Though he could have supported her himself, he seemed quite angry. With the plausibility score increasing by 45 total, it was obvious how much he must be seething inside.

It was upsetting but what could she do.

‘System, can you tell me the current plausibility score?’

Ding.

[The current plausibility score is 116 points.]

In any case, it was a success.

Seeing the three-digit plausibility score made her feel at ease.

Now she wouldn’t have to worry about the penalty from helping Lady Rant.

Delia let out a big sigh.

At first, small mistakes and inconveniences that could be overlooked, when repeatedly occurring, naturally lead to accumulated anger.

The initial plausibility score increase from Kaiel’s anger was about 15 points. Later it jumped to 30 points, and today it became 45 points.

‘At this rate, I really couldn’t complain even if Kaiel threw me out……”

Letting out a wry laugh, Delia found herself back in her room supported by the servant.

Lisa, who had been waiting with a pale face, jumped up.

“Really, Miss…… We’ll have to lock you in your room or something.”

Still seemingly unable to calm down from the shock, Lisa’s hands trembled as she helped Delia sit on the bed.

Watching Lisa carefully treat her hands, Delia asked meekly.

“Do you want to throw me out too, Lisa?”

“Of course.”

At the too-quick response, Delia couldn’t help but laugh in disbelief.

“Lisa! That’s too much. I thought you found me endearing.”

“Endearing? When you keep causing incidents everywhere?”

Though Lisa spoke in a deliberately harsh tone, her hands treating Delia’s wounds were incredibly gentle.

After pondering for a moment, Delia said.

“There’s still some incredible incident I haven’t caused yet.”

What will happen to the servants of this castle if we kill our Grand Duke?

Lisa finished the treatment casually.

“With all the things you’ve done so far, why worry about that now? Come on, hurry and change your clothes. People might think you’ve decorated yourself with leaves everywhere.”

Lisa picked up the white dress that had turned into rags, wondering how it got so ruined when the Grand Duke had gifted it not long ago.

“I’ll be back, Lisa!”

As Delia left the castle, Lisa stood there watching her retreating figure for a while before heading inside to mend the white dress.

Meanwhile, Kaiel and Delia were having one of their rare arguments over a single carriage.

“I’ll go separately.”

“No.”

Delia thought to herself:

If he was going to be this cold anyway, was there really any need to ride together?

Having already provoked Kaiel’s anger tremendously, she didn’t want to make him uncomfortable by sharing the same carriage.

“I want to go separately.”

She thought she’d at least let him travel in comfort during the journey.

“No.”

Why is he being like this?

At his repeated refusal, Delia unconsciously turned her head to look at him.

His expression was too dark to suggest his anger had subsided. If he was still angry, then why?

Suddenly, Lisa’s words came to her mind.

‘He said he wanted to keep me locked in my room, right? Worried I might cause trouble?’

That would make sense.

He probably thought it better to keep her under surveillance rather than send her separately, not knowing what kind of trouble she might cause.

Delia shook her head.

‘Don’t worry! I’ve already achieved my goal!’

Making a gesture used for swearing with her fingers, she emphasized,

“I won’t cause trouble. I swear.”

Kaiel lowered his head slightly to look at her and asked,

“What happened to the dress you wore this morning?”

“The dress?”

If he meant the white dress he had gifted her, which was now torn and dirty at the hem, Lisa had taken it.

“Lisa took it to mend it. Well, there are plenty of clothes…… Worst case, I’ll just steal your clothes again, Kaiel.”

“……”

Delia regretted her words as soon as she closed her mouth.

Saying she’d steal his clothes! It naturally reminded her of last night’s events in his room.

Come to think of it, didn’t she say ‘I tore it, your clothes’?

He must have given her new clothes because he felt sorry about tearing them.

But that wasn’t the important thing. Wasn’t there something even more tremendous than these situations!

Delia unconsciously shifted her gaze to Kaiel’s lips before quickly lowering her head. She moved so forcefully that her neck ached, but she couldn’t show it.

Now that such thoughts had entered her mind, she really felt she couldn’t ride in the same carriage with him.

How could she share such a cramped carriage when she couldn’t confidently face his face, eyes, nose, and especially his lips?

