The square was filled with people.

In the center, a trio of musicians played a rhythmic tune, and some people around them danced along.

Just off to the side, painters were drawing portraits for travelers.

Cloud-like cotton candy freshly pulled from machines and colorful balloons tied to strings floating in the air added a touch of whimsy to the lively square.

It was a peaceful late afternoon scene. It would have been, if not for this man beside her.

“Stop glaring at me.”

The man said with a sidelong glance, but Melly did not stop glaring.

If only the swelling had gone down, she would have slapped that face of his.

As payback for forcibly dragging her here……

Sigh-.

What would be the use anyway. What’s done is done.

Melly averted her gaze and let out a long sigh. Then Francis Adel said,

“For heaven’s sake. Stop sighing already.”

“Not content with dragging me here against my will, now you’re trying to control my sighing too?”

At those words, Francis burst out laughing.

“Sorry for dragging you here. But isn’t it nice to get out like this? Much better than scribbling in your diary in your room.”

“That diary thing again……”

Melly said, barely suppressing her rising anger.

“Just how long are you going to use that weakness against me?”

“As long as I can.”

Francis said with a mischievous grin.

Melly decided it would be better for her mental health to stop exchanging words with him.

She turned her head again to focus her attention on the musicians and gypsies, portrait painters and models, couples on dates, children eating cotton candy. And everything else.

Anything but the man in front of her, she thought.

“I’ve been thinking.”

But this man knew exceedingly well how to get her attention.

“You’re unexpectedly feisty. I wonder how you manage to bear it in that house.”

“Bear it?”

Melly glared at Francis again.

“If anything, it’s they who have shown patience by accepting an outsider like me as family. I haven’t had to bear anything at all.”

“Is that so?”

Francis rested his chin on his interlocked hands as he continued.

“But they tried to sell you off to that merchant. The owner of Blair Company.”

Melly’s eyes widened.

“H-How did you know about that?”

“Because I saw. You two looking like death warmed over together at that opera house.”

‘And I told Duke Pelton about it. Then he left with a face cold as ice.’

He only said that part to himself.

Melly defended her guardian, Eida, in a somewhat subdued voice.

“They weren’t selling me off. The Dowager Duchess just wanted to match me with a good person.”

“Believe that if you want to.”

Francis said with a wink, as if teasing her.

Melly didn’t even have the energy to be angry at this man.

Because remembering the incident with Lord Blair only made her sigh.

Francis watched Melly for a moment as she lowered her gaze with a dejected look.

For an instant, he saw himself in her expression.

‘Francis, you are truly lucky.’

On the day he set foot in the marquis’s mansion after being chosen as the heir to the Adel family, the Marchioness Adel had said,

‘You’ve become the heir to our family, beating out other promising cousin boys. From now on, you can have anything you want, do anything you want. You can become anything you want. Except for just one thing.’

‘What is the one thing I cannot become, my lady?’

The words the Marchioness Adel said that day with an elegant smile had never once been forgotten in Francis’s mind.

‘Our family.’

It was a firm declaration that they would accept him as an heir but not as family.

He had always wondered.

Why did she specifically say he couldn’t become ‘family’ when she could have just said ‘son’?

He realized the reason after falling in love with Rosalyn.

It included the meaning not to covet her daughter. Even though they fell in love much later.

Meticulous people. He thought that all the great nobles were like that, anticipating and preparing for and rejecting things that hadn’t even happened yet.

“What should we do now?”

Melly turned her gaze from the center of the square she had been staring at and said to Francis.

“Should I buy you a meal like you said before?”

“……”

“There’s nothing to be grateful for, but I’ll buy if you want. So you’ll let me go sooner.”

A couple hours earlier.

Melly, who had come down to the lobby thinking of taking a walk, froze in place when she unexpectedly encountered a certain man.

He said he came looking for Edric, but Melly realized he had deliberately chosen a time when Edric was out.

There was no way he wouldn’t have known, since Edric had sent a letter to the Adel marquis’s residence an hour before his departure to announce his visit.

Francis pretended to be very disappointed about their paths not crossing, then pestered Melly.

‘Then my lady will have to spend some time with me in lieu of His Excellency.’

‘Why should I?’

