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Chapter 04……………………………………………………
Seeing the gifts brought by Aria and Hasedian, Rubelia let out a startled shout in disbelief—and flinched at her own reaction.
Even though Hasedian had once brought a flower from the Imperial Palace garden that was strictly forbidden to take out, and Aria had once brought a tiara that was a treasure of the palace and nearly got herself killed, they were still a duke and a duke’s daughter. It felt like Rubelia had been treating them far too carelessly.
Rubelia rolled her eyes nervously, glancing between Aria and Hasedian.
The two of them looked stiff, as if they were angry.
“How could you… to me….”
“My lady….”
“N-no, that’s not what I meant….”
Just as Rubelia opened her mouth to explain, Aria and Hasedian spoke before she could finish.
“That is far too generous a statement.”
“Yes. For us to be so overwhelmed by your beauty is truly a great blessing.”
Yeah, of course.
Rubelia made a dumbfounded expression. Seeing their reactions, she almost felt foolish for having briefly flinched, worried they might be angry.
“Wait… you didn’t bring that from the Imperial Palace again, did you?”
Holding onto her wavering sanity, Rubelia asked with a doubtful expression.
If it was, she would definitely escape the marquis’s estate.
“Do you perhaps prefer the flower from last time?”
Hasedian thought this, recalling how Rubelia had looked disgusted and thrown the flower away. He assumed she had actually loved it so much that her hands had trembled with joy.
“No. Absolutely not. From now on, I refuse anything brought from the Imperial Palace. Return it.”
Rubelia said firmly.
“Of course. How could we ever give you something that has already been used by others?”
Aria smiled brightly, as if reproaching Hasedian for his lack of sense.
Just from that smile alone, one could understand why Aria was called the “flower of high society.”
“My lady, I’m sorry. I cannot believe I dared to commit such rudeness to you….”
Just your existence is rude to my life.
Rubelia thought with a frustrated expression.
Once before, she had tried a direct approach, thinking she couldn’t shake them off with polite words.
So she had bluntly asked them:
Did they actually want to kill her?
If not, could they please just let her live her life in peace?
And their reactions had been outrageous.
“Who would dare try to kill the young lady?”
“That’s right. To even target you… who is it? I’ll take care of them immediately.”
Aria, who practiced swordsmanship for self-defense, even drew a dagger from her chest.
If she answered “it’s you two,” they looked like they might actually commit suicide on the spot.
Truly, unbelievably dramatic people.
Shivering at the memory, Rubelia decided to confirm the origin of the gifts.
“So where exactly did you get those?”
“This is something meant to be presented to His Majesty, but we brought it for you, my lady.”
“I had this specially commissioned for you at the most famous jewelry shop in the empire.”
At their innocent replies, Rubelia stared out the window toward the distant mountains.
She had been a fool to even suspect otherwise.
No, stealing something meant for the Emperor—what were they thinking?
And that tiara… fine, even if it was custom-made, that part was acceptable.
But did they even understand?
That tiaras like that could only be worn by members of the imperial family or those granted permission by the Emperor?
If she were caught with it, she could be charged with treason against the royal family.
“Take it back.”
Rubelia said firmly.
“Is it still not enough, my lady? Then perhaps—”
“I’ll bring a tiara that even the imperial family cannot possess.”
“No. No. Absolutely not.”
Rubelia immediately refused, fearing what dangerous thing they might bring next.
Receiving gifts from them made her afraid to even breathe the same air—what if she inhaled it and became strange too?
“But my lady, please understand my heart. What must I do for you to accept it?”
“I know that the great lady’s heart cannot be won with material things. So then….”
Aria raised a dagger from her chest, as if about to stab herself.
“No! Don’t do that! Stop it!”
“But Lady Rubelia likes it when I suffer, doesn’t she?”
“No, I don’t. I just want you to live healthy, unharmed, and peacefully.”
So I don’t get falsely accused and die, Rubelia added silently.
At her desperate words, Aria looked enraptured.
“My lady, how can you look at her like that and not me?”
Hasedian said, glaring at Aria as if she were a pebble in the road.
Weren’t you two supposed to be the protagonists?
You’re supposed to like each other—why are you trying so hard to hate each other?
Of course, she knew it was due to that absurd “blessing,” but it still gave her a headache.
“Oh my, jealousy in men is quite unbecoming.”
Aria said smugly, as if she had been chosen by Rubelia.
