Wishing for a Peaceful School Life

Sunlight poured gently over the gardens of Albert Manor. Beautifully blooming flowers swayed in the breeze, along with Mary’s silver-thread hair. Indeed, her hair swayed. The waggling, tightly curled ringlets were now a thing of the past. Recalling those bygone days, Mary lovingly pushed down her hair, until the man sitting opposite her—Patrick—called out to her.

Alicia was sitting next to Patrick while munching away on some cake. Meanwhile Adi, who was next to Mary, kept glancing between Alicia’s plate and the cake stand on the table. (Despite having wed Mary, Adi’s servant-like disposition hadn’t gone away. That said, he wasn’t trying to get rid of it, and Mary and the rest of the folk at Albert Manor all thought things were fine as they were too.)

“By the way, Mary,” Patrick said. “You also refused the offer to be an exchange student at Elysiana College, didn’t you?”

“I was thankful for the offer, but there’s a class at Karelia Academy that I’d like to take this time,” Mary replied. “But the way you said that...sounds like you refused the offer too.”

“I have a lot on my plate and no free time,” he told her with a shrug of his shoulders.

Indeed, Patrick had already been occupied before with matters such as changing House Dyce’s heir and entering the royal family. However, ever since he’d been officially tied to Alicia, things had reached a new height of busyness for him. Even so, he exhibited no signs of exhaustion and always properly showed up for tea, as expected of someone like him.

“Adi, didn’t they extend the offer to you as well?” asked Patrick.

“Yes, the school spoke with me about that. I did marry into House Albert and all. But since milady refused, I had no interest in accepting either,” Adi asserted, adding a second serving of cake to Alicia’s plate. He then picked up one of the strawberries from the table and placed it on the edge of Mary’s plate with some cream.

Mary looked at him, wondering what he was doing. His rust-ringed pupils were watching her fixedly. The red strawberry led her gaze, and when she looked up, she met his rust-colored eyes.

“My place is by my lady’s side. If she’s staying in Karelia Academy, then so am I.”

“Adi...” Mary’s heart started pounding from the way he was looking at her.

How passionate and affectionate the air was between them! Had they been alone right now, though it was still daytime and they were in the gardens, they certainly would’ve at the very least exchanged a kiss. Unfortunately, they were not alone, and as such...

“Can you come back from your own world already?”

...Patrick cut in ruthlessly.

“No, Lord Patrick!” cried Alicia. “We’re supposed to pretend we don’t see anything at times like these. Let’s turn the other way! We aren’t seeing any of this at all!” she insisted, turning her chair around with a clatter and feigning ignorance.

Though Mary had been entranced, Alicia’s actions promptly dampened her enthusiasm, and she let out a sigh. Adi, in contrast to his fervent declaration from moments ago, now smiled wryly. Mary then looked at the other pair and let out an openly displeased huff, as if to say, “Stop getting in our way!”

“I heard you refused as well, Alicia,” Mary said. “What a shame. Such a perfect opportunity for you to be forcibly expatriated for reeking of the boonies, gone to waste.”

“I wanted to see what it’s like to attend Elysiana, but I’ve been busy with a lot of things myself!” Alicia responded.

“Oh really? I thought you were impudently inviting yourself over to other people’s houses, but now I see you’ve been gracelessly running around all over the place.”

“But I really don’t want to be apart from Lord Patrick... It’s because we’ve been so busy that I want to treasure the time we do get to spend together!”

“Not only are my cutting remarks completely ineffective, but you’re counterattacking by getting all lovey-dovey! And why do you look so happy, Patrick?!” Mary shrieked. “If you two want to treasure your time together so badly, don’t spend it drinking tea at somebody else’s place! I’ll start charging you for the tea and venue costs!”

But no matter how much Mary yelled, Alicia only smiled cheerfully. Mary’s efforts didn’t get through to her at all—though, by now, that much was stating the obvious.

“It’ll be so much fun to study together with everyone from Elysiana! Right, Lady Mary?” Alicia prompted.

“What fun?! You’re supposed to be the princess, so at least try not to stain the name of your school and country with your provincialism!”

“Hee hee! Okay!”

“Ugh! Get hurt already! You’re breaking my heart over here!” Mary appealed, while Adi and Patrick exchanged a look with each other and shrugged as if to say things were the same as always.

