Terdeo's brows furrowed. He clenched his fists as if he were about to strike Adeus right in front of him. No, it looked more like he was about to kill him. I hastily denied it before Terdeo could commit murder.
"Today is the first time we've met!"
At my shout, both Terdeo and Adeus turned their gazes toward me simultaneously. One of them was burning with anger, as if he could turn the place into a sea of fire at any moment, while the other remained calm and composed despite causing the situation.
‘Maybe I should have just run him over with the carriage.’
I clicked my tongue and told the truth as it was.
"I was riding in the carriage when I accidentally found him lying on the ground."
"To be precise, Her Highness the Duchess saved me."
"More precisely, I couldn't run him over with the carriage, so I had the driver push him to the side. ...Now I'm a bit regretful. I should have just run him over."
"But thanks to that, I wasn't run over by the carriage."
"And he's Rebecca's childhood friend."
"A very close friend I've known since childhood. Rebecca can vouch that I'm not a strange person."
As soon as Adeus finished speaking, Rebecca nodded hurriedly.
"It seems we entered at the wrong time during the guard shift. I was worried about being caught and punished by the guards on my way out, and Rebecca said she wanted to have a conversation with him, so I was about to give him a ride in the carriage."
"I am a person who is prepared to dedicate my life to Her Highness the Duchess, who saved me."
With each word I said, Adeus chimed in like a goldfish's poop. Terdeo, who had been listening to our disjointed conversation, frowned disapprovingly.
"What do you mean by 'such and such a relationship'?"
Adeus, unlike his earlier demeanor, replied indifferently with a bland expression.
"Since Her Highness the Duchess saved me, I must repay her kindness. Therefore, it's natural that I can risk my life for her."
What does that mean? Why are you making decisions on your own? Terdeo tilted his head as if deep in thought. Then, as if something had occurred to him, he spoke in a slow, threatening tone.
"Oh, you're the Viscount Fortun's son. Yes, I've heard of you."
His voice was tinged with a hint of mockery.
"Viscount Fortun's son, whom he brought in from outside. A debauched playboy who can't live without alcohol and women, secretly sent to a foreign country."
Sure enough, he was Viscount Fortun's illegitimate son, not sent abroad for education but because he was too much to handle.
‘Still, he didn't seem like a playboy, just a bit suspicious.’
He looked more like a con artist.
"You seem to know a lot about me, His Highness Duke Laphireon."
"I know well. How else would even someone like me, who keeps to myself in society, know about you? I've heard you were famous in a foreign country. There was even a rumor that someone proposed a law to ban you from approaching any noble lady within a 300-meter radius."
At Terdeo's sarcasm, I widened my eyes in surprise. He was so handsome, but to the point where a law was proposed because of his debauchery?
Adeus, instead of refuting, stared coldly at Terdeo with his icy blue eyes.
"You said you were afraid of being punished for entering here by mistake? I'll decide that punishment, so consider it null and void. However—"
Terdeo, who had been standing beside me, wrapped his arm around my waist demonstratively and moved away from Adeus.
"Do not approach within 500 meters of my wife."
W-What? What is he saying? My face turned red with shock. Terdeo's large hand made my waist stiffen like a wooden doll. Adeus's icy gaze landed on Terdeo's arm around my waist. Seeing this, Terdeo turned to face me with a hint of mockery.
"Since we've come this far, we should take care of business."
"Huh?"
As soon as he finished speaking, Terdeo grabbed my waist with both hands.
'What is he going to do?'
Terdeo, exerting strength in his arms, lifted me up lightly. Surprised to suddenly be in the air, I gasped for breath.
"Don't be nervous."
Terdeo, speaking calmly, gently placed me on his black horse. Suddenly being on a living horse made me tense up. The warmth and thick leather under my palms made my lips dry.
"Have you ever ridden a horse before?"
