Chapter 186: I’ll make sure to bring your real Smile

[Rest well today. I’ll make sure things get hectic starting tomorrow.]

I lay on the bed, staring blankly at the ceiling. Mardian’s words kept echoing in my mind.

‘You’re trying to seduce me?’

I couldn’t fully grasp the meaning behind it.

I already treasure them more than anything. They cherish me, someone with nothing, and desire me more intensely than anyone else. Is there anything more precious than that?

My heart had already leaned toward them long ago. I was even prepared to give them my first experience, something an aristocratic young lady should treasure most.

But why is Mardian trying to seduce me?

Could it be that Mardian sees something in me that even I am unaware of?

“…I don’t know.”

I closed my eyes and buried my face in the pillow.

Nothing changes.

No matter what Mardian says, what she wants is too obvious.

A sexual relationship with me. The moment when she can handle me completely with her own touch.

Even though I had said I’d give her that time, I still don’t understand why I rejected her…

In the end, her desire is the same. After all, the fact that she’s trying to seduce me means that she must be trying to have sex with me.

I still can’t understand what’s different. Maybe Mardian is even more of a sucker than I thought.

But that mindset will eventually hit its limit. I’m sorry, but whatever Mardian thinks, it doesn’t matter to me.

I’ve never once failed in seducing her.

If I keep trying to seduce Mardian like I did yesterday, eventually, she’ll desire me too.

If I were to lay her down on the bed, completely naked, and whisper in her ear in a low voice, teasing her… could she really stay still?

Would she, the one who doesn’t hesitate to break the empire’s laws to try and conquer my body?

She probably couldn’t.

“Just wait a little longer, Mardian.”

I may have failed this time, but next time, I will make sure to fulfill all your desires.

***

The morning arrived.

“Did you sleep well, young lady?”

Mardian greeted me with a bright smile as I woke up.

I lightly coughed, quickly washed up, and when I stepped out of the room, she was waiting by the door.

I wondered if she had been waiting there since early morning, but luckily, it seemed like she had just gotten up too.

“I made breakfast today… if it’s alright with you, would you like to eat together?”

It was Mardian who spoke, not me.

I was surprised.

What is this polite language?

And… did Mardian know how to cook?

But there was no real reason to refuse. I quietly nodded.

“Hehe, don’t expect much, young lady.”

Young lady.

That word struck me strangely.

“…What are you thinking?”

I asked, staring at her, wondering why she suddenly started calling me that.

“I thought about it for a bit, and it seemed like I was being too presumptuous with how I called you.”

“…So?”

“In aristocratic society, it’s not polite. I’ll continue calling you that until Lady Bland gives her permission.”

Was it really necessary to go this far? It felt uncharacteristic of Mardian.

But if that’s how she felt, there was no real reason not to go along with it.

“I’ll permit it. Please call me by my name, Mardian. And speak informally too.”

Hearing Mardian speak so politely felt awkward in a strange way. It almost felt… cringe-worthy.

“Not yet.”

But Mardian still didn’t drop the formal tone.

I had tried to go along with her rhythm, but I couldn’t figure out what she was planning.

“I’ll ask for formal permission later.”

With a faint smile, Mardian quietly extended her hand.

“Well… as you prefer, Mardian.”

I gently took her hand. And, following her lead, we headed to the dining room.

There, the food laid out was quite different from usual.

The meat and bread were slightly burnt rather than well-cooked. The salad had too strong a seasoning. The fruits were awkwardly dressed with dressing.

Anyone could tell it was the work of a beginner.

“I’m sorry.”

Mardian smiled awkwardly and carefully cut away the burnt parts of the meat.

“I’m still not very good at it, so this is all I could manage.”

I carefully picked up a piece of meat with a fork and brought it to my mouth.

“Still, please try it. It won’t be bad.”

“Do I have to speak in formal language?”

“Yes.”

“…Alright.”

As I opened my mouth, the piece of meat gently slid in. It had been grilled for a long time, so most of the juices were gone, but there was still a savory taste left.

“It will get better and better from now on, so please wait a little longer, Young Lady.”

Mardian clapped her hands lightly twice, and the cooks quietly approached and replaced the food on the table with fresh dishes.

The clumsy traces left in the dishes were cleared away, and in their place, delicious food with a sweet fragrance was set out one after the other.

“You can eat now. The dishes I gave you earlier… I prepared them to show you how clumsy I am.”

“…I don’t really understand.”

“I wanted to express my feelings a little, through the cooking skills I’m improving.”

Mardian rested her chin on her hand and smiled with a strange expression.

It wasn’t just a bright smile. Hidden beneath it was an air of temptation, coiled like a snake.

“Mardian… You don’t need to be so formal with me.”

It felt burdensome.

The insistence on using formal language, and the attitude that felt distant. Even though I tried to accept it, I just couldn’t get used to it.

“No, from the beginning, I will match everything to your preferences, Young Lady.”

“……”

You’ll match them?

With who I am now, I couldn’t fully understand the meaning of that statement.

It seemed like Mardian and I had already crossed the line, so what was there to “match”?

Well, fine. If Mardian was planning to keep this up, I could break her poker face first.

