Chapter 7: The Fastest Way to Become a Successful Fan (7)

“M-Milady!!” Anne caught me before Abel’s hands reached me. Fortunately, I was able to avoid falling on my butt and embarrassing myself in front of Abel.

“L-Lady Heathcliff! Are you okay?”

Even as I nodded my head, my gaze remained glued to the flower crown that had fallen to the ground.

‘So, I’m not hallucinating? Abel really made a gift just for me? With his chubby, adorable little hands?’

“Oh…”

“L-Lady Heathcliff!”

My head spun once more, and my legs wobbled. As much as I wanted to remain composed, Aisha Heathcliff’s body was a lot more susceptible to physical and mental shock than my original body.

Indeed, her beauty seemed to be the only good thing about this fragile-as-paper body. Stanning requires a substantial amount of stamina and yet here I was….

But now wasn’t the time to complain about my useless body.

‘Even if I am to die right now, I swear I will wear this flower crown on my head and take it with me to the afterlife!’

“A-as I thought… this humble gift is unworthy of you, right?”

Abel must have noticed my gaze was locked on the flower crown he’d dropped on the ground. He muttered in an embarrassed tone.

“I’ll think of a better, more worthy gift in due time. So, I’ll just…”

“No!” I hurriedly grabbed Abel’s hand as he picked up the flower crown and turned around to leave.

“L-Lady Heathcliff?”

“Actually, I….”

Afraid that Abel would leave like he did last time, I quickly snatched the flower crown from his hand.

“I really, really like flowers.”

‘Oh, if it’s from you, I’d gladly accept the scraps from your plate!’ I thought to myself but didn’t say it out loud.

Suddenly, Abel broke into a small smile.

“R-really?”

“Yes.”

“Thank goodness, I was so worried that you might dislike my gift….”

“Me? If it’s from you, Childe Louvremont, I….”

“Milady.”

I opened my lips to clear Abel’s misunderstanding, but Anne intervened. My clever, quick-witted friend looked me in the eye and mouthed, “Social. Façade.”

She was right. As much as I loved Abel enough to sell my soul to the devil, I needed to calm myself. It was too early to reveal my feelings. I took a deep breath, then strained my facial muscles from moving against my will.

“I love it. I’ll treasure this, thank you.”

“Oh! I’m glad you like it, Lady Heathcliff!” Abel’s crimson eyes curved into a beaming smile.

I couldn’t take my eyes off him.

What could be making Abel so happy?

Was it just because I told him I liked the flower crown he made? Because I thanked him? Or because I accepted it? Perhaps all of them?

“Umm… Lady Heathcliff…”

“…Yes?”

Abel blushed and hesitated before finally asking, “I-if it’s okay, can I p-put it on your….”

Put what? Wait, this flower crown? He already gave me a gift, and now he’s even willing to bless me with his gracious touch…?

I froze in place, and Anne answered on my behalf.

“Of course you can, Childe Louvremont! Here, put it on her!”

Anne took the flower crown from my trembling hands and gave it to Abel.

Still in disbelief, I bent my knees slightly and met Abel at eye level.

Abel hesitated, then carefully placed the flower crown on the top of my head.

“Wow….”

With a small exclamation of surprise, Abel looked at me before breaking into a huge grin.

I just stood like a fool staring at his gracious smile.

“You’re so beautiful. You’re like a fairy!”

Then there came the final blow: that romantic compliment.

“M-milady!”

“L-Lady Heathcliff!”

Finally, my legs lost all strength, and I slumped to the ground. I knew that as a stan, I could die at this moment without regrets.

* * *

Meanwhile, Hades found himself in the middle of a heated debate. His vassal, the wealthy Count Gasfelle, had come to see him early that morning.

“We’re talking about the marriage affairs of the Great Louvremont. How could you be so rash?”

Count Gasfelle ruled a large fief in the northern-central region of the empire. He was also Louvremont’s most prominent vassal, while Hades’ much older sister, Agatha Gasfelle, was his wife.

It wasn’t an exaggeration to say that Count Gasfelle lived to find fault with Hades, who succeeded the title of the duke at a very young age. Hades had come to the point where he automatically frowned every time he heard the name Gasfelle. But there was a reason he couldn’t ignore him. It wasn’t just because he was the husband of his sister Agatha. House Gasfelle had served under house Louvremont for generations. Naturally, Count Mason Gasfelle exercised the most influence over the Louvremont duchy among the many loyal vassals.

Hades said flatly, “You say it’s a problem if I choose not to marry, but now that I’ve decided to, you’re saying it’s still a problem. What would you have me do if you disapprove of my decisions either way?”

“But Your Grace! Surely you must know what the problem is here!”

“What’s the problem?”

“Your Grace, I will compile a list of noble households that would better fit the fame and prestige of house Louvremont. I would appreciate it if you would stop being stubborn about this and please denounce the succession of your legacy to that illegitimate love child of yours.”

“Count.” Hades’ eyes turned frosty.

“I trust you were present when I spelled out that I have no interest in overturning my decisions on naming Abel as my legitimate heir.”

