If I Were Reborn, I Wouldn’t Marry You - Chapter 47

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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 48

 

‘The few months after that were good though.’

 

If there was ever a time when we were like lovers, it was probably the few months between the proposal and the wedding.

 

Even then, Leonhardt was busy but sincere.

 

He would send personally chosen gifts and regularly ask me on dates.

 

When I had external schedules, he would try his best to accompany me, and if he couldn’t make time, he would at least try to drop me off or come pick me up.

 

Even then, he wasn’t someone who could say sweet words, but I had no complaints because I thought Leonhardt expressed his feelings through actions rather than words.

 

‘It was inevitable that I would be deluded into thinking Leonhardt really liked me.’

 

A handsome young emperor, especially one who had no interest in the opposite sex, treating only me specially made me feel like the female protagonist of a romance novel.

 

I even worried that my feelings might be insufficient compared to Leonhardt’s.

 

At the same time, I also harbored hope that I might truly come to love Leonhardt later on.

 

‘It was all wishful thinking.’

 

That was a story from when I was young and naive.

 

Perhaps because I remembered the dark history of my past that I had suppressed, I felt awkward dealing with Leonhardt for a while.

 

‘It’s fortunate that Leon is dull enough to readily believe the excuse that I’m busy.’

 

However, I couldn’t escape Mother’s eyes.

 

Mother, who noticed that my mood had sunk due to some matter, planned a small event for me.

 

It was a garden party where I would invite friends, and as soon as Mother brought up the idea, my brothers and Leonhardt pestered me to invite them too.

 

“I’ve prepared the invitations, youngest.”

 

“You’ll naturally invite your brother, right?”

 

“Me too.”

 

“Sure!”

 

My mood had already improved considerably since the garden party was mentioned, so I readily invited all three of them.

 

When Lionel said he would come, I invited Merlin, and then my brothers also squeezed in a few of their friends, causing the number of garden party attendees to increase much more than expected.

 

‘The more people, the more fun it’ll be.’

 

Even if the scale had grown a bit, preparing a garden party like children’s tea party games was easy work for me.

 

‘Before, I had so much work that I would panic… I guess if you do it in moderation, it can become a source of vitality in life.’

 

With this small realization, the day of the garden party soon approached.

 

Seeing me excitedly preparing for the garden party, Mother offered the entire separate residence of the Duke’s mansion as the party venue.

 

Since our family was small, the empty separate residence was covered with colorful and cute decorations.

 

I greeted the guests wearing a lovely dress with plenty of pale pink frills.

 

Of course, beside me were Lionel, Lester, and Leonhardt, all dressed in children’s formal wear.

 

The first person to arrive was Merlin.

 

“Merlin! Welcome!”

 

I rushed to hug Merlin while giving her a welcoming greeting.

 

“The garden is so pretty, Miela. Thank you for inviting me.”

 

Merlin, who had grown accustomed to my enthusiastic welcome greetings, hugged me back as if she had been waiting for it.

 

“Right? Isn’t it totally pretty?”

 

The party venue, decorated with crystal accessories as focal points that wouldn’t become trendy for several more years, was perfect even in my own opinion.

 

While proudly showing off, I casually asked.

 

“The guests haven’t all arrived yet, would you like to tour the party venue?”

 

Merlin, who didn’t notice my scheming intentions at all, nodded.

 

“Would that be okay?”

 

“Of course!”

 

I hid my ulterior motives behind a bright smile and reached out to grab Lionel’s wrist.

 

“Lionel! Show Merlin around the party venue!”

 

When I signaled with my eyes that I, as the host, couldn’t leave my post, Lionel pretended to be troubled for no reason, then extended his hand to Merlin.

 

‘He’s acting.’

 

After hearing Leonhardt’s explanation, I had come to see through Lionel’s pretense.

 

‘Still, he’s not someone who would act foolishly until the crucial moment.’

 

I smiled mischievously as I sent the two of them away.

 

Next to arrive were Rudrick and his group.

 

Inspired by our meeting at the previous tea party, I had invited several people who would work with Leonhardt in the future, and these were exactly those people.

 

It would be good to become friends in advance.

 

“Hello, Young Lady. The weather is really nice today.”

 

“Perfect weather for a garden party, isn’t it?”

