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Indeed, getting engaged and married at a young age was common in this world. By the standards of this world, using age as an excuse didn’t seem very convincing.
“Look over there.”
Dana could feel people’s gazes starting to gather.
“Isn’t that Lady Danae Windsor?”
“Who is the one in front of her? The third son of the Lancaster family?”
“My goodness, what’s going on? Are they on a date?”
Dana began to grow worried about the boy. She was still officially engaged to Raios, and yet he had the nerve to court her so openly in a public place.Given Raios’s past, isn’t he scared at all?
Just then, someone entered the edge of Dana’s vision. Was it Count Cedric? A young lord close to Raios was staring straight at her…
“What are you doing now?”
Startled, Dana flinched with her shoulders trembling.This voice!
“What do you think you’re doing now?!” Noah stood there, looking incredulous.
Justin laughed awkwardly. “Uh, No-Noah? Did you come to see the concert too?”
“I’m asking what you’re doing.”
How exhausting. The moment their eyes met, an overwhelming fatigue washed over Dana. Because she already knew what was about to unfold.
“Anyway, Cadet Lancaster.”
So, before it dragged on any further, let’s wrap this up.
Dana spoke firmly. “Please remember what I just said.”
“And keep what you promised in your letter.”
Justin’s face fell.
As Dana was about to get back into the carriage, a strong grip seized her wrist.
“I told you to wait!”
As expected, it wouldn’t end easily.
Noah grabbed her and roughly spun her around. “What do you think you’re doing!”
Just as she’d expected, Noah was furious.
“Are you meeting my friend now?”
“Don’t be ridiculous! I just saw it with my own eyes. How can you say no!”
Why ask if you’re not going to believe me anyway?
Noah let out a series of incredulous laughs. “Justin is my friend. He’s even my roommate at the military academy dorms. So what exactly are you doing right now?”
“What do you think? I rejected him.”
“Rejected him? Don’t lie to me. You’re just pretending to reject him because I caught you! Don’t think I can’t see through your acting!”
As always, he was a boy she simply couldn’t have a conversation with. Dana was sick of this endless loop.
“Aren’t you ashamed? What, having one secretary wasn’t enough for you?”
“Yeah.” I sighed wearily. “Fine. Believe that if you want.”
Noah’s face went blank. “…What did you say? Are you seriously admitting it now?”
When she denied it, he wouldn’t believe her for a second. Yet now that she spoke as though she were admitting it, he looked utterly shocked. The heart of a teenage boy really was unfathomable. But honestly, Dana was too tired to explain.
“Think whatever you want. You won’t believe me no matter what I say anyway.” With that, she shook his hand off and climbed back into the carriage. Before closing the door, she threw him one last remark. “Oh, and I’d appreciate it if you stopped interfering in my affairs.”
“Who I met has nothing to do with you. It’s kind of strange for you to meddle like that.”
We’re not even family. Dana wanted to say that, but couldn’t say it because the coachman was present. Instead, she spoke of this. “We’re not that close, after all.”
Slam!The door then closed with a slam.
Noah stared blankly at the receding carriage.What did I just hear?Was it a dream? A nightmare? An illusion? Such foolish thoughts crossed his mind. Otherwise, that woman wouldn’t have said such things to him…
Does she think I meddle because I like it? Ah, right. That’s what he should have said. The retort came to him too late.
It’s because she’s in my sister’s body. That’s why. If it weren’t for that, I wouldn’t care who she meets or what she does!
Noach clenched his fist. His emotions were strange. This heat rising to his head was clearly anger, yet mixed with it was an odd sense of anxiety. Annoyed by that feeling, he deliberately snorted.So she thinks she can get angry at me now?It was infuriating.How dare she get angry at me when she’s just a liar, a fraud, a thief!
At the hand gripping his shoulder, Noah spun around. Justin was standing there, looking surprised.
“…Noah? Did something happen?”
“What’s wrong with your eyes?”
What nonsense. Noah glared at him, then realized heat was pooling around his eyes. He must have been too angry and worked up. He rubbed his reddened eyes.
“But what about Lady Danae Windsor? Did she leave?”
“How would I know?”
“Ah, that’s too bad. Really.” Justin clicked his tongue in disappointment. “Like I thought, she’s not easy.”
“…What did you say?”
“Huh? No, nothing. Just… she’s clearly on a different level from other women, don’t you think so?” He hurriedly tried to smooth things over and lightly patted Noah’s shoulder. “I’m never giving up. That’s okay, right?”
“F*ck.” Noah muttered the crude curse under his breath without realizing it.
“Huh? What did you say?”
