“……Let’s go back to my room for now.”
“Yes, my lady.”
Rachel immediately returned to her room and checked the letter first. The contents were strange.
「Lady Rachel Ingrave.
You should know that the execution is tomorrow.
I will come to pick you up in the morning.
From Nathan Valencia.」
“…….”
Just like his first letter, he had written only what was necessary, but somehow…
This letter felt as though it wasn’t leaving room for refusal. As if he were saying that no matter what she said, he would come anyway……
‘What is this?’
It was true that Rachel had drawn a line between them, but they weren’t on bad terms. Now that he had officially become the heir of the Valencia family, he should have had one or two retainers assigned to him to teach him proper noble etiquette or help him write letters.
“……Is he still very busy over there?”
Still, since she had already received a similar letter once before, it wasn’t all that unfamiliar.
After considering his notification-like proposal, Rachel picked up her quill. In truth, there was nothing to consider.
Rachel had no intention of going to the execution.
Everything was already over, and she was too busy preparing to live her new life. She had no desire to take any more interest in the remnants of her life before regression.
「Lord Nathan Valencia.
I hope you have been well. The weather is gradually becoming cooler, and it seems that autumn is about to begin in earnest.」
First, she added a formal greeting.
「Thank you for the offer, but I do not intend to attend the execution, so I’m afraid I cannot accompany you.
And as far as I am concerned, the matter has already been settled.
I would like to ask that you no longer concern yourself with me regarding this matter.
Then, farewell.
Rachel Ingrave.」
With a slightly firm tone, she drew the line once again. At this point, the message that he should stop sending her letters ought to have been clear.
“Send it to Valencia.”
“Yes, my lady.”
Fortunately, there was no reply to her politely worded refusal. Rachel felt relieved.
It really had just been a letter sent out of courtesy, after all.
She wondered if she had been too sensitive about such a letter.
“Hmm.”
The letter from his side had been similarly lacking in noble formality, so perhaps the matter could be brushed aside without much trouble.
Rachel soon pushed the matter from her mind and asked Becky,
“What are we having for dinner tonight?”
“Steamed seafood. The chef specially had it brought in for you, my lady.”
“Wow.”
That was excellent news.
That day, Rachel went to bed after enjoying as much of the delicious food as she could eat.
Abundant meals, soft bedding, a warm room.
She thought these days, in which everything pleased her, would continue.
But they were shattered the next morning.
Lately, Rachel’s days had begun rather late, just like those of any other noble young lady, but Becky arrived much earlier than usual and hurriedly woke her.
“My lady, my lady, wake up!”
“Mm, Becky. What’s going on?”
“Lord Nathan Valencia has come to see you. The Marquis is receiving him right now!”
“……What?”
Her eyes, which had only managed to open halfway with great difficulty, suddenly widened.
Who had come?
At that moment, the bedroom door opened. The person who entered without even knocking was her mother, the Marchioness of Ingrave.
“Rachel, hurry and get up. Lord Valencia says he wishes to attend the execution with you.”
“What?”
“We don’t have time.”
Clap, clap.
At the sound of her mother’s applause, the maids poured into the room. Before Rachel could properly wake up, they had already washed her, dressed her, and begun adorning her.
The dress had a square neckline, while the fitted bodice was tailored closely to her figure, revealing the graceful lines of her body.
Her beautiful face was enhanced to make it stand out even more.
Around her pale, slender neck hung an extravagant necklace composed of a large diamond at its center, surrounded by more than a dozen smaller diamonds.
Only then did Rachel fully come to her senses.
“Wait, there’s no need to dress me up this extravagantly—”
“There is. Hurry.”
“Yes, my lady.”
The maids moved their hands even faster.
At last, Rachel stood before the mirror, perfectly dressed.
She looked as beautiful as a jewel.
The various accessories, the embroidery and gemstones decorating the hem of her skirt—all of them seemed nothing more than means of emphasizing her dazzling beauty.
Her mother nodded in satisfaction.
