Chapter 40

“Is it true?”

“…Yes. It’s true.”

Millein’s ready admission was accompanied by an expression more subdued than usual, and that, more than anything, unsettled her.

Once her lips had parted, she could no longer hold back her questions.

“Why is that, Millein? What happened?”

“What do you mean?”

“Wasn’t it because you proposed to me that the marquisate passed to Huberg? If you hadn’t proposed, you could’ve inherited the title.”

Why had he given up his claim to the title in order to propose to her? Only to turn around, after she refused him, and bring down House Zeller to seize it back?

In truth, this was never how Adeline had intended to approach the matter. She hadn’t planned to hurl her questions so bluntly, without care for order or restraint. But right now, she couldn’t bring herself to care. With too many questions pressed against her back today, she could no longer keep herself from asking.

‘Starting with what His Highness Cayden said…’

To Sophia, who had immediately unleashed a torrent of fierce reproach upon seeing Millein’s face. And then there was Millein himself, who spoke nothing of what he and Sophia had discussed, only insisting it had been a mere misunderstanding and not worth her concern. The garden at night lay cloaked in darkness, and beneath the moonlight the young man’s silver-blue hair gleamed more strikingly than ever.

His sorrowful blue eyes, set deep beneath his brow, shone like a sunlit lake.

A gentle smile, tender words, and a courteous demeanor.

Eyes that seemed to hold a trace of laughter, framed by lashes so fine and dark they lent him an almost dreamlike air.

And so, Adeline longed to ask.

‘Millein, why are you lying to me?’

Whatever he had spoken of with Sophia, one thing was certain: now that Millein had said as much, she would no longer breathe a word about his scandals. It had always been so whenever Millein told her, ‘Don’t worry about it.’ Still, she couldn’t understand it. Why did he go to such lengths to deceive her?

Why did he go so far as to propose to her?

Always with that beautiful face, always wearing that mesmerizing smile…

Adeline lowered her gaze and clenched her fist tightly.

“You could have just inherited the Marquisate of Belov.”

If you had, I would never have lost House Zeller.

No matter how she turned it over in her mind, the answer eluded her.

“Why did you propose to me, Millein?”

Her voice wavered as the words slipped out.

“When you proposed, you said it yourself that you had wanted to marry me ever since we were children.”

“Yes, I did say that.”

When she lifted her gaze again, Millein’s expression was nearly unchanged from moments before. His face was calm, as if asking whether there was any problem with his proposal.

His shadow drew a step closer. Watching him approach, Adeline pressed each word carefully from her lips.

“I’ve thought about it again and again, but I still can’t understand.”

So tell me.

“Millein, do you love me?”

“…Of course.”

With that brief reply, Millein stepped closer, his hand rising to cup her cheek. A faint smile graced the young man’s lips as his blue eyes stared deeply into hers.

“Surely you don’t think I would have proposed to someone I didn’t love.”

“Is that so?”

Adeline let out a faint, sardonic laugh. Covering the hand that cupped her cheek with her own, she spoke softly.

“If you truly love me, then I wonder what you’d be willing to do for me.”

If he was going to use a naive word like ‘love,’ he needed to prove it.

“Millein, would you die for me?”

This time, no immediate answer came.

Instead, Millein let out a short laugh. When he lifted his head again, his blue eyes glimmered with an unusual light.

“To prove love through death, how cruel of you…”

If I were to die, I would never be able to see you again.