Just as she was about to say she absolutely couldn’t ride together, Delia suddenly came to her senses as the surrounding scenery seemed to have changed.

“Let’s depart.”

“Ah, no……”

Somehow she had gotten into the carriage without realizing it, and the door was already firmly closed.

It seemed Kaiel had guided her into the carriage while she was distracted thinking about last night.

“Kaiel!”

When she called his name with a slightly indignant feeling, he calmly replied.

“Yes.”

After answering, he thought for a moment before continuing.

“Just ask if you want to wear them. No need to steal.”

He always gave such awkward responses to difficult situations, long after the moment had passed.

While it was exasperating, she had no way to handle how endearing she found that side of him.

Delia leaned back against the seat without saying anything.

“Are you…… very angry?”

“Yes.”

Of course he would be. Delia slowly nodded while fixing her gaze out the window.

She wondered which would be better: being killed by someone who hates you or by someone close to you.

Wouldn’t it be better to be killed by someone who hates you rather than being betrayed by someone close?

If so, there was no need to try to appease his anger.

‘Keep hating me and pushing me away. That’ll be better for both you and me.’

Delia asked with a laugh.

“You must really hate me, right? Haha. I know.”

The latter part was closer to a mumble to herself.

How could he not hate her? The answer was obvious without asking.

Just as she was thinking this, Kaiel answered.

“No.”

Those two syllables were quite far from the obvious answer she had expected.

He looked directly at her face and added three more syllables.

“Don’t hate you.”

* * *

As soon as the carriage stopped at the Imperial Palace, Delia jumped out and bowed 90 degrees to Kaiel, who was getting out after her, and said politely,

“Please watch your step, Your Grace.”

Ian, standing nearby, scratched his head at her behavior. He wondered what she was up to this time, but how could he know what was going on in this little lady’s mind.

This behavior of Delia’s was quite uncomfortable for Kaiel as well, as he said to her right after getting down,

“What are you doing since earlier?”

“Whatever do you mean, Your Grace?”

“Delia. Act like you usually do.”

At his words, Delia obediently straightened up, revealing her bright face that had been hidden while bowing.

There was a reason she was so excited.

“Don’t hate you.”

After he had said that, Delia had spent a while just smiling like a fool, not knowing what to do with herself.

Despite doing so many things worthy of hatred, he said he didn’t hate her.

Had she written somewhere in the original work that Kaiel Ceder doesn’t easily hate people?

She had no such memory. Moreover, since she had never even created such a setting, the fact that he didn’t hate her was entirely his own feeling.

She was moved by Kaiel’s broad-mindedness and kind heart.

She wondered if human emotions could be so fickle – until getting in the carriage, she had wanted him to hate her, but now she felt relieved and elated that he didn’t hate her.

Delia smiled brightly and stretched her hand toward the Imperial Palace.

“Your Grace, shouldn’t we quickly give Lady Rant the antidote?”

Her formal tone made both Kaiel and Ian frown simultaneously. While this would normally be the proper way for a subordinate to behave, there was too much dissonance when she did it.

Kaiel let out a short sigh before quickly walking past her.

Delia, not wanting to miss him, extended both hands toward the direction he was going.

“Please go ahead, Your Grace.”

But Kaiel, who she thought would just pass by her, suddenly stopped beside her.

When she was about to look up at the sudden shadow in her vision, he abruptly bent down and brought his lips close to her ear. His low voice enveloped her ear like an echo.

“Call my name, Delia.”

The pleasant baritone that had settled like a whisper disappeared, leaving an echoing afterimage.

While the perpetrator who had unintentionally touched her heart strode away to a distance, Delia, who had been bombarded, stood frozen in place.

Even the gulp she swallowed took a long time to go down her throat.

It felt like her entire body had become a heart.

Her whole body was drumming.

“Miss! Aren’t you coming in?”

Ian, who was about to climb onto the driver’s seat to leave, called out to Delia who had frozen in place like ice.

“Miss?”

Only after being called twice did Delia come to her senses and turn toward Ian.

“I must be crazy.”

“Pardon?”

“Ah, what should I do……”