Meddlesome Interference
The next time I saw Aria was at dinner that evening. No matter how awkward it felt to face her, I couldn’t skip a meal, so I reluctantly made my way to the dining hall. Sure enough, she was already there, seated and waiting. The moment she spotted me, she offered a timid greeting.
“Ah… hello, young master….”
“…Yes. Hello.”
I returned the greeting curtly and immediately looked away. Even though I thought enough time had passed since that morning’s incident, the moment I saw her face, a wave of shame crashed over me. I couldn’t meet her eyes.
After I sat down, I stole a quick glance at her. Aria looked utterly dejected, her expression gloomy and wilted. It was probably because of what had happened earlier. Seeing her like that made my chest ache for no good reason.
Knowing full well what a wicked woman she truly was, the fact that I still felt this way meant I might be the one who had lost my mind.
Not long after I took my seat, the food arrived. Dinner consisted of golden-brown roasted pork served with white bread, fried eggs, and a crisp lettuce salad. Father had gone out somewhere with Mother, who had returned home after a long absence, so naturally, the only ones in the dining hall were Aria and me.
She kept her eyes downcast, poking at her food with a fork and eating in small, listless bites. It would be best to just leave her alone. Getting any more involved with that villainess was dangerous. Above all, the most important thing was to prevent my heart from falling for her again.
To avoid repeating the mistakes of the past. To never feel that sense of loss or pain ever again. To follow the immutable law that if you don’t expect anything, you won’t be disappointed. My head knew perfectly well that getting involved with her was the last thing I should do.
But this damn meddlesome streak of mine refused to leave me in peace.
“My lady.”
I let out a small sigh and called out to her. Even I was surprised at myself for doing so. I felt Aria flinch, her shoulders twitching as she glanced at me.
Why am I getting involved with this villainess again?
I couldn’t understand it. Yet my mouth moved on its own, speaking words I didn’t truly mean.
“Are you still bothered by what happened earlier?”
“Th-that…”
She hesitated, but the fact that she didn’t deny it meant I had hit the mark. Well, I was still incredibly bothered by it myself, so it was no wonder the person at the center of the incident felt the same.
That’s right. This was nothing more than an attempt to salvage the sunken atmosphere. Rationalizing it that way, I looked at her and continued.
“It’s not really my place to say this, but I’m truly fine. You don’t need to worry about it so much.”
“I’m sorry…. I was feeling down and ended up making you concerned for no reason.”
“Not at all. To be honest, I was a bit flustered myself and may have spoken too coldly. I apologize.”
What the hell am I saying? I had spoken as politely and gentlemanly as possible earlier. I had finally managed to shake her off, so why was I taking it back now?
Those thoughts vanished the instant I saw her face brighten with a radiant smile.
“Really? Then… may I still come to your room after dinner tonight, Leo?”
“No, I didn’t mean you should just come over without any reason—”
“I do have a reason. A very important one.”
“An important… reason?”
“Yes. A really, really important reason.”
“……”
What on earth could it be? Couldn’t she just say it here? But judging by her expression, she wasn’t going to answer even if I asked right now. It occurred to me that she might simply be making up an excuse because she wanted to come to my room, but since she would probably show up anyway, I decided to let it go.
“…Very well. Do as you wish.”
“Thank you.”
She answered with a visibly happy face and went back to spearing lettuce with her fork. Watching her, my feelings grew complicated.
Right. It was all an act anyway. I should just treat her with cold professionalism and not let my heart get involved. Firmly resolving to do exactly that, I resumed eating.
Less than thirty minutes after dinner ended, Aria came to my room just as she had said she would. Her silver hair was loosely let down, and she had changed into comfortable sleepwear, making her look quite defenseless. Feeling suddenly unsure where to rest my eyes, I subtly averted my gaze.
I had asked Hannah to prepare some black tea. Once it arrived, Aria and I sat across from each other at the tea table.
“So, what is this important matter?”
At my question, Aria hesitated for a moment before clearing her throat with a small hem, hem.
“I heard you’ll be attending the imperial ball this time.”
I flinched slightly at the unexpected topic.
“Ah… yes, that’s right. But where did you hear that?”
It wasn’t hard to guess. It was almost certainly from Hannah. And sure enough—
“Hannah told me last night.”
My guess had been correct. Aria stared at me with an unreadable look for a moment, then carefully studied my expression before speaking in a small voice.
“Young master.”
“Yes.”
“You do understand what it means to attend the imperial ball, right?”
“I’m not unaware.”
The meaning of the imperial ball. A social gathering where young nobles came together to find their partners. Any child of the aristocracy would know its significance.
In truth, I had planned to go without telling her. I figured it would only become a hassle if she found out. But Hannah had gone and spilled it. Why did she have to do something so unnecessary…?
I hadn’t specifically ordered her to keep quiet, so I couldn’t exactly complain. While I was clicking my tongue inwardly, Aria asked with a slightly anxious face.
“But, young master… is there a particular reason you must attend the ball?”
I roughly understood her intention. She was probably asking why I hadn’t canceled my attendance when I already had a fiancée. But I had my reasons too. They weren’t personal—they were related to family business.
“Princess Edeline said she had business with our family, so I agreed to attend as my father’s representative.”
“What? Princess Edeline?”
The moment the name left my lips, Aria’s eyes widened.
“Wh-why… would Princess Edeline want to meet with you, Leo…?”
She seemed genuinely shocked. Was the idea of me having an appointment with Princess Edeline that surprising? I told her the truth as I knew it.
