Chapter 4

The day after the hunting competition, Count and Countess Liveri came directly to the Duchy to apologize.

They actually made Liam kneel in front of Ian. I had a hard time holding back my laughter, seeing Liam’s resentful expression and Count Liveri’s distraught, apologetic look.

‘Of course, that expression is probably an act, too.’

After hearing Celine’s warning, the Count’s behavior felt nothing but artificial. I knew he was trying hard to stay in the good graces of his older brother, Duke Bellocchio, even coming to apologize in person, but his true feelings were different.

As a mere Count, he might feel a sense of inferiority toward his Duke brother. Therefore, he would encourage competition, hoping his son would at least be able to surpass Ian. If Duke Bellocchio hadn’t caught Liam’s surprise attack on Ian yesterday, the Count probably wouldn’t have come to apologize like this.

Staring at the utterly servile Count and Countess Liveri, I shifted my gaze to Ian. Ian looked down at Liam and gave an arrogant smile. I was certain he must have learned that from the former etiquette tutor.

And that evening,

“The more I see of you, the more useful a daughter-in-law you are. Is there anything you desire?”

I even received a compliment from Duke Bellocchio.

‘Something I desire.’

What I desired was to raise Ian’s Temperament stat, achieve a happy ending, and return to reality. And unfortunately, that was not something Duke Bellocchio could grant.

“Could I tell you later?”

“Very well.”

‘Let’s save this opportunity for when it’s most needed.’

I felt a sense of relief seeing Duke Bellocchio, who was much milder compared to the beginning.

“Father-in-law, by the way…”

I stopped just as I was about to return to my room and broached the topic with Duke Bellocchio.

“Is there something you want to say?”

“The Liveri household came to apologize earlier. What kind of sincere expression of apology did they offer?”

Even though Liam was his nephew, he threatened his son. Therefore, Duke Bellocchio might have demanded an exorbitant settlement from his brother, Count Liveri.

“I received a Top-Grade Magic Stone, one of the few in the Empire. It is a very precious item, so it can be used as a gift at an important moment.”

The Bellocchio family was known as the ‘Sword of the Empire’ for their outstanding swordsmanship, but their magical ability seemed to be lacking in comparison. Of course, I had thought the Duke possessed excellent magical skills when he subdued the etiquette tutor. However, what Anna had passed on to me, having heard it from other maids, was a bit puzzling.

‘I heard Duke Bellocchio is focusing his research specifically on magic that binds others, for some reason.’

Did he intend to become the Empire’s best expert in binding magic? Even if so, such a rare Top-Grade Magic Stone wouldn’t be needed just for a binding spell. So, he might not be planning to use it himself, but to use it as a bribe when the time is right.

In any case, I decided to be satisfied that he extracted something valuable from that two-faced man.

“But don’t you think it’s strange? Why is the young master Liveri always so hostile towards Ian? You clearly seem to discipline him in front of us, so why does he keep…”

I deliberately let my words trail off, hoping to make him suspect Count Liveri’s duplicity.

However, Duke Bellocchio’s following words took me by surprise.

“It must be because my brother encourages Liam to compete with Erlian at home.”

“How did you know?”

“It’s obvious, isn’t it? Since he scolds him every time in front of me, yet nothing changes. Besides, didn’t I tell you before? That they are the sort of people always ready to bite Erlian.”

That’s right. After I married Ian, Duke Bellocchio warned me to be careful of the collateral families. He already knew everything.

“Since this will likely continue, I think we should prepare for it.”

“Why should I do that?”

I was momentarily speechless at Duke Bellocchio’s question. Was he going to stand by and let people continue to harass his son?

“Erlian will grow if Liam Liveri continues to provoke him. Besides, the gifts they offer me as an apology aren’t bad either.”

“What if Ian gets seriously hurt?”

“If he is the kind of boy who gets seriously hurt by just that much, then he is useless.”

Wow, seriously, what is his Temperament? The thought crossed my mind that perhaps Duke Bellocchio was the true villain of this game.

“Erlian must not lose to anyone and must be perfect. Only then will She find him useful.”

There it was again. The story of ‘She’. Who in the world is this ‘She‘ that Ian has to impress?

“Who is She?”

“It is late. You may leave.”

He turned his gaze back to his documents, as if he no longer wished to talk to me. So, I couldn’t ask about ‘She‘ further and had to leave Duke Bellocchio’s office.

‘Who in the world is She?’

I walked aimlessly out of the office, deep in thought.

This was a detail that was never mentioned in the original work. That Ian must always be perfect to impress ‘She’, and that Duke Bellocchio brought me into the Duchy to monitor Ian for ‘Her‘.

‘Could the “She” he has to impress be Ian’s hidden birth mother?’

But he seemed so visibly in love with his deceased wife.

I shook my head. At that moment, I thought I saw someone walking in front of me, but I ignored it, assuming it was a servant, and continued my contemplation.

‘She‘ probably wasn’t the birth mother I was thinking of. It seemed strange that he would have to grow up perfectly just to impress his birth mother.

“Where are you going?”

‘Or, what if he loved Adria, and Ian’s mother was someone else?’

I thought someone spoke to me, but I ignored it and continued my fantasy.

‘What if he divorced Ian’s birth mother and then remarried Adria?’

He might be trying to raise Ian perfectly for ‘Her,’ who was disappointed in Duke Bellocchio for falling for another woman. Perhaps he sees this as his duty as her ex-husband.

‘That was a pretty smart deduction.’

Just as I nodded proudly,

“You’re not going that way.”

Suddenly, someone’s hand grabbed my arm. At the same time, my body was quickly spun 180 degrees around. My fantasy ended and I snapped back to reality, confirming the owner of the voice. Ian was looking at me with a look of exasperation.

“I-Ian? When did you get here?”

“Just now. What were you thinking about so deeply that you couldn’t answer when I spoke to you?”

