“Ariel Mellin. Did Serhen teach you to behave like this?”
Kasion’s voice was filled with reproach, and he looked at me with cold eyes. How dare he act like this when he’s the one trying to seduce someone else’s woman?
“I’m sorry. I was just worried that you might be bothering my brother’s fiancée.”
I emphasized the word ‘fiancée’ deliberately, even though their engagement wasn’t official yet.
Did he get the hint? Kasion, who usually kept his emotions in check, visibly twitched his eyebrows.
This is bad. A quiet dog bites the hardest when provoked.
“Serhen has spoiled you too much.”
He didn’t yell or threaten, but my shoulders instinctively tensed up. It was because I remember being scared of him when I was young.
His first impression had been terrible. He was twice the size of Serhen, with slightly slanted eyes and an intimidating presence. He was strict in every aspect. I knew in my head that these were survival habits he developed after surviving a bloody succession battle, but my unconscious mind couldn’t help but react.
“I’m sorry. I’ll be more careful next time.”
I had spent enough time in society to learn how to put on a mask. I had learned how to wear one diligently during the two years he was away at war.
“But why is Kasion giving a necklace to Lady Soler?”
Of course, now wasn’t the time for subtlety. It was time for direct questions. I had to protect my precious brother and his fiancée.
“Lady Mellin, it’s a misunderstanding. This—”
“It’s not for Lady Soler.”
Lireania and Kasion spoke at the same time, with Lireania even waving her hands in denial, her face flushed. Seeing her so flustered made me sigh internally.
[“This necklace has nothing to do with me.”
Lireania closed the lid of the jewelry box Kasion had offered her. No matter how close he was to her lover, she couldn’t accept a stranger’s kindness. It would be a betrayal to the man who cherished and loved her unconditionally.]
Even if I hadn’t barged in, Lireania would have refused it on her own. I trusted her heart. The problem was that this rejection was the catalyst for Kasion’s obsession. He was not used to rejection, and he would stop at nothing to get what he wanted.
While Serhen protected the Mellin family through moderate means, Kasion had seized control of his own family at the age of 14 through a bloody purge.
“So, why did you show Lady Soler the necklace, Kasion?” I asked with an innocent expression.
There was a reason I survived in the novel. Playing dumb and acting naïve. That was the only way to stay off his radar.
“It’s none of your business.” Kasion hastily closed the jewelry box.
The necklace was made of gold with a large blue sapphire. It was an odd combination that both suited and didn’t suit Lireania, with her red hair and brown eyes.
“Lady Soler, let’s talk again next time.
I frowned. Is this where his obsession starts?
This wasn’t the Kasion I knew. He had never shown interest in women, yet here he was, promising a next time… And in such a kind tone, too.
“Yes, Your Grace.”
Lireania nodded calmly, unaware that this man was destined to kill her fiancé, imprison her in his duchy, and destroy her body and soul.
I bit my lip.
“Ariel.”
At Kasion’s call, I quickly released my lip and smiled brightly.
“Yes, Kasion?”
“I’ll take you home.”
“What?”
“Serhen took the carriage, so you’ll be waiting for a while, right?”
This was going to be uncomfortable—no, very uncomfortable.
* * *
Until now, I thought my reincarnation was a blessing from the gods, meant for me to live happily with a kind brother I never had in my previous life. But now, I can’t believe that this perfect brother will die at the hands of his friend within a year.
It still felt unreal. Not only had I been reincarnated, but I was reborn into the world of a novel.
“What are you thinking so hard about?”
The man in front of me was going to kill Serhen, the only man he truly believed to be a genuine friend.
“I was just wondering if something happened with the merchant guild.” I tried to remain calm in the jolting carriage.
“I checked before coming to the boutique. There’s nothing to worry about.”
Of course, he’d know since he was the one who orchestrated it.
“Thank you for always looking after my brother.”
“It’s what I should do.” Kasion casually crossed his legs and placed a stack of documents on his lap, flipping through them one by one.
“You seem very busy.”
“A lot happened in the family during the two years I was away at war.”
“Embezzlement?”
Kasion lowered the document slightly, his gaze sharp.
That was my mistake. The information I just mentioned was something I got from the novel I read yesterday. Naturally, I wasn’t supposed to know about it.
“You’ve always warned my brother that embezzlement is most likely to happen when the head of the family’s surveillance weakens.”
It was one of the reasons Kasion and Serhen became close friends. They hadn’t originally been that close. Their parents were acquaintances, and because Kasion wasn’t good at socializing, the late duke had asked our family to include him in our playtime.
That’s how we remained friends even after he became a duke, despite his reputation for being cold-hearted. He was known for not letting others get close, but he had extended a hand to us when we were in trouble.
“Do you want to lose your precious sister by being so soft-hearted?”
He was Serhen’s unreserved friend, but at times like this, he also took on the role of a strict mentor. Since that applied to me as well, I had to stay alert.
“Hahaha. Is that true?”
“You’ve grown a lot in the two years I was gone.”