 

After returning the greeting to the hesitant Rudrick, I called for Leonhardt this time.

 

“Prince, I’d like to ask you to guide them.”

 

When I blinked several times as if sending telepathy, Leonhardt seemed to understand my intention and obediently guided Rudrick and his group.

 

“Oh, everyone’s leaving!”

 

Lester, who was the only one left beside me, seemed pleased that his competitors had disappeared.

 

He claimed the spot next to me that he had yielded to Lionel and Leonhardt just moments before and worked hard at greeting guests.

 

However, Lester’s time staying by my side wasn’t very long.

 

Among the three Roderick siblings, Lester, who had the most friends, had invited about as many people as all the people I had invited combined.

 

In other words, Lester had no choice but to be quite busy just taking care of his own guests.

 

“Welcome, young masters.”

 

I pretended to warmly welcome Lester’s guests who arrived in a group while scanning their faces with my eyes.

 

‘Was Lester close with these people too?’

 

Most of them were friends I already knew, like Andrew Lombran and Young Master Caspian, but there were also a couple of people mixed in who, while belonging to the same Imperial Faction, I wasn’t particularly close with.

 

‘That can’t be right…’

 

I tilted my head in confusion.

 

Although it was just a casual gathering where everyone brought their own friends, since I was the nominal host, I remembered who the invitees were.

 

But those two names were definitely not on the list.

 

It had only been a few days since Lester had upset the Crown Prince, so what reason would there be to invite the Crown Prince’s followers to the party?

 

‘One is Conrad, who’s Andrew Lombran’s maternal cousin, and the other is Kylian from a branch of House Perington… They probably came together because of some mutual connection.’

 

This was common at such casual parties.

 

Even if they were unwelcome guests, since they had made the effort to come, I couldn’t turn them away.

 

“Conrad and Kylian came too. Nice to see you.”

 

“Oh, yeah.”

 

“Is that a salamander lizard on the young master’s shoulder? It’s my first time seeing one in person, and it’s cute.”

 

“Huh? Yes! I received it as a gift.”

 

Both Lester and I accepted the uninvited guests without making a big deal of it.

 

However, being absorbed in the fact that uninvited guests had come, there was something we failed to notice.

 

The fact that the expressions of the two uninvited guests were stiff with tension.

 

The opportunity Prince had been waiting for came sooner than expected.

 

‘A garden party held at Duke Roderick’s mansion.’

 

It was a very good opportunity for the iron-clad bolts of Duke Roderick’s mansion to loosen.

 

Prince tapped the armrest of his chair lightly like playing piano while lost in thought.

 

As always when planning something cruel, a subtle smile hung on Prince’s lips.

 

Unlike the smile he used to wear when acting as the kind and benevolent Crown Prince, this was a smile that showed 100 percent pure enjoyment.

 

After pondering for quite a long time and completing his plan, Prince summoned two of his followers one by one through his chamberlain.

 

They were Conrad and Kylian.

 

Conrad, who was called first, looked bewildered.

 

To Prince, his followers were similar to useful tools, so while he managed them regularly and kept them close, he had never summoned them separately like this.

 

“I greet the small sun of the Empire.”

 

Prince stopped Conrad, who was nervously trying to bow, and spoke in a deliberately affectionate tone.

 

“This is a private setting, so you don’t need to be so formal.”

 

Conrad showed a moved expression at the friendly tone he was hearing for the first time.

 

Prince inwardly mocked Conrad for acting as stupidly as predicted.

 

However, he continued to treat Conrad while maintaining a kind expression.

 

Until he was so moved by the Crown Prince’s kindness that he mistakenly believed he was receiving special treatment.

 

After sufficient time had passed, Jeffrisian whispered like a farmer waiting for fruit to ripen before harvest.

 

Could he provide a small favor for someone in a difficult situation?

 

“Of course!”

 

Conrad, completely deceived, nodded with a delighted expression.

 

“This little guy is a salamander lizard.”

 

The lizard, named after the fire spirit salamander due to their resemblance, breathed small flames from its mouth.

 

“…Could you take him to the party at Duke Roderick’s Mansion?”

 

After hearing the explanation of what he needed to do, Conrad nodded as if entranced.

 

That Kaelen, who arrived shortly after, received a similar but different request before departing was a secret of the Crown Prince’s Palace.

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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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