The Only Way to Break the Curse is Through Contact with You - Chapter 96

#96

‘Why is Adelia here?’

“What’s wrong?”

Diart asked as I stared fixedly at a spot. When I looked at him and then back at the figure again, the hooded woman had disappeared. I looked around but couldn’t see her, so I tilted my head in confusion.

‘Did I see wrong?’

Diart scanned the people with his gaze.

“Who are you looking for?”

Judging by Diart’s silence, it seemed that I must have been mistaken, because Diart, who should have recognized Adelia’s face, said nothing. After all, there was no way Adelia, who was probably heading to the northern frontier under strict military surveillance by now, would be here.

“No, it’s nothing.”

I thought I saw Adelia. Saying this in passing, I handed the child I was carrying to Remida. The child was so gentle, not making a fuss even in such a noisy environment, and looking at me with innocent eyes, which was incredibly cute. I wondered if our child would be even cuter, as Diart had said.

‘If they take after Diart, they might have an expressionless face even as a baby.’

As I imagined that, I quickly shook my head. It was silly, and it made my cheeks tingle.

The railway construction ceremony was splendid. Diart seemed quite attentive. Cutting the ribbon in front of the designated location where the tracks would be laid, it felt like he had become a tycoon. Despite Diart’s dissatisfaction, Jarvis and Leticia’s presence also helped dispel any lingering suspicion of antagonism with the imperial family and proved the legitimacy of the railway construction project.

After that, the parade continued. Numerous balloons floated up into the sky, and paper-made flower petals rained down on the streets. The child jesters wearing masks showed off their skills. The atmosphere was like a festival, and both the commoners and the nobles enjoyed it.

By the time we headed to the harbor, the sun was already leaning towards the horizon. The ship where the onboard party was held was much larger than the cruise ships I had seen before.

I knew that Diart personally organized the party, so I expected it to be grand, but it was even bigger than I anticipated. As I marveled at the surroundings, I curiously glanced at the soldiers positioned around the ship. There were too many for it to be just for protection.

The familiar-looking knights were also stationed at the entrance to the ship. I thought they looked quite stern and observed them with curiosity, but I couldn’t help but focus more on the lavishly decorated interior of the ship than what was visible from the outside. As I ascended to the deck, the vast ocean came into view. In the distance, I could see the sunset partially hidden beneath the sea.

“Do you like it?”

Unable to tear my gaze away from the crimson-colored sea, I heard Diart’s voice in my ear. Captivated by the beautiful scenery, I immediately nodded.

“That’s great. There’s a small balcony in one of the nearby cabins that overlooks the sea. We’ll be staying there tonight.”

“…Tonight?”

“Why? Is something wrong?”

Yes, something big is wrong. I prepared myself emotionally for tonight, but why did it have to be tonight? Of course, a bedroom with a view of the nighttime sea would be quite romantic, but the problem is that I left the ring at the mansion. I put so much effort into choosing that ring! Moreover, the proposal had to take place in Diart’s room for it to be perfectly complete.

But for some reason, there was a different expression on Diart’s face, making it difficult for me to easily refuse. It felt like if I were to say that I wanted to go back to the mansion, he would be greatly disappointed. Come to think of it, not only Diart but everyone seemed strange today.

I glanced sideways at the knights standing at a distance. They seemed oddly more alert and tense than usual. And what about the servants over there? I turned my gaze in the opposite direction. It was impossible for me not to notice how they pretended not to pay attention while subtly keeping an eye on me.

The strangest one was Diart. Just encountering him in front of his room earlier was enough to tell. Perhaps if it were the usual Diart, he would have teased me rather than being so nervous, just to lighten my mood. It seemed like something today was of significant importance to my mood.

And to top it off, the grandly prepared onboard party…

In an instant, a gut feeling that had accumulated over N years struck my mind.

‘There is something!’

And it’s something big. Like a proposal or something like a proposal…

I looked at the excited faces around me, trying to appear as relaxed as usual, but I was certain that Diart, with his subtly tense demeanor, was up to something.

“Why?”

I smiled sweetly at Diart, who was staring at me intently with a puzzled expression. Sensing that something was off, he slightly narrowed his eyes, but as I casually turned my gaze towards the sea, it seemed like he let go of his suspicions.

