Chapter 8
“…Do you really have to leave? Hm?”
“Then I’ll leave instead…”
Even as I walked down the stairs, opened the front door, and stood before the carriage, Father and Kyle kept following me, begging me not to go.
I had lived with them like family for the past three years, so a small part of me did feel a little guilty…
But nope. Not enough.
This wasn’t a one-time thing. Their actions and words had built up and finally made me snap. I wasn’t going to let it slide again.
Every time they judged Felix based on rumors alone… ugh, forget it.
“What can I do? My father and brother don’t respect the man I’m going to marry.”
“We didn’t mean to…”
“See? You still don’t understand what you did wrong.”
At the very least, during our marriage, I can’t let Felix get hurt by my family. So their narrow-minded views seriously needed to change.
“…Ah.”
I thought of one last thing before leaving.
I really hoped they wouldn’t go this far—but just in case…
“If either of you contacts the Duke about me leaving and say anything unnecessary, the next time you see me will be on the wedding day.”
I slammed the carriage door shut, ignoring Kyle’s startled expression.
“To the Diatri Hotel, please.”
“Yes, miss! Let’s go!”
The carriage began to move slowly.
I didn’t look back. I could already picture the shocked and speechless expressions of the two men I’d left behind.
Soon, we passed the family estate and headed toward the city.
“Seriously… stop judging people based on gossip. Just look at their actions… please.”
My quiet muttering echoed faintly inside the carriage.
* * *
Neighhh—!
A little while later, the carriage stopped in front of a large, luxurious building in the middle of the city.
It was the Diatri Hotel—one of the businesses owned by my family.
If this were Korea, you’d call it a 5-star hotel.
Click.
I got out of the carriage with the help of the hotel staff.
Waiting for me was a long line of over ten employees.
“Welcome, Lady Flora. I’m James, the general manager of the Diatri Hotel Capital Branch.”
An older man at the front bowed and greeted me.
It was honestly so much.
“…James, I told you I don’t need all this.”
“Haha, this is the minimized version, as per your request, Lady Flora.”
Sigh…
James was someone I had personally appointed as head of the hotel a few months ago.
He used to be the head butler of a viscount’s family, but that noble had been caught committing serious crimes. James got dragged into it and was even jailed unfairly.
That awful viscount tried to lessen his own punishment by blaming part of it on James.
James had nothing to do with it, but without proof, he had to suffer months in prison.
That’s when I stepped in and cleared his name.
If you have money, you can create fake evidence. Finding real evidence? I had it done in a day.
Naturally, James wanted to repay me. So I offered him the top position at the hotel.
James is very capable.
Since he took over, revenue at the capital branch had nearly doubled.
It was impressive.
Of course, I had already read in the original novel that James had this kind of talent.
Maybe when I get divorced, I’ll introduce him to Felix. He’s too good to waste.
‘No need to let a future employee of Felix suffer here any longer than necessary.’
I also gave James another important role—but that’s a story for another time.
“Ahem, I’ll try to keep the welcome smaller next time.”
James just smiled gently in response.
I sighed and walked inside. The hotel lobby was beautifully decorated for spring.
Elegant, luxurious, and timeless—the design was done by another talent I had personally hired.
Since the hotel is mine, of course I want it to succeed.
Just this one hotel could earn enough to support three generations. It was more precious than gold.
“We’ll take you to the Master Room.”
“Oh? It’s available?”
“Two of the three are booked, and the last one is always kept open for you, miss.”
The Diatri Hotel had many rooms, but only three Master Rooms—the best of the best.
There were also private villa-style rooms, but those were separate.
Originally, there were about six luxury rooms. But James changed things—he reduced the number and raised the price.
He said it increased exclusivity.
Since it boosted profits, I couldn’t complain.
“I told you, I’m fine with a regular room…”
“Every hotel does this, miss. Please understand.”
“…Fine. I did put you in charge, after all.”
