It was a lazy afternoon.
The garden was filled with lush green trees and flowers of various colors in bloom.
At the center of that garden, Adele and I sat across from each other, facing one another at a tea table.
It was Adele who had suggested this tea ti, yet she simply sipped the tea served by her maid in silence.
I waited for a long ti, expecting Adele to speak first, but when I could no longer hold back, I broke the silence.
“Why did you call for ?”
“Do I need a reason to summon my fiancé?”
“Hmm... I suppose not.”
Her tone was slightly sharp—perhaps because of yesterday’s ambush.
Indeed, yesterday’s attack was far more threatening than the ones before. Assassins had the audacity to break into my office.
Maybe that’s why she’s more comfortable around now. After all, in a way, I’m the reason she was put in such danger.
With that thought, I took a sip of my tea. Adele glanced at and slowly opened her mouth to speak.
“Your Grace, Duke Hardenberg.”
“Hm? What is it?”
“I have a question regarding our contract.”
“A question?”
“Who knows about the contract between us?”
“Only Evan, Allen, and myself. Just the three of us.”
“Are you sure?”
“Does it matter?”
“Of course it does.”
“If it’s uncertain, then I’ll simply make it certain.”
“...Pardon?”
“Is that enough of an answer?”
At my words, implying I wouldn’t hesitate to silence anyone if necessary, Adele’s face stiffened for a mont.
Perhaps she couldn’t comprehend my way of thinking.
Well, it’s no wonder. To soone like her, who still holds onto a modern person’s mindset, my views must seem completely foreign.
There’s a gap between us—, who wouldn’t hesitate to kill if needed, and her, who harbors a deep aversion to taking lives.
I grimaced slightly, finding the tea bitter for so reason.
Noticing this, she quickly relaxed her hardened expression and shifted the conversation.
“…I see. In that case, let’s clarify the details.”
“The details?”
“Like the reason we beca engaged in the first place. Surely, Your Grace knows about my notorious reputation, doesn’t he?”
“Of course. I know it well.”
“...”
Adele Este.
Originally, she was the beloved daughter of the Este Duke’s family, but after the family was demoted to a count’s household, she beca the daughter of Count Este.
When the reason for the sudden fall of the duke’s house to a count’s was not revealed, rumors spread that it was due to her actions that the Este family lost their title.
‘As if that could ever be true.’
Only a fool would take such rumors seriously.
A ducal house, and not just any, but the Este family, famous for their vast rchant empire, reduced to a count’s title all because of one young lady? Ridiculous.
In fact, the rumor had the sequence of events all wrong.
Adele didn’t commit any evil deeds before the demotion; her misdeeds began after the family was demoted.
‘Of course, that’s not the most important part.’
The important thing is that Adele’s infamy is substantial—so much so that such rumors could even exist.
After becoming a countess and breaking off her engagent with the Crown Prince, Adele ca to believe that the reason for the broken engagent was the heroine of the original story, who had grown close to the Crown Prince. Thus, she harassed her, repeatedly crossing lines she shouldn’t have.
Though her misdeeds stemd from a slight misunderstanding, the acts she committed went far beyond what was acceptable. That’s how Adele earned her infamous reputation.
Of course, the Adele I speak of is the one before she possessed her.
“So, you need a reason that makes sense for all of this?”
“Yes. Otherwise, it would bring great harm to House Hardenberg.”
Her words caused to frown slightly.
Did she really think that just being engaged to her would damage the Hardenberg family? Did she think so little of House Hardenberg?
I frowned and opened my mouth to speak.
“That’s a distasteful thing to say.”
“...What?”
“Why do you think being engaged to you would bring harm to House Hardenberg?”
“But… didn’t you say you care about public opinion?”
It seems she rembered what I had said before. Given the traits of soone who has regressed to the past, it’s no surprise she’s sensitive to even small bits of information.
But Adele had misunderstood my words.
“It seems you’ve gotten sothing wrong.”
I continued, correcting her misunderstanding.
“I care about public opinion, yes, but I do not let myself be bound by it.”
When I first beca the duke, I had indeed been bothered by baseless rumors, which is why I began to pay attention to them.
But that doesn’t an I let myself be constrained by them.
Whatever the case in the past, now I am the head of House Hardenberg, one of the only four ducal houses in the Arie Empire.
In other words, the ti when I could be swayed by rumors is long gone.
