“It’s not a big deal.”
Mel remained silent for a moment before speaking again.
“Would there be any problems if we ended it at this level?”
“If there were, I would have decided on the punishment myself.”
“What if I’m under suspicion…….”
“If you have let it slide, it shows that you’ve adapted to living as a commoner. If you handle it moderately, you’re doing what your family told you to do. If you punish excessively, it shows insecurity. If you want to catch the tail, there are ways to do it.”
“Oh.”
“I’ve erased your roots. If you’re careful with your words, no one can be sure of your true identity. But I shouldn’t have to keep reassuring you, right? It’s annoying.”
“No! That won’t happen anymore, I promise.”
Demian pressed his temples and returned to his chair. It seemed like it was time for Mel to leave the office, but she hesitated.
There aren’t many situations where she’ll be alone with him. Now was the time to ask.
“Can I… be engaged to another noble?”
His expression hardened.
“What a brat.”
It wasn’t clear if he was talking to himself or to her. Mel froze like a stone, but he reacted to his next words.
“It’s already over.”
“Wh-what…?”
“We sent the engagement documents to the Allnight family recently, so the matter should be settled soon. It’s something that was predetermined between the families, so there’s no room for negotiation.”
The shock slowly seeped into her head, which was already white.
Already over? She doesn’t even know the other person’s face, let alone their name, and hearing about the engagement from a servant’s mouth is excessive. How different is this from Norma?
The face of Baron Totten flashed in her mind, but unlike when she heard the story from Norma, she couldn’t bring herself to express her dislike. Mel only chewed on her lips.
“If you don’t want to, you’ll have to persuade father or get to know their side first.”
Amidst her distress, a hint was dropped. The roundabout implication landed on Mel’s heart.
“…is that okay?”
“Avoid extreme measures like torture and murder. It’s too much of a hassle to fix.”
“I can’t do that!”
Mel exclaimed in shock before clamping her mouth shut. She glanced at Demian for his reaction, but unexpectedly, he softened his stance and expanded on his words.
“Do your best. I’ll wish you success.”
Worried that he might change his mind, Mel hurriedly bid farewell and left the office. Her next destination was already decided.
✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧
“Demian told you?”
The hand that was combing through her hair paused. It was already the third time.
Once when he got angry about the situation, then when he felt sorry and didn’t know what to do, and now, once again, bringing up the engagement talk.
‘Looks like today isn’t a good day for combing.’
The Duke of Heaven seemed to think the same as he tried to remove the comb, but it didn’t go smoothly. The tangled hair clung to it like a spider’s web, ensnaring its prey.
He felt embarrassed yet exerted all efforts to ensure Mel wasn’t hurt.
Because of that, it took some time before the conversation continued.
“It’s an old story. Heaven and Allnight decided to pair up their children. Coincidentally, you two were the only ones of similar age and gender, so it ended up like this.”
“Do I have to get engaged?”
“We’ll wait until you’re ready. Don’t think too negatively about it. Even if we add another 30 years on top of your current ages, Gopher is still the only heir.”
His demeanor was gentle yet firm as he tried to console Mel. She subtly showed her displeasure, but it didn’t seem to work.
“Why don’t you meet him first? Let’s talk about it later.”
“…Okay.”
Mel nodded with a dark expression. She didn’t think she’d be able to convince the Duke anyway. If it were possible, Demian would have intervened long ago.
She then had to ensure that her potential engagement partner rejected her.
As Mel was sighing, a servant entered, served tea to both of them, and left. Seeing her reminded her of something.
“Um, does Father know all the servants in the mansion? There’s a servant who helped me; his name is ‘Per.'”
The servant who brought up the news of her engagement. She was grateful for being escorted to the room, but the more she thought about it, the more suspicious it seemed.
“I don’t recognize his name. Can you tell me more?”
“His hair is brown with a mix of ash colors. He’s really tall. And, oddly enough, he’s very handsome. To the point of being suspicious.”
The corner of the Duke’s mouth twitched. Mel hurriedly explained, feeling like he was thinking about something.
“It’s just that even Lucy doesn’t recognize him.”
“Did he have a mole under his eye?”
“Oh, yes, I think he did.”
If the Duke knows about him, then he must be a servant at the estate.
Mel felt relieved, but his expression seemed off, making her increasingly confused.
“I’m glad Father knows him. I asked about something unnecessary. Then I’ll─”
“It’s annoying that you encountered him so casually, so it makes it difficult to reprimand him.”
