“Prince Dertis, it’s been a while.”
Serhen greeted the second prince with a very cheerful voice. Kasion also gave a reluctant nod as a gesture of respect.
“Marquis Mellin, it’s been a while. We briefly saw each other at the last banquet, didn’t we?”
“How have you been?”
“So-so…”
“Are you feeling unwell?” Serhen asked while looking at me supporting Dertis. The intense gaze made the hand holding Dertis feel like it was burning.
“Ah, I finally got around to tasting the wine you sent. It’s stronger than most wines.”
I widened my eyes at Dertis’s words, and so did Lireania. She and I exchanged glances briefly.
He had said earlier that the wine had just arrived today. Now that I thought about it, he had seemed slightly out of breath when he arrived. Did he run over here on purpose to save me? That thought made my cheeks suddenly flush. This really made Lireania’s words seem true—like a prince on a white horse who came to save me.
“Is that so? By the way, have you greeted Ariel?”
“Yes, we briefly met yesterday. She’s a very polite lady, just like you—”
“Seeing the imperial family today makes me deeply concerned about the future of this empire.”
At that moment, a low voice interrupted Dertis’s words.
“Duke, you’re here.”
“…”
Kasion, hearing the prince’s call, casually glanced over with his yellow eyes and kept his lips tightly shut as he approached me. He then easily took Dertis out of my grasp. He supported Dertis with one hand, but his touch was rough and clumsy. Even though he had the strength to be more delicate, his grip was harsh.
“Ugh… please be gentle, Duke.”
“I’m merely using minimal force,” Kasion responded curtly. Yet Dertis’s face was still contorted in discomfort, looking as though he could barely breathe, like a wounded soldier on the battlefield.
“Can’t you overlook it since I didn’t disrespect Lady Mellin?”
“That’s why this is as mild as it is.”
“It feels like my ribs might break.”
“That’s because you lack muscle strength, Your Highness. Without muscle, the pressure feels greater.”
Kasion’s expressionless face and voice were scarier than if he had been angry. It was amazing, in a way, how he could make people so afraid with such a blank expression. No wonder people had avoided him since childhood.
“Haha, I seem to have earned Duke’s dislike just by trying to help Lady Mellin.”
“…”
Kasion suddenly stopped at Dertis’s words. His face was no longer expressionless—it was full of anger.
“From whom?”
“From the crown prince.”
I had no choice but to intervene. This made Kasion’s face look even more terrifying, almost as scary as when he had spoken harshly to the princess earlier. The chill radiating from him was sharp enough to pierce like icicles.
“Ariel, are you unharmed?”
Kasion released Dertis and immediately walked straight toward me. But Serhen blocked his path.
“I’m fine.” I peeked out from behind Serhen’s back as I answered.
Kasion’s deeply furrowed brow made him look quite intimidating. It was a look I had often seen as a child, one he used when scolding knights who hadn’t properly protected me… or so I thought.
“Does the current imperial family take the pact with Pertelian so lightly? I just informed His Majesty about the princess’s misconduct and asked for caution.”
“My apologies. But since the young lady is unharmed, please calm down.”
The sight of the imperial family being so deferential to Kasion was quite something. At the same time, it shed light on parts of the novel that had previously been unclear to me. No wonder Kasion had killed Serhen and faced no consequences.
“Does that mean Your Highness is willing to take responsibility?” Kasion’s words carried a hint of menace.
At that moment, Lireania’s words came back to me.
“People can fall in love at first sight. He kept smiling at you and couldn’t take his eyes off you.”
If I was meant to take Lireania’s place, wouldn’t there also be someone who would die in Serhen’s stead? It would be a man who showed interest in me—like this kind prince.
“No!” The words slipped out of my mouth before I realized it, and everyone turned to look at me.
“Lady Mellin, Duke is always fair, so you don’t need to worry.”
That’s easy for Dertis to say; he doesn’t know Kasion like I do. Just look at him now, narrowing his eyes with a murderous look aimed at the poor second prince.
“Right? Kasion is a fair person, so you won’t rashly go against the imperial family… right?” I spoke in a soothing tone, my voice growing more desperate out of a sense of responsibility.
Dertis was just a normal guy who happened to get entangled with me—there was no need to drag him into a twisted fate.
“I’ve always admired that about you, Kasion.”