“I’m all grown up now.”
I had already stopped growing two years ago. I was about to turn twenty, yet both Serhen and Kasion still treated me like a child.
Perhaps annoyed by my retort, he frowned deeply as he stared at my face.
“What? Do I have something on my face?”
“You have so many necklaces that you can lend one to my brother’s fiancée, but you don’t wear any yourself.”
“I hate wearing heavy things around my neck. It hurts, gets caught on clothes, and feels like I’m being strangled. So I only wear them to banquets.”
It was a scar left by my past life. My stepbrother had done that.
“Is that why?”
“Why what?” I genuinely didn’t know what he meant and blinked at him.
Kasion frowned again. “You don’t need to know.” Leaving me curious, he clammed up.
I puffed out my cheeks in frustration, which made Kasion let out a small, amused snort.
The sunset streaming through the carriage window deepened his smile. It was the kind of smile that explained why he was the male lead in a dark R-rated novel. It was the kind of face that made it understandable why Lireania ultimately gave up and accepted him, leading to a bittersweet ending. With a body much more muscular than Serhen’s and a disciplined physique, it wasn’t hard to imagine how well he performed at night.
Before I realized it, my gaze had drifted to his muscular thigh, where the documents rested. This must be what they mean by ‘thighs that look like they’re about to burst.’
Unlike me, who was being tossed around by the carriage’s movements, he remained perfectly still. Just how strong was he…
“Is it hot in here?”
Kasion’s question snapped me back to reality. My face suddenly felt like it was on fire. I had unwittingly recalled all the vivid descriptions of his various activities and his bare body from the novel.
“But, Kasion,” I said, quickly turning my gaze out the window.
“Yes?”
“That necklace. Can you give it to me?”
I wanted to break the connection between him and Lireania. It was also a way to divert his attention.
“But you don’t wear necklaces.”
“Well… that’s true…”
I regretted being honest earlier.
“But it looked pretty. You didn’t get me any birthday presents during the two years you were away. Meanwhile, I wrote letters and sent gifts to you at the frontlines without fail.” I protested in a slightly faster voice.
To be honest, the letters and gifts weren’t my idea. Serhen had pushed me to do it.
“Kasion doesn’t have a cute and sweet sister like you. He cherished you as much as I did, so you should support him.”
In my reincarnated life, I had the experience of sending letters to a soldier friend of my brother.
“A birthday present, huh…”
Kasion’s expression twisted strangely. He sighed deeply before speaking again.
“I’ll make sure to give you something you’ll be satisfied with for your next birthday. But I’ll give this on to Lady Soler.”
I frowned. He really doesn’t know how to give up, does he?
“Did you like her that much?”
He smiled. “Yes. Serhen has a good eye for women. She’s a refined lady who could manage the household of a marquisate, a duchy, or even the imperial family.”
I shivered. Despite knowing I was Serhen’s sister, he still mentioned the duchy.
As much as I wished it wasn’t true, it seemed he was determined to follow the fate written in the novel.
* * *
Contrary to Kasion’s words, Serhen didn’t return home until late that night.
“Brother!”
“Ah, I’m sorry, Ariel. I made you wait without any news, didn’t I?”
Dark circles had formed under his eyes. When we went to Lireania’s boutique together earlier, his face looked so fresh and handsome.
“Was it something serious?”
“There was a foreign substance in the wine we were supposed to deliver to the imperial palace.”
“What?”
“We managed to replace it with another product, but…” Serhen trailed off, his face weary.
I quickly called Selvia to prepare a light dinner. After serving him a creamy white stew and some freshly baked bread, I fed him a large spoonful, just as he had done for me the night before.
“But everything went well with the delivery, right?”
“I’m just puzzled by how mold could have formed in the wine. It was sealed with a cork.”
“What?”
“So I was late because I had to conduct a full inspection.”
Alcohol is used to disinfect. I had subtly suggested a method of sterilizing bottles with strong spirits to Serhen based on my knowledge from my past life. It has worked well in various ways. There was no way mold could have formed in the wine.
“Hmm, Viscount Kainum hasn’t made any moves yet.”
No, it couldn’t have been the work of that wretched uncle. It must have been a betrayal from someone we trusted.
“Brother…”
I needed to make him wary of Kasion. But how could I say it? I hesitated, unsure how to bring it up.
Kasion was too perceptive. If Serhen started to suspect him, Kasion would undoubtedly notice and might act even faster.
In the novel, Kasion doesn’t hesitate to betray his friend—not even a moment of hesitation—all because of his infatuation with a woman he met at first sight. It was the one thing I couldn’t understand while reading the book in my past life.
“What’s wrong?”
“Well, you see…”
I bit my lip for a moment, then quickly glanced around. Then I noticed the small box bulging from his pocket. Yes, that’s it.
“Let’s skip the engagement with Lady Soler and go straight to the wedding within a month.”
Yes, this was the best option. No matter how madly in love he might be, he wouldn’t go so far as to take a married woman.
