Becoming Number One with Confession Attacks - Chapter 54
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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#54
Sonnet couldn’t speak right away. She remembered the times when he looked at her so affectionately. His slightly curved eyes had seemed particularly gentle.
“You know me, right?”
His low, subdued voice stimulated Sonnet’s ears. Especially the way he subtly raised the corners of his mouth looked both calm and relaxed, suiting him well.
‘Did he originally smile so affectionately at women he just met?’
Sonnet was reminiscing about their academy days when she suddenly came to her senses and opened her mouth.
“I do know you, but we were just friends.”
“Friends?”
His slightly raised voice sounded particularly pleasant. Sonnet ignored her helplessly racing heart and spoke.
“We were just friends who knew each other at the academy.”
“If you were just friends who knew each other, was there really a need to come all the way here?”
It was quite a sharp question. Indeed, entering this estate required thorough inspection, so it was reasonable for Aiden to ask such a thing since she had made it here safely.
Sonnet thought for a moment before speaking.
“You helped me improve my grades, so we became close. Thanks to you, I was able to graduate as valedictorian.”
Aiden smiled. Sonnet found herself staring at him blankly without realizing it.
Aiden spoke with a smile playing on his lips.
“I helped you?”
“Yes.”
Fortunately, her voice didn’t tremble.
Aiden’s gaze was particularly focused. Especially as he looked at her face in detail, Sonnet’s heart somehow trembled.
‘Aiden was handsome from the beginning anyway.’
Thinking that, she was about to wrap things up and leave when he spoke first.
“I don’t keep women as friends.”
Sonnet was momentarily surprised and looked at Aiden.
Aiden gazed at her calmly as if waiting for her answer. The smile had completely disappeared from his face.
Her palms were sweating. Aiden was quicker to catch on than she had thought. Sonnet trusted her mind and quickly thought of what to say.
“There were many women around you who liked you.”
Aiden only chuckled but didn’t answer.
Sonnet quickly continued speaking.
“Actually, I was one of them too, but I was able to come here because I was at least acquainted with the Duke.”
Aiden tilted his head slightly and looked at Sonnet.
Seeing his expressionless face made her feel uneasy, but Sonnet spoke sincerely.
“Seeing that you’re okay now puts my mind at ease too. Actually, I came here to say goodbye, on the condition that I wouldn’t follow you around anymore. You must have suffered a lot from someone like me following you around, so now you can rest easy.”
Sonnet bowed her head and turned around.
She didn’t know if Aiden would believe her, but she had done her best to craft her words.
Sonnet was just about to grab the door handle.
“What’s your name?”
Sonnet turned around with a surprised expression.
“Pardon?”
“Your name.”
Sonnet thought for a moment before opening her mouth.
“There’s no point in knowing my name now. We won’t be meeting again anyway.”
Sonnet said only that and opened the door. As she came down the stairs, her heart sank dismally. Thinking that Aiden would no longer be in the future she would draw made her heart ache.
She was forcing back tears as she finished coming down the stairs when the butler approached Sonnet.
“Miss Sonnet, please come with me for a moment.”
Sonnet followed the butler. After walking a little, they came to an arched doorway – the same place she had come to with Aiden before.
Duke Rosefield was drinking tea, and when he saw Sonnet, he set down his teacup.
“I trust you’ve ended things cleanly.”
Sonnet’s heart suddenly throbbed. The resentment she had pressed down in her heart began to rise.
“If I stay quiet, Aiden will be happy, right?”
Sonnet felt like tears would flow at any moment but held them back. As she stared piercingly at him, the Duke leisurely raised the corners of his mouth.
“He’s already engaged to the Princess, and if only you stay quiet, Aiden’s future will be very secure.”
Sonnet’s heart ached, but she thought it couldn’t be helped. At least she wouldn’t have to face the inferiority complex that had been blooming in her heart anymore.
She wouldn’t have to lose herself worrying about him anymore.
