Chapter 23
<…My lady, your fate is changing. Oh dear, but this isn’t good. Someone has stolen your destiny. Until it’s returned, you will not know peace.>
Was it any surprise that the astrologer’s words came to mind right then?
Leonie’s fate is changing. What should I do?
Despite the chaos in my head, Leonie’s face was flushed with excitement.
“Ribe, you’re making me feel even more embarrassed by looking so surprised.”
She cupped her pale, translucent cheeks with both hands.
No, Leonie. This is not the time for that!
First, I needed to hear a little more clearly.
A first love is just a first love—it doesn’t mean it’s something ongoing, right?
Besides, just because she liked him when she was little doesn’t mean it’s something to be so worked up over!
“Ah, well… Leonie, I had a ton of first loves too. When you’re a kid, just a little kindness can make you fall for someone, right?”
“I wasn’t like that.”
She could be so firm at times like this.
“I actually missed him quite a lot even after he moved far away.”
“…”
“Even as a child, I thought he was amazing. He was broad-minded, kind, and gentle. Come to think of it, you were the same way, Ribe.”
“Huh? Me?”
“I heard you begged your father to let you marry Lord Watford.”
At that moment, I remembered what Adrian said when he barged into our house.
Everyone around the table had teased me non-stop.
“I guess I might’ve done that.”
“See? He was our idol.”
Leonie once again had that dreamy look on her face and gave a sweet smile.
Suddenly, an idea popped into my head.
See, Leonie, that’s not a special memory.
I felt the same.
Adrian is kind to everyone—it doesn’t mean you were special to him.
Let’s use this mood to steer things the right way!
“Right, everyone has those kinds of memories about their first love. And you know what? They say memories are most beautiful when they stay in the past. The past shines the brightest when left behind.”
“What? People say that?”
“Yeah, when you reunite with your first love, it usually doesn’t end well. It can even taint the good memories.”
When I said that, Leonie’s eyes widened.
She looked a bit surprised.
“Ribe… but he’s different.”
Then she quickly calmed her expression.
“I happened to see him again recently, and all the feelings I had back then came rushing back.”
Oh no, no… that’s just a misunderstanding.
“We barely exchanged a few words, but my heart felt so warm.”
“Well, the weather has been warm lately.”
“What should I do? I think I’m in love.”
And there it was—the final nail in the coffin.
No, Leonie. Adrian is not the one you’re destined to be with!
What am I supposed to do about this?
Okay, let’s think calmly.
But no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t shake the astrologer’s words from my mind.
<Someone has stolen your destiny. Until it returns, you will not know peace.>
No. I never meant to steal Leonie’s destiny.
It was just a coincidence.
I was cornered and had no other choice. I didn’t mean for any of this to happen!
“Ribe?”
“Oh, Leonie.”
“You’re not saying anything. It’s making me nervous. This is the first time I’ve talked about this… Say something. Anything.”
Leonie looked at me, almost on the verge of tears.
“Wow, haha… Leonie. You’re really… wow. Congratulations. Seriously.”
I just spat out whatever words came to mind. Leonie scratched the back of her head.
“Congratulations? It’s just my feelings. I haven’t even told Lord Watford.”
Then she added with a distant look in her eyes.
“Actually, I saw him at the ball the other day—the one to welcome His Grace the Grand Duke.”
I nodded, remembering that night.
“I think I made it obvious how much I liked him. Maybe I shouldn’t have done that? I wanted to stay with him longer, but he left so soon.”
Ah, so that’s why Leonie seemed so down that day.
“No, that can’t be it.”
“I’m not the most perceptive person, but I’m not so dense that I wouldn’t notice something like that.”
It was oddly self-aware, yet not quite accurate.
In fact, Leonie was incredibly dense.
But that was part of her charm.
“He didn’t seem that happy to see me. Maybe I just expected too much.”
“But didn’t he bring you dessert just now?”
“Oh, that…”
Leonie’s voice turned even gloomier.
“I told him I was struggling with a book I’m reading and asked if he could help me if he had time. He turned me down gently… and brought the dessert to express his decline.”
“Ah.”
“I know he’s busy. And I know he’s returning to Ostrin soon.”
“…”
“That’s why I wanted to spend as much time as I could with him while he was still here, to win his heart somehow.”
Leonie started tearing up again as she spoke.
I didn’t know whether I should comfort her or help her give up on her feelings.
Seeing her sad expression made me feel like I should support her love—but thinking of everything else made me hesitate.
Okay, I need to figure out how to approach this.
“By the way, Leonie. You said something bad was going to happen recently, remember?”
At my change of subject, her expression shifted.
“How have things been since visiting the astrologer? Do you think the bracelet is helping at all?”
Please, let everything the astrologer said be nonsense.
Let Leonie’s repeated misfortunes just be coincidences.
“The worst thing that’s happened to me lately is that Lord Watford isn’t interested in me.”
“…”
I shut my eyes tightly.
She’s completely smitten.
“S-So… nothing like almost falling down the stairs or windows randomly shattering anymore, right?”
Please let it be no. Please!
“Well, that still happens sometimes.”
My hopes were always crushed in this world.
“What? Seriously?”
“Yeah, just yesterday I almost got strangled by a ribbon while changing clothes.”
My jaw dropped in shock.
“Oh my god.”
“Louisa said if she had been even a little late, it could’ve ended really badly.”
“How can you say something so scary so casually?!”
“Because I believe in this bracelet. Bad things still happen, but I’m not dead, right?”
And then she smiled innocently.
I was the only one losing my mind here!
“Leonie, this isn’t something to laugh about! What if something really bad happens?”
But honestly, that wasn’t something I should say to her.
All of Leonie’s misfortunes… were my fault.
If I hadn’t drunkenly messed everything up at the ball, none of this would’ve happened.
“It’ll be fine. I’ll keep wearing the bracelet. Ribe, you’re still wearing yours too, right?”
All I could do was nod weakly.
⚜ ⚜ ⚜
“Eclat.”
“Yes, my lady?”
In the carriage on the way home, I stared blankly out the window.
“What exactly is love?”
“Pardon?”
My body swayed with the movement of the carriage, but I didn’t mind at all.
All I could think about was Leonie—and what to do about her sweet, innocent heart.
“Love? Well, it’s when you miss someone and think about them all the time.”
“…”
“Why do you ask, my lady? Are you thinking about His Grace the Grand Duke?”
“What?”
I suddenly straightened up, my voice twisting.
“What are you even talking about?”
“Well, it has been a few days since you last saw him. Oh my, my lady, acting all indifferent before, and now you’re absolutely dying to see him again.”
“What are you saying?! That’s totally wrong!”
“Yes, yes. Of course.”
“Ugh, seriously—it’s not like that!”
