The entire carriage ride home, Armin stared silently out the window. The atmosphere was so tense that I couldn’t bring myself to say anything either. Instead, I, too, fixated on the opposite window as if I could bore a hole through it with my gaze.
By the time we neared my house, my neck and shoulders were stiff from the awkward posture. The only sounds in the bumpy carriage were the occasional creaks of the wheels—and a quiet, breathy chuckle.
“Stop laughing.”
“Me? When did I laugh?”
I couldn’t hold it in anymore. The moment I called him out, Armin turned to me with a completely innocent expression, as if he had done nothing at all.
“You were laughing just now. And before that, too. The whole time!”
His deep, amethyst-like eyes locked onto mine. Under his unwavering gaze, I lost steam and turned my attention back to the window.
“Just… stop laughing already.”
Ugh. At this rate, I was going to die of embarrassment.
“I must have a reason to smile without even realizing it. Don’t you think so?”
His words were slow, deliberate, and laced with amusement. A quiet chuckle punctuated the end of his sentence like a full stop.
“Oh, for heaven’s sake! Just stop—!”
This morning, I was convinced that my life was over. And now? Now I was arguing with Armin about how much he was smiling. The wise always said life was unpredictable, and today was proof.
Who could’ve guessed that I’d end up sobbing in the streets, receiving a heartfelt confession like something out of a tragic romance novel?
The moment the carriage stopped in front of my house, I bolted. I didn’t even bother saying goodbye to Armin, sprinting straight to the entrance like my life depended on it.
Even the butler, who had come outside to greet me, looked startled at my sudden dash.
I didn’t stop there. I ran straight to my room and dove under the covers, flailing like a fish out of water.
“This is insane. Absolutely insane. There’s no other explanation.”
I should’ve just kept quiet. I had told the Duchess less than a month ago that I had no interest in Armin.
And that wasn’t even the worst part. Just this morning, I had put on my best innocent and demure act in front of Michelle and Sasha!
Frustrated, I punched my pillow.
I should have known my life wouldn’t suddenly shift genres from sitcom to tragic first love drama.
Embarrassment had a way of draining all other desires. I was so overwhelmed by the whirlwind of emotions that I skipped dinner entirely, refusing to leave my room.
One second, I was grinning like an idiot. The next moment, I was smacking my pillow in shame. Then I remembered how I must have looked—tears and snot running down my face—and self-loathing crashed over me. And then…
Then I thought of Armin’s confession.
The rawness of his words hit me all over again, and I flailed under my blankets.
At some point, Sasha came knocking on my door, probably worried because I hadn’t shown up for dinner. I shouted at him not to come in, but of course, my dear brother never listens to me.
The moment he stepped inside and saw me, a knowing smile spread across his face.
“Hmm.”
“What’s with that weird laugh?”
I glared at him. Sasha was especially annoying when he acted like he knew everything. It made him three times more insufferable.
“Oh, nothing.”
The smug way he drew out his words only made me more suspicious.
“You just seem… radiant compared to this morning.”
“I—What?! I do not!”
“See? You’re even raising your voice. For someone who skipped dinner, you sure seem full of energy.”
Flick! Sasha’s long fingers snapped against my forehead.
“If you were going to resolve things this easily, you shouldn’t have worried us in the first place.”
“Who… Who knew things would turn out like this?”
“Everyone except you.”
Sasha chuckled, clearly amused.
“You read all those books, but what’s the point if you can’t even take care of your own affairs?”
“Get out!”
“I already told you—you’re stuck now, no way out.”
His blunt tone was laced with a hint of brotherly affection.
“A whole large-scale business venture was practically arranged between our families. Did you really think you’d be able to end up with anyone other than the Young Duke? It’s hilarious just thinking about it.”
Sasha snickered, thoroughly enjoying himself at my expense.
“But honestly, if this whole incident hadn’t happened, your dense self probably would’ve taken even longer to figure it out. In a way, I’d say this worked out for the best.”
“…Everything you say is right.”
I smiled calmly at him—while gripping a pillow in one hand.
Thud! The pillow hit Sasha’s face dead on.
“If you’re going to say things that deserve a beating, you should expect to get hit. When did I ever ask for your opinion?”
Now that things with Armin were settled, I had no reason to hold back. I had found my inner peace, and my body was feeling quite energized.
“For someone as aggressive as you, it’s a wonder Armin still likes you. He must have a very unique taste.”
“Get out!”
“I was leaving anyway. I only came in because I was worried, but instead of gratitude, I got assaulted.”