Their reactions only heightened Mary’s rage, but she told herself that screaming any more than that would only tire her out. She calmed her emotions by remembering the delicious taste of freshly fried croquettes.

Mary let out a curt sigh, and then once more glanced around the tea party attendees. There was Alicia, smiling away and enjoying herself, with Patrick gazing at her affectionately. Next to Mary was also her husband, Adi. It was the usual lineup of people.

However, once the study exchange program from Elysiana College began, Parfette and the others would join them. With everyone gathered together, the time they’d spend here would be even more boisterous, lively, and fun...

Mary caught herself and quickly snapped out of her thoughts, pressing her hands to her cheeks in a fluster. She was looking forward to it from the bottom of her heart, and her true feelings had been reflected in her face for a moment. She must’ve been smiling warmly at her thoughts, and the idea of anyone having seen her embarrassed her a little.

To smooth over what just happened, Mary reached for her teacup and slurped her tea with heavy gulps. It was unbecoming of a noble lady to act in such a way, but everyone here knew her well, so she wasn’t bothered by it. Right now, her priority was to conceal her beaming smile at the thought of the exchange program.

Sensing what she was doing, Adi smiled wryly and poured her a new serving of tea. “It’s going to be fun, milady.”

At first, she had no idea how to respond to his encouraging words. Finally, she settled for saying, “I’m going to be fed up if things get even noisier!” as she looked away with another huff.

They’d spent time with Patrick only a few hours ago. He was handsome, talented in both sports and academics, and beloved by everyone. Some even said there was not a girl in this world who hadn’t yearned for him at one point or another. Adi had known Patrick for a long time, so naturally he was aware of Patrick’s flawlessness.

Moreover, the two men were also friends.

“You felt like that because of him...?” Mary murmured quietly.

Adi sighed, sharing her sentiments. “Even I think that feeling jealous because of Lord Patrick was reckless of me. And for a long time, I believed that he was the perfect candidate to marry you, milady.” His tone of voice sounded a little pained as he reminisced on the past.

Noticing as much, Mary softly pressed her back against his chest to console him.

Back then, Mary had also believed she’d end up wedded to Patrick. Both their social standings and their looks made for a perfect match, and it would’ve benefited their families. Though there was no romantic love between them, they were friends, and Mary had thought that would be enough, for to have friendship in the aristocratic world of political marriages was quite fortunate.

And if she had married Patrick, Adi would’ve been allowed to stay by her side. At that time, Mary hadn’t even realized those were her true feelings on the matter.

“I knew that if you married Lord Patrick, you’d be able to live a life free of discomfort. There was no better match from the perspective of House Albert too. Despite understanding all of that, and knowing that I’d be no match for him, I still felt jealous.”

“I see...” Mary murmured, her voice hoarse.

Adi’s sincere, heartfelt words made her heart beat faster, and she couldn’t calm herself down. Her face felt hot. Or maybe it was her body that felt hot, still caught in his embrace? Or her heart? She couldn’t tell anymore. Trying to ease off some of the heat, she exhaled, but even her breath felt hot.

“So you were jealous of Patrick because of me...”

“I’m jealous of everyone. Not just him, but also Alicia and Lady Parfette for taking you away from me.”

“My, how deep your jealousy goes.”

“That’s right. I’m jealous and possessive. You’ve been caught by a very troublesome man,” Adi said in jest, perhaps to hide his embarrassment.

“Looks like I really won’t be able to get away from you, then,” Mary responded humorously in kind. Of course, she had no actual desire to run from him. Still, pretending like she’d had enough was her way of showing affection.

How sweet it all was! Caught up in the atmosphere, Mary pressed the back of her head against Adi’s chest. Wanting another serving of such sweetness, she coaxed him to keep talking. The sweeter the love, the better, after all.

“The levels of jealousy I feel aren’t normal,” Adi went on. “In my case, I...”

“Yes?”

“I got really drunk and complained to my coworkers, saying: ‘If milady’s going to marry Lord Patrick, then I will marry him too!’” For some reason (truly, why?), Adi made his proclamation in a grandiose tone of voice.

“I see...” Mary said, and then slipped out of his embrace.

Finding his arms suddenly empty, Adi was stupefied. “Huh?”

Mary rearranged her loungewear, which had gotten wrinkled during the hug. The sweet time was over, and she clapped her hands to signal a fresh start. “All right, Adi, it’s time for bed. We’re getting up early tomorrow!”

“Are we?”

