TOM Chapter 34

As if I'd want to say that.

When I glared at Kruelo in exasperation, he smiled.

"Alright, I'll be serious. For now."

With his following gesture, my clothes changed to a light blue dress.

My disheveled hair was neatly arranged and even hair ornaments appeared.

Kruelo's clothes had also changed to match exactly what the dummy was wearing.

Magic is really convenient.

"And..."

When Kruelo flicked his hand once more, the lights in the ceremony hall went out.

Though commotion arose among the people inside, I just blinked a couple of times.

This feels familiar.

"Poltergeist?"

"It's time for the protagonists to make their entrance."

He grasped my hand again and flicked his other hand.

My vision flipped and pitch-black darkness covered my eyes.

And in the next moment, we had switched places with the dummies.

I tried not to look toward the window side—where the dummy had been moved—as I caught my breath.

When the lights returned to normal immediately, I could see Count Goldenstove with a deeply furrowed brow.

It seems he didn't notice.

"...Your Grace, please don't play pranks even during the engagement ceremony."

"Mm, I was a bit bored. Sorry about that."

"How much time is left."

The Count grumbled a few more times before letting out a short sigh.

As if he'd let it slide, he relaxed the tension in his brow.

"Very well, then let us conclude the ceremony with the oath kiss."

And tension entered my brow.

Huh?

A kiss?

It's an engagement, not a wedding, so what are we supposed to do?

Wondering if I heard wrong, I turned to look at Kruelo, who was smiling with an amused expression.

He mouthed the words.

'Can't do it?'

That gesture seemed quite provocative, but even knowing it, I had no choice but to fall for it.

Can't do it? No! There's nothing in this world I can't do.

Right, well.

It's not a funeral, it's an engagement ceremony, so a k-kiss is nothing!

To avoid looking weak, I grabbed both of Kruelo's cheeks and pulled him toward me.

This kind of thing gets harder the more you hesitate.

Our lips immediately touched.

"Mmph?"

I thought adult Kruelo would be cold as ice all over, but he was surprisingly warm.

And softer than I thought... No, that's not it!

I pulled my face away, careful not to appear rushed.

Only then could I see Kruelo, whose expression had disappeared as if he were flustered.

I won!

Just then.

"...Huk."

Someone in the ceremony hall made a gasping sound.

Usually the sound people make when Kruelo does something crazy.

Why... are they surprised?

It's not like 'kiss' has a different meaning in Imperial, right?

Feeling an ominous premonition creeping up, I quietly looked around.

I made eye contact with Gavotte.

His face was terrible, like a dead fish.

'Why?'

I mouthed.

Gavotte made a disgusted expression, pointed to his lips, then made an X with his finger.

Then he pointed to his forehead and made an O shape with his hand.

So what he means is...

"...Not the lips but the forehead?"

"Ahem, ahem. This concludes the ceremony! The two of you shall have a toast..."

Count Goldenstove seemed to be muttering something, but my ears, with my mind gone blank, couldn't hear anything.

Not the lips but the forehead.

Not the lips but...

The lips...

Kruelo and I headed to the waiting room.

Walking down the corridor, I hung my head low and quickened my pace.

This is the first time I've made such a mistake. How humiliating.

"Are you that embarrassed?"

Kruelo asked.

Rather than trying to tease, it sounded like he was genuinely curious.

Glancing at the passing servants, I lowered my voice and accused him.

"Isn't this Count's fault? He clearly said kiss!"

"He did."

"Why didn't you dodge? You could have easily dodged. You knew it was supposed to be the forehead!"

"I was surprised too since it was my first time?"

"Ha, after provoking me asking if I couldn't do it."

"I was asking if you could reach my forehead since I'm tall."

Slippery as an eel.

"Think of it as practice, darling. We'll actually have to kiss on the lips at the wedding."

"Kruelo doesn't seem embarrassed at all, does he?"

"If I knew shame, I couldn't have lived like this."

That's true enough.

It was such a fitting response that I nodded vigorously.

Looking at him makes me feel calmer.

Right, thinking about it, it's not really a big deal.

Moreover, this isn't even my body, it's Siora's body, right?

I'll return to my own when it's all over, so it's fine.

It's as if nothing happened.

After finishing my self-rationalization, I lifted my head.

Just then, the waiting room was right in front of us.

Though we'd return to the Count's residence anyway, I planned to hole up in there until we sent people away.

But then.

"Kruelo, aren't you going to see the guests off?"

"The head butler will handle it."

"Oh?"

"You know I'm just a figurehead."

Isn't that usually a humiliating thing to say?

He's quite skilled at using it as a shield.

Well, whether he fulfills his responsibilities or not isn't my concern.

Just as I nodded and was about to open the waiting room door.

"Siora."

I turned at the familiar voice.

It was Minuet who called me, and Gavotte was with her too.

The Count should have come too, but where did he go?

"Congratulations on safely completing the ceremony, Your Grace."

"...Congratulations."

The two greeted Kruelo.

Then Minuet gave him a look as if asking him to give them space, but Kruelo didn't even blink.

"Thanks for the congratulations."