“What should I do…”

Should I let him know that I caught onto his proposal plan?

Just imagining that stoic man planning a proposal was quite adorable, but somehow I had a feeling that it wouldn’t end well. It was obvious that he was planning a public proposal because he was throwing a party on the ship with a bunch of noblemen.

“Wow, just the thought of it makes my face turn red.”

Can I handle it?

Of course, it would be beautiful. The night sky was adorned with stars, and the night sea reflected him perfectly, receiving congratulations from people on the brightly lit deck while receiving the ring. It would undoubtedly look quite romantic. But that’s just a story from a drama or a novel.

Just thinking about becoming the center of attention for all those people made my arms break out in goosebumps.

‘Maybe I should call it off now.’

Honestly, I thought the small event I had prepared would be much better in many ways. I was pretty sure that even Diart would like it more.

But now it was too late to call it off. Diart’s efforts for this proposal were too precious to waste. It was impressive that a man who disliked being with others would even consider a public proposal. Well, it didn’t matter since he was a man who didn’t care about other people’s opinions anyway.

But Diart was a man who had no interest in love from the beginning, so it was probably the wrong choice, but the people around him didn’t stop him, and everyone did something.

“Madam, would you like to wear this dress?”

Lily asked while holding a blue dress that sparkled with countless diamonds.

“I think a brighter color would be better.”

The dark blue dress would probably be buried under all the decorations. Since this was already happening, I decided to enjoy Diart’s proposal. After all, I found myself in a novel, so why not try being the heroine in a drama too?

After a long time of choosing dresses, I finally chose a white mermaid dress. The silk dress clung tightly to my body and shimmered faintly whenever I moved.

‘This should be perfect for the proposal, right?’

It was a bit uncomfortable to move in, but for the sake of a beautiful picture, I decided to sacrifice my mobility for the day.

“Madam, it seems like the luggage containing the gloves has been moved to another place. I will go and search for it.”

Lily, who was rummaging through the luggage, frowned and spoke. I wondered if gloves were really necessary, but I nodded my head, thinking that it would make the ring look even more beautiful, and Lily immediately left the room.

I stood alone in the cabin in front of a full-length mirror, examining my appearance from various angles. The dress, the adornments in my hair, and even the transparent glass slippers were perfect for receiving a proposal. It felt a bit strange, but just the thought of receiving a proposal in front of people made my heart flutter.

Well, there was absolutely no chance of me rejecting Diart, so his proposal would undoubtedly be a happy ending. I could easily withstand the envy and jealous gazes of others.

As I smiled softly, I pursed my lips as a knock sounded on the cabin door.

“Come in.”

Thinking it was Lily, I casually replied and turned around, startled by the unfamiliar person reflected in the mirror as I touched my crooked earring.

“Who are you?”

In response to my question, a small figure in a sailor uniform took off her deeply pressed hat. And from within it, a disheveled mess of brown hair tumbled out. Meeting her green eyes, I realized that I hadn’t been mistaken earlier.

“Adelia.”

“Long time, no see.”

Adelia had a gaunt face, as if she had lost a lot of weight, but her eyes were still sharp. She swept her gaze up and down my figure and smirked.

“You’ve made me look like this, and yet you seem happy.”

Adelia’s reproachful tone made me flinch.

“How did you end up here.”

“You think it’s strange that I’m here when I should have been banished to the fringes by now? There’s nothing in this world that can’t be paid for.”

Did she bribe the soldiers or something? Curiosity briefly overcame me as Adelia approached closer, causing me to take a step back unconsciously.

“It was difficult to get in here. The security is stricter than I thought.”

Adelia sighed and said, as if disappointed,

“I originally planned to install a bomb and blow up the ship, but I couldn’t bring it with me.”

“What?”

What scary thing is she saying right now?

Come to think of it, Adelia’s gaze was not normal. I glanced towards the door.

“Screaming won’t help. There’s no one here to help you now.”

Adelia sneered as if she could read my thoughts and pulled something out from her embrace.

“Did you think you could make me so miserable and get away with it?”

I swallowed dry saliva as a cold chill ran down my spine.