, “I reiterate. I’ve said I choose him.”

“If you didn’t hear clearly, I’m going to say it until you do.”

“Of course. I am his personal mentor, his private tutor, but I was never, and will never be, your fiancée.”

“As long as it’s Roy, even if he has improper thoughts, I don’t care!”

Her stern reprimand completely dashed Winter’s last hope. The hall echoed with her clear voice, lingering long afterward.

The victor had been determined. This was Xue Nuo’s final choice.

A wave of chatter followed.

The young people, unaware of the truth, were drowned in gossip, while the young masters snickered, lamenting how the noble prince, with power, riches, and good looks, still ended up with nothing despite his heartfelt proposal, unaware that the other party had already made connections.

The young ladies were amazed at how the Black-Haired Boy had such means and tenacity, overpowering the prince and successfully snatching the bride, thereby shifting someone else’s affections.

To them, the prince’s meticulously planned proposal had ultimately lost to the genuine feelings of the young boy and girl.

Meanwhile, between the two noble factions, a storm brewed.

With Roy’s external support, the border nobles broke their previous silence, denouncing Winter’s lapdogs.

Britney wasted no time, pointing directly at them and calling them “inept lapdogs.”

Even the usually smooth and steady Earl Barry couldn’t resist mocking, “Miss Xue Nuo has made her decision. As for titles or engagement, there’s no need to rush, everyone, do you have anything to say?”

The inland nobles gritted their teeth but had no retort.

Noble confrontations always stemmed from the quantity of chips.

Now that the other party held overwhelming advantages in chips, even if Britney called them pig heads, they could only swallow their grievances.

After all, even their prince had ended up looking like that…

On the high platform, Winter’s smile froze, his face turned ashen as he watched the Silver-Haired Girl and Black-Haired Boy snuggled together, fists clenched tight.

With Winter’s forced marriage thoroughly thwarted, the panel arrived as expected.

【Warning! Detecting progress in mission reversal. Every choice you make will change destiny; please choose wisely!】

【Current Reversal Node: Snow Wolf】

【Snow Wolf Reversal Progress】: 21%

【Reward】: Reversal Point +1

After the soirée ended that night, Roy accompanied Xue Nuo back to the top of Snowwind Fortress.

The wind and snow still howled, but the moonlight was gentle, outlining the Silver-Haired Girl’s profile, making her look radiant and ethereal.

Yet, the soft touch and the faint scent of the blue rose beside him were all too real.

Since leaving the banquet, Xue Nuo hadn’t let go of his arm.

“What a surprise. I thought you were just encouraging me, but I never imagined you could truly stop Winter…”

“What an impressive child.”

Xue Nuo turned back and gently ruffled his hair, her tone mixed with pride and a hint of shame: “Instead, I feel like this mentor of mine is somewhat useless.”

“It’s just that you’re limited by your position, being in the thick of it. Besides, didn’t Miss Xue Nuo save me before?” Roy teased, “Wasn’t I also very useless when I was on the brink of death?”

Xue Nuo furrowed her brow, “Of course not! As Sequence 7, you’re already excellent…”

“That’s the point.” Roy snapped his fingers and softly said to the girl, “Miss Xue Nuo, you’ve done wonderfully too.”

“……Yeah.”

This time, Xue Nuo didn’t argue.

She nodded slightly, exhaling a long sigh, as if relieved, completely leaning against the young man, feeling his warmth, like a weary Snow Wolf finally finding its only refuge in the cold night, and quietly closed her eyes.

As a mentor, she should maintain a grand image at all times.

But in front of Roy, she didn’t need to be tense.

Whether strong or weak, he always gently embraced all of her, becoming her reliance.

After relaxing her taut nerves, her mesmerizing, snow-like beauty was left with the softness and purity behind her cold smile, causing Roy’s heart to skip a beat.

Completely unguarded, Xue Nuo, who had unwound her tension, was inexplicably adorable like a snowball about to melt.

And that snowball inevitably rubbed against him, bringing a wave of softness.

Facing off against Winter, Miss Xue Nuo must be tired too…

Not wanting to disturb her rest, Roy suppressed his embarrassment, diverted the topic to occupy their thoughts: “It must have been hard to be entangled with that kind of guy when you didn’t want to get married, right?”

“Not really. But, correction. It’s not that I don’t want to get married; I just don’t want to marry Winter.” Xue Nuo replied, a bit fatigued.

“Oh? So, does the teacher have another marriage candidate?” Roy was genuinely curious about which lucky girl Xue Nuo might pick under the current plot.

Following the boy’s words, Xue Nuo began to ponder, somewhat dazed.

Carrying the mission of defending the Andervist family, all her energy had gone into self-improvement, rarely considering her own happiness.

“Marriage, huh…”

What if the one down on one knee holding the ring and professing love in the lord’s hall wasn’t Winter, but him…?

Xue Nuo’s eyes snapped open wide.

Snowflakes danced gently, but her ice-blue eyes locked onto the young man’s figure.