Chapter 21
“This is….”
The moment I saw the signature on the envelope, my eyes went wide.
I carefully opened it and looked at the letter inside. A short message caught my attention:
*<To my dear Anastasia,
If you are still willing to attend the party with me, I will come to escort you tomorrow.>*
How neat is this handwriting? It was so precise, as if each character had been perfectly fitted into invisible squares, with no jagged corners.
My heart raced. I didn’t know whether I should feel excited or brace myself, when Renet’s voice continued.
“His Highness asked me to deliver this. He said you treated me well, and then asked if he could meet you in person. Of course, I accepted. How could I refuse when a refined, gentlemanly beauty bows first as he enters?”
So my sister had such deep intentions! I had completely underestimated her!
“Sis….”
Ah. Overcome with emotion, the word slipped out of my mouth without thinking. Calling her “sis” every time in my head as the “villainous sister” had backfired.
Suddenly, my sister’s face turned pale.
“W-what did you just say?! Say it again! Right now!”
She jumped up. I hesitated, feeling as though she might grab me by the collar immediately.
“I-I said ‘sis.’”
She opened and closed her lips, then her eyes welled up with tears.
“My goodness. I nearly had a heart attack. I felt as if my heart stopped and my skull shattered into pieces! Anastasia, could you not call me that anymore?”
“It’s not hard, but the thing is…”
I couldn’t answer rashly. Realizing this, Renet sank back onto the sofa.
“Exactly. We haven’t had enough interaction for you to call me ‘sis’ yet. So let’s start by sharing our true feelings. Anastasia, your face is extremely tempting.”
“Seems like it.”
If I die, my sister might open my coffin and peel off my facial skin.
“And also… I like beautiful people. Of course, I’m quite striking myself, but I don’t have the hobby of staring at mirrors all day. I can’t just stuff myself into a display, can I? To add one more thing, I’ve had my eye on His Highness Magnus for a long time, but he’s always been so upright and proper, it was really boring! And then you suddenly appeared before me! Anastasia, may I take a single strand of your hair that fell onto the sofa? It’s incredibly tempting.”
There was a wild intensity in her eyes as she looked at me. Suddenly, curiosity struck me.
“I have a question.”
“Ask me anything.”
Feeling cheerful, my sister readily agreed. I immediately asked:
“What kind of person do you think Adel is?”
To get a smooth answer, I called her “sis” once more, and Renet almost fainted.
Barely keeping her composure, she cleared her throat.
“He’s a noble among nobles, impeccable and virtuous. The heir of a duke family with wealth enough to buy all the lands of the empire, a genius admired even by His Majesty, with flawless looks—a true greedy person who has it all. And yet, he is so refined that he treats everyone equally. But he’s hard to get close to. Treating everyone the same means no one is special to him.”
Renet had accurately described Adel Magnus.
A kind man to everyone.
But a man who loved no one.
“R-right.”
“Still, I thought you might be different. I heard you always went out alone with His Highness. And when others asked how you were perceived, he said you were a ‘precious person.’”
Impossible. I denied it.
“Adel was only kind to me because my father is friends with His Highness Magnus. That’s all.”
At this, the villainous sister’s eyes went wide.
“Hmm? I don’t understand. His Highness’ gaze didn’t seem that way at all.”
Ah, no! Heart, don’t get ahead of yourself!
I tried to regain composure by gulping down hot tea. My tongue burned, but I swallowed it anyway. Sacrificing part of my body, I finally felt a little more grounded.
As I wiped my mouth with a clean cloth, suddenly, the villainous sister’s eyes gleamed.
“Anastasia, I just thought of something fun.”
“Yes?”
With a face trying not to smile, she said:
“Make sure to come to the party tomorrow. Let’s see how His Highness really feels about you. Don’t worry, I’ll accept a small token in return. Hoo, a couple display… a specimen… might not be so bad…”
Wait, what did she just say?
I felt chills run down my spine. She casually said something terrifying as if it were nothing.
“I’ve delivered the letter, so I’ll take my leave. Beautiful Anastasia, see you tomorrow. Ah, and black would be a good color for your dress.”
It should have been the perfect time to argue, but damn it, I completely melted at those words.
“Did Adel say you should wear that?”
The villainous sister rolled her eyes as if to say, “What nonsense are you talking about?”