“Yes. Because...” Mary paused, smiling smugly. “Tomorrow, we’re going shopping!” she declared.

Catching her in his arms again, Adi tilted his head in confusion.

Adi’s carefree smile had once been only Mary’s to see. At least, that had all been the case until they’d met Alicia and made some friends.

Something in Mary’s chest rumbled. She felt like running away from here, or breaking up the conversation between Adi and Alicia. An unspeakably suffocating sensation rattled through her.

As if wanting to intensify what Mary was feeling, Veltina spoke up again. “Lord Adi...” she began, and today specifically, hearing that name on her lips rubbed Mary the wrong way. “If he’s so kind to everyone, that means he’s not kind just to you, Lady Mary.”

Mary paused. “What do you mean by that...?”

“Nothing deep, really. But...he’s having such a nice conversation with Lady Alicia, and he’s kind to everyone else too, like with Lady Carina. Wouldn’t that mean you’re not as special as you think?”

“What...?!” Mary’s breath hitched. But before she could reply, Alicia spotted her and called out to her.

Just as usual, Alicia darted over towards Mary and embraced her. Carina smiled wryly as she watched this, and as for Adi... Mary observed fixedly as his rust-ringed pupils moved from Alicia over to her.

“Sorry to keep you waiting, Your Ladyship,” he said.

“N-No, it’s okay...” Mary said, her voice sounding shrill.

Adi glanced at her curiously, realizing that something was wrong. A moment later, however, he frowned as Veltina got in between the two of them and said that she and Mary had just been talking about him. Hearing that a girl he wasn’t fond of had spoken about him with Mary caused his expression to sour even further. “You were talking about me?”

“Yes,” Veltina affirmed. “We discussed how very kind and considerate you are!”

“Kind? Me?”

“That’s right. I heard all about how you lent your jacket to Lady Carina. I knew you were just so nice and full of affection!”

“Affection? I don’t think that’s the case...”

Before Adi could say anything else, Alicia interjected. “Of course you are!” she exclaimed vigorously. The girl let go of Mary and puffed out her chest proudly. “You’re a very kind man, Adi!”

“You too, Alicia...? I’m really not such a virtuous person...”

“No, both you and Lady Mary are kind people,” Alicia insisted. “Ever since I first came to Karelia Academy, you’ve looked after me!” she pointed out, her eyes glittering as she recalled those times.

When she had been lost on her first day at the school, Mary and Adi had called out to her and helped her. When she had been ostracized and eaten her meals all by herself at the cafeteria, they’d sat with her.

In response to Alicia’s fervent speech, Veltina exclaimed, “I knew it! Lord Adi is so considerate!”

Even Carina seemed impressed as she listened. “Indeed, I’m not surprised to hear any of this.”

Looking the girls over awkwardly, Adi stepped closer to Mary and then leaned down to whisper into her ear. “What now, milady? It doesn’t seem like an appropriate moment to say, ‘Actually, we were trying to harass you in pursuit of ruin.’”

“Right... Let’s just leave this as a difference in perception of the events,” Mary decided. She had no means of stopping Alicia’s speech, and if she were to act recklessly now, the girl might hug her again.

With that, Mary covered both her ears with her hands. She wouldn’t hinder Alicia’s speech, but that didn’t mean she had to listen to it.

***

Alicia’s speech went on for a while, until finally a person arrived to collect her. Of course, it was Patrick. Apparently, he had something he needed from her, so upon his arrival, he clasped her arm, bid them all a polite farewell, and left with her in tow. It was a truly splendid pickup, and it was clear that he’d become used to it.

Carina and Veltina both left shortly after as well. (As a side note, at the time of her departure, Veltina had exclaimed, “We had a very nice chat just now, so I’ll leave it there for today!” But when Carina muttered something about delicious tea, the younger girl retreated at the speed of light.)

Once they had all gone, everything grew quiet. Finally calming down, Mary exhaled right about the same time as Adi. They both looked at each other.

“Well, milady. Should we head home?”

“Yes. But Adi...” Mary glanced up at him as she paused.

He turned to her inquisitively. His eyes had always been looking at her, even when she wasn’t aware of it. Yet nowadays, those same eyes often gazed at many other people too. When he’d been having that pleasant conversation with Alicia earlier, his eyes had the same soft look in them as they did now. Was there anything different in the way he looked at Mary?

The mist once again stirred within her. She gripped her chest, causing Adi to guess what was happening.