“Still, shouldn’t we at least establish the reason for our engagent?”
“That we should.”
“You’re right. That does make sense. At the very least, setting up so kind of story should help prevent strange rumors from spreading.”
I wouldn’t let myself get caught up in rumors, but there’s no reason to allow unnecessary ones to circulate either.
The problem is, I don’t have any ideas at the mont. Perhaps it’s better to leave this to her. With that thought, I looked at Adele and spoke.
“How about we go with whatever story you co up with, Miss Adele?”
“...Really?”
“Yes. I don’t say things I don’t an.”
As I watched Adele fall into thought, I brought my tea to my lips. The faint scent of roses accompanied by a slight bitterness filled my mouth. I suppose tea just doesn’t suit .
“How about this, then?”
“What is it?”
“The Duke ets by chance while on a trip and falls in love with at first sight.”
“Hmm... quite the charming romance.”
At my indifferent response, Adele tilted her head slightly, looking a bit puzzled. Did she expect to be flustered by that?
Co to think of it, if she sees as a character from a romantic novel, it’s not surprising she’d think that way. After all, it’s a cliché in romance novels for the male lead to be thrown off by bold statents like that.
But for , who has been hearing countless love stories from my personal maid Laura since childhood, it’s far too predictable. Even if the subject of the story happens to be .
“And how about this one?”
Perhaps my calm reaction sparked her competitive spirit, as she started throwing more scenarios at , likely in an attempt to catch off guard. But honestly, I wasn’t fazed.
If stories like these unsettled , I would have replaced Laura with another maid a long ti ago.
“What about this—”
I interrupted her before she could pitch another idea.
“Enough. Let’s leave it at that.”
“Pardon?”
“We’ll go with your first story. It may be a bit cliché, but it’s likely the most believable one.”
“In that case...”
“Yes. We t by chance while traveling and fell in love at first sight. That should suffice to make us acceptable in high society, don’t you think?”
“...That should do.”
Seeing the slightly frustrated look on her face made smile. I suppose, being in the middle part of the original story’s tiline, this pure side of her still remains.
In the latter half of the original story, Adele becos a truly ruthless woman, cold and without a shred of rcy. She was destined to turn into a psychopath, caring only about Abel.
That’s why, whenever she shows these innocent sides, I feel a sense of relief. It reassures that I am indeed changing the future of this world.
“Then we should also settle how we address each other, don’t you think?”
“How we address each other?”
“Yes. You can’t keep calling ‘Miss Adele’ forever, can you? If we’re supposedly in love at first sight, people will find it odd.”
“You’re right. So, how would you like to be addressed?”
“Please, just call Adele.”
A small chuckle escaped at her confident tone. Did she really think I’d be flustered? It seed she still hadn’t given up on catching off guard by making call her by her na.
Should I admire her persistence or call it foolish dedication to a pointless endeavor?
“Adele.”
“...Yes?”
The mont I called her na without hesitation, she stared at , dumbfounded. Did she really not expect to say it so casually?
I’m not so innocent child who gets flustered just by saying soone’s na. It seed I needed to turn the tables and make her feel the pressure so she’d give up on this unnecessary persistence.
“Co to think of it, it seems unfair that I’m the only one calling you ‘Adele.’”
“What...?”
I continued, watching her face grow more flustered.
“So, wouldn’t it be only fair if you called Abel as well? My beloved Adele.”
At that, Adele fell silent for a mont. She clearly hadn’t anticipated being on the receiving end of her own ga.
This was the perfect opportunity to push her a little further.
“I’ve already called you Adele. Could it be that you’re unable to call Abel?”
She closed her eyes briefly, then slowly started to speak.
“A... A...”
“I can’t hear you.”
She opened her eyes and looked at like I was being unfair. But what could she do? She started this.
“...Abel.”
“Your voice is too quiet, don’t you think?”
“Ugh…”
After hesitating for a mont, Adele finally raised her voice.
“Abel!”
Almost shouting my na, she imdiately bowed her head in embarrassnt.
Now that I think about it, it’s probably been ten years since soone last called by my na.
“Good. Keep calling that from now on.”
I smiled at her, feeling quite satisfied, and watched as her face turned a faint shade of pink.
She lifted her head, but instead of speaking further, she just sipped her tea in silence, clearly flustered. It seems that turning the tables on her was the right choice after all.
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