“Get lost.” Noah rushed Justin’s hand away and walked off. He didn’t want to talk anymore.
“Noah? The performance is about to start, aren’t you going in? Noah!” But Justin followed him to the end and grabbed his shoulder again. “You’re off today, right? What are you going to do? Go back to the dorms or home?”
“Home.” After answering that carelessly, he shook off Justin’s hand and walked away quickly. Noah didn’t want to talk anymore. His mood had turned terrible.
How long had he wandered aimlessly like that? Before he knew it, Noah had arrived at the fountain in the square.
“Noah, did you know?”
Suddenly, he heard that woman’s voice. Her voice from some day in the past, right here, holding his hand tightly as she spoke.
“There’s a story that if you throw a coin into the fountain and make a wish, it will come true.”
“I’ve never heard that before.”“Want to try? Just for fun.”“Sure!”I wish I were the person Sister Dana loves the most in the world. Just like now, forever!Noah had thrown in a coin and made that wish. Looking back now, he had been quite sincere.“What about you, Sister? Aren’t you going to wish too?”“Aah, my wish has already come true.”“What is it?”“To have a lovely family like you, Noah.”Noah slowly walked up to the fountain. The coin he had thrown was gone.“Ha.” He let out a hollow laugh.Of course. There’s no way the coin would still be here. It had been years ago…He shouldn’t have done such a foolish thing. After all, his wish had already been shattered long ago.Even looking at that place made him feel suffocated with irritation, so Noah turned away.Where should I go?Originally, he had planned to return to the Windsor mansion after the concert and spend his day off there. But he didn’t want to go home right now. So he went back to the dormitory instead.“Uh, No-Noah?”And there, he witnessed an utterly bizarre scene.“Noah, didn’t you say you wouldn’t be returning today?”In the dormitory, Justin and some women were lying on his bed. Women. Moreover, of various ages.“Di-Didn’t you say you’d be staying at home tonight? W-Why are you here?”“…”“T-This is.Ahaha… Hey, why aren’t you leaving, you inconsiderate brats!” Justin smacked the women on their hips, shooing them away. Then he hurriedly got dressed as he made excuses. “Well, you see, I got rejected by your sister, didn’t I? So, I was really upset.”Noah slowly swept his gaze around the room. A fishy stench hit his nose, making his face twist in disgust.“I’m not usually like this, you know? Right? But…”He couldn’t hear a word his so-called friend was saying anymore. After all, his mind was filled with a single thought.What a piece of trash. And this trash sent love letters to that woman?An unbearable sense of disgust rose up. And it looked like that woman was actually tempted by this trash. Who knows, she might even accept him. She’s so naïve and gullible, always getting deceived by others…“No need to clean up. I’ll just ask for a room change.” Noah spat out in a voice dripping with contempt. “How could I keep using a place that’s become so filthy. Right?”“Wait! Noah! That’s not it―”Not wanting to hear any more, Noah walked out of the room.
“I’ve never heard that before.”
“Want to try? Just for fun.”“Sure!”I wish I were the person Sister Dana loves the most in the world. Just like now, forever!Noah had thrown in a coin and made that wish. Looking back now, he had been quite sincere.“What about you, Sister? Aren’t you going to wish too?”“Aah, my wish has already come true.”“What is it?”“To have a lovely family like you, Noah.”Noah slowly walked up to the fountain. The coin he had thrown was gone.“Ha.” He let out a hollow laugh.Of course. There’s no way the coin would still be here. It had been years ago…He shouldn’t have done such a foolish thing. After all, his wish had already been shattered long ago.Even looking at that place made him feel suffocated with irritation, so Noah turned away.Where should I go?Originally, he had planned to return to the Windsor mansion after the concert and spend his day off there. But he didn’t want to go home right now. So he went back to the dormitory instead.“Uh, No-Noah?”And there, he witnessed an utterly bizarre scene.“Noah, didn’t you say you wouldn’t be returning today?”In the dormitory, Justin and some women were lying on his bed. Women. Moreover, of various ages.“Di-Didn’t you say you’d be staying at home tonight? W-Why are you here?”“…”“T-This is.Ahaha… Hey, why aren’t you leaving, you inconsiderate brats!” Justin smacked the women on their hips, shooing them away. Then he hurriedly got dressed as he made excuses. “Well, you see, I got rejected by your sister, didn’t I? So, I was really upset.”Noah slowly swept his gaze around the room. A fishy stench hit his nose, making his face twist in disgust.“I’m not usually like this, you know? Right? But…”He couldn’t hear a word his so-called friend was saying anymore. After all, his mind was filled with a single thought.What a piece of trash. And this trash sent love letters to that woman?An unbearable sense of disgust rose up. And it looked like that woman was actually tempted by this trash. Who knows, she might even accept him. She’s so naïve and gullible, always getting deceived by others…“No need to clean up. I’ll just ask for a room change.” Noah spat out in a voice dripping with contempt. “How could I keep using a place that’s become so filthy. Right?”“Wait! Noah! That’s not it―”Not wanting to hear any more, Noah walked out of the room.
