Of course, the Bernadettes' mansion often had guests.
From tourists visiting the neighborhood to countless people visiting for personal or public affairs.
The people I've passed so far haven't been that important to me.
Because I couldn't even leave a trace in my life.
But if this strange stranger calls my name so affectionately-
that makes a difference
“My God, could this beautiful woman be Liberata Bernadette?”
Yeah? Me?
At the stranger's words, I couldn't say anything and just blinked my eyes.
'What, who the hell are you?'
No matter how much I thought about it, I couldn't figure out who it was.
But what made me speechless more than that was that I wondered if it was right that I was facing a person right now.
It was also because he was beautiful.
The delicate and elegant gray-brown hair and dark blue eyes as deep as the abyss were transparent enough to make me want to talk about my past.
While I was hesitating, the gentleman in front of me seemed to quickly scan me and Zerlac.
“Oh my God, Adrian!”
After that fleeting moment passed, the father affectionately called the man by name and hugged him.
'What is it, Adrian? Who are you?'
No matter how much you think about it, he is a person who is not remembered.
If I knew it would be like this, I would have read the novel carefully. I really resent the men of the past who didn't do that.
"How are you doing?"
“Ah, yes, of course. Oh my gosh, Adrian. You have become such a wonderful young man.”
My father also seemed to have met a man named Adrian after a long time.
“How long is it?”
“I saw Libe long enough to remember me.”
Then he made a very strange expression.
Looking at me with eyes filled with various emotions that cannot be described in a word.
But no matter how you look at me with that expression, I really don't know you.
“Wait, Adrian. He was seeing off his guest.”
The father straightened his expression again and introduced Zerlac to Adrian.
“His Highness Archduke Cygnus, who came to Myton this time.”
“His Highness the Grand Duke.”
At the father's explanation, the man called Adrian was polite.
His voice was well-groomed, his posture perfect and his demeanor good, but somehow Gerlac's expression was not good.
“Sir Adrian Watford.”
“Welcome to Mutten.”
“You are.”
That was all the greetings of the men.
“After seeing off His Highness the Archduke, let's talk about what we couldn't finish. Louis, prepare some tea.”
It was when his father gave orders to Louis in a rather excited voice.
Jerlac, who was standing by the doorway as if to leave the mansion at any moment, suddenly turned his head and said,
“I cannot miss a place like this. I will join you too.”
Yeah?
suddenly?
⚜ ⚜ ⚜
I don't know if Madeleine goes in her mouth or her nose.
The atmosphere at the table was friendly, but I couldn't help but laugh to my heart's content.
First of all, it was because I couldn't remember who the man called 'Adrian' was.
Why did you suddenly change your mind when you said you were just going?
As always, he was enjoying his tea with a very relaxed expression.
Without knowing the slightest bit of my nervousness and anxiety.
'I'm dying of discomfort, really.'
Have you ever felt awkward about drinking tea like today?
There are two awkward men in my house...
One is even someone I don't know who it is, and one is someone I should never associate with.
I was trying to catch the mood with a moderate smile on my lips.
'Adrian? Adrian?'
Judging from the attitudes of his father, mother, and servants, the man named Adrian was clearly not a simple guest.
Maybe someone connected to the Bernadette family.
But I've never seen him do that.
'Are you my brother's friend?'
My older brother, Oliver Bernadette, was not really a character in the novel.
He was a diplomat, so he often left home and went to other countries.
'Hmm, from what people say, it seems that this man has been away from Muten for quite some time.'
What is clear is that during the 19 regresses, it was a name I had never heard before.
As a result, it could have been a story that started anew as I became entangled with Zerlac, or it could have been a character who hadn't appeared in the meantime because I had died.
In the end, my conclusion was that no matter how much I thought about it, there was no way I could have described the personal friendship of the villain in the novel in detail.
"It's been a long time since I've seen you two together."
How should I react to something I can't remember?
Unfortunately, I was the type of person who showed my inner feelings through facial expressions.
“But Marquis, Libe is a completely new face to me.”
More regrettably, Adrian seems to be quick-witted.
My father, noticing that I was sitting awkwardly and uneasy, took over as a relief pitcher.
“Liberata.”
“Yes, Father.”
“Didn’t you keep the bookmark Adrian made with dried rose petals like a treasure?”
me?
“I didn’t even let this father touch me.”
Alas, to my great regret, my father was not a reliever.
"that… … bookmark… … Are you talking?”
I rolled my eyes as if I might remember, but I was the type who couldn't lie by nature.
He is a very flat person with all his emotions penetrating his skin.
“Gee, Rivener, you really don’t remember a thing.”
And the people in this world all notice one thing.
I took a sip of the tea with an embarrassed face.
Somehow, I don't know what to do with the eyes pouring down from all sides.
So much so that I can't even taste the tea.
“I should stop teasing Libe.”
Adrian was conscious of Xerlac and turned to face me.
“I was only five years old, so it’s natural that I don’t remember.”
Five years old?
So you're saying it's someone I knew when I was five?
“Ribe, but I can’t remember this much. You are so sad.”
Adrian looked at me mischievously and said.
“Ah, that. I'm so sorry."
I put my Madeleine down and put my hands together, but Adrian didn't seem to stop teasing me easily.
“Ha, it seems like just yesterday that Libe was raging about marrying me.”
what? I?
Isn't that what I said at a time when I couldn't remember, no, I couldn't remember?
Adrian was grinning all the time, wondering if he was happy with my embarrassment or if he was smiling like that.
"Sorry. Because it was so long ago.”
“Are you saying you’re sorry? You hurt my older brother so much?”
“Sah, are you hurt?”
“Yes, it feels like my heart is being torn to pieces. How are you going to make amends?”
Um, aren't you laughing too hard to have your heart ripped out?
I was floundering in awkwardness and embarrassment, but it was none other than Gerlac who pulled me out of it.
“If you don't remember because you haven't seen it for a long time, you're no stranger to it. Wouldn’t it be too much to use the word compensation?”
He lazily uttered a word and gracefully took a sip of the tea.
Then, Adrian, who was sitting across from him, somehow erased the smile from his lips.
"Is that so?"
“I don’t think it would be unbecoming of a knight to drive a lady into a corner.”
Yeah?
Who was it that drove me into a corner with that hot gaze last night?
Who was it that stopped me from breathing a little while ago, calling me an unscrupulous person?
“Haha, Your Highness the Archduke. driving me into a corner. It is just an expression of affection.”
It was when Adrian responded with a gentle smile.
“An expression of affection?”
Zerlac's dry voice came immediately.
ah… … .
There's something unusual about this atmosphere.
Zerlac looked at me to see if he wanted to say something more, but I just kept my eyes wide open and a puzzled look on my face.
'Sir, you're not just talking about what happened a while ago, are you?'
I was trembling helplessly, but as if I had sorted out my emotions to some extent, Jerlac opened his mouth again.
“Wouldn’t it be more accurate to ask the listener whether it was a rude remark or an expression of affection?”
After he finished speaking, the two men looked at me at the same time.
“… … .”
oh my god
"Bernadette, now it's your turn to answer."
Jerlac said.