“My lady, are you...?”

“Adi... I’m special, aren’t I?” she whispered.

Adi blinked. He then looked her over appraisingly, and pressed his hand over hers, which was still resting on her chest. His large hand enveloped hers, and it almost felt like the mist inside of her was dissipating from the contact.

“Special... Yes, I think you’re very special,” he told her.

“Adi...”

“I’ve never heard of anyone having such strong indigestion before. There might be some special reason for it, indeed. Rather than House Albert’s personal doctor, perhaps we should summon a specialist to take a look at you,” he suggested, squeezing her hand.

Hearing him say the word “special” made her melt. It was enough to soothe her, and she felt relieved. Although...at the same time, it also didn’t quite ring true.

Even though this is about me, I still don’t understand what’s going on, Mary thought with a frown.

One chair had been left outside, and Mary stopped in front of it. Perhaps the gardener had forgotten to take it away—or had forgotten its existence altogether, judging by its old and worn-out appearance. It definitely wasn’t something a noble lady ought to use, but Mary briefly brushed some of the dirt off and sat down upon it.

She heard a high-pitched sound and couldn’t tell if it was the chair creaking or a shriek resounding inside her chest from the engulfing mist. But having such thoughts wasn’t like her, and Mary sighed. A moment later, a droplet landed on the back of her hand, causing her eyes to widen. “Is that drool?!” she exclaimed in disbelief, wiping at the corner of her mouth in a fluster.

Even as she did so, however, more droplets slid down her face and over her hand. Noticing this, Mary moved her fingers to trace her cheeks, and finally the corners of her eyes.

I’m crying... But why?

The tears weren’t her only source of confusion. Why had she screamed at Alicia like that? Why had her indigestion flared up so badly? And what was with this irritation and unease she was feeling? Her mind was spinning.

Unable to control her emotions, Mary let out another breath. Deciding she’d better be getting back, she was about to stand up, when the sound of footsteps nearby made her pause. She looked over her shoulder, her silver locks fluttering. Someone was heading towards her.

“Adi...?” Mary asked, uttering her spouse’s name at the unidentifiable silhouette.

However, as the person drew closer, she did not see a man with rust-colored hair—instead, his was indigo. It was Patrick.

He looked around, and when he noticed Mary, his expression relaxed with relief as he walked over to her. He was slightly out of breath, suggesting he’d been running around the garden in search of her.

So it’s not Adi... Mary murmured inwardly. In that case, where was he right now? Who was he with? These thoughts made her chest ache, and though she had wiped her tears, her vision was once again turning blurry.

“Patrick...”

“Are you all right, Mary?”

“If I look all right to you, you should probably go see a doctor.”

“Ah, you seem fine,” Patrick decided, arbitrarily drawing his own conclusions as he stood facing Mary. How cruel, indeed. But despite his assumption, Patrick took a handkerchief from inside his jacket and held it out to her. “I was chasing Alicia down, and I was shocked to discover her arguing with Miss Veltina. But right as I was about to step in, you ran off, so...”

“You followed me, huh?” Mary asked, wiping her eyes with the handkerchief.

Patrick nodded. He then explained to Mary that Adi had followed her immediately after her departure, which made her feel relieved. It meant that Adi was still prioritizing her.

“Thank goodness...” she murmured. But her relief was short-lived, for soon enough she found a new source of anxiety: If what Patrick had said was true, then why wasn’t Adi here right now?

Patrick must’ve guessed her thoughts from her expression, for he told her that he had stopped Adi. “I said that I’d go after you, and told him to settle the matter between those two.”

“I see... Thank you, Patrick.”

“It sure is a struggle, having a friend who cares about you,” he said with a sigh.

Mary smiled wryly. After a beat, she replied with, “That’s true. I also have a sprightly friend who kicks up a fuss when she tries to look after me, so I can relate.”

Knowing that she meant Alicia, Patrick turned away. “Let’s just say we’re in the same boat,” he said, attempting to propose a humble compromise. This implied he was aware of his spouse’s exuberance as well as her idea of caring for someone.

Normally, Mary would’ve protested, shrieking about how Alicia definitely didn’t treat them in the same way, but for tonight, she settled for letting it pass with a small smile.

Her heart did feel a little calmer after speaking with Patrick and learning that Adi had wanted to follow her. But even so, the mist was still within her, causing her to sigh.