Then, as if telling them to go ahead and talk, he leaned against the wall and crossed his arms.

Minuet raised an eyebrow once but seemed to give up quickly, perhaps knowing Kruelo.

She said to me.

"You have a bold side."

"...I'm generally like that. Ah, Count—"

"You grabbed His Grace's cheeks and—"

"Ah!"

I tried to change the subject but it didn't work.

When I reflexively cried out, Gavotte covered his ears and Minuet laughed with an incredulous expression.

"You get embarrassed about something like this?"

What does Minuet take me for?

The same type as Kruelo...? The thought made me feel uncomfortable.

Shaking my head as if to shake off the thought, I noticed the bottle in her arms.

"What's that?"

"Congratulatory wine Father gave me. He was supposed to pour it personally in the waiting room, but he's not coming. I'll just give it to you."

"Where did he go?"

"I don't know. He said he had business during the latter half of the ceremony and went out briefly but hasn't returned."

At Gavotte's words, I narrowed my eyes.

Hmm.

Is it too much to find this suspicious?

Anyway, if I don't drink the wine, that's that.

I tried to take the wine from Minuet.

"Minuet?"

"..."

"You need to relax your grip for me to take the wine, don't you?"

Why is she gripping the bottle so tightly?

Minuet's strength was considerable, so I couldn't easily pull it away.

She looked back and forth between me and the wine with an expressionless face.

Then.

"I changed my mind."

"What?"

"Don't drink it, just don't."

Minuet took the wine back.

Huh...

"Are you saying you can't congratulate me? Now?"

"Don't over-interpret. I just think drinking here isn't a good idea."

She exhaled lightly and smiled.

It was her usual smile, but I felt a sense of discord.

It was even more so because Kruelo was staring intently at her.

Something about the atmosphere seems off.

"Stop chattering outside and let's go into the waiting room first. Your Grace will come too, right?"

Saying this, Minuet turned the doorknob.

The waiting room door opened.

But that was all—she couldn't step inside.

"What's this smell..."

As Gavotte muttered, as soon as the door opened, a fishy smell vibrated throughout.

The terrible thing wasn't just the smell.

The red color that soaked the waiting room floor entirely.

Broken flower vases and flowers submerged in red.

And lying in the middle of it all...

"...Father?"

Count Bonetti.

The smell of death was vibrating.

When I checked the Count's condition, it was already too late.

Not a trace of his soul remained.

That meant I couldn't reverse his death even with reversal.

A funeral was held immediately after the engagement ceremony ended.

Since it wasn't a natural death, the funeral proceeded as a family funeral.

As if mourning his death, rain poured from the sky and those bearing the Bonetti name gathered at the Count's residence.

Black hats and black clothes.

Despite being a family funeral, quite a number of people attended.

It was like watching black waves undulating.

Even after the priest's condolences ended and the chapel became empty, the Count's coffin was surrounded by his immediate family.

Minuet, Gavotte. And even the Countess who had been convalescing.

It wasn't a situation for me to approach, so I watched them from a distance.

A man in black clothes approached me.

It was Kruelo.

"I confirmed the traces. It's definitely the work of the 10th Council member."

Kruelo's assertion left me with complicated feelings.

"Originally, they were trying to kill me in the waiting room..."

"The Count must have walked in and unexpectedly dealt with it."

I didn't know why the Count had entered my waiting room, but either way, that was the conclusion.

My stomach churned.

I frowned and lowered my head, then looked up at Kruelo.

He had a completely emotionless expression.

There wasn't the slightest trace of mourning for the Count's death in it, but that ashen color suited the funeral.

I asked without thinking.

"Is it my fault?"

"No."

"..."

"If it bothers you, consider it my fault. I didn't expect Ares to kill the Count."

Even if he meant well by saying that.

Suddenly annoyed at this entire situation, I sighed.

"Kruelo. I might not be a Bonetti anymore..."

"That doesn't matter."

Kruelo reached out and straightened my crooked hat.

"Come find me if you get kicked out."

At his words spoken with a faint smile, I nodded.

Right, there's nothing to fear now.

At that moment, Minuet called me from behind.

"Siora, you need to say your final farewell."

Kruelo bowed his head slightly in greeting and left the funeral hall.

I watched his retreating figure for a moment before approaching the Count's family.

Gavotte's eyes were so swollen he looked like a goldfish, and Minuet's eyes were also reddened.

And the Countess.

"You must be Siora."

The woman with the same silver hair as her children, neatly pinned up, looked as if she might collapse at any moment.

I had heard she was originally in poor health and convalescing, so that made sense.

She greeted me with a sorrowful expression.

"...It's my first time meeting you, Countess."

"Yes, I never thought we'd meet under such circumstances, but I'm glad to meet you."

The Countess handed me a white lily and said,

"Please say your final farewell to Faspy."

Three lilies were already placed on the Count's chest.

As I obediently bowed my waist, I became curious.

Should I really place a flower on top of this?

Even being generous, I couldn't call him a good person—he was the lowest kind of human being, but thinking that he got caught up and died because of me, that's also... well...

That concluded the funeral.