The Original Work Got Ruined After I Quit Being the Sub Male 42

I hastily averted my gaze.

“…I see.”

My heart became unsettled.

Not seeming to notice my distress, Castian strolled around the display cases and said, “Would it be alright if I recommended a piece by another composer? It might be a song you like. Listen and try to guess what piece it is.”

“Ah, yes.”

Castian made a pleased expression toward me as I answered in a flustered manner.

What I learned afterward was that Castian and I had surprisingly compatible tastes in music.

It’s not that I dislike popular music, but I generally prefer experimental music, and that’s where we connected.

Castian also chattered like a child, saying it was the first time he’d had such good conversation about musical tastes. It was my first time seeing Castian look so excited too.

“Then I’m curious if you’ll know this one too. If you can guess the name of the piece I’m about to play, I’ll give you a prize. How about it?”

After chatting for a while, Castian sat in front of the piano and playfully raised the corner of his mouth as he checked the keys.

It was an intriguing proposal.

“What kind of prize will you give me?”

“Anything – one thing you want.”

The Castian who answered like that overflowed with leisure and confidence. He seemed convinced there was no request that he, as a prince, couldn’t fulfill.

‘Something I want…’

Nothing particularly comes to mind right now, but.

“Alright.”

At my answer, Castian grinned and placed his hands over the keys. Soon, the melody that began from his long fingertips started echoing throughout the sheet music exhibition room.

Perhaps because Castian grew up receiving the famously strict education of the imperial family, his piano playing skills were considerable.

As expected, the deep resonance born from an actual person’s fingertips sounded better than listening to the Arcana music box.

I had already figured out what piece it was, but to avoid interrupting his performance, I held my breath and listened intently for quite a while.

Some time later, when the first movement finished and Castian turned to look at me, I finally opened my mouth.

“Winter Garden, right?”

“Correct.”

Castian curved his eyes like crescents. Rather than being pleased that I guessed the answer without much difficulty, he seemed happy instead.

“It’s a piece I’ve loved since childhood. My mother often played it for me, so I learned it by following along and playing it myself.”

“Her Majesty the Empress’s piano skills are also renowned.”

“That’s right. I could never catch up to her in my lifetime.”

I honestly think that’s modesty. Castian seemed to have a good relationship with the Empress, his mother – his expression became quite gentle when talking about her.

Castian turned his head toward me.

“So, have you thought about what you want?”

Ah. Come to think of it, there was that.

I had forgotten while concentrating on the performance.

“Please invite me to a meal sometime.”

“You mean you want to ‘date’ again?”

…Huh?

“I’d like that. Having a dinner date with you.”

Does it work out that way? As I stood there flustered and unable to readily answer, Castian made a mischievous expression.

“I’m joking. I’ll invite you to the Imperial Palace sometime.”

Only then did I nod in relief.

Really. He’s such a playful person.

“Well, I was half serious though.”

“…Excuse me?”

“Shall we head back to the Lowell mansion now?”

He got up from the piano and patted my shoulder before heading toward the entrance first. I had been caught off guard and hurriedly followed after him.

“Um, excuse me, Your Highness…”

“Since we’re here, shall we buy a sheet music score too?”

“Oh, you can purchase them here?”

“Yes, they sell transcripts. Which would be good? I’ll buy it for you. I’m giving it as a gift in return for spending time with me today, so don’t refuse.”

“Thank you… but, about what you said earlier…”

“If you don’t choose quickly, I won’t buy it for you.”

Castian was deflecting. I could feel that he was deliberately trying to prevent me from bringing up the earlier conversation.

“…Then the ‘Winter Garden’ sheet music.”

Castian picked up the envelope containing the transcript and handed it to me.

I had tried to say that it wasn’t about dating, that I had no such intention, but caught up in Castian’s ambiguous behavior that was like adding water to water or alcohol to alcohol… I ended up not being able to say it until we rode the carriage and arrived at our house.

‘Sigh.’

Thanks to that, an unpleasant feeling remained stuck in one corner of my chest.