Patrick sensed the distraught emotions behind her actions and cast Mary a worried glance.

“I’m okay. I’m just in a bit of pain,” she told him.

“I see...”

“Indigestion sure is bothersome.” Mary rubbed her chest, feeling the mist whirling inside.

Patrick’s expression softened, and he smiled slightly. “Indigestion, you say...? How about tonight, at least, you speak about it honestly?”

“About what?”

“The truth behind this indigestion that’s been tormenting you so much.”

At his words, Mary cast her eyes down at her chest. The mist swirled within her, and it even felt suffocating. The unease made her want to get up and run off somewhere, but she had no idea where she was supposed to go. Her stomach felt heavy.

The truth behind her indigestion... As Mary considered this, Patrick spoke up in an admonishing tone of voice.

“I know that you find it difficult to talk things out with others, Mary. I’m the same.”

“That’s true. I can’t really talk to people much...” she whispered, clutching her chest tightly.

Patrick exhaled, as though he could sympathize with the stifling sensation she was feeling. “Jealousy isn’t something you can just rashly bring up with others, right?”

“Having indigestion from overeating is embarrassing, so I can’t just come out and say it, right?”

They’d both spoken at the same time, and then turned to look at each other while murmuring, “Huh?”

Mary was surprised, but Patrick looked astonished. “Indigestion?” he echoed.

“Yes. I’ve eaten too many croquettes at the restaurant. As a noble lady, that’s very embarrassing for me. But what did you mean by jealousy, Patrick? Who’s jealous of whom?”

“Wait... Are you being serious right now?”

“Of course. Basically, I have an upset stomach. But please, what did you mean earlier?” Mary inquired, question marks floating by her head.

Patrick let out a colossal sigh. It was so strong, in fact, that it almost blew away all of the question marks around Mary. He even pressed his hand to his forehead.

His behavior was making Mary feel a rising discomfort. Is it related to me...? she wondered, rubbing at the nape of her neck where Adi had bitten her in the past. “Patrick, could it be that you were talking about me?”

“Mary, you’re so... No, but if I think about it, you didn’t even have a first love experience or anything like that, and you didn’t realize anything until after your marriage. So I guess it makes sense... Let’s just leave that there.”

“Yes, do that. Now, what’s this about me and jealousy?” Mary prompted.

Patrick looked exasperated, yet he smiled at the same time. It wasn’t the smile of the beloved Prince Charming, but Mary had long since grown used to seeing this expression on him.

“Mary, you’re jealous of the other girls who are around Adi. That pain and discomfort you feel in your chest isn’t because of indigestion; it’s all because of jealousy. It is categorically, positively, indubitably not indigestion.”

“I see you’re completely dismissing that possibility... But jealousy? I mean, I’m married to Adi. And he’s with me because he loves me,” Mary proclaimed, showing not an ounce of embarrassment or awkwardness.

It was the truth—Adi was devoted to her and adored her just the same as he had before their marriage. Mary could proudly claim that she was special to him and that he loved her. She was different from Luke, who felt jealous that his fiancée’s heart belonged to someone else.

For these reasons, Mary explained, she had no reason to be jealous.

However, Patrick shook his head, countering that this wasn’t the case. The way he spoke sounded almost wistful. “Even if you’re married to someone and know they have feelings for you, you can still become jealous.”

“Is that so?”

“Yeah... Actually, there’s something I want to talk to you about,” Patrick said, leaning back against a tree. The wind fluttered his hair lightly, making him look beautiful yet masculine at the same time. The darkness of the night deepened the color of his hair and eyes, and surely any girl’s heart would’ve throbbed at the sight.

But as usual, Mary felt no such thing, and only waited for his next words.

“To be honest with you, I’ve also been feeling jealous lately,” Patrick admitted. “No, actually... I’ve been jealous for a long time. From the very beginning.”

“You? Really?” Mary asked with surprise.

Patrick had perfect conduct and was accomplished in both academics and sports, and everyone else yearned after him. All the women wished for a chance to be escorted by him, while all the men wished to become like him. He was like a symbol of admiration.

Even Mary, who’d canceled her engagement with him to marry Adi, could admit that—romantic feelings aside—there was no better marriage candidate around than Patrick. Before his marriage with Princess Alicia, he’d already been known as Prince Charming among high society.

To think that someone like him could be jealous... But he didn’t seem like he was lying, so Mary asked him whom he felt jealous towards. Jealousy wasn’t something one could do alone.