“Oh… nothing, just a random thought. Is your lesson over?”

“It is. Let’s go.”

“Where?”

“Your favorite place.”

‘Where is that? Is he asking me to go back to the room?’

I followed Ian and found myself not in our room, but in the dining hall. …Did I look that happy when I ate? Well, it is my favorite place, regardless.

I settled into the middle of the table, stared mesmerized at the mutton enticing me, and began to eat. As I diligently put meat in my mouth, my eyes were fixed on Ian.

‘Ian wouldn’t know…’

I started fantasizing again. I continued the previous line of thought, adding more speculation until I concluded that he must have a separate birth mother, and I carried on with that idea. Of course, his hair color was the same black as Adria’s, and in appearance, he was the spitting image of Duke Bellocchio.

“Ian, tell me. What would you do if your mother wasn’t your birth mother?”

“Is that about you, perhaps?”

“It’s not about me, I just heard it somewhere. What would you do?”

“I’ve never thought about that. Because there’s no way that’s true for me.”

Ian continued confidently.

“I saw a video stone when I was little that captured my mother giving birth to me.”

“So, they recorded important moments.”

In that case, all my previous hypotheses were wrong. Then who in the world is this ‘She‘ Ian has to impress? I was about to continue pondering, but Ian’s following words made me completely forget the existence of ‘She‘.

“My father loved my mother so much. In the video, my father was crying while holding my mother’s hand as she was in pain.”

“…What did you say?”

Did I hear that wrong? Duke Bellocchio crying? I almost dropped my fork.

Perhaps I looked dumbfounded. Ian’s lips curved slightly into a smile. I felt like I had heard something I wasn’t supposed to hear. I nervously rubbed my ears and forced myself to concentrate on the meal.

 

***

 

After that, uneventful days with Ian continued.

“Ian, let’s take a walk around the garden before going in!”

“Too much trouble.”

“Then I’ll just have to go by myself, all bored and lonely.”

“…Do as you like.”

Despite his words, Ian followed me into the garden. I was impressed. Right after our marriage, he had been openly hostile toward me. Now, though his words were still curt, his actions were surprisingly considerate.

When we arrived at the garden, a subtle floral fragrance filled my nose. Flowers in full bloom swayed gently in the breeze as if welcoming us, and the lawn and trees were neatly tended. It was such a beautiful sight that I couldn’t take my eyes off it.

“See? Doesn’t it feel nice to be in the garden?”

“Not really.”

“Just wait. It’ll get even better.”

I took Ian’s arm and led him toward a table. Thankfully, he didn’t shake me off. His gentler behavior almost brought me to tears.

But still, his Temperament stat was only 8!

With him acting this obediently, couldn’t the game at least raise his Temperament a little as a reward?

“Let’s sit for a moment before heading back.”

I sat down first and looked at him. He obediently sat across from me.

“I prepared this for you.”

“You mean you prepared it for yourself.”

“…I prepared it so we could share, actually.”

Truthfully, I had been craving cake. So I’d hinted to the maid in advance, and as a result, warm milk and cake had been set on the table.

“Ian, you should try some too.”

While I ate the cake enthusiastically, Ian just watched me, not even touching his fork.

“It’s really good.”

From observing him, I had learned that he wasn’t fond of sweets, unlike in the original story. What a shame that he couldn’t enjoy something so delicious. Smiling, I moved to sit beside him.

“Why are you coming over here?”

“Because I want to eat the chocolate cake this time.”

“If you’d said so, I would’ve brought it to you.”

“I just want to eat it here.”

Grinning, I scooped up some chocolate cake. Then I looked at him and asked: “Ian, you really won’t eat any?”

“No, I—”

Just as he opened his mouth to refuse, I popped the forkful into his mouth.

“Well? Isn’t it good?”

“……”

“It’s good, right? You want more, don’t you?”

“What are you doing?”

Knowing his personality, if it hadn’t tasted good, he would’ve spat it out immediately. But he swallowed and asked instead, which made me laugh without realizing.

“Let’s go to the night market together and eat lots of tasty food when it opens.”

Ian only furrowed his brows in response. But then—

[Ian’s Affinity has increased by 1.]

So he must have liked the cake after all. Pleased with this small change, I tried to spend time with him every day.

And so, time passed until the final event of the Founding Festival: the night market.

“Ian, aren’t you excited?”

“No.”

Unlike me, practically bouncing with joy at the thought of food, Ian was composed. Even Duke Bellocchio stayed behind at the estate, uninterested. In the end, only Ian and I set out with an escort of knights. Honestly, I hadn’t expected Ian to come along either. But maybe because I’d put on an exaggeratedly forlorn expression—

If no one else goes, I’ll have to go alone…

—he must have softened, because he miraculously agreed to come with me.

As soon as I stepped down from the carriage, I looked around.

“There are so many people…”

The bustling main street where the night market was held was already crowded from the entrance.

“Then maybe we should just go home.”

“Are you crazy?”

Even after coming all this way, Ian showed no regret as he turned to leave. I grabbed his arm.

“Come on, let’s go in.”

Though his face was reluctant, thankfully, he didn’t shake me off. His Temperament stat might be in the gutter, but his Affinity wasn’t at rock bottom, apparently.

The moment we stepped inside the night market, a choice window popped up before my eyes:

▷ Go eat dessert

▷ Go see the fountain

Which choice would raise Ian’s Temperament?

Neither helps at all.

Neither option seemed related to Temperament. What could I do to wipe away the boredom from Ian’s face?

The answer is obvious!

I chose the first option, to eat dessert.

I remembered his expression from two days ago in the garden when he ate cake. He’d claimed he didn’t like sweets, but ended up finishing an entire slice. To spark his curiosity at the night market, I decided something sweet was the way to go.

Up to this point, everything went smoothly.

“Ian, let’s check this out.”

