Chapter 21
“Huh?”
Startled, I instinctively glanced down at the chair I was sitting on.
It looked perfectly intact, no cracks or damage, so it wasn’t like I’d unconsciously broken it.
Slowly, I turned my head toward the source of the sound.
Only then did I notice the armrest of the chair Alferen was gripping, now deeply dented.
Catching my gaze, Alferen quickly offered an excuse.
“Must be an old carriage. I just held it, and it broke.”
“I thought this was pretty new.”
“Then it must be defective.”
Alferen flashed a grin, covering the damaged spot with his hand.
His oddly unnatural behavior made my lips part in surprise.
No way, is he getting mad on my behalf because someone insulted me?
Where else could you find such a ridiculously kind-hearted secondary male lead!
It was a friendship so touching it could make even the heroine cry.
No wonder he’d choose friendship over love! Sob!
A moment later, the carriage came to a stop. Alferen escorted me out before climbing back inside.
“What are you doing?”
“I’ll fix the carriage and return it, Delly.”
“No, if it’s defective, we should handle it.”
“No, let me take care of it.”
There was no need for him to go that far, but Alferen insisted stubbornly, leaving me no room to argue.
“Alright, then. Thanks for the ride today, big brother.”
I gave Alferen a light wave and headed into the manor.
Just then, I ran straight into Adrian, fresh from a bath.
The moment I saw him, I teased, “Heard you made a scene and fell into the lake? Think you can still win after that?”
“Hah, Alferen said that? That I fell into the lake alone?”
Adrian looked thoroughly wronged, but I only half-listened to his protests.
“Whatever, you promised to pick me up and sent a friend instead, didn’t you?”
“That’s my bad, Delly.”
Adrian’s face immediately fell into a sulky pout.
Giving him a quick sidelong glance, I turned to check the letters that had arrived for me.
Among them, one stood out—a postcard with a massive snow-capped mountain in the background.
I eagerly read it aloud, as if I’d been waiting for it.
My lovely Delly, bright as a vibrant summer.
Are you doing well without us?
Here, a sudden blizzard has stopped the trains.
Your mother is terribly disappointed and sorry that we can’t make it to your debutante.
Honestly, your father was so stubborn about walking all the way to the capital.
If Gerik hadn’t stopped him, I might’ve been collecting your father’s body in some foreign land.
Though, spending these past few days alone together in the manor, that doesn’t sound too bad.
Your father talks too much.
People call him a reserved gentleman, but in front of me, he’s nothing short of a clown.
Yesterday, if the lake hadn’t been frozen, I might’ve pushed him in.
His mouth would probably just float on its own.
By the time this postcard reaches you, you’ll likely have had your debutante.
I have no doubt our Delly was the most beautiful and brilliant lady of the season.
It seems it’ll take some time before the railway is back to normal.
Still, knowing Lian is by your side puts my heart at ease.
Once again, with all my apologies.
From Jasmine Peris, who loves you more than anyone in this world.]
Adrian, peering over my shoulder at the postcard, asked curtly, “From Mother?”
“Yeah. She must feel bad about missing my debutante, because this is longer than usual.”
“Mother always expresses herself better in writing than in words. Is she doing alright?”
“Sounds like she’s still snowed in because of her eyes. The railway’s completely buried, apparently.”
“Oh no.”
Adrian let out a short sigh.
Our parents were currently traveling in the northern Lavernin region, famous for its auroras, accompanied by our butler, Gerik.
They were supposed to return earlier this month, but an unexpected blizzard had stranded them.
When we first received the telegram, I was worried.
But seeing that she sent a postcard, it seemed they were managing fine.
Although, Mother did seem a bit exasperated with Father.
“Looks like Father’s trailing after Mother again, as usual.”
“Father always gets like that when he’s anxious. Mother’s probably grinding her teeth by now.”
“Luckily, the lake’s frozen over, so Father’s still alive. Those two are as tight as ever, aren’t they?”
