DHDF 40

The moment I left the hall, all my strength drained away.

Whenever there were a lot of people around, I had to stay on high alert, and exhaustion hit fast.

Maybe it’s harder because I’m not used to this kind of thing…

Honestly, I just wanted to collapse onto a bed and have a moment to myself—but that wasn’t an option. The celebration banquet was still to come.

I barely managed to change clothes and return. A piece of chocolate happened to catch my eye, so I popped it into my mouth.

The sweetness helped me pull myself together—just enough to stay conscious.

“Berzene.”

At the sound of my name, I quickly swallowed what was left in my mouth and turned. Atticus was standing there—dragging along a group of others behind him, reminding me of that “Leaf Gathering” event from before.

“Congratulations on your engagement,” he said. “It’s just a preliminary one this time, but I’ll look forward to the official ceremony.”

“Ah, thank you.”

I managed to hide my awkwardness and replied in a flat tone.

The others behind him also offered their clumsy congratulations.

They said things like, ‘I’m jealous you’ll be part of a ducal family,’ or ‘You get along well with the other young lords.’

“Can I introduce you to my sister? She’s quite interested in you.”

Atticus gave a slight nod toward someone behind him.

Following his gaze, I saw a woman smiling at me warmly.

If I remembered correctly, the heir of the Rochelle family was much older than me.

Honestly, I didn’t really see the need for introductions, but—

“I don’t mind,” I said.

Since I didn’t have a good excuse to refuse, I followed Atticus over.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Lady Erdion. I’m Grace of the Rotel family. We’ll probably be seeing each other often, so I hope we get along.”

“I should be the one saying that,” I replied politely.

In hindsight, I should have somehow declined Atticus’s offer—because it snowballed into greeting every guest at the event.

I knew that was part of the purpose of such gatherings, but my mental stamina was quickly wearing thin.

Maybe I should’ve pretended ignorance and skipped out, like Ritema and Laote…

At that point, I just wanted to shrug off anyone who tried to stop me and run away.

Yeah, I’d lasted long enough. I’d just go back to the estate and rest.

I was right on the verge of giving in to that reckless impulse when—

“It’s quite hot to be standing outside this long,” someone said beside me.

Aete had appeared at some point and spoken up calmly.

Everyone looked at him, not quite understanding his intent, and he continued smoothly,

“You should rest somewhere shaded, my lady.”

“Ah.”

So he’d noticed that I was about to bolt.

“Return when the banquet starts,” he added gently. “After all, the guest of honor shouldn’t be absent.”

His way of smoothly clearing a path for me was so deft that I couldn’t help but admire it.

Would I ever be able to handle things so gracefully, once I’d gained more experience?

“…I tried not to show it, but I suppose Lord Aete’s eyes miss nothing. Would it be alright if I withdrew for a bit?”

“Oh, of course. Certainly.”

“Rest well, and we’ll see you again later, Lady.”

“Thank you for understanding.”

Thanks to Aete, I was able to escape unscathed.

I wanted to turn back and thank him properly, but he didn’t even glance my way.

Maybe he meant there was no need for gratitude.

On my way up to my room with Rosalyn, I ran straight into Ritema.

“Where have you been hiding?”

“Were you looking for me?”

Honestly? I was. My ideal escape plan involved Ritema dragging me away.

“Yeah, but you looked like you were slacking off.”

At my blunt tone, Ritema burst into amused laughter.

“Heh, yeah, guilty as charged. It was too boring in there—I couldn’t help it.”

“So you ditched me.”

“Well… I guess so. But we can stick together now, right?”

As he said that, Ritema pulled me into a tight hug.

It was as if he believed that would immediately soften me up.

Well… he’s not wrong.

Maybe because I’d always kept my distance from people, physical closeness like this easily melted my defenses.

“Young master, you shouldn’t embrace a lady without permission,” Rosalyn scolded him.

“But Berzene’s my fiancée now,” Ritema said matter-of-factly.

“Even so.”

“Berzene, you tell her—do you dislike me touching you like this without asking?”

He already knew the answer but asked on purpose.

