CH 27

“Dear heavens…”

Adeline, who had come down alone from her room on the first floor, blinked in surprise.

The mansion was the busiest and most hectic she had ever seen in her life.

The servants and maids were moving almost as if they were running, and new gifts were being piled up in the pile of wedding gifts that had yet to be sorted out due to the amount that kept pouring in.

Noma, the butler, was talking to Theresa and arranging something, and she could even feel the grimace on his face.

“Adeline! Did you wake up?”

“Yes, Theresa.”

While looking around in a daze, Theresa found Adeline.

“I’m sorry, but you have to eat alone this morning. Enoch and Leo went to the Knights early in the morning, and I have a lot to prepare, so I ate first. Is that fine?”

“If anyone heard you, they would think I’m a baby. Of course, it’s fine.”

“You’ll be a baby forever to us.”

“Theresa, please…”

“Ah, right. Check out the invitation list there. It’s the final list.”

Being momentarily fed up with Theresa for playfully treating her as a baby, Adeline’s gaze soon turned to the invitation list on the table.

It was not only somewhat determined by Kael’s enormous existence, but also because the Tien family wasn’t a regular influential family.

Because it was a union of these two families, many people were invited to the wedding and were somehow trying to get acknowledged.

Thanks to this, the number of guests was enormous even though both families had removed and picked them out several times.

“I never thought there would be so many.”

There were more people than Adeline thought.

Looking at all these names, she suddenly remembered Kael and Vanessa’s wedding she knew.

It was filled with praise as a grand and beautiful wedding that would remain in the history of the empire.

“… Count Jeffrey Felix and Lady Vanessa Felix.”

Just as she was thinking about the original novel, Vanessa and her brother’s name on the list caught her attention.

In the original, Adeline’s role was to watch Kael and Vanessa, shimmering in love, at that grand wedding.

But now, Adeline and Vanessa’s roles had switched.

‘How did it end up like this?’

Adeline thought, closing her eyes patiently.

When she thought of the content that was different from the original, her uneasy mind didn’t calm down the slightest.

She had no intention of changing the ending, and her determination to somehow make it the same as what she knew was strong.

Nevertheless, Adeline was afraid that the ending would be completely different from what she knew.

‘If it turns out like that…’

Adeline shook her head vigorously as that possibility came to her mind, saying that it would not happen anytime soon.

‘I have to make it so it doesn’t turn out like that. I’ll hold on for a while, concede my position to Vanessa, and the Grand Duke will…’

The moment she thought about making Kael kill her, Adeline remembered Kael tightening the straps of her dress.

It felt strange to recall the kind touch.

‘Why am I faltering? There’s no reason to falter. It must go as planned. I must make the Grand Duke kill me.’

Adeline shook her head again and made up her mind.

It didn’t matter how kind or gentle Kael’s touch was.

The ending where Kael killed Adeline should not change.

Adeline let out a long sigh and closed her eyes.

***

“Everyone, please! Adeline’s not separating from us, she’s just getting married!”

Theresa pressed her forehead, sitting at the table where a fancy dinner was set up.

“No, but still! I can’t believe this is Adeline’s last night as Lady Tien! This is her last dinner!”

Leo expressed his sadness, saying he couldn’t believe it, and Enoch and Simeon couldn’t get rid of the gloomy look on their faces.

“Leo. Stop. Do you think that makes Adeline feel better? Simeon, you too.”

In the end, Theresa stepped in.

Theresa had been watching the Tien siblings since childhood.

She often guided the four siblings even before her marriage because she had a straightforward personality and an unyielding spirit, but after marrying Enoch, she completely became the leader of the family.

“Not to mention you, Enoch.”

With just one word from Theresa, the three brothers grumbled and sighed, but collected their gloomy expressions and straightened themselves up.

Adeline let out a small laugh at the sight.

“I’m sorry, Adeline. But try to understand how we feel too. We already feel empty.”

“I know, Brother Enoch. It’s the same for me.”