No, I hadn't, even before the regression. I was good at riding carriages, though. Shaking my head, Terdeo nimbly climbed on behind me, wrapping his arms around me as if hugging me and taking the reins. The firmness of his arms around me and the strong muscles I felt from behind made me swallow hard.
'Can a person's body be this solid?'
It felt like a rock.
"I'll hold you, so it's fine."
Did he hear me swallow? Thinking I was scared and stiff, Terdeo gently reassured me. Of course, it was scary because I couldn't sit comfortably due to my dress and was perched precariously to the side.
'If I fall, I'll get seriously hurt.'
The horse was much higher than I thought. It was a height I couldn't get down from on my own. Glancing down, I tightly grabbed Terdeo's arms with both hands. His arms didn't waver at all. Terdeo, who had been looking at me, turned to Adeus coldly.
"Does Viscount Fortun need to talk to his friend? Let them talk as much as they want. We won't interfere."
"..."
"Better yet, it would be good if you did it outside this procession route. I'll say it again, this place is off-limits to outsiders."
Under Terdeo's threatening gaze, Rebecca nodded in surprise and hurriedly pulled Adeus's arm.
"Y-Yes! We'll talk outside! We won't interfere with you two at all!"
"Good."
Unlike Rebecca, Adeus continued to stare at us with a stiff face. More accurately, he was glaring at Terdeo, not at me.
'Is he upset because Terdeo called him a playboy?'
No matter what, glaring at the Duke like that is a bit much.
"Viscount Fortun's face will be etched in my mind."
"..."
At Terdeo's complaint, I turned my head and met his red eyes. His face was strangely stiff, as if carved from stone. I thought he had muttered something, but I was too lost in thought to catch it properly.
"What? What did you just say?"
Blinking, I looked into his eyes. Terdeo, instead of answering, grabbed the reins and slowly moved the horse. As the horse suddenly moved, I tensed up and looked in the direction it was walking.
"Hey, where are we going? Why are you moving the horse?"
My upper body swayed, losing balance. Reaching out, Terdeo quickly wrapped his arm around my waist to prevent me from falling, pulling me tightly against his chest.
"Didn't we come here to check out the procession route? Since you'll be in the procession with me that day, it's not bad to practice together."
Feeling embarrassed that our purpose for checking the route was exposed, I blushed.
"It wasn't me, but Rebecca who wanted to come and check."
"Let's just say that."
"Really."
"Didn't Rebecca also buy the dress, shoes, hat, and accessories you'll wear during the procession?"
"Those were also Rebecca's...!"
"Then let's just say that too."
Anyone watching would think I was eagerly looking forward to the procession. Terdeo seemed to be in a better mood than before. His voice, though I couldn't see his face, was more lively than before.
'Is he having fun teasing me?'
I wanted to tell him to take his hands off my waist, but I couldn't because I might fall off the horse. Just as I was grumbling, Adeus's voice came from behind.
"Her Highness the Duchess, I look forward to our next meeting. I will wait for the day you call me."
No, don't look forward to it and don't wait! I won't call you! I won't meet you! I wanted to shout back, but the horse I was on was steadily moving forward. Afraid of losing balance if I turned my head, I pretended not to hear.
"There's a lot of noise."
Terdeo increased the horse's speed to distance us from Adeus's shout.
"You said you're not related, but you're looking forward to and waiting for it."
"Looking forward to and waiting for it is one-sided, so we're not related."
"By the way."
Terdeo, who was about to say something, closed his lips tightly. What is it? Why did you stop speaking when you were curious? I lifted my head, which had been leaning against Terdeo's chest, and looked at him intently.
"Why do you stop speaking when you make someone curious?"
"Just in case."
"Yes?"
"Is he your new love?"
My body swayed for a moment. I was so taken aback that I almost fell off the horse. If Terdeo hadn't grabbed my waist tightly at that moment, I would have definitely fallen and broken a leg or an arm.
"You don't need to hide it from me. You couldn't say it