Chapter 20

The day of the annual Founding Festival Dance Party arrived.

“The House of Duke Bellocchio!”

The hall doors opened at the doorman’s announcement. I entered, linking arms with Ian, wearing a fake smile, and thought,

‘The crows will go crazy.’

It was true that these days, dresses themselves weren’t overly decorated with frills or lace. Instead, they were lavishly adorned with accessories and jewels. The richer you were, the more jewels you had to wear, or so they said. As a result, not only my dress but also my hair ornaments had to be laden with jewels, making my head feel heavy.

While looking around for Angelo and Ethel, I spotted a familiar silhouette.

‘Did I see wrong?’ 

I blinked quickly, then confirmed the woman standing by the pillar again.

‘It’s Adria.’ 

The woman who had always stayed at the Academy had come to the dance party. My head subconsciously turned toward Duke Bellocchio. He must have spotted Adria too, because he immediately moved toward her without hesitation. I was about to follow to watch, but he said, having read my mind,

“Don’t follow me.” 

That’s mean. He wouldn’t even tell me what they talked about later.

“The Founding Festival has come again.” 

The Emperor, who had appeared by now, began his address. Everyone was looking at the Emperor, but Duke Bellocchio’s gaze was fixed only on Adria, who was right next to him.

“I hope everyone enjoys this Founding Festival too.” 

As soon as the Emperor’s greeting ended, soft music, which I must have heard countless times, began to play as if on cue.

Ian and I naturally took hands and looked around while dancing. Angelo, who was watching us, leaning against a pillar, slightly waved when our eyes met, and Ethel was standing in front of the refreshment table. Liam was dancing with Celine. Since my sister got engaged, he hadn’t spared a glance for either her or me. So, only Celine greeted me with her eyes, looking happy.

My sister, completely disregarding Liam, was dancing while sending loving glances at her fiancé. And Duke Bellocchio…

‘He was rejected.’ 

His gaze was fixed on Adria beside him. I even witnessed his lips move briefly, as if he wanted to speak. Unlike the restless Duke Bellocchio, Adria stood with her arms crossed, not even looking at him, but staring intently at me.

‘Why is she looking at me?’ 

Our eyes met, and I smiled awkwardly, but Adria merely fixed her gaze on me with a blank expression, showing no reaction. The intense stare continued, making me feel a bit burdened.

“What’s wrong?” 

I looked up at the low voice in my ear. Ian was also staring intently at me, as if trying to figure out what was happening.

‘Oh, she was looking at Ian.’ 

Adria must have just been staring at the back of her son. He was her child, after all.

“It’s nothing.” 

Only then did I stop consciously minding Adria’s gaze. Of course, as soon as I got used to the piercing gaze, the music ended.

“It seems you concentrate on something else every time you dance with me.” 

Ian pointed out, while exchanging formal greetings after the dance.

“It’s your imagination.” 

Ian’s words were true, but I pretended they weren’t. Heading towards the refreshment table where Ethel was, I whispered to Ian,

“Did you see? Your Mother was only looking at you.”

“See? You were concentrating on something other than me.”

“I just happened to see her for a moment.” 

My excuse didn’t seem to work, and Ian’s expression remained sullen.

“Wouldn’t you be happy to run into your Mother after such a long time?” 

As I linked my arm with Ian’s, trying to make an excuse, he turned his head away. But I saw it. Before he turned his head, Ian’s lips briefly twitched, as if he was pleased.

“Wait.”

At a woman’s voice behind us, Ian stopped walking. It wasn’t a friendly voice, but one I had heard somewhere before, so I also stopped and turned around.

“Talk to me for a moment.” 

The owner of the voice was Adria. Duke Bellocchio wasn’t next to her. Seeing him looking our way from behind, Adria must have told him not to follow.

“Ian, go ahead.” 

The woman who had always stayed at the Academy came to the dance party to talk to her son… This must mean that the relationship between mother and son was finally improving. I smiled happily, unlinked my arm, and gently patted Ian’s back. But contrary to my expectation, Adria’s eyes were fixed on me.

“Not Erlian, you.”

