She planned to bring down the Bedford family, which her father valued above all else, and push him into a pit from which he could not escape, before leaving this mansion. Without worrying about being caught, and with dignity.
‘And after that…’
The face of the man who looked at her with longing eyes suddenly appeared before her.
Nobert, the man who held her sticky hand and whispered that it wasn’t nearly enough.
The reason Ariella hadn’t revealed that she harbored similar feelings for him was because she had too many tasks left to accomplish.
She had vowed not to speak until she had finished all her revenge. Even with the resolve that he might be looking at someone else by then.
But Nobert’s gaze towards her had only deepened, not faded, and her revenge was nearing its end.
So maybe.
Even if it was a small possibility, maybe…
The moment when their hearts could connect wasn’t far off.
As this thought crossed her mind, Ariella cleared her throat involuntarily.
For some reason, the area near her chest felt unbearably itchy. At the same time, a feeling of embarrassment surged, and Ariella glanced around, as if someone might read her thoughts.
But that assumption soon became reality.
“…Miss. What were you thinking about just now?”
Ariella was startled to find Amira staring at her. How long had she been watching? The question arose, but she didn’t ask.
“Huh? Nothing in particular.”
She exerted all the acting skills she had honed through many experiences, but for some reason, it never seemed to work on Amira.
“For someone who was thinking about nothing, your face is quite flushed.”
Amira smiled like a child who had found something to tease her with. The way she wiggled her eyebrows up and down and squinted her eyes was very mischievous.
“It’s not like that.”
“Not like what? I didn’t say anything?”
She desperately protested, only to provide more ammunition. Ariella closed her eyes tightly, seeing Amira’s lips twitching incessantly.
“I’m telling you, it’s not…”
“Hee-eung, it’s not…”
Amira mimicked Ariella’s tone, and the two women couldn’t help but burst into laughter together.
If she had her way, Amira would have liked to tease her mistress a little more, now that she was already embarrassed, but she restrained herself, thinking about Lord Adam right next to them.
The clear laughter continued for a while before subsiding.
Ariella folded her long eyes into a gentle curve and stared at Amira. Then, in a somewhat cautious voice, she continued.
“You know, Amira. If… if.”
Unlike her usual self, who always expressed her intentions concisely and neatly, Ariella hesitated for a moment.
“Later, if I leave this mansion… will you come with me?”
Amira’s voice, saying that she wanted to stay by her side forever, was vivid in her memory. She couldn’t forget it, as it was the first time she had gained an ally.
But Ariella wasn’t sure if that feeling was genuine, or if it had changed, so she cautiously gauged her reaction.
Meanwhile, Amira answered very quickly, as if such a concern was ridiculous.
“Of course!”
As if it were a matter of course, or as if it hadn’t already been agreed upon, she wore a puzzled expression.
“I’ve already made up my mind. I’ve decided to stay by your side until the day I die. Whether you get married or not, whether you have children or not, I’ll always be there!”
“…Until the day you die?”
“Yes, until the day I die.”
Amira winked playfully, lightly clinking her coffee cup against Ariella’s, as if toasting.
With a clear ‘clink,’ Ariella smiled brightly again.
And as if they had planned it, both women’s gazes turned to one man at the same time. It was Adam, who was sitting quietly and silently.
They were asking with eyes that sparkled with an almost burdensome intensity. Whether he felt the same way or not.
Adam recoiled instinctively, overwhelmed by the attention focused on him.
“…Maybe not until the day I die.”
He hesitated, then opened his mouth slowly but firmly.
“Yes. Didn’t I promise you? I said that I would find my own path and leave after you are truly happy. Until then, I will stay by your side, no matter where you are or what situation you are in. Because that is my mission.”
A mission. Duke Bedford wouldn’t have given him such a task, so it was clearly a role he had imposed on himself. Even though there was no need to do so.
“…Thank you, Lord.”
Ariella smiled and raised her coffee cup towards him. Adam, who hadn’t even touched his own cup, awkwardly picked it up.
Clink-.
Three cups clinked together, and again a cheerful sound rang out.
After the playful toast, the party attendees all gulped down the cool coffee.
Amira, who emptied her cup first, asked again with a mischievous smile.
“Lord Adam, didn’t you say that you couldn’t eat during working hours?”
Fortunately, the target of this teasing was Adam, not Ariella.
Adam looked flustered, as if he had been caught off guard. He stared at the coffee cup with a serious look, then desperately came up with an excuse.
“…Coffee is fine, as it awakens the mind and helps with guarding.”
“Puhahaha!”
The two women burst into laughter again at his earnest explanation.
As the laughter continued, Adam’s face turned slightly red. Even he thought his excuse was lame.
In consideration of him, Ariella tried to control her laughter and changed the subject.
“Come to think of it, Lord, your hair has grown quite long.”
Ariella remembered Adam’s hair being about shoulder-length. It was longer than other men’s, but it wasn’t very noticeable because of its light color and fine texture.
But now his hair was much longer, reaching down along his neckline. It was almost long enough to tie up.
“Ah, yes. I’ve been too busy with work to cut it for a while.”
So busy that he didn’t even have time to cut his hair!
Ariella realized anew how much she had overworked him. Her face contorted with a surge of guilt.
Adam, interpreting her expression in a different way, suddenly bowed his head and apologized.
“I apologize if it looks messy to you, Miss. I will take care of it.”
“No, absolutely not! Messy? Not at all.”
Ariella was horrified and waved her hands frantically. Even though she denied it with a raised voice, Adam didn’t seem convinced.
Growing impatient, she continued to elaborate.
“My expression just now was because I felt sorry for overworking you. You’re so handsome, Lord, that your current hair looks really good on you.”
“…”
“Really. You’re the first man I’ve ever seen who looks so good with long hair. You’re cool, Lord Adam.”
“…Yes. Thank you.”
When she praised him with a thumbs up, Adam turned his head slightly to the other side and replied. His face wasn’t clearly visible because of it, but the misunderstanding seemed to have been resolved.
Relieved, Ariella drank her coffee again with a relaxed mind.
‘Miss is guilty.’
