Felyn felt Adeline’s hand tightly clutching his own, but he didn’t rush to speak.
He was waiting—waiting for Adeline’s emotions to settle and build a little more.
“These past days, every time I confessed to you, I could see the frown between your brows.”
“Every time I brought up what happened when we were little, you looked so down.”
“Whenever that past incident comes up, I can’t see your smile anymore. You keep hurting yourself over it, and that makes me ache inside. It makes me feel like I’m the one who’s gone too far.”
Felyn could feel Adeline’s grip loosening.
“Is that... all?”
Adeline never expected that, even now, Felyn would still be worrying about her.
She had prepared herself to take whatever consequences came from his anger…
Even if Felyn asked to terminate the contract.
But he didn’t.
“That’s all.”
The room fell silent for a brief moment. Felyn could even hear Adeline’s conflicted heartbeat right beside him.
In the end, she spoke.
For the first time, she wanted to explain to someone why she had always been so obsessed with winning.
“Felyn... promise me you won’t laugh at me.”
Again?
Felyn recalled Zervanie had said something similar to him once.
“I won’t laugh.”
With Felyn’s promise, Adeline’s breathing quickened just a bit.
“When I was little, I didn’t care about doing everything perfectly like I do now. At that time, I didn’t understand what it meant to be a genius, or what it meant to be smart. I just wanted to make Father happy. So I kept trying to do everything well.”
“Back in kindergarten, when Viloti stole the class president spot from me... that was my first major failure in life. But Father and Mother didn’t really care.”
Adeline kept going. She emptied her mind, drifting into memories.
“I think I only cried twice back then. Then I got over it. I didn’t really start caring about it until I was around twelve or thirteen.”
“You know how Seiwa has all those romance novels? I liked reading them too. They’re always about princesses or noble ladies.”
“In those stories, most of the girls are forced into political marriages—for their family’s sake, they have to marry someone they don’t love. I started thinking... maybe one day I’d become like them too.”
Felyn could feel Adeline’s emotions shifting through the tight grip of her hand.
“Adeline, Lord Claude would never let his daughter marry someone she didn’t love. I don’t think he could do something like that.”
Claude and Silafiel were alike in many ways. Neither treated their family like tools for political gain.
“I know. But there are things Father doesn’t say... and things I know I’ll have to do anyway.”
In Adeline’s position, not everything was up to her. Not even to Lord Claude.
Even if her father wanted her to be happy, countless crises could appear to keep him from fulfilling her wish.
“But I don’t want that. I don’t want to be with someone I don’t love. I want to marry the one I love, and I want the Claude family to grow stronger too. Am I being too greedy?”
Adeline pulled the blanket up over the lower half of her face, clearly feeling embarrassed.
“I asked Mother once... I asked how I could find true love.”
“Mother said: only by becoming the best version of yourself will you meet your true love. If you’re good enough, the gods will send the perfect person to your side.”
“So I’ve always worked hard to be my best. I hoped the gods would let me meet the one I love, and that I could marry him and be with him forever.”
“That kindergarten incident... that’s my biggest failure in life. I was scared that because I failed back then, the gods wouldn’t let me meet the one I truly love. Over time, that fear just grew and grew, until it became a shadow in my heart.”
Felyn quietly listened to Adeline’s story.
It was a little different than he imagined. Normally, girls who were this determined to win had some tragic past.
But Adeline—she just wanted to be with someone she loved.
But being with the one you love isn’t easy. To achieve that, she’d already surpassed most people.
Especially with the title of “Light of the Claude Family” hanging over her. There were bound to be voices trying to interfere on her path to love.
It was hard. Would she really be able to find someone she loved in the end?
“Felyn... you’re not laughing at me, right?”
A cautious, tentative voice came from beside him.
Adeline had never told anyone this before. Everyone just assumed she was supposed to work hard—for the Claude family, for the Siveshus Empire.
“How could I? Love is a luxury—many people can’t buy it no matter how rich they are. A life with love is a happy life.”
Felyn gently patted the back of Adeline’s hand and spoke softly, “Your hard work hasn’t gone to waste, Adeline. I believe you’ll meet the one you love. If even the gods can’t see all the effort you’ve put in and only focus on that kindergarten thing—then that’s just petty. I’d be the first one to object.”
Adeline subconsciously tightened her fingers around Felyn’s, then slowly released them, like she was confirming that what she was experiencing wasn’t a dream.
Felyn... is willing to challenge the gods for me?
So cool. Just like a hero from a knight’s tale.
The darkness hid the blush on her cheeks, but it couldn’t conceal the ripples in her heart.
Adeline had never imagined that her reason—one that others might find laughable—could actually be understood, even defended, by someone.
In that moment, she felt something quietly changing inside her, like a butterfly breaking out of its cocoon, glowing with new light.
Felyn... could he be the one I love?
No—maybe he already is. I just never dared to admit it.
Adeline felt like she was just one step away from confirming whether she really loved Felyn.
Her beloved eyes watched Felyn, even though she couldn’t see him clearly—it didn’t matter. Felyn’s image had long been etched into her mind, carved deep in her heart.
She felt a powerful urge—one stronger than ever before—to get closer to him, just a little closer.
The mattress dipped gently as she moved. Felyn seemed to notice something but didn’t move away.
Adeline’s nose was nearly touching Felyn’s cheek. Her whole body curled up next to his.
It was a shame she’d be heading to the royal capital soon. And she could tell Felyn wasn’t too keen on going with her.
But that’s okay. Once she got back from the capital, she could sort out her feelings properly.
If I really do love Felyn...
Then I have to work even harder—to become the first female head of the Claude family. That way, even if Felyn doesn’t make it into the Royal Capital Academy or the Divine Church, he can still come and marry me.
Adeline didn’t know that Felyn was going to the royal capital.
Nor did she know that all her efforts had already caught the attention of the gods.
In the royal capital, the gods would respond to her long-held wish.
For now, she nestled in Felyn’s arms, breathing in his calming scent, her breath gradually evening out.
Weariness washed over her like a rising tide. Her eyelids grew heavier and heavier.
She gently bit her finger, lips curling upward in a sleepy smile.
Occasionally, she would rub lightly against Felyn’s chest, searching for a more comfortable spot.
Before long, her hand slipped down from her lips and landed softly on Felyn’s arm, warm breath spilling over his neck.
Adeline had fallen asleep.
Felyn, affected by the atmosphere, found his eyelids growing heavy too.
But this wasn’t what he was paid for—he wasn’t here to sleep.
After waiting half an hour to make sure Adeline was completely asleep, Felyn slowly got up from the bed. His face was still a bit numb from where Adeline had rested on it.
The contract still had half an hour left. Adeline probably hadn’t had dinner yet.
Felyn walked into the kitchen and tied on an apron.
At the very least, he couldn’t let this young lady go to bed hungry.
(End of Chapter)