“No? It’s purely my taste.”
“…Just go away already.”
Even in this situation, I couldn’t bring myself to firmly tell her off. She really was terrifying.
The next day, I found myself deeply pondering in front of two dresses.
One was a flowing blue dress adorned with beautiful hydrangea patterns, and the other was a black dress with an ornate butterfly brooch.
Both were light and fluttery, making them easy to move in.
But the blue dress gave off a girlish vibe, while the black dress seemed more mature.
Ilina quietly asked me as I hesitated.
“Miss, which dress will you wear?”
I carefully examined both dresses and eventually chose the black one.
“This one.”
Villainous sister, I’m following your advice so well—perhaps reconsider the whole “display” idea once more.
It didn’t take long to prepare since it wasn’t a ball. I put on the dress and let my hair hang loose as usual.
I also pinned a butterfly-shaped clip in my hair, making the total butterflies on my body over six.
Yet, judging by Ilina’s satisfied expression, it seemed the result wasn’t bad.
It was time to depart. I nervously fiddled with my flowing silver hair, and Ilina, sensing my tension, anxiously looked outside.
Then, a sudden smile lit up her face.
“His Highness is here.”
I immediately descended the stairs. I took a deep breath, checked my outfit, squeezed my eyes shut, then opened them and stepped outside—where a refined, birch-like man greeted me.
“Hello, Anastasia. Thank you for allowing me to accompany you to the party.”
Wow… just wow…
Golden hair glowed like the burning edge of the sun. Clear eyes and a polite smile captured my gaze.
He seemed slightly taller than before. His steadily trained, toned body was subtly attractive.
Even though he rarely unbuttoned a single button, his muscles were likely well-defined.
Orderly and sexy at the same time… who even are you?
He wore a dark black suit, with a pitch-black shirt underneath.
Following the lines of his form-fitting outfit with my eyes, I barely regained control of my thoughts.
This could count as a matching “couple look”!
Yes, sister! After I die, you can go ahead and take my face-skin if you want!
“How have you been?”
I asked, trying to steady my trembling heart, and Adel responded as usual:
“Thanks to your concern.”
“You didn’t have to come.”
“You wanted to attend the party. You haven’t become close with the other nobles yet, so it’s safer for you to have me by your side.”
This man was the same kind Adel as always.
Though perhaps this was still a put-on expression.
“Anastasia, you don’t look well.”
I shook my head. After all, Adel came all this way to keep his promise.
“It’s nothing. Let’s go.”
Adel helped me into the carriage. Once I was seated, he got in, closed the door, and sat down.
Suddenly, my chest felt like it was being tightly constricted.
As the carriage began moving, Adel spoke calmly:
“This party might be somewhat rowdy. Since no adult nobles are attending, few can enforce proper behavior if someone acts rudely. Moreover, the banquet enjoys letting beasts loose to torment guests, so disputes sometimes arise over what is ethically acceptable.”
But none of Adel’s explanation reached my ears.
My heart was pounding like crazy. I felt like it might burst out of my chest.
“Adel.”
I squeezed my voice out with all my strength, and he responded innocently:
“Yes, Anastasia.”
Feeling his warmth so close made me dizzy.
“You’re s-sitting next to me.”
What is this closeness!?
Adel looked puzzled and innocent.
“Haven’t we often sat this way before?”
“Yes, but…”
What should I do, this is wrong, but I love it so much.
“If it’s uncomfortable, I can move.”
At his words, I lifted my head sharply.
“No! Don’t do that!”
At this distance, my reflection could clearly be seen in his bright red eyes. It was embarrassing, awkward.
But Adel was the first to come closer this time.
Perhaps… just perhaps…
Could it be…
I murmured in a tiny voice:
“It’s fine to just stay.”
“Yes.”
Adel smiled contentedly.
From then until we arrived at our destination, we didn’t exchange a single word. Even so, I was acutely aware of him and couldn’t calm down.
Before, being with Adel had been comfortable. I hadn’t felt this tense.
Meeting him after a week, Adel was so impressive. I couldn’t believe he was my age—he was so masculine.
He was still kind, gentle even, but there was a slightly different feeling this time. Was it just my imagination?
That day, Adel had said I wasn’t any different from anyone else.
Yet now, he was sitting next to me, not avoiding contact.
This had never happened before. I was confused.
