Chapter : 08
Just as I thought, he couldn’t resist that word.
I nodded brightly, smiling.
“Yes, letters!”
“You don’t mean… you’re planning to send me letters? Ones you write yourself?”
“Of course! We’re lovers, aren’t we?”
Harten’s expression grew serious.
I could tell he’d fallen into the greatest internal conflict of his life.
After watching him struggle for a moment, I smiled shyly and delivered the final blow.
“Actually~ exchanging sweet little letters with my lover has always been my dream.”
That settled it cleanly.
Harten, who had been locked in a fierce battle with himself, finally declared defeat.
“Look up a train back to the capital.”
At that command, the aide—who had been nervously witnessing a clash of ‘superior vs. superior’—answered at once.
“Yes, Young Duke!”
The aide couldn’t hide his bright expression and glanced at me with renewed curiosity.
Well, this much is nothing~.
If I can’t even manipulate one man who’s head over heels for me, how could I ever accomplish anything grand?
Since everything went exactly as I wanted, Harten’s visit turned out to be a truly enjoyable event.
“Am I really leaving?”
Right before boarding the ship, Harten turned back and asked.
That made it the seventh time already.
Each time, I simply smiled and nodded.
“Work hard while you’re away!”
At my reply, he let out a deep sigh and ruffled his bangs.
Watching him, I could easily guess what was on his mind.
Hmm, he’s this reluctant… what should I do?
If I sent him off like this, he might not hold back next time and just snatch me away.
That would be troublesome.
To prevent that, I decided to drive in the final nail.
“Harten, bend down for a moment.”
With a quick gesture of my hand—
Whoosh, whoosh.
Like a well-trained dog, he promptly lowered his head.
I gently took his face and—
Peck.
I kissed his cheek.
“!”
“!!”
“!!!”
Elin and Selene, who had come along to support me since I was supposedly injured, and even the aide Harten had brought—
All of them stared with eyes wide open, unable to believe what they’d just seen.
And Harten himself—
“……”
He froze completely, as if his mind had shut down.
Seeing him stuck like that, I broke into a grin.
“If we spend a little time apart, our feelings will only grow stronger. I find that so thrilling and exciting. What about you, Harten?”
He answered a beat late.
“……M-me too. I feel the same.”
“That’s a relief~ Though I did think it might be better for me to stay as close as possible to you, since you’re the one I’ve shared so many memories with, if I’m to recover my memories.”
“No! That won’t be necessary!”
At the mention of memories, he reacted instinctively, his expression turning serious.
Thanks to that, he regained a bit of composure and looked at me with pleading eyes.
“Eani, always be careful. Watch your health, watch the water, and especially—be careful of men.”
“Yes!”
“And letters… I’ll send them whenever I get the chance.”
I could practically hear the unspoken You send me as many as you can, too.
I smiled and nodded.
“Yes!”
After that long-winded farewell, the ship carrying him finally departed.
As the ship and the island grew farther apart, Harten couldn’t take his eyes off me.
And I couldn’t help but keep watching him either.
Seeing Harten touch the cheek I’d kissed with a dazed expression, while the aide behind him looked on in utter disgust, was just too funny.
“Hahaha! Harten Seind is really a hilarious man!”
Laughing heartily, I only started walking once the ship disappeared from sight.
Naturally, I handed the cane I’d been holding to Elin.
“I was getting tired of limping anyway. Good timing that he left~.”
Still, thanks to this injury, I’d easily secured Tadibna Island and the initial investment funds.
For me, it was a deal that left me with nothing but profit.
As I hummed and headed back to the villa, the maid sisters followed behind me.
Suddenly, a thought crossed my mind.
Will those three sisters and the physician report my true nature to Harten?
As I rolled my eyes, pondering, a small smile tugged at my lips.
Honestly, the chances were pretty low.
Without turning around, I spoke.
“You three.”
I didn’t need to look to know that Elin and Selene were focused on me.
“I thought it was odd how obedient you were, considering you’re people of Harten Seind… So you had a plan all along?”
It wasn’t hard to guess their intentions from the start.
“Back then, I was nothing but gloomy and lethargic here. Naturally, you didn’t feel the need to follow me.”
But now, things were different.
“You’ve made a different judgment, haven’t you? For example… thinking that since I’ve changed into a completely different person, I might be able to put a leash on the cold and ruthless Harten Seind~?”
“Well, um…”
As the eldest, Elin hesitated, the youngest, Selene, spoke boldly.
“Please don’t take offense!”
She clenched her fists, clearly determined to be honest.
“Lady Eani, you’re absolutely right. The three of us, and the physician too, saw potential in the changed you! The possibility that you could become the future Duchess Seind—and even the true power behind the ducal house!”
“Oh my~.”
“Honestly, after seeing the Young Duke’s reaction, anyone would think the same! That terrifying, merciless man being perfectly tamed by just a few words from you!”
“Selene…! No matter what, calling it ‘taming’ is too much!”
“You agreed too, didn’t you? You said no other word fit better!”
“That was something we said in private!”
Listening to the sisters bicker, I smiled softly.
“What an interesting choice of words~ So, how does it feel to witness my ‘taming’ skills firsthand?”
At that question, Elin swallowed hard and bowed her head politely.
“If you’ll accept us, we wish to become your loyal retainers.”
“That’s right! Sister Bellin always says that to succeed in internal politics, you have to grab hold of a strong line faster than anyone else!”
“I see.”
I didn’t answer right away and continued walking toward the villa.
That was because another conversation reached my ears.
[Why do I have to leave Eani? Explain to me what caused this worst-case scenario.]
Harten’s voice…
Why could I hear the voice of a man who’d already left by ship?
The reason was simple.
I placed a wiretapping spell on Harten’s aide.
Just then, the aide spoke cautiously.
[The terrorist incident was the biggest reason, yes… but we can’t ignore the physical distance. Tadibna Island is remote—you have to take a steam train for two days from the capital, then another ship to get there.]
[That makes sense. Then we’ll build a new railway line immediately.]
[Excuse me?]
[Create a direct line and reduce the travel time from the capital to Tadibna Island to less than a day. This ship is too slow as well. Build a faster one.]
[Y-Young Duke!]
[As quickly as possible—and make it safe enough for Eani to use! It must be done, no matter the cost!]
Oh my~. How admirable, doing something like that without being asked?
Shortening the distance between Tadibna Island and the capital would be nothing but beneficial for me.
I smiled broadly.
I only tried that spell as a test, and I got such good information.
Unfortunately, after that, I couldn’t hear anything else.
I wasn’t sure whether the target had moved too far away or too much time had passed.
I’d figure that out through future experiments.
In any case, the fact that my first spell worked was wonderful news.
“Hm hm hm~.”
In a place where science wasn’t sufficiently developed, magic was the only power that could replace it.
And to think I possessed such power!
That meant I could realize all the plans I’d once abandoned due to technological limitations.
And I like that the reason Harten can’t oppose me isn’t just personal feelings.
Human emotions—so fickle by nature—were notoriously difficult to quantify.
But if he became bound to me through such a solid cause?
I’d welcome that with open arms~!
After all, the former Eani even left behind a precedent, didn’t she?
