TOM Chapter 30

"Gasp!"

Despite being startled by Kruelo's sudden action, I squeezed my eyes shut and held my breath.

The water level didn't even reach half a person's height, yet the water was strangely deep.

I was completely submerged up to the top of my head.

However, I didn't need to endure it for long.

"Puha?"

The water touching my body suddenly disappeared.

Rubbing around my eyes with my fingers, I carefully pushed up my eyelids.

Water droplets fell from my eyelashes, touching my cheeks with little taps.

"This place is..."

Had he opened a gate underneath the fountain?

It was a completely different space from the park we were just in.

Everything was pitch black so I couldn't see properly, but I felt a subtle sense of déjà vu.

Kruelo spoke.

"You've been here before, haven't you?"

"Here? I... Wait a minute, this place!"

Hearing those words, I remembered.

When I quickly turned my head, I saw a long corridor and magical lights scattered across the ceiling.

"The information guild from before? What's this? Why does this connect here?"

"Of course I connected it. This guild belongs to me."

I was struck speechless.

Kruelo stepped away from me and flicked his hand.

Everything around us became brightly illuminated and the space's appearance was clearly revealed.

"What kind of bold guild would sell my information just because someone recited a password?"

"No way, you're a total fraud!"

"I'm delighted by such a passionate reaction. Though it's also pitiful that my darling is so naive."

After gleefully deceiving such a naive person, is that really what you should be saying?

Kruelo laughed "haha" and flicked his hand several more times.

A fireplace—I hadn't even known it was there before because it was too dark—lit up, and what I thought was a completely blocked wall cracked open to create a door.

He naturally went in and came back out.

In Kruelo's hands was a towel.

"Back then, I was trying to be considerate in my own way. You were curious despite knowing nothing."

He came over and gently pressed down on my shoulders.

He sat me down on the sofa that was right behind me and dried my dripping wet hair with the towel.

It seems like he's trying to appease me, but it's not enough.

Do more.

"Fine, that's all good, but why did you connect a permanent gate to the park fountain? How often would you even need to go there?"

A permanent gate is literally a gate you can keep using.

Actually, it's semi-permanent, but still.

They're incredibly difficult to make but easy to destroy, so they're usually hidden in secret passages.

But I couldn't understand why he made one there and wasted it like this.

"Hmm? That's just misdirection."

"It's not a permanent gate?"

"It is. The gate that comes here. But the entrance isn't the fountain."

As soon as I heard those words, I looked down.

Something on my hand was sparkling in a different color than usual.

"The engagement ring?"

"Just rub it and you'll come here."

Ah, no wonder he suddenly offered me a ring in such an out-of-the-blue situation.

Laughter mixed into Kruelo's voice.

"I promised to take responsibility for darling's life, didn't I?"

"Yes, thanks to that, those guys are probably futilely rummaging around some innocent fountain."

That's a bit cunning.

Though the fireplace was burning, it was already the beginning of winter, so my wet body felt cold.

I gently rubbed my arms.

Kruelo put down the towel and went back into the room, then came out again.

This time what he brought out was a blanket.

"But wasn't it too careless earlier? They shot a lot of arrows, but that was all there was to it."

"Well, it must have been a show-off assassination."

Kruelo wrapped the blanket around my body.

I thought it would be unpleasant since my clothes were wet, but the blanket completely absorbed the moisture from my clothes.

Did he cast magic in the meantime?

"It's not like I don't know the Council of Elders. If they just stayed still, it would be obvious I'd get suspicious. They probably wanted to test the waters while loosening the tension."

"True, if they were serious, they would have attacked when I was alone."

Kruelo brought several more blankets and made me look like a snowman.

As my body became cozy, my mood gradually improved.

But this is strange.

"Wouldn't it really be easier to attack when I'm actually alone?"

They wouldn't know my abilities at all, so it's strange they didn't even try.

Do they really have any intention of killing me?

Kruelo answered without any emotion.

"That would be boring."

"What?"

"Don't misunderstand. I don't mean darling's death would be boring."

This time he headed toward the cupboard.

A mug and chocolate pot. Milk and soft marshmallows.

Such a perfect combination—how did he know my taste?

I was about to be suspicious when I remembered that this place was an information guild.

"There needs to be a proper stage for misfortune to be more tragic."

I took the cup Kruelo handed me.

The warmly rising steam melted my heart gently.

It was too hot to drink right away though.

"What do you mean?"

"The servants who were close with my parents died on the day I was appointed as minor duke."

Hmm, this was a story that would have made me choke if I'd been drinking.

"That way more negative energy gathers."

"..."

"Coming back here reminds me—you were dumbfounded that I had too many fiancées, weren't you?"

Kruelo's laughter rang out.

"In my defense, it wasn't something I initiated. They all just became sacrifices to misfortune."

I couldn't pretend to know, but it was a story I knew to some extent.

To change Kruelo's temperament so he could handle Morion better, the Council of Elders created endless tragedies.

