My head was a mess.
It was all well and good that I had figured out why Estelle had shown me a kindness that wasn’t quite kindness. The problem was how she had read the intent behind my questions.
She certainly didn’t have the ability to read minds like a princess might.
“Haaah…”
I sighed, pressing my forehead as a throbbing sensation came over me. The situation had become complicated in a way different from when I had first possessed Adelle’s body.
Back then, I only had to worry about my own life, but now it was…
It felt like I was being swept up in a giant tide. A massive flow that I couldn’t go against or escape from.
“We’ve arrived.”
The driver’s voice broke through my deep contemplation. I shook my head to clear my thoughts and opened the carriage door.
Then I saw a familiar man’s face. Gray hair, silver eyes, and a scar by the corner of his eye.
“Abel?”
His calm gesture of offering his hand momentarily surprised me, but I instinctively took it.
Even though I was naturally being escorted by Abel, the situation was still unclear to me.
With his help, I slowly stepped down from the carriage and was greeted by a familiar scent of roses.
It felt as though the cluttered thoughts in my head cleared up a bit. It was like the reassuring feeling of coming home after work to the familiar scent of home.
“Interesting.”
It was strange how I felt this way, considering I had only been here for a few months. I had never felt this way in the real place I called home, the Earl Estelle household.
On a second thought, it wasn’t my home but rather Adelle’s family house before I possessed her—perhaps that was why.
“Are you alright?”
Abel’s concerned question snapped me out of my reverie.
“Yes, I’m fine.”
“Well, that’s a relief.”
With that, he moved ahead. I followed in his footsteps, my eyes gliding over the garden’s landscape, and I caught his back.
He walked at a steady pace, neither too fast nor too slow. His posture was somewhat rigid but carried an inexplicable weight.
Maybe it was because I had unknowingly grown attached to Abel that I noticed these details.
“How was the tea party?”
“It was… alright.”
“It seems it wasn’t very good.”
The way Abel concluded that immediately left me speechless.
Indeed, the event wasn’t very enjoyable. I still struggled to adapt to the social circle’s mask play.
But how did Abel figure that out so easily?
It seemed my confusion was apparent on my face, as Abel smiled faintly and spoke.
“I’ve never seen you make a good face after you say ‘alright.'”
“True.”
Since it wasn’t wrong, I acknowledged it instantly.
Saying “alright” had become a sort of habitual phrase of mine. It was a lie I had told so as not to worry my parents or close friends.
Though it was surprising that Abel had noticed that.
“This should do.”
We were in the middle of a path cutting through the garden when he stopped and stretched his hand out into the air. Simultaneously, a massive flow of mana erupted from him like waves.
“What—”
Before I could finish the word, a white magic circle spread across the ground. It formed so swiftly, as if carved into the space instantly.
Before I could marvel at the sight, my vision darkened.
Umm…
A small vibration rippled through the air, and the garden view disappeared.
“This is…”
“My personal space. The matters we’re about to discuss must not leak out.”
Must not leak out, hence he created a personal space. I turned my head to observe the surroundings.
It was a pitch-black void.
Nothing was visible. The only things I could see were Abel and myself. Even if my knowledge of magic was not deep, I could tell how extraordinary this magic was.
“Are you feeling dizzy or anything?”
“What? Not particularly…”
“Indeed, I’m relieved that you don’t seem to be overly sensitive.”
“Sensitive?”
If I were more sensitive to mana, I might have felt a bit queasy. The massive flow of mana he had just displayed was that powerful.
“The contract’s seal.”
Boom…
At his words, two sheets of paper flitted down.
The seal of the contract. Was it referring to the contract documents?
If it were the contract of our arranged marriage, he must have given it to me back then. If my memory serves me right, it should still be in my drawer at the Estelle household.
When I picked up and unfolded the fallen paper, a stark white blank page met my eyes. It was quite different from the tightly packed contract documents I had first seen when meeting Abel.
I looked up to see him similarly holding a paper. Before I could ask, Abel started to speak.
“Didn’t I say it earlier? There was an important matter concerning the contract.”
Indeed, he had mentioned it that morning.
I had assumed it was something simple like a review of the previous contract, or perhaps an extension of that agreement.
