Chapter 75
Alferen scowled at the words Adrian spat out as he kicked the door open.
His nerves were already frayed these past few days—Rodellia had been ignoring every single one of his attempts to reach her.
Someone was dying here from the agony of unrequited love, and this guy shows up uninvited?
Alferen’s voice sharpened without him meaning it to. He couldn’t help wondering if Adrian’s real reason for coming was exactly what he feared.
“What sword did you find this time to make such a fuss?”
He assumed it was another legendary blade, as usual.
But Adrian closed the distance in a single stride and seized both of Alferen’s shoulders.
“Not a sword. A woman.”
“A woman?”
You?
Alferen pointed at him, eyes wide with disbelief.
Adrian’s reputation for having no interest in women rivaled his own. There had even been bizarre rumors that the two of them were secretly involved.
Adrian had never once shown attraction to a woman—not even while Alferen was quietly pining for Rodellia.
“Who is she?”
Alferen was genuinely curious.
Who on earth had managed to seize the heart of this stone statue of a man?
Adrian muttered, face shy as a young girl’s, “You might know her. She’s a professor from the academy—came for the magic tower collaboration.”
“…No way. Summer Clopen?”
Alferen’s eyes widened further at the unexpected name.
He had already been scheming how to drive that woman out again.
“Yeah. That’s her. Her name’s Summer. Fitting for a forest fairy, isn’t it—named after the season itself?”
Adrian gushed without a trace of embarrassment.
The “forest fairy” line wasn’t new to Alferen; he’d heard Rodellia say the same thing.
In that instant, Alferen’s mind raced.
Rodellia wants to set me up with Summer Clopen.
But I want Rodellia, not Summer Clopen.
And now Adrian has fallen for Summer Clopen.
If Adrian and Summer Clopen start dating…
Then Rodellia won’t be able to push Summer onto me anymore, will she?
It would be absurd to try to pair me with a woman who’s dating her own brother.
“Haha.”
Alferen let out a low laugh and ran a hand through his hair.
It sounded sinister—fitting for someone who hadn’t slept properly in days and looked half-dead.
He hadn’t seen Rodellia, whom he used to see every day, for several days now.
He had reached his limit.
He was already suffering withdrawal: sleepless nights, no appetite, one step from collapse.
And now Adrian’s first love had presented itself—a perfect opportunity.
Alferen made his decision and spoke.
“Want me to set you up?”
Despite the hidden motive in his words, Adrian didn’t suspect a thing.
“Really?”
“As it happens, Summer Clopen and I are alumni.”
“What?! How did I not know that?”
“You’d have known if you ever went to the library.”
“Ah, that’s where.”
Adrian slapped his forehead and sighed.
He had been specially recruited for the swordsmanship club, so he spent most of his time at the training grounds rather than the library.
That was where he and Alferen had become friends, too.
“But how would you introduce us?”
“I’ll help however you want. If you prefer something natural, I’ll give you a reason to visit the magic tower regularly. If you want it arranged, I’ll set up a proper meeting.”
Adrian’s delight faltered; he narrowed his eyes.
“What’s this? Why are you suddenly so generous, Duke Ainluk? This feels ominous.”
As expected of Rodellia’s doting brother—he seemed to sense danger on instinct.
Alferen turned away with a straight face.
“Then forget it.”
“Hey, hey, hey! Who said no?! Do it—please do it, Lord of the Magic Tower. Great Duke Ainluk of the illustrious magical house—please!”
Adrian grinned as if he’d never been suspicious at all.
Seeing his idiot friend’s expression made Alferen feel strangely conflicted.
Once he promised to connect Adrian with Summer Clopen, Adrian’s face relaxed into relief as he finally revealed the true purpose of his visit.
“But you and Rodellia seem distant lately. Did you fight?”
So that was why he came without an appointment.
Alferen hardened his expression for no good reason.
“…We didn’t fight.”
But Adrian’s eyes couldn’t be deceived.
“You fought.”
“I said we didn’t.”
“What did I say I’d do if you ever made our Delly cry?”
In that moment, Adrian’s smile vanished and his gaze turned icy—clearly not joking.
He had, in fact, been the first to notice the cold war between Rodellia and Alferen.
The moment Rodellia—who usually loved lazing around—suddenly threw herself into work, he knew something had happened with Alferen.
He had come to scold Alferen, as promised.
But seeing his friend looking gaunt and drained, he felt a pang of pity.
Maybe Rodellia had misunderstood Alferen again and shut him out.
And now that she’d learned about Jessica, that might be part of it too.
Originally he’d planned to beat some sense into him, but since Alferen was helping him, repayment was due.
Adrian relaxed his face, slung an arm around Alferen’s shoulder, and spoke sharply.
“Hey. I don’t know the details, but apologize. Just beg—no conditions.”
When he shared Duke Peris’s foolproof strategy, Alferen responded gloomily.
“It’s not that simple.”
“My dad says this solves most things.”
“If it would work, I’d have done it a hundred times already.”
Hmm. A complicated problem.
Faced with an unexpected obstacle, Adrian crossed his arms over his chest.
“So you’re just going to leave it like this?”
At the pointed question, Alferen sighed.
He was already tearing his hair out thinking about it—Adrian wasn’t helping, just making noise.
“Ha. If you’re not going to help, get out. And if you came to mock me, get out even faster.”
The instant Alferen gave the order to leave and opened the door with magic—
“Jessica Miranda. I figured you’d be curious about that woman.”
“…”
“Should I just go, then?”
As Adrian moved toward the door, Alferen slammed it shut.
Soon Alferen sat quietly on the sofa and gestured to the seat opposite.
“Sit down first.”
* * *
[After her fall, Lady Rodellia Peris suffered severe psychological trauma along with aphasia.
At the time, a secret memorandum was drawn up between Duke Peris and Count Miranda; afterward, the Miranda family departed for their territory and the incident was buried.
The memorandum was lost in last year’s flood.
Later, worried for his daughter’s health, the duke used oblivion magic to erase her memories of Jessica Miranda—an enchantment that remains active to this day.]
Nanael smiled with deep satisfaction at the report sent by the spy she had planted in the Peris ducal household.
“Oblivion magic.”
Rodellia Peris appeared far more fragile than she had imagined.
To resort to oblivion magic over mere bullying.
Then again, that cotton-candy appearance did look as though it might melt at the slightest touch of water.
‘At the last tea party, her face went pale the moment she saw Jessica Miranda—I thought she’d recognized her. But if the spell is still working, then it was pure instinctive revulsion.’
In that case, summoning Jessica Miranda to the capital had been an excellent move.
The Peris family’s relatively gentle pressure on the Miranda family had surely been to protect their daughter.
Whatever deal had passed between the houses was none of Nanael’s concern.
The memorandum was lost anyway—fortunate.
‘I never heard anything specific about a memorandum existing.’
It seemed Jessica herself didn’t know her father had signed one with the duke.
Since it was gone, there was little need to worry.
Even if it had survived, Jessica and the Miranda count were disposable pieces; Nanael had never intended to shoulder their risks.
“Either way, hardly anyone knows about this incident.”
The Peris family would not easily act on something their daughter didn’t even remember.
“Bring Jessica to me.”
At Nanael’s command, Jessica entered the bedroom.
While a maid brushed her hair, Nanael spoke to Jessica.
“Have you packed your things properly?”