“Let’s go.”
“Wait—”
Moving almost as though she were being pushed along, Rachel hardened her expression.
The excessive amount of adornment was one thing, but she couldn’t understand why that man had come.
Could it be that yesterday’s letter hadn’t reached him properly? Surely not.
Soon, the first-floor hall came into view.
Rachel froze when she truly found Nathan Valencia standing there.
His black hair was neatly groomed.
His cloak and formal attire wrapped elegantly around a body that had been trained until it was both supple and solid.
He had now completely regained the appearance he had possessed before regression.
At first glance, even his atmosphere seemed to have returned to what it had been.
Because the red eyes that met hers for a brief moment held a cold light.
“…….”
The moment Rachel stopped, her mother stepped forward first.
“Dear, we’re here.”
The Marquis, who had been attending to him, immediately brightened.
“Oh, Rachel. What do you think, Lord Valencia? My daughter is truly beautiful, isn’t she?”
“…….”
He merely stared at her without saying a word.
The Marchioness smiled proudly.
“It seems even the young lord is speechless because our daughter is so beautiful. Well, before her engagement, Rachel was even called the Jewel of Olsher. Now that her position as a fiancée is vacant again, countless young noblemen will come to propose to her.”
“That’s right. Lord Valencia will have to get engaged soon as well. Is there perhaps a young lady you have in mind?”
Her mother and father casually brought up the subject as though they had planned it together.
So that was why they had dressed her up like this.
She had wondered why her mother had personally come to tell her to come downstairs when it would have been enough to simply inform her that a guest had arrived.
Now she understood.
“…….”
Though it seemed to have been rather pointless.
Rachel lowered her gaze after looking at the man who continued to stare at her with those cold eyes.
She couldn’t understand why he was looking at her like that.
Then her father asked,
“Ah, Rachel. I heard you agreed to attend the execution with Lord Valencia today?”
“……Well, that—”
“Yes. May I escort Lady Rachel there? I would like to travel in my carriage.”
At last, Nathan spoke, cutting off her words.
The Marquis of Ingrave smiled broadly and gave his permission.
“Of course. Please take good care of my daughter, Lord Valencia.”
He immediately turned toward her.
His gaze was still cold and dry.
Yet he stared at her persistently as he extended one hand toward her.
His hand was covered in numerous small scars.
“Shall we go?”
“…….”
Rachel stared blankly up at him.
When their eyes met, his red eyes, which had wavered slightly, soon sank into a deep, subdued calm.
For some reason, seeing that made her heart pound.
It wasn’t simply because of the discomfort and unease that usually followed whenever she was around him.
It was because she had the feeling that something had gone terribly wrong.
When she continued standing there, the Marchioness approached and urged her on.
“Rachel, what are you doing? You should take his hand.”
“…….”
Rachel had no choice but to extend her hand.
There was no way she could turn back now, even if she tried to argue.
Her parents would never allow it in the first place, and her younger brother—
“…….”
Unlike their smiling parents, Ilya was looking at her with a slightly anxious expression.
Rachel quietly gazed at her younger brother before slowly reaching her hand toward Nathan.
The moment her fingertips barely touched his, his rough skin immediately closed around her hand.
Rachel involuntarily flinched and trembled.
“This way.”
“…….”
She bit her lip.
Something was definitely wrong.
As they left the mansion, Rachel saw the knights of the Valencia family standing in formation on both sides of the path from the entrance to the carriage.
Some of the faces on one side looked strangely familiar.
She suddenly remembered the time she had visited the Red Falcon Mercenary Group.
The faces she had seen back then were now standing before her in the formal uniforms of the Valencia family’s knights.
Somehow, she felt as though she couldn’t breathe.
And then there was the carriage bearing the crest of the Valencia family.
A servant opened the carriage door.
Rachel instinctively took a step back, but he firmly held her hand in place.
“Get in.”
Rachel stared blankly up at him.
She had intended to endure it until she got into the carriage.
But she couldn’t stand it any longer.
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