Not long after, a sweet cookie fragrance reached my nose. A street stall was selling adorable cookies—stars, hearts, snowmen, rabbits.

“Wow…”

“Which one do you want?” Ian asked flatly, impatient for me to buy something.

“They’re all so cute, I can’t choose…”

I struggled with the decision, until—

“Just buy one of each.”

Right. With the wealth of House Bellocchio, it wasn’t worth agonizing over. Of course, as the young lord he didn’t address the vendor directly; he ordered our escort knight to do it.

“Wow!”

The knight returned with a huge bag filled with all the types of cookies. Ian snatched it up and handed it to me.

“Eat.”

The fragrant bag of cookies made my mouth water. I pulled out a heart-shaped one.

“Ian.”

“What.”

I took two steps back, holding the heart-shaped cookie to my chest. He silently watched my little act.

“Grow into someone full of love, not obsession.”

Don’t kill easily, and don’t imprison others under the excuse of love.

Of course, Ian had no idea this was my desperate plea for a happy ending. He only chuckled quietly at my silly behavior.

[ Ian’s Affinity has increased by 1. ]

I didn’t know why, but seeing him smile made my own face brighten. I was about to step closer when—

“Huh?”

Suddenly, a wave of people pushed toward me. I glimpsed Ian’s startled face, his hand reaching out, and the escort knights trying to get to me—but the next moment I was swallowed by the crowd.

“Ian!”

I was just a twelve-year-old child. Too short to see above the adults around me, Ian disappeared from view as I was swept further away. No matter how I struggled, I couldn’t fight the flow of the crowd.

“…I guess there’s no helping it.”

When things calmed down, I would return to the carriage. For now, I just went along with the crowd.

“Where are we all going?” I asked the woman beside me.

“They say there’ll be a magic show up ahead!” she answered brightly.

Her excitement contrasted with my darkened expression.

Am I going to be stuck here until the magic show ends?

To escape, I needed to get to the edges of the street. I wriggled sideways through small gaps until—

Finally…!

I reached the edge and found a side path, slipping out gratefully.

“Finally, I can breathe.”

I ended up in front of a large fountain. The main street was still jammed with people, so going back that way seemed daunting for a child.

Luckily—or unluckily—few people lingered near the fountain.

“My legs hurt.”

Sitting on a bench, I noticed the heart-shaped cookie still miraculously intact in my hand. I was just about to take a bite when—

“Hello, Sia. You came here too.”

Through the sound of splashing water, I heard a familiar voice. It was Angelo, the boy I’d met at the hunting tournament. Like me, he was alone without escorts or family.

“Hi. Did you lose your group too?”

“No. I just wanted to come here alone.”

“Oh, so you like fountains.”

I mumbled awkwardly, not sure how else to respond.

“I thought I’d see you here.”

“Me?”

“Yes. You, Sia.”

“How would you know that?”

“Because we used to meet here often. Before you got married.”

So this fountain held memories for Angelo and Elicia.

“Oh, right. Yeah, it’s a nice place.”

Pretending to remember, I agreed, since I was playing Elicia now.

“But why are you holding that?”

“That’s…”

Before I could answer, he snatched the cookie from my hand. Then—crunch—he dropped it to the ground and stomped on it.

“I was going to eat that…”

Was he insane? Not treasuring food like that? If I could see his status window, I bet his Temperament stat was as bad as Ian’s.

“Sorry, I didn’t know.”

He didn’t look sorry at all.

“Here, have this instead.”

He pulled a financier pastry from a bag he was holding and handed it to me. At least he shared food. Maybe his Temperament stat was slightly higher than Ian’s.

“You liked these, right?”

“Yeah… financiers are good.”

The caramel aroma was irresistible, and I took a bite.

“How is it?”

“It’s insane. Crispy outside, chewy inside.”

It was so delicious I quickly ate the rest.

This is amazing. Where do they sell these?

Curious, I eyed the bag in his hand.

“As expected of you, Sia. You like these.”

Delighted, he offered me another. Maybe he just liked handing out food.

“Angelo, where do they sell these?”

I pretended to have forgotten where, like Elicia would.

“Why? Want more?”

“Yes. I won’t leave this baker alone.”

I’ll buy out the whole place—with House Bellocchio’s money, of course.

He seemed pleased by my reaction.

“If you want more, just meet me.”

“Oh, does your family run a bakery?”

I remembered he was the son of a marquis. Did his family own a shop?

“I’ll get them for you. Lots. Just invite me whenever you like.”

“Can’t you just tell me where the shop is?”

Since I wasn’t the real Elicia, spending time reminiscing with him made me nervous. What if he realized I wasn’t her? And honestly, I doubted he would help me reach the happy ending anyway.

So I had no intention of meeting him often. But Angelo thought differently.

“I only said that because I want to see you often, even if it’s just an excuse…”

His crestfallen face made me feel like a heartless jerk. He just wanted to spend time with his old friend, but I’d brushed him off.

“Fine, just send me a letter. We’ll set a time to meet.”

Angelo’s face lit up. For me, it was only to ease his disappointment, but still.

Well, he looks nice when he smiles.

Or maybe it was just that his handsome face made it pleasant.

I was still admiring his face when—

“There you are.”

Ian appeared, frowning as if he’d gone through hell to find me.

“I should go now. It was nice seeing you.”

It was late anyway; children should be home by now. I gave Angelo a quick farewell and moved toward Ian.

“Wait.”

Angelo caught my arm, carefully, as if I were fragile.

“I regretted not greeting you properly before. Could I do it now?”

A well-mannered noble boy, apparently. I nodded. But Ian was already at my side.

“What are you doing? Come here.”

[ Ian’s XX has increased by 1. ]

What on earth is that damned XX?

I wanted to ask Lala, but lately he hadn’t shown up—maybe he was busy.

“Ellie?”

Maybe because I stayed silent without saying anything. Ian actually called me by my nickname.