“Well, all you did was tease me after barging in under the guise of concern.”
Just then, the door opened.
It seemed Michelle had brought in a bowl of soup, worried that I had skipped dinner.
“My lady, no matter how upset you are, you should at least eat someth—oh?”
The second most quick-witted person appeared once again.
As soon as Michelle saw my face, the worried look in her eyes instantly disappeared, as if all her tension had just melted away.
“So, it’s been resolved?”
“…Yeah.”
“Then you should eat on time! Why do you keep making people worry for nothing?”
Placing the bowl of soup on the table, Michelle began her scolding.
“Do you even know how worried I was this morning? First, you suddenly say you’re going to introduce Lady Rose of the Marquisate to Lord Armin—”
“I was serious back then! How was I supposed to know things would turn out like this?”
“I honestly thought you’d be crying your eyes out for at least three days. Well, I guess it’s a relief that it’s all sorted out now.”
So, my grand resolve had only seemed like a three-day dilemma to Michelle. Feeling awkward, I scratched my cheek.
“Since I brought it all the way here, you should hurry up and eat the soup.”
“Yeah. Thanks, Michelle.”
Sasha, who had refused to leave and was instead enjoying the sight of me eating, suddenly became the target of Michelle’s inquiry.
“Young Master, may I ask you a question?”
“What is it?”
“What should I call Lord Armin from now on?”
Michelle tilted her head as she posed the question to Sasha.
“Since he and the young lady are now… in that kind of relationship, shouldn’t we call him something different?”
“Oh! That’s a great point, Michelle.”
At this point, I couldn’t tell if they were genuinely encouraging me to eat or just trying to make me choke.
I kept my mouth shut, knowing that if I chimed in, they’d only get more excited to tease me. Instead, I focused on finishing my soup as quickly as possible.
“Thanks to my dear sister, I’ll now have the honor of calling the young duke ‘brother-in-law.’”
I choked.
“Then should I start addressing him as ‘young lady’s husband’?”
“Michelle, you truly are clever. But you might have to wait a little longer for that.”
“How long should I wait? It took the two of them this long just to confirm their feelings.”
“Why not ask the lady herself?”
“Well, I don’t know. Just this morning, she was still trying to set up Lord Armin with another noble lady.”
The teasing was relentless, looping endlessly like a never-ending chain.
Finally, I slammed my spoon down on the table with a loud clack and declared,
“Excuse me. Don’t you two have things to do? Get out already!”
“We were going to leave once you finished your meal. Oh my, you’re already done?”
“Yes, I’ve finished! Now get out! Stop tormenting me, please!”
These two had mastered the art of teasing. They had an innate talent for pushing me to my limits without actually making me truly angry.
Knowing that if they lingered any longer, I might actually start screaming, Sasha and Michelle wisely exited the room without another word.
* * *
That night, even though I had been lying in bed for quite some time, sleep refused to come.
Instead, my mind was as clear as if I had downed ten cups of coffee. The more I thought about it, the more real it became—Armin’s confession, the shift in our relationship from friends to something special. It was only now beginning to sink in.
“Haa…”
By now, Lady Rose and her circle probably saw me as the most cunning fox in existence. Any excuse I made about it not being intentional wouldn’t mean much to them.
“Well, that’s fine. At least they won’t bother me for a while.”
I did feel a little guilty, as if I had unwittingly taken something from Lady Rose, but I didn’t regret what had happened. It was inevitable. Now that I understood what truly mattered, there was no room for compromise.
Whether they called me a villainess or a seductress, none of that mattered. What truly mattered was that Armin and I shared the same feelings. Other people’s opinions were insignificant in comparison.
“It’s not like I ever cared much about others in the first place.”
Meeting Armin had expanded my world, and for a moment, I had forgotten my original nature. But the truth was, I had always lived as a wallflower, never having a single close female friend.
As soon as I shifted my perspective, my heart felt lighter.
‘Let them talk all they want.’
As Michelle once said, famous people pay the price of their fame. This was just the tax I had to pay for winning over Armin.
New and unfamiliar emotions kept surfacing within me, emotions I had never expected to feel. I was still in the process of surprising myself.
I had believed—both in this life and the previous one—that I wasn’t particularly interested in men. But perhaps, the truth was that I had simply never met the right person. It seemed my heart had been sealed away, waiting for the moment when I finally encountered the one meant for me.
Feeling embarrassed yet strangely giddy, I curled into a ball and wiggled my toes beneath the covers.