“It seems she wants to discuss the flower business that both the Floria family and ours are currently pursuing. Since it’s a large-scale project involving considerable capital, it looks like the empire itself is taking an interest.”
“I… I see.”
Aria’s reaction was strangely lukewarm. It looked like she had a lot she wanted to say. When I tilted my head in confusion, she lowered her gaze, let it wander for a moment, then spoke timidly.
“Um… young master. If it’s not too much trouble…”
I somehow already knew what she was going to say next.
“Could you… take me to the ball with you?”
Just as I thought. I knew it.
#36. [POV: Aria]
Only today did I realize just how lonely the view of my room felt when lying in bed alone. After finishing my conversation with Leo, I returned to my own room, lay down on the bed in the dark, and stared blankly at the ceiling.
I couldn’t possibly inconvenience him by taking over his bed for three nights in a row, so I obediently returned to my own room today. But it hadn’t been long before the Leo withdrawal symptoms began to hit.
I missed him. I was restless. Even though I knew he was right next door, I wanted to go see him immediately. His face kept floating before my eyes, and my heartbeat quickened.
Still, I had to endure it. He was probably already asleep by now, and visiting him out of the blue would be nothing but a nuisance.
…Wait a second. If he’s asleep, wouldn’t sneaking in mean he wouldn’t even know…?
“……”
No. That was a terrible thought. I shook my head vigorously to chase away the stray ideas.
Still, I was incredibly happy that Leo hadn’t refused this time and had agreed to take me to the ball. It did feel like he had reluctantly given in because I kept pestering him, but in the end, he had said yes.
If I stayed right by his side the entire time, I could prevent other women from approaching him and protect him from that sly fox, Princess Edeline.
I offered my heartfelt thanks to Leo once more for allowing me to accompany him.
And on a slightly different note, the distance from the Stuart fief to Raphael Castle, where the ball was being held, took over four hours by carriage. Given that the ball would continue late into the night, there was a high chance we would stay overnight in the guest quarters prepared at the imperial palace.
In that case, using the justification that we were engaged, we could share one room, and then naturally things would progress in a more intimate direction….
“…Hehe…”
An idle laugh slipped out before I could stop it. In reality, given Leo’s iron wall, the chances of that happening were slim, but a girl could dream.
There would be plenty of alcohol at the ball. If I exchanged drinks with other nobles out of courtesy, he would surely get drunk. Leo had never been good with alcohol. If things had gone normally, he probably wouldn’t have touched a drop until this year, when he had just come of age.
Like his father, Leo was naturally weak to alcohol. In my previous life, he had been even worse at holding his liquor than I was. Whenever we attended drinking parties together, I would always have to support him on the way back.
I imagined the possibility that a drunk Leo might make a move on me. A quiet, sensual atmosphere. Cheeks faintly flushed. The heated breaths of two people. Lips drawing closer and closer. Leo’s hands, unusually rough as they demanded me. And then….
“……”
I swallowed hard, the saliva that had pooled thickly in my mouth going down with an audible gulp. Just from fantasizing like this, my body had grown hot without me realizing it. The sound of me swallowing seemed embarrassingly loud.
It was such a shame. The tingling sensation inside me. I missed the warmth of his body. His gentle touch. His kind smile. His sweet scent. His captivating voice. All of it was trying to shatter my self-control.
“Leo…”
I whispered his name in a small, yearning voice, desperately trying to suppress the burning desire that refused to be quenched. It seemed tonight would not be an easy night to fall asleep.
#37. [POV: Leo]
After sending Aria back to her room, I lay on the bed in my dark, unlit room and lost myself in thought.
It was unexpected that I would be taking her to the ball, but it didn’t really matter. After all, I wasn’t attending to meet other women. From the beginning, my purpose had been strictly business-related.
What truly complicated my mind was the matter of my relationship with Aria. I knew things couldn’t continue like this. This ambiguous relationship wasn’t going to lead anywhere. I needed to settle things as soon as possible.
‘Then why don’t you have a proper conversation with the young lady? There may have been some misunderstanding between you two.’
Hannah’s words from last night echoed in my ears. She was right. I couldn’t keep avoiding it forever. Even if it hurt, I needed to hear it directly from her own mouth.
Why she had left me back then. And why she had returned only to act this way—saying she loved me, doing things that confused me. Whether she had truly loved me at all. I felt like I wouldn’t be satisfied until I heard it straight from that villainess’s lips.
This time, at the ball, I would make sure to hear it from her. Depending on her answer, this ball might end up being the last time I spent with Aria.
If the shy demeanor and behavior she had shown since our reunion were all an act, and she actually felt nothing for me at all… then I would let her go without any lingering attachment.
Even if that happened, not much would change. I would simply return to how things were before I met her again. After all, five years ago, the moment Aria left me, I had already resolved to erase her from my heart.
If she left again now, I would be fine with it. Yes. It shouldn’t affect me at all….
“……”
Strangely, the mere thought of letting Aria go made a sharp pain stab through one side of my chest. My breath caught in my throat, and my lips trembled. What was this feeling?
My head kept denying it, but did my heart still hold lingering feelings for that villainess?
No. I couldn’t let this happen. I had to pull myself together. That woman was a rose with thorns. The closer I got, the more I would only end up hurt and in pain. I should stop hoping for anything and empty my heart.
Repeating that mental mantra, I closed my eyes tightly. I would never be miserably abandoned again. Never.