Chapter 7-2
Hanette’s room in the Duke Adelaira’s mansion.
With the help of her maids, Hanette hastily groomed herself.
She fetched water, washed her face, and combed her hair neatly.
Finally, she applied make-up and dressed in a suit.
‘… Why am I doing this?’
Hanette looked at herself in the mirror with a displeased expression.
She was getting dressed up just because Sion Laird was here at the mansion.
Normally, she would have been relaxed, dressed, and eating, but that life was about to be shattered.
‘Ah, maybe I should just run away.’
Hanette sighs as she adjusts the collar of her suit.
It wasn’t easy meeting her parents’ demands.
And now she was engaged to be married, which meant she would always be under their thumb.
‘Why the next room? Couldn’t you have given him another room?’
Even without asking, she knew what their intentions were.
It was probably an attempt to bring them closer and make their relationship more intimate by living closer to their fiancé.
Perhaps it was intentionally created to solidify their relationship and confirm the marriage.
‘Ah, really…I shouldn’t have come out…’
Hanette hung her head as she recalled the events of earlier.
As usual, she stepped out into the corridor without a second thought.
The presence of the butler, the maids, and her mother, Yenid, was all well and good.
But when she spotted Sion Laird beside her, she could hardly contain her embarrassment.
‘Ugh! Both he and my mother… Kuu… it’s driving me crazy, seriously.’
Hanette wallows in self-pity and worries about the future.
Yenid would scold her for this, and the news would reach Robbins.
Perhaps Sion Laird will bring this topic up at every opportunity and make fun of her.
‘If I’d only come back earlier, none of this would have happened.’
Hanette didn’t return from the gambling establishment until after dawn today.
It was past midnight, and she couldn’t bring herself to leave as she had a strangely good winning streak.
Luckily, she won some money, then snuck back into her room and fell asleep late.
However, I awoke suddenly to find myself face to face with Sion Laird.
‘… No. Why am I scared of what he might think? Did I do anything wrong?’
Hanette scowls and walks away from the dressing table.
It was nothing more than an arranged marriage, with both parties taking advantage of each other.
Basic courtesy was important, but there was no reason to interfere in each other’s personal lives.
If she didn’t like it, she could take what she needed and run away.
‘I need to speak clearly this time. It’s already a hassle, but I can’t just let him interfere.’
Hanette flung the door open before the maids could.
At the same time, she heads to the next room and knocks on the door without hesitation.
When the door opened, she saw the maids gathering their things and Sion standing nearby.
“Oh, you’re here? You look good this time.”
“Uh… can you spare a moment?”
“Sure? Take a break, you guys. I’ll go out.”
Sion conveyed a message to the maids and quickly left.
The maids outside received instructions from Hanette and quickly disappeared.
“Should we go outside?”
“Do whatever you want.”
Sion followed Hanette down the stairs.
They greeted the knights and maids and left the mansion, eventually arriving near the garden.
“… I couldn’t tell you before, but don’t interfere with me. I’ll do as I always have.”
“Now your opinion seems to match mine. I hope you won’t interfere with me anymore. I have a lot I want to do.”
“Eh? I-is that so?”
Surprised at how easily it ended, Hanette took a step forward, lost for words.
His stubbornness was as strong as it had been when they first met.
While he was an easy talker, there was no need to become any closer.
“Should I say something from my side now? When we’re around others, I’ll prioritize taking care of my sister. Is that okay with you?”
“What do you mean?”
“Just what I said. Don’t I have to appear devoted to you in front of others?”
During their engagement, Sion had to build up his popularity in any way possible to increase his value and make himself more important to his family. Of course, he would also prepare to obtain the Demon Sword and secure his own territory, such as the estate or land.
“I won’t do anything that would result in losses, okay?”
“That’s right. If you don’t want to lose out, you should follow my lead, right?”
“That’s true… But if we look too close, won’t the wedding be moved up?”
“That’s why we have to keep it in moderation.”
“Ah… Moderation?”
“If we do that, we can relax until the wedding.”
This plan was based on the assumption that Hanette would run away before getting married.
Sion knew this fact and had planned everything, even the future, while seeking Hanette’s cooperation.
If Hanette were to change her mind, the plan itself would crumble.
‘That won’t happen. The future is already predetermined as long as there is a protagonist in this world.’
Many characters, including Hanette, are destined to be involved with the protagonist.
All he needed to do was occasionally observe the process and build a foundation for himself.
“Um… You know… That…”
Hanette hesitates while watching Sion’s reaction.
Sion waits patiently with an expressionless gaze.
“Um… You know… That… What if, I mean, what if we do get married… What would you do then?”
“What else am I supposed to say? And Is it really that difficult to say those words?”
“Hey! Do you find marriage is funny?”
“…It’s not something to laugh about. You surprisingly came off serious.”
Sion chuckled before showing a serious expression.
He wouldn’t get married no matter what, but he had to answer if he was asked about it.
“I can do what you ask, But for that, you need to be considerate of me too.”
“You mean you won’t interfere with whatever I do?”
“Well… as long as you don’t cheat, commit a crime, or come back too late…”
“Hey! Isn’t that obvious? What do you think of me?”
“Oh, is that so? I didn’t mean to offend you. I was just trying to make it clear.”
Sion’s response was somewhat sincere.
If he were to marry someone he didn’t love, his remaining life would be messed up.
Therefore, they needed to find a balance to avoid harming each other.
‘Why is she asking this? Shouldn’t she be planning how to run away? ‘ Or Are you seriously thinking about marrying me?’