Chapter 35: Tea Party (1)

 

‘What exactly are you so afraid of?’

 

That question felt like a blow to the back of my head.

 

It was true that I saved Adele from a calamity-class monster during the hunting festival. But I dismissed it, relying on the baseless belief that even without me, she would have overcome the situation alone through her infinite regressions.

 

What I failed to realize was that Adele feared death itself. Upon reflecting on the princess’ question, I finally understood the real issue.

 

Adele didn’t distrust me.

 

‘Was it me who lacked trust?’

 

I claimed to want a trusting relationship with her, but I was the one who couldn’t trust her.

 

I could come up with excuses—she could ruin my plans anytime because of her ability to reset time, or she was a larger variable than even the Emperor, forcing me to distrust her.

 

But those were meaningless words. Expecting someone to trust you while you don’t trust them is clearly my fault.

 

Perhaps that’s why, when she first heard of the rebellion from the princess, she didn’t come to me directly. My distrust of her might have been the reason.

 

“You’ve realized it, haven’t you?”

 

The princess smirked.

 

“Ha… It was such a simple thing.”

 

“Simple as it may seem, realizing it is not easy.”

 

“Thank you for the advice.”

 

At my words of gratitude, the princess’ eyes widened slightly in surprise. I frowned at her expression, as if she hadn’t expected it.

 

“What’s with that face?”

 

“Oh, nothing… It’s just…”

 

She hesitated before continuing.

 

“I never thought I’d see the day the Duke would thank me.”

 

Her tone seemed genuine rather than sarcastic, which annoyed me a little.

 

I wanted to retort but decided it would be a waste of time and closed my mouth.

 

The princess cleared her throat and asked, “So, what will you do now?”

 

“I’ll address it directly.”

 

Satisfied with my answer, the princess nodded.

 

She was undeniably more skilled in human relationships than I was. Having read people’s minds since childhood, it’s no wonder she picked up on my distrust of Adele.

 

At times like this, I wonder if it’s a lie that she can’t read my thoughts. Surely, if she could, she would have reacted immediately to what I just thought.

 

“Good luck.”

 

With a slight nod, I activated a teleportation spell. Blinding white light filled the room, and my vision flipped.

 

The dazzling room from earlier was gone, replaced by the barren halls of the Duke’s residence.

 

Allen, unfazed by my sudden appearance, spoke.

 

“You’ve returned quickly.”

 

“Where is Adele?”

 

Before Allen could respond, Adele opened the door and stepped out. Perhaps she heard her name. She looked up at me with a curious expression.

 

“Is something the matter?”

 

I paused for a moment at her appearance. She was more dressed up than usual, her face adorned with makeup, and she wore an elegant, ornate dress. I was momentarily taken aback by her beauty but tried not to let it show.

 

“Do you have time today?”

 

“Not right now… but later, I might.”

 

Adele lifted her dress slightly as she replied.

 

Now that I think about it, she had mentioned accepting Estelle’s invitation before. It seemed today was the tea party Estelle was hosting.

 

“Let’s talk after you return. It’s something important about the contract.”

 

After a brief hesitation, Adele nodded.

 

“Alright.”

 

“Oh, your necklace is a bit askew.”

 

As I spoke, I approached her. She flinched at the sudden closeness but didn’t push me away, as if trusting me to handle it.

 

Her reaction made me realize just how much her attitude toward me had changed. In the beginning, she had been wary and prickly, retreating at every interaction. But now, she trusted me enough not to withdraw.

 

While pretending to adjust her ruby necklace, I subtly cast a few spells I had prepared earlier. The gem glowed faintly red as the enchantments activated, unnoticed by her.

 

“It’s done.”

 

“Thank you. It’s my first tea party, so I’m a bit frazzled.”

 

“It’s nothing. Take care.”

 

“Will do.”

 

Adele smiled as she responded. That smile brought back the princess’ earlier question, echoing in my mind alongside the realization: it was me who had failed to trust her from the start.

 

‘I’ve changed so much.’

 

In my previous life, I wasn’t this cautious. Times like this make me marvel at how much I’ve changed. At the same time, I couldn’t help but notice Adele’s purity in contrast.

 

‘Was I ever like that?’

 

Now, having changed so thoroughly, I couldn’t say for certain.

 

****

[Adele’s POV]

 

“Ha…”

 

I was utterly exhausted.

