I’m Raising the Male Lead Inside My Pocket
Grace
남주를 주머니 속에서 키우고 있습니다 Jul 10, 2026 25 views
Chapter 20
"W-What...? This is the first time I've ever seen Miss act like that."
"I thought she'd definitely get angry too. Even if it was under orders, we searched her room without permission."
"The old Young Lady definitely would have! The fact that she isn't angry is even scarier. Is the world trying to fool me? O-Or am I dreaming?"
The maids all looked utterly bewildered.
Ever since I had possessed this body, I had never once lost my temper, so they had gradually become a little more comfortable around me.
But that also meant they were still careful not to do anything that might upset me.
Just then, Sophie's voice reached my ears.
"I-I think... seeing how down she looks, she must have been really hurt by what happened..."
"What?"
"Miss has really been trying to become a better person. B-But Madam suspected her without any proof..."
Hmm. That's not a bad misunderstanding to have.
By the time the maids' voices had faded into whispers I could no longer hear, I stepped away from the door.
Although the door to my cozy little fortress had practically been torn apart, I had a feeling public opinion about me within the ducal estate was finally beginning to change.
If I want to live comfortably here, I'll need more allies besides Jenis.
It might seem a little late, but this was actually the perfect timing.
Every one of Airel's maids was timid and fainthearted, almost as if someone had deliberately gathered only people like that. That was why I had never tried to approach or win them over.
Even though my attitude had softened, to them I was still Airel.
That was probably why my room had been searched without causing any commotion among the servants.
But since everyone had expected me to explode in anger, only for me to show vulnerability instead, the maids were undoubtedly feeling deeply uneasy.
And the moment they accepted that the vicious young lady had truly changed for the better, all that would remain was the memory that they had done something wrong.
Well, if I gradually softened their hearts like this, perhaps the next time something similar happened, at least one of them would come to help me.
With that thought, I looked around my room, which somehow felt strangely unfamiliar after only half a day.
Still... I never imagined they'd actually search my room.
That had been dangerously close.
Walking over to the head of my bed, I shoved the nightstand aside and pried up one of the floor tiles.
You know, I'd seen it in old movies. People always hid important things in places like this.
Good thing I hid all of Lishid's belongings here just in case something like this happened.
Everything inside was exactly where I'd left it.
There wasn't even the slightest sign that anyone had opened the hiding place.
Breathing a sigh of relief, I recalled Duchess Brianna's words.
"You hid something quite interesting in your room. Though I don't know if that's all of it."
I'd wondered whether she'd said that because she actually knew something.
Turns out she'd only been fishing.
Seriously... she scared me for nothing.
To be honest, I didn't really hold any grudge against Duchess Brianna.
Every time she looked at the child born from her husband's affair, how could her heart not be torn apart? I could understand a hundred times over why she hated Airel.
But even if she insulted or slapped me, secretly searching my room was something I absolutely couldn't tolerate.
My survival depended on it.
Carefully opening the pocket of my dress, I spoke softly.
"Your Grace, you can come out now."
As if he'd been waiting for those words, Lishid poked his head out.
His crimson eyes swept across the room.
"So the Duchess of Blandiche searched your room."
"Yes. I think she's begun to suspect something."
"...We'll have to be even more careful from now on."
Looking annoyed by the added inconvenience, Lishid jumped out of my pocket.
I immediately strode over to him.
"Your Grace, shall we have a serious conversation now?"
A sweet smile spread across my lips.
"It was you who told me to give the High Priest flowers, wasn't it? So could you please explain exactly what all this is about?"
Lishid, who had been halfway turned away, visibly flinched.
Still smiling, I crouched down in front of him.
"This has put me in a very difficult position, Your Grace."
Stepping on the marquis's foot and the hat incident were exceptions—I had done those for Lishid's sake.
Until now, knowing the miserable future that awaited Airel, I had kept my head down and tried not to give the ducal family any reason to dislike me.
And yet, because of a single bouquet of flowers, I'd ended up confined to my room.
