Chapter 12

“Theresa, please. Until when are you going to make fun of me like that?”

“Make fun of you? I didn’t say anything?”

“Does it matter that you didn’t say anything? Your eyes say it all.”

Theresa, who was caught, eventually couldn’t hold back anymore and burst into laughter.

As soon as Adeline saved Vanessa yesterday, the picnic turned into chaos.

The two ladies were completely drenched. It was never an easy situation to see, so everyone was surprised and frozen into place.

At that moment, Kael took off the military blue jacket he was wearing and covered Adeline with it.

[Oh my!]

[Dear heavens!]

As exclamations poured in from everywhere, only Adeline was frozen in a daze.

The Princess, who was equally busy looking at Kael and Adeline, barely came to her senses and took Adeline and Vanessa into the imperial palace.

Adeline changed into the dress that the Princess had given her and returned to the mansion.

And from the moment she got on the carriage until after one entire day passed, she was being teased by Theresa.

“It’s too much. You didn’t ask for help from anyone and jumped right in, and then the Grand Duke put his jacket over you right away.”

Adeline let out a deep sigh.

“He must have been surprised that the person he was talking to suddenly ran into the lake. It’s something a gentleman would have done, of course.”

“Hmm, is that so?”

Theresa spoke with no emotion, but she still looked at Adeline with squinting eyes.

In fact, Adeline didn’t expect Kael to take care of her right away like that.

The whole social world was staring at Kael and Adeline with heart-filled eyes, but Kael wanted Adeline purely by ‘need’.

He continued to approach her and send her precious flowers, but he was simply using schemes to satisfy that need.

‘His expression… It was a little misleading. He’s a scary man.’

However, the look he had on his face for a moment seemed plausible.

If she didn’t know the truth, Adeline would be deceived into believing that Kael’s feelings were genuine, like everyone else.

“The Grand Duke Inver I’ve been hearing about until now isn’t like that at all. Do you know how surprised I was to see him show up at the picnic yesterday?”

“I was surprised, too. Maybe he didn’t refuse because the picnic was hosted by the Princess.”

“Do you really think that’s the reason?”

“Theresa, please. I’m really tired.”

Adeline made a tired expression, but Theresa just laughed and continued.

“Men’s eyes are transparent. Their eyes can’t hide it when they look at the woman they have feelings for.”

“Theresa…”

“Do you remember what you said to me? About how you thought you knew all of Enoch’s expressions but were really surprised to see the expression he made when looking at me.”

Adeline remembered very clearly.

The look in Enoch’s eyes and his expression were that much novel.

Although he was the young Marquis of Tien, who was cool-headed to the outside, he was an infinitely caring eldest son to his younger siblings.

Especially since he was more generous with Adeline, she thought she knew Enoch’s warm expressions.

But when he looked at his lover, Theresa, Enoch was different from when he looked at his siblings.

Adeline realized for the first time what the ‘face of a man in love’ was.

“You know what I’m trying to say, don’t you?”

After seeing Adeline in thought, Teresa finished speaking with a loving smile.

Adeline, who was going to rebut, hesitated for a moment before closing her mouth.

In fact, Kael spoke straightaway, saying that he just wanted a contract, and the moment this reached Enoch’s ears, it was a mess.

“Speaking of Enoch, please understand what happened last night. You know how much Enoch cherishes you.”

“I understand. I was very thoughtless.”

Enoch came back late at night and was very angry as soon as he heard the news.

No wonder, since Adeline had jumped directly into the lake.

Diving into the water was dangerous in itself, but there was a reason Enoch was even more angry.

When it was particularly difficult to live a life that was fixed like a stuffed animal even if she tried to change it or escape it, Adeline did all kinds of things to give up her life.

She had to die to end her possession, so she tried to die somehow. One of the things she tried was ‘diving into water’.

She failed numerous times, and stopped only when she realized that she could not die at her own will.

Enoch and her brothers watched the whole process.

For them, the moment when Adeline became sick or dangerous was a terrible trauma.

