Chapter 36
Liam hurriedly checked on Adrian and Rodelia.
Both of them avoided his gaze, their lips stubbornly jutted out.
The way they pointed fingers at each other showed they weren’t the least bit repentant.
Liam couldn’t help but sigh.
“This is truly shameful. Ever since Madam tore the doors off your bedrooms, you two haven’t had any major fights. Not until now, that is.”
Jasmine’s tiger-like discipline had been so terrifying that it crushed the siblings’ rebellious phase in one blow.
And yet here they were, grown adults, brawling again.
“So what exactly were you fighting about this time?”
Adrian answered first, voice dark.
“Our Deli secretly started dating.”
Liam’s eyes went wide. He had been expecting some silly spat over food or something trivial.
“Wh-what?!!”
No way. Our young lady is in love?!
His head whipped toward Rodelia, but she had already turned away to avoid his gaze.
“W-who is the scoundre— I mean, the gentleman?”
Jasmine cut in smoothly, her voice full of satisfaction.
“Why, you know him. That white-haired pup who always trots over to our estate. That adorable boy set his eyes on our youngest.”
Despite her curt tone, her expression was nothing but pleased.
The one she affectionately called the white pup could only be Duke Ainruk—Alperen.
“Gasp! Then our young lady has finally succeeded in love?”
“Something like that,” Jasmine replied.
Rodelia nearly choked.
“Hold on! What do you mean I was the one in love, Liam?!”
Flustered, she screeched before catching her mother’s warning glance.
Liam scratched his cheek awkwardly.
“Well… you did trail after Lord Alperen all the time when you were younger. And since you were always chanting about him breaking his engagement, I assumed you liked him.”
“That was because…”
—Because I was trying to avoid my prison ending!
The excuse got stuck in her throat.
Now that she was officially in a fake relationship with Alperen, the details of who liked who first hardly mattered.
Still, she refused to give in completely.
“H-he was the one who confessed, okay? Ren oppa confessed first.”
Both Liam and Jasmine’s eyes widened.
“Oh, so you succeeded in luring him into confessing first.”
“My clever daughter, always so bright,” Jasmine praised.
Their completely wrong interpretation made Rodelia’s chest tighten with frustration.
No, that’s not what happened at all!
They were making it sound like she had schemed and seduced Alperen into falling for her.
That was when Adrian muttered darkly, his face twisted.
“It wasn’t her scheming—it was that wolf Alperen’s. Look at him, Liam! Skulking around Deli, luring her in with a ring that perfectly matches her taste—such a dirty trick!”
Rodelia shut her mouth tight. If she brought up the original story, she’d only make things worse—since technically, she’d been the one stalking Alperen back then.
Adrian buried his face in his hands, groaning in despair.
“I raised a tiger cub with my own hands!”
“Um… Ren oppa grew up alone though,” Rodelia mumbled under her breath.
Adrian’s eyes shot to her, full of betrayal. But noticing Jasmine’s sharp stare, he swallowed down the rest of his words.
“Tch!”
He clicked his tongue arrogantly, looking every bit like a tragic hero betrayed by fate, then stormed off.
“Sob!”
Duke Ferris, his eyes brimming with tears, hurried after his son.
That left only mother and daughter behind.
Rodelia sighed.
“Why are all the men in this family like this?”
“Because like father, like son,” Jasmine quipped.
“Should I go comfort him?”
“Leave him for today. Adrian’s just sulking. Imagine how it feels—it’s his closest friend and beloved little sister suddenly dating.”
Jasmine stroked her daughter’s hair kindly, her warmth soothing Rodelia’s heart.
“I’m sorry for making such a scene.”
“Nonsense. Love is never something to apologize for.”
“Still… it is true I made things noisy by revealing it so publicly.”
“Winning over a beauty always comes with noise. And in such times, it’s better to declare it openly—saves trouble later. That’s what I did when I trapped your father.”
Rodelia’s jaw dropped.
“Wait, I thought Dad wooed you?”
“Oh no, dear. Your father fell right into my trap.” Jasmine winked.
Stunned, Rodelia gaped. My mom… was the mastermind all along?!
Jasmine continued, smug:
“Remember this, Deli: when a man is handsome, relationships go more smoothly. He has no sharp edges, no pointless pride. Even if you’re angry, one look at his face, and the anger melts away. You’ll see soon enough.”
Rodelia chuckled nervously.
“Just like how you can’t resist Dad’s face?”
“Exactly. That’s why I’m still stuck raising children at my age,” Jasmine muttered, massaging her temples.
Then her expression hardened.
“Anyway, things will get noisy. Judging from Adrian’s reaction, he’ll make life difficult for you for a while.”
Rodelia nodded grimly.
“I’ll manage somehow.”
“If you need help, just say the word.”
The fist Jasmine clenched looked anything but a joke.
“Then… rest well, Mom.”
Rodelia bowed politely and hurried off to her room.
She had barely arrived when—
Flap!
A huge hawk swooped in through the open window.
“Kyaa!”
Rodelia flinched, but the hawk merely tilted its head, then set a folded note neatly on her desk. After that, it presented the basket strapped to its back.
Rodelia blinked.
Wait a second… that looks like a Winder.
Winders were magical birds used by mages as couriers. Larger and more intimidating than normal hawks, they were guided by magic to slip past detection.
“Could this be Ren oppa’s familiar?”
It was said that a Winder’s feather color and eyes reflected its master’s aura.
This one had silver feathers and blue eyes—exactly like Alperen.
Rodelia unfolded the note.
[I’ll come get you tomorrow at 2.
Let’s go on a date, Deli.
–Your Ren]
“It really is his.”
A plain and simple date invitation—but Rodelia found herself fiddling with the letter, smiling faintly.
The Winder waited patiently for her reply.
Quickly, she scribbled one, tucked it into the basket, and added some nuts as a snack.
The bird took off gracefully.
Rodelia watched until it vanished into the distance, then sat down, dazed.
A late-night love letter? Now this really feels like dating…
She sat there in a trance for a long time—then suddenly jumped up, rushing to her wardrobe.
Tomorrow would be their very first “official” fake-date. She needed proper battle gear.
The next day.
Alperen headed for the Ferris estate. By now Adrian should have left for the knight order, making it the perfect time to meet Rodelia.
But Adrian wasn’t so careless.
“M-my apologies, my lord. But Young Master Adrian has ordered us to bar you completely from entering.”
The gatekeeper pointed nervously to a wooden sign.
[NO ENTRY – Alperen Ainruk]
The letters had been carved brutally deep into the wood—Adrian’s handiwork.
He had even used the prestigious Ferris swordsmanship to craft… a crude warning sign.
Alperen smirked.
So this is his little threat?
Calmly, he asked,
“So… if that sign weren’t here, I’d be allowed in?”
“Eh?” the gatekeeper blinked.
Before he could even respond properly, Alperen snapped his fingers with a smile.
Whoosh!
The sign burst into flames, crumbling to ash.
The guard nearly screamed, choking on his terror.
“So now I can enter, yes?” Alperen asked pleasantly.
The question dripped with quiet menace.
The gatekeeper bowed so low his forehead nearly hit the ground.
“O-of course! Welcome, my lord!”
Better to risk Adrian’s wrath later than be roasted alive by the Tower Master right now.
