Felyn wanted to keep talking, but to his surprise, Viloti interrupted him.
“It’s getting late. Let’s eat.”
Before Felyn could respond, a few male servants pushed in the dinner cart.
A proper noble lady’s luxurious dinner.
The cart was stacked with high-grade ingredients—things Felyn had only seen in magazines before.
Come to think of it, this was his first time eating with Viloti.
Viloti sat at the other end of the table and gracefully unfolded her napkin.
However, Felyn noticed her movements were slightly stiff.
The usually composed and unshakable noble lady seemed to be forcing calmness.
The bedroom was quiet. Only the soft clink of cutlery against porcelain remained.
“This is really delicious.”
Felyn cut a piece of steak with his knife and fork and placed it in his mouth, savoring how it melted instantly.
Viloti gave no response, continuing to eat like a perfectly programmed machine.
This was her first time having dinner alone with a boy.
At the moment, her mind was blank, she didn't understand any words.
“Is Lord Silafiel here tonight?”
Felyn asked casually.
Inside, he was incredibly nervous.
If that old man found out he was dining with his daughter in the manor, he’d probably skin him alive.
At the sound of the familiar name, Viloti’s eyes regained a bit of life.
“He’s not. He went to the royal capital.”
Saved.
“Thank you for the meal.”
Felyn wiped his mouth with the napkin as a servant came to clear his plate.
And that was it.
Felyn and Viloti sat beside the table for a whole hour, without exchanging a single word.
Awkward. So awkward.
How was he supposed to start a conversation?
Beneath the table, out of Felyn’s sight, Viloti was nearly tearing the tablecloth apart.
Since childhood, she’d been surrounded by annoying boys, so she never had to take the initiative to start a conversation.
In the past, Felyn would always talk to her first. Why wasn’t he saying anything today?
Seeing Viloti’s face growing darker by the second, Felyn didn’t dare say a word.
That murderous expression, he had to analyze very carefully what he could and couldn’t say.
Earlier, he’d even hinted to her, giving her an excuse to say everything she’d done for him was just out of pity.
But she looked extremely unhappy about it.
What was he supposed to say?
Damn it, he hadn’t gone to the bathroom since noon. He was seriously reaching his limit.
“Um, Miss Viloti. I’d like to go to the restroom.”
“Thank you.”
The air froze.
Felyn wondered if Viloti had said the wrong thing, but seeing her show no sign of realizing anything was off, he started to wonder—maybe “thank you” was just a unique reply among the Silafiel family?
What he couldn’t see was that beneath her pink hair, Viloti’s ears were burning red.
Her calm face hid a completely flustered mind.
What am I saying?!
Help!
Why did I thank him?!
She’d thought Felyn was about to give some polite compliment about her home, and she reflexively said “thank you.”
“Come to think of it, Miss Viloti, the place you live in really is beautiful. Haha, I’m so jealous.”
For the sake of his bladder, Felyn tried to keep chatting, hoping to learn the Silafiel family’s conversational quirks.
He still didn’t know if “thank you” meant yes or no.
Viloti gently shook her head. “It’s not as great as you think.”
“By the way, I don’t think I’ve formally congratulated you on getting into the Royal Academy. Too bad I don’t have any decent gift to give.”
Felyn looked into Viloti’s eyes and smiled warmly.
That cold yet delicate face reflected in his eyes.
Viloti’s fingers trembled slightly, and she lowered her gaze.
“Thank you. A gift isn’t necessary.”
“Getting into the Royal Academy is amazing. You’ll become a real member of the clergy, right? With your talent, Miss Viloti, you’ll surely achieve things I can’t even imagine.”
Viloti nodded, as if deep in thought.
“I feel so lucky right now, like I got to be classmates with a future superstar before she gets famous. Just having this time is enough for me.”
At those words, Viloti was drawn into memories of their time together.
To get a limited-edition dessert for her, Felyn had slept outside the store the night before.
To return a headscarf she’d left in class, he’d waited in the rain at the door for two hours.
To cover for her being late, he told the teacher she’d only been delayed because he had been pestering her.
Wait—why were all her memories about Felyn?
Viloti tried to recall other people, but came up empty. She really didn’t have any friends besides him.
“After I graduate, I plan to use the money I saved from working to open a little shop. That’s my dream for now. When you get famous, Miss Viloti, if you have time, come visit. By then, I might even have a few kids already—hahaha.”
Felyn kept talking, giving Viloti no chance to respond.
By comparing their futures, he wanted her to see clearly that they would never cross paths again.
