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chapter 34
“Let’s not just change my reputation—let’s change yours too, Hares.”
The fingers tracing between mine suddenly stopped. His soft, shallow breaths also came to a halt.
“I was planning to suggest it after making the plan more detailed, but today, watching you inspired me. Just like today—you could change under the excuse of doing it for me.”
“……”
“But instead of showing me alone your snake-like rhetoric and your… well, abnormal social skills, you should start showing them to the other nobles too.”
…Was that going to sound like an insult?
“By ‘snake-like rhetoric’ and ‘abnormal social skills,’ I meant it as a compliment. If you reveal that ability in society, your reputation will rise like an exponential graph.”
Oh, wait. Maybe he doesn’t know what an exponential graph is.
“I mean it doesn’t grow step by step like stairs. At first the growth is big, then eventually it peaks and slows down…”
Just then, Hares brushed my lips with his fingers. Blinking, I looked at him as his blood-red lips curved into a faint smile.
His eyebrows furrowed slightly.
“I wonder… what kind of bastard will end up taking away such a pretty girlfriend of mine.”
I almost snapped back, but then I shut my mouth. Just like how he had silently listened to me earlier, I decided this time I’d be the one to listen.
“I wonder… what lucky son of a b*tch will get to stay by such a cute Filena’s side.”
He tapped my cheek gently, his restless hand finally pausing.
“Curious, isn’t it?”
“The future is uncertain, after all. I think it’s natural to be curious.”
When I offered that little sympathy, Hares chuckled softly. Then, in his usual sly tone, he said:
“Filena, did you see Wisler’s face earlier?”
“He looked like he was struggling to hold back his anger at your flawless plan.”
Flawless—there was no other word to describe it.
Hares had laid the perfect groundwork so Wisler couldn’t intervene. If it had been any other gift, Wisler could have easily used his reputation to dismiss Hares’ words.
But the gift Hares offered was one of the Grey family’s few mines. Even with Grey blood in his veins, Wisler ‘Gas’ could never have owned that mine.
It was coveted by every noble, more valuable than any land, and historically famous.
In the end, the gift Hares presented under the guise of “brotherly love” killed all suspicion. If Wisler had tried to make up an excuse on the spot, his own image would have been damaged.
“That land—I was going to give it to you.”
“…Pardon?”
“That mountain. You like nature, don’t you? I figured I could always buy you jewels, so I wanted to give you a sight worth seeing.”
“…Pardon?”
“Of course, another of the mines was meant to go to that bast—no, to him. But today, it was you.”
“…When you say ‘give,’ do you mean actually transfer ownership, not just show me?”
“What else would it mean? If I only showed it to you, what then? If you just looked at it, it wouldn’t be yours.”
I drew in a deep breath, barely keeping calm. He must have noticed my nerves, because Hares locked eyes with me and started counting softly, one, two…
He was a delicate man, a warm man. Too much so.
“I—I…”
Even so, my words faltered, so he kindly finished the thought for me.
“You were going to say you don’t need such land? Or that such an impulsive purchase is irrational and you’d rather I refrain?”
“Both.”
“Don’t feel burdened.”
“Burden isn’t an object, it’s a feeling. You can’t just not feel it on command. Of course, since the contract clauses are clearly written, I don’t have any actual responsibility, but still.”
“You’re right. You’re always right. Who told you to bear any unnecessary burden anyway?”
He poked at his chest playfully, grinning like a mischievous boy.
“It was for fun. For me, not you. And in the end, I didn’t give it to you, I gave it to him.”
Hares leaned close, resting his chin on my shoulder. Tilting his head, he whispered in a low, suggestive voice:
“For my amusement, for our contract, if I hadn’t spent it this way, it would’ve gone to Wisler anyway. Doesn’t that make it less burdensome?”
“Wait… really? Seriously?”
“Filena, come on. Hahaha. There’s no such thing as fake or real here.”
He stroked his chin and murmured:
“My parents originally handed all the mines down to me, but later they suggested—what if I gifted some of them to Wisler?”
Hearing that, the weight on my chest vanished. Perspective really was everything. Relaxing my shoulders, I gave him a thumbs-up.
“Hares, our revenge is coming along well too. I just worry that it’s not written into the contract clauses.”
“No, let’s keep that just between us. Revenge on Wisler is a side goal, not our final one.”
True. That was why we hadn’t put a deadline on it—just left it indefinite until the right time came.
Hares straightened up, staring out the window. His gaze locked on the darkness outside, as if expecting a threat to appear.
“Filena, now that we’re dating, Wisler might start bothering us more than before.”
“I see.”
“If we keep dealing with his nonsense, we’ll just tire ourselves out. We can always postpone revenge for a while.”
Even if he kept pestering, it would just mean more chances for him to badmouth Hares. Endless, yes—but not exactly frightening.
He gently clasped my hand. Oddly, in that moment, it felt like he was the one more uneasy than I was.
“We have plenty to do anyway, as boyfriend and girlfriend. I’m looking forward to it—dating you, my girlfriend.”
…Maybe not. Watching him turn his face toward me, I corrected myself. Before he left, I finally said what I hadn’t before.
“By the way, I don’t think you received the script I sent last time. After we discussed the scene, I sent you the full draft.”
“…I thought something was off. Wait, you actually sent me the draft?”
“Yes. It might help if you redraw the villa map for me. Since I always send things anonymously through unrelated staff, maybe something went wrong with the delivery.”
“……”
“Hares?”
He didn’t respond at all. Then, suddenly, the hand holding mine went slack.
“Can’t you hear me? If you need shock therapy, blink twice. My boyfriend? My boyfriend, Hares Grey?”
I awkwardly mimicked the affectionate way he always addressed me. At that, focus returned to his eyes, though his fingertips left a damp shadow as they drifted away.
“Filena, I’m sorry. I can’t take you home today.”
“…But this isn’t my carriage. I don’t even have one.”
“Don’t worry. It’s me who’s getting off, not you.”
His voice wavered. After a faint cough, he spoke softly again.
“Not just today—I’ll have to help my parents for a while.”
“Even on the Saintess’s Prophecy Day, you’ll be busy?”
“Probably.”
Before I could say more, his hand brushed lightly over my hair. His gentle tone carried with a bright smile.
“So, my girlfriend, even if I don’t see you home, you have to eat well, sleep well, and take care of yourself.”
To part so suddenly like this… For some reason, this kind of surprise didn’t feel pleasant.
“Filena, you’ll be good, right?”
I nodded. The carriage stopped abruptly, and in an instant, he vanished into the crowd.
Beyond the place where Hares disappeared, the moon shone with a mysterious light.