At her words, Hasedian’s face stiffened. Though clearly angry, he could not respond because it was technically true.
“…Do not mistake this for having won Lady Stein’s heart with something so trivial.”
After collecting himself, Hasedian spoke coldly.
“Oh my, I’m not a duke. I wouldn’t mistake something like that.”
Aria replied gracefully, leaving him speechless again.
“Lady Stein, is there anything you want? Anything you need?”
Hasedian looked at her seriously.
“No, nothing.”
Rubelia answered firmly, afraid they would twist her words again and bring something strange.
“Lady Stein, please give me a chance.”
Hasedian pleaded, misunderstanding her refusal as rejection. Aria also looked at her with desperate eyes.
It was clear neither intended to back down until she gave them a request.
Rubelia felt like crying.
“Is there really nothing you need?”
Aria asked in her elegant, calm voice.
“…A rock.”
Rubelia answered absentmindedly.
Right now, what she needed was a rock—so she could become one and escape their attention.
Or at least hit them with it to knock some sense into them. Though that would probably trigger a death flag for herself.
“I understand. I will bring you a noble stone worthy of you immediately.”
“Hmph, I’ll bring you something even better.”
With that, Hasedian and Aria rushed out of the room as if competing.
Rubelia missed her chance to stop them.
No… it’ll be fine.
They wouldn’t really bring something problematic like a rock… right?
She tried to comfort herself.
After finishing breakfast in exhaustion, Rubelia left the marquis’s estate again and wandered aimlessly through the capital.
She couldn’t stay there—Aria and Hasedian might return with a “rock” from somewhere.
Earlier she had simply been too hungry to escape.
But how do you become friends with a grand duke?
She didn’t attend social gatherings or balls, and Duke Jerden wasn’t someone who frequented such events either.
Still, to become friends, it was best to meet often and leave a good impression.
Hm?
At that moment, something in her mind flickered.
It felt as if something was guiding her to where she needed to go.
Following that feeling, Rubelia moved her steps cautiously.
And then she saw him.
Duke Jerden.
Oh!
So meeting Jerden would help her discover a special power?
She didn’t know exactly what that power was, but this must be part of it.
Then I can’t miss this chance.
“Your Grace!”
Rubelia walked briskly up to Jerden and greeted him cheerfully.
Friends should greet each other warmly, after all.
“……”
Jerden looked surprised, as if he hadn’t expected to see her again so soon.
“Are you busy?”
“……”
Unsure of her intent, Jerden silently studied her.
Last night, he had dreamed of her, and since then he had felt strange.
He kept thinking he needed to see her, as if he missed her.
Now meeting her like this felt odd and surreal.
Especially her cheerful greeting—so unfamiliar—it stirred an unexplainable feeling in him.
Looking at him, Rubelia smiled brightly.
“I was really bored, so would you like to have tea with me?”
Now that she said it, it did sound a bit like she was hitting on him, but she decided to ignore it.
“What does your boredom have to do with me?”
“Listen carefully. You are a human, right?”
“Yes.”
“You have two eyes, one nose, one mouth. Two ears.”
“……”
“Oh, and two arms and two legs too.”
“So?”
Jerden frowned.
“You see? We have so much in common. Of course it has something to do with you.”
He was speechless.
The lady in rumors was said to be rude—but no one had said she was strange.
Yet he could not follow her logic at all.
Still, he couldn’t ignore her gaze.
Her clear eyes strangely softened his mind.
“…Do as you please.”
Jerden replied indifferently.
Yes!
Rubelia inwardly cheered and grabbed his hand, heading toward a nearby teahouse.
She was worried he might run away out of annoyance.
Jerden flinched.
He hated physical contact more than anything, and normally he would have felt disgusted.
But strangely, he did not dislike her touch.
There was no malice in it—no desire, no calculation.
Unlike other women, there was no seduction, no hidden intent.
They entered the teahouse together.
“I’ll treat you,” Rubelia said confidently.
The best friend is the one who buys you food.
What was so complicated about making friends?
Just be sincere.
She truly intended to befriend Jerden, prevent his death, and live happily herself.
“……”
Jerden, dragged along, didn’t particularly care.
Rubelia ordered confidently, choosing sweets without hesitation.
Sugar was life.
But when she reached for her purse—
There was nothing.
She had lost it last time when she threw it while saving Jerden, and had forgotten to replace it.
She looked at Jerden slowly.
“Do you have any money?”