Even thinking that, Sonnet felt empty inside and her heart ached. It felt like someone was poking her with a needle.
Sonnet ignored the pain and spoke calmly.
“I told Aiden that I just liked him and followed him around. I said I came here on the condition that I wouldn’t follow him anymore.”
Duke Rosefield smiled. He looked at Sonnet with satisfaction.
Sonnet thought of Aiden and continued speaking indifferently.
“And I said I was acquainted with you, Duke. I thought that would make Aiden believe why I was able to come here.”
Duke Rosefield nodded as if it were nothing.
Sonnet felt she had said everything she needed to say and turned around. Duke Rosefield didn’t stop her anymore either.
Only after leaving the estate did Sonnet let out a long breath she had been holding. Summer wasn’t completely over yet, so the sunlight was hot.
As she squinted, a tear fell. Sonnet roughly wiped away the tear. But tears kept flowing, mixing with sweat and stinging her eyes.
Why was the estate’s garden so wide?
Throughout her walk, there wasn’t a single shade to cover her face.
Her face burned hot in the sunlight, and tears flowed endlessly.
‘I didn’t know we’d part so soon.’
Her chest ached as if it would tear… It was the worst summer.
***
Half a year later, the forest that had been covered in strong sunlight and lush leaves was now beginning to be covered with white snow.
Sonnet stared blankly out the window.
That vibrant summer had passed and now it was winter. The coldest winter at that.
People around her were making a fuss about this being the coldest winter. Sonnet agreed. The cold wind was particularly piercing, as if it was cutting through her skin.
Sonnet wrapped her blanket tighter around herself and sniffled.
Then the door opened and people who had gone to lunch came in. Cold wind rushed in along with noisy voices.
“Wow, isn’t it difficult to become commander of the First Kingdom Army at that age?”
“That’s right. Plus Aiden has a good family background too.”
As soon as Aiden’s name was mentioned, Sonnet looked away from the window.
She looked at the photo materials of a stone monument damaged beyond recognition to try to concentrate again.
No matter how hard she tried to focus, the voices around her were quite loud. Their amazement at the news seemed unabated.
“And he won the Merilden War overwhelmingly too. From what I heard, it was supposedly a hopeless situation.”
“That’s why he was dramatically promoted to commander of the First Kingdom Army. And since he’s engaged to the Princess, it’ll be smooth sailing.”
Sonnet stared at the same letters. Even though she thought a lot of time had passed, Aiden still made her stop all her actions.
“Do you think he’ll really marry the Princess?”
The old man threw the newspaper on the table.
“Can’t you tell from looking at this? Of course they’ll get married.”
The man hurriedly examined the newspaper but tilted his head.
“Did someone cut it out? It’s empty here.”
The old man looked at the newspaper and frowned.
“Why is this like this? It’s today’s newspaper.”
He shook and examined the newspaper this way and that, then shifted his gaze to Sonnet. Sonnet naturally stood up and held out a report she had written in advance.
“Professor, this is the research report on Metrnee Temple.”
Professor Aldoren received the report with mixed feelings. Sonnet immediately sat down and looked at the damaged photo again.
The professor skimmed through the documents and placed them on his desk across from him.
He still looked at Sonnet with an unresolved expression. When Sonnet showed no signs of speaking, he spoke first.
“Sonnet, you…”
“I’ve marked any characters that haven’t been completely deciphered with annotations to distinguish them. And I didn’t use any expressions that seemed overly confident.”
Professor Aldoren had nothing more to say. Sonnet had been following his research well ever since she arrived here. To the point where no additional comments were needed.
On top of that, with the abundant research funding that Sonnet had personally brought in, he had nothing particular to criticize her for.
Professor Aldoren thought about the new research that had recently come in and spoke up.
“Sonnet, how long has it been since you came here?”
Sonnet answered while focusing on the photographs without looking at the Professor.
“Six months.”
The Professor was already accustomed to Sonnet’s attitude and didn’t say anything more.
Just then, the Young Man’s eyes lit up as he interjected.
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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