“You,” Patrick responded openly.

Mary blinked several times. But there was nobody else in the garden except for her and Patrick, so...

“Me...? Why would you be jealous of me, Patrick?”

“Because Alicia’s always looking for you and running at you.”

“‘Running’ is putting it lightly, considering that girl’s velocity, but I’ll ignore that for now. So?”

“So that’s why I’m jealous of you. Every time I see Alicia running to you, I find myself thinking that she should just stay by my side, or wondering if she prefers you over me...” Perhaps embarrassed to be voicing his feelings, Patrick looked the other way with cheeks flushed.

It must’ve been difficult for him to be perceived at that moment. But Mary continued staring at him, and murmured, “I see...” under her breath.

Each time Alicia found Mary and tackle-hugged her, Patrick always calmly followed after the girl. Sometimes he’d be smiling in amusement, other times he’d gently scold her. He did seem troubled, but nothing about his expression or gait had ever suggested that he was feeling jealous.

When Mary pointed that out, Patrick replied while continuing to look to the side. “I was hiding it.” In contrast to his usually cool tone of voice, he sounded uncharacteristically sulky. “I know that Alicia sees you and Adi as her friends and me as her romantic partner. But even so...I still feel jealous,” he revealed with embarrassment, scratching the back of his head.

His eyes wandered over to Mary once again. They were not rust-colored, but rather indigo. No matter how much he looked at her, Mary’s heart didn’t stir, but his gaze did ease the tightness in her chest.

“When I met Alicia, it was the first time I became fixated on a single person. I turned unreasonably jealous, and realized how possessive I am. I found myself thinking that, in the end, I am just a man after all.”

“Just a man? Patrick, that’s ridiculous...”

“That’s what everyone around me says. But I am just a man... And it’s the same for you, Mary.”

“Me?”

Mary looked down at her chest. “Whatever others might say, I’m just a man.” Such were Patrick’s words. So in her case, though the others might say she was the daughter of House Albert, or an eccentric, or whatever else, at the end of the day, she was just a girl in love with her partner. Like anyone else, she could be possessive and feel a deep sense of jealousy.

The moment she realized it for herself, the mist that had been swirling inside of her swept over to her heart. It was as if this feeling, which had previously wandered inside of her with nowhere to go, gently converged into shape once it had been identified as “jealousy.”

So this is what it means to come to terms with something, Mary thought with a deep inhale. “Yes... You’re right. I was feeling jealous too. Because there’ve been more people around me, there’ve also been more people around Adi. I didn’t like seeing others getting so close to him. I didn’t like seeing others speaking with him. I couldn’t accept that his eyes were looking at someone other than me.”

As Mary explained this mist within her called jealousy, Patrick smiled wryly and nodded. Then, he held his hand out towards her. “You should tell that directly to Adi instead of me.”

Knowing he meant to imply that it was time for them to go back, Mary also nodded and placed her hand in his.

Patrick pulled lightly, causing Mary to stand up. The high-pitched sound that followed was the creaking of the chair. This time, Mary was certain of it.

“Mary, I’ve escorted you countless times in the past. But this is the first time I’ve thought from the bottom of my heart that I want to escort you.” Patrick was smiling wryly as he spoke, and Mary looked up at him.

She couldn’t sense an ounce of romantic love in his eyes, which were fixed upon her. No matter whom she was with or who gazed at her, he never felt jealous over her. Moreover, the reason he was escorting her now was to bring her to Adi. His hand would guide her there.

Thinking as much, Mary squeezed his hand. It was a silent appeal for him not to let go...for now, at least.

“This is also the first time I’ve truly wanted to be escorted by you, Patrick,” Mary told him with a similar smile, to which he nodded and slowly began walking.

***

Gentle music was flowing through the venue, and many people engaged in idle chatter. Mary noticed one particular small crowd, and started heading towards it with Patrick escorting her.

Veltina’s cronies were standing in a circle, and when Mary approached, the girls’ expressions soured awkwardly as they stepped aside. Standing in the middle was Adi, but his back was turned to Mary and Patrick, so he still hadn’t noticed their arrival.

“Adi...” Mary murmured, trying to step closer to him. But the sight of Veltina standing in front of him made her freeze in her tracks.