Angelo wanted to meet Ian, didn’t he.

I looked at Angelo to introduce him to Ian.

Why does he look so serious?

Just a moment ago he had a faint smile on his lips. But now, his expression was far too solemn for a thirteen-year-old boy. It wasn’t because he was nervous about meeting someone of higher rank, either. His gaze wasn’t even on Ian—it was fixed somewhere in empty space.

“Who’s this?”

“My friend. You saw him at the hunting tournament, remember?”

Ian only nodded without replying.

“Introduce yourself. This is my husband, Ian.”

I nudged Angelo’s arm with my elbow, and that seemed to snap him back to his senses. His eyes finally turned toward Ian.

“Pleased to meet you. I’m Angelo Leglorie.”

“Ah, the marquis’s son.”

Normally, when someone greets you with an introduction, you respond in kind, don’t you? But Ian, despite having taken etiquette lessons more than once from a perfectly capable tutor, didn’t bother. Either his nature was rotten, or he just didn’t care. Fortunately—or unfortunately—Angelo didn’t seem fazed.

“Yes, I’m that marquis’s son. I’ve been closest to Sia ever since birth.”

“There he goes again, calling you Sia.”

“Oh, it’s because I’ve called Elicia ‘Sia’ since we were children.”

Every time Angelo said the word “Sia,” it felt like he was emphasizing it. Maybe I was imagining things.

The atmosphere grew awkward.

Thankfully, it didn’t escalate into a fight. Ian turned his back first, clearly unwilling to stay any longer.

“Let’s go, Ellie.”

“I’ll get going then. Let’s meet again sometime.”

I gave Angelo my farewell in place of that rude child. As I hurried after Erlian, Angelo’s voice called from behind.

“Sia, let’s eat bread together again next time.”

Anyone overhearing would think we were some kind of “bread buddies.” Well, to be fair, the financiers he’d brought really had been delicious.

On the way back to the carriage—

“My lady, forgive me!”

The moment we stepped out from the fountain toward the main street, our knight guard bowed ninety degrees in apology.

“I should have protected you at all costs. It was my failure.”

His hands were trembling. Understandable—he had failed his duty.

“It’s fine. Raise your head.”

“No, please punish me!”

“I said it’s really fine…”

“He failed to protect you. So pass judgment on him as you see fit,” Ian said firmly.

But I shook my head.

“I’m not hurt. I’m perfectly fine. Besides, it was just an accident, caused by people rushing to see the magic show. I’m okay.”

“We investigated, and it turns out there wasn’t even a magic show scheduled. Someone spread lies to stir up trouble. Regardless, it’s true I failed to protect you, my lady. Please punish me.”

“If you let this go, then I will decide the punishment,” Ian interjected.

I wanted to be lenient—it had been an unavoidable accident. But if I stayed quiet, Ian would hand down some cruel punishment, given his temper. So I thought it better that I do it. After a moment’s thought, I said:

“If something unavoidable like today happens again, look after Erlian before me. That will be your punishment.”

“That doesn’t sound like punishment, my lady. And I promise I’ll never neglect you again.”

“Unexpected situations can always arise. No matter what, Ian comes first. Don’t ever forget that.”

“I’ll keep that in mind. Thank you.”

The knight looked relieved, but Ian pressed his lips together in a tight line, clearly displeased.

“Ian, what is it?”

“That’s your idea of punishment?”

So he was disappointed I hadn’t been harsher.

“Let it go. He did protect you in that moment. And no one was hurt anyway.”

Ian’s lips parted as if to say something, then closed again. He sighed quietly, like he was frustrated, and walked toward the carriage. I followed silently.

By now, the bustling streets had thinned; the guard explained it was because people had moved to better spots to watch the fireworks display. I would have liked to see them too, but it was too late, and after the incident, it was better to return quietly.

Even while chatting idly with the guard, Ian stayed silent.

It wasn’t until we were alone in the carriage that he finally spoke.

“Don’t eat street food again.”

After all this silence, that was the first thing out of his mouth.

“What? Where did that come from?”

“Don’t take food from other people either.”

“What’s gotten into you?”

“I don’t want you eating anything carelessly and shaming our house.”

I really couldn’t understand the mind of a thirteen-year-old boy. I turned away, not wanting to deal with his nonsense. But then it struck me.

“Wait, where’s the cookies?”

“What cookies?”

“The ones we bought earlier.”

“…”

Before we parted, Ian and I had bought a whole bag of cookies. But the knight didn’t have them, and neither did Ian. Which could only mean—

“You didn’t throw them away, did you? All of them?”

He only shrugged.

“You really threw them out?”

“Didn’t seem right to bring something like that back home.”

“They’re just cookies.”

“You don’t know who made them. Why would you eat them? Just ask the chef to bake some for you.”

“You’re seriously…”

He said it so matter-of-factly, I had no fight left in me. What on earth was I supposed to do about that rotten nature of his?

By then, the carriage had reached the duke’s estate. Normally, I’d hurry along to match Ian’s pace, but this time I walked slowly. That made the knight glance between us nervously, until I said: “Match my pace. Walk slowly with me.”

Relieved, the knight fell into step behind us.

But no matter how I thought about it, Ian’s behavior made no sense. If he’d been so suspicious of those cookies, why buy all the different kinds in the first place?

“I heard you threw out the cookies?” I asked.

“Did the young master tell you that?”

“Mm. He said, ‘Who knows who made them, so why eat them?’”

“That’s not true. He was carrying them himself, but he lost the bag while searching for you, my lady.”

“Really?”

“I offered to hold it, but he refused. He said he wanted to deliver them to you personally. In the end, he lost them, but…”

The knight’s mouth turned down in regret, but my lips curled upward. To think Ian had been searching for me so desperately he lost the cookies along the way. My annoyance melted, and I couldn’t stop smiling.

