Chapter 4.4

“There’s nothing more uncertain than an investment. This really isn’t going to work.”  

Wow, how infuriating.  

Was he really going to stoop to this level?  

Should I just threaten to expose the Grand Duke’s schedule he had handed over earlier?  

As Elena leaned closer to Dean, preparing for a discreet negotiation, someone suddenly grabbed her shoulder from behind.  

“Huh? Uh…”

Her body, which had been on the verge of falling backward, bumped into something hard and leaned against it.  

“What have the two of you been whispering about so secretly?”  

Following the source of the voice, she looked up and saw the sharp jawline of the Grand Duke.  

“Wow.”  

A spontaneous exclamation escaped her lips at the fantastic angle.  

“Answer. Aren’t you going to?”  

As their eyes met, the Grand Duke lightly pushed her shoulder and turned her to face him.  

A tilted head and a firm set of lips.  

He looked displeased about something. Perhaps lingering in one place for too long didn’t sit well with him.  

“It’s not like that—”  

As she tried to explain, Adelina interrupted.  

“Exactly. You two have been sneaking off to chat. Since when were you so close?”  

“Who says we’re close!”  

Both Dean and Elena shouted in unison at Adelina’s question.  

“Pfft, you’re really getting along well, though.” 

Diana said with a laugh, agreeing with Adelina.  

Dean shot Elena a resentful look.  

“See? If you’d just lent me the money, it would’ve been over quickly. Who’s being petty now?”  

Elena muttered under her breath, looking equally distressed, but the merchant intervened.  

“Miss, if it’s about money, stop arguing. Your boyfriend already paid for it.”  

“What?”  

“But… he is your boyfriend, right? I didn’t make a mistake, did I? Why do you keep asking other men to buy things for you?”  

The merchant trailed off at the end, unsure if she had misunderstood. Adelina quickly stepped in, declaring that he was definitely not her boyfriend.  

Elena hurriedly turned to the Grand Duke.  

“Is it true? Did you pay for it, Your Grace?”  

Still looking displeased, the Grand Duke handed her a small gift bag.  

“Why would you try to buy something when you don’t even have money? Besides, are you sure about this? It might be fake.”  

No, it’s real. It really is.  

Even while being held back by Adelina, the merchant overheard and grumbled loudly.  

“I don’t care. I liked it. Thank you for covering for me. I’ll write to my father and ask him to send money, so I’ll definitely repay you once I get a response.”  

“Forget it.”  

“What?”  

“Just consider it a token of gratitude.”  

“Gratitude?”  

Had I done something to deserve such a gesture?  

“Don’t tell me it’s about the birthday cake?”  

Elena’s eyes widened in surprise.  

It was unexpected. Not only had he properly apologized last time, but now he was offering her something in return. It made her happy, as if confirming that what she had done wasn’t in vain.  

“But that was a gift. You can’t expect something in return for a gift.”  

“Then consider this a gift too.”  

He replied brusquely.  

She held the small, wrapped earrings close to her chest, treasuring them.  

It was the first gift she had ever received from the Grand Duke.  

For no reason, her throat tightened with emotion.  

“Truly… thank you. I’m so, so happy. I’ll cherish them forever.”  

The corners of the Grand Duke’s lips curled up beautifully.  

“Don’t make such a big deal out of it.”  

Would I even be able to wear them? They seemed too precious. 

She worried about losing or damaging them and doubted she could wear them properly.  

“Wait, what’s this? Buy me something too! I want this!”  

Quick to grasp the situation, Adelina hastily grabbed something—anything—from a nearby stall.  

“Oh my, Lady Adelina, that’s not even a gemstone. Ah, look over there! They’re selling ice cream! It looks so delicious! Let’s go quickly!”  

Elena forcibly grabbed Adelina’s arm and dragged her away.  

Though it seemed forced, Adelina obediently followed at the mention of ice cream.  

Upon closer observation, Adelina really seemed to enjoy eating.  

Looking at her slender figure, one might wonder if she ate at all, but her eyes always sparkled whenever food was mentioned.  

“Lady Elena, why are you walking so slowly? Walk faster!”  

You’re the one walking too fast.  

Although Adelina pretended to be reluctantly following, as they neared the ice cream shop, she was the one pulling Elena along.  

“I’m not lending you anything.” 

Dean said firmly as he trailed behind them.  

“Wow, stingy.”  

How did he know I was about to ask?  

“Ha ha. This time, I’ll treat you. Dean, you too. It’s in return for the skewers.”  

