Chapter 16

She had only just met Axion Valentino a few days before for the first time. He was from the family being discussed for a potential marriage alliance with hers. The thought of him possibly becoming her fiancé was enough to make her want to scare him off and send him straight back to his own mansion.

“What are you staring at? Can’t you lower your eyes?”
“Why don’t you look down at the floor yourself?”

But the boy fired back without missing a beat, leaving her at a loss for words.

That was the first time in her life that her pride had ever been wounded by someone her own age. On top of that, just a few years earlier, she had been a commoner. The whole world of nobility still felt foreign to her. Thanks to her birth father, who had risen to power as a wealthy bourgeois, she had grown up spoiled and carefree.

‘But isn’t this different from what my parents taught me?’

Her birth parents had always said she should find someone she truly loved to be her life partner, but that didn’t seem to be how the nobility worked at all. All the gossip rags she had started reading lately were filled with noble affairs and scandals.

“Did… something happen between you and the young lord?”

The Marquis asked cautiously, worry plain on his face.

Evelyn simply shook her head and answered calmly.

“No, nothing happened between us.”

She had considered telling her parents she didn’t want the engagement, but she didn’t want to trouble her current parents. Still, her curiosity got the better of her, so she asked her father.

“But why the Valentino family?”

She couldn’t help but wonder why her potential fiancé had to be someone with such an ill-tempered personality.

For a moment, a fleeting sadness passed through the Marquis’s green eyes before it quickly vanished. He hesitated, then spoke gently, choosing his words so even his young daughter could understand.

“I can’t explain everything right now, but someday, it will be a great help to you.”

‘A help to me…?’

Just the thought left her feeling annoyed, and she pouted.

She didn’t want to go through with it, but since it was what her parents wanted, she decided to at least humor them and meet the young lord of Valentino this once. As she made her way into the sun-dappled spring garden, Evelyn spotted the boy already waiting on the terrace.

As if sensing her arrival, Axion turned to look at her with indifferent eyes.

Flustered, she hesitated before offering a stiff greeting.

“Eternal glory to the Baltian Empire. It’s an honor to meet you, Young Lord Valentino.”

The boy stood and returned her greeting with perfect politeness,

“Eternal glory to the Baltian Empire. The honor is mine, Young Lady Inevasel.”

After the exchange, an awkward silence fell. Evelyn fidgeted before seating herself opposite him. Then, trying to look composed, she took a sip of her cocoa and spoke up.

“I was a little rude last time.”

At her words, the boy’s eyebrows arched slightly before he replied flatly.

“You don’t need to worry about it.”

Judging that he seemed to have quite a mature personality for his age, she gave a slight nod.

‘My parents clearly wanted us to get along.’

Since she had made a mistake last time, she decided to extend an olive branch and reach out first.

“Ahem. I’ll do you the favor of being your friend.”

If they might end up engaged, she thought it wouldn’t hurt to get to know each other a little better. But to her surprise, the boy’s lips curved into a faint, elegant smile as he answered quietly.

“No.”

“…What?”

Stunned by his refusal, Evelyn stared blankly, doubting her ears.

‘Did he just say no?’

As if to confirm, Axion propped his chin on his hand and repeated.

“I said no.”

‘….!’

Her eyes widened like a startled rabbit.

It was the first time anyone had rejected her goodwill so bluntly. While she had no intention of chasing after someone who had already said no, she still wanted to know why. Clenching her hands in her lap, she asked, her voice a little sharper than before.

“Why not?”

For a split second, annoyance flickered across the boy’s face before he gave a dry reply.

“I don’t need friends.”

‘Well, I suppose I feel the same way…’

Though a bit flustered, a small spark of hope bloomed inside Evelyn. She began to wonder if Axion felt the same way she did.

“So… you’re not going to get engaged to me, then?”