“Yes?”
“No, Bleria. Maybe the solution to your problem will arrive sooner than you anticipated. Go and see.”
The Duke warmly smiled and shook Mel’s hand. His words and expression seemed somewhat ominous.
As Mel left the Duke’s office, she couldn’t help but look back several times.
✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧
And three days later, Mel discovered the source of that ominous feeling.
Summoned by the Duke, Mel was escorted downstairs by a servant, not to the Duke’s office or his chambers. The destination was the largest drawing room in the mansion.
Once inside, Mel saw the face she’d been wondering about again.
The sunlight pouring in through the arched windows illuminated half of the man’s figure. With the grace of a painting by a skilled artist, he approached and stopped in front of her.
“Nice to meet you, Lady Bleria. I am Gopher Allnight.”
A familiar face but an unfamiliar name. Mel’s hand, about to clench her skirt in surprise, stopped midway. Seeing her reaction, the Duke smiled the same way as before.
“Say hello, Bleria. He is to be your fiancé.”
Fiancé…….
It felt like a blow to the back of her head. It was strange that he was the only one who knew what no one told her.
Despite her shock, Mel’s mouth moved mechanically, as she had been taught.
“Nice to meet you too. I’m Bleria Charlotte Heaven.”
And then something happened.
The Duke, who introduced them to each other, broke the ice and made small talk.
Mel regained her composure when the Duke mentioned he had important matters to attend to and took his leave.
The sound of the drawing room’s door closing echoed heavily.
Mel was startled and stood up straight. Before her stood the prospective fiancé of ‘Bleria Heaven.’ This time, her heart raced.
‘No, it’s all the same anyway.’
Whether his name was Per or Gopher didn’t matter. Mel had no desire to become engaged. If she became entangled with another noble family besides Heaven, it would be difficult for her to step down from the stage even after the deadline. There was no need to unnecessarily inflate the threat to her life.
Still, it would be easier to make the other party want to break off the engagement and dislike her than to make them like her.
In Mel’s life, there had been plenty of people who disliked her.
First, she needed to uncover rather than cover up the other person’s mistakes. She steadied her trembling voice and asked,
“We’ve met before, haven’t we? Your name was different back then, I think.”
“Per was a childhood nickname. No one calls me that anymore, though.”
“You called yourself a servant to me.”
“I apologize, but as a guest, I don’t feel comfortable pretending to know the mansion better than the owner.”
“Why did you… in the first place?”
“Since the young lord seemed busy, I planned to deliver documents to his office and leave, but I acted rashly. I’ll make sure something like this doesn’t happen again.”
“…….”
He was excessively composed. To break off an engagement, there needed to be some discord, but there was no room for that.
It was too late to get angry, and slang was strictly prohibited by her etiquette instructor. She had prepared several unpleasant actions, but they all fell flat.
It wasn’t until she reached for the teacup, feeling her throat burn, that she finally thought of something naughty to do.
‘Should I spill this?’
It was too hot now, so maybe after it cooled down a bit…
As she toyed with the surface of the cup, Gopher took Mel’s hand out of the cup. In a moment of panic, she smiled awkwardly, thinking she had been caught.
“Your hand is turning red. I thought you might get burned.”
“Oh, thank…….”
Mel couldn’t finish her sentence and tears welled up in her eyes.
How could she bring harm to such a kind person? Even for a sinner like her, it was too much. She had encountered nothing but bad people her whole life, but…
But she can’t put her life in jeopardy just because she’s upset. She didn’t want to deceive a good person, either.
So, Mel thought in reverse. If he truly was a good person, wouldn’t this kind of behavior backfire?
“Lord… Gopher?”
“Just Sir is fine.”
“Yes, Sir Gopher. So, do you… like me? Are you not dissatisfied with this marriage?”
The smile faded from the young man’s face. With just that, he seemed like a different person. Mel was surprised by the changed atmosphere.
Gopher tilted his head. Shadows were cast over his lowered eyes, as if he were contemplating.
“I thought you liked me. You even complimented my appearance.”
Even his voice sounded somehow… He crossed his legs and averted his gaze. When their eyes met again, his corners gently creased.
“No, I’m not dissatisfied. Even if I did, I would have to swallow it. I can’t just do whatever I want in life.”
“…….”
“What does the lady think of marriage?”
“Love… between people who love each other for a lifetime…”
Gopher raised his eyebrows, interrupting Mel’s words.
