Chapter 70
In the blink of an eye, Gustavo was right in front of me.
“Milady!”
Startled, Briel swiftly threw himself forward, blocking Gustavo’s path. The servants nearby quickly surrounded Gustavo, and in that moment Orte and Briel grabbed him firmly by both arms.
“Let go! Let me go! How dare you lay hands on me?”
He thrashed and shouted, trying to wrench himself free, but it was useless. At my signal, Orte and Briel began dragging him outside.
“Do you think you’ll get away with this?”
Gustavo dug in his heels, resisting with all his strength, but he could not overcome the two men’s force. As he was dragged away, the flowers he had brought were trampled underfoot, crushed into a pitiful mess. Innocent blossoms had become garbage the moment they met Gustavo.
Once he was out of sight, a new storm of thoughts began swirling in my head.
“How did Gustavo find out about the adoption?”
In my previous life, the Duke and Duchess of Mares had never revealed the matter of an adopted heir until the day I died. The fact that Gustavo knew now could only mean things had changed because of my regression.
There were changes I had orchestrated myself, but the fact that unexpected shifts were happening beyond my sight was an unsettling variable.
“If they adopt someone now, it will throw everything off… this is serious. Who could they possibly be planning to adopt?”
Since my foster father wasn’t my true uncle, it was unlikely they would choose someone from their relatives.
I dreaded the possibility, but the most likely candidate was still one of their kin. Bringing in an outsider as an adopted heir would require fabricating an identity, a complicated process. Perhaps that was why, in my previous life, they never managed to adopt anyone before my death.
“They said they’re going on a trip together this time… could it be because of the adoption issue?”
The matter with Retisa wouldn’t be too difficult to resolve, but punishing Gustavo would demand time and effort.
I hadn’t even begun unraveling the Mares couple’s schemes, and now the problem of adoption was being tangled in on top of it all. The thought weighed heavily on me.
“I need to find Bellus quickly… should I go to the Khan Kingdom?”
If there was even the slightest chance of meeting him there, I wanted to leave immediately.
If only I had met Bellus earlier in my previous life. If only I had suspected the Mares couple when I first received his letter. If only Retisa hadn’t discovered that letter…
Would I have found my true uncle then?
Pointless regrets and haunting “what-ifs” trailed endlessly through my heart, tormenting me.
If only I had learned Bellus’s family name—it would have been so much easier to track him down. With only his common first name, searching the entire Khan Kingdom for him was nearly hopeless.
If time unfolded as before, I wouldn’t meet him for another five years.
“No! I’ll find him before then. I’ll defy time itself if I must, but I’ll meet him.”
I prayed that Bellus’s desperate wish would cross time and reach me.
Gustavo’s visit did not escape Retisa’s notice. She went to wait near his carriage. Whether he had come to see Elisia or to meet the Mares couple, it didn’t matter.
The last time he visited, things had ended on a sour note because of Elisia. Even if Gustavo dismissed their relationship lightly, Retisa had no intention of letting him go.
She expected a long wait, but to her surprise, he emerged quickly. His face was twisted with anger, as if something unpleasant had just happened inside.
“Gustavo.”
At the sound of her voice, he turned. His eyes blazed with fury.
His pride had been cruelly trampled by Elisia, leaving a raw wound. He was looking for someone to take his frustration out on, and when he saw Retisa, his temper snapped.
Striding toward her, Gustavo yanked open his carriage door and shoved her roughly inside. Following her in, the two of them quickly became entangled.
“Not here—let’s go somewhere else.”
“No. I need to get this rage out right now.”
He brushed aside Retisa’s feeble resistance, slipping his hand beneath the folds of her dress.
To Retisa, the moment felt intoxicating. Even his rough, urgent kisses seemed like proof of passionate love. Her body flushed with heat.
Soon after, the carriage began rocking violently.
Wearing an apron embroidered with little rabbits and a scarf tied around her hair, Roena was kneading dough with great enthusiasm. Her cheeks, chin, and nose were dusted white with flour, but laughter bubbled from her constantly.
Normally, Roena was the first to run to her brother every morning. But today she hadn’t shown up at all, so Tirchen went looking for her.
He searched her room first, then the study, the sunroom, the drawing room, the small tearoom, the dressing room, even the classroom—but she was nowhere to be found.
“Hm. I can’t exactly turn the entire estate upside down…”
A faint crease formed on Tirchen’s forehead.
After Roena’s kidnapping incident, security around the ducal residence had been tightened, and someone was always supposed to stay by her side.
If anything had happened to her, he would have already been informed. And yet, though the mansion seemed peaceful as ever, unease prickled at him.
“I’m sure she’s fine, but still… it’s unsettling when I can’t find her.”
Tirchen immediately summoned the butler, Brikt. Seeing the grave expression on his master’s face, Brikt stiffened in alarm.
“Your Grace, do you have urgent orders?”
“Roena is nowhere to be found. Do you know where she is?”
“Uh… I’m not sure myself…”
Cold sweat trickled down Brikt’s back.
Running the sprawling Berato ducal household was no easy task. Managing its countless affairs already consumed entire days.