“Huh? Me?”

“Follow me. Only you.” 

I followed Adria with a dazed expression. I could feel Duke Bellocchio’s intense gaze from afar. I could already predict what would happen later. He would definitely cross-examine me in the carriage on the way back to the mansion, asking what Adria and I talked about.

‘I hope it’s nothing major.’ 

It would be awkward for me if the content was difficult to tell Duke Bellocchio.

Exiting the hall, we stepped onto the green lawn of the garden. There were no people except for the Imperial Knights patrolling here and there, but Adria kept walking further.

“It seems you barely read my letters.” 

Adria, who arrived at a secluded spot, immediately got to the point.

“Did you send me letters?” 

I had never received a letter from Adria. Could it be that Duke Bellocchio intercepted and kept those letters? It was certainly a possibility.

“I sent you letters several times telling you not to get involved with that child.”

“Did you send those letters, Mother?”

“Don’t call me Mother. I felt sorry for you and wanted to warn you before it was too late.”

“Is ‘that child’ Ian, by any chance?” 

She didn’t nod or confirm it. But I could infer that it was true just by the faint sigh she let out.

‘Could Adria be Lala?’ 

Lala was the only one in this world who wanted me not to be involved with Ian.

‘No. I can’t be absolutely certain.’ 

Maybe she just didn’t like me as a daughter-in-law.

“I even intentionally made you fail the Academy entrance exam, yet I never expected your relationship to be this good.” 

The reason I failed the Academy entrance exam was because I failed the quest… Could Lala really be Adria? I was confused.

“Getting involved with the men of that family brings no benefit. Just like me.” Adria continued, with a look of utter disgust on her face.

“I thought you two would be somewhat okay since you were forced into marriage, but it seems not.” 

What was she talking about when we were getting along fine? I didn’t understand Adria’s words.

“You know that the Academy dormitory exploded, right?”

“Yes.”

“Erlian was the culprit.” 

That was impossible. Ian’s Temperament wasn’t low enough to blow up the dormitory, and he had no motive.

“Magic leaves its own trace. So, if you use clumsy magic, you can tell who the culprit is. Of course, skilled magicians like me don’t leave traces.”

“But I heard they haven’t found any clues about that incident yet.”

“I erased them. That’s why others haven’t discovered it.” 

Adria ran her hand through her jet-black hair and continued.

“It would be inconvenient for me too if Erlian was revealed to be the culprit, so I had no choice. Knowing this, he must have felt comfortable blowing it up, right?”

“Ian wouldn’t do that.”

“Seeing it directly today, I realized. If only you had been an Academy student, he wouldn’t have blown up the dormitory.” 

Adria’s words sounded like Ian went to such an extreme action because he wanted to be with me.

“But Ian and I are just friends.”

“I was just friends with Aiven Bellocchio at first too. He only revealed the true nature of that family’s bloodline after we got married.”

“What’s wrong with the Bellocchio family?”

“You know it, don’t you? The Bellocchio family doesn’t like parties or socializing and is reclusive.” 

That was true. Ian and Duke Bellocchio didn’t enjoy interacting with other families, to the point of quietly spending their birthdays. But they weren’t extremely reclusive. Duke Bellocchio didn’t stop me from inviting my friends, Angelo and Ethel, to the mansion.

“They can’t stand their wife getting close to anyone else besides themselves. It’s because the people who inherited that bloodline are too possessive. I found that so suffocating. Don’t you?” 

I didn’t find it particularly suffocating, but I briefly considered whether I should sympathize out of courtesy. However, she wasn’t looking for my reaction, as she continued speaking on her own.

“During the long-term subjugation, Erlian cast the tracking magic on the Red Dragon. It was truly chilling.”

“Thanks to that, he caught the Red Dragon, though.”

“Of course, that was a good thing. But it just had to be Erlian who cast the tracking magic.” 

According to her explanation, the stronger the opponent, the harder it is to cast tracking magic. Especially at Ian’s age, he should only be able to barely cast tracking magic on lower-level monsters, but he performed it too easily on a high-level monster. Adria seemed very displeased that he cast the tracking magic on the Red Dragon’s tongue, a weakness no one knew about.

