Chapter 6 (Part 5)

Back in her room, Reina looked at the necklace and let out a deep sigh.

“I really don’t want to see it….”

While others found their destiny, Reina felt that the necklace was taking hers away.

Why did it have to appear now, when Lady Berkshire was being so unreasonable?

She wanted to smash it on the ground, declaring she didn’t believe in such magic, but she couldn’t treat something given by Duke Lennox so carelessly.

Nor could she return it to him, as he would likely ask detailed questions about who the necklace changed color for. She had to keep it for now.

It was better to hide it where it couldn’t be seen.

Reina placed the necklace in her room’s safe. If she had done this earlier, she wouldn’t have felt so troubled.

Sigh…. Another deep sigh escaped her lips.

Why did everything feel so complicated?

If the necklace hadn’t changed color in front of Commander Patrick, wouldn’t it have been better if no one appeared to change its color?

Why did it show up now, when I couldn’t find anyone at the social gatherings?

Why did someone who could change the necklace’s color have to be so close by?

Had she not known from the start, she wouldn’t have been so bothered. It felt like a test of her relationship with Patrick from the heavens.

Honestly, she could ignore it. But Duke Lennox wouldn’t let it go, and that was the problem.

As if her bad premonition came true, Duke Lennox called Reina to the study. It was right after Lilith, tired from playing all morning, went for a nap.

“It seems you’ve finally found your match.”

As expected, he said what she had anticipated. His pleased expression suggested he favored either Patrick or the Earl of Selkirk.

She didn’t need to ask to know. Knowing Patrick already had a fiancée, he likely hoped for the Earl of Selkirk.

“Yes.”

Reina answered with a gloomy voice, not hiding her lack of joy. Duke Lennox looked puzzled at her lack of enthusiasm.

“Why the reaction? Aren’t you happy?”

“….”

How could I be happy knowing my match wasn’t Patrick but the Earl of Selkirk?

Naturally, she wasn’t pleased and couldn’t answer immediately.

“You’ve been wanting to meet your match for a while, haven’t you?”

“How did you know?”

“Attending social gatherings wearing the necklace that reveals your destined partner, it was obvious.”

“Yes, that’s true. There was a time I wanted to find my match. But not now.”

“What do you mean?”

Curiosity flickered in Duke Lennox’s eyes.

“I don’t plan to get engaged to anyone for now.”

As long as Lady Berkshire insisted on not breaking off her engagement with Patrick, Reina intended to wait until she changed her mind.

“Really? Even though you’ve found your match?”

“Yes.”

Duke Lennox had blind faith in the destiny that the necklace revealed. Thus, Reina’s answer came as a great surprise to him.

If the match hadn’t appeared, it would have been one thing, but why was she rejecting it when it was right in front of her?

“Aren’t you curious about which of the two is your destined partner?”

“No, I’m not curious. I don’t want to choose the man the necklace picked.”

“Why do you think that?”

The duke looked puzzled.

“I want to follow my heart.”

“Then there’s nothing to worry about. Even if you don’t feel anything now, eventually your heart will move as the necklace dictates.”

“Why are you so sure?”

“Actually, the necklace changed color when I was with your mother too. Even though we didn’t know that fact when we met, we were drawn to each other and became a couple, which means it was our destiny to meet. You will feel the same.”

“Do you really think so?”

Duke Lennox was somewhat surprised by Reina’s unexpected response. He thought she would be excited, as three family members had already experienced a fateful meeting, but she looked rather displeased.

“Of course. Why do you look so displeased? Do you not like either of the two?”

“It’s not that….”

As Reina hesitated to answer, Duke Lennox’s eyes narrowed.

“It seems you know who among the two caused the necklace to change color.”

“How would I know? It’s one of the two, right?”

“….”

The duke remained silent, observing Reina closely. Even though she was his daughter, her actions often defied expectations, making it hard to understand her thoughts.

The necklace was a prime example.

He thought her curiosity would lead her to immediately find out who her match was once she knew. So, he assumed none of the knights or anyone in the mansion was her match.

But was I wrong? Had she not worn the necklace inside the mansion?

Duke Lennox scrutinized Reina’s eyes to see if she was lying.

Despite her confident voice, her eyes were avoiding his gaze. His lips curled into a smile.