“Want to try? Just for fun.”
“Sure!”I wish I were the person Sister Dana loves the most in the world. Just like now, forever!Noah had thrown in a coin and made that wish. Looking back now, he had been quite sincere.“What about you, Sister? Aren’t you going to wish too?”“Aah, my wish has already come true.”“What is it?”“To have a lovely family like you, Noah.”Noah slowly walked up to the fountain. The coin he had thrown was gone.“Ha.” He let out a hollow laugh.Of course. There’s no way the coin would still be here. It had been years ago…He shouldn’t have done such a foolish thing. After all, his wish had already been shattered long ago.Even looking at that place made him feel suffocated with irritation, so Noah turned away.Where should I go?Originally, he had planned to return to the Windsor mansion after the concert and spend his day off there. But he didn’t want to go home right now. So he went back to the dormitory instead.“Uh, No-Noah?”And there, he witnessed an utterly bizarre scene.“Noah, didn’t you say you wouldn’t be returning today?”In the dormitory, Justin and some women were lying on his bed. Women. Moreover, of various ages.“Di-Didn’t you say you’d be staying at home tonight? W-Why are you here?”“…”“T-This is.Ahaha… Hey, why aren’t you leaving, you inconsiderate brats!” Justin smacked the women on their hips, shooing them away. Then he hurriedly got dressed as he made excuses. “Well, you see, I got rejected by your sister, didn’t I? So, I was really upset.”Noah slowly swept his gaze around the room. A fishy stench hit his nose, making his face twist in disgust.“I’m not usually like this, you know? Right? But…”He couldn’t hear a word his so-called friend was saying anymore. After all, his mind was filled with a single thought.What a piece of trash. And this trash sent love letters to that woman?An unbearable sense of disgust rose up. And it looked like that woman was actually tempted by this trash. Who knows, she might even accept him. She’s so naïve and gullible, always getting deceived by others…“No need to clean up. I’ll just ask for a room change.” Noah spat out in a voice dripping with contempt. “How could I keep using a place that’s become so filthy. Right?”“Wait! Noah! That’s not it―”Not wanting to hear any more, Noah walked out of the room.
I wish I were the person Sister Dana loves the most in the world. Just like now, forever!Noah had thrown in a coin and made that wish. Looking back now, he had been quite sincere.
“What about you, Sister? Aren’t you going to wish too?”
“Aah, my wish has already come true.”
“To have a lovely family like you, Noah.”
Noah slowly walked up to the fountain. The coin he had thrown was gone.
“Ha.” He let out a hollow laugh.
Of course. There’s no way the coin would still be here. It had been years ago…He shouldn’t have done such a foolish thing. After all, his wish had already been shattered long ago.
Even looking at that place made him feel suffocated with irritation, so Noah turned away.
Where should I go?Originally, he had planned to return to the Windsor mansion after the concert and spend his day off there. But he didn’t want to go home right now. So he went back to the dormitory instead.
And there, he witnessed an utterly bizarre scene.
“Noah, didn’t you say you wouldn’t be returning today?”
In the dormitory, Justin and some women were lying on his bed. Women. Moreover, of various ages.
“Di-Didn’t you say you’d be staying at home tonight? W-Why are you here?”
“T-This is.Ahaha… Hey, why aren’t you leaving, you inconsiderate brats!” Justin smacked the women on their hips, shooing them away. Then he hurriedly got dressed as he made excuses. “Well, you see, I got rejected by your sister, didn’t I? So, I was really upset.”
Noah slowly swept his gaze around the room. A fishy stench hit his nose, making his face twist in disgust.
“I’m not usually like this, you know? Right? But…”
He couldn’t hear a word his so-called friend was saying anymore. After all, his mind was filled with a single thought.What a piece of trash. And this trash sent love letters to that woman?
An unbearable sense of disgust rose up. And it looked like that woman was actually tempted by this trash. Who knows, she might even accept him. She’s so naïve and gullible, always getting deceived by others…
“No need to clean up. I’ll just ask for a room change.” Noah spat out in a voice dripping with contempt. “How could I keep using a place that’s become so filthy. Right?”
“Wait! Noah! That’s not it―”
Not wanting to hear any more, Noah walked out of the room.