Chapter 52: Where the balance tips.
A gentle, kind young man with a soft smile.
That was the impression most people probably had of Yulan.
Even Mirania, who knew what lay beneath, occasionally found himself almost taken in.
Yulan’s outward mask was flawlessly crafted, and he understood himself perfectly.
If he weren’t Claudia’s best friend, Mirania might never have learned the truth.
And now that very same young man wore a completely blank expression that revealed nothing; which meant his mood was at its absolute worst.
He used to put in a little more effort to hide it from Mirania back in the day… though “back in the day” only meant around the time Yulan entered middle school.
“You’ve gotten sloppy, huh…”
“What are you talking about? Stop daydreaming and move faster.”
“You’ve even stopped pretending around me.”
Mirania didn’t interfere with Yulan’s harsh attitude toward Claudia; he knew the reason, so he stayed out of it.
That was something the two of them had to sort out themselves.
Treating a prince that way wasn’t exactly praiseworthy, but as long as Claudia didn’t call him on it, no one else could.
Above all, Yulan never made the mistake of letting others notice.
The fact that Mirania and Gear had seen through him only happened because he had calculated it wouldn’t hurt him; and because he knew, even if they realized, they wouldn’t interfere or spread it.
Proof: only a handful of people were aware that Yulan actively loathed Claudia.
Everyone knew the two had a complicated relationship and sensed the awkwardness, but that was the extent of it.
They had no idea the rift between them was an abyss.
“Would smiling at you benefit Vio-chan in any way?”
It wasn’t just suspicion; it was a gaze that looked at garbage or vermin, cold enough to freeze, practically dripping with contempt.
The height difference made it a perfect top-down glare.
For some people, that alone would be enough to paralyze them with fear; there wasn’t a shred of his usual gentleness.
But to Mirania it only warranted a wry smile.
Not because of the intimidation factor, but because the words were so perfectly, quintessentially Yulan.
“The way Vio-chan comes up immediately… you really haven’t changed at all.”
Normally, wouldn’t the question be whether it benefited him?
The fact that the very first thing out of his mouth was whether it helped Violet proved that, from the moment they met, Yulan’s top priority had never once shifted.
If there was even a few percent chance it would benefit Violet, Yulan would put on a perfect smile for someone he considered worthless or worse.
Perhaps mentioning her name had struck a nerve; his already harsh expression grew even sharper.
If someone spoke ill of her in front of him, he’d probably grind them to dust without leaving a bone; yet surprisingly, Yulan was lenient about that… as long as the words never reached Violet’s ears.
Baseless insults were forgiven if she never heard them.
But the moment they reached her, even the pettiest playground taunt became unforgivable.
“If you just want to chat, I’m going back.
I only came along because Vio-chan told me to play nice with your scheme, but I’m under no obligation to humor you.”
He stated it flatly, almost refreshingly thorough.
Mirania was reminded once again just how precious Violet was to him; and that very fact made one thing puzzling.
“You were willing to bring someone that important so close to Claudia?
I was under the impression you felt absolutely no goodwill or trust toward him whatsoever.”
He had chosen his words carefully, but the gist was: You’re supposed to hate Claudia’s guts.
Letting the girl he adored anywhere near someone he seemed to loathe with every fiber of his being; what kind of change of heart was this?
Letting someone precious near a person he despised didn’t seem like something the Yulan who was head-over-heels for Violet would ever do.
“That’s irrelevant.”
Not in the sense that he didn’t need to explain it to Mirania.
“My feelings come second. Removing Vio-chan’s worries is far more important.”
His own emotions were worthless on the scale when Violet was on the other side.
Nothing in Yulan’s world outweighed her.
True, his feelings toward Claudia were complicated and bizarre; so what?
The moment Violet was involved, everything else became irrelevant noise.
“The priority is Vio-chan’s test prep, and he was the most suitable person for it. That’s all the reason I needed.”
His eyes stabbed through Mirania: If you understand, then hurry up and walk.
His pace had definitely quickened.
Watching Yulan’s back as he strode ahead, Mirania unconsciously let out a breath, releasing the tension in his body.
Astonishment, admiration bordering on awe at the sheer scale of that devotion; his feelings were a complicated swirl he couldn’t quite name.
He did not notice Yulan’s lips move as he walked in front.
“I’m never again going to be stupid enough to yield her to him.”
The words, thick with loathing and every ounce of hatred he possessed, fell low to the ground, reaching no one’s ears.