Ch 4.8
“No, I also didn’t feel at ease because I felt I might have hurt you with my words.”
“Ah…”
“So, what I mean is, I would also like to be on good terms with Lady Bayon. I’m not certain yet that we can become… friends, but since the Lady reached out first, I will try as well.”
“…Is that true?”
Adela replied with a tearful voice.
I nodded slowly.
“Oh… what should I do? I’m so happy, so glad, I feel like I might faint.”
She was smiling with a face that looked ready to cry, as if she were truly joyful.
“Uh, no fainting allowed.”
I was momentarily anxious that Adela might actually lose consciousness.
“ I’m so happy. Thank you, Lady. I will really treat the Lady well.”
No, there’s no need to go that far…
I was about to speak my thoughts out loud but kept my mouth shut.
It wasn’t something I could say to someone who was that happy.
However, since I absolutely had to say this next part, I quickly organized my thoughts and opened my mouth.
“But there is something I must ask of you.”
“What is it? I am ready to follow anything. If only I can be friends with the Lady.”
“It’s about Kane… Duke Maxius.”
The moment Kane’s name was mentioned, the smile vanished from Adela’s face instantly.
“Ah, yes. Please speak…”
“As I told you before, I have absolutely no feelings for Duke Maxius. I can guarantee that he has no place in my heart now, and never will in the future.”
“But the Duke is…”
“I don’t know why the Duke is suddenly acting this way, but you must have heard his feelings at that time and already know. However, his heart is his own, so I cannot do anything about it. But my heart is also mine alone. I can swear to the Lady right here. I will never hold the Duke in my heart.”
“If you are doing this because of me, I…”
“No, it’s not because of Lady Bayon. After the engagement was broken and I went on my trip, I completely cleared my feelings for Duke Maxius. I don’t have a single shred of lingering regret for him. So,
please do not think it’s because of you.”
“…….”
“The reason I am telling you this, despite knowing it might be uncomfortable, is because I hope Duke Maxius does not come between us in the future.”
I paused to catch my breath and continued.
“From now on, no matter what the Duke says or does to me, I want you to consider it completely unrelated to my own will.
That doesn’t mean I am going to do something to help things work out between the Lady and the Duke, either. If you still have feelings for the Duke and want to win his heart, then do so. I have no interest in the affairs of you two, so do not mind me. Do you understand what I mean?”
“Yes… I understand what you mean.”
“That’s a relief. If we want our relationship to be smooth, I hope both the Lady and I can stop worrying about outside factors and focus only on each other. If we do that, we can become good friends.”
“Friends…?”
“Yes, friends.”
Having finished what I had to say, I felt relieved and ended up smiling slightly without realizing it.
“Um, then I also have one favor to ask…”
Perhaps because she had heard the word ‘friend’ from me, Adela’s expression changed slightly and subtly.
“Please tell me.”
“How about we call each other by our names? Instead of Lady Hates and Lady Bayon, I wish we could be called Belita and Adela.”
“That’s fine.”
“Pardon?”
“That’s fine, Adela.”
Calling someone by their name wasn’t difficult.
I answered immediately by calling Adela’s name.
“Thank you, Belita.”
We looked at each other and smiled softly.
We talked a lot after that.
Adela was very curious about my travels, as if her previous words about wanting to go on a trip had been sincere.
Most of it was about what I saw and where I went during my travels, but I had a
pleasant time in my own way.
“Then, I shall be going now.”
“Next time, I will go to the Hates Ducal residence.”
“Let’s do that.”
“Then, goodbye, Belita. I’m sorry for seeing you off from here.”
“No, it’s okay. Take good care of your health, Adela.”
After exchanging goodbyes with Adela, I stepped out of the room.
Eden was standing in front of the door.
“Why are you here?”
“I will escort you.”
“It’s alright. I can go alone.”
“Still, it is not courteous. Let’s go.”
Without even listening to my answer, Eden took the lead.
Thinking it would be better to give Eden a hint about what happened with Adela, I kept my mouth shut and followed behind him.
As I followed quietly from behind, Eden slowed his pace and walked side by side with me.
“Did you have a good time with my sister?”