The two of them were looking at each other. Adi’s rust-colored eyes were fixed on Veltina. The scene made Mary’s chest stir painfully. Knowing it was due to jealousy made her want to call out to him. If she were to say his name and he looked at her, the mist in her heart should vanish.

But before she could do that, Adi began speaking.

“The reason I am kind to everyone is that everyone is kind to milady. If it weren’t for that, I wouldn’t bother. The reason I took your hand and danced with you, Lady Veltina, was also because milady permitted it, and told me to do so.” Adi’s voice sounded cool and detached. He was simply stating the facts without looking out for the other person’s feelings. Mary had never heard him sound like this before.

What does his expression look like right now, when he’s speaking in such a tone? she wondered. But she just couldn’t imagine it, despite the fact that she had no trouble picturing his face. What she saw in her mind, however, were his usual expressions: a dry smile when he was troubled, an occasional seriousness when he was acting as the servant, and the tender, affectionate smile he’d direct at her.

No matter how much Mary searched through her memories, she couldn’t recall a single time when she’d seen Adi reject someone this coldly.

Yet his refusal didn’t seem to get through to Veltina. Or perhaps because she knew she was being rejected, she grew even more stubborn as she interjected with a shout of, “But still!” She hadn’t noticed Mary’s arrival, and she was looking at Adi with desperation. Her brows were slanted down remorsefully, and she seemed deeply upset. Normally, such an expression would’ve caused Adi to gently soothe someone. “Lord Adi, from the very beginning, I’ve always...”

“I don’t care how you feel about me. Even if you’ve loved me since before you met me, the one and only person whom I love is my lady.”

“But...”

“I love the person who’s been with me all this time, and with whom I’ve vowed to be together forever: Lady Mary Albert.”

Veltina hesitated at Adi’s clear declaration. After a moment, unable to bear it any longer, she turned on her heel and ran off. Her behavior was different from her usual high-handed retreats. It was obvious that she was hurt, that staying here any longer would cause her added suffering, and that she knew there was nothing more she could do.

For once, her cronies seemed at a loss as to whether they should follow her or not, but eventually they dispersed one after another. Mary had no idea if they intended to chase after Veltina, or perhaps fetch Luke or her relatives. Or, like Heart High’s Mary’s cronies, maybe they’d decided to give up on their leader after seeing things go south for her.

What would happen next was out of Mary’s hands. Naturally, however, she had no intention of going after Veltina herself.

“Hey, Adi...” she murmured, and Adi turned to face her.

He looked surprised to see her, but there was a hint of relief in his face too. “Oh dear... How much of that did you hear?” he asked with embarrassment, and his expression was one Mary was familiar with.

As Adi approached, Patrick said, “My escorting ends here,” while stepping away from Mary. She was about to thank him, but the words never left her mouth, because just as he let go of her, another hand grasped hers.

It was a large, warm hand, which enveloped hers almost possessively. Mary’s gaze followed it as if it were beckoning her. Slowly, that masculine hand pulled her closer, and soon enough, Adi’s lips pressed against her fingertips. Then, he kissed the back of her hand, causing Mary’s cheeks to flush.

Thoughts of Veltina, and even Mary’s gratitude to Patrick for escorting her here, both disappeared under the warmth spreading through her hand.

“I’m sorry that I didn’t follow you,” Adi told her.

“It’s fine. Patrick went after me,” Mary replied, wanting to reassure him.

However, Adi didn’t take her words as reassurance at all, and he frowned discontentedly. “Please don’t say that it’s fine for some other man to be escorting you.” He must’ve been jealous.

Finding his sulky expression endearing, Mary smiled lightly. “Then I shall rectify my statement: I had to put up with that Patrick.”

“If the other ladies hear you say that, their resentment might pierce right through you.”

“True. But what can I do? I’m just not satisfied unless it’s you, Adi,” Mary said, as if it were obvious.

Adi smiled happily. He wanted to apologize to her again, but unable to find the words, he instead placed another kiss on the back of her hand. It seemed his jealousy had subsided. Patrick—who certainly deserved some thanks—had caused Adi to feel envious, and a few simple words from Mary were enough to make that envy vanish. What an egotistical thing jealousy was, indeed. But Mary also felt that selfish emotion in her heart, and therefore it was no wonder it could so easily manipulate them.

“Adi, my chest has been aching for a while now.”

“Is it your indigestion?” he asked. “Let’s call for a doctor.”

“No, it wasn’t indigestion.”