Ordinarily, the whereabouts of a young lady might have seemed trivial—if that young lady weren’t Tirchen Berato’s beloved sister.
“I’ll find her at once.”
“Good. Quickly.”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
As soon as Brikt stepped out, he ordered every servant in the estate to drop their duties and search for Roena.
It didn’t take long to learn her whereabouts.
When Brikt escorted Tirchen to the kitchens, the sight before him left the duke utterly dumbstruck.
“What are you doing here?”
“I’m making a tart for Elisia!”
Smiling brightly despite being messier than the kitchen maids themselves, Roena looked up at him. The maids had clearly been cleaning up after her, given how tidy the room was despite her flour-covered state.
“The crust is baked—I just need to decorate it with fruit.”
“Why are you doing this yourself when the maids could do it for you?”
Sitting across from her as she carefully sliced fruit, Tirchen still couldn’t comprehend the situation. A single word from him and the staff would have presented a tart instantly. Why would she burden herself like this?
“Because it’s the thought that counts! Elisia’s house is full of servants who could cook for her, but none of them will make it with the same love I do.”
“It all tastes the same in the end. What difference does it make?”
“And that’s why you just don’t get it, Brother.”
Roena shook her head with exasperation. Her brother had not a speck of sentimentality in him.
‘No wonder only women like Delina Sheeton fall for him.’
Pouting slightly, she finished arranging the fruit prettily atop the tart.
“If you have nothing to do, go to the greenhouse and pick some flowers.”
“That’s something the servants can—”
“They’re for Elisia!”
At last, Roena snapped at him. Truly, her brother was infuriating.
“Don’t just pick anything—choose the prettiest blooms and make a proper bouquet.”
This time, Tirchen obeyed and headed toward the greenhouse.
He recalled Elisia’s radiant smile when Roena had given her a bouquet by Lake Flor.
‘Her eyes, already so large, sparkled even more. Her long lashes trembled…’
Remembering it made him smile.
When she accepted the flowers, her lips had curved, her cheeks had flushed, dimpling as she smiled. He wanted to see that expression again.
So as he selected blossoms in the greenhouse, Tirchen’s movements were careful, deliberate.
Roena was to accompany me for a dress fitting. Since we planned to meet at my house first for tea, I had prepared refreshments in the garden and waited for her arrival.
Spotting the grand Berato ducal carriage—always awe-inspiring—I rushed to greet it. Before I even reached the end of the garden, the carriage stopped and the door opened.
Expecting Roena, I approached with excitement—only to see Tirchen step out first. I froze.
At once, the memory of that kiss in the imperial palace flooded back, and my face burned.
‘Why did he come too? Don’t tell me he’s planning to follow us to the dressmaker’s?’
I longed to run and hide, but where could I go inside my own estate?
After alighting, Tirchen offered his hand to help Roena down.
What caught my eye, however, was the massive bouquet he carried. Compared to the pitiful flowers Gustavo had brought days before, this was a masterpiece—an elegant arrangement of the finest blooms.
“Elisia!”
Roena bounded over, carrying a small box.
“I made this myself this morning, just for you!”
Blushing, she shyly held out the box. When I opened it, inside was a beautifully decorated fruit tart.
It must have taken her so much effort. My chest swelled with gratitude at her thoughtfulness.
“It’s lovely. Thank you, Roena. It’ll be perfect with tea. I’ve set everything up in the garden—let’s go.”
“Yes! And also—”
She was cut off when Tirchen abruptly thrust the bouquet forward. I had guessed it was meant for me, but actually receiving it still made my heart pound.
“This is… for me?”
“I thought you’d like it.”
“Thank you. I’ve never received such a large and beautiful bouquet before.”
It was almost too big to hold with one hand. Since I was already carrying the tart, I hesitated awkwardly, hovering my hand over the flowers.
“I’ll carry that for you.”
Taking the tart box from me, Tirchen placed the bouquet in my arms. Overwhelmed by the fragrance and beauty, I buried my face in the flowers, savoring the moment.
When I looked up, I noticed Roena glaring fiercely at her brother, while Tirchen feigned innocence.
Standing between them, I couldn’t help but wonder if they’d quarreled. The air was oddly charged.
“You said we’re having tea in the garden?”
“Y-yes…”
His sudden question sent my heart dropping like a stone. Even with my face hidden in the bouquet, I could feel his gaze searing into me.
“If you’re busy, you don’t have to—”
“Not at all.”
“…Excuse me?”
I had intended to say, If you’re busy, you may leave, but before I finished, he cut me off with a completely different answer.
Then, without hesitation, he placed his free hand on my shoulder.
“As it happens, I’m rather thirsty. This works out well.”
His lips curved faintly in a smile.
Today, the sunlight spilling across the garden seemed especially warm and bright—like his smile itself.
“Let’s go.”
Snapped out of my daze by his gentle urging, I gathered myself and led the way to where the tea was set.
Behind me, I could hear Roena muttering complaints at her brother in a low voice—something about flowers. Clearly, she meant the bouquet in my arms.
But entranced by the blossoms, I let their squabble drift past my ears.
