Chapter 61

“Why did Your Highness bring you here?”

Demalo pondered what the intention of the question might be.

Are you mad that I showed my face in front of you again? Or are you just curious why I followed the Grand Duke? 

Demalo opened his mouth with difficulty.

“He sent someone to check on me.”

“He sent someone to check…. Is it related to me?”

Demalo nodded silently. Then a heavy sigh came out of Adelia’s mouth.

“I see… Can you explain it in more detail?”

“Of course, if you want my lady.”

Adelia frowned for a moment at the way he addressed her.

“And there’s one thing I want to correct. I’m no longer a lady. The Marquis of Sorne officially made me a dead person. Now, I’m the Viscount of Yurpheon, be aware of the name.”

There was a clear anger in Demalo’s eyes. Adelia was taken aback for a moment.

Was there something I said that made him angry?

As Adelia reflected on what she had said, a dreary voice came out of Demalo’s mouth.

“That damn thing finally went mad.” 

“…….”

Adelia felt strange at the action of Demalo, who was angrier with the marquis than she was.

It was refreshing and made her happy…

Why? Didn’t you leave because you don’t like Adelia?

A noble lady who only causes trouble and doesn’t care about others. She’s the type of person that anyone would hate, not just Demalo. 

“I’m sorry, Viscount. I got emotional.”

Demalo, who returned calm again, bowed his head. For some reason, she felt a sense of rejection when she saw him lowering his head. Adelia frowned slightly.

“So… the answer to my question?”

“Do you remember the day you went to the slave auction to make friends with me?”

“…I think I remember.”

“Then you remember a boy jumping in front of our carriage.”

For a moment, Adelia thought of a scene where a boy jumped into a carriage like a scene from a movie.

“The boy asked us for help. He asked us to help the children who were abducted with him.”

Adelia listened carefully to Demalo, recalling the memories that were not hers.

“We happened to have more guards that time than any other day so we did the boy a favor. It seems some of the children we rescued at that time are residing at the Grand Duke’s residence. And-”

Demalo paused for a moment and took a short breath.

“One of the children saved by the lady’s whim was His Highness the Second Prince. He is the Grand Duke now.”

Adelia’s eyes shook.

‘Adelia Sorne’ and the Duke have already met in the past. I can’t believe she saved the duke.

The content was not shown in the novel.

“He asked me about that day. Was I employed by Lady Adelia Sorne at the time?”

Adelia asked, moving her lips slowly.

“So, what did you say?”

“I said yes. He said he was looking for his benefactor.”

Adelia sighed softly.

Is this why the Duke brought Demalo? You want to see for yourself?

But you don’t have to bring him in person….

The duke remembered the name of the mercenary who saved him, and when he asked Demalo the name of the person who hired him at the time, it was over.

Demalo explained why he came all the way to the Duchy as if he read Adelia’s thoughts?

“It was purely my will to come all the way to the Duchy.”

“…why?”

“I’d like to apologize to you.”

Demalo knelt at Adelia’s feet. For a moment Adelia’s eyes turned cold.

“What?”

“I shouldn’t have left like that. I didn’t mean what I said that day. I had to leave with bad words just in case you try to find me.”

“…that’s not what I’m curious about. Why… Why did you leave me?”

‘Adelia’ was curious about it all along.

However, the little girl, who couldn’t get an answer no matter how much she thought about it, kept crying. For a little girl who was shunned by her parents, he was everything to her world. She must have felt her world was falling apart when he left.

“At that time, my life was under a threat.”

Life threat. Hearing this, Adelia’s heart began to beat fast.

“Who the hell….”

Demalo explained the situation with a face full of regret. His birthplace and daughter who died in vain due to an epidemic. Even anger and revenge for the now fallen kingdom.

“…What happened to the remnants of Mokenia now?”

“…I’ve cleared everything up for five years away from you.”

“Then why didn’t you come back right away?”

She felt suffocated. She never felt this way before. She could feel how much the owner of her body missed and cared for Demalo.

“After I’ve finished everything… I went back to the mansion but it was too late. You left for the capital, and I didn’t dare approach you anymore.”

Adelia understood what Demalo was saying.

