However, Vivian was cornered between a wall and a bookshelf. So, she ran into a corner and crouched down with her back turned.

“What are you doing?”

“I’m fine. Just leave me to weasel into a mouse hole.”

“Where in the world is there such a big mouse?”

Just moments ago, she had recklessly confessed her feelings, but it was cute to see how she reacted with such embarrassment. As Aidan let out a chuckle, Vivian couldn’t help but feel wronged.

He just laughed at me, right? Since she had her back turned and couldn’t see his expression, she couldn’t help but look even further for a mouse hole. Contrary to the shameful and humiliation she felt, the words that popped out of her were very curt and direct.

“So, what is your answer?”

“I actually have no dating experience.”

“Of cou……, wait, what? Really?!”

With a face like that? Was there anything even more unfortunate and wasteful than this? If I had a face like that, I would have been a homme fatale that shook the heavens with my every step!

When Vivian turned her face in great surprise, she found herself face-to-face with a long, well-formed leg clothed with a black suit. Aidan extended his two hands towards Vivian as if to suggest she take hold of them and pull herself up.

His generosity always looked slightly an act from disinterest, but she could feel that his attitude was very sincere. It was almost as if the etiquette had become a habit ingrained into his movements. Was it because he was a member of the Royal Family? The reason she had started to look at him favorably was due to that detailed generosity.

Vivian looked up at his face far above hers for a long moment before extending her hand unconsciously. As she did so, Aidan easily helped her up.

“You’ve truly never dated anyone before?”

“I’ve never placed anyone in my heart, and I have no intentions of doing so in the future either.”

It was a tone of voice that implied that he could easily control a mere emotion by himself. Vivian suddenly remembered that Aidan had once borrowed a romance novel in order to understand the emotions that were absent for him.

Had he borrowed the book due to the Emperor’s continued insistence? He was honestly an useless hard-working man.

Vivian steeled her heart at the thought of what would come after those words would clearly be a rejection. However, the words that came next were completely different from her expectations.

“If it’s alright with you, I will accept Vivian’s offer.”

“Wait, what?” A confession as crappy as that one actually worked? When he saw Vivian express her surprise, he said once more, “It means I’m uncertain if I am fit to be used as inspiration for an erotic novel.”

“I, I’m not suggesting dating as an option solely to use you as an inspiration….”

“It’s not?”

“…….No, it is.”

She obediently surrendered. Though she held interest towards Ray, it was merely a youthful love, and the reason she had dared to push forward in the first place was due to Thatcher’s taunts. Because Thatcher, that bastard, sat there with an expression that said how can you write an erotic novel to write despite not having had even dated before.

Of course, it was also a fact that she’d been rather antsy because she felt wronged that she’d never dated before. However, Aidan, whom she’d expected to get mad, answered as though it was alright as long as they were dating just for her inspiration.

“If it’s romance with an ulterior motive, then I don’t mind. After all, I needed a lady as a facade to show the Emperor, so I might as well.”

Her confession unexpectedly worked like a charm. Despite her long-time wish fulfilled, Vivian had a half-dazed expression because she hadn’t expected it to be fulfilled in such a fast and straightforward manner.

“The deadline will be till Vivian writes an exceptional novel that even I acknowledge.”

“Okay!”

“I would like a relationship that can be easily and cleanly ended.” It was a tone of voice that told her to not expect a serious relationship. What Vivian wished for was also a light relationship, not one where she couldn’t live without him.