Chapter 46
The man spotted Lione and strode towards him, grabbing his shoulder and shouting passionately:
“Why are you rejecting me, why!”
Again…
Riina discreetly stepped back.
To avoid any sparks that might fly as the flames of blind love reignited.
Of course, there was another option.
Helping Lione escape this situation.
Helping him would foster a smooth relationship with the Bartorio Count family and put them in her debt, which would be beneficial for Riina in many ways, but…
How many times had she rushed in to help, only to create unnecessary trouble?
Just considering matters related to this second son of the Bartorio family…
On some day in the past before the regression, probably a rainy day.
‘Young Master Bartorio?’
‘Ah, I apologize. I was blocking your way.’
The meeting with Lione was just one of countless chance encounters.
Even the start of the incident was just a casual greeting.
‘Are you waiting for a carriage?’
‘No. It’s a short distance so I just walked.’
As he trailed off, glancing up at the sky pouring with rain, Riina nodded politely and responded.
‘It was clear until just a moment ago. If you’d like, please use this.’
‘My, I’m in your debt.’
‘It’s just an umbrella, so please don’t worry about it.’
It was truly just lending an umbrella.
They didn’t even share the umbrella, walking together.
And yet…
‘You philanderer!’
A young lady from some family came running, screaming what might have been a dying shriek or a shout.
Contrary to the shout, she was aiming not at Lione, but at Riina.
-Clang!
If it weren’t for the guard who always accompanied Riina, who encountered incidents and accidents whenever she went out, she would have been seriously injured.
The half-crazed young lady had thrown her whole body into the attack, intending to stab.
Thinking back calmly, that incident seemed to be Lione’s own doing rather than her misfortune…?
Though she wasn’t certain, as she had no personal friendship with him and had never paid attention to rumors about him.
“Is it because he responds like that that everyone can’t give up hope?”
Lione wasn’t coldly pushing away the forceful man, cutting him off like a knife, but was trying to persuade him with words somehow.
Some might click their tongues, saying it’s problematic to give hope with such an ambiguous attitude.
They might suggest a solution, saying if he’s experienced so many one-sided love-related incidents and accidents, he should just push people away from the start.
But Riina soon shook her head.
She could understand to some extent why he was taking such an ambiguous attitude.
“People tend to become more obsessively fixated on things they can’t have.”
Especially when it comes to ‘love’.
If Lione were to reject them firmly without leaving any room for hope, those with crazed eyes would only act even more madly.
In any case, it was clear that Lione’s relationship with them would only worsen if he got entangled, never improving.
Moreover, that young master’s end wasn’t very beautiful either.
Before the regression, when Riina was in the midst of her madness, it wasn’t widely talked about due to being overshadowed by the great Bolshevik, but she had heard that a young lady from a viscount’s family and a young master from a count’s family had reached the point of killing each other, ultimately leading to the ruin of both families, and he had taken his own life, struggling with the guilt.
It would be wrong to roll another stone onto the path of thorns awaiting him.
Moreover, it wouldn’t do her any good either.
“Ah, Lione, Lione!”
As the passionate and resonant voice echoed throughout the hall, Riina’s expression became even more indifferent.
Watching this intense love confession, Riina had only one thought.
He truly is the lover of all, regardless of gender or age.
Lione seemed to be trying to calm the man down, but the situation appeared to be getting worse by the moment.
“That’s because there’s only one thing he wants.”
The words flowed out unconsciously.
She herself had been in the same position as that man before the regression.
‘Smith, I love you.’
‘Why don’t you understand my true feelings?’
‘Look at me. Smith, Smith!’
The devastating reality that the person I love so much and give my whole heart to doesn’t think of me that way.
Isn’t it a situation perfectly suited to drive a person mad?
Didn’t someone say?
If it doesn’t reach the brink of madness, it’s not true love.
While opinions might vary on the definition of true love, it’s certain that love is something that can drive someone to extremes, to the point of madness.
“Don’t do this here…”
“No! Tell me in front of everyone! Me…”
Riina saw her pre-regression self in the shouting man.
Although she knew what he was thinking and how he felt, Riina just let out a faint sigh.
Even if she knew what the man would do next, she couldn’t resolve the situation.
He was begging Lione for love, and there was only one way to stop him.
Lione’s love for him.