He didn’t know what she was thinking, but he intended to sever every possibility.
Felyn’s voice was soft, like he was painting a picture.
Hearing his words, a tiny crack finally formed in Viloti’s refined, icy mask.
“So I’ve been too selfish. Someone like me is trying to cling to Miss Viloti... it’s kind of pathetic, isn’t it?”
Viloti bit her lip and turned her head slightly to the side.
So sneaky.
Saying something like this now—it was too sneaky.
If you already knew, then why did you even come near me in the first place?
What was wrong with me?
Seeing Felyn and Adelina laughing and chatting made her want to blow them up on the spot and she hadn’t held back.
Now hearing Felyn talk about disappearing from her world—it hurts so much.
Three years ago, the Silafiel family hadn’t been this powerful.
The downfall of the Sorester family, once called the Light of Seiwa, had shocked the noble world and gave rising houses like the Silafiels a golden opportunity.
To seize the markets and resources the Soresters left behind, the Silafiel family had clashed fiercely with other noble houses.
That ruthless battle dragged Viloti into it.
Other young noblewomen at school spread rumors, saying Viloti was an arrogant girl who looked down on everyone.
They even bribed her friends and tricked her into attending a party meant to target her.
After that party, which had been full of hostility, Viloti didn’t leave the house for six months.
Even now, when she closed her eyes, she could see those disdainful looks from those people at the party and she was afraid that people would still talk behind her back when she went out.
It was Felyn. Felyn’s appearance made her feel like a kitten peeking out at the world.
Around him, she felt a small but precious sense of safety.
He was like the sun. No matter what happened, he’d always show up the next day.
Eventually, the Silafiel family won the brawl of hyenas and in just a year became a force no one in Seiwa could ignore.
The ones who humiliated her at that party disappeared without a sound from Seiwa.
And with Felyn’s appearance, everyone’s attention shifted to him. People even started feeling a bit sorry for her.
Things gradually started to get better. Maybe she really has become strong enough now.
But the sun would never rise again.
“Miss Viloti, the outfit is ready.”
“Mm.”
The butler placed a bag on the nightstand.
“Miss Viloti, it’s getting late. I won’t disturb you any further. Thank you for everything you’ve done for me today.”
Felyn bowed deeply, nervous.
He was afraid Viloti was thinking strange thoughts.
And that fear was spot-on.
As soon as she heard Felyn was leaving, her mind was flooded with wild ideas.
What if the moment he stepped out, he got kidnapped by another awful woman?
The outside world was too dangerous. Maybe it’d be safer to just keep him here in the manor?
He’d have no worries—food, clothes, care. He could stay forever until they were old.
She couldn’t stop the sun from setting—but she could keep this little fallen noble in her world forever.
No—what am I thinking?!
Viloti pinched her arm, pulling herself out of her fantasy.
“No problem.”
Countless thoughts, all wrapped up in those three light words.
Night fell.
Felyn walked home under the glow of the streetlights.
He took a deep breath, like he was finally free of a heavy burden.
He didn’t know if his message had gotten across, but his gut told him that if he hadn’t left then, he might never have made it out of that manor.
He’d asked for his old, slightly worn clothes back—still wearable after a wash.
Viloti had neatly packed the clothes she gave him into the bag now hanging in his left hand.
Felyn reached into his pocket and pulled out his communication tool to check for unread client messages.
“Huh?”
When he opened the tool, Adelina’s messages exploded onto the screen like confetti.
Felyn swallowed and typed a reply.
“Lady Adelina, I’m okay. I’m heading home now. Are you hurt?”
Not even five seconds after he hit send, and before he could decide what to say next, Adelina replied.
[I’m so glad.]
[I was really worried about you.]
She deleted it the second it appeared.
[I was a bit worried. After all, you got dragged into this because of me.]
[I’m not hurt. Uncle Coletyl saved me. But my dad won’t let me leave the house now. I’m grounded.]
The daughter of House Silafiel had slapped House Claude’s daughter with a Tier 7 Spell Seal.
Their parents must be scrambling right now.
Adelina being grounded was totally reasonable. Who knows what the Silafiel family is going to do.
No one is going to think that the reason this happened was so strange.
Felyn scratched his head. He’d somehow sparked a feud between two noble families.
So men could be troublemakers too, huh.
[How’s your dress picking going? At the party, I have to make that Viloti girl regret everything!]
[Don’t worry, Lady Adelina. I won’t let you down.]
(End of Chapter)