“I met the magic instructor who taught Erlian every vacation.” 

According to the magic instructor, he focused on teaching tracking magic at Ian’s request. And he was very proud of the fact that Ian caught the Red Dragon with the magic he taught, bragging about it to surrounding nobles.

“To be so greedy for tracking magic, fitting for a possessive bloodline. He’s my son, but he truly is horrifying.”

“Aren’t those all just conjectures? Maybe he learned tracking magic with the intention of eventually catching the culprit. How about you talk to Ian?”

“I don’t need to talk to him with this much evidence.”

“No, you do need to talk to him. Ian spent every birthday miserably after mother left. And he even cherishes the necklace you left behind…”

“I told you not to call me Mother.”

…I was relieved that Ian wasn’t here now.

“Anyway, he carefully keeps the necklace you left before leaving the Duchy.”

“I never left a necklace behind.”

“What? There was a necklace with a large green gem embedded in it.” 

Adria laughed out loud at my words. The sound felt more like a scoff than genuine enjoyment.

“Aiven Bellocchio gifted that to me when I was pregnant with Erlian. He mistook what I threw away for something I left behind.” 

Adria even fanned her face with her hand as she laughed.

“Why do you hate Ian so much?”

“To be precise, I simply despise the Bellocchio family.” 

A shadow fell across Adria’s face. Her eyes held unconcealed anger and melancholy. She then began to tell me about her past in a low voice.

***

Adria’s life had been smooth. She grew up receiving abundant love from her parents in the wealthy Seymour Ducal House and maintained excellent grades at the Academy. Every day was joyful. Her magic research, in which only honor students from the Magic Department could participate, was going smoothly, and she had no trouble with her lover, Aiven Bellocchio.

It was just before her graduation from the Academy.

“Student Adria, do you have any plans after graduation?”

“No, I don’t have any major plans.”

“If you are amenable, I would like to recommend you as an Imperial Court Magician. But if you join, you won’t be able to rest properly for at least 10 years. Think about it and let me know by next week.”

An enormous opportunity in her life as a magician had arrived. Adria was overjoyed and intended to tell her lover, Aiven, about it. However,

“I will become the Duke after graduation. Adria, will you be the Duchess of Bellocchio?”

She couldn’t bring herself to share her news because of Aiven’s proposal. His beautiful purple eyes fixed on her, his elegantly curved lips forming a graceful line. He was too handsome to refuse.

‘If I marry Aiven, we can live happily like my parents, right?’ 

Adria’s parents were a couple who had become lovers during their Academy days and got married. She felt her situation was similar to theirs.

Although she frequently had conflicts with him at the beginning of her Academy enrollment, they built a different kind of affection as they overcame crises together during subjugations. He was a gentle man, just like Adria’s father. Furthermore, his looks, family background, and wealth lacked nothing.

‘If I miss out on Aiven, I’ll regret it for the rest of my life.’ 

Adria chose marriage, unaware that her married life would begin in a direction different from her expectations. And completely unaware that Aiven already knew she had been offered the Imperial Court Magician position.

Adria and Aiven skipped the engagement and married immediately. After the marriage, contact with people around her strangely ceased, but being with Aiven was happy. However, the life of a Duchess, while comfortable, felt strangely suffocating. And she found out the secret at the Founding Festival.

“You refused every time I sent an invitation.” 

The story she heard from her friends was shocking. The friends she met after a long time at the dance party expressed their disappointment to her.

Adria had never received a single invitation. And that wasn’t all. She had been hurt before because she sent invitations to friends, but none of them replied.

“Some peers even accused you of being so bothered by refusing that you ordered a servant to write a refusal letter.” 

Furthermore, refusal replies came in someone else’s handwriting, not Adria’s, leading the nobles to stop inviting her to gatherings.

An enraged Adria immediately confronted Aiven upon returning to the Duchy.

“They said you refused the invitations that came to me on my behalf.”

“That’s right. I did it because I was afraid you would overexert yourself. You have a lot of duties as the Duchess and you research magic in your spare time.” 

