MGN | Chapter 9

Felix Henri Pierre de Broglie, the crown prince destined to become Monaco’s next grand duke. Maël had one impression of him: a typical aristocrat.

And Maël’s definition of an aristocrat wasn’t lengthy. People who, aside from waving silently at official events, were shockingly rude.

To elaborate, the longer the titles stuck to their names, the less they understood the virtue of consideration. Yet, they were somehow acceptable beings.

“Yves, how did you get into guys? Is it fun? I heard it’s not easy to do right away. But at least you don’t have to worry about pregnancy. Though, if you think about it, the hassle is similar, right?”

Felix chattered excitedly all the way from the lounge bar to the tennis court. It was hard enough to endure, but dealing with Charles’s murderous glare, alternating between him and Yves, was another issue.

Yves, on the other hand, just looked down, responding as if bored.

“You’re really interested.”

“Both you and Maël, I mean.”

“If you’re curious, try it yourself.”

Same father, perhaps. The level of rudeness seemed similar, possibly due to genetics. The bodyguard ahead flinched, and Charles cleared his throat loudly.

“Leaving a bloodline is the most important thing in my life, isn’t it? I have to live as a pitiful stud, so I can’t switch sides.”

“Not a bad life goal. A pitiful stud.”

“What, are you jealous?”

“To some extent.”

To some extent, my foot.

It was a precarious joke, knowing the situation. Yet Felix chuckled frivolously as he grabbed his racket.

“So, Yves, quit being gay and try harder. Being a stud isn’t easy. You have to know where to sow your seeds and where not to.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

Felix, laughing at his own dirty joke, couldn’t possibly imagine who he was telling to try harder. Maël grabbed his racket and distanced himself from them, heading to the court first.

“Oppa! Do well! Win!”

Manon, sitting in the empty stands next to Philippe, shouted. Waving her hand as if she’d forgotten their fight and tears from a few hours ago, she was just like his sister.

Maël waved back and looked around. The red clay court, slightly damp, was surrounded by tents with the logo of the tournament sponsor, a watch company, flapping in the breeze.

As the four players gathered at the net, Felix nodded his chin.

“Maël, Yves. You guys pick the side. I respect minorities a lot, you know.”

At that, Yves and Maël exchanged glances.

Minorities, my foot. Seeing Yves, who claimed to be gay, made Maël want to laugh.

From asking about a boyfriend in front of Charles to mentioning gay introductions in the hotel office, it was all just blatant mockery and provocation.

‘No way he’s gay.’

What was Yves thinking, spouting such nonsense in front of Felix?

Yves’s gray eyes swept over Maël mockingly. Then he picked up a tennis ball and headed to the deuce court.

It was a silent decision. A signal that he would serve.

“We haven’t decided what the losing team will do for the winners! Let’s decide after the game!”

Felix’s excited voice echoed.

It was ridiculous. This was all just a meticulously crafted show.

Pleasing the temperamental and capricious crown prince.

After nodding roughly, Maël quietly approached Yves, who was bouncing the ball with a bored expression.

“Please make some time. I have something to discuss. After this is fine too.”

Aside from the show, Maël had to grovel to Yves again to get the evidence. He didn’t want to, but there was no other way. Yves twisted his lips while holding the ball.

“Are you feeling fulfilled?”

“Pardon?”

“The expectations you said you were sorry you couldn’t meet.”

A phrase he had uttered out of formality when refusing a case. Hearing it again made him feel defeated, but he had no choice.

Manon, who had sworn she wouldn’t marry, was now sitting happily next to Philippe.

He was about to ask when would be a good time when Charles’s voice echoed across the court.

“Are you going to keep dawdling?”

“Yeah, why are you whispering so much? Is it a strategy meeting?”

Unable to say more, Maël headed to the ad court.

The tennis ball, bouncing lightly on the court, flew into the air. Maël gripped his racket tightly.

Set score 1-1.

The first set was 4-6, the next set 7-5.

With only one set left to decide the match, during the short break between sets, Yves approached Maël, who was quenching his thirst with a bottle of water. Yves, whose expression hadn’t changed whether he won or lost points, spoke as if defining the use of an object.

