I AM NOT THE LOVE INTEREST!

Chapter 13: Chapter 13: Misunderstood

Chapter 13: Misunderstood

—REN—

I thought we were going somewhere modest.

That was what made sense.

Someone who walked through the market dressed simply, who spoke without formality, who bought food without hesitation and laughed like it was natural, did not belong to places beyond iron gates and stone walls.

So when the carriage slowed and stopped in front of a place that looked like it belonged to to someone powerful and influential, I assumed we had taken a wrong turn.

I stepped down first, then turned to help her, still holding the bundle of clothes she had bought for me. My eyes lifted slowly, taking in the towering gates, the wide stretch of land beyond them, and the manor that stood at the center like it had never known hardship.

It was too large.

I hesitated.

"...Aria," I said carefully, "this is not where common people go."

She stepped down from the carriage as if nothing about the place was unusual.

"Yes," she said simply. "It is not."

That did not answer anything.

I stayed where I was, uncertain whether I should even take another step forward.

Before I could ask anything else, the gates opened immediately.

As if our arrival had been expected.

Several figures approached at once, their movements precise, their posture straight. Their clothing alone told me everything I needed to know. Clean lines. Dark fabrics. Not a single detail out of place.

Servants.

Many of them.

They did not look at me.

Their attention was fixed entirely on her.

"My lady, you have returned."

The words landed heavier than anything I had heard all day.

I turned to her sharply.

She did not react.

She simply nodded, like this was normal.

"I have," she replied.

Another servant stepped forward, bowing slightly. "The Duke has been informed of your return. He was looking for you."

The Duke.

My grip tightened around the clothes in my arms.

I looked at her again, really looked this time, trying to reconcile what I was hearing with what I had seen all day.

"You..." I started, but the words did not come easily. "You are not a commoner."

She glanced at me, then smiled humbly.

"I did tell you," she said. "You simply chose not to believe me."

I shook my head slowly.

"No," I said. "You said you were... Ah. You’re a noble.

"I am."

"That is not the same," I replied.

The servants stepped aside, creating a clear path forward.

She began walking without hesitation.

After a moment, I followed, still trying to steady my thoughts, but I had barely taken a few steps when one of the guards moved and blocked my path.

"Excuse me," he said, his tone firm but not rude. "Who might you be?"

My mind went blank.

Completely blank.

I opened my mouth, but no answer came. There was nothing I could say that would make sense in a place like this. Not the truth. Not anything close to it.

Before the silence stretched too far, she spoke.

"He is my servant. His name is Ren," Aria said, her voice calm but carrying an authority that made the guard straighten immediately. "Let him in. From now on, he will serve me and stand beside me. He is under the protection of the Valen household."

The words settled heavily in the air as if it had already been decided.

As if no one would question it.

I felt the heat rise to my face before I could stop it. My grip tightened slightly around the bundle in my arms, unsure whether to look at her or the ground.

She sounded... certain.

Confident in a way that made everything feel real.

The guard stepped aside at once. "Understood, my lady."

And just like that, the path was open.

She turned to me, her expression softened and turned warmer, almost amused, as if none of this was difficult for her at all.

"Come with me, Ren," she said, holding out her hand.

I froze.

The gesture felt simple.

But it was not. Not here and certainly not in front of them. freewebnøvel.coɱ

My gaze shifted instinctively, and that was when I noticed the older man standing slightly behind the others. His posture was composed, his expression unreadable, but his eyes were sharp.

He was clearly observing me.

He must have been the butler.

And for a brief moment, it felt like he understood everything at a glance.

Where I came from.

What I was.

What I was not.

I swallowed and straightened slightly.

"Lady Aria," I said carefully, forcing my voice to remain steady, "I shall follow behind you. There is no need to hold my hand."

It was the proper thing to say.

The only thing I could say.

She blinked at me.

"Whatever are you talking about?" she asked, her tone light and almost playful.

I looked away as a faint frustration rose despite myself.

Ah.

She must still see me as a child.

That would explain it.

The food. The clothes. The way she spoke to me without distance.

I exhaled quietly, then lifted my chin just enough to correct it.

"My lady," I said, more firmly this time, "I am no longer a child. I am a young man of marriageable age."

The words sounded strange the moment they left my mouth.

But they were true.

She stared at me for a second, and it made me nervous in a way I could not explain.

Had I said something wrong?

Would she change her mind now that she realized I was not a child she could casually take in and dismiss later?

Would she send me away?

"...What?" she said.

My throat felt dry.

"Yes," I answered, though I was not even sure what I was confirming anymore.

She stepped forward closing the distance I had just tried to create.

I froze.

For a brief, ridiculous moment, I thought I had offended her enough to earn punishment. My body reacted before my mind could correct it, shoulders tensing, breath catching slightly as I braced for something sharp.

Instead...

"Tasha!" she called out suddenly, her voice clear and commanding enough to echo through the hall.

I flinched.

"Get this young man bathed and clothed properly! Feed him well, and make him drink tonics to support his growth. Take good care of him and make sure he returns to me in good condition!"

Everything happened at once.

Servants who had been standing quietly along the sides immediately moved, the calm order of the manor shifting into motion with efficiency.

"Yes, my lady."

At the center of it, an older woman stepped forward without hesitation. Her posture was straight, her expression composed, but there was warmth in her eyes that softened the authority she carried.

She reached for my hand.

"Come here, Ren," she said, already guiding me forward as if there was no room for refusal.

I stumbled a step, caught off guard by how quickly everything had escalated.

"W-wait," I started, glancing back instinctively.

Aria stood where I had left her, entirely at ease, as if assigning my care to others was the most natural thing in the world. She gave a small, satisfied nod, as though everything had been settled exactly as she intended.

"There is no need to wait," the woman said, gently but firmly pulling me along. "You heard my lady."

I hesitated, my feet moving before I could fully decide to follow.

This was happening too quickly.

Moments ago, I had been standing outside the gates, uncertain whether I should even enter.

Now, I was being led deeper inside.

Claimed.

Handled.

Cared for.

I tightened my grip on the bundle of clothes in my arms, though it felt unnecessary now. Everything I had been holding onto, everything I thought I needed to manage on my own, was being taken out of my hands one decision at a time.

"...She is kind," I murmured under my breath.

The woman beside me glanced down briefly, a small smile forming.

"Our lady always is," she replied. "She just felt unreachable ever since she lost her mother. So be patient with her."

I smiled to myself.

"I see..."