Ch 4.6
That was the right and natural way to feel.
Yet, I found myself unsure.
Perhaps because I viewed Kane in such a negative light, I couldn’t help but feel a bit of pity for Adela, who had been ensnared by such a man and ultimately cast aside.
I shouldn’t have felt sorry for her, but watching her collapse from the shock today, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of compassion.
However, come to think of it, the reason I was able to escape a “trash car” like Kane was entirely because a person like Adela existed.
Of course, those two broke up and that trash car is back out on the street again.
If Adela hadn’t been there, far from a diamond mine, I might have become the Duchess of Maxius before long.
‘Ah, how horrific.’
The mere thought made my whole body tremble with a chill.
‘Am I viewing Adela too favorably?’
To be honest, I was a bit irritated earlier.
Perhaps because I was so hounded by Kane, just seeing her face made me feel unpleasant.
On top of that, she had said things I didn’t want to hear, like asking if I still had feelings for Kane.
‘Lastly, Eden Bayon.’
In truth, the person I needed to be most wary of was this man.
The man who could kill me at any moment if I caused even the slightest harm to Adela out of resentment.
That person was Eden Bayon.
Thinking about it this way made me feel annoyed all over again.
Why did I even go on that trip?
And for a full two years, at that.
I thought that if I returned after the original story had ended cleanly, I would never have to get entangled with them again.
Even if we did cross paths, I thought it would be for family-to-family business, not personal matters.
‘What’s the use of brooding over this now.’
The situation has already gone completely awry, and the scenario I had drafted is a total mess.
Therefore, rather than lamenting with regret, it would be far more beneficial to think about what to do next.
Is there a way to avoid getting entangled with them again?
No matter how much I thought about it, there seemed to be no such way.
Then, what would be the best way for me to act?
Unaware that the dark night sky was already turning bright with the dawn, I immersed myself in considering various plans.
And I ended up falling asleep without reaching a conclusion.
Time passed quickly.
Considering how many things had happened at the banquet, the days were remarkably peaceful and quiet.
Perhaps Kane was shocked by the fact that I looked disgusted by his actions, as he remained quiet after the banquet.
And today, I was preparing to head to the Bayon Ducal residence.
It was because I had heard news that Adela had not yet recovered her health since fainting at the banquet.
Since her declining health was not my fault, my visit to Adela was not out of guilt or internal discomfort.
After days of agonizing over what to do, the words Adela had said to me suddenly came to mind.
That she wanted to be friends with me…
Thinking about it from a completely different perspective, becoming close to Adela wasn’t a bad thing at all.
No matter what Kane did, if I stayed on good terms with Adela, there was a high possibility my life would be safe.
Would Eden really kill me if I were close to his sister?
It was my own idea, but no matter how much I thought about it, it was a very decent and brilliant method.
Though we had only met briefly at the meal between the ducal families and the banquet, Adela didn’t seem to be a bad person by nature.
She seemed a bit shameless and lacking in tact, but well, that much didn’t matter.
After becoming close like that, it wouldn’t be bad to concurrently instill in Adela just how terrible Kane is.
However, just as I was heading down to the second floor to pass the hall to go see
Adela, I ran into an incredibly massive wall.
“Belita.”
It was my father.
“Are you going out?”
“Yes, I’m planning to head out for a bit.”
“Where are you planning to go?”
“Well…”
Judging from the previous meal, the relationship between Duke Bayon and my father didn’t seem particularly good.
Above all, because I knew exactly what kind of situation I was in, the words that I was going to the Bayon Ducal residence did not come easily.
‘Whatever, here goes nothing.’
“I’m planning to visit the Bayon Ducal residence.”
“What? The Bayon Ducal residence?!”
As expected, the moment I said the word “Bayon,” my father flew into a rage.
“Yes, I heard Lady Adela Bayon is unwell, so I intend to pay her a visit.”
“Did you just say the Bayon Ducal residence?”
“Yes.”
“Why would you go there? Absolutely not.”
I knew this would happen, which is why I intended to go secretly even if I were caught later…
“Father, it’s just a visit to a sick person. And since Lady Bayon collapsed right before my eyes at the banquet, I’m a bit worried.”
“Then why are you the one worrying about the Lady of Bayon?”
He had a point.
Not just my father, but everyone else would see it that way.
If it became known that Belita was worried about Adela and going to visit her, everyone might treat me like the world’s biggest fool with no pride.
But I was Belita Hates of the House of Duke Hates.
Even if they whispered among themselves behind my back, they could never do so to my face.
Because of that, no matter what they thought of me, I didn’t feel the need to persuade others.
But my father was different.
While others’ talk was just an attempt to belittle me and not out of genuine concern, my father was different.