“You’re in the way.”

He understood. It was Maël’s first match with the crown prince. It was his first time on the court intending to lose, and he had no knack for losing games. So he deliberately missed balls clearly coming his way and lost the first set.

‘Though it didn’t help much.’

In the next set, Yves ignored Maël’s presence entirely, playing as if it were a singles match and winning the set.

“Yves, are you planning to win this?”

“I don’t jump into losing battles.”

The answer came with a downward glance, as if it were obvious. Despite almost covering the entire court alone in the second set, his breathing was steady. Maël placed the water bottle beside him. After glancing at Felix, who was snapping at Charles, he lowered his voice.

“Winning against the crown prince will be troublesome.”

“Are they going to kick you out of Nice? It’s a republic, you know.”

“What if I live in Nice… No, more importantly, the crown prince holds grudges. If we win, rumors will spread, and I’ll hear about it at work. You know Monaco’s population is less than forty thousand, right?”

It was a small town with a lot to worry about. Especially for those who, like Maël, had to work to make a living, which was rare in Monaco.

Yves seemed bored by the tedious circumstances, his gaze languidly fixed on Maël. Even after such intense exercise, he showed no trace of heat, and he nudged the water bottle Maël had placed beside him with his foot.

Thud.

The bottle tipped over, spilling the remaining water. Maël looked up, incredulous.

“If we lose, I won’t feel like talking.”

The response was almost threatening.

“What’s the point of winning this?”

“Who knows.”

“……”

“Maybe I’ll ask for that pitiful stud position you’re so bored of.”

The red court, the green advertising tents, and the blue sea beyond. The rich colors stacked like parallel lines.

Standing like a vertical line among them, the man with pale white skin and black hair spoke.

“…Are you serious?”

“You choose one.”

Yves’s gray eyes fell like a warning at Maël’s shock.

“Be helpful, or stay quietly in the corner with your racket.”

With that, Yves headed to the court. The set break was over. Maël grabbed the racket next to the puddle of water and thought.

So I have to win.

He had something to retrieve from Yves afterward.

Having an unavoidable excuse made him feel at ease. If he had to win, he just had to play normally.

5-1 situation.

At *forty-love¹ in the final game to win the set, Maël scored the point.

Yves’s shot bounced right in front of Charles, who barely managed to return it high. As the ball headed his way, Maël turned his body sideways and jumped slightly.

Thud.

With a strong hit, the ball crossed over. Felix couldn’t save the ball that landed right in front of him.

“Ah! Charles! You set it up for a smash!”

Felix shouted, slamming his racket onto the court. The not-so-close set ended, leaving only the broken racket on the court.

4-6, 7-5, 6-1.

Maël and Yves’s team won 2-1.

“Good choice.”

The low voice from his teammate tickled his ears like a compliment. Even after winning, it didn’t feel refreshing. Passing by Yves, who chuckled, Maël packed up his racket when Manon came down from the stands and whispered, handing him a towel.

“Oppa, are you okay?”

Maël smiled, having nothing to say. Behind him, Felix was fuming like a child.

“Let’s play again, one more time. Huh?”

“Felix, you… you have an official duty later. You have to check the watch for the Only Watch auction with Father.”

“Oh, come on, why bother me with something that can be done with money!”

It was fortunate he didn’t have another racket in hand. Philippe and Manon took Felix, whose face was as red as his hair, away.

With the bodyguards leaving in a group, only three remained on the court. Neither of the two men left was comfortable. He wanted to leave immediately, but he couldn’t. Maël had business with at least one of them.

He needed those dreadful photos, so he had to ask for them again.

‘Now’s… not the time.’

Yes, not now, with Charles’s blue eyes darting around. Just as Maël concluded he should leave the court today.

“That thing from before.”

“……”

“Are you going to do it?”

Yves asked slowly. Though much was left unsaid, Maël understood and answered briefly.

“Yes.”

“Alright.”

Yves said only that and leisurely passed by Maël. A rose scent brushed his nose. Maël blinked at the conversation that ended in an instant. Then he faced Charles’s pale expression.

“What’s going on between you two?”

The anger, as if he had the right to ask, made Maël laugh incredulously.