I looked at Ian walking ahead. To my surprise, he wasn’t far. Though he’d started off walking quickly, now his steps had slowed.

I hurried to catch up beside him.

“So it wasn’t that you threw them away—you lost them while looking for me?”

“I threw them out. Really.”

He snapped back immediately and turned away. Which only confirmed he was lying.

“Alright then. Tomorrow, want to eat some cookies baked by the chef together?”

He stuffed his fingers in his ears and stalked off toward the bath, as if he didn’t want to hear another word. I laughed at his back.

A week later.

In that time, I had played my “player” role faithfully. Unless something got in the way, I followed Ian everywhere, reminding him constantly that people must live virtuously. He, of course, found me irritating. But despite my efforts, not a single point in his Temperament went up.

And Angelo kept sending me letters, asking to meet.

The first letter came the day after the night market. I worried about hurting his feelings if I rejected him outright, so five days later I finally replied, saying I simply couldn’t make time.

「Hello, Sia.

(…~~~~…)

Married life must be keeping you very busy.

But could you spare even 30 minutes?

I’d like to reminisce about our memories together.」

Soon another letter followed, asking again for a meeting.

“Hm…”

It was Elicia in the original story who was close to Angelo, not me. So I meant to refuse. But the moment I picked up my pen, the cursed quest window appeared.

[★Lala★’s Quest]

Angelo misses Elicia.

Invite him and spend some time together ♪

<Time limit: 2 weeks>

What on earth did this have to do with Ian’s happy ending? That wasn’t even the most pressing question.

“Lala!”

Before the window disappeared, I called him desperately. Maybe he heard me—

– Hello♪ This is ★Lala★.

Finally, after so long, Lala showed herself. Still with her annoying stars and musical notes.

“I have something to ask.”

– ★Lala★ is ready to answer sincerely for Elicia ♬

For once, I liked his attitude.

“What is XX?”

No beating around the bush—I wanted to know what that irritating XX was.

– It’s something bad.

He even tried to look scary as he said it. Except he was too cute to be scary.

“So what is it, really?”

– Lala doesn’t want to talk about it.

You’ve got to be kidding me.

– If it goes up, you’ll drift farther from the happy ending. Make sure it doesn’t rise.

“And how do I keep it from rising?”

– The best way is…

I waited. After a moment’s hesitation, Lala clenched his fist and declared:

– Don’t get too close to Erlian.

“We’re not even that close right now.”

– You need to be even more distant. Absolutely!

And just like that, he vanished.

But how was I supposed to raise Ian’s Temperament and Affinity while staying distant? Was I doomed to miss the happy ending? Anxiety crept in.

That night, I decided not to say anything to Ian before bed. For the past week, I’d given him a nightly lecture about living kindly tomorrow. He’d always been annoyed, of course.

But maybe because I was quiet this time—

“You’re not nagging me tonight?” Ian asked, surprised. He even turned to face me.

When our eyes met, I forgot all about Lala’s warning.

“Did you miss it? My advice?”

“Not at all. It’s just weird you suddenly changed.”

“Ian, don’t forget. Tomorrow, and always, you must live kindly.”

“Just go to sleep.”

He turned his eyes to the ceiling. I chuckled to myself at his profile, then closed my eyes.

The next day, while Ian was training, I went to Duke Bellocchio’s office.

“Father.”

“What is it?”

He didn’t look up from his paperwork. Clearly, he wanted me to get to the point.

“Could I invite a friend over?”

“A friend?”

At that, he finally looked up. His face full of puzzlement. Understandable—neithErlian nor his father had friends, from what I’d seen. Not once had anyone visited since I came here.

“It’s a friend I haven’t been able to see much since the marriage. Just for a short tea time, may I?”

He studied me carefully, as if to see if I had some hidden agenda. I put on my brightest, most innocent smile.

This was crucial. I needed his permission to complete the quest.

Truthfully, Ian didn’t know yet. When we’d run into Angelo at the night market, Ian hadn’t seemed pleased. Granted, he didn’t seem to like people in general. That was why I came straight to the duke for permission.

“…Do as you like.”

“Thank you. Then I’ll be going.”

Relieved at his approval, I turned to leave. But his next question froze me.

“Has Ian been well lately?”

“Yes, he’s doing fine.”

“Good. If anything happens, tell me immediately.”

“Yes.”

That should have been the end of it. But—

“Never forget this.”

I stopped.

“Ian must grow into someone flawless, someone the entire empire will recognize.”

He’s already deeply flawed in temperament, though…

But as his subordinate, I couldn’t say that.

“Anything that could stand in the way of Ian’s future must be dealt with.”

He had said before that Ian must be perfect enough to be desired by “her.” That was why he forced a thirteen-year-old into marriage, so a bride could spy from his side.

Looking at his cold expression, it hit me again—Duke Bellocchio didn’t love Ian.

For the first time, I felt sorry for him.

 

***

 

“That guy is coming?”

Ian found out after all. It was only three days after I got permission from Duke Bellocchio.

I had begged the butler to keep it a secret, worrying that Ian might strongly object. Ian also hadn’t noticed, as he generally wasn’t interested in anything besides swordsmanship. But today, seeing the servants busy preparing for a guest, he finally realized.

“Why is that guy coming here?”

“That guy, seriously? He’s my friend.”

“No.”

“He’s probably already on his way.”

Honestly, I hadn’t expected the appointment with Angelo to happen so quickly.

As soon as I got permission from the Duke, I sent a letter inviting him for a quick tea time and a visit. He set the appointment for the earliest possible date. I was happy because I could clear the quest quickly.

“Then just say hello and send him out. Don’t let him stay here for more than a minute.”

‘Wow, that Temperament..’

Should I consider it a miracle that his Temperament isn’t dropping right now?

“Ian, do you dislike Angelo that much?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“He’s just annoying.”