Judging from the nature of the Marquis of Sorne, he would have blocked Demalo from approaching her. 

“Lady. No, Viscount. Would you please allow me to stand by you once again?”

Adelia’s hand trembled at the unexpected suggestion. Her body cried instinctively. ‘Accept his offer’.

But Adelia could not readily say yes. Because Adelia, who he remembers, was a completely different person.

“…I’m not the lady you know.”

“It doesn’t matter.”

“My explanation wasn’t enough. I have very little memory of my childhood.”

Demalo opened his eyes wide and cast a mysterious look at Adelia.

“What do you mean?”

“…was it about when I was fourteen? I’ve touched a family treasure my father likes dearly before. He confined me to a room with no light for a month as a punishment. I almost went crazy.”

Adelia made up a lie as acceptable as she could.

It wasn’t completely false. In fact, Adelia had spent a month in a solitary cell without any light.

Fortunately, Adelia overcame the punishment well and was able to return to life safely.

“That’s when it started. After coming out of the room, I had a severe fever, and in the meantime, I lost my childhood memories.”

“That…”

Demalo’s face was grimly distorted.

“Does that matter?”

“It doesn’t matter.”

“You may have heard rumors about me, but my notoriety in imperial society is great.”

“Of course, I know.”

Adelia was troubled by Demalo’s unwavering attitude, but at the same time she was relieved. However, she couldn’t understand why she felt relieved.

“I’ll have to think about it a little bit.”

Adelia couldn’t make up her mind easily. She couldn’t tell if it would be the right choice to have him around. So, there’s no choice but to put a moratorium on time.

***

Rainer Orlando said, bringing his forehead above the back of Adelia’s hand.

“Thank you for giving me the opportunity to escort a beautiful lady.”

His voice was so soft, but his eyes were silent at first glance. A cynical smile flashed around Adelia’s lips and disappeared.

“Today, I look forward to your kind cooperation.”

Adelia was escorted into the carriage by Rainer. Soon the carriage moved toward the villa of the Count of Tegris, where the party was held.

“She’s gone.”

The window of the office was designed to overlook the central garden of the castle. Ivan stood in front of the window for a while. It was only after Adelia disappeared that his gaze was lifted.

“Liam, are you ready?”

“It’s done. We just have to start right away.”

Ivan smiled with satisfaction at Liam’s answer.

“Let’s start right away.”

In the running carriage Adelia and Rainer did not speak a word. Adelia wanted to sneak up on him about her mother, but Rainer didn’t want to. Indeed, how many people would like to have a conversation about their parents when they meet for the first time?

Adelia decided not to be impatient. She turned her head indifferently and looked out the window at the scenery. Rainer, on the other hand, was looking at Adelia with a slightly sulky look.

What the hell is so great about her?

Is it because of her appearance?

Yeah, she doesn’t look bad. More beautiful than any woman I’ve ever met.

High-rise eyes and closed lips were creating an atmosphere that was difficult to approach, but it created her own unique atmosphere.

But his highness doesn’t keep people around him just because of their looks.

Rainer saw him.

When he entered the center garden of the Grand duchy to escort her, he saw the Grand Duke standing in front of a large window in the office and watched her.

It was proof that he cares about Viscount Yurpheon. Rainer recalled a past in when he wanted to be his confidant but was rejected.

Me. Rainer Orlando can’t. But that woman can. 

She doesn’t seem to have much. Except for her appearance and unique atmosphere.

“I heard that the Grand Duke himself gave you the title… May I ask what you did?”

Rainer asked with a plausible smile. Women used to lose their heads at his smile. He inwardly expected Adelia to come over at once like any other woman. But Adelia was not the woman who met his expectations.

Adelia looked at him curiously and raised the corners of her mouth.

“You must have a lot of questions for me. Is it a rational interest? That’s a bit of a problem…”

Rainer showed his embarrassment at the unexpected answer.

“Well, what do you mean! It’s not like that at all.”

“Oh, really? The way you looked at me was so intense that I was mistaken.”

Adelia opened the fan wide and covered her mouth, bending the corners of her eyes. Rainer had no choice but to admit that he had been caught up by that woman at this moment.