LVSFN 78

Chapter  78

I had blurted it out, but Jerlach didn’t say a word.

Instead, his reddish-brown eyes fixed on me, warmer than a moment ago.

I knew it—I shouldn’t have come.

Now he must think I’m just some woman who sneaks around looking for dirty books… or maybe even a stalker.

“…If you’re busy, we can eat another time.”

Just as I was about to quietly retreat, he spoke.

“Let’s eat together today.”

Did he go to Hornhagen or wherever to take lessons on push-and-pull?

He really has a knack for tugging people’s strings.

“Really?”

I widened my eyes in surprise, and Jerlach asked back, puzzled.

“Why that reaction from the one who asked to eat together first?”

“Well, you didn’t answer.”

“People usually think before they answer.”

“People also don’t usually take that long a pause in the middle of a conversation.”

When I shot back, he once again stared at me in silence.

I already knew he was tall, but today, he looked even taller somehow.

Avoiding his gaze, I pouted.

“Eating is something you do when it’s time anyway. I just asked if we could poke at food with forks at the same time. Was that such a difficult, complicated question that required so much thought?”

“What kind of poke?”

“Fork-poke.”

“That’s the first time I’ve heard such a frivolous term.”

“…Frivolous?”

Then he waved the book he was holding.

Unbelievable, this man.

“Sorry for being frivolous.”

“Is Bernadette always so quick to anger?”

That’s it. I couldn’t hold it in anymore.

I turned my head back to face him.

“Your Grace, why do you call me that?”

“?”

“Why do you call me… Bernadette?”

“Is there a problem with calling Bernadette by her name?”

Sure, my full name is Liberata Bernadette, but—

Why did he have to call me by my surname, so coldly, so formally?

Was he doing it on purpose, or did he really not realize?

“When you call me that, it feels like we’re…”

“We’re what?”

“…Like we’re nothing to each other.”

Once again, Jerlach stayed silent.

Seriously? Was my point really that hard to understand?

It wasn’t even complicated enough to require such deep thought.

Anyway, I hated this kind of silence—

That ambiguous atmosphere, the guarded look in those reddish-brown eyes.

Even if I pretended not to notice, I could feel it clearly.

“Then what are we to each other?”

His voice dropped low again, just like at the beginning.

“Do I really have to say it with my own mouth?”

“Bernadette doesn’t strike me as the type to hold back on such things.”

Then, annoyingly, he raised one eyebrow.

At this point, I couldn’t tell if he was teasing me or not.

Ever since I came here, I had missed him and longed to see him again, but this wasn’t the reunion I had imagined.

Of course, this Jerlach was someone from another dimension, so technically it wasn’t a reunion after parting, and it made sense there was no tenderness.

But still, he wasn’t supposed to meet me with such a cold face either!

“You’re my fiancé. I’d like you to look at me with a little more warmth.”

I just blurted it out, throwing caution to the wind.

And then—Jerlach let out a faint chuckle.

Oh, so now he laughs?

He slowly shook his head, his eyes narrowing.

“Strange. Really strange.”

Excuse me, who here is the strange one?

“?”

“I know Bernadette is my fiancée, but I honestly have no idea why I made that choice.”

“….”

“But today, I think I might understand a little.”

Still holding that book, he shook it lightly as he spoke.

“You’re cute.”

I nearly jumped out of my skin, like sparks had landed on my feet.

“…What?”

“Weird, but cute. Cute, but weird.”

Then he bent slightly at the waist, closing the distance between our faces.

Up close, his face was dazzlingly beautiful.

The room was clearly dim, yet around his features it almost seemed like there was light.

If I kept staring, I might actually fall under his spell.

…And maybe that wouldn’t be so bad.

Just then, his graceful lips moved again.

“What are you, really?”

It was strange.

This atmosphere—I could swear I’d felt it before.

For the first time since arriving in this world, I smiled from the heart.

“I’ll tell you over dinner what I really am.”

“I’ll look forward to it.”

