As Kaien said, there was indeed nothing to pack.
“Are you sure you’re okay with just carrying one bag?”
Kaien, who had just told me to bring myself, seemed a bit surprised when I readily agreed and got on the carriage.
“Yes. I don’t want to take anything more from the mansion. Bringing only my maid is enough.”
“You and the lady must be close.”
“We’ve grown close through shared hardships.”
“Are you sure you didn’t leave anything behind? Why are you looking at the mansion like that?”
Even with his words, I continued to gaze at the mansion, which was getting further away.
“Just… I find it hard to believe that I’ve left that place.”
“What was your original plan? Did you intend to marry your previous fiance?”
“Well…….”
What? Did he realize I had plans?
I gave an ambiguous answer and glanced at Kaien.
Sitting with his legs crossed in a neat suit, he truly embodied the image of a male lead. As I glanced around, Kaien absentmindedly placed the contract on my lap.
“Read it again, slowly. I’m giving Milady one last chance.”
With that, I read the contract more carefully.
After reading it three times, I gently placed it back on Kaien’s lap.
“My mind hasn’t changed.”
“Even if milady refuses here, I won’t take her back to that house, so don’t worry.”
“I’m serious; I’ll sign the contract.”
“…Is Milady ignorant or brave?”
What? Why the sudden question?
As I looked at Kaien with uncertainty, he added with a more intense gaze,
“Or do you not know the terror of the transcendent individual?”
“Both.”
“What?”
“Not knowing the fear of transcendent individuals makes me ignorant, and that’s why I’m brave.”
I pushed the contract that was hanging precariously at the edge of Kaien’s lap a bit further inward.
“So, make sure to hide it well before I change my mind and ask to terminate the contract. I might run away with it later.”
“Ha.”
Kaien chuckled smugly as he placed the contract beside him.
“You’re right; I’ll have to hide it well. So you can’t run away with it.”
If things go south, I can just leave him behind.
I grinned and swallowed unnecessary remarks.
“The butler will show you around the mansion once you arrive. I might come in late for dinner because I have some business, so don’t wait up. We will conduct the matching test as soon as it’s ready, so Milady doesn’t need to prepare anything separately.
“Okay.”
“However, it’s best to pause social activities for a while. Yesterday’s incident caused quite a stir.”
“Really? How much?”
I don’t have many friends around, anyway.
Among the few, Nadia, who was the closest to me, ran away with my fiancée, so I had no idea what the social circle was now.
“Do you want to see?”
Kaien handed me the newspaper.
[Duke Wintbell, who had publicly declared his celibacy, secretly became engaged to his lover?]
[Is the Wintbell Duke a rare gem among men?]
[Who is the young lady who has become the Duchess of Wintbell!]
I asked with a smirk,
“My identity hasn’t been revealed yet?”
Honestly, I expected it to be revealed already.
“For your own protection. It’s my newspaper.”
“……Really?”
The newspaper that Kaien handed me was from a well-known establishment, mentioned multiple times in the original work due to its considerable scale.
“I have no need to lie to Milady.”
“That’s true. You’re impressive.”
I neatly acknowledged and folded the newspaper.
The carriage came to a stop just in time.
“Welcome to my mansion, milady.”
Kaien bowed and stepped out of the carriage, extending her hand to me.
It felt surreal to see the man I thought I’d never meet offering his hand to me.
I rose from my seat, shaking off the complex emotions, and firmly took Kaien’s hand.
Surprisingly, his hand was warm.
✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧
“Miss… This can’t all be a dream, right?”
When we returned from dinner, Sophia burst into tears.
At first, I sobbed along with her, but this was the fifth time, so I was getting tired of it.
“Sophia, it’s not a dream; stop pinching your cheeks; they’re all red.”
“But… I’m just so happy!”
It’s not like I don’t understand.
Coming from a place where even the heated stones for heating bathwater were sparingly used to a place where heated stones were embedded, every ten steps felt like a different world.
Contrary to my concerns, the butler, Sebastian, was exceptionally kind and courteous to me.
The same was true for the other servants.
In the original work, Kaien immediately brought Nadia to the mansion after signing the contract.