He had meant something different entirely.
“Rebellion against the royal family.”
The word Abel uttered startled me. Seeing my reaction, he smiled faintly and continued.
“Why are you surprised? I should have informed you earlier; it’s my fault.”
“What do you mean..?”
Suddenly, the content of the contract came to mind. I had read it so many times that I practically had it memorized, down to every detail.
First, Abel von Hartenberg will serve as Adelle von Estelle’s fiancé for a year and aid her, where feasible.
Second, in return, the Hartenberg family gains exclusive control over the trade activities of the Estelle family for a year.
Third, should it be necessary, the contract may be extended or cancelled, by mutual agreement. During such agreements, both parties must be in sound mental states.
“Isn’t now precisely such a necessity?”
Saying that, Abel smiled gently.
My head was muddled.
So, it was Abel who first admitted fault in the contract. This was quite a contrast to his meticulous character, the one who had even prepared a pre-written contract for a marriage that hadn’t happened yet.
This was the same person from the original story, a man so meticulous that he climbed to become a primary antagonist. His actions didn’t align with the image of Abel I had in my mind, thus creating a sense of discomfort.
Even more startling was the fact that he had mentioned rebellion against the royal family. Given his usually thorough character, I never expected him to divulge such information about treason. And now, he was explaining it so simply.
“You seem quite shocked.”
“Of course!”
I replied loudly without realizing, then covered my mouth. He continued unaffected by my outburst.
“The rules are simple.”
A white flame appeared at the center of the paper.
Then black letters started to float onto the paper as if writing the word “contract.” When Abel snapped his finger, the flame danced across the paper.
“Artifact…?”
Did the duchy possess artifacts like this? Well, considering how old this family was, it wasn’t entirely surprising that they had such artifacts.
The flame soon diminished, and the exact content of our initial contract reappeared on it. It matched my memory perfectly.
“Each of us gets three chances to add, modify, or delete clauses.”
When Abel finished speaking, the number “3” appeared in a corner of the paper.
This was the number of chances we had to alter the terms. I looked up to see him examining his paper closely.
“Well, this is fair enough, don’t you think?”
“Yes, it does.”
He was right.
It was a rational and fair set of rules. Even if unreasonable terms were added by one side, the other side could revise or delete them.
Similarly, my side wouldn’t be able to make unreasonable demands on him. Abel must have considered this fact when proposing this rule.
It was a regulation suggesting his intention to renegotiate the contract on an equal footing.
“Let’s start then.”
Whoosh…
A subtle tremor came from the paper. And then Abel began speaking.
“I will add a clause: In necessary cases, Adelle von Estelle will cooperate with Abel von Hartenberg’s rebellion.”
White flames traveled across the paper, writing down exactly what he had said. As a result, the fourth clause was added to the contract as he had said.
“Now it’s your turn, Adelle.”
“I—I’ll—”
“Cooperate with rebellion”…
Even with “in necessary cases” as a prerequisite, it amounted to the essential clause that I would need to collaborate on rebellion if called upon.
Of course, considering the rules of this contract, this was more of a proposal than a demand since I had the power to modify, delete, or add terms.
When he said this was fair, it must be in this sense.
“I’ll add a clause: The aforementioned ‘necessary cases’ refers only to situations where mutual agreement has been reached.”
The number ‘3’ in the corner of the paper changed to ‘2.’ Simultaneously, white flames appeared on both our papers, adding the fifth clause as I had stated.
Abel, who had quietly observed this, spoke again.
“I’ll modify the fifth clause: Mutual agreement shall only be valid when both parties are in sound mental states.”
“Ah, that’s…”
I suddenly realized my oversight. I had forgotten the existence of such magic in this world.
“You’re still inexperienced. You must always consider mental magic when making a contract.”
“You’re right…”
I nodded slightly, accepting his advice. It was indeed my own fault for having not thought about mental magic.
But for him to use one of his chances to modify that clause for me…
“Are you trusting me?”
Abel had one chance left; I had two.
In this situation, if I used both of my chances to introduce unreasonable terms, there would be nothing he could do to stop it. Still, he chose to ‘waste’ this opportunity, which indicated the extent of his trust in me.
It made me feel strangely.