That's why during Amy's time, I wanted to fill Kruelo's surroundings with positive emotions.

In the end, I failed though.

"Still, the later ones were better. The early ones were when I didn't know much, so they died before I could even do anything."

"One who entered a convent. Five who agreed to deals. Two who fell ill. Two deaths."

So all those fiancées were part of that as well.

When I let out a light sigh, the steam rising from the mug became hazily blurred.

"Because of that, rumors spread that I was cursed. Is it too hot?"

"A little."

Kruelo's hand moved once more.

A few small ice crystals that appeared in the air fell between the chocolate.

"I hadn't intended to, but the conversation went in a gloomy direction. So, have you cooled down?"

Wouldn't it be stranger to be angry in this situation?

Surely he didn't bring up that story on purpose.

I nodded with mixed feelings.

Only then did Kruelo sit on the opposite side of the sofa.

Unlike me, he didn't look the least bit settled, which I found curious.

"Since the engagement ceremony is right around the corner, shall we have a more serious discussion?"

Kruelo smiled gently while crossing his legs.

"About how to find Morion, I mean."

Time accumulated and accumulated, eventually bringing me to the day of the engagement ceremony.

'That day was Siora Bonetti's engagement ceremony day.'

If I were to modify 《Destiny》, it would feel like this.

The engagement ceremony was decided to be held at the Whitedesert ducal residence.

The ceremony would be presided over by Count Goldenstove, who was Kruelo's childhood mentor.

I had often encountered him when I was Amy, so it felt strange to see him like this.

Well, speaking of strange, the fact that I was holding an engagement ceremony here was several times stranger.

"The shawl color stands out, Siora."

The carriage sent from the ducal residence was waiting in front of the count's residence.

According to imperial tradition, the parties involved should ride in carriages sent by the other family, so I was to depart first.

Minuet gave me a final inspection.

"I'll leave it in the carriage when I get out."

"In that case, sure. We'll depart right away too, see you in a bit."

Gavotte let out a sigh with a displeased expression.

He approached me and whispered in my ear.

"If you want to run away, tell me even if it's in the middle of it."

He still hasn't given up.

How persistent.

I looked at the count one last time, then turned my head away after seeing his gloomy face.

When I got into the carriage, the wheels began to roll.

It's not even a wedding, but my feelings are really strange.

"Mmm."

Feeling stuffy, I tried to open the curtains of the window, but they were firmly fixed and wouldn't move.

Were Whitedesert's carriages always like this?

Well, it doesn't really matter.

I just leaned back against the backrest and waited to arrive.

The wheels were rolling smoothly over the well-paved road.

Some time passed like that.

"...Did I get it wrong?"

Just as I tilted my head in confusion, the reaction I'd been waiting for arrived.

As if we'd left the paved road, the fine vibrations increased.

Furthermore.

Hiss, strange smoke began flowing in through the gaps in the carriage door.

My eyelids grew heavy.

I ceremonially knocked on the driver's seat side a few times, then closed my eyes without resistance.

The Bonetti family, excluding Siora, arrived at the Whitedesert ducal residence.

The countess was still recuperating, so she planned to come up to the capital only for the wedding.

Gavotte frowned as he entered the terrifyingly enormous mansion.

'To think I'd meet that duke in this way.'

Fate is truly terrible.

He shook his head and headed to the waiting room to find Siora.

But inside was empty.

She said she'd be waiting here, didn't she?

Just as he was about to check if he'd entered the wrong room, someone placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Looking for noona?"

"Sio—. Hey!"

The moment he turned his head, his cheek was poked by a protruding index finger.

Gavotte was about to yell as usual but managed to lower his voice.

Even if it's an unwelcome engagement, he should maintain proper etiquette.

"Haha, look at Gavotte's expression!"

"Aren't you even nervous?"

"Eh? My little brother is nervous? Are your legs shaking again? Does your heart feel like it's going to burst from pounding?"

"Know the time and place, will you."

Gavotte let out a sigh mixed with resignation.

"Where did the duke go?"

"I don't know, I saw him briefly earlier but he'll come soon."

"Anyway, that bastard is... Never mind. Do you remember what I said earlier?"

"What did Gavotte say? That you love me?"

Siora teasingly asked Gavotte with an innocent expression.

He was about to get angry but squinted his eyes.

'Something seems a bit strange.'

"What's wrong, Gavotte?"

"If you really don't want this, run away."

"Wow, I never thought you'd say that even on the engagement ceremony day."

"You..."

"I got it, little brother. The ceremony will start soon, so go out."

Siora waved her hand with a bright smile.

Gavotte moved his lips then left the waiting room.

Something is definitely strange, but...

'It must be my imagination.'

It was just before the engagement ceremony was about to begin.

Gavotte moved his steps while soothing his spirit that wanted to come out.

"Be good, Pianissimo. I can't summon you here. You can't cause a commotion."