Seeing his worried eyes fixed on her, her resolve strangely weakened.

“Inviting friends over is fine, isn’t it? I want to discuss my magic research with my friends.”

“That would be difficult. Many families target our House, even if they pretend not to. Our family’s information would leak out with even a little carelessness. Our House does not casually associate with others.”

“That’s too extreme. And my friends wouldn’t do that.”

“Adria, you shouldn’t trust people rashly. And don’t forget. You are also a member of the Bellocchio family.” 

Adria realized, a year into her marriage, that the reason this life felt suffocating was because she was isolated.

Of course, she felt Aiven loved her. He always looked at her with affectionate eyes and generously supported her magic research. Although only the research conducted within the mansion. Constantly researching in her room, she grew ambitious. She wanted to check the mine where magic stones were frequently discovered and also wanted to participate in subjugations. So, she tried to persuade Aiven, but he immediately refused without hesitation.

“I just don’t want you to overexert yourself.” 

She loved Aiven, but her married life felt suffocating like a prison. The life of a married couple she desired was not this.

Just as she decided to get a divorce.

“Congratulations. You are pregnant.” 

A child came between the two of them. Adria had to give up her dream of freely researching magic in the wide world. But it was okay. She loved Aiven, after all.

When she saw Erlian, born with her black hair and Aiven’s purple eyes, Adria felt like all the suffocating life she had endured was compensated. However, Aiven was cold toward his son, saying he made her suffer. Adria was secretly happy with his reaction.

‘Don’t make my wife suffer.’ 

It overlapped with the memory of her father, who would sternly warn her and her brother whenever they caused trouble in their childhood. Adria devotedly cared for Erlian, like her mother, who cherished her whenever her father scolded her.

Then one day.

“What’s the problem with me seeing my son?”

“I just hired one more wet nurse because I thought you were overexerting yourself with childcare.” 

Aiven moved Erlian to a secluded room on the third floor and prevented Adria from meeting him. The reason was simple. He said her attention to him had decreased because of childcare. Adria could barely meet her son only if she constantly gave her husband attention and love. And not even every day. She could see her son briefly once every two weeks.

‘Is this really love?’ 

Perhaps because of that, Adria grew weary. Aiven always reassured her, yet she was suspicious. It was different from the typical love between a man and a woman that she had learned from watching her parents in her childhood. Consequently, her love for Aiven cooled, but she couldn’t leave. Her beloved son remained in the mansion.

Time flowed, and it was soon Erlian’s sixth birthday. Having made up her mind, she headed to the far room on the third floor after a long time.

‘Today is the last day. I must succeed.’ 

Adria planned to run away from the mansion with Erlian. She usually had to come with Aiven when she met Erlian. But today, Aiven was busy in the morning, so she was able to come to the far room with only a servant accompanying her.

When the room door opened, she saw the young Erlian. Her beloved son looked slightly different from what she had imagined.

“Young Master, please…” 

The wet nurse was flustered looking at Erlian, and he was tightly hugging a doll larger than his own body. Erlian was still wearing his pajamas. The wet nurse tried to persuade Erlian to change his clothes, but he ignored her and just hugged the doll tightly.

The doll was the one Adria had prepared as Erlian’s birthday gift last year. It was nice that her son cherished her gift, but the way he hugged it so tightly that no one else could touch it felt somewhat chilling.

“Erlian.” 

When Adria called out, Erlian’s gaze shifted from the doll to her. The child smiled brightly when their eyes met. Still tightly hugging the doll.

Adria looked into his purple eyes and realized. Her son was the spitting image of Aiven. Not only his appearance but also his personality. She felt a chill in her heart instantly.

“It’s suffocating. I’m utterly sick of it.”

Adria roughly tore off the necklace around her neck and threw it on the floor. Just removing the necklace made her feel like she could breathe again. She had no lingering attachment to the Duchy now. Her love for Aiven and her affection for her son had all vanished.

Adria abandoned the necklace and immediately left the Duchy. The place she instantly teleported to was her childhood home. Seeing her parents, who were surprised by her unannounced visit, Adria calmly explained her plan.