I didn’t press for further reasons. When I thought about it, even in the original game, Ian wasn’t friendly to anyone except the heroine. He was even prickly towards the heroine initially.

“Don’t worry. I invited him during your swordsmanship practice time so you wouldn’t be bothered.”

“What?”

“Angelo will be gone by the time your practice is over. So you won’t have to run into him.”

Isn’t this considerate enough? Ian wouldn’t have to face the guy he finds annoying. I seriously think I’m a genius.

“I don’t like it.”

“Why?”

“I just don’t like him setting foot in this house.”

“He’s just visiting. Just let it go this one time.”

My quest depended on this, so I wasn’t going to back down easily. Anyway, this argument wouldn’t last long. I had permission from Duke Bellocchio, the master of the duchy, and Ian had swordsmanship class soon.

“You’ll be late. Go quickly for your swordsmanship lesson!”

I pushed Ian’s back toward the training grounds. He said nothing more and left for his lesson.

‘Swordsmanship is indeed Ian’s top priority.’

I had a feeling this quest would be solved smoothly.

Up until this point, anyway.

 

***

 

“Hello. Welcome.”

“Thank you for inviting me.”

Angelo smiled brightly and looked at me. It was a refreshing aura, completely different from the two men living in the Duduchy.

“I prepared this because I thought you’d like it.”

Angelo handed me a colorful bouquet and a large paper bag. Since I wasn’t very interested in the flowers because they weren’t practical, I gave them to Anna, who was standing nearby, and checked inside the paper bag.

“Oh, the one we ate last time?”

“Yes. I thought you’d like it.”

Inside the paper bag was an enormous amount of financiers.

‘Looks like he emptied the entire shop.’

Lured by the sweet scent, I forgot my duties as a hostess, took one out, and popped it into my mouth.

“Mmm, delicious!”

“That’s a relief.”

“But you really didn’t have to buy this much. I can’t eat it all anyway.”

Bread doesn’t have a long shelf life. Plus, it was too much for one person. I took a financier out of the bag and handed it to Angelo.

“Here, you eat one too. But seriously, where do they sell this?”

“Thank you.”

I wished he would tell me exactly where the shop was. However, Angelo just smiled sweetly and didn’t answer until the end.

Only after finishing one financier did I belatedly regain my senses.

“The weather is nice. How about going to the garden?”

“Sounds good.”

I handed the paper bag to Anna and headed to the garden with Angelo.

The warm sunlight, the gentle breeze, the fragrant scent of the grass, and the sweet, beautiful cakes laid out before me. The duchy’s garden was the perfect spot for tea time.

“It’s not much, but eat a lot.”

Literally, I hadn’t prepared anything myself. The servants had prepared everything. Despite that, I played the humble noble, bragging under the guise of modesty.

“Thank you.”

“I went to some effort since you were coming.”

I hadn’t forgotten the quest: to invite Angelo and spend quality time with him. I figured eating delicious food would make it fun, so I prepared a variety of cakes. But for some reason, he paid no attention to the cakes and just kept looking at me.

“The cake is really delicious. You should try some.”

When I took a bite of cake first, Angelo also started to fork his cake. I watched him intently until the cake entered his mouth.

‘Say it’s delicious. Say you’re having fun.’

“It’s really delicious.”

He smiled slightly. But he didn’t seem to be having much fun. The ‘Quest Clear’ window hadn’t popped up yet.

“I’m glad to see they’re taking good care of you here, though.”

Angelo made a sudden, unexpected comment.

“Huh?”

“I was worried you might be struggling. But seeing you here, it looks like you’re doing well.”

“They do take good care of me.”

Although Ian and Duke Bellocchio were prickly, the servants were very attentive to me. Thanks to them, I was living comfortably.

“It was a marriage arranged by your parents, not one based on love, after all. I worried that you might be mistreated here.”

“I see.”

“Because you are a precious person to me.”

Angelo smiled wistfully. Right at that moment…

“Precious to who?”

A voice heavy with displeasure came from behind me.

“I-Ian?!”

Isn’t he supposed to be in training? Why is he here?

While I was bewildered, Ian had already taken the empty seat next to me.

“What’s going on at this hour? What about your swordsmanship training?”

“…It ended early today.”

He answered, his eyes blazing and fixed on Angelo.

“Hello. We meet again.”

Did Angelo not see Ian’s face, which was full of displeasure? Angelo smiled warmly and greeted him as if he were happy to see him. Unfortunately, Ian ignored his greeting.

‘I’m screwed.’

Ian was clearly showing his dislike for Angelo every time he saw him. If Ian stayed, Angelo would be uncomfortable, and my quest would fail.

“Ian, it’s hot. Why don’t you go inside and rest?”

“If you send him out.”

“Why are you being like this to my friend?”

“I never gave permission for him to come here.”

“Father-in-law gave permission.”

Ian clamped his mouth shut. No matter how headstrong Ian was, he couldn’t rebel when his father was mentioned. Was this the difference between family members?

“I’m going to talk with my friend since it’s been a while, so go inside.”

“Pretend I’m not here and talk comfortably.”

He crossed his arms and stared at me, clearly determined not to leave. I don’t know what his intention is. I have no choice. He’ll probably leave once he finds our conversation boring.

“Angelo, what were we talking about?”

“About you being a precious person to me?”

Involuntarily, I quickly turned my head to look at Ian. Ian raised his eyebrow, openly displaying his displeasure.

“Ah, right. Precious. Because we’re friends since childhood. Just friends, that is.”

I found myself stammering out an explanation. Wait, why am I worried about what Ian thinks?

“Sia, do you remember?”

“Remember what?”

“Two years ago, when we went on an outing with our parents.”

I’m not Elicia, so I don’t know. I just quietly listened to what Angelo was saying.

“There was a very tall tree, and you challenged yourself to climb it.”

“Was that so?”

“You gave up after only climbing 20 centimeters back then.”

