My head was a mess.
I was glad to have figured out the reason Estelle had shown me a kindness that was anything but. The problem was how she had read the intention behind my question.
There was no way she had a mind-reading ability like a princess.
“Sigh…”
I pressed my forehead as a migraine throbbed. The situation felt complicated in a different way than it did at the beginning, when I was merely concerned about saving my own neck.
Now, it felt like I was being swept away by a massive current. A current I couldn’t resist or escape.
“We’ve arrived.”
While I was deep in thought, the coachman said this. I shook my head to clear my thoughts and opened the carriage door.
And there he was—an all too familiar male face. Gray hair, silver eyes, and a scar around his eyes.
“…Abel?”
For a moment, I was startled by the casual way he extended his hand, but soon, I took his hand in a familiar manner.
Though I was receiving Abel’s escort naturally, my confusion about the situation remained.
As I slowly stepped down from the carriage with his help, the familiar scent of roses greeted me.
Perhaps because of that, my complicated head started to clear a bit. It felt like the comforting smell of home after coming back from work.
‘It’s a little strange.’
I had only been here for a few months, yet I felt this way. I had never felt this kind of comfort in what was supposed to be my real home at the House of Este.
I could argue that it wasn’t really mine but belonged to Adele before my possession.
“Are you okay?”
I snapped back to reality at Abel’s concerned question.
“Yes. I’m fine.”
“That’s a relief, then.”
He said that and walked ahead. I also moved my feet to follow Abel. As I scanned the scenery of the garden, his profile caught my eye.
He walked at a pace that wasn’t too fast or too slow. There was something rigid about him, yet somehow his shoulders appeared heavy.
Perhaps it was because I had unknowingly grown fond of Abel.
“How was the tea party?”
“Well, it was just okay.”
“It seems it wasn’t that great, then.”
At Abel’s discerning comment, I was momentarily at a loss for words.
He was right; it really wasn’t a great soirée. I still struggled to adapt to the social masquerade typical of high society.
But how did Abel figure that out so quickly?
My puzzlement must have been clear on my face, as Abel chuckled and spoke up.
“I’ve never seen you say it was just okay while wearing a cheerful expression.”
“That’s… true.”
He wasn’t wrong, and I quickly nodded in agreement.
Saying it was just okay was more of a habitual expression for me. It was a lie I had used to avoid worrying my parents or close friends.
But the fact that Abel of all people noticed this still surprised me.
“This place should be enough.”
We stopped at a path that crossed the middle of the garden.
He held out his hand to the air. At the same moment, a massive flow of mana began to surge from him like waves.
“What the—”
Before I could finish my sentence, a white magic circle spread out on the ground. It materialized instantly, as if stamped in place.
Without having time to admire it, my vision was engulfed in darkness.
Whoosh…
A subtle vibration echoed, and the scenery of the garden vanished.
“This is…”
“This is my subspace. We can’t let what we’re about to discuss leak outside.”
A conversation that couldn’t escape outside. Was that why he unfolded this subspace? I turned to observe the surrounding landscape.
All around was a black void.
Nothing was visible; only Abel and I remained. I might not know much about magic, but I could tell how impressive this particular magic was.
“Are you feeling dizzy?”
“No? Not particularly…”
“Indeed, you don’t seem overly sensitive.”
Sensitive.
If I were more attuned to mana, I might have felt a bit queasy. The sheer power of the mana he had just displayed was nothing short of overwhelming.
“The symbol of the contract.”
Whoosh…
With his words, two pieces of paper fluttered down.
The symbol of the contract. Did he mean the contract papers?
If it were the contract for our arranged marriage, he must have given it to me back then. If my memory served me right, it was likely still in the drawer of my room at the House of Este.
I picked up the fallen paper and unfolded it, revealing a pristine white sheet. It looked different from the dense contract I had seen when I first met Abel.
When I lifted my head, I saw him also holding a piece of paper. Before I could ask anything, Abel spoke first.
“Didn’t I say this was an important conversation about the contract?”
I had indeed heard that this morning.
However, I thought it would be something simple, like a readjustment of the existing contract. I assumed we would merely discuss extending the contract at best.
It seemed he had meant something quite different.
“Rebellion against the Imperial Family.”
