Chapter 8: No Clue (Three)

His response was different from what I had experienced in the past.

I felt a tinge of disappointment as I realized I would have received such a warm welcome had I not punched him in my previous life.

Nevertheless, my thoughts were not solely focused on lamenting. I knew my past mistakes better than anyone else, and I was confident that I would not repeat them.

I would change the course of events so that, despite any challenges he might face in the future, he would have his eyes fixed on me, just as he was smiling at me now.

Lost in my thoughts, I momentarily forgot to greet him in return. I quickly cleared my mind and responded.

"...Nice to meet you, Lord Kraus. I am Elena Edelweiss, the eldest daughter of the Edelweiss family."

'Aghhhhhh!! It's so hard!!!'

Although I was smiling, I was worried that it looked too unnatural. Perhaps due to nervousness, my words sounded stiff and rigid.

'What if he thinks I dislike conversing with him? What if he immediately calls off the engagement?'

All my worries flooded my mind at once. Thankfully, despite my concerns, he did not seem particularly displeased.

Believing that my nervousness stemmed from the presence of others, he conversed with his butler and asked both him and Hailey to leave. As Hailey made her way out, she winked at me, offering her support, and departed with a teasing smile.

Once the door closed, silence enveloped the room. It was now just the two of us.

'Just the two of us.'

'Huh?'

As I realized that, my mind began to wander once again. 

Strange thoughts refused to leave my head today, causing me to question if I had always been such an indecent person.

I knew in my head that he didn’t have that kind of personality or was the kind of person to do anything to me. However, desire consumed my thoughts.

A man and a woman in their prime sat alone in a room together. The attendants had already left and informed others of their privacy.

\With my transcendental senses that surpassed those of an ordinary human, I could easily detect anyone approaching the room.

What mattered was that no one would know what transpired within this room if something were to happen.

'Honestly speaking, isn't a woman like me worth touching?'

After living through three lives, I was well aware of my exceptional beauty. Regardless of their honor or status, there was not a single man who could resist stealing a glance at me, be it the Swordmaster, the Great Magician, or even the Emperor himself.

Even the goddess of beauty whom the priests worshipped paled in comparison. I wondered if I was cursed by the goddess because of my appearance. 

Of course, I swiftly retaliated. I brought down the deity and swiftly taught them a lesson they wouldn't forget, leaving their behinds burning red.

There were some transcendentalists who were charmed by my beauty and couldn’t resist their desires. They jumped at me which left them in for a lot of pain. 

But he had never been one of them.

However, right now, he had no lover or any animosity towards me.

'Then, doesn’t that mean there’s a possibility?'

If I had been rational, I would have known that such a thing was unlikely to occur. But rationality eluded me at this moment.

While I was lost in my delusions, Damian moved first. That small movement made my body flinch. I thought my delusion was finally becoming a reality…but as expected, it never happened.

He simply retrieved two cups from the tea set beside him and poured the fragrant tea, one for me and one for himself. After handing me the cup, he calmly took a sip from his own, mirroring the composed

It was only at that moment that I realized I had been indulging in nonsensical thoughts.

If the foreign deities and other divine spirits, who perished at my hands, witnessed the Great Magician, who had surpassed God, being swayed by desire and losing her reason, they would be left speechless.

Furthermore, if he were the type of man who would easily give in to his desires, I wouldn't have fallen for him like this. I felt embarrassed for forgetting that and expecting something to happen.

"We are engaged, yet this is our first meeting in person, Lady Edelweiss, is it not?"

Nevertheless, I couldn't help feeling frustrated that he didn't find me attractive enough to lose control. And so, a sense of gloom settled over me again. As I fiddled with the teacup, he broke the silence.

“We’re to be engaged, however, this is the first time we’re meeting in person, is it not, Lady Edelweiss?”

“Yes…”

The conversation stopped here.

He thought I was still nervous, while it didn't occur to me to engage in conversation since my mind was consumed by shameful delusions.

As the room fell silent once more, a sweet fragrance wafted through the air. When I turned my head to identify the source of the aroma, I noticed a plate beside the tea set that he had prepared. It had been covered, hence why I hadn't noticed it earlier.

The desserts on the plate were impressive, even compared to the famous chocolates made in the capital.

Come to think of it, I remember that there was a chef who used to work in the capital is the head chef at Count Kraus' place. It dawned on me why this artwork was here, considering that the only joy I had experienced in this place during my first life was being able to eat the desserts he created anytime.

He seemed to anticipate my reaction to the desserts, and relief flickered across his face as he spoke.

“I usually enjoy eating sweets. It’s embarrassing, but I prepared some in advance to have them with you. Do you perhaps enjoy sweets too, Lady Edelweiss?”

“Ah, yes. Yes, I do enjoy them.”

'Liar. You can't eat anything sweet...'

The fact that he couldn't savor sweets was one indication that he wasn't Damian. Damian enjoyed sweet treats even more than I did.

The reason why he prepared this was probably because of me and to calm my nerves.

As he mentioned the dessert, memories of what I had done to him in my previous life flooded my mind.

It had taken place in this very room, but the atmosphere had been much more intense.

Although the desserts had occupied the same spot, I had ruined them, causing them to fall to the floor.

'We worked so hard to prepare this, now it’s a mess.'

He said as stared at the unrecognizable desserts. Unlike now, his gaze had been sharp as a knife.

'I can see that there is no need for us to talk... Um, I suppose we needn't use honorifics either. Elena Edelweiss, you look like you want to cancel this engagement. I’ll do as you please.'

That was the end. There was no further conversation and I left the Count’s manor with Hailey without looking back.

Thus, my past self and he had started off on the wrong foot from the very beginning, and our relationship had been doomed from the start.

Although I knew things were different now, perhaps due to lingering feelings, I continued to blame myself and dwell on the past. The more I observed the present, the more I realized how starkly it contrasted with my previous experiences.

With great care, he began placing the desserts onto the plate. After selecting an assortment of sweets, he finally handed them to me with a smile.

If I hadn't behaved in such a manner in my previous life, he would have responded in this exact same way.

As I gazed at the exquisite refreshments before me, it brought to mind what I had once crushed.

I had crushed his goodwill.

A sense of remorse and gratitude washed over me simultaneously. I had already trampled upon his goodwill once, and I vowed it would never happen again.

Among the array of desserts he had presented, I chose a slice of cake, delicately cutting it into small pieces with a fork before taking a bite.

“Mmm~”

True to the skills of a talented chef, the cake tasted absolutely divine. It was crafted with the finest chocolate and whipped cream. Moreover, the texture of the cake, with its perfect sponginess and moistness, was a delight to savor.

As I relished the cake slowly, I offered a silent prayer, hoping that I would continue to experience such sweetness in the future.

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