“But if Leo saw you there, he would have liked it without Enoch knowing. He would have complimented you a lot, and he would probably brag a lot too. While saying that teaching you how to swim was worth it.”

When Leo was mentioned, a smile spread across Adeline’s face.

“I had the same thought. Brother Leo would have certainly been like that.”

It was a possessed life. Enoch, Leo, and Simeon were in fact not her brothers.

So, when Adeline realized she was possessed, she distanced herself from the three of them.

It was natural. It was impossible to open up easily to someone perfect like them.

But Enoch, Leo, and Simeon easily toppled the fortified walls Adeline had erected.

[Adeline. You’ll get hurt at this rate.]

[Brother. You’re being overprotective. Adeline is now decent— ohoh! You’ll fall down!]

[Sister!]

Enoch, who cherished Adeline more than anyone else, Leo, who always gave her a chance to breathe, and Simeon, who held her hand tightly and said he would protect her since he was a child.

They were now Adeline’s perfect family.

Because the story had deviated so much that she didn’t know what was going to happen, if it accidentally affected her brothers, Adeline thought she would do everything she could to protect them, at all costs.

Until the end of this possession, her family was all Adeline had.

“Oh, by the way, Theresa. I was so distracted that I forgot to ask.”

“Ask what?”

“What brings you to the capital? Isn’t it usually difficult because of the baby in your belly?”

Her family also included Theresa.

Adeline wanted to know why the pregnant Theresa suddenly came all the way to the capital from the east.

She was worried that there might be something going on with her.

“Did something happen to you or the baby…”

“No. It’s nothing like that, Adeline. There’s nothing wrong with me and the baby.”

“Then…”

“I had business near the capital. Actually, I didn’t mean to come all the way to the capital. But I had a dream about a fortnight ago, and it was so…”

Theresa dreamed that blood would flow over the Tien family mansion in the capital.

She tried to ignore it as if it was just a meaningless dream, but the afterimage and anxiety were too intense.

In the end, the worried Theresa didn’t return to the east and instead rushed to the capital.

She thought she would only feel relieved if she checked on her husband and family in person.

“Don’t tell Enoch. He’s been busy these days, I don’t want to make him feel uneasy.”

“Yes, I’ll do that.”

“It was just a meaningless dream, and I felt anxious for nothing. I have confirmed that you’re all safe.”

Theresa grinned and grabbed Adeline’s hand.

Adeline smiled kindly and made eye contact with Theresa.

***

Adeline didn’t go out for a few days and stayed only in the mansion because what happened at the picnic became a hot topic.

If she wandered outside while the flames were still blazing, Adeline’s whole body would get burned by the heat emanating from the noble’s eyes.

“Beyond Orange…”

Things had not yet fully settled down, but it was much better than when it was noisy, at its peak.

Adeline headed straight to the bookstore.

The mystery of 〈Beyond Orange〉 had not yet been solved.

She had been waiting since the picnic, but she hadn’t heard anything from Vanessa.

Even so, Adeline contacting her first was rather frustrating.

Besides, Vanessa’s misunderstanding would have grown bigger and more solid, so it was difficult to reach her.

‘First of all, I need to find out what parts I can recognize on my own.’

Adeline scanned the bookshelf full of books.

“Where is it? They said it was this way.”

She was guided to the location, but she couldn’t see any 〈Beyond Orange〉.

Although she also had it in her room, she wanted to check for herself the book that was being sold in the market, just in case.

However, when she thoroughly searched, the book wasn’t anywhere.

“Ah, there it is.”

After searching for a long time, she looked up and saw it on the upper part of the bookshelf.

She stretched out her arms, but she couldn’t reach it.

Adeline scrambled around to find the bookshelf ladder.

But they were all gone.

“Damn it…”

With a small sigh, Adeline stretched out her arms with all her might.

However, no matter how much she grunted and clung to the bookshelf, she couldn’t reach the book.

“Ah, I think I can reach it if I stretch out a little bit more!”

By the time it got into close range and she was doing a final push, a big hand appeared suddenly and easily pulled out the book.

“Huh?”

“You’ll get hurt.”

Adeline turned around, astonished.

It was Kael.

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