“Yes, it was good.”
“I see.”
“Adela—well, we decided to call each other by our names.”
“Is that so.”
“Yes, I had misunderstood Adela a lot. Of course, as you know, it was
understandable. Given the circumstances. You heard about our relationship from Adela, right?”
“Yes, I heard.”
I thought his attitude was a bit different today; Adela must have spoken to Eden.
“Then I believe you will understand to
some extent why I acted that way. That’s why I wasn’t very fond of Adela, or you,
Lord Bayon. But after talking with Adela and hearing her thoughts, I’ve come to know a lot about her.”
“Thank you for reconsidering my sister. But, you see.”
“Yes?”
“You said you decided to use names with my sister, yet you continue to call me Lord Bayon.”
“That’s… because you are Lord Bayon.”
These siblings really care a lot about titles.
Judging by Adela earlier and Eden’s words now, it seemed he also wanted to call each other by our names.
“I also wish to call each other by our names, Lady.”
He spoke to me directly without any sign of hesitation.
“That’s a bit… difficult.”
“Why?”
Eden asked with a dissatisfied expression.
If asked why, I didn’t have much to say. But still, calling him by his name felt a bit…
“I don’t think our acquaintance is deep
enough to call each other by our names yet.”
I simply answered him exactly as I thought.
“Actually, if you think about it, the Lady met
me before my sister.”
That was true.
But as long as I knew who he was, I wanted to be wary of becoming unnecessarily close.
“Even so, it’s still a bit much.”
When I refused, Eden’s expression darkened rapidly.
“I understand. It is not polite to keep forcing someone who says they dislike it, so I will stop.”
His voice also seemed to have turned cold for some reason.
Inside the carriage heading back home, we shared only the most minimal conversation.
They were words with little meaning.
Looking at his expression throughout the journey, he seemed quite displeased.
While wondering if I had unnecessarily caused friction with him, I comforted myself, saying it was the right thing to do.
When the carriage arrived in front of the mansion’s main gate, Eden prepared to get off.
Since his horse had followed the carriage, he planned to ride back to the Bayon Ducal residence.
However, before he stepped outside, he looked back.
“Something has come up, so I will be away from the capital for a while.”
“Ah, I see.”
I think he had mentioned it before.
That he usually doesn’t stay in the capital for long.
It seemed he had been here for quite a while this time, and only now did business arise.
“Have a safe trip.”
“…Yes, then.”
His voice sounded strangely listless.
So when I saw him about to get off the carriage, I felt like I shouldn’t have looked.
Even after Eden opened the door and stepped out, his expression would not leave my mind.
‘Why that kind of expression…’
To think he looked so dejected just because I didn’t let him use my name.
I don’t know him well, but it didn’t seem like him.
‘Maybe a name doesn’t really matter.’
At any rate, I thought there would be nothing wrong with becoming moderately close to both Adela and Eden.
It was the moment the carriage was about to pass through the gate.
“Stop!”
I stopped the carriage and hurried outside.
Fortunately, he and his horse were still there without having moved.
“Wait a moment!”
I called Eden in a loud voice, fearing he might have already departed.
Eden looked back at me while mounted on his horse.
“I have something to say for a moment.”
I approached the horse.
When Eden tried to dismount, I stopped him.
“No. There’s no need to get off. You can just listen from there.”
Eden nodded.
“Next time, the next time we meet, let’s call each other by our names.”
His eyes widened, seemingly surprised by my words.
“…Is that true?”
“Yes, so please travel safely.”
“I understand. I will finish the work quickly and return soon.”
No, there’s no need for that…
However, seeing him smile with an excited face, with the previous pitiful expression nowhere to be found, I couldn’t help but smile along.
“But which one of the two should I call you?”
“Pardon?”
“Because there are two names that I know.”
“Ah, please call me by my original name. I will do the same.”
“Yes, I will do that, Belita.”
He suddenly called my name.
It was so strange to hear my name unexpectedly coming from his mouth that I just stared at him blankly.
“Then, I shall be going, Belita.”
He departed quickly on his horse.
Watching his retreating figure, I found myself murmuring to myself
unconsciously.
“Goodbye, Eden.”