“As expected of Lady Diana! You’re the best!”  

As Elena spoke, Dean’s snarky voice cut through.  

“As expected, the Lady is so considerate, unlike some people.”  

Had Dean always been this petty?  

The image of Dean, with his silver-rimmed glasses and silver hair that gave him a somewhat cold aura, was gradually crumbling in Elena’s mind.  

Both Diana and Dean were so different from their first impressions.  

Just before entering the shop, Adelina suddenly stopped in her tracks.  

Then, turning around abruptly, she asked, 

“You’ll buy mine too, right?”  

“Of course, naturally.” 

Diana replied gently to Adelina’s sassy question.  

Satisfied with the confirmation, Adelina grinned and stepped into the shop.  

The ice cream allowed up to three flavors per cone. Naturally, the more flavors one chose, the higher the price.  

“Here’s your lemon, mint, and strawberry triple-scoop cone.” 

The vendor said, handing over the first order.  

Adelina confidently received the colorful, triple-scoop ice cream.  

Ordering the most expensive option while being treated—how bold of her. 

Elena, on the other hand, had ordered a double scoop out of consideration.  

The more she thought about it, the more unfair it felt.  

Unlike Elena, who had endured endless nagging from Dean, Adelina had been effortlessly enjoying herself since earlier.  

Was that also a kind of talent?  

Adelina’s blue eyes sparkled as if she were a child tasting ice cream for the first time.  

She took a big bite, filling her mouth, then shivered as if her teeth were sensitive to the cold.  

Moments later, she licked at it, savoring the taste, her shoulders bouncing with excitement.  

Sometimes she seemed cunning like a fox, but at moments like this, she was just a child.  

Adelina was someone Elena could never fully understand, no matter how much she observed her.  

Her pure and innocent face contrasted with her sharp way of speaking, and her appetite was at odds with her slender figure.  

‘But isn’t it strange? I remember Lady Adelina having brown hair, not silver.’  

On the day of the tea party Bianca had hosted, when everyone else had risen and only the two of them remained, Diana had said this.  

Diana, who had made this comment, brushed it off, saying it had been a long time ago and her memory might be wrong. But Elena couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off.  

A person’s natural hair color couldn’t change. If Diana’s memory was correct, then who was the Adelina standing before them now?  

But it couldn’t be someone else. She had arrived in the Montes family’s carriage and carried an official imperial document.  

While Elena was briefly lost in these unnecessary thoughts, a sweet voice interrupted her.  

“Your chocolate and caramel double-scoop cone is ready!”  

“That’s mine!”  

Elena’s attention was momentarily drawn to the sweet-looking ice cream, but then she realized the Grand Duke was nowhere to be seen.  

“Where is His Grace?”  

“He said he’d stay behind to talk more with the merchant at the stall earlier.”  

Dean, casually handing Diana a vanilla ice cream he had received from the vendor, replied nonchalantly.  

“You left His Grace behind?”  

“Who was it that suddenly rushed straight here?” 

Dean raised his voice in protest, then suddenly leaned in close to whisper into Elena’s ear.  

“Lady Elena, you should have stayed by His Grace’s side at times like this. Not come running off for ice cream. Are you even serious about making this work?”  

Elena knew what he meant, but she had no choice. If she had stayed, Adelina would have pestered the Grand Duke to buy her a gift as well.  

“I’ll go to His Grace now.” 

She said.  

“The ice cream is ready, so let’s all go together.”  

“Oh, come to think of it, the shop next door is selling churros. Lady Adelina, would you like to go check it out?”  

“Oh my, really? I didn’t notice because I was only looking at the ice cream. Let’s go, quickly.”  

As Adelina tried to follow Elena, Diana quickly linked arms with her and gave Elena a playful wink.  

Elena, grateful for Diana’s gesture, smiled softly in return.  

When they stepped out of the shop, the once-quiet street had become crowded with passengers disembarking from a recently docked ship.  

The surge of people made it impossible to spot the Grand Duke.  

Just as Elena tried to push through the crowd and quicken her pace—  

“Ah!”  

With a thud, her shoulder collided with someone coming from the opposite direction. The impact sent the ice cream in her hand splattering to the ground.  

By the time she regained her senses, all that was left in her hand was the empty cone.  

“My ice cream…”  

She hadn’t even taken a single bite yet.  

When she raised her tearful face, the first thing she noticed was a thick strand of golden hair peeking out from beneath a deeply pressed fedora.