If I denied it, Rosalyn’s authority as my attendant would be undermined.

If I agreed, I didn’t know whether Ritema would start asking for permission—or avoid me altogether.

After glancing between the two of them for a moment, I finally said,

“To be honest, I’ve never actually felt offended by it.”

“See, Rosalyn?” he said triumphantly.

“But,” I continued.

Ritema flinched visibly as I shifted my tone.

“I don’t think Rosalyn is wrong. Anyone else would probably feel uncomfortable or embarrassed.”

“That’s exactly my point, young master,” Rosalyn said firmly.

Their moods instantly flipped—Ritema sulking while Rosalyn brightened in satisfaction.

After a moment of thought, Ritema protested,

“But I have no intention of hugging anyone but Berzene.”

I looked to Rosalyn, who seemed momentarily speechless.

Fair enough. Ritema and I were bound by an engagement now. Naturally, we’d have to be more careful with our behavior, but adding more to the discussion would just make it awkward.

Yeah, this is getting weird.

Rosalyn composed herself and laid down a condition.

“Fine. But if Lady Berzene ever refuses, you must respect her wishes.”

“Of course. If you’re uncomfortable, tell me right away, Berzene. I don’t want to force you into anything.”

For a fleeting second, I almost blurted out How could I ever hate you?

But I didn’t want to admit how completely he had me under his spell.

I just wanted to keep our relationship in a place where, if we ever parted ways, we could still look back and say, We had fun, didn’t we?

“Alright, I understand.”

After all, I knew better than anyone what became of those who got too attached to someone.

“By the way,” I asked, “where’s Lord Laote?”

“Oh, look at you—such a cruel Berzene. The moment I say we should spend time together, you start asking about someone else.”

Ritema pretended to wipe away tears with the back of his hand, then broke into laughter at his own act.

“He didn’t really say anything to me. That’s just how he is. He’s probably in his lab—or maybe asleep.”

“I see.”

“Want to go check? Secretly?” he asked, eyes gleaming with mischief.

I only needed to know his whereabouts, not actually see him… but still.

“And how exactly would we get in?”

Curiosity was another matter entirely.

He probably didn’t mean dragging along Laote’s servant for a break-in. And even if he did, I doubted the servant would help.

Judging by that man’s strictness, it was highly unlikely.

“Actually, my brother showed me a secret passage,” Ritema said proudly. “He told me to use it in emergencies.”

“It’s not exactly an emergency right now.”

“That’s not the point, Berzene. I’ve used it a few times before, so it shouldn’t be blocked.”

Intrigued by the idea of a secret passage, I decided to follow him.

Rosalyn didn’t come along—too many people knowing a secret would defeat the purpose.

“Is it okay for me to know?” I asked.

“Of course. You’re different.”

I couldn’t bring myself to deny that, so I stayed quiet.

Truthfully, I knew I was unusually soft when it came to Ritema.

He was honest—he showed his emotions so openly that it disarmed me.

That’s why, even when he led me into trouble, I didn’t really mind.

Actually, I’m starting to think Ritema might be the one I should be most careful around…

We arrived at a sitting room on the first floor. Humming to himself, Ritema began rearranging ornaments on the fireplace mantel.

Then he opened the door we’d originally entered through—

“Told you, my memory never fails,” he said with a grin.

Instead of the hallway, there really was a hidden entrance—leading straight into Laote’s secret laboratory.

I couldn’t hide my amazement.

So magic could even create something like this.

Or maybe it’s only possible because it’s Laote.

He was the only mage I knew, so my sense of what was “normal” had long since vanished.

The laboratory was empty.

Maybe Ritema was right—Laote might actually be sleeping somewhere.

“Come here, Berzene,” Ritema called.

I was about to suggest we leave, but it seemed he was determined to find Laote himself.

The secret door had already vanished behind us, leaving me with no real choice but to follow.

A new corridor stretched ahead—a space that felt entirely different from the rest of the estate.

“Let’s play a game,” Ritema said cheerfully. “We’ll take turns opening doors and guessing which one my brother’s in. Whoever finds him first wins.”