45

Shion accepted the glass of water while being surrounded by silence.

Hafnon looks at the two of them alternately and carefully drinks the water.

‘As expected, I can’t believe the rumors.’

Rumors of Zion and Harnet had been heard earlier.

Which family suffers more loss, is tormented by the mad lady, or the youngest son of the Marquis Regard family runs away first.

But none of them fit, and rather unexpected results came out.

‘It’s a little different from what I thought… … .’

Even if you are engaged, you usually use a respectful title for your partner.

Unlike him, Shion and Hanette spoke plainly without hesitation, and did not even show a hint of displeasure.

It may be that they are wary of each other, but in some ways it could be seen that they are quite close.

‘If it’s enough to wipe away sweat… … .’

Unexpectedly, it could have been that he was conscious of himself and his brother.

Externally, you will have to give the impression that you and your fiancé are on good terms.

‘If you think about it, it’s not to the point of being an idiot.’

The reason why Hanette Adelaira was called the Mad Lady was extremely simple.

This was because he never attended social gatherings, shunned his fellow nobility, and was close to drinking and gambling.

In other words, it meant that they lacked culture and elegance, so there was no choice but to be perceived as relatively inferior.

Of course, that was only a part of what was shown on the outside, and if you look at the results alone, you should be considered an aristocrat who enjoys his own life.

‘It could be that Shion Reggieard likes such a noble lady… … .’

Individual tastes cannot be applied equally to everyone.

It was just that the majority of nobles were advocating a custom that had been handed down for a long time.

Maybe it’s because both of them deviated from the universal standard, so they developed a crush on each other.

‘Then, are the two families linked by fate?’

In the first place, Shion and Harnet were just a means to be promoted as an arranged marriage.

As a result, the Marquis of Regiard firmly established its commercial power and expanded little by little, while the Duke of Adelaira looked after it and united the nobles under its command.

According to the original intention, it was close to an act to check the Ternane duchy, but it was also an accidental, but also created another fate.

‘I’ll be standing between those fates for a while.’

Hafnon reverently looks upon Zion and Harnet.

It was a bond that was forcibly made, but it was leading to sincere feelings before I knew it.

It wouldn’t help, but it shouldn’t get in the way.

‘It would be nice if such a fate would come to me too… … .’

“You look good. You look like a newly married couple.”

Raina Prandike, the youngest daughter of the Prandike family, recited softly and smiled.

I already knew that Shion Reggiard would visit periodically, but this was the first time I had met him in person.

So I stopped by the gymnasium to say hello, but I also ran into his fiancé, Hannette Adelaira.

“Oh, is that so? Thank you for your words.”

“uh… Well… I’m glad you see it that way.”

Shion responded calmly, but Hanette hesitated and then reluctantly pretended to agree.

I just watched it a little bit because there was a part that bothered me.

If it had been as usual, he would have watched it quietly and approached it belatedly.

“What do you think, brother?”

“… I look like that too. You can have a wedding right away tomorrow.”

“Since we see each other a lot, it must have been a little friendly. Not to that extent yet.”

Shion passes this situation naturally and carefully looks away.

Contrary to what was expected, Hannette was showing a calm reaction.

Perhaps you are feeling ashamed or offended.

“My fiance is with us, right? It seems like we’ve become a little attached to each other because we run into each other often.”

“That’s right. Even if you don’t know each other, don’t you become acquainted with each other? When you get to know each other, you can’t help but feel attached to them.”

“Well… What should I say? It’s like having another little brother.”

“Oh, is that so? It means you treat them like family.”

Shion is puzzled, but quietly eavesdrops on Hanette’s words.

He didn’t show any emotion and was responding normally.

Her face looked calmer than ever, and she smiled from time to time.

‘… Was I really good at lying like this?’

It was as if she had become a common noble lady.

As for the clothes, he was wearing a suit as usual, but there was a strange sense of disparateness in his way of speaking, tone, and atmosphere.

If he behaved like this on a regular basis, wouldn’t Robbins and Yenid be very happy?

‘Still, it’s a noble lady.’

Shion realizes that fact and laughs.

He had always viewed Hanette as a heroine, but never as a duke’s daughter.

I will leave the Duke of Adelaira with the main character, and I will never go back after that.

Of course, there would be times when he would come to the capital, but he would definitely try to hide his identity.

‘Once you leave, you won’t see anything… … ‘

Shion feels that something in her heart is being buried and shows dry eyes.

He probably wouldn’t be able to meet a noble lady like Hanette until she died.

Perhaps, recalling the conversation we had then, we might have thought about where we were and what we were doing.

He was once his fiancée, and he was a childish but fun talker.

‘Have we become too close… … .’

“Shion, do you have any discomfort?”

“Yes? No, thanks.”

“Your expression looked dark, so I asked.”

“Thank you for caring me. I was thinking about something else for a second.”

Shion comes to his senses belatedly and shows an awkward smile.

Hafnon watched Shion for a moment, then opened his mouth.

“You must be very tired. I think the time is up, how about taking a little rest?”

