Chapter 35
As soon as the award ceremony ended, Adrian came to pick me up as if he’d been waiting for this moment. He glared fiercely at Alferen’s jacket draped over my shoulders, then grabbed my hand.
“Let’s go home.”
His voice was more rigid than usual, so I silently followed behind him. If I mentioned here that I’d agreed to meet Alferen, Adrian might start a second round of fighting. Already, thanks to his punches, all sorts of rumors were flying around in the audience seats. Especially since he’d made his siscon debut at the last banquet. Now, people were saying he’d gone so far as to fight his sister’s boyfriend, and there were even ridiculous whispers wondering if we weren’t really siblings.
‘I didn’t think about Adrian at all.’
I’d fallen for Nanael’s provocation and forgotten the most important thing.
‘He must have been really shocked, right?’
Fortunately, our parents had appeared and wrapped things up for the moment, but it could explode again at any time.
‘Should I just tell the truth and say it’s fake dating?’
No. If I did that, he might challenge Alferen to a duel, accusing him of trying to use his sister.
‘That would just be relighting the fuse I finally managed to snuff out.’
Feeling utterly confused in so many ways, I decided to exercise my right to remain silent. No matter what I said here, I’d be the one ending up in trouble.
When we reached the carriage, our parents and Alferen were chatting amicably. I quickly dashed into Mom’s arms.
“Mooom!”
It was basically a signal for her to somehow fix this downer atmosphere.
“Our adorable Delly! Hiding such cute news from Mom. All that early education to appreciate handsome things from childhood has paid off.”
With her cheerful voice, Mom sent me a wink.
“Want to sleep with Mom tonight? We have so much to talk about, don’t we?”
As expected, Mom was amazing. She clearly knew I was in a bind and was providing me with an escape route like this. It was a defensive barrier against Dad and Brother, who would pounce like hyenas the moment we got home.
“Yes! It’s been forever since I slept with Mom!”
As I eagerly accepted Mom’s offer, Adrian, robbed of his initiative, clenched his fist in frustration—it was obvious.
Just then, I felt a gaze from the side.
When our eyes met, he blushed and shifted his gaze to the ring on my hand.
His lingering stare, as if double-checking if this was real, made me unconsciously hide the ring.
Then Alferen smiled at me.
“Delly.”
It was the usual nickname, but today it felt unusually sticky and sweet.
And that smile.
The handsome man’s smile sparkling under the sunlight was more than enough to melt my heart gently.
Anyone watching would think we were really dating.
‘Day 1 starting today, huh.’
His smile exceeded the usual level of affection, making it hard to look at for long.
I found myself awkwardly twisting my body when Alferen spoke.
“I’ll be going now.”
“Why? Join us for dinner at least. We have things to talk about, don’t we?”
“No. I’ll visit formally next time. Everyone must be surprised today.”
“Hmph, if you say so.”
Kianu tried to draw a line from the side, muttering ‘Formally? Nonsense,’ but got his foot stepped on by Jasmine.
Kianu Peris, the head of the prestigious Peris family, was crumpled by his wife and loaded into the carriage.
Adrian growled as if to say ‘We’ll talk at home’ and boarded the carriage first.
It was finally my turn to get into the carriage.
“Delly.”
Alferen gently took my hand, stopping me in my tracks.
The moment I turned back, wondering why he called me, his fingers intertwined deeply with mine, locking them together without a gap.
It was a sticky contact, entirely different from the usual escort.
In response, my heart started pounding wildly.
“Wh-why did you call me?”
My prim words came out trembling like aspen leaves, and I thought, ‘I’m done for.’
The more I wavered, the more pleased he seemed somehow.
Especially those blue eyes sparkling more than usual—was it my imagination?
He smiled brightly and said shyly,
“Delly, I won.”
His obedient tone, as if asking for praise, left me with my mouth hanging open.
Come to think of it, I’d been so distracted I hadn’t even congratulated him on the win.
“Ah, yeah. Congratulations, oppa! You were really flying out there. Hahaha. You were seriously cool!”
As I awkwardly offered my congratulations, he gave a faint smile and hung the medal around my wrist.
“It’s all thanks to the goddess of victory.”
Then he brought the back of my hand to his lips and pressed a kiss with a lingering gaze.
A slow kiss on the hand, loaded with ulterior motives.
The cold touch of the medal wrapped around my wrist like shackles felt unusually sharp.
At the same time, his lips on the back of my hand were so hot and soft that heat rushed to my face.
He whispered softly, just for me to hear.
“I’ll come find you when there are no interruptions.”
With those words, Alferen escorted me into the carriage.
The carriage moved swiftly.
I buried my face in the window and took deep breaths.
Starting this fake relationship and flooring the accelerator right away had my mind in a daze.
* * *
Meanwhile, at the Peris estate, Gerick had arrived first and announced the duke and duchess’s return.
“Welcome back safely, everyone.”
“You must have had a tough time while I was away. But it’s a shame I missed our young lady’s debutante.”
“She was absolutely beautiful. Like a painting. I recorded it with the imaging orb, thinking you’d be curious.”
“As expected. You read my mind.”
Gerick let out a hearty laugh at Liam’s overly flattering words.
Gerick, the direct butler to the duke and duchess, had accompanied them on their recent trip as baggage handler and guide.
If not for the avalanche, they would have arrived before the debutante.
Because of that, Duke Peris had been on the verge of tears the whole way back, nearly pushing the madam to her limit of patience.
After unpacking all the luggage and waiting a while for the masters to arrive.
Word came that the carriage had passed through the garden, and the servants all gathered at the main entrance.
A moment later, Gerick waited for the signal in front of the stopped carriage.
But no signal came from inside the carriage to open the door.
Sensing something amiss like the veteran butler he was, Gerick took a step back.
With a bang! the carriage door flew into the air.
Grabbing the scruff of the stunned Liam and yanking him aside, the door embedded itself where he’d been standing.
“Gasp!”
As Liam sucked in a shocked breath, the knights surrounded the carriage all at once, only for Gerick to block them.
“Stand down.”
“Sir? B-but this looks like terrorism…”
When the knights didn’t back off easily, Gerick pointed to the pitch-black mark on the door.
Liam exclaimed upon seeing the fist-shaped dent deeply embedded in the door.
“Ah…”
That was the mark of the once-famous Flame Fighter, Jasmine Peris.
“S-sorry. It’s been so long since I’ve seen it… Ahem.”
Liam glanced at the carriage with an awkward expression.
Smoke was rising from inside the carriage.
When Gerick brought the footstool, Jasmine descended elegantly from the carriage.
Her face was so calm, it was hard to believe she’d just thrown a punch.
Following her were the somehow subdued Duke Peris, Adrian, and Rodellia, who emerged with her hands politely clasped together.
Without asking, it was clear that Jasmine, having reached her breaking point, had issued a final ultimatum.
“Welcome, Madam.”
“Liam, you’ve had it rough. I just confirmed how wildly our kids behaved while I was away.”
“It’s my oversight.”
As Liam apologized with a rigidly disciplined face, Jasmine shook her head.
She glanced at Rodellia and Adrian, who had their eyes cast down to the floor, and said,
“What power did you have? It’s my fault for being too lenient in their upbringing all this time. To think they’d dare fight right in front of me. What wonderfully close siblings, aren’t they?”
“Good heavens.”
Liam let out a sigh with a pale face.
The thing Jasmine hated most was fighting in front of her.
For people who should know that well to start a fight—and in the cramped confines of the carriage, no less.
That was nothing short of a death wish.
