Chapter 72
When I suddenly got all fired up and started fuming, Adrian blinked in confusion.
“Are you… okay?”
He seemed startled by my unexpected reaction — probably worried I might have another breakdown.
But instead of calming down, I grabbed his shoulders tightly and shouted,
“Of course I’m not okay! I feel like I just swallowed a million sweet potatoes — I need a soda right now!”
(The Korean expression “eating sweet potatoes” means feeling suffocated and frustrated — and right now, that was me.)
Two of the people who had completely ruined my life had joined hands.
No way could I just sit back and watch!
This was the perfect chance — a golden opportunity for revenge!
“One stone, two birds! Two hits with one strike! Catching crayfish while digging a ditch! Crush Nanael and Jessica!”
I was practically on fire with determination, ready to destroy them both right this second.
As I kept ranting nonsense, Adrian looked at Mei with a helpless expression.
But Mei only smiled knowingly and said,
“Well, I’m not sure what’s going on, but whenever the young lady starts talking like this, something big is about to happen. I think she’s finally gotten her spirit back.”
At the words “gotten her spirit back,” Adrian’s face brightened immediately.
“So you’re saying you’re going to take revenge, right?”
I nodded hard. And at that, Adrian smiled with a gleam in his eyes.
“Rodelia, I’ve been waiting for this day. I regretted letting them go so easily back then.”
He sounded almost thrilled as he encouraged me.
“She’s the one who tore a hole in my little sister’s heart — it’s only fair she gets one in return.”
“It’s been a while, but wow, you’re actually talking sense, brother.”
I grinned and held out my hand.
For the first time in a long while, the Ferris siblings were perfectly in sync.
Without another word, we clasped hands — and together, we marched straight toward Father’s study.
***
Meanwhile…
When Alperen arrived at the Ainrook estate, Isaac greeted him politely.
“Welcome back, my lord.”
“Yeah.”
Alperen answered weakly as he walked down the hall, looking visibly exhausted.
Isaac knew from experience that when his master looked like that, it was best not to speak.
So instead, he quietly lit scented candles in the bedroom and instructed the maids to prepare a warm bath.
Soon, Alperen sank into the tub and rubbed his aching temples.
The fragrant steam eased his tense body — but not his mind.
Today had felt like the longest, most miserable day of his life.
The happiest moment had crashed straight down into the depths of despair — all because of one sentence from Rodelia.
“Ren, let’s stop this fake dating. I can’t do it anymore.”
Can’t do it anymore.
Did that mean she’d been forcing herself this whole time?
Alperen was lost in confusion. Just hearing her reject him made his entire world collapse.
He couldn’t accept it — that Rodelia was no longer his.
He wanted to pretend he hadn’t heard her, but if he did, she’d probably just make it even clearer.
He had planned to talk things through seriously after the tea party.
But then — that woman appeared.
Who was she?
The moment Rodelia saw Nanael’s new maid, she’d gone pale — terrified, even.
He’d never seen her look that frightened before.
Even her maid Mei had been shaken, so clearly there was some dark history there.
How could he not know something even the maid did?
He told himself it was fine — after all, they’d known each other longer than he’d known Rodelia.
But deep down, it still bothered him.
In the end, Nanael’s tea party had been less a peace offering and more a declaration of war.
To everyone else, their sudden departure must have looked strange.
And Alperen suspected that afterward, Nanael had probably twisted the story to make Rodelia look bad.
But even knowing that, his top priority had been to get Rodelia somewhere safe —
because at that moment, she had looked like she might collapse at any second.
Yet when he tried to help her, all she gave him was cold rejection.
“You don’t have to do that.”
Drawing a line between them.
“I don’t want my ex to be seen carrying me around pitifully.”
Hearing that, seeing her push him away so firmly — it hurt more than anything else.
But it also lit a fire of stubbornness in him.
Even after he forced her into the carriage, he couldn’t believe what was happening.
He was certain Rodelia had feelings for him too.
Yes, there had been some warning signs — but there had been so many more moments of warmth, of affection.
So why had she suddenly turned so cold?
Thinking back, he remembered the moment they’d met Summer Clophen.
Until then, he hadn’t even remembered her clearly — she’d just been another acquaintance from the Tower.
But now he could hear Rodelia’s teasing voice echoing in his head:
“I totally agree. You’d look perfect with a girl who has green eyes — your soulmate, definitely! Maybe blonde hair too? You with silver hair, her with gold — you’d look heavenly together.”
“Yeah, golden hair really suits you. Oh, and yesterday’s horoscope said your best matches are people with gold and green color vibes!”
And of course — Summer Clophen was a blonde with long hair and green eyes.
As those memories overlapped, Alperen’s lips twisted into a bitter smile.
“Hah. So it was because of Summer Clophen, huh?”
Maybe it was a stretch.
Rodelia often said strange things — her talk about star signs back when she pushed him to break off his engagement with Nanael was proof enough.
But then again… maybe it wasn’t a stretch.
She’d always said odd things that somehow came true.
“How does Deli even know Summer Clophen?” he muttered.
Had she already decided, without telling him, that that woman was his destined partner?
All while he only ever wanted her?
The thought made his chest ache.
“I broke off my engagement like she wanted, and now she’s trying to pick my next bride too.”
And worst of all — she didn’t even consider putting herself in that place.
Alperen’s hands curled into fists under the water.
Now that he understood Rodelia’s intentions, he swore to himself one thing:
He would never, ever end up with Summer Clophen.
***
Eight years ago, the letter of agreement written by Count Miranda was still safely kept in Father’s study.
Reading it again now, I couldn’t help but scoff.
“[On the condition that the Miranda family will never again appear before Rodelia Ferris, we will not demand any compensation.]”
“Seriously? Is that supposed to be fair? After everything she did to me?”
“At the time, Father’s priority was your recovery,” Adrian explained. “And aside from what I saw, most of the evidence came from Mei’s testimony. If we’d pushed harder, the rumors would’ve spread.”
So in other words — that frustratingly mild contract was written to protect me.
“Still, getting expelled from the capital was a huge blow for the Mirandas. The Count lost all his business investments overnight.”
“Hmm. Avoiding scandal but still hitting where it hurts — that’s just like Father.”
I tapped the paper thoughtfully.
A peaceful settlement, based on the promise that Jessica Miranda would never appear before me again.
But now she’d not only returned to the capital — she’d walked right up to me with her head held high.
“Do you think Jessica knows about this contract?”
“Probably not. Father handled everything privately with the Count.”
“I see… so she doesn’t know.”
Back then, I had depended on Jessica because I was just a child.
How could a twelve-year-old possibly recognize someone who approached with hidden malice?
But I wasn’t that naïve little girl anymore.
And I wasn’t the type to let something like this slide.
How dare she show her face in front of me again?
Just then, a deliciously wicked idea popped into my head.
I smiled darkly and murmured,
“Heh… I think I know exactly what to do.”