As soon as Angelo finished speaking, I heard a Pfft sound next to me. I didn’t need to turn my head to confirm the source of the noise. It was obviously Ian scoffing at my past—no, Elicia’s past.

“Then you tore at my hair, asking why I didn’t stop you, since tree climbing was so hard.”

Perhaps the real Elicia had even more Temperament issues than Ian?

“…I apologize.”

“It’s okay. That was your charm.”

‘What part of that was charming?’

I wondered if he was being sarcastic, but Angelo’s expression looked calm. Maybe he was just a patsy who got used to Elicia’s violence since childhood. No wonder he just chuckled when I glared at him at the hunting competition. Perhaps Angelo felt lucky that I only glared that time, instead of hitting him.

“Anyway, I apologize if I hurt you. It won’t happen again.”

“No. It’s really fine.”

Even though he was hit by Elicia, he smiled and said he was fine. He wore a smile so genuinely kind that it seemed to dissolve the venom in Ian’s hostile gaze. What kind of person is this Angelo?

“Still, you did say back then that you would marry me…”

“What?”

The person who questioned that was not me. It was Ian.

“Does that mean you two were engaged?”

“Sia said she would marry me, and I agreed, so I suppose you could call it an engagement.”

A patsy. He is a total patsy. He smiled with regret even though he nearly became a beaten husband.

“You invite a guy you were practically engaged to into this house?”

“Engagement? We were just playing around, just childhood friends.”

“Playing around…”

It seemed Angelo had been serious about the ‘engagement.’ I could tell by the way he hung his head, looking hurt. Wait, I’m supposed to be making Angelo happy. Am I going to fail the quest?

“Thinking about it, we often played house too. I was the husband, and Sia was the wife.”

What on earth is this? Angelo reminisced about playing house with ‘Sia.’ It was an incredible game where Angelo would put sand on a leaf, calling it dinner, and Elicia would throw it away, asking if that was a meal.

Fortunately, Angelo looked happy while talking, but Ian’s face grew increasingly crumpled.

“Ian, are you bored? How about going back to your favorite swordsmanship practice?”

I was trying to politely tell Ian to stop bothering us.

“You want to spend time alone with him, completely excluding me?”

“The maid and the escort knight are here too.”

[Ian’s XX increased by 1.]

What did I do to make that increase? What exactly is XX?

Judging from Ian’s behavior so far… sarcasm, anger, irritation, fury. No good words came to mind. Is this why Lala warned me that XX should never rise? I sighed heavily.

“I think I’ve taken up too much of your time.”

Did Angelo finally notice the awkward atmosphere between the three of us? He abruptly stood up and said.

“No, you’re not taking up time. Sit down.”

I couldn’t let Angelo leave yet. The ‘Quest Cleared’ window hadn’t appeared.

“No, I only set aside a short time today too.”

“Can’t you spare more time?”

“I’m sorry.”

“He says he’s leaving, so why hold him back? Let’s go inside too.”

Ian said, looking at me as if he’d been waiting for this moment.

“No, I’ll walk you to your carriage!”

Angelo smiled and thanked me.

Ian insisted on tagging along on the way to Angelo’s carriage. But I didn’t pay him any mind. My head was filled with worry about what I should do to make Angelo happy.

But will I find the answer just by worrying? I’m not the real Elicia. I don’t know Angelo well. So the only thing I can do is…

“Angelo, why don’t you come over tomorrow too?”

The only thing I could do right now to clear the quest was to meet Angelo one more time before the deadline.

‘The quest didn’t say I only had one chance, did it?’

I just need to make Angelo truly happy the next time we meet and clear the quest.

“Or we could meet outside.”

Since Ian was hostile toward Angelo, meeting outside, just the two of us, would be more advantageous for clearing the quest. If I invited Angelo back here like today, an awkward situation would definitely unfold, and I would surely fail the quest then.

“Is there anywhere you want to go? Tell me.”

Wouldn’t Angelo be happier if we went to a place he wanted to go? I asked him, filled with expectation.

“Go where?”

Unfortunately, the one who answered my question immediately was Ian, not Angelo. He furrowed his brow, looking displeased.

I was suggesting meeting outside because he clearly disliked Angelo coming to the duchy, so I didn’t understand why he was so against this too.

“I’m just going out briefly to meet a friend, that’s all.”

“You have something scheduled tomorrow.”

“…I do?”

No matter how much I thought about it, I had no idea what schedule I had tomorrow. I was a freeloader with nothing to do except follow Ian around.

“You just do.”

I looked at Ian, who was avoiding my eyes, and was certain. He was lying. Ian simply hated the idea of me meeting Angelo.

Normally, I would have discreetly avoided meeting Angelo. Ian is the one I need to impress, and I wasn’t that interested in Angelo anyway. But this time, it was a quest, so I had no choice.

“I’ll go out briefly, just enough not to interfere with the schedule.”

“No. You going out is interfering with the schedule.”

“Then should I invite Angelo here again?”

“That’s also a no.”

Ian started throwing a tantrum. I was frustrated and glared at Ian. Ian just stared back at me with a face full of complaints.

“Calm down, Sia.”

Perhaps because the atmosphere between Ian and me was so unpleasant, Angelo looked troubled, glancing back and forth between us. Then it hit me. Is Angelo going to refuse to meet me tomorrow, feeling burdened by the situation?

I turned my gaze toward Angelo and opened my mouth.

“Angelo, you don’t have to worry about Ian. So, where should we meet tomorrow?”

“I’m sorry. I have a schedule tomorrow.”

I heard Ian let out a Pfft of laughter beside me. This is all Ian’s fault. It was obvious that Angelo was refusing because he didn’t want to cause a fight between Ian and me.

“You don’t have to lie because of Ian.”

“It’s really true. I’m going to see my grandparents tomorrow. I’ll be back next week. I genuinely regret not being able to give a positive answer to your offer. Why did it have to be at this time…”

Angelo’s lips drooped as if he was truly disappointed about not meeting tomorrow.

