Quietly Hiding that I am a Man chapter 70- Fake Appearance

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The moment I saw what had happened, I knew who was responsible.

There weren’t many people capable of doing this to the Empire’s princess.

This was undoubtedly the work of the second prince, Delmos.

In the original novel, he was the ‘real culprit’ who murdered Layla, and one of the main villains who later fought with Carlisle over succession.

He was a devil who tormented and abused the most vulnerable member of the royal family, Layla, just for fun, eventually holding a secret ritual to curse her to death.

‘It was Delmos who framed Jeanne for cursing Layla, too.’

Even though I knew Delmos was just a villain I had created, seeing Layla, quietly sobbing with her head down, made my blood boil.

A mix of anger and fear swirled within me—anger that I was acting like Jeanne, and fear that I might get framed, just like in the original.

I wiped my pale face with my hand and sighed.

‘Calm down. I can’t afford to get emotional in a situation like this.’

After steadying my mind, I helped Layla to her feet.

Unfortunately, she was wearing a dress that left her shoulders exposed.

If she went out to recite the prayer now, it would be like broadcasting to everyone that she had been attacked.

I took off my academy jacket and draped it over her shivering body.

“Until yesterday, she refused to recite the prayer. Then suddenly today, she insisted on doing it herself. Normally, I would’ve let her, but today… something didn’t feel right.”

Her voice was monotone, as if she were recounting someone else’s story.

Layla had probably guessed who attacked her based on my quiet rage.

Or perhaps she just needed someone to confide in about her miserable situation.

She curled up, hugging her knees as she continued speaking.

“You said that if I were born a man, I’d become a pirate captain. That thought kept echoing in my mind. You know, pirates… they never give up their treasure.”

It wasn’t something I said with this kind of situation in mind.

But I couldn’t shake the feeling that part of what happened to Layla was my fault, and it weighed on me.

Layla fiddled with her tulip brooch and let out a hollow laugh.

“The people of the royal family are ashamed of my mother, who’s from a distant border territory, but I’m not ashamed of her. The shame lies with those who judge people by their birth or wealth. It’s the same with those who insult you for the color of your hair. I’m sick of all of them.”

While Layla clenched her fists and vented her anger, laughter and chatter echoed from outside the room.

It felt like heaven and hell were divided by just one door.

I had been listening with my head down, but Layla’s next words made me slowly lift my head.

“Aren’t you curious, Jeanne? About what it’s like to live as the person you truly want to be.”

This was the moment that overlapped with the scene from the original novel where Layla said the same thing.

I stared blankly at her for a moment, clutching the gift box in my hand.

In the novel, Jeanne failed to save anyone.

She couldn’t even save herself.

Taking a deep breath, I erased the shadow from my face.

‘But this time, it’s different.’

Layla flinched and her shoulders trembled when I suddenly moved.

I strode behind her and opened the gift box.

As I gently pushed her hair aside, Layla twisted her body in surprise.

“How dare you! What do you think you’re—”

“There are too many eyes watching.”

Layla, who had been struggling, froze.

The tulip, which had been revised over 1,245 times to perfection, was a rare corsage crafted from a unique breed of tulip with two colors blending together harmoniously—unlike the usual single-colored tulips on the market.

I carefully tied the corsage around Layla’s neck, bruised from the marks of abuse.

She finally looked into the mirror and spoke in shock.

“This is…”

“It’s a corsage made from tulips developed by our guild. It was originally meant for the princess’s wrist, but I thought it suited this place better, just for today.”

I made sure to speak calmly, not wanting her to feel like I was pitying her.

Layla, who had been staring at the mirror, hesitantly touched the petals with trembling fingers.

“Tulips only grow in the southern territories. How did you…?”

“Well, with a bit of forced labor, some threats, and a dash of extortion.”

For the first time, Layla, whose expression had been grim, let out a small laugh.

It felt like I was seeing the Layla I knew once again. I knelt down and met her gaze.

“The Luna Guild plans to market this tulip corsage as a guild product. For that, we’ll need more tulip bulbs.”

“So?”

“Would you go to the southern territory in my place and procure those bulbs?”

Layla chuckled as if she thought I was joking.

But as I showed no signs of smiling, her expression grew more serious.

“You’re not joking, are you?”

“I get terrible seasickness, you see.”

“Did it ever occur to you that I might have grown up more sheltered than you?”

I hadn’t expected her to counter like that. Flustered, I hastily made an excuse.

“But you have a sailor’s blood in you. I come from the plains, and I’m weak when it comes to sea travel.”

“……”

“If it were a political matter, the royal family would surely interfere, but if it’s part of guild activity, they wouldn’t have much to say. They say what happens in the academy stays in the academy, after all.”

A glimmer of determination returned to Layla’s eyes, which had been filled with resignation.

After a moment of contemplation, she called her maid, who was waiting outside.

“Kaya, would you fix my hair?”

With her hair tidied and the makeup that had been smeared by her tears restored, Layla once again looked like the graceful and elegant princess she always was.

The tulip corsage tied around her neck paired perfectly with the off-the-shoulder evening dress she wore.

‘My judgment was right. It suits her so well.’

Initially, I had planned to release only a small quantity to the market.

After all, we didn’t have enough stock prepared, and selling them too cheaply could ruin the brand image Layla had worked so hard to build.

‘If it’s something that everyone can have, it won’t capture the interest of the ladies. It has to be something that they desire but can’t easily get their hands on. Let’s start by gifting it to influential ladies of high society.’

I smiled at the thought, recalling the “Noble Ladies Exposé” article I’d commissioned from Twitty.

In modern terms, it was a luxury brand marketing strategy.

But it wasn’t just the ladies I had in mind.

Once the corsage became a trend among the noblewomen, the men would no doubt rush to get their hands on it as gifts.

I grinned, thinking about all the money we’d rake in.

At that moment, Layla gave me a strange look.

“How did you know?”

“……”

“Not even my family, not even my fiancé, ever figured out what I truly wanted. So how did you know what I desire the most?”

How do I know?

Well, that’s because I’m the author of this novel.

But I knew that Layla was too sharp for any pretense or lies.

With a subtle smile, I extended my hand.

“Oh, I’m just trying to make a profit off your royal reputation.”

Layla stared at me for a moment, then chuckled and took my hand.

I was about to ask if escorting a princess would get me executed when she cut me off with her next words.

“When they put you on the guillotine, I’ll make sure to hold you accountable for that, too.”

While gazing absentmindedly at the sky dotted with lanterns, a strong gust of wind suddenly blew.

One of the lanterns, carried by the wind, drifted down and landed right at my feet.

I was about to cautiously avoid it, suspicious as it seemed, but stopped in my tracks.

Unexpectedly, a piece of parchment was placed on top of the lantern.

“Parchment?”

After eyeing it doubtfully for a moment, I reached out and picked it up.

There was no sender’s name anywhere on it, which was unusual.

Carefully, I untied the string attached to the parchment.

The moment I read the words written on it, my teeth clenched.

‘Please make sure Jeanne buttons up this year.’

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