Adeline just didn’t show it as much as her brothers, but she felt the same emptiness in one corner of her heart.

Seeing her brothers getting oppressed under Theresa’s nagging, she was already feeling sad and homesick from thinking that she wouldn’t witness their daily lives.

“Adeline. If you don’t like the Grand Duke, or if he bothers you, don’t hesitate to contact us and come to the east.”

“You also have the temple.”

“That’s right. You also have the temple! Never suffer alone. Do you understand? I never raised you that way.”

“That’s right, Sister.”

“These days, having a divorce isn’t wrong. If there are people who think it is wrong, I will kill them.”

“Me too.”

“Don’t forget that we are always on your side. Live while doing whatever you want. Don’t worry about anything.”

Leo spoke very grimly, and Simeon continuously agreed and chipped in.

“I know. Brother Leo. Don’t worry. I’m not the type of person to endure things.”

“Exactly, exactly! That’s my sister!”

Leo smiled broadly and made a proud expression.

Seeing that, Theresa pressed her forehead once more, and Adeline laughed as if she couldn’t stop herself.

“If someone bothers you, even if they are stronger and in a higher position than the Grand Duke, we will fight with retribution. Just remember this.”

It was a pretty dangerous word. Nevertheless, Leo made eye contact with Adeline and spoke firmly without any hesitation.

Adeline’s mind became complicated again as she looked into his resolute eyes.

‘If Kael ends up killing me, what will my brothers do?’

She never thought about it.

In the original novel, Adeline’s life was not written in detail.

When she got involved with Kael and Vanessa, she only showed her presence as a villainess.

So, she had no way to know what her family did after Adeline died at the hands of Kael.

“What kind of brother talks about divorce to his sister who is getting married tomorrow?”

“I’m not saying that she should, I’m saying that she can.”

Theresa shook her head and asked Adeline to be understanding.

Adeline gave a light smile, saying that she understood everything, and slowly looked around the table.

They were all too precious.

She hoped they would always be happy. Even after she left.

‘I have to come up with a solution somehow. So that they can get through it well after I die like that.’

In fact, it was best for Adeline not to die if she didn’t want to worry about anything, but that couldn’t happen.

Adeline had to end this possession.

So, the only option left was to find a way for her family to overcome it a little better when she was gone.

“Adeline.”

“Yes, Brother.”

While she was thinking, Enoch called Adeline one last time.

“Don’t forget this under any circumstances. What we always want is your happiness.”

It was a terrible sense of debt to someone who was always ready to leave in the corner of their mind.

It was even more heartbreaking because she knew it was the purest of sincerities, without any lie.

Adeline smiled quietly as she beautifully closed her slightly teary eyes.

“Thank you, Brother.”

All Adeline could do now was wish her brothers happiness with all her heart.

Please be happy at all times. And when the time comes for her to leave, please forgive her.

Surrounded by her family members with warm smiles, Adeline prayed again and again.

***

After the last supper, Adeline lay quietly in bed and tried to sleep.

In fact, she was in a situation where it wouldn’t be unusual to stay up all night due to nervousness.

It was regrettable that it might be her last night spent in this mansion, and she was worried that she would be called ‘Grand Duchess Inver’ for some time from now on.

She was concerned about what had changed from the original novel, she was concerned about Vanessa, she was concerned about the family that would be left behind, and she was also concerned about the strangely changing atmosphere when she was with Kael.

However, after reflecting on her countless worries, she was able to fall asleep.

She didn’t even dream.

“Young Lady! Wake up!”

She didn’t even know she had fallen asleep.

It was not until she opened her eyes to Amy’s familiar voice and felt the sunlight pouring down with the sound of the curtains being opened that she realized that morning had come.

“Are you ready to become the greatest bride in the empire, Young Lady?”

Amy grinned, more excited than Adeline.

After seeing that innocent face, Adeline also felt a slight sense of reality.

“… Yeah.”

Her wedding day had indeed dawned.