Having finally understood her situation, Mary grasped both of Adi’s hands. (As a side note, Patrick was witnessing these events from the side and murmured, “So even Adi brought up indigestion...?” with an exasperated sigh. But then Alicia, who had surmised something or other, clasped his arm. His expression softened, and both of them walked away hand in hand.)

Mary had no idea that anyone had been watching them, nor that the audience had left. She placed Adi’s hand on her cheek, pressing it closer to coax him. Realizing what she wanted, he cupped her face in his hand. His thumb brushed against the corner of her eye when he noticed the traces of tears that remained there.

“Adi... I was jealous,” Mary admitted.

“You? Why? Of whom?” he inquired in confusion.

Mary’s shoulders drooped at his questions. He doesn’t even know... she thought, resentment rising up in her throat. I see, so this is how it feels to want to bite someone.

“There’s no way I’d feel jealous over anyone else but you, hmm?”

“Me...?” Adi questioned.

“Yes. I’ve been feeling jealous because you’re so kind to everyone. I hated seeing other women touch you. I wanted you to look only at me. But that’s okay, since now I know the reason you’re kind to everyone is because they’re kind to me. It’s all been for my sake,” Mary said, rubbing his hand on her cheek and closing her eyes at how pleasant it felt.

Adi treated other girls with kindness because those girls were kind to Mary. How simpleminded of her, to have felt jealous over seeing something like that. Now, she just found it laughable. Entranced by the feeling of the moment, she slowly opened her eyes to see...

“You were jealous...over me...?”

...that Adi’s cheeks were even redder than his hair or eyes.

“What kind of expression are you even pulling right now, Adi?”

“Well, I just... I mean, you felt like that over me...? I’ve always been the jealous one, so...I should be the only one feeling that way...” Adi mumbled incoherently.

He’d always had feelings for her, yet had almost given up because of their rank difference, but in the end, he hadn’t been able to do that and had single-mindedly pursued her. He’d felt jealous over men he thought he couldn’t compete against, so not even in his wildest dreams had he expected to hear that Mary felt jealous over him.

Adi had no idea whether to feel happy or not, or what he should even do with himself. In fact, it seemed like he still hadn’t fully processed it, and Mary giggled at him.

“My, didn’t you know? Anyone, including the daughter of House Albert, can feel jealous,” Mary proclaimed proudly, as if she’d known this all along.

Adi blinked, and finally smiled serenely. His hand slid down Mary’s cheek and rested against her shoulder. “I’m sorry to have made you feel that way.”

“Honestly! And who was it that came up with this indigestion idea, huh? You quack!”

“I’m truly very sorry about that too. I shall close down my medical practice,” Adi said by way of apology for the misdiagnosis.

Mary’s smile widened; she rested her forehead against his chest. It was her way of saying that while she blamed him verbally, she wasn’t actually angry.

Picking up on this, he hugged her. “I vow that I’ll never make you feel jealous over me again. I will look only at you.”

“And I’ll only look at you, Adi. Anyway, feeling jealousy despite being mutually in love is just a waste of time. If we have so much free time to run around feeling jealous over each other, we might as well put it to better use and spend it together instead,” Mary declared.

“Put it to better use...” Adi echoed quietly. But he didn’t say any more, as Mary once again pressed her forehead to his chest.

“Yes, that’s right,” she said, feeling his arms close around her waist.

As Adi embraced her tightly, one of his hands carded through her silver-thread hair. Sometimes he entwined the locks around his fingers, and at others, his hand smoothly glided through them.

Comforted by the sensation, Mary closed her eyes. The jealousy that had been gripping her so tightly this whole time was now completely gone, and affection was the only thing that filled her heart.

Afterword

Hello, this is Saki.

Thank you for purchasing the fourth volume of Young Lady Albert Is Courting Disaster! The characters were running around in slapstick as always. What did you think of the story?

I’m very grateful to announce that this series will be adapted into a manga!

The drill era... Or, as it were, the senior high school era. In the manga, Mary’s relationship with Adi is still simply “the eccentric lady and her impudent servant.” The tantalizing feeling has me smirking, because I’m already writing about them as a sugary couple.

I hope you enjoy reading the manga alongside the novel.

I’m so glad that Haduki Futaba has once again drawn the characters!

I’d also like to thank my manager for guiding me through various processes, including the manga serialization.

And thank you so much to everyone who’s read this book!

I hope we can meet again soon.

Saki