Chapter: 10
On a spring day when warm sunlight peeked through the windows.
Children dressed in elegant clothes stared intensely at the go board, their faces filled with tension.
After taking deep breaths for a long while, one boy finally snapped his fingers with all his strength.
Tak!
With a refreshing sound, a white stone raced smoothly across the polished surface.
However, the stone stopped right in front of its target.
The boy grabbed his head and screamed.
“Ah! If it had gone just a little further, I would’ve killed two at the same time!”
“Hmph! That’s because you rely only on strength! When something is important, you have to let go of greed and empty your mind.”
That was a lie.
The truth was, I was extremely nervous that he might send my stones flying away in one shot.
I snorted proudly and lowered myself flat against the floor to find the perfect angle.
Above my head, hastily made paper decorations fluttered.
<Adelaide’s First Alkkagi Tournament>
Tak!
With a refreshing sound, a black stone flying from afar knocked only the white stone off the board and came to a precarious stop.
At the incredible display of skill, sounds of admiration and applause erupted from all around.
The remaining stones were two black and one white.
Unless white performed the same miracle-like move from before, defeat was certain.
“Grrrrk…”
In front of the boy whose face twisted as he realized his defeat, I enjoyed the composure of a winner.
You’re still ten years too young to challenge me, little rookie!
When Antoine said he needed friends, Father promised that he would invite their children to the next Merchant Association meeting.
And finally, the day of the meeting arrived.
The great merchants who specialized in Eastern trade, people from the financial world connected to them through money, lawyers, and others who held various important roles, all gathered at the Charmeuse mansion with their children.
While the adults held their meeting, Antoine would make new friends, and I would fish out—no, become close friends with talented individuals who possessed promising futures.
It was a perfect plan.
Until I opened the door to the banquet hall.
‘What?’
The moment the banquet hall door opened, the movements of the children who had been gathered in small groups playing with toys completely stopped.
And then, gazes that could hardly be called friendly poured toward Antoine and me.
Sensing the stiff atmosphere, Antoine flinched, grabbed onto my arm, and hid behind me.
Among the wary and curious gazes directed at strangers, there was unmistakable hostility staring straight at me.
At the end of that gaze stood Uncle Guillaume’s son.
‘Felix Hedevo…’
The Felix Hedevo I remembered was a reckless fool who used his father’s name to receive investments but failed and eventually ruined his family.
Fortunately, right now he seemed more interested in eating biscuits soaked in milk than destroying his family.
“……”
“……”
Our eyes met, but he said nothing.
He only stared at me while chewing on cake noisily.
As if expecting me to greet him first.
Even so, it was nothing but laughable to me.
You can glare as much as you want. The only thing that will hurt is your own eyes. Do you think you can make a hole in the back of my head?
When I turned my gaze away from him first, the children gathered around Felix like flatterers giggled.
“Big sis…”
Antoine, don’t be scared.
Even if we fight, I’ll win.
Besides, he’s not even worth fighting.
“Felix hyung, are you really okay with not greeting her first…?”
“But the person who’s desperate is the one who comes first. Just wait calmly.”
The boy swallowed the word “but” that was about to come out of his throat.
“Hmph.”
Felix had never once thought that he was poor or lacking.
Especially here, he believed he was the most outstanding person.
Because he was the oldest.
Because his father was wealthy.
Because he was tall.
Everyone praised him endlessly and looked up to him.
But the moment he learned about Adelaide’s existence, his throne that seemed eternal began shaking from its very roots.
He could easily obtain anything he wanted.
But a social status like hers was something he could never buy, no matter what he did.
‘She was just lucky enough to be born a noble…’
That was exactly what Felix disliked.
Someone who was born holding something he could never possess no matter what methods he used.
Someone who could casually order him around with a single word.
On top of that, Adelaide was a few months older than him and even seemed slightly taller.
‘No, that’s because of her shoes. Girls wear shoes with high heels. If we stood barefoot, I’d be taller!’
His wounded pride boiled over with jealousy.
Therefore, he had to completely crush her confidence from the beginning.
He had to make sure she could never act arrogant toward him.
However, the situation took a strange turn.
“Hello? My name is Adelaide. This is my younger brother Antoine.”
The Adelaide who had avoided his gaze first, like a dog lowering its tail, was already talking to other children.
Looking closely, they were all either younger, boring in personality, or from ordinary families that weren’t worth becoming close with.
Felix couldn’t understand this situation at all.
“Can I play with you too?”
“Uh… uhh… A-Adelaide-nim…?”
“Why are you calling me Adelaide-nim when we’re all children? You can just call me Addie. What’s your name?”
One of these people would definitely grow into someone who would help me in the future.
A lawyer.
A bank president.
A high-ranking official.
And so on.
That was why I needed to become close with them from now.
Mother and Father told me to get along well with friends.
“Hyppolyte… Hyppolyte Rivers. My father and mother call me Polly, but…”
Despite her tiny, timid voice, a small smile like a wildflower bloomed across Hyppolyte’s face.
And naturally, a bright smile appeared on mine as well.
I remembered the Rivers family clearly.
The owners of the largest bank in Loire.
And the culprit who rejected my loan application in my previous life, leaving me with no choice but to be thrown out of my home!
In other words, if I built a friendship with Hyppolyte now, it meant I would never have to suffer financial difficulties in the future.
“That’s a pretty name. You were playing with dolls? I like dolls too.”
Luckily, I had the doll Uncle Guillaume bought for me not long ago.
It had plump arms made of pure white porcelain, a dress made of real silk, and even a brooch on its chest that, although somewhat crude, was a genuine ruby.
Even I thought it was dazzling and beautiful.
For young Hyppolyte, it must have been even more impressive.
Hyppolyte’s lips opened so wide they looked like they might touch the floor, and she hurriedly made room for me.
And shortly after…
“You! You! How dare you interfere here?”
“Oh my, you should show respect to your future mother-in-law.”
I shook the doll in both hands and acted out the scene with full dedication.
“Mother-in-law? Why are you my mother-in-law?”
“Because I married the Duke. Your fiancé is my son now.”