But even to Riina, a third party who didn’t know anything about their relationship or situation, it was clear that Lione had no intention of accepting him.
“There’s no solution.”
Shaking her head, Riina took another step back.
She didn’t want to get involved and meddle in unnecessary affairs.
But no matter how much Riina tried to avoid the flying sparks, her misfortune was not likely to let her off so easily.
“Lione!”
After the passionate cry, Lione’s rejection finally followed.
“That’s enough.”
He had shown enough courtesy to someone pouring out their true feelings while screaming, listening to this extent.
The moment Lione removed the man’s hand from his shoulder.
“Even after I’ve said this much, why don’t you understand my true feelings!”
The man’s hand, dramatically spread wide, hit a small goblet right next to him.
The next moment.
-Crash!
Along with the sharp noise of glass shattering, several other sounds rang out in succession.
-Clang!
“Huh? Huh?”
Truly, all that could come out was “Huh?”
The accident that started with a small goblet was expanding rapidly in a way no one could have predicted.
Among the things that fell in a cascade, the last one teetering precariously was…
-Pop!
“Gasp!”
A champagne bottle, hit perfectly on the neck, burst open on its own, and the cork flew freely through the air.
And that flying cork.
-Thud.
It hit the huge vase that was decorating the entrance magnificently.
There was no way a massive vase as big as a person’s torso would break from just a cork.
But somehow, it must have hit just the right spot, and the vase began to tilt…
“Huh-uck!”
Along with someone’s gasp, a thunderous sound rang out.
-Boom!
Fortunately, because the vase was so huge and heavy, it didn’t shatter into large pieces flying around, creating a terrifying situation.
But as the vase tilted greatly, the water sloshing inside poured out, and Riina, who was right next to it, was drenched in the remnants before she could do anything.
-Clatter.
As the vase rolled over the colorful gravel, the water that had flowed from the entrance shattered on the floor.
-Plop, pitter-patter.
And the outdoor hall where so many people were gathered was as quiet as a mouse.
As Riina slowly closed and opened her eyes, the water droplets clinging to her long eyelashes fell.
Finally, looking down at herself, Riina swallowed a faint sigh.
Not only was she soaked, but the blue-dyed rose petals that had been in the vase had broken apart and were now clinging to her skirt, cheeks, and arms.
She glanced at Becky, who was close by, but fortunately, she seemed fine.
The guard was just making gasping sounds…
Well, it’s not like an assassin had attacked or her life was in danger, she had just gotten a bit wet.
Even if the guard hadn’t reacted, she didn’t want to blame them.
She carelessly peeled off a petal that was clinging precariously to the end of her sleeve and slowly raised her head.
-Plop.
Water droplets fell from the tips of her bright red hair and shattered on the floor.
“Huh, huh.”
Simultaneously, a groan that might have been a sigh or an exclamation flowed from someone’s mouth.
Even though she should look like a drenched mouse after such an accident…
People couldn’t take their eyes off Riina, captivated by her for a different reason.
The water droplets precariously clinging to each delicately woven lace reflected the light, emitting various colors, and the blue rose petals sticking to her skirt, exposed shoulders, and cheeks created a strange atmosphere.
Slender fingers slowly peeled off a blue rose petal clinging to her white cheek.
-Gulp.
As the sound of someone’s dry swallow rang out loudly, Riina opened her mouth.
“It’s cold.”
At that, as if a spell had been broken, focus returned to people’s eyes.
“Good heavens!”
“Bring something to dry off with!”
“My lady, first use this.”
Riina wiped the water flowing into her eyes with the handkerchief Becky handed her, a deep furrow forming between her brows.
Lione was standing a couple of steps in front of her, though it wasn’t clear when he had arrived.
“Are you alright… No, I’m sorry.”
Since she clearly wasn’t alright no matter how you looked at it, Lione went straight to apologizing.
“I’m truly sorry.”
Although she had wiped off a bit with the several handkerchiefs Becky had handed her, seeing Riina still damp, Lione took out a handkerchief from his pocket and carefully reached out towards her.
But the next moment.
A cool rejection flowed from between Riina’s lips.
“I’m fine, so please step aside.”
At the same time, she put a considerable distance between herself and not only Lione, who had reached out to help, but even the surrounding people, to the point of embarrassment.
“…My lady?”
