28. Something I Should Hide Away and Keep Only for Myself
After the meal, Riley stepped outside together with Gibnen.
Gibnen offered to walk her back to the estate. Just like last time, they walked hand in hand.
“You did well. It couldn’t have been easy, staying there and holding your ground.”
“……Did you come because you were worried about me?”
“Yes. I was worried.”
Riley hesitated, then spoke carefully.
“I know what you’re worried about. I won’t do anything that would harm you or your family. I won’t… live being pushed around by my uncle anymore. You don’t need to worry.”
At her words, Gibnen stopped walking.
He frowned slightly, displeased, and lightly flicked Riley on the forehead with his index finger.
“That’s not what I meant, and it’d be troublesome if you take it that way.”
“……Isn’t it?”
“What I was worried about was you going there without telling me and ending up suffering.”
“……Oh.”
“I was worrying about something pointless. Did you seriously think I was worried about myself? About you causing harm to me or my family? Is that what you were concerned about?”
“I won’t be swayed by my uncle’s intentions. But I’m not confident I can control him either. He’s a sly and selfish man. He’s always obsessed with squeezing others dry. Even this marriage—”
“Even if that baron struggled his entire life trying to bleed me and my family dry, he couldn’t handle it. Money can only be used by someone who’s actually earned it. A baron who gets dizzy over a mere marriage dowry? From the start, he was never a vessel big enough to exploit me or my family.”
“…….”
“That’s a pointless worry.”
“But still, they’re my family. Even if I hate to admit it, legally they are. I don’t know what they might do using your name and mine.”
Gibnen sighed and gently stroked Riley’s head.
“How foolish.”
“…….”
“Don’t think of them as your family. Legal family? I’ll invalidate that the moment the wedding ceremony is over.”
He tightened his grip around Riley’s hand.
“Remember this. From now on, I’m your only family.”
Riley couldn’t say anything.
The family he spoke of and the family she imagined were far too different.
Even blood relatives had failed to be real family to her.
And Gibnen was a complete stranger. From the beginning, she had never expected that she and he could become family. Of course, he was kind—far kinder than she deserved—but in truth, this was closer to the support of a guardian than that of a real family.
Even their marriage wasn’t formed from love or trust. It was merely a means—pulled together for convenience, for mutual benefit.
…We can’t become a family.
To Riley, Gibnen and this place were somewhere she would stay briefly and then leave.
She believed this relationship could never last forever, and that one day she would have to leave this house. For now, their interests aligned, so they were together—but once those interests diverged, this incomplete relationship would inevitably shatter.
A perfect relationship of power imbalance.
A connection tilted too obviously to one side. She knew well that such relationships could never last long.
Riley imagined a future without Gibnen.
It was a future she would inevitably face someday.
…What are we, really?
They slept together, kissed, and lived together—but they weren’t family, and they weren’t lovers. They didn’t love each other. It was a strange relationship, something vague that couldn’t be clearly defined with words.
If she were to analyze it, wasn’t it closer to a relationship that existed purely for enjoyment? A kind of role-play. Each person assigned themselves a role and lived while fulfilling the expectations attached to that role.
In such a relationship, could the word “family” even apply? What was this relationship, really?
Even if they married, became husband and wife, fulfilled their duties, and even had a child between them, this relationship would remain a question mark for life. It could never become real. It would only ever be a performance. Something that couldn’t last.
Riley envisioned the distant future.
Nothing came to mind. What she was doing, who she was with, where she was—none of it.
But there was one thing she could be certain of.
In her distant future, a man named Gibnen Lianster did not exist.
Am I in your future?
A question that would never be conveyed drifted aimlessly through her mind.
Meanwhile, the atmosphere at the House of Baron Eadalin was peculiar.
After Gibnen and Riley left side by side, Baron Ryan and the baroness felt both relieved and wary at the unexpectedly affectionate sight of the two.
They were relieved that there would be no broken engagement—but worried about the future.
“Riley’s already acting so arrogant… Honestly, I’m worried. What if she tries to hurt us later?”
Ryan agreed with his wife’s concern.
She’s not someone we’ll walk with for life, but we can’t discard her right away either…
“For now, our top priority is to establish ourselves in the capital and secure our position. As for what comes after… we’ll think about that when the time comes. No matter how much Riley hates us, she won’t be able to do anything immediately.”
“How can you be so sure?”
“Even if Riley marries into the Lianster family and enters high noble society, lacking power from her own family will be a major obstacle in her future life. Having the background of a baronial house is better than being an orphan, so she won’t move against us right away.”
“……Do you think so?”
“Yes. However… someday she’ll cut ties with us and strike back. It’ll just take time. Until then, we can use Riley to our advantage while figuring out how to dispose of her. There’s no need to worry about it right now.”
At Ryan’s words, the baroness nodded. Then Ryan turned to Claire.
“Given the situation, you should also rein in that temper of yours and try to keep a low profile.”
Claire’s eyes widened.
She had thought Ryan disliked her.
Ever since Riley became engaged to Gibnen Lianster, she felt she’d been noticeably treated coldly. In fact, he always took Riley’s side. Claire’s pride—having been scolded repeatedly in front of Riley—had been thoroughly crushed.
But that wasn’t it.
