Chapter 45
It was a statement without context, but because Becky’s gaze lingered on Riina’s lips for a brief moment, she could understand what it meant.
Wasn’t Riina’s lip noticeable enough for even Jane to notice?
The servants all knew too, but they had remained quiet because Riina hadn’t brought it up first.
Riina chuckled as she grasped the fan and whispered to Becky with a gesture.
“If anything happens today, stay far away from me again.”
* * *
At the time Riina was just leaving the Bolshevik residence.
Although the daytime sun had been quite strong, so the evening was still not that chilly with the remaining heat…
A very chilly air was flowing in the outdoor hall set up in the garden of the Baron’s residence where the tea party with the theme “Blue Night” was being held.
No, it should be said that it was savage enough to make one’s neck shrink, rather than just chilly.
And at the center of it were two people scanning each other with sharply blue gazes.
A young lady from a Count’s family and another young lady from a different Count’s family.
The two young ladies were in a standoff, neither backing down, with their eyes fully tensed.
Those who had been sitting in the same place as them had long since moved elsewhere, their faces half-filled with embarrassment and displeasure.
“Ha!”
The yellow ribbon in the hair of the young lady who snorted with an exaggeratedly loud voice shook.
“You don’t know anything.”
With an expression that seemed to pity her opponent and a voice that sounded contemptuous.
Even a passing peacock would know she was being sarcastic, so the young lady with the blue choker who was facing her immediately retorted.
“And what do you know that you’re saying this?”
“At least I know better than you.”
“That’s groundless confidence. When you haven’t even known him for long.”
The yellow ribbon young lady answered confidently.
“Is time important? The depth of the encounter is much more important.”
“Depth? Depth with him? Good heavens, they say delusions are free, but…”
As the blue choker young lady shook her head, the yellow ribbon young lady cut off her words.
“That’s why I’m saying you don’t know him.”
Those watching the two frowned at the blatant love quarrel that anyone could see.
“Oh my, to be carrying on like this over someone who isn’t even here.”
“It’s not exactly a pleasant sight.”
Some of them openly clicked their tongues, others shook their heads, and yet others let out faint sighs.
One of those who sighed opened his mouth as if lamenting.
“It’s excessive, but not incomprehensible. When in love, anyone can be blinded.”
Someone else nodded at his words.
“That’s right. Especially if it’s Young Master Bartorio…”
As soon as that name flowed out, the eyes of several people at the tea party either flashed or became dreamy.
“If it’s Young Master Bartorio, that…”
“Yes. That very one.”
Neither the one asking nor the one answering continued their words, but none of those present needed to ask about the words that would follow.
The very act of uttering those words felt quite vulgar.
Instead, someone just dropped a rather plausible phrase.
“The lover of all, they say.”
Yes, kindly put, the lover of all. More directly speaking, a philanderer.
Who else in the current empire could be referred to like that if not Lione, the second son of the Bartorio Count family?
And speak of the devil…
“What’s going on?”
The person who had been constantly on people’s lips, making the hall savage, appeared.
He, Lione Bartorio, with his brilliant blonde hair and delicate green eyes.
Rather than being light and seductive as one might imagine a philanderer to be, he gave off a neat impression.
His shirt collar was slightly raised and buttoned all the way up, there was almost no decoration on his cuffs or jacket, and his expression was just a likable smile.
As he appeared, the hall was momentarily enveloped in silence.
Lione was quite used to drawing people’s attention, so he didn’t panic or fumble.
But that was only for a moment.
“Lione!”
“Lione, this young lady!”
He unconsciously took a step back at the cries of the two Count’s young ladies who approached him with quick, combative steps.
“What are you doing?”
“What about you!”
The two young ladies poured out vicious words towards each other again in front of Lione.
“Lione! Tell me who it is now!”
“Yes! I’m your lover, right?”
“It’s me!”
Watching their squabble, Lione opened his mouth with a troubled expression.
“I regret having to say this in this situation, but I’m not in a romantic relationship with either of you.”