However, Nadia declined his invitation to accompany her to the ducal residence, citing the need to bid farewell to the maid who had shown her such kindness. Eventually, Nadia had to enter the manor with his aide, Gio.
Even then, Sebastian was kind to her, but not to the servants.
‘Actually, Nadia’s situation is similar to mine.’
As mentioned earlier, most of the servants were kind, with only a few exceptions.
“Here are the belongings brought from Count Bonita’s residence, milady.”
And one of those exceptions is this maid.
She was one of those maids that every male lead’s mansion has—one of the maids who has a heart for the male lead. She was polite, but I could tell she was secretly looking down on me.
She dropped the luggage, causing its contents to spill out.
“Oh my!”
Sophia exclaimed in surprise and quickly began to tidy up the spilled contents.
“What do you think you’re doing? Did you not think about what might be inside and handle it so carelessly?”
At Sophia’s words, the maid spoke gruffly.
“It’s an old bag; I didn’t think the contents would be of much importance. I’ll be more careful next time.”
As the maid swiftly left, Sophia’s eyes widened.
“That, that’s……!”
“Sophia, calm down. Shh.”
I petted Sophia’s brown, curly hair as if calming an angry puppy.
Despite her growling, Sophia pursed her lips and tidied up the luggage.
“Aren’t you upset at all? Madam’s belongings almost got damaged.”
To be honest, I didn’t have any memories of my biological mother, so I wasn’t that attached to her belongings.
In fact, I had almost forgotten about her belongings and only intended to bring Sophia. But Sophia, upon hearing Kaien’s arrival, seemed to have guessed something and hastily packed.
My mother’s keepsake was among those belongings.
“Ah, Milady, during the half-day I’ve been in this mansion, I’ve realized something.”
Sophia whispered as she approached me.
“This mansion is like a wall. Everyone is kind, but… that seems to be it.”
To have already grasped that much. She was surprisingly insightful.
I chuckled in amazement before teasingly saying,
“So, do you want to go back to Count Bonita’s mansion?”
“Oh! That’s not what I meant, Miss!”
“Tell me if the maids are being insolent. I’ll scold them.”
“Please tell me directly, Miss. You must make a good impression on the Duke, so I’ll handle any fights!”
Sophia flung out a muscleless arm.
I lightly tapped Sophia’s arm.
“Who are you going to fight with? Go rest.”
“Hehe. See you in the morning, miss. Good night!”
After I was left alone, I sighed and lay down on the bed.
“Am… am I really going to marry the male lead?”
How did this even happen?
I never had any intention of strictly adhering to the original story, nor did I plan to ruin it.
I wasn’t interested in the original story, so I just wanted to find my own way.
“I didn’t expect my path to lead to marrying the male lead instead of the heroine.”
With a bitter smile, I closed my eyes.
✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧
Kaien returned to the mansion late at night.
The atmosphere of the mansion seemed to have changed strangely, and as he stood in the hall, Sebastian asked him curiously.
“What’s wrong?”
“Oh, nothing. I just remembered something I’d forgotten.”
Indeed, a new resident has joined his mansion starting today.
Kaien asked Sebastian as he headed towards his office.
“How’s the matching test coming along?”
“It seems it will be possible in a short time.”
“Good. “How is the lady?”
“She’s kind and…”
Sebastian added, recalling Philome’s demeanor,
“She seems to be quite perceptive.”
“Is that how the butler sees her?”
“Yes.”
“How are the servants reacting?”
“They’re surprised, but they’re taking it well. Although they seem confused due to not knowing her proper status, the fact that you escorted her personally to the mansion had a significant impact.”
At Sebastian’s words, Kaien involuntarily stopped walking and chuckled.
“Is something wrong?”
“Oh, nothing… The butler seems to be right. The lady is quite perceptive.”
After getting off the carriage, Kaien recalled Philome’s request:
“As the Duke’s prospective wife, may I make a second request? Please escort me into the mansion.”
Thinking to turn around and move on to the next part of his itinerary, Kaien hesitated before granting Philome’s request.
Little did he know it would have such an effect.