Soon, at the coachman’s words that we had arrived in front of the mansion, Castian, who got out of the carriage first, extended his escort hand. Since I couldn’t refuse such courtesy, I took his hand and came outside.

“Today was enjoyable thanks to you.”

“I had fun too.”

“Hmm. You’re not just being polite?”

“I’m not just being polite, it’s true. Thanks to Your Highness, I got to visit places that are hard to get into… and heard good performances too.”

It was enjoyable and will be a memory I’ll remember for a long time.

That much was true.

“Is that so.”

Castian softened his expression. Soon, as an affectionate hand came up to stroke my head, I hesitated for a moment before opening my mouth.

“Your Highness.”

“Mm?”

“Why do you covet divine artifacts?”

The answer that came back was concise.

“Curiosity.”

The corner of Castian’s mouth drew a pretty curve.

“You could also call it a desire to appreciate beauty. If imperial blood didn’t flow in me… I would probably be traveling around the continent as a divine artifact scholar by now.”

The last words sounded like a joke, but seemed somewhat sincere too.

So Castian was really just devoted to what he liked doing.

Well… since he’s not approaching divine artifacts with bad intentions, he can act so openly.

Of course, that doesn’t mean I’m willing to sacrifice myself for Castian’s curiosity.

“I’m truly sorry about this blind date incident. And while I can’t participate in a marriage for Your Highness’s wishes, I hope you can achieve what you want someday in a smooth manner.”

If you ask exactly when and how to achieve that smoothly, that’s beyond what I can imagine, so it would be difficult to answer, but anyway I offered formal consolation.

‘When I get home, I need to explain the blind date conditions well this time and ask them to match me properly.’

To prevent such mishaps from happening again, someone from a family of similar standing, a woman, preferably beta in traits, and lastly someone as similar to my disposition as possible…

‘Ugh. This is why I don’t like things like blind dates.’

When you start adding conditions, you inevitably become picky. Suddenly Castian burst into laughter.

“Participate, you say. If someone heard you, they’d think I didn’t ask you to marry me but to form an alliance or something.”

“But isn’t that the truth?”

Castian had his own desires and proposed marriage as a means to achieve them, saying he would also benefit me. The proposed means just happened to be marriage – it was no different from asking to form an alliance.

“I also said it was true that I’m interested in you.”

His fingertip lightly touched my cheek.

“Today’s date made me like you even more.”

“……”

“I’m more persistent than I look.”

“Your Highness…”

I was about to tell Castian not to like someone like me. Because I was someone with completely different sexual preferences from Castian and had no romantic feelings for him whatsoever.

To begin with, Castian was someone who didn’t need to fixate on just me. There was no reason for him to cling to this relationship and dig deeper.

Therefore, just as I was about to firmly speak words of rejection.

“What are you doing.”

Someone’s low, dry voice cutting in sharply was faster. Recognizing that it was Cedric’s voice, I was startled and quickly turned toward where the sound came from. For some reason, he was coming out of the Lowell mansion.

Cedric’s sharp gaze was directed at Castian.

“…I heard you went out to play with your blind date partner.”

That gaze poured onto me as well.

“Don’t tell me it’s that person?”

My heart felt like it was dropping.

Receiving that frost-cold stare head-on, my mind went blank for a moment and I couldn’t come up with a smooth explanation.

“No, no, Cedy. It’s not like that…”

“How ugly of you to be jealous, Prince Cedric.”

Please don’t add fuel to the fire over there.

I quickly gauged Cedric’s mood.

Rather than being angry or annoyed as usual, he had sunk into something dark and deep instead. That made it even more frightening.

“It would be better if Your Highness went inside first.”

“Oh my. Are you sending me away?”

“Stop joking around. Hurry up.”

When I pushed his back and urged him, he shrugged his shoulders as if he had no choice and entered the mansion first.

Left alone with just Cedric and me, I took a deep breath and turned to look at him.

With his head lowered, Cedric was only staring at the ground, so I couldn’t properly see his expression, but I was sure I knew what kind of misunderstanding he was having.

And I had to clear up that misunderstanding quickly.

“Cedy.”

“Have you started liking men already?”

But his sarcastic remark, cutting off my words, was faster.