“I’m going to divorce Aiven.”

“What are you talking about? Divorce? Why, when Duke Bellocchio loves you so much?”

“It’s too suffocating. I want to continue researching magic.”

“Don’t talk nonsense. You were continuing your magic research there too.” 

Unfortunately, her parents were people who considered divorce a disgrace and wanted her to return to the Bellocchio Duchy.

Even her family wasn’t on her side. So, she went to the Academy without further ado. However, Adria couldn’t enter as she wasn’t a student. She barely managed to meet the magic professor, Aaron, who cherished her, by requesting the guard.

“I don’t mind doing odd jobs. Please let me stay at the Academy.” 

The Academy was inaccessible to anyone who wasn’t a student, even if they were royalty. Adria concluded that if she stayed at an Academy like this, Aiven wouldn’t be able to come and fetch her.

Helping with magic research under Aaron, her skills were recognized, and she became a professor three years after entering the Academy. Adria changed after experiencing marriage and divorce. The woman who previously enjoyed socializing now willingly lived alone. Because the tag of being Duchess Bellocchio was always attached to her. Excluding classes, she spent her time researching magic. It was a little lonely, but it was better than being suffocated.

***

Adria, finishing the story of her past, frowned and sighed.

“Erlian resembles his father to a terrifying degree as he grows up. You must feel suffocated too.”

“It’s true that he’s very shy and socially awkward, but Ian is different from your husband.” 

Thanks to my efforts, Ian’s Temperament rating was incredibly high. He would grumble and follow me when I met others, but he never stopped me from having those gatherings.

‘I thought his father’s obsession was intense now, but it was worse before. Ian’s possessiveness was inherited from his father.’ 

The image of Ian in the original story, obsessed with Ethel, suddenly came to mind. However, there was another difference between the current Ian and Duke Bellocchio.

“His father still loves you, but Ian and I are bound by a friendship made over a toast with milk. We promised to divorce when we become adults.”

“I hope that promise is fulfilled. But if you ever need help, send a letter to the Academy.”

“Thank you.” 

I replied without much emotion. After all, if this was a game, it would end as soon as we became adults, and if this was reality and I was a transmigrator, I would successfully divorce Ian. It wasn’t something I needed to deeply consider. Of course, Ian wanted to continue the marriage with me, but he would be persuaded.

“It seems you are getting along well, unlike me. I apologize for taking up your time so suddenly. Enjoy the party.” 

She turned her back without any lingering attachment, as if she had finished what she wanted to say. It looked like she was heading back to the Academy instead of the party hall.

“Wait a moment.” 

In my haste, I grabbed Adria’s arm.

“Your husband will definitely ask what we talked about, and I don’t feel comfortable telling him this…”

“I wish he knew this fact. Now, I don’t even bother to return his letters; I just throw them away without reading them.”

“Excuse me?” I was flustered. Duke Bellocchio was happy, thinking she was reading his letters because they were no longer being returned. Should I tell him this fact?

“He thought I would open up if my good deeds were known, but no. I was momentarily mistaken when I heard the news, but I could still see his obsession with me in the letters.” 

This was Duke Bellocchio’s problem. He thought Adria left because of Ian, not because of his obsession. Since he didn’t know the exact reason she left, he couldn’t change her mind and was always stuck in the same place.

“And there’s no need to intentionally convey the content of our conversation to Aiven. He’s already followed us secretly and is eavesdropping on our conversation, isn’t he?” 

Duke Bellocchio was here? I looked around and spotted a figure behind a tree. How long had he been here?

“The person involved doesn’t seem to know that such behavior makes people more fed up. I don’t want to go back because he consistently does things I hate.” 

Adria walked away without regret. Duke Bellocchio stood rooted to the spot, unable to follow. I approached him and examined his face. He stood still, as if in deep shock.

“Father, are you alright?” 

I asked cautiously. On the one hand, I was worried. The fact that Adria left because of his excessive obsession was something he had to know someday, but I didn’t want him to know about the promise Ian and I made to divorce when we became adults.

