If I Were Reborn, I Wouldn’t Marry You - Chapter 14

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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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Chapter 15

It seemed I had successfully acted just selfishly enough to give the Crown Prince a bad impression of me.

Since then, there had been no contact from the Crown Prince whatsoever.

‘His Majesty the Emperor is still a decent parent to the Crown Prince, so he’ll probably take his opinion about his engagement partner into consideration.’

Our parents would oppose the engagement itself.

Thanks to that, I had regained my peace.

“Miela, you seem to be in a good mood lately? Did something fun happen? Tell your brother too.”

Lionel, who was having lunch with me after a long time, casually asked if something had happened.

“Hmm? Nothing happened at all.”

I answered while chewing and swallowing a piece of carrot that came as garnish.

“Really? It’s not a secret just from your brother, is it?”

Lionel asked teasingly with his eyes curved in a smile.

Since I was closer to Lester, who was less busy and had a smaller age gap than Lionel who was busy with heir education, he seemed to often feel left out.

Lionel had always seemed mature to me, but now he looked a bit cute.

“Actually, there is something.”

I whispered, lowering my voice as if I was really going to share a secret.

“What is it?”

Lionel asked, his voice also lowering.

“Well.”

I drew out my words as I got up from my seat and approached Lionel.

When I gestured as if I was going to whisper in his ear, Lionel slightly lowered his head.

“I love Lionel so much!”

As I hugged Lionel tightly and kissed his cheek with a loud smack, the corners of Lionel’s mouth melted into a smile.

“I love Miela so much too.”

Lionel hugged me back.

“How can our Miela be so cute?”

Lionel rubbed his cheek against mine and said I was cute about thirty times.

At first, I silently endured Lionel’s affectionate display, but it was gradually becoming difficult.

“Wah, I can’t breathe.”

Only after I deliberately made a crying face and whined was I able to be freed from Lionel.

“Sorry.”

Lionel apologized sheepishly when he saw that my cheeks had turned slightly red.

Of course, I graciously accepted his apology.

“It’s okay, it’s all because Miela is so cute.”

Then I quickly returned to my seat before Lionel could hug me again.

Lionel’s eyes followed my movements, full of regret.

Today’s dose of aegyo was now over.

I resolutely ignored Lionel’s longing gaze and picked up my fork and knife.

“Oh, I’m hungry.”

I was almost full and the food had cooled down a bit, but I resolutely finished my meal.

Lionel deliberately ate slowly and stayed in his seat until I finished eating.

Until his servant came looking for him because class time had passed.

Though more relaxed than Lionel’s, I also had my own schedule.

There were quite a few things to learn to become an excellent young lady.

‘Of course, I already knew all the content.’

What awaited me after mealtime, playtime, and nap time was learning basic etiquette.

“Young Lady, you know that starting today, the teacher who will be teaching you basic etiquette is changing, right?”

“Yes!”

My original basic etiquette teacher was a kind elderly lady called Lady Marklen.

Her husband Lord Marklen’s health had suddenly deteriorated, so they had to go down to their estate, which led to the teacher change.

Of course, this had happened in the first round too.

‘I wonder if Lady Belmore will come this time too?’

Lady Belmore was the sister of the current Count Belmore, and after divorcing her husband, she had returned to her family home at the Belmore Estate and was working as an etiquette teacher for noble young ladies.

At this point, along with Lady Marklen, she was the most preferred etiquette teacher in high society.

‘Lady Belmore is quite strict though.’

True to being a member of the Belmore family famous for their upright character, she taught all students equally strictly regardless of their family status, even if they were daughters of high-ranking noble families.

Even I, who was particularly popular with adults, took some time to become close with Lady Belmore.

‘But since it’s the second time, I’ll become close with her faster.’

Lady Belmore seemed strict on the outside but was the type with deep inner feelings.

This time too, she would become an excellent teacher and good acquaintance.

Still, I had to prepare myself for etiquette lessons not being easy for a while.

I steeled my resolve and opened the door.

However, the person waiting in the room where lessons took place was not Lady Belmore.

‘Huh? Why isn’t it Lady Belmore?’

Was there some variable?

I smiled more brightly to avoid showing my puzzled expression and observed the unfamiliar etiquette teacher.

She was a woman who appeared to be in her early thirties with soft brown hair neatly pinned up.

When our eyes met, the new etiquette teacher smiled kindly and greeted me with perfect posture.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Lady Roderick. I am Kate Dellion, who will be teaching you basic etiquette starting today. Please call me Lady Kate.”

It was a strangely familiar name.

‘Kate Dellion, that’s a name I’ve heard a lot. Where did I hear it?’

I reached toward the elusive end of my memory and casually asked to get more clues.

“What is your relationship with Count Delion?”

The Delion County was a noble family with an estate in the South.

It was quite an old family, but since it wasn’t particularly wealthy and had no famous figures, it wasn’t well known in the capital.

Lady Kate seemed pleased that I knew of such a family, covering her mouth with her hand and widening her eyes.

“Oh my, I heard you were intelligent. Have you already memorized the entire nobility directory?”

Of course I had memorized it all.

But when a teacher learns that a student is too smart, lessons tend to become arduous.

“I haven’t memorized it all. I just found the history of the Delion County, which has been around since the early days of the Empire, interesting, so it stuck in my memory.”

I spoke humbly with a bashful smile.

Pleased with the praise for her family, Lady Kate’s smile deepened.

Then Lady Kate answered my question with an attitude so confident it could almost seem arrogant.

“The late Count Delion was my father. The current Count Delion is my uncle. You may not know this, Young Lady, but the Delion family earned merit in the Battle of Barzen and received the title of viscount, then…”

She even began to boast at length about her family’s distinguished history, though I hadn’t even asked.

Even if I was her student, this wasn’t an appropriate attitude to show toward me, a duke’s daughter.

However, after hearing Lady Kate’s words, I decided to understand her attitude.

Since the current Count Delion had inherited the title about twenty years ago by current standards.

‘A typical case of someone whose life got twisted when their father who held a title died early and the title passed to another family member.’

This was something that happened because the Empire only gave limited recognition to women’s inheritance rights to titles.

The life of a noble woman who lost the family that would serve as her backing was quite arduous, so some defensive mechanisms were understandable.

“Nice to meet you, Lady Kate. Please take good care of me.”

I smiled gently and offered my greeting.

At the same time, I remembered where I had heard Kate Dellion’s name.

‘This person, she’s that person.’

That etiquette teacher who was permanently expelled from noble high society after being caught secretly abusing students of lower status or timid temperament under the guise of lessons.

It had happened when I was young, and since the adults had hushed it up, I had learned about it belatedly after the incident was all over.

That’s why it took me so long to remember.

I maintained my smiling face while carefully observing Lady Kate’s features.

With her round features and light wrinkles around her eyes from frequent smiling, she looked like a person with a really nice impression.

‘People don’t always live according to how they look.’

After all, even the Crown Prince is said to look like an angel.

I inwardly clicked my tongue and raised my guard.

Though someone of my status who wasn’t timid wouldn’t become this person’s target for abuse, it was still unpleasant.

‘I’ll have to find some excuse to send her away.’

I hid my true feelings and gave Lady Kate a bright smile.

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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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