Chapter 9

“How did his illness suddenly get worse like that? You were also very surprised, weren’t you, Young Lady?”

“Ah… Yeah. I was very surprised.”

Amy spoke as if she was trying to cheer Adeline up. She thought Adeline was disturbed by the Emperor’s sudden death.

However, the reason Adeline fell into thought was Kael, not the Emperor.

The funeral lasted for a week, and Adeline thought of Kael the whole time until the memorial service at the temple, which was the final of the ceremony, ended this morning.

[If there is not the slightest lie in what you said, I will make you my wife, by all means.]

[…]

[It is my most desired wish, my eternal wish. Ending this tough life.]

The words Kael said to Adeline just before she left the mansion kept hovering in her mind.

The lie, which she thought would be the last shot to push Kael away, rather became a shot that made his will even firmer.

She could hardly erase what happened that day from her mind because she couldn’t believe it.

‘Did the Grand Duke have a dark past in the original work? It’s not in my memory at all.’

No matter how much she tried to remember, there was no special past or circumstances about Kael in the book.

It was a short book full of romance.

Kael and Vanessa fell in love at first sight and loved each other; the jealous Adeline tried to hurt Vanessa, was discovered, and killed by Kael.

There was no deep story about Kael anywhere.

Adeline sighed, and after Kael, the Crown Prince came to her mind.

[Did you hear anything from Grand Duke Inver, Lady Adeline? About what I said to him before the Lady came to the mansion?]

[… I have not heard anything at all, Your Highness.]

[Is that so? That’s funny. Well, it doesn’t matter. Soon, you and I will have something to talk about separately.]

Her mind was already complicated, but what the Crown Prince told Adeline in the temple a while ago was very meaningful.

‘What will we have to talk about in separate… I’m already so annoyed I could die.’

Adeline put her arm on the armrest of the chair and tightly pressed against her temples.

‘It’s not about Brother Leo, is it? By this time, Brother must have also heard the news about His Majesty’s death…’

While dwelling on the Crown Prince’s words, Leo came to her mind. It had already been a fortnight since Leo left at the Crown Prince’s command.

Adeline sighed and looked at the bookshelf in front of her.

“Huh?”

“What’s wrong, Young Lady?”

“Amy. That book. Since when has the book “Beyond Orange” been in my room?”

“Probably for a long time? It must have been a while, since I saw this book every time I cleaned the bookshelf… You read it often since it came out, so you must like it!”

“… I read it often and liked it?”

Adeline, who had been browsing through the titles of the neatly organized books for a while so that she could escape this disturbance, stood up in surprise.

Beyond Orange. It was the title of the book that possessed her.

In other words, the book where Kael and Vanessa fell in love and Adeline appeared. The world where Adeline was right now.

Adeline picked up the book with a face as if she couldn’t believe it.

‘This is unbelievable. How is this book here?’

She was possessed by this book, and she couldn’t believe it had the same title. It was extremely strange.

Adeline hurriedly opened the book.

‘… No. It’s not what I know. All the characters are different. I can’t even find Kael’s name.’

Her head was covered with yet another question mark.

The book in Adeline’s hand was not a love story, but the adventure story of a knight.

There was neither Kael, Vanessa, nor Adeline.

“… Amy. Do you also know what this book is about?”

“”Beyond Orange”? Of course I know! Is there anyone in the Empire who doesn’t know that book? It was crazy like that.”

“… What is it about?”

“What? You read it so many times! Dame Colin, the first female knight in the Lumos Knights, is on her way to unify the Empire!”

Amy was calm, as if she was telling a natural truth like ‘the sun rises from the east’. She also made an expression as if wondering why she was asking her about a story she was so familiar with.

Only Adeline was confused.

The fact that she found a book with the same title as the book that possessed her, that Adeline often read this book before the possession, and that the contents were completely different from what she knew.

It was different from beginning to end.

‘Is it a coincidence that there is a book with the same title? No, it doesn’t make sense.’

