Chapter 11

“It’s raining!”

It started to rain not long after the cart moved.

“It’s pouring hard!”

Logan parked the cart by the side of the road before looking up at the darkening sky and said, “This must be a very unlucky day.”

We rushed towards an inhabited shelter. There are several kinds of shelters like this throughout the territory, and there was a separate space for carriages and a wooden house with nothing inside.

“……”

Neither of us said anything, so the only sound heard in the shelter was the sound of pouring rain battering outside.

I had been joking before, but now I’ve lost almost all my energy to even start a conversation. Logan must be tired as well, so I’m not going to bother him and just stay quiet by the window.

But Logan began to approach and stood beside me as I stared out at the rain. Perhaps he’s going to watch, too? The moment I glanced at him, he suddenly brought up a surprising topic.

“I’ve heard that you haven’t been engaged yet?”

I widen my eyes, staring at him in slight disbelief. I did say I don’t have any plans to be engaged yet. But why are you suddenly bringing it out now?

I answered him awkwardly after looking away, “Ah…… yes, one day I will.”

I had more pressing matters on my mind rather than concerning myself about my engagement. Unlike in the past, my ultimate goal was to live a proper life this time. I only need to avoid getting engaged to Count Page and repel Daisy’s schemes then everything would be perfect.

Well, come to think of it, perhaps I should invest? And now that I’m back in the past, isn’t there a big trend going on these days?

For a while, Logan just stood there watching the rain with a distant look in his eyes, but then he spoke another unexpected remark.

“Do you believe in a fated partner?”

Once again, I was dumbfounded. I just heard something quite romantic from the mouth of a very serious looking person whom I also thought was cold. Appearances are often misleading.

When asked a question that might be somewhat out of the blue, of course, I’ll be stunned but I quickly composed myself. It would be quite rude if he caught me looking at him with a gaping mouth.

I don’t believe in that so-called fated partner. Because in the past, after Daisy and I went to see the fountain of magic, there was nothing there to see. But I should be mindful of what to say so I replied carefully.

“I… I don’t know… But I hope that my future husband will be my fated partner.”

Whatever I do, wherever I go, I only need to avoid my previous husband.

After the pouring rain ceased, we quickly returned to the castle. My grandmother and Daisy were at the castle’s entrance awaiting us with worried faces.

How would I know things would turn out like this when I only tried to do a good deed?

Evening came and all three of us went together to the Fountain of Magic. When the full moon shone, I had to look at my reflection again on the water’s surface. This scene fits perfectly in the past.

“How strange? It’s the full moon today and yet there’s nothing. Was your grandmother wrong? Shouldn’t we see it at a full moon every 10 years?”

Perhaps so. But Daisy, if you wait another ten years, won’t you be an old maid?

I think this Fountain of Magic existed only by its name. It’s just a pity that there are still travelers coming to visit.

Logan stood further away from us as usual. You can’t see anything anyway like last time, but why are you staring at your reflection quite intensely now? You seem to be quite shocked. Do you happen to see a scar left from that fall on the slope? Still, it is considered fortunate that the injury wasn’t that serious.

At this time, I thought it was merely something trivial. Nothing was particularly different from my past life so I believed all of us didn’t see our fated partner that night.

Fabian Logan Harrison.

He was the only son of the former Duke Harrison. Therefore he was naturally selected as the heir. He received strict education to succeed the dukedom, and his succession went smoothly.

Aside from Duke Grint, he’s the only other Duke in the Beland Kingdom. His father was the late Duke and his mother came from a renowned family of Marquis. As such, his status and wealth unrivaled any other aristocrats.

But only a few people know that he was not pleased with the position he inherited. No, few nobles knew little about Fabian in the first place. When he was just a student, he studied abroad, and after he became a duke, he didn’t go to any social gatherings.

The young Duke Fabian, who’s almost a recluse, was disillusioned that he fitted in with the aristocrats.

His poor childhood played a major part in his life and turned him into what he is now.

“The Duke, didn’t he say he’s coming in today?”

It’s way past lunchtime. When young Fabian passed through his mother’s room, Mother’s voice was coming through the crevices of the door. Mother had a voice full of anxiety.

Fabian was seven years old but already knew why his mother was unhappy. Inside the room, the butler’s perplexed voice could be heard.

“That is…… His Grace said it’s uncertain today.”

“Today, too?! How could he……!”

He tiptoed to peep through the tiny hole in the door and saw his very angry mother. The butler made excuses to placate Mother’s anger in every way, but Fabian knew that it could not calm her down.

At times like this, his mother is scary. Fabian immediately stepped away from the door and run as far as he could, creeping into a first hidie hole he could find.

But later that day, Fabian unintentionally angered his mother, who had become so sensitive. He dropped the fork twice while having dinner together.