Knowing this, Ariella couldn’t help but feel subtly excited.
Nobert had spoken of love to her, and she, too, felt a ticklish emotion towards him. They even lost track of time while talking at the restaurant booked by Baron Turner, the conversation was so enjoyable.
‘I need to restrain myself a little.’
Yes, she needed composure. An excited heart would only hinder her revenge.
‘Look at me now. I came an hour early for no reason.’
Hearing the cheerful chirping of birds not far away, Ariella raised her head and glanced around.
She had arrived an hour early and was standing in Blueton Square, located in the heart of Edinburgh.
The square was beautiful on a clear summer day.
Under the bright sunshine, leafy trees swayed gently, providing shade from the heat, and an artist who had set up near the fountain played an instrument with lively gestures.
The performance wasn’t as perfect as the music Ariella usually listened to, but that made it all the more pleasant.
This was a decent environment to kill an hour.
However, there was one thing that bothered her.
‘Why are they all staring like that?’
She had only been quietly enjoying the music in the shade of a tree, but an unusually large number of people were glancing at her.
Had they recognized her as the Duchess of Bedford?
Her attire was quite extravagant, but in the heart of Edinburgh, it wasn’t particularly special.
Moreover, she was wearing a wide-brimmed hat that covered half of her face, making it even more difficult to identify her.
And somehow, the way people were glancing at her seemed different from what she had experienced before.
Unable to contain her curiosity, Ariella asked,
“Sir Adam, don’t you think people keep looking at me? I don’t know why… Is there something on my face?”
Of all people, she had to ask the one who would have the most difficulty answering.
“…No. There’s nothing on your face.”
“Really?”
“Yes. You are spotless.”
Then why do you look so serious? Ariella almost asked, but stopped herself. Adam’s face seemed to grow more pained with each question she asked.
However, she couldn’t just stand still, as the gazes pouring in from all directions were overwhelming. She raised a hand to shield her face and looked around, searching for a place to hide from the prying eyes.
Fortunately, she saw a dirt path surrounded by trees not far away. It was less crowded than the open square.
“Sir Adam, let’s go over there…”
She was about to suggest this to Adam when his face suddenly contorted.
Ariella quickly turned around, realizing that his gaze was directed not at her, but at something behind her.
At that moment, someone grabbed her arm forcefully and pulled her.
Thick blond hair, blue eyes, and an unusually large mouth came into view in succession.
Her recognition was delayed for a moment due to the unkempt hair and disheveled appearance, but Ariella soon realized that the man who had roughly grabbed her arm had a very familiar face.
“David Bedford. Why are you…”
Ariella had never imagined that she would see her younger brother, who had run away from home for fear of their father’s anger, here. This was also due to David’s unpredictable nature.
“Be quiet and come with me!”
David ordered fiercely and led her in the opposite direction. Adam tried to stop him, but Ariella quietly shook her head.
There was still plenty of time before her appointment, and she also had something she wanted to say to David.
‘Could he have been staying at the Hotel Mercedes all this time?’
Ariella couldn’t help but feel bewildered by the thought that occurred to her as she followed David down a back alley where hardly anyone passed.
Considering that she had encountered him by chance in Blueton Square, right next to the hotel, this was a very plausible assumption.
Also, David looked disheveled, as if he had just woken up, but the scent emanating from his hair and skin was clearly that of high-end amenities.
‘Ha, how impressive.’
It hadn’t been long since her future brother-in-law had experienced a major incident there, yet he was staying at the Hotel Mercedes of all places. The Duke would be furious if he found out.
This was probably why the Bedford knights hadn’t been able to find David.
In that sense, there seemed to be no better place to hide than this hotel, but David wasn’t smart enough to have chosen the hotel for that reason.
He probably just wanted to stay at the most famous and best hotel, so he chose the Mercedes.
Before long, David stopped abruptly.
They hadn’t gone far from where she had been, but the alley was deep and dark for a central area, and there were no people passing by.