“You mean to say that you were planning to tarnish the name of Louvremont by taking the daughter of a nameless noble as your wife and having a bastard that god knows whose blood runs through him as your heir? I was of the mind that Your Grace had just momentarily lost himself in youthful passions of rebellion.”

“I was always serious. It was you, Count, that always undermined my words,” Hades muttered in an impassive voice. He was adamant and unwilling to compromise.

Mason took a moment to calm his rage, then continued, “My wife is due to arrive tomorrow.”

Hades’ expression immediately crumpled like a piece of paper up on hearing those words.

“Regardless of your decisions, we must properly prepare your heir. I trust you have no qualms with the lessons planned for the Childe? After all, we’ve already discussed that my wife would be the one to tutor him.”

Hades’ older sister, Countess Agatha Gasfelle, was older than her brother by twenty years. She was a typical noble: stern and prideful. Because the late Duchess of Louvremont passed away shortly after giving birth to Hades, Agatha basically raised her brother like her son.

She was considered the heir to the Louvremont duchy before Hades was born and received an education worthy of one. As such, her devotion and obsession towards her family was very strong. This was why Hades was never wholly free from her influence even after inheriting the duchy.

In short, Countess Agatha Gasfelle was the one person Hades Louvremont couldn’t openly defy.

“It’s quite convenient that Baron Heathcliff’s daughter with whom you are infatuated is staying here at the duchy as we speak… though you have yet to mention a word of your marriage plans to your loyal vassals. I’m sure my wife will be interested to meet her in person, considering how she raised you as though you were her own son.”

A pleased smirk appeared on Mason’s face. The count was well aware of Hades’ weakness. Hades glared at Mason’s serpent-like demeanor and clenched his teeth.

It was then that the door suddenly flung open. The two men simultaneously turned their heads to the door. Abel was standing at the doorway.

Abel froze in place when he realized that once again. He had made the mistake of barging into his father’s office when a guest was present. And this time, the guest was Count Gasfelle, who always treated Abel with disdain and contempt every time they crossed paths. Abel felt powerless under his gaze.

Mason glanced coldly at the boy, then stood up from his chair.

“I will see you again tomorrow, Your Grace.” He bowed and left the room.

Abel’s complexion waned as he trembled in fear, unable to even raise his head and greet the count. He always felt on edge in Mason’s presence because of what he had to endure at the count’s hands in Hades’ absence.

Mason whispered quietly in a voice that only Abel could hear as he passed him by. “Insolent fool….”

Clack-

The sound of the door closing behind Abel was chilling.

“Abel.”

The apparent animosity almost brought Abel to tears, but he quickly swallowed it away when Hades called him dearly.

“Father…, I’ve made yet another mistake. It looks like I’ve made a habit of barging into your office unannounced…. I’ll be more careful from now on.”

“Mm… yes. It’s good that you’re learning from mistakes, but this time around, you came in just at the right time. Sharing any more words with that old idiot would have shaved decades off my life.”

Hades rubbed his temples as he approached Abel. With a weak smile, he scooped his son into his arms.

“Have you visited Lady Heathcliff?”

“Ah, yes!” Brightness returned to Abel’s face.

Hades was surprised to see him so happy. “Did she like your present?”

“Yes! She really liked it!”

This took Hades by surprise. He’d assumed Aisha would act shy and imperious like all the other noblewomen her age.

“That’s great. What did you give her? A bouquet of flowers perhaps?”

“I thought a flower crown would suit her, so I made one for her! But it was my first time making one, so it was poorly made. Yet, she still really liked it!”

“…Is that right?”

“Yes! Lady Heathcliff and Anne! Ah, Anne is Lady Heathcliff’s personal maid from the barony. Anne was just as kind as Lady Heathcliff. We went on a walk together….”

“What? The two of you took a stroll together…?”

“Ah, no. The three of us, including Anne.”

“Right, right.”

“Ever since Lady Heathcliff arrived here, she and Anne have been taking daily strolls around the side mansion. You didn’t know, father?”

“Er, no….”

Hades almost blurted out, “then how did you know!?” but he kept quiet and let Abel continue to speak.

It seemed as though Abel and Aisha had gotten quite close.

His son was now closer to her than he was, which was not surprising, considering he and Aisha hadn’t spoken with each other apart from discussing marriage. Feeling a little sheepish, Hades just kept nodding as he listened to Abel.

“I can’t even begin to count the number of times Lady Heathcliff told me how happy she was! It made me really happy.”

“And what made her so happy?”

“Umm…, I guess it was the flowers? She kept touching the crown once every minute. I never thought something like that would make her so happy. I thought that maybe she was just being courteous towards me, but….”

Abel recalled Aisha’s face again with a flushed cheek as he wrapped his arms around Hades’ neck and snuggled deeper into his chest. Aisha had an elated look on her face the whole time they were together. Throughout the walk, she was caressing the flower crown on her head with utmost care. He felt as if all his efforts had been rewarded, from carefully picking the flowers in the garden to weaving them into a ring. Abel muttered happily.

“I think… she truly likes flowers.”