James and I walked toward the left side of the grand staircase in the center of the lobby.
On both sides of the stairs, magical elevators—called mana-powered stair-lifts—were being installed. The Mage Tower had officially approved them just last month.
“…It’s amazing. There’s no modern science here, but this is still cool.”
“Pardon?”
“Ah, nothing. Just admiring the elevator.”
Right now, we used portal stones to travel between floors, but they were expensive to maintain.
Since the hotel was ten stories high, we had three portals on each floor—costly, to say the least.
There were stairs too, but who wants to walk ten flights?
…Well, apparently someone did.
“Duke…?”
“…Lady Flora?”
It was my fiancé—Felix.
* * *
A bit earlier.
The dizzy feeling from using the portal vanished after I shut my eyes for a moment.
Still, it wasn’t pleasant.
“…Once that elevator’s done, I’m never using this thing again.”
It felt like taking some kind of gross vitamin drink.
I sighed and walked toward the private room James had assigned me.
In my past life, the world had science and tech. In this one, it had magic and alchemy.
The author of this world probably just added it for convenience—but I loved it.
If I were really stuck in a medieval world… ugh, I don’t even want to imagine.
Hmm, there’s that new magic light crystal that came out last week. Should I have the rooms upgraded?
The new ones made windowless rooms feel like you were outside.
As I was thinking like a proper hotel owner and strolling down the hall—
Step, step—
I saw someone coming up the stairs, and my eyes widened.
“Duke…?”
I didn’t even realize I had said it aloud.
Felix looked up, perfectly composed, and met my eyes.
“…Lady Flora?”
For a second, his usual calm face showed a flicker of surprise. His blue eyes, normally cool, seemed to shake slightly.
And yet, he still remembered to call me by name.
That alone made me so happy. I really was hopeless.
“Um… what are you… I mean, why are you here?”
Ugh! What a stupid question!
Why else would he be here? It’s a hotel!
Only staff and guests could be on the 10th floor.
If Felix was here, it meant he was staying here. And there were only three rooms on this floor.
“I’ve been staying here since I arrived in the capital.”
As I mentally screamed at myself, Felix explained calmly.
“Oh… I see.”
But why didn’t I know that?
Wait—doesn’t Duke Pechedor have a mansion in the capital?
“You’re not staying at your mansion?”
The Diatri Hotel was often used by visiting nobles. Renting a room long-term was cheaper and easier than maintaining a full estate.
Still, Felix should have had his own house.
“I do have a mansion, but the day before I arrived, there was an issue inside. So I’m staying here for now.”
“Ah…”
I nodded after listening to his gentle explanation.
That made sense now.
Then, suddenly—
“Wait.”
Felix gently grabbed my shoulder and pulled me back.
His cool and refreshing scent hit me like a wave, and I almost lost my mind.
That’s when I saw a broom sweep past the exact spot I had just been standing.
“Sorry for touching you without asking. I thought you might get hit…”
He let go and looked slightly embarrassed.
Should I say I liked it? No, that would make me sound like a creep.
“…It’s okay. If you apologize for that kind of touch, what will you do when you have to hold my hand? We’re getting married, you know.”
I ignored my racing heart and replied with a teasing smile, like a true adult.
But I had miscalculated—Felix, who had never dealt with women before, had no immunity to such jokes.
“Then… I’ll do my best to improve.”
He blushed and looked away as he mumbled that.
Please describe Flora Diatri’s emotions in that moment:
‘Is this heaven?’
I felt like a wicked fiancée teasing an innocent man, but I didn’t care—not when his ears were turning so adorably red.
I never really cared about my reputation anyway.
So, what exactly will you do to improve?
I hid that cheeky thought deep down and smiled softly.
Then I felt an impulse.
“Duke.”
“Yes, Lady Flora?”
“Since this is quite the coincidence… would you like to go on a date with me? Of course, only if you’re free today.”