Therefore, since my father had found out I was going to the Bayon Ducal residence, I had to persuade him.
“Father, it has already been two years since I broke off the engagement. At that time, I was deeply wounded and had a hard time, but that is a thing of the past. I have overcome everything. Therefore, I don’t want to restrict my actions based on pathetic lingering feelings over past events.”
“Ahem!”
I heard the dry cough that came out whenever he was displeased with something.
It meant that my appeal was still insufficient to reach my father’s heart.
“Father, I am Belita Hates. Right now, I am just the Lady of House Hates, but in the future, I will lead the family as the head. But if I discriminate against people one by one based on such trivial personal emotions, would I truly be qualified as the next head? Do you truly want me to be completely at odds with both the House of Maxius and the House of Bayon?”
“That doesn’t mean you need to be close to them.”
“Your words are correct, Father. I think so as well. But my visit to the Lady of Bayon isn’t just to build a friendship with her.”
Half was the truth, and half was a lie.
Since the reason for staying on good terms with Adela wasn’t because I liked her personally, I wasn’t lying to my father.
‘I can’t exactly say I’m going there to save my own life.’
As soon as I finished speaking, my father stared at me with a sharp gaze as if trying to read my inner thoughts.
I didn’t avoid his gaze and widened my eyes even more to show my integrity.
“You, Belita… you are still my daughter whom I want to protect and can protect.”
Fortunately, my father’s voice softened slightly.
“So I mean that you don’t have to act while worrying about such things already.”
“Father…”
Was it my imagination that his voice had softened?
I became anxious, thinking he would immediately tell me not to go.
“However, if you say you want to go, I will no longer stop you.”
“Father!”
But unexpectedly, words of permission fell.
“It’s good to see you’ve grown firm. Yes, that’s my daughter.”
“Father… Thank you, Father!”
I hugged my father’s broad chest.
It wasn’t exactly the behavior expected of a twenty-two-year-old adult daughter, but the fact that I had a father who understood and encouraged me made me so happy at this moment.
“You rascal, you’re doing something you rarely ever do.”
Even as he said that, he seemed inwardly pleased as he laughed heartily and stroked my hair.
“I will become a person worthy of the name of House Hates. I will become a daughter you can be proud of, Father.”
I truly wanted to become such a person.
And I vowed once again before my father that I would surely become so.
Normally, nobles spend most of their time where their estates are located, but the three ducal families were a bit peculiar.
It was said to be because they had much work to do on behalf of the puppet Emperor, but that wasn’t the real reason.
It was to eliminate the risk of their position in the capital being narrowed by other families while they were away.
Therefore, they spent about ten months of the year in the capital to keep each other in check.
The Bayon Ducal residence was located about thirty minutes away from our family’s mansion.
The Hates Ducal residence didn’t have any particularly grand features.
It looked like a typical mansion, no different from others.
However, the only thing was that at night, fires that never went out were placed throughout the mansion so that anyone could tell it was the House of Fire even in the pitch-black night.
In contrast, the Bayon Ducal residence was quite unique.
Perhaps because it was the House of Iron, iron structures were prominent throughout the mansion.
‘It’s amazing that they can produce such a large amount of iron.’
Since they even built houses using iron, producing weapons or armor would be nothing for them.
I could feel once again why the House of Bayon possessed the greatest power in the Empire.
Since I had sent a letter to the House of Bayon in advance stating that I was coming, the guards opened the massive iron gates as soon as they saw the insignia on the carriage I was riding.
It seemed Adela’s words weren’t empty, as her reply, which arrived immediately after I sent the letter saying I wanted to visit, was brimming with joy.
After passing through the iron gates and the garden, the carriage stopped in front of a massive mansion.
When the carriage door opened, I reached out my hand, thinking it was a knight from our family.
However, the person standing there after opening the carriage door and reaching out to me was Eden.
“Welcome, Lady Hates.”
“Oh?”
Eden greeted me with a soft smile.
Today, too, he was so handsome that for a moment, my mind was nearly stolen by his beauty.
But while I was dazed, he caught my hand in a daze.
And feeling the force pulling me slightly, I stepped down from the carriage.
“Ah, thank you for allowing my visit.”
I barely regained my composure and answered him.
“My sister wanted to come out and greet the Lady personally, but as you know, she is not well, so I apologize for coming out in her stead.”
“No, please don’t mind it.”
“Please, come in. My sister has been counting down the moments for the Lady’s arrival.”
I followed him into the mansion immediately.
“I was a bit surprised when the Lady said she would come to visit my sister.”
He said, looking down slightly at me walking beside him.
“Given what you said to me and how you tried to avoid me every time we ran into each other.”