I quietly set down my utensils, moved closer to Mardian, and leaned in slightly. With a casual expression, I folded my arms and gently pulled at her arm.

My elbow naturally brushed against my chest. I looked up at Mardian from that position, slightly lowering the corners of my eyes.

“Mardian, how about we wash up together after we eat?”

“……”

“I’ll wash you, like yesterday.”

I whispered softly into her ear.

Her arm, still resting against my chest, didn’t budge.

If it were Mardian, she wouldn’t easily overlook this kind of temptation.

“Young Lady, this is not appropriate during the meal.”

“…Huh?”

But, contrary to my expectations, Mardian quietly refused.

As if she wasn’t bothered by my playful suggestion, she elegantly cut a piece of steak and took a bite.

“And you should eat a little better, Young Lady. What are you going to do with your body so thin like that?”

Mardian picked up a piece of meat with her fork and slowly brought it toward my lips.

“Excuse me, but this is for your health. Please just have one bite.”

“…..”

The meat on the end of the fork lightly touched my lips.

Her red eyes were glowing firmly. Realizing I couldn’t avoid it, I quietly opened my mouth.

The meat slid into my mouth.

“Heh, should I keep feeding you?”

Her tone, as if speaking to a child, strangely grated on my nerves.

“…I’ll eat on my own.”

I frowned slightly and returned to my seat, quietly finishing the rest of my meal.

“Young Lady, you need to visit the temple again today, right?”

During the meal, Mardian quietly asked.

“Yes… I think I’ll have to do that every day from now on.”

“Good. After your prayer today, would you be able to spare a little time?”

“Where are you planning to go?”

“Märchen City owns the largest aquarium on the entire continent.”

Mardian pulled out two envelopes from her coat.

Upon closer inspection, they weren’t regular letters, but elegant paper that looked like invitations.

“Let’s go together.”

“……”

An aquarium, of all things.

I couldn’t understand what she was thinking at all. Was there ever a time when I found it so difficult to read Mardian’s mind?

“If you want, Mardian… I’ll go.”

“Heh, thank you for making time for me.”

Mardian said, and a genuinely happy smile spread across her face.

***

After finishing the prayer to the goddess, Mardian and I sat across from each other in the carriage, heading toward the aquarium in Märchen City.

“Mardian, what’s that?”

Naturally, my gaze shifted to the small box beside her.

Mardian quietly opened the box and showed me the object inside.

It was a small rectangular frame, with a round part in the center protruding outward.

“This is a magic tool developed at the Magic Tower last year. With this eye, you can capture scenes and preserve them as clear photos.”

I had thought it resembled a camera, but I never expected it to actually be a camera.

I had heard that cameras had recently been developed, but their price was astronomical, making them difficult to obtain, even for noble families.

Moreover, they required continuous mana infusion to operate, making maintenance costs quite high.

” Lady Mardian… you must have a lot of money.”

“Heh, it’s not that… I just really wanted to take a photo of Lady Blanc.”

Mardian brought the camera close to her face and slowly pressed the top button.

A faint glow of mana spread around, and soon a picture began to emerge from beneath the camera.

She came closer, sat beside me, and handed me the photo.

In the picture was a girl with white hair and blue eyes.

“What do you think? Isn’t she pretty?”

“It’s my face.”

“Doesn’t Lady Blanc have any thoughts when looking at this picture?”

“…Thoughts?”

Perhaps an ordinary person would have marveled at the functionality of this magical device.

But having experienced modern science in my past life, it didn’t evoke much of a special reaction from me.

“I used to think… this person was really beautiful.”

Mardian leaned closer and quietly continued speaking.

“But now, looking at it again, she almost seems like a delicate doll.”

“Like a doll… does that mean she’s pretty?”

I chuckled softly and lightly grabbed Mardian’s hand.

It’s not something I’m proud of, but because of this face, I could usually get whatever I wanted. Anyone would show me favor with my carefully crafted smile.

“I meant, like a doll, she has no vitality.”

Mardian’s voice lowered, and my smile gradually faded away.

“Don’t forget, Lady. Before you appeared in high society, I was the flower of that world.”

Mardian placed the photo firmly in my hand.

She gently placed one finger on my lips.

“I’ll make sure to bring your real smile to life on this face, so please wait.”

“……”

“Oh, and… I have a personal request.”

Mardian looked into my eyes.

Her blood-red eyes, which I had always thought were cold and sharp, strangely didn’t feel threatening at all today.

“Can I… call you Tina?”

Her voice was so serious that it almost sounded like a joke, but there was nothing playful about it.

If it had been any other time, I would’ve easily replied with a simple yes, but for some reason, the words just wouldn’t come out.

There was an inexplicable obstacle blocking my throat.

In the end, I turned my gaze toward the window, avoiding Mardian’s stare.

It felt awkward for such a trivial matter to be asked with such seriousness.

Honestly, it was a bit cringey… and a little embarrassing.

I just wished things could go back to normal.

But Mardian, as if unaware of my feelings, waited silently for my answer.

In the end, reluctantly, I spoke quietly while looking out the window.

“…If you must.”

I really don’t know why I’m acting like this.