 

It wasn’t just physical fatigue; the mental strain was overwhelming. Even the three deaths I experienced yesterday had been draining enough.

 

But this so-called social gathering, a masquerade of veiled insults, was pushing me to my limits.

 

As someone who had lived in modern society, I could never adapt to such an environment. Subtle jabs disguised as polite conversation were the least of my problems.

 

Seeing a woman who had once spat on me when I collapsed now flip-flopping and fawning over me was…

 

My head didn’t just hurt—it was pounding.

 

“Ugh… damn it.”

 

Clearly, I lacked the talent for navigating social circles. Some young ladies seemed to thrive on subtly tearing others down, drawing energy from it.

 

But I couldn’t. I had detested gossip in my previous life, so it was even harder for me to endure.

 

“The Duchess has quite a sharp tongue, I see.”

 

Startled, I whipped around to see a man in a deep navy uniform. If I remembered correctly, only the Tower Master was permitted to wear that attire.

 

His silver hair glinted in the sunlight, and his crimson eyes, reminiscent of blood, caught my attention. His face was familiar, but I couldn’t immediately recall his name.

 

“Greetings to the Tower Master.”

 

“There’s no need for such formalities.”

 

Scratching his cheek awkwardly, he dismissed my polite greeting. His casual demeanor and lack of noble etiquette made it easy to deduce his identity.

 

The Tower Master, Rev.

 

If I remember right, he was one of the male leads in the original story who had feelings for Estelle. In my previous life, a friend of mine had been obsessed with Rev, out of the three male leads.

 

If she were here, she’d probably be squealing and tugging at my arm, yelling about how he was her type—handsome and insufferable.

 

“So, what brings you here?”

 

Men weren’t allowed at tea parties.

 

Tea parties were defined as gatherings exclusively for young noblewomen to bond. Yet here he was.

 

Misunderstanding my question, Rev replied nonchalantly, “I was curious about the person everyone’s been talking about.”

 

“I see.”

 

Judging by his casual attitude, he likely didn’t even know that men were prohibited from attending tea parties.

 

Given his commoner background, it wasn’t entirely surprising.

 

“By the way…”

 

Rev’s gaze swept over me before he approached slowly, his interest piqued. He leaned in and inspected my necklace closely, making me feel uncomfortable.

 

I raised my fan to block his view.

 

Unbothered by my reaction, he continued to scrutinize the necklace.

 

“Interesting. The Duke seems to care about you quite a bit.”

 

“What do you mean by that?”

 

“Defensive magic, detection magic, teleportation magic…”

 

With a snap of his fingers, the necklace glowed red and began to float. Panicking, I grabbed the necklace before it could rise too high.

 

“And even a curse dispel magic? Isn’t that a bit overprotective?”

 

With another snap, the necklace dropped back down.

 

Fuming, I glared at him. No matter how skilled he was, tampering with someone else’s belongings without permission was crossing the line.

 

Noticing my expression, Rev waved his hands apologetically.

 

“Ah, sorry. It was just so fascinating. I didn’t mean to be rude.”

 

“I’m glad you realized that.”

 

He let out an awkward laugh but quickly averted his gaze when our eyes met. After a moment of silence, he sighed and pulled a few gold coins out of thin air.

 

“Would this suffice?”

 

I nearly slapped my forehead in disbelief but restrained myself. For someone as powerful as the Tower Master, his ignorance of noble customs was astounding.

 

If I had been an ordinary noble, his actions could easily have been interpreted as an insult. Fortunately for him, I was an outlier, so I simply found the situation absurd.

 

“I don’t need gold coins. I’ll accept your apology, though.”

 

“But—”

 

“Rev.”

 

A sharp, frosty voice interrupted him from behind me. It was colder than the dead of winter.

 

Turning around, I saw Estelle, arms crossed, glaring at Rev.

 

“What exactly are you doing here?”

 

Before I could say anything, she grabbed his arm and began dragging him away. Caught off guard, Rev didn’t even have time to protest.

 

‘…He’s completely whipped.’

 

Well, he was in the wrong this time.

 

Not only had he come to a tea party—a space meant exclusively for noblewomen—but he also addressed me informally and tried to compensate for his rudeness with gold coins.

 

The more I thought about it, the more justified Estelle’s actions seemed.

 

‘So this is what they mean by “instant justice.”’

 

For some reason, I felt an odd sense of satisfaction.

– – – The End of The Chapter – – –

 

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