The more she dwelled on her thoughts, the more Adeline’s head seemed to burst.

No logic could explain the current situation.

***

“Young Lady!”

By the time she was distracted by the questions that followed one after the other, the maid urgently came to Adeline.

“Is something the matter?”

“The Madam is here.”

“The Madam? Theresa came here? Right now? Without saying anything?”

Adeline got up from her chair, surprised.

The madam the maid spoke of was Marchioness Tien, Theresa.

She was Enoch’s wife, and for Adeline, she was a dear friend and a support who meant more than just her brother’s wife.

“What about Brother Enoch? He hasn’t come back yet, has he?”

“Yes, Young Lady. So I think you need to go out even faster. The Young Lady is the only one in the mansion right now.”

“It’s Theresa, so of course I should… Did something happen? Don’t tell me something happened to her?”

“I don’t know the details. However, the Madam came in Count Felix’s carriage. The Count and the Young Lady were with the Madam.”

Adeline, who was already trying to hurry, ran out of her room immediately.

She had to know why Theresa arrived at the mansion in Vanessa’s carriage, not in her own.

“Theresa!”

“Adeline!”

As she headed straight to the living room, Theresa greeted Adeline with a wide smile.

“How can you come here without saying anything, when you’re expecting a baby! How is your body? Are you alright?”

“I can still travel this much. Are you nagging me as soon as we meet? You’re getting more and more like your brother.”

Adeline carefully hugged Theresa, then held her hands tightly and looked her in the eyes for a moment.

Then, she turned her gaze to Vanessa and her brother, who were standing behind Theresa.

“Count Felix. Lady Felix.”

“It’s been a long time since I greeted you in person, Lady Tien.”

Jeffrey Felix kissed the back of Adeline’s hand and greeted her.

“I stopped by the bookstore for a moment on my way here, but the carriage wheel broke down there, of all places. Count Felix helped me while I was having a hard time.”

Theresa immediately explained the situation.

“I brought them here to offer them a cup of tea and express my gratitude.”

“You did well, Theresa. I should also thank you, Count Felix.”

“I just did what I had to do.”

When they had a break after exchanging a few more social greetings, Theresa pulled Adeline closer.

“Adeline. Did something happen with Lady Felix?”

Adeline looked at Theresa, slightly surprised.

A lot happened. However, it was impossible to briefly tell such a long story here.

“While we were on the carriage, she was quietly saying that she wanted to talk to you with a very sulky face.”

“Ah…”

Adeline was also worried for a moment that Theresa had heard rumors she didn’t know about. After hearing Theresa’s words, she could roughly figure it out.

At that moment, Adeline and Vanessa’s eyes met.

Vanessa then approached Adeline with a quick step, not missing her opportunity.

“Lady Tien. Can we talk calmly? I have something I really want to say.”

“…”

“Of course, I have something to apologize for first.”

From the expression on her face, Vanessa seemed to be sorry.

When she lowered her gaze slightly, the atmosphere became unusually sorrowful, so it felt as if Adeline had done something bad.

Adeline, who was startled by this strange feeling, soon came to her senses and looked at Count Felix and Theresa.

“Count Felix, Theresa. If you don’t mind, can I talk to Lady Felix in private? ”

Both Theresa and Count Felix nodded, saying that it was alright.

“Noma. Please bring the tea for me and Lady Felix to my room.”

“Yes, Young Lady. I’ll bring it right away.”

After taking care of the situation, Adeline looked at Vanessa again.

“Shall we go and have a conversation, Lady Felix?”

In fact, this was a scene that did not exist in the original work.

However, she could not be obsessed with the original at a time when she found a book with a completely different content with the title “Beyond Orange”.

‘That’s right. If we talk in person, something else might come into sight.’

From the day of the ball when Kael asked her to dance, too many things went against the original, and the Vanessa in front of her was also different from the Vanessa whom Adeline knew; but once they met each other, maybe she could find the key to turn the whole situation back.

Adeline sincerely hoped that this sudden conversation would be a clue to calm her confusion a little.

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