“Where did you hear from?”

“From the beginning.”

“The promise between Ian and me is about…”

“I don’t care about that. I truly don’t understand.” 

Should I consider this a relief? He must have been so shocked to learn the reason Adria left that he didn’t properly hear about the divorce promise between Ian and me. No, he didn’t seem interested at all in the first place.

“Of course, I don’t like it, right? Seeing the person I love talking to someone else.”

“That’s not usually the case.”

“You don’t know well. Perhaps because you married without love.”

“But I know one thing. If you truly love someone, you wish for their happiness.” 

Duke Bellocchio was silent for a moment, as if lost in thought. Wouldn’t he realize it now? I waited slowly for his reaction.

“But if I see her getting along with someone else, I become unhappy.” 

Unfortunately, he didn’t seem to have realized anything.

“Then just continue as you are, father. If you do, your relationship will worsen instead of improving, but I guess there’s nothing that can be done.” 

I was so frustrated that I just told him the truth. And belatedly, I watched Duke Bellocchio’s reaction. Fortunately, he didn’t look angry. Just deep in thought.

“I suppose I need to do some thinking.” 

Isn’t this already a lot of progress for Duke Bellocchio? Although I don’t know if Adria will change her mind even if he changes.

“I’ll go back first. You and Erlian take your time coming back.” 

He left first after saying that. I was about to leave the garden without regret when I realized too late. Did he forget we came in the same carriage?

“I guess I have no choice. I’ll have to borrow Angelo’s carriage.” It was a good thing he was such a pushover. He would definitely take me to the Duchy as a matter of course if I asked.

And as I entered the main building, my eyes met Ian’s, who was frowning, looking bored. Ian quickly curved the corners of his mouth and approached me.

“What did you talk about with Mother?”

“Nothing much.” 

How could I tell him that both he and his father were fundamentally flawed? I forced an awkward smile.

“It seems like a long conversation for ‘nothing much.’”

“It really was small talk; the time just flew by. But you know…” 

I hesitated, unable to ask my question properly. The culprit of the dormitory explosion was Ian, right in front of me. Even though I hesitated, he didn’t rush me. He just looked down at me, smiling with his eyes gently curved.

“They still haven’t caught the culprit who blew up the dormitory, right?”

“Yes. Since they still haven’t caught them, I don’t think it will be easy to catch the culprit.”

“Why on earth did the culprit blow up the dormitory, of all things?”

“I don’t know. Maybe they wanted to go home.” 

It was a pure smile with no malice whatsoever. But strangely, seeing him like that made me feel suffocated. I also felt that Adria’s words might actually be true.

‘No. It can’t be. Ian is different from Duke Bellocchio.’ 

I tried hard to reassure myself and smiled at Ian. He looked at me gently, as always.

***

“Hey, open the door!” 

I couldn’t stand the stifling feeling anymore. I had reached my limit. We had become adults. I proposed divorce to Ian as we had promised in childhood, but he didn’t even answer and locked me in the room. It wasn’t because he loved me and confined me, like in the original game where he loved and confined Ethel. It was because, as he had said before, there was no friend as good as me, and he didn’t want the hassle of marrying someone else. If there was any difference from the original story other than that, it would be that my ankle was fortunately fine.

Bang, bang!*

I kept knocking on the door, but there was no response from outside the room. My hand just hurt from knocking so much. I eventually gave up and sat down on a chair far from the door.

“Crazy bastard. Why is he like his father…” 

I believed it wouldn’t be true. But it turned out Ian was also the son of his father after all. The chair was soft, and the sunlight coming through the window was warm. So, I should have felt good, but it was suffocating, as if a thick, never-to-be-untied rope was tightly binding me. A moment passed, and the firmly closed door burst open.

“Looks like you were waiting for me.” 

As I stood up, Ian approached me with a clear smile.

“Do I look like I wouldn’t be waiting? You locked me in here, Ugh!” 

I couldn’t finish my sentence because Ian hugged me tightly. Furthermore, Ian’s face was gradually moving closer to my lips.

No way! What’s wrong with him?