“…Obviously.”
Kasion turned his head away, looking disgruntled. I noticed his neck had turned slightly red. Seeing this brought many thoughts to my mind.
“I’ll escort the prince back inside. Once I return, let’s all leave the palace together.”
Kasion’s touch seemed a little gentler than before. Thank goodness. This method worked.
Wait, does that mean I can keep doing this in the future? All I need to do is tame this beast-like man well. If I manage it well, I could avoid his terrible obsession and confinement without pushing him away. Even the fiercest wild dog can be tamed into a gentle puppy if trained properly.
“Alright, the goal is to turn him into a puppy.”
“What are you talking about, Lady Ariel?” Lireania, who had been smiling constantly, asked.
“Ah, I was thinking of raising a puppy once I become independent. A big one.”
Since he was the one who confessed first, the leash of the Doberman with those yellow eyes was already in my hands.
* * *
Later that afternoon, I was busy decorating Serhen’s new bridal room with the maids. The new furniture had already been moved in, and today, we were bringing in Lireania’s personal belongings.
Lireania was still at Veloire, handling her customers’ last orders personally. My decision to push the wedding date forward had also squeezed her schedule.
“Did everyone remember how Lady Lireania wanted things arranged?”
“Yes, Milady.”
“Once it’s all done, make sure the room is thoroughly cleaned too.”
“Don’t worry about it,” Selvia said with a bright smile. Her face was full of anticipation at welcoming the new hostess of the house. She might even be aiming to become head maid once the marchioness arrives. Too bad, but you’re coming with me next door.
“I’ll just pop over to the house next door for a moment.”
“Why? Do you need something? I can go instead.” Selvia quickly handed a clothes box to another maid and rushed over to me.
“No, I’m just going to get used to it since we’ll be moving soon. I need to memorize the layout too.”
“Won’t you only be using the bedroom and the parlor?”
“What are you talking about? I’ve put so much effort into decorating the study.”
Lately, I’ve been dreaming about my past life so often that it feels a bit wasteful. Back then, I had things I wanted to do and many dreams. Sometimes, remembering my previous life brings back some of the knowledge from it. Although it’s shallow knowledge from just being 20 years old in my past life, I still hope to be of some help to Serhen, who runs the trading company. I’ve already helped a bit though.
“T-That, I see.”
“If I’m going to live as a Mellin for my whole life, I can’t just enjoy luxury like some vain noble lady. I might inherit some of the marquisate’s wealth, but I still need to think about making a living.”
“Indeed, you truly are a Mellin, Milady.”
Selvia’s compliment felt a little awkward. Though she had been with the marquisate for a long time and sincerely respected the family, she wasn’t unaware of the stereotypes in noble society. Many still believed it was beneath nobles to work for money.
“Right, so I’m planning to sit by a sunny window and read a book.”
“Understood, I’ll hurry up and get everything organized, then I’ll bring you some tea.”
“No need, just focus on organizing the wardrobe. I’ll check it when you’re done.”
Selvia nodded, though she looked somewhat anxious. Did she suspect I was planning to take her with me to the new house? I pursed my lips and pretended not to notice, heading to the garden.
The construction on one side of the garden was already complete. The entrance was a tunnel made of blue roses leading to my new home. It was a path only for me and the Mellin family members.
“Nice.”
I took a moment to enjoy the scent of the roses and clear my mind. The recent series of events had my head spinning, but at least things were starting to settle down.
“I’m doing just fine,” I muttered to myself, like a mantra.
I had successfully diverted the unfortunate fate that was supposed to befall Lireania and Serhen. That alone was something I could praise myself for.
I would continue to live as a Mellin, staying close to my precious family. I didn’t want to marry into another family and have to learn their ways. I had enough of that from my past life when my mother remarried.
“Ah, I can do this!”
Smiling brightly, I strolled through the garden, a small replica of the marquisate’s garden. My smile only faltered for a moment when I was startled by an unexpected visitor.
“Ariel.”
“Kasion? What brings you here?”
Kasion called out to me from beyond the gate.
“I brought you a gift. I thought it best to give it to you as soon as possible.”
A gift? What could it be all of a sudden?
Curious, I headed toward the gate, then stopped in my tracks. He was holding the leash of a puppy that looked just like him, waiting for me beyond the gate.
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