I’m Done With Unrequited Love - Chapter 48

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Chapter 48
“I thought it would be nice if I could find you, or else I’d simply regard it as a missed opportunity.”
My head throbbed.
“Fine, let’s leave it at that.”
I studied Siren for a moment, then asked what had puzzled me most.
“The Countess Flora went to the Gambling House before I’d even left the Capital.”
“…Yes.”
“Then was our first meeting also an orchestrated coincidence?”
If so, that meant Siren had known I would attend the Inauguration Ceremony and had moved accordingly.
Siren’s head bowed.
“Yes, it was.”
Good heavens.
“I’m curious how you knew.”
“I’m afraid I cannot tell you that.”
“Ah, a trade secret?”
“Something… along those lines.”
Hmm.
‘I should look into this.’
If he didn’t want to reveal it, I had no intention of pressing further here.
‘But a background investigation wouldn’t hurt.’
He never said I couldn’t investigate.
I nodded slowly.
“I understand well enough. To sum it up—this whole affair was orchestrated by you, so… shall we consider our acquaintance ended here?”
There was nothing more between us now.
The trial was over, the lecture was done.
Above all, once I learned that Siren was behind the Countess Flora affair, I found him distasteful.
Yet Siren’s expression shifted dramatically to alarm, and he spoke with absolute firmness.
“That won’t do.”
“…?”
Why?
I stared at him in bewilderment.
“Why not?”
The answer he gave was remarkable.
“I wish to serve as your aide, my lady—to fill the position left vacant.”
“….”
How did he even know my aide position was vacant?
* * *
Siren Marco—suspicious in every way.
<I wish to serve as your aide, my lady—to fill the position left vacant.>
Rather than press further, I answered with reluctance.
<Get your Master’s Degree first.>
It amounted to a polite refusal, but Siren burned with determination.
<Please wait just one year.>
‘A year from now, I might not even be alive.’
But Siren had no idea of that fact, so I simply told him to come back a year later or not—I didn’t care either way.
I planned to report the rest of my conversation with Siren to Ernan today.
‘After demanding an explanation for why he did all that in the first place.’
Today was the day of my meeting with the Crown Prince.
Just as I had adopted Kiara, Ernan had adopted Rene, so he would surely be invited to this gathering.
The Crown Prince appeared to have sent summons to every nobleman in the Capital with children under thirteen.
When I arrived at the Crown Prince’s Palace gardens, invited by his summons, small children were clustered about in cheerful disorder.
‘The parents are… over there.’
Now that the weather had fully cleared, the gathering was held outdoors rather than inside, with a light luncheon and refreshments.
“How does it feel, coming to the Imperial Palace for the first time?”
I looked down at Kiara, who clung tightly to my hand, and posed the question softly.
“It’s so much bigger than I imagined?” she replied in a small voice.
I nodded in agreement.
“The Imperial Palace is indeed enormous.”
Even the Crown Prince’s Palace building alone far exceeded the main mansion of any ordinary grand estate.
As Kiara and I drew closer to where the crowd had gathered, a man who appeared to be the Palace’s chief chamberlain noticed us and offered a warm smile.
“Welcome, I am Jean Agot, Chamberlain of the Crown Prince’s Palace.”
“I am Fidelina of the Jonath Family.”
“Yes, Fidelina. If I may inquire, what is your daughter’s name?”
Since Kiara had only recently been registered into the Jonath Family, it was hardly strange that the chamberlain wouldn’t know her name.
The answer came from Kiara herself.
“I am Kiara Jonath.”
I applauded silently in my mind.
‘Splendid, Kiara.’
These days, Kiara was studying various subjects, including Etiquette, under a private tutor.
As soon as the Custody Trial concluded, I had hired a tutor and assigned her to Kiara.
Kiara had always demonstrated remarkable adaptability, even when she first came to stay at the Jonath Residence, and her capacity to learn was equally exceptional.
‘Teach her one thing and she understands ten.’
My shoulders soared to the heavens at every meeting with the tutor.
“After paying your respects to His Highness the Crown Prince, Miss Kiara, you will follow me to your seat. Lady Fidelina will be shown to hers by this attendant.”
Following the chamberlain’s instruction, we made our way to greet Crown Prince Ernan.
The Crown Prince sat at the head of the children’s table.
“It has been some time, Your Highness.”
“Ah, Lady Fidelina.”
After exchanging a few pleasantries with Crown Prince Ernan, the chamberlain led Kiara to the table where the children were gathered.
An attendant then guided me to a table placed at a distance.
“Oh, Lady Fidelina!”
“How long it has been!”
The noblewomen I knew greeted me warmly.
I took my seat in an empty chair, and the attendant who had guided me bowed respectfully before withdrawing.
It was then that I became aware of something.
‘Everyone at this table is nobility.’
It was natural, of course, that the parents of the children would come in person at the summons of the imperial family.
‘This will be tedious.’
Scarcely had I settled into my chair when the talkative noblewomen began their welcomes.
“We were so disappointed not to speak with you at the Inauguration Ceremony.”
“There were so many people that day. I myself couldn’t even spot where you were.”
“You’ve been rather withdrawn from society lately—have you been well?”
Women of their station would surely know I had been occupied with preparing for trial alongside Ernan.
‘Gossip travels quickly through the Capital’s circles.’
Yet the way they spoke as if they knew nothing at all gave me an uneasy feeling.
Was it consideration, or were they laying groundwork to lower my guard? I couldn’t tell, and that uncertainty troubled me.
‘Am I overthinking this?’
Perhaps I was.
I smiled with practiced grace and affirmed their words.
“I’ve been quite well, thank you. And you ladies—how have you been faring? Nothing untoward, I trust?”
“Of course not. We have our children and our husbands, after all.”
“Speaking of which, you’re still unmarried, aren’t you, Lady Fidelina?”
‘Here it comes.’
I had wondered when they would broach the subject, and now it seemed the moment had arrived.
Every person at the table fixed their gaze upon me, eyes gleaming with interest.
Even those pretending indifference had their ears perked.
“What possessed you to adopt a child? I hesitate to say it, but if you remain unmarried and adopt, it could complicate your marriage prospects later, you understand.”
“Moreover, you’re young. Extraordinarily young. Adoption seems quite incongruous.”
“We simply must know—what inspired such boldness in Lady Fidelina?”
I answered without hesitation.
“Boldness? I’m not certain it warrants such a word. The child simply caught my attention, and I wished to make her my daughter.”
“And marriage—what of marriage, Fidelina? Do you intend never to marry?”
‘Marriage again.’
I understood whom they were imagining I should marry.
But first, I was baffled by the assumption that an unmarried woman with a child would be unable to marry at all.
“I haven’t given marriage any thought as yet.”
“Goodness!”
My answer sent a ripple through the gathered women.
There were many parents present, and even those not directly engaged in the conversation began whispering and casting glances my way.
Then one noblewoman who had been watching me in silence the entire time spoke up tentatively.
“Lady Fidelina. Then with Duke Cleor, you….”
Someone cut in at that moment.
“You were speaking of me, it seems.”
A quiet voice.
Everyone’s heads turned toward the source of the sound.
I did the same, turning to look.
The man who came into view introduced himself.
“It has been a long time. I am Ernan Cleor.”

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————