I never knew the words ‘I’ll look forward to it’ could sound so thrilling.

If I stayed here any longer, my heart might burst, so I quickly said goodbye.

“Then, I’ll be going ahead.”

“Going? Where?”

I quietly raised a finger to point toward the opposite corridor.

“There’s still plenty of time before dinner.”

“You intend to meet my expectations then.”

“No, it’s not like that!”

I waved my hands furiously, then hurried out of the bookstore—
ignoring the sensation of his gaze lingering on the back of my head, my nape, my shoulders.

⚜ ⚜ ⚜

Back home, I bounded up the stairs two at a time.

I had to write Jerlach a reply and get ready to see him.

Goodness, what a mess this all was!

It was the same person, yet somehow it felt like I was cheating.

The Jerlach from my original world was gentle and warm, contrary to his public image.

He was a little possessive, sure, but never suffocating.

But the Jerlach I met today was cynicism incarnate—
a cold, sardonic grand duke.

The way he looked at me, his expression, his tone—everything.

Although, to be fair, as we talked, that chill had softened somewhat.

‘But really, calling me “Lady Bernadette” so formally?’

I grumbled as I spread open the paper.

And then what? Asking what’s wrong with calling Bernadette by her own name?

All the while wearing that sullen face like someone stuck in a forced engagement.

And what was that “weird but cute” nonsense?

As I was scoffing at his inconsistency, a sudden thought struck me.

Wait… could the story have changed?

The Jerlach I faced in the bookstore seemed completely different from the one I knew.

The original Jerlach Cygnus was an honest man.

He wasn’t the type to mask or hide his feelings.

As much as I hated to admit it, this Jerlach didn’t seem to like me.

His eyes weren’t those of someone in love.

“…Why? Why did the story change?”

I decided I had to let Jerlach know.

That his “double” here looked at me with cold, sharp eyes and had a personality ten times more mischievous than the one I knew.

‘But maybe I should tell my family about this too…’

My parents here were good people.

So good, in fact, that it was hard to understand how Liberata had grown up to be such a rotten child under them.

‘Maybe it was just the author’s mistake in setting…’

Or maybe they were firm believers in the theory that humans are inherently evil?

Still, at least now I had the luxury of thinking such things.

‘It might be best to tell Mother and Father something vague. But what about Ecla…’

I was jotting down these thoughts when—

“Young Lady!”

Just then, Ecla burst in.

“Young Lady, why are you so late? Did the performance go well?”

She rushed over, lowering her voice.

“Of course. Piece of cake. Nothing hard about it. Did you handle the luggage I gathered?”

“Yes, I hired someone under a false name. No way anyone will find out.”

“Oh, right, Ecla. I have to go to the Cygnus estate tonight.”

“The estate? All of a sudden?”

“I ran into His Grace by chance when I was dropping off a letter. We ended up agreeing to have dinner together.”

“Oh my goodness—you just happened to run into him?”

Ecla grabbed my arms, her eyes sparkling.

“It’s fate. The two of you are absolutely destined!”

“Uh, sure.”

If only Jerlach thought so too…

“It’s so romantic. Oh, how wonderful.”

Sorry, Ecla, but it wasn’t like that at all.

“But what should I wear? Which dress?”

“Perfect, let’s pick one right now!”

And so began my battle with Ecla.

Liberata’s wardrobe was overflowing with dresses.

It seemed like I could just throw one on and be done, but Ecla kept shaking her head, rejecting one after another.

“Why not this one?”

“You wore that at Count Omeroni’s banquet.”

“So?”

“So you can’t wear it again, obviously!”

“What? Dresses aren’t disposable. Why not?”

“I’m sure there’s a top-quality gown you either received as a gift or bought but never wore because of your whims. That’s the one we need to find.”

“As if such a thing exists.”

“It does. I know it does.”

Honestly, men don’t even notice what dress you wear where.

They don’t care!

I sat slouched, propping my chin on my hand, when suddenly Ecla cried out, all excited.

“Young Lady, I found it!”