“Even with all their bickering, it’s a relief to see them getting along so well.”
The Duke and Duchess of Peris were polar opposites in personality, yet they lived together, embracing each other with love.
The fact that they went on trips just the two of them every year, leaving us behind, was proof enough of their strong bond.
Maybe it was because I grew up watching them.
“I want to marry someone like Father.”
I, too, dreamed of building a happy family.
I said it with high hopes for this season, but Adrian’s face turned stern.
“Delli, don’t forget I’m your guardian until our parents return. You don’t realize it, but high society is crawling with weirdos.”
As if there’s ever a guy who doesn’t look weird in your eyes.
It was obvious his overprotective brother mode had kicked in, and he was planning to follow me everywhere.
Recalling the incident at the last party, I frowned and shot back, “Why don’t you focus on your own love life instead of mine?”
Soon enough, you’ll be so lovesick over your unrequited crush that you won’t even spare a thought for me.
Thinking of Adrian, the hopeless romantic from the original story, made me feel oddly resentful.
After he met Summer, I barely got a mention in his world.
And here I was, left out in the cold!
The thought of him stalking Alferen and ending up in prison on poisoning charges made my eyes narrow with indignation.
“You only play the big brother card when it suits you.”
Despite my pointed words, Adrian didn’t let up on his lecture.
“Delli, only a man can truly judge another man. Especially the ones who are all charm on the outside but rotten inside—there are tons of them. Fall for their sweet talk, and you could end up suffering for life.”
“Ugh, if you’re so worried about my future, why don’t you just bring me a guy as gentle as a lamb yourself?”
“Guys like that don’t exist. Delli, all men are wolves. Some just wear sheep’s clothing.”
So basically, you’re saying I can’t date anyone.
When I fell silent, Adrian pressed on. “No matter what, even if pepper gets in my eyes, it’s a hard no.”
“I might just be the one sprinkling that pepper right now.”
I glared sharply, and Adrian’s brows drooped.
“That’s harsh, Delli. You used to say you’d marry me when you were little.”
“To be precise, that was a ploy to get the marshmallow in your hand.”
“You were always too clever for your own good, our Delli.”
This is going nowhere, honestly.
How does someone this dense manage to act so normal around the heroine?
Cutting off the conversation, I said my goodbyes, gathered the rest of the letters, and headed to my room.
While changing into loungewear and sorting through the remaining letters, I let out an excited, “Oh!”
My eyes sparkled as I spotted the letter I’d been waiting for.
On the envelope, in familiar handwriting, was written “To My Dear Tall Lady,” along with the name “Summer Clopen.”
The moment I recalled my past life, the first thing I did was track down the heroine.
At the time, Summer’s deadbeat father had stolen her academy tuition, forcing her to retake the entrance exam.
To make matters worse, Alferen was the top student in magic that year, so she didn’t even get a scholarship.
For the past eight years, I’d been secretly sponsoring her while hiding my identity.
In the original story, she would’ve had to take frequent leaves of absence to work as a mercenary to cover her drunkard father’s antics and her sick sibling’s medical bills—but I couldn’t let her suffer like that.
Thanks to me, Summer completed her academy studies, all the way through her doctorate, without financial worries and became an academy professor.
Being a professor was her lifelong dream.
It wasn’t purely out of kindness, though. I was partly hedging my bets, trying to secure my own survival in case the original story threw any curveballs.
I also calculated that our kind-hearted breadwinner Summer wouldn’t forget a debt of gratitude.
I eagerly tore into the letter.
At the end of Summer’s letter, filled with thanks and updates, was this:
[Around July, I’ll likely start working at the capital’s Magic Tower.
They requested a collaborative consultant, so I applied.
It aligns well with my thesis topic, so I think it’ll be a great experience.]
“Huh? July’s just around the corner!”
With barely two months left, her return was sooner than expected.
And working at the Magic Tower, no less.
If things go well, maybe she and Alferen could even spark an office romance?