She definitely knows.

Duke Lennox guessed that Reina already knew who her match was. Another question then arose.

Why was she lying about not being curious? Did she not like the Earl of Selkirk?

If the earl were a strange man, it would be understandable, but he wasn’t. At social gatherings, young ladies without fiancés often approached him to converse.

He wasn’t prickly or difficult either. He was known to be kind, well-mannered, and gentle. So, it was hard to dislike him.

While he wanted to arrange their engagement immediately, he realized from his conversation with Reina that he couldn’t force it.

Maybe it was too soon for her to accept the necklace, having just become an adult.

Though he briefly regretted giving it to her too early, Duke Lennox shook his head.

How fortunate it was to know one’s destined partner, who might never be met otherwise.

Therefore, Duke Lennox hoped Reina would continue to meet the Earl of Selkirk.

‘Come to think of it, perhaps I’ve been too indifferent. There hasn’t been much interaction with the Earl of Selkirk.’

Young ladies and gentlemen from other families often got engaged at a young age. But Duke Lennox deliberately avoided this.

Finding a match only to discover they were incompatible would only cause more confusion.

He wanted his children to be happy. Louis and Richelle had met their destined partners through the necklace.

But Reina was different. Since she often acted unexpectedly, he concluded that it might be better to intervene this time.

He decided to interpret Reina’s actions as a sign of her youth, believing she didn’t yet understand the importance of compatibility.

To avoid revealing that he suspected who her match was, he spoke indirectly.

“Commander Marionus is already engaged…. I hope the Earl of Selkirk is your match.”

Reina’s heart sank at the expected response from Duke Lennox.

Of course, he would say that since Patrick already had a fiancée, but it felt like a rejection of her relationship with Patrick.

Given the current situation where the necklace’s color had changed, even if she explained that Patrick and Lady Berkshire were in a fake engagement, Duke Lennox wouldn’t accept it.

Being someone who valued concrete results, the outcome was obvious.

Having just aligned her heart with Commander Patrick, she couldn’t bear the thought of separating from him. That was absolutely out of the question.

So, she had to firmly reject the Earl of Selkirk now.

“The necklace shows not my match, but a man I’m compatible with! So, I’m not really interested.”

“You haven’t experienced it yet, so you don’t understand. You’ll realize someday how important that is in a marriage. If the match hadn’t appeared, it would be different, but now that he has, you won’t be able to ignore it.”

What do you mean I haven’t experienced it? I’ve experienced it plenty!

She wanted to shout, but she couldn’t.

“There’s no way!”

All Reina could do was stubbornly insist on her stance, countering her father’s words.

Moreover, since her father didn’t know for sure whether her match was Patrick or the Earl of Selkirk, it was better to continue pretending not to know.

If he found out it was the Earl of Selkirk, he might force her to give up on Patrick and push for a marriage with the earl. Knowing Duke Lennox’s personality, he was capable of that.

That couldn’t happen!

“We’ll see about that.”

When Reina made her bold claim, Duke Lennox snorted with a look of certainty. His demeanor instilled a sense of unease.

At that moment, Richelle’s words came to mind.

‘In my opinion, it doesn’t just reveal s*xual compatibility. It shows you the person your heart is drawn to, which is why Father thinks of it as a necklace for finding a lover.’

The word “drawn” kept bothering her. Fortunately, she had never felt any special emotion when encountering the Earl of Selkirk, but one could never predict the future.

Why did the necklace’s match have to appear before the engagement was broken….

Unlike others, Reina couldn’t simply accept the necklace’s designated match, yet everyone around her seemed to blindly believe in and force the destined partner chosen by the necklace.

How great could the match the necklace showed be? Would my feelings really change?

Her feelings for Patrick began the day she secretly spied on him in the hot spring.

If her father’s words were right, and another opportunity to be drawn to the Earl of Selkirk arose, her feelings might shift to him….

What, am I supposed to change my feelings after seeing the Earl of Selkirk’s manhood? That’s ridiculous!

Reina tried hard to erase such absurd thoughts from her mind.

The heart is more important than the body. Absolutely!

It was Reina who was in love. Her father wouldn’t live her life for her. The choice was hers, and so would be the responsibility for any regrets.

So, she decided to steel her heart against any temptation.