“Ah, even if you don’t go that far… … .”

“Then let me take care of you for a little bit. Looking at it earlier, it seemed like I used too much of my body. A little rest will make you feel better.”

Harnette saw Shion’s condition and immediately cut off her words.

At a glance, he seemed weak, and his face seemed a little emaciated.

The Marquis of Prandike had a friendly relationship with the Duke of Adelaira, so they wouldn’t be uncomfortable with a short break.

“All right. We will arrange a seat soon.”

“No, I… … .”

“Stay still. It’s not all good if you say no. You have to think about the face of the other person.”

“… … .”

Shion, lost for words, stares blankly at Hanette.

Hannett was disapproving of it, but was checking Shion’s condition from time to time.

Raina observes the two of them slowly, and then follows Hafnon.

‘They’re a nice pair. The young lady is taking good care of me.’

Raina quickly recognized it from the moment she entered the gymnasium.

Harnette used a towel to wipe off the sweat herself, and occasionally looked back at her fiancé.

Wasn’t he saying that he was going to rest at the mansion because he was considerate of his fiancé?

‘… I don’t think he’s crazy?’

Raina was also well aware of the rumors related to Harnette.

However, to be called a foolish young lady, there was no fault in her words and actions.

If there was really a problem with her personality, she wouldn’t even give her fiancé a glance.

‘The Duke of Ternane must have inflated the rumors.’

The Duke of Ternane had always been in competition with the Duke of Adelaira, so they might try to spread fabricated rumors.

It happened that Hannette Adelaira was self-indulgent and would have tried to undermine the family’s reputation somehow.

‘Can we be a little closer?’

Rina draws a faint smile as she is seized with intense curiosity.

Apparently, because of the rumors, he deliberately kept away from Hannette Adelaira.

But now that I was confident, I could have approached it in a slightly different way.

‘I’ll have to wait and see how the young lady over there comes out.’

* * *

The capital of the Alain Kingdom, Selzrode.

Selzrode was one of the restaurants located in the capital, and was serving only the upper classes.

Only expensive and rare ingredients were used as they demanded a lot of money, and the skills of the chefs were also quite outstanding.

Usually, after making a reservation first, guests enter according to the schedule, but today was an exception.

Because the entire restaurant was rented by the Duke of Adelaira, it only received two guests.

“… Do you know why this happened?”

“Well… I guess, but I’m not sure.”

Shion sat down in her designated seat, immersed in her thoughts.

Harnette also sits down behind her and looks around.

No one could be found except for the staff, and the sound of playing a musical instrument was heard from somewhere.

“What? Tell me.”

“You were called because of Sedrin last time, right? The Duke of Adelaira must have thought of me and my sister.”

“You sent it here as an apology?”

“There is nothing else.”

“Sigh… What good is all this for?”

Harnette let out a sigh and shows a displeased expression.

He had already put the matter out of his mind, and, as always, he had no wish for anything else from Robbins.

It must have been because of Shion’s consideration, but it wouldn’t have been very helpful.

“It is not very useless. You did something.”

“I didn’t want this.”

“Your sister just passed it over. If there was anything you wanted, you should have said it then.”

“You say that now… under… … .”

Harnette is irritated, but she can’t bear to deny it.

Obviously, Shion gave him the opportunity back, and Robbens responded as well.

However, he gave up the opportunity to show his pride, and that is what led to the current result.

“okay. I’m going to admit that I’m wrong, so just move on.”

“… Not wrong. At that time, my sister was not in a good mood. Didn’t you draw your sword for me?”

“… … .”

Harnette swallowed silence and gazed intently at Shion.

The purple eyes were gloomy.

If I stayed still like this, I felt like I would get caught up in those eyes without even realizing it.

“I should have drawn the sword for my sister.”

“You can’t take my side. Are you looking at me as an idiot?”

“Just because there is a problem with your sister’s behavior, I can’t relate it to this time. I don’t think my sister is wrong. It just makes my sister stand out a little more.”

“It doesn’t change anything even if you don’t notice it.”

“There are a lot of exaggerated parts about my sister. If that’s the case, all the nobles who drink and gamble should be seen as idiots. There is no such thing as a noble lady not being able to wear a suit.”

Harnett kept her head down and covered her hands.

There was no one who took his side, and no one understood his heart.

Years of oppression, forced methods, comparison with others, rebuke and punishment, solitude and frustration.

I tried to put up with it somehow, but I couldn’t control my feelings because I was constantly comforted.

“… sister?”

Shion was taken aback and immediately got up from his seat.

Harnette’s shoulders trembled slightly, and she struggled to keep her mouth shut so that her voice wouldn’t leak out.

The small things that flowed over it began to spread slowly over the table.

“Sister, use this.”

Shion approached Hanette and handed her a handkerchief.

Harnette hesitated for a moment, then cautiously reached out and took the handkerchief.

“It is because of you. I just had to stay still… … .”

“Sister, I… … .”

“I’m crying because of you… I’m not ashamed. You know why I cry.”