Unlike his troubled expression, his voice was calm and utterly resolute, leaving no room for misunderstanding even as small as a speck of dust.
Therefore, the two young ladies who had been blinking with wide eyes simultaneously turned bright red.
Lione hadn’t thought anything of it, but they had made a fuss over nothing.
The young lady with the blue choker, who had been gaping, finally mumbled.
“Then all that talk about being close, it wasn’t even about spending the night together…”
“That never happened.”
A gentle but unyielding answer that left no room for argument.
Yes, truthfully, Lione had never spent the night with either of the young ladies.
No, forget spending the night, he had never even held hands or whispered words of love.
He had merely been kind to the shy young ladies who approached him.
If it had been anyone but Lione, it would have been an extremely human consideration that would never have been misunderstood.
The two Count’s young ladies glanced at each other with red faces and simultaneously left as if fleeing.
And someone among those who had been watching all of this sighed and said:
“There he goes again.”
“We expected this, didn’t we?”
“Indeed…”
Those who saw such scenes at least once a month looked on with bleary eyes.
“It’s so obvious when you see it from the outside like this.”
Yes. To those who weren’t directly involved, it was all too clear that Lione wasn’t giving special attention to either side.
But when you become the person involved…
“Love blinds people, after all.”
The one who sighed nodded knowingly.
She too had once been infatuated with Lione and floundered.
Even if they didn’t openly show it, everyone probably had the experience of engaging in mind games with others over Lione or suffering inwardly at least once.
“Should we call it magic rather than charm?”
Someone else nodded vigorously in agreement with someone’s muttered words.
“Yes! It seems like what Young Master Bartorio has isn’t charm, but magic.”
There are various types of charm that attract people.
It could be outstanding looks, or some exceptional talent, or if not that, then excellent conversational skills or silent actions could be charming factors.
But Lione doesn’t fit into any of these categories.
Is his face outstanding?
He’s certainly handsome, but not to the extent that everyone would shower him with praise.
Is he exceptionally talented?
As the second son of a prestigious Count’s family, there’s no talk of him lacking, but there’s also no mention of him standing out somewhere.
Is he skilled in conversation?
He can engage in conversation with people adequately, but if you were to call him a storyteller who captivates everyone, well…
Silent actions?
He would probably fall into the average category.
Even if you examine everything else one by one, there’s nothing particularly special.
So why has he become the lover of all, regardless of gender or age, whom everyone wants to whisper words of love to at least once?
“Tsk, if we put it nicely it’s magic, but the fact that this happens every time means that in the end, Young Master Bartorio…”
Despite clicking their tongue grandly, the person who brought up Lione couldn’t continue and had to close their mouth.
To criticize Young Master Bartorio, who creates these dramatic situations, one would have to criticize his kind attitude, considerate personality, and likable smile.
But none of these are subjects for criticism, are they?
Even to say he gives room for misunderstanding, anyone who has experienced him would unanimously shake their heads.
He was merely being polite to the fullest extent.
“I apologize for the disturbance on such a lovely night.”
Even now, Lione was apologizing for the commotion that had just occurred.
“It’s not like you did anything wrong.”
To someone’s obvious statement, Lione calmly replied.
“I provided the cause.”
With that one sentence, people’s gazes towards him changed from slight annoyance to pity.
And Riina, who entered the hall around the time the two young ladies ran out, was also staring at him blankly.
She narrowed her eyes and let out a weak sigh.
Come to think of it, there was such a troublemaker.
Tracing the information from before the regression, the family she had found as an investment target to plan for the future happened to be…
The Bartorio Count family.
No, if you just remove Lione, the Bartorio Count family is a very good investment and business partner, so it should be fine.
Very fortunately, both before and after the regression, Riina had no interest in Lione, not even as much as a chicken’s tear.
Before the regression, she had been crazy about Smith, and now she didn’t have the energy to be crazy about anyone.
And at that moment, just as someone who noticed Riina slightly shaking her head was about to open their mouth with wide eyes.
“Oh my, Bolshevi…”
“Lione!”
A man appeared at the opposite entrance from where Riina was and shouted.