"What exactly does giving someone flowers mean?"
"...Are you really asking because you don't know?"
"It seems different from what I thought it meant. If you could explain..."
Lishid frowned slightly.
"It means you like them."
Avoiding my gaze, he continued,
"It's common etiquette in high society. Surely a duke's daughter already knows that."
"W-What? Then..."
I knew people might misunderstand the situation, but I hadn't had the luxury of worrying about something like that.
"Are you saying that I publicly confessed my feelings to the High Priest—in front of an entire ballroom full of nobles?"
So I had basically confessed to a clergyman.
Wow... my head is starting to hurt.
If that was the case, no wonder the Duchess got angry...!
How was I supposed to face the High Priest after something this embarrassing?
The original novel was seriously at fault for leaving out something this important.
Even if Seria was supposed to know nothing about noble society, the readers should have been told!
No wonder even the High Priest had looked so flustered...
Covering my forehead, I collapsed onto the floor.
Watching me silently, Lishid muttered,
"...Strange. You've given me flowers several times before. Naturally, I assumed you already knew."
"Huh? No...!"
I quickly sat upright in protest.
Then I realized I'd misspoken and hurriedly corrected myself.
"I-I mean... those weren't fresh flowers! They were artificial flowers!"
"Then you're saying... you didn't give the High Priest flowers because you had feelings for him?"
"W-What?!"
I cried out in shock.
Oddly enough, the corners of Lishid's lips, which had looked irritated only moments ago, slowly curled upward.
...Is he smiling?
Was he actually smiling?
Judging by the amusement on his face, Lishid clearly found my predicament entertaining.
You're unbelievable. This is all your fault!
Without realizing it, my voice rose.
"But you're the one who told me to give the High Priest flowers in the first place!"
"But you were the one who actually handed them to him."
"That's because you told me to!"
"I never said you had to obey everything I told you. If you didn't want to, you could have simply refused."
The shamelessness!
I was so dumbfounded that I couldn't even respond.
"So... just because of that, you thought I liked the High Priest? Why would I? We'd barely even met!"
"Your breathing was unsteady. Your heart was pounding."
Lishid gestured toward me with his chin.
"You weren't acting like your usual self."
"That was..."
After calming myself down, I let out a long sigh and shook my head.
"It's just because the High Priest is ridiculously handsome. It's not every day you get to see a face like that up close."
Even now, in the middle of all this chaos, I couldn't deny how breathtakingly handsome he'd been.
I really was hopelessly weak when it came to good-looking men.
Of course, Lishid—the male lead of the original story—and Edwin, the second male lead, were both strikingly handsome as well.
But the High Priest was...
How should I put it? The kind of face that makes you want to make him cry?
Beautiful, delicate-looking men were always irresistible.
"...The High Priest is handsome?"
At that moment, Lishid's cheerful expression instantly turned ice cold.
What's with him?
Not understanding why, I simply nodded.
"Yes. He looked just like an angel..."
"..."
Silence filled the room.
After staring at me for a while, Lishid muttered with an expression that looked strangely shaken.
"So... that's your type after all."
"Huh?"
"How utterly ridiculous."
...What exactly was ridiculous?
Frowning deeply, Lishid turned away from me, clearly in a bad mood for reasons I couldn't begin to understand.
In any case, I had something important to do.
Forcing the vivid image of the High Priest from my mind, I stood up.
"Anyway, now that things have come to this, I should write the High Priest a letter."
"Wait. Why?"
Lishid hurried after me.
Funny. A moment ago he'd acted like he didn't even want to look at me.
Turning to face him as he awkwardly stopped behind me, I answered,
"Since someone caused a huge—absolutely enormous and disastrous—misunderstanding, shouldn't I clear it up as soon as possible?"
Suppressing my irritation, I smiled sweetly.
Stay calm. Just keep smiling.
"Of course, I'm sure the High Priest doesn't care in the slightest—not even the tiniest little bit—but I should make it absolutely clear that I don't have feelings for him."