“…Didn’t you hate me?”
“You’re my only daughter.”
“…Father.”
“Do you think I enjoyed protecting Riley? I don’t want to shield that girl either. But you kept creating situations where I had no choice but to defend her—what else could I do?”
“…….”
“So you should also behave as submissively as possible toward Riley. Don’t cause unnecessary trouble.”
At Ryan’s words, Claire lowered her head deeply.
“…It’s not something I can just decide to do.”
“Do you think anyone likes appeasing that girl? For now, we have to bend. You should learn how to bend, too.”
“…I’ll try.”
Claire fled to her room as if escaping.
If it were that easy, I wouldn’t be suffering like this!
Claire knew it too.
That her position and Riley’s had completely reversed. That she now had to bow her head to Riley no matter what.
But even though she understood it intellectually, her actions kept following her emotions. Claire became especially emotional whenever she stood in front of Riley.
…I’m the one who lived desperately, trying my hardest.
Every time she thought of Riley, rage surged up inside her. The anger rising from deep within her was far too intense to be controlled by reason.
It became worse after moving to Blessidge.
Because she realized she’d been nothing more than a frog in a well.
She personally experienced how foolish her belief that she was “doing well” truly was. That realization ignited Ryan’s ambition to climb even higher—but for Claire, it brought crushing doubt.
And in the midst of that, Riley—who had lived crouched at the very bottom—suddenly turned her life around and began living in wealth and luxury.
How could she not feel furious?
The life Riley now enjoyed was the very life Claire had dreamed of her entire life.
Marrying the most impressive, highest-ranking man. Living comfortably, without hardship, without being looked down upon. Only that could suppress the inferiority complex born of her insignificant family background.
Marrying into a better family and becoming its mistress.
Claire could proudly say she had lived her life doing everything she could for that goal.
“Miss, please don’t cry.”
“…It’s so unfair. I’m furious, I could die from how unfair this is. Why Riley? Why of all people!”
Liz, Claire’s personal maid, fidgeted anxiously as she tried to comfort her.
“We’re shocked too. Unless the tower master has lost his mind, what on earth about the eldest miss does he like so much? From the start, this marriage doesn’t make sense. With such a huge gap between families, how is the wedding preparation proceeding so smoothly without any issues? Everything’s moving forward far too easily.”
“She did nothing! She just sat in our house eating our food—that idiot—and now she’s acting like the mistress of House Lianster. The clothes she wore today, the jewelry—do those expensive things even suit her?”
“Honestly, it was like pearls on a pig. They didn’t suit her at all. It looked unnatural, like she was wearing clothes that didn’t fit her.”
Even after spewing insults, it wasn’t enough. Claire eventually burst into loud sobs.
She cried harder than she ever had in her life, tears pouring out like a dam breaking.
It was unfair. It was infuriating.
She had lived her entire life striving. To avoid being looked down on. To live a better life. To rise higher. She studied relentlessly, built relationships, and polished herself with everything she had.
Yet Riley—who had done nothing—took everything.
The life Claire had dreamed of belonged not to Claire Eadalin, but to Riley Eadalin.
If it had been some distant acquaintance, it would’ve stung—but it wouldn’t have hurt this much.
But it was Riley.
That damned Riley.
Claire could barely endure the rage and injustice boiling inside her.
That was why her words always went astray whenever she stood before Riley.
“They’re both disgusting. That man pretended to be a kind gentleman, but he’s trash. And Riley—everything about her obedient act until now was fake! Seeing her act so smug makes me want to kill her.”
“Miss, please don’t be so upset. The marriage hasn’t been finalized yet.”
“It’s practically decided! The formal meeting is tomorrow!”
“You never know. Didn’t the eldest miss’s marriage to Count Ermeints fall apart in just one day? They say you never know until the marriage documents are signed.”
“…….”
“And honestly, about tomorrow’s meeting—do you think House Lianster will really like the eldest miss? That meeting could just as easily turn into a place where the engagement is broken.”
It was true—many things would be discussed at the formal meeting.
That was why her parents had called Riley back here beforehand, to coordinate their story.
No matter how much the two of them seemed inseparable, how many families would want to bring in a daughter-in-law who lacked even basic education?
House Lianster was no ordinary family. An elite lineage that had produced many great historical figures. The likelihood that they would favor an ignorant adopted daughter from a lowly baronial house was slim.
“Yes, you’re right. It’s just Gibnen Lianster who’s crazy. His family members must be perfectly normal. There’s no way Riley would satisfy them. Right?”
“Exactly.”
“Then why do I feel so anxious!”
“You’re just sensitive. Because your heart isn’t at ease, you’re only thinking negative thoughts.”
“…Is that really it?”
“Yes, of course. It’s a marriage that makes no sense logically. Everyone’s just being dragged along by the tower master’s madness for now. Once it reaches the formal meeting, won’t he come to his senses?”
“…….”
“No one knows anything until the ceremony is over. So please don’t worry so much!”
Claire wiped her tears and clenched her teeth.
She looked half out of her mind.
Yes. You won’t know until the very end. It won’t happen—but if, by some chance, the meeting goes well? No. Absolutely not. I have to stop it no matter what. Riley and the Horizon Tower Master’s marriage… I will never allow it.
