CH 11

The first crisis had been overcome, and the people of Alors had returned home. Diello and I went back to the Argenta mansion as he had work to do.

That night, I collapsed onto the bed, letting out a deep sigh.

“Sigh.”

The sigh came out involuntarily. I didn’t expect them to come and check for real! I knew the Duke of Alors wouldn’t just sit still, but…

“No, isn’t it too much to ask for evidence?”

What evidence did they expect, and approaching me with a fake child at that?! While it might have been the easiest way to lower my guard, it was still surprising to see an adult woman in that form. She came here like a child, what kind of behavior was that?!

“Ugh.”

Alor’s malice must be acknowledged.

Knock.

As I mulled over the situation, Diello cautiously knocked on the door and peeked his head in.

“…Can I come in, Krua?”

Hey, did he think I’d use this room alone then?

I nodded my head.

“Of course.”

He came in with a happy face when I tapped the seat next to me.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t be with you this afternoon. There was an urgent matter on the coastal front.”

I reached out my hand at Diello’s words.

“Since there was an urgent matter anyway, it wasn’t a problem. It would have been strange for me, who still doesn’t know much about Argenta’s affairs, to be in the office.”

No matter how sweet we were as a couple, it was important for me to stay out of certain affairs.

“Anyway, I’ve looked toward your office many times.”

I continued.

“Really?”

Diello blinked his eyes.

What’s so surprising about that? I couldn’t help but burst out laughing.

“I was waiting eagerly like a new bride, wondering when you’ll come down.”

Listening to my words, Diello, who had been blinking, smiled apologetically.

“I came down late. I must be a bad husband.”

“Well, what’s important is that Duke Alors wouldn’t think of us as a fake couple, right?”

I shrugged my shoulders. That was all that mattered.

“Ah, speaking about the Duke of Alors.”

This was definitely information to be shared. I approached him and pointed to my collarbone.

“They went to check it out.”

“….!”

Diello’s eyes widened. After hesitating for a moment, he asked cautiously.

“…Did he do it himself?”

His face was a little wrinkled. Hearing his question, I also frowned. If the Duke of Alors had been there instead of the woman, who would I have shown it to then… him?

“No, it was someone else.”

It was someone else… a completely different person, a woman! I denied it vehemently with gestures and movements. Diello eventually grabbed my hand and calmed me down.

“I understand. I almost misunderstood the Duke of Alors.”

He said in a firm voice.

“No, it doesn’t matter because he’s our enemy, but a misunderstanding…”

I mumbled and glanced at him. Diello was someone who actually needed to have more misunderstandings about Duke Alors. After all, he was the one who killed the Duke and Duchess of Argenta!

“Anyway, thanks to you, we’ve passed the first crisis.”

At my words, Diello tilted his head.

“The first crisis…?”

“They will keep an eye on me later again, right?”

I pointed to his chest.

“Duke Alors is waiting for me to get rid of this lily for him.”

That was the most important thing that Duke Alors said to the new bride. It was now clear that I would remain under surveillance for the next two months, at least until the real Ferro appeared.

“Yes, I suppose so.”

Diello’s expression became serious. I tapped his shoulder.

“Don’t worry. We’ll maintain the same relationship until the real Fero arrives.”

I reassured him and gave him a smile.

“Oh, but I just remembered something we needed to do before that.”

It had been on my mind since the morning, especially after seeing the other Argenta maids besides Vielle.

“What is it?”

Diello responded seriously.

“Who exactly in Argenta knows about our secret? Other than Vielle.”

I asked, wanting to know who else in Argenta might be aware of our plan for this contract marriage. Knowing this would make my future actions easier.

“Ah.”

Diello’s mouth fell open slightly at the mention of Vielle’s name. He seemed surprised. I guess he didn’t know that I knew about her.

“I’m not that clueless that I wouldn’t notice that.”

I crossed my arms as I continued.

“If your partner is such a stupid person, wouldn’t it be difficult for you as well?”

He eventually smiled as if he had lost the argument.

“That’s right, Vielle knows.”

He admitted it willingly.

I didn’t tell him that I also knew that she was a cleaner in Argenta, as that would be suspicious. Instead, I moved closer to him and whispered.

“Can you tell me who are the people in Argenta that I can trust for sure? That way, I could be even more careful in front of those who are not them.”

At those words, Diello touched his chin and tilted his head.

“If that’s the case, you can rest assured, Krua.”

“Rest assured? About what?”

“At least on this floor of the mansion, there should be no need to worry.”

This floor of the mansion? The fourth floor where this room was? Seeing that I blinked because I didn’t know what he was talking about, he opened his mouth and uttered something like a bolt from the blue to me.

“Anyone who goes up and down the fourth floor of Argenta can be trusted.”

“….?”

I blinked a few more times. I didn’t understand. No, I didn’t want to understand. No way…

“Do all the maids in Argenta who come up to this floor know this?”

Even though the fourth floor was small, there were several rooms on this floor while only a few maids and escort knights managed the rooms. In response to my words, my innocent partner nodded with a silly smile.

“Yes.”

Oh, this naive child. I rubbed my forehead as I looked at his pure face.

“You really don’t have to worry.”

Seeing him speak with his clear voice made me feel at ease.

Whoosh!

At that moment, flames rose from Diello’s fingertips. He turned to me and spoke.

“Especially if someone with this ability goes up and down the fourth floor, you can trust as they’re a true Argenta.”

“….”

His clear blue eyes sparkled as he looked at me. Could people really be this naive? Not everyone in the world was kind, and people could also betray you, couldn’t they?

“Well…”

How should I start telling him?

When I couldn’t say anything, Diello, who had turned off the light, burst out laughing.

“You don’t have to worry about the possibility of betrayal from the Argenta on the fourth floor, Krua.”

Saying so, He patted my shoulder as if to reassure me before adding.

“True Argenta knows that betrayal is a foolish thing.”

I glanced up at the ceiling and then back at him.

“…Diello, everyone knows that betrayal is foolish. They know that if they fail to betray, they will die as well.”

So, they would also know that if they succeed in betraying, they would think they were on the right side.

“People who betray don’t always do it while thinking about their own destruction.”

Even with my calm words, Diello didn’t shake. Instead, he just gave a wry smile.

“I understand why you’re worried, Krua.”

He replied, looking into my eyes. His blue eyes were so clear that they almost drove me crazy. How could a person be so… transparent and innocent? He folded his beautiful eyes and smiled before finishing his words.

“Once you get to know the people of Argenta, you’ll feel a lot less worried.”

He hugged my arm as if to reassure me. Then, he hesitated for a moment before pulling me close. As his soft lips touched my neck briefly, he pulled away. It wasn’t as deep as yesterday’s contact, but it was enough to surprise me.

“Practicing this way is okay, too, right?”

Diello asked, lifting his face from where he buried it in my neck.

“Of course.”

Of course! I tried to hide my flushed face without realizing it.

Whoosh.

Fortunately, the lights gradually went out as soon as I finished speaking. They were the lights maintained by the power of Argenta.

“Sleep well.”

He whispered softly and laid me down on the soft bed. Soon, the room was completely immersed in darkness.

* * *

The next morning, I was suddenly thinking about my future action. If the real Ferro came here in the future, and Argenta started attacking Alors in earnest, I would become a betrayer to Alors.

Well, according to the promise with Diello, I could only be someone who sided with Argenta. Although I would give up my Argenta title and leave the mansion, I would still lead a life closely related to Argenta. That was an inevitable thing.

However…

“You want me to do this?”

“Yes, the head asked you to do this.”

Vielle presented a contract with a grin on her face. This was the reason why I had been worried about my future since early in the morning.