‘Then why were you quiet while Ian and I were having a small argument?’

Unlike me, who was utterly annoyed, Ian’s previously hardened face softened. No, the corners of his mouth twitched slightly, as if he was about to smile. Seeing Ian look pleased made me inexplicably angry at Angelo. But I couldn’t express my anger. I was the one who was desperate right now.

Hoo. I took a big, deep breath to calm my anger. Then, I curved the corners of my lips into a fake smile and asked Angelo,

“What can I do for you right now, so you can return home happily?”

There was nothing to lose, so I asked him outright. Who knows? Maybe Angelo would suddenly become happy, and the quest would clear. Though I wasn’t particularly hopeful.

“Sia, you…?”

Angelo looked surprised, as if he didn’t expect that. It made sense when I thought about Elicia’s past, as it seemed she only ever tormented Angelo.

…Stop looking surprised and just answer quickly.

“Ah, right!”

After a short moment of contemplation, Angelo finally looked at me as if he had found the important answer, but I didn’t have high hopes. What could I possibly do now that Angelo was about to get into his carriage?

I gave up on this quest. I looked at Angelo with a wry expression.

“Sia, your hand.”

He held out his hand and spoke. I didn’t know what he was planning, but I obediently extended my hand to meet his. A warm touch enveloped my hand.

“It’s been a long time since I held your hand.”

He smiled brightly, and the next thing he did was…

SMOOCH!

He kissed the back of my hand with an audible sound, his gaze fixed on me.

At that moment.

[Congratulations! You have completed ★Lala★’s Quest <Spend Quality Time with Angelo>. Would you like to check the reward?]

▷ Yes

▷ No

It worked.

To my surprise, the quest was cleared.

What the? Nothing happened when I made a big fuss earlier, but it clears this easily?

‘Why?’

This was truly strange. But I decided to check the reward calmly.

‘Yes.’

What kind of reward would I get this time? I couldn’t help but feel a growing sense of expectation.

[Ian’s Temperament increased by 5.]

[Ian’s Affinity increased by 5.]

It was great that the precious Temperament had increased, but I didn’t get any separate items or skills.

‘The quest wasn’t that difficult this time, so I guess I’ll be satisfied with this.’

As I chuckled generously, the notification window disappeared, and the sight of Ian and Angelo returned.

“What the hell are you doing?”

Ian was grabbing Angelo by the collar.

What’s going on? Why is Ian suddenly angry at Angelo?

“I was just saying goodbye to a precious friend.”

“You don’t seem like ‘just’ a precious friend.”

“Well, I guess Sia is truly precious to me. Touching her makes me happy and joyous.”

Angelo’s hand, pushing Ian’s hand away, was incredibly rough. This action was completely contrary to his image of always smiling brightly.

Ian ran his hand through his hair in frustration. His eyes glaring at Angelo were sharp. If this continued, a fight was inevitable.

“It’s getting late. Angelo, you should leave.”

“Sia, I had a good time today. I’ll see you again soon.”

The carriage door closed, carrying his body, and it departed after a few snorts from the horses. I waved my hand as I watched the carriage pull away, but Ian tapped my shoulder with his fingertip. Then, he said, “Wipe it off.”

He tossed a handkerchief at me and walked into the main building first. When he handed me the handkerchief, Ian’s eyes were fixed on my right hand. To be precise, on the spot where Angelo’s lips had touched.

 

***

 

Honestly, I couldn’t understand. Why was Ian so hostile and uncomfortable with Angelo? I lay in bed, puzzling over it after returning to my room, but no clear answer came to mind.

In the end, I couldn’t contain my curiosity and asked Ian during dinner why he was so uncomfortable with Angelo. Ian replied:

‘Just because.’

I know Ian is wary of and dislikes most people in the world. But he had never displayed such blatant hostility, so it was truly puzzling.

I continued to ponder even after returning to the room after dinner, when the door burst open and Ian entered. As he approached the bed, the faint scent of shampoo tickled my nose even more.

“Ian, Angelo is my friend.”

“Why are you bringing up that guy again?”

He asked without looking at me, lying neatly on the bed. His voice was extremely prickly, clearly showing his dislike for Angelo.

“So he’s not a bad guy to be hostile toward.”

“I’m not being hostile.”

“Then why don’t you try to be friendly with him too?”

“Just sleep.”

He tightly closed his eyes, cutting off the conversation. It was clear that talking to him any further would just lead to being ignored. So, I closed my mouth and my eyes too. But I couldn’t fall asleep easily.

‘Does he really dislike Angelo that much?’

I felt awkward around Angelo too, but I didn’t think he was a bad person. I even hoped Ian would become friends with Angelo. Wouldn’t it be good for Ian if he gradually expanded his circle of friends, starting with Angelo?

‘Ian dislikes him now, but maybe he’ll warm up to him if they keep meeting.’

Just as I was about to drift off to sleep, thinking this was a pretty good idea.

‘Wait a minute.’

My eyes snapped open again.

Now that I thought about it, Ian’s XX stat went up again when I met Angelo earlier.

‘That’s a bit strange…’

It happened today, at the hunting competition, and even when I accidentally met Angelo at the fountain. Ian’s XX increased every time I was with Angelo. Doesn’t that mean XX is related to Angelo?

‘Why did Lala tell me to become distant from Ian, not Angelo?’

If I follow Lala’s advice, I won’t have the chance to give Ian unsolicited advice, which sometimes leads to a random Temperament boost. If I don’t approach him first, we won’t have any conversations either, since he barely pays attention to me.

‘But I have to trust Lala. Surely his hint isn’t a lie?’

I had impulsively decided to impress Ian, but given this situation, I would keep my distance from Ian and only raise Temperament through quests. I closed my eyes, making that firm resolve.