‘Because I know a place that my lady might find interesting.’

What a cheap trick.

Melly ignored him and turned away.

But she froze like a stone before taking even three steps.

‘Milord Square.’

Francis’s voice pierced Melly’s back like an arrowhead.

‘Street performances, bustling crowds, a common folk atmosphere.’

The servants looked on strangely as Melly’s face grew increasingly pale with each word he uttered.

They couldn’t help it.

After all, they didn’t know that all those words coming from Francis’s mouth were part of the contents written in Melly’s diary.

‘And all of this I want to see together with E…’

‘Let’s go!’

Just before uttering a scandalous proper noun, Melly grabbed his hand and pulled.

The servants widened their eyes at the timid lady’s uncharacteristic assertiveness, but that wasn’t very important to Melly.

She had to get this man out of this house first.

She couldn’t let everyone discover the hypocritical side that had pretended to be their master’s innocent and selfless friend for all those long years.

‘Let’s go right now! Go!’

And so they escaped to this place, Milord Square.

The place she had always wanted to visit once had now become a place she dreaded even in her dreams.

By the way.

‘He’s quite a man with good memory.’

Melly learned a new fact about Francis.

To remember something that wasn’t even very important content. He must have skimmed through it in a short time.

Come to think of it, didn’t he find her room without wandering around, and even sensitively detect Edric’s footsteps? He must be a man with keen senses as well as good memory.

She could understand why the Adel Marquis family had chosen this distant relative as heir, setting aside closer blood relatives.

“One hour from now.”

Francis said, holding up a finger.

“Just stay with me for that long. You don’t have to buy me a meal.”

I’d rather you ask me to buy you a meal.

But setting a definite end made her feel a little less overwhelmed and frustrated.

“Then let’s talk for an hour.”

Melly said. Because there was nothing else she wanted to do together.

Francis nodded.

“Alright.”

“What are you going to do about Lady Rosalyn?”

“Well.”

Melly’s eyes widened at the unexpected answer.

It was surprising that this man, who had been so resolute as to willingly become Rosalyn’s lover, had room for hesitation.

“No, why suddenly…”

“Just. Suddenly I felt doubtful. I wondered what’s the point of living as a hidden man like this.”

Melly couldn’t quite adjust to this inconsiderate man suddenly saying something so considerate.

She couldn’t help but ask.

“…Did something happen?”

Francis suddenly changed the subject.

“It’s my turn to ask a question now. If you want to ask, answer my question first.”

“I don’t think there was such a rule.”

“I just made it. Now.”

Melly sighed deeply and nodded as if to say ask quickly if you have something to ask.

“Why on earth do you like such trash?”

For a moment Melly was confused, not knowing who he was referring to.

“I mean your man. Edric Pelton. What’s so good about that trash?”

“Wh-What did you say?”

Melly couldn’t help but get upset at the harsh expression.

“That’s a bit harsh. How is Edric trash?”

“At least he’s not a good man. Though his shell is quite impressive.”

“Are there any truly good men among the social nobles? Everyone lives with a bit of pretense.”

“Is that so?”

Francis leaned back leisurely against the backrest of the chair he was sitting on and crossed his legs.

“Then I guess that’s how it is.”

Melly was very irritated by this man’s attitude of backing off as if he had no intention after making people upset.

She wanted to get revenge.

“Then why do you like Lady Rosalyn? From what I can see, Lady Rosalyn doesn’t seem to have any outstanding merits except for her excellent appearance and social skills.”

Melly thought this man would get upset like her. But.

“That’s right. She’s a child with many shortcomings.”

Melly was deflated by the unexpected admission.

“But I liked her.”

“…”

“I liked her willfulness, I liked her unpredictable mood swings. I liked her gossip when she would come to my room first after attending a party to talk about this and that, and I liked her arrogant attitude of not even treating people she deemed below her standards as human beings.”

“…”

“Despite all those flaws, my feelings didn’t cool down.”

Melly noticed that this man was speaking of everything in the past tense.

‘Something must have happened indeed.’

Melly was certain.

Suddenly, Francis smiled interestingly and leaned towards her.

“I’ve been thinking. Don’t you think we’d get along quite well?”

“…Why do you say that?”

“We live in the same world.”