I flinched at the word Abel brought up. His amusement at my reaction made him smile as he continued.
“Why are you so surprised? It’s my fault for not mentioning it earlier.”
“What do you mean by that?”
Suddenly, the contents of the contract sprang to mind. I had read it repeatedly, nearly memorizing it, and could remember even the fine details.
First, Abel von Hardenberg shall be the fiancé of Adele von Este for one year and assist the fiancée Adele to the best of his abilities.
Second, in exchange, the House of Hardenberg shall obtain exclusive rights to the trading activities of the House of Este for one year.
Third, if necessary, adjustments or cancellation of the contract may be made through mutual consent. At such times, both parties must be of sound mind.
“Isn’t now precisely one of those necessary occasions?”
As he said that, Abel smiled softly.
My thoughts were not functioning well.
In other words, had Abel mentioned his own responsibility regarding the contract first?
This meticulous and thorough person had even anticipated writing up the marriage contract before we had met.
The same man who, in the original story, had climbed to the position of the mastermind with his careful calculations. Perhaps it was the mismatch with my mental image of Abel that caused a cognitive dissonance.
No, it was surprising enough that he had mentioned rebellion against the Imperial Family first. Given Abel’s meticulous nature, I had never thought I would hear such information from him.
Yet he conveyed it so casually.
“You seem rather shocked.”
“Of course!”
I unknowingly answered loudly, then quickly covered my mouth. He continued speaking without minding my outburst.
“The rules are simple.”
A white flame burned a hole in the center of the paper.
Then, like magic ink being written down, black letters spelling “contract” began appearing on the paper. As Abel snapped his fingers, the flames began to dance atop the paper.
‘An artifact… perhaps?’
Did such artifacts exist in the ducal family? Well, considering the family’s history, it wouldn’t be unusual for them to possess something like this.
The burning flames soon simmered. The original contract we had exchanged began rewriting itself on the paper.
The content matched my memory exactly.
“You each have three opportunities to add, modify, or delete clauses.”
As Abel finished speaking, the number three appeared at the corner of the paper.
Was this the number of chances to alter the clauses? When I looked up, I found him studying the paper intently.
“What do you think? This should be more than fair, right?”
“Yes, it’s fair.”
He was right.
It was a sufficiently rational and equitable rule. Even if the other party tried to add unreasonable clauses, we could modify or delete them.
On the other hand, I wouldn’t be able to impose any unreasonable demands either. Abel must have considered that fact when proposing such rules.
It felt like he wanted us to renegotiate the contract on equal footing.
“Let’s begin.”
Whoosh…
I felt a gentle vibration emanate from the paper. At the same time, Abel spoke first.
“I add a clause. If necessary, Adele von Este will assist Abel von Hardenberg in his rebellion.”
As the white flames flickered across the paper, words began to form as Abel had stated.
A fourth clause was added to the contract, as he insisted.
“It’s now your turn, Adele.”
“I…”
Cooperate in rebellion, huh.
While it did have the precondition of “if necessary,” it essentially meant I would have to assist in the rebellion based on necessity.
Of course, considering the rules of this contract, it was more of a proposal, as I also had the right to modify or delete the clause.
I could see how this was made to feel fair.
“I’ll add a clause: ‘The necessary conditions mentioned in the above clause refer to when mutual consent is achieved.'”
The number three, noted at the corner of the paper, changed to two. Simultaneously, white flames appeared on both ours as the fifth clause was added.
Abel, who had quietly watched, spoke again.
“I’ll modify the fifth clause: ‘Mutual consent can only happen when both parties are of sound mind.'”
“That’s…”
In that moment, I realized my oversight. I had completely forgotten that such a type of magic existed in this world.
“Still inexperienced, huh. You must always take into account mental magic during contract discussions.”
“You’re right.”
I nodded slightly at his advice. It was indeed my fault for not considering mental magic.
However, the fact that he had used one of his chances to correct that clause instead of just letting it be…
‘Does he trust me?’
Abel had one chance left, while I had two.
If I were to come up with two unreasonable clauses in this situation, he wouldn’t have the chance to counter them. Yet he willingly wasted his opportunity, signifying a certain level of trust in me.
Somehow, that made me feel a little strange.
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