# 17
---
When he first met her, the very young Aberdeen girl was looking directly at him with eyes full of strength.
It was as if she was challenging him.
“Hello, sir.”
But after her initially condescending greeting, it wasn't long before her eyes began to dance dreamily.
When Kenneth frowned, unable to understand what she was thinking, the girl murmured absently: “Nice…”
“…thanks?”
He replied in a slightly sarcastic tone.
If Quentin was thinking about adult tricks, then his sister ruined everything.
Anyway, it was fun to see her face blush.
'Will she stay like this, her face red all the time?'
Kenneth looked at that picture.
But after saying that he was beautiful, the girl never stayed near the boys. Even when Quentin urged, she stuck to her mother doggedly.
'Let's see how much you can take.'
Deliberately, Kenneth took Quentin to sunny places visible from the window.
He wanted to provoke the girl locked in the dark palace.
'What is your opinion? Don't you want to go out too?'
There was no clear indication, not even a specific game.
All his senses were directed towards the girl trapped in the house.
A girl with big blue eyes like glass beads, hiding half of her body and sneaking her gaze.
Surprisingly, the winner was this silly girl.
However, the moment of admitting first defeat was not bad.
Rather, he regretted that he had not been defeated sooner.
If he was, he would have taken that girl out of the palace early.
Therefore, when he looked at Ariana through the window, he felt very happy.
He loved the sparkle in her eyes as she looked at him.
Fearing that the girl he had finally caught would run away, he tried to speak gently: “Haven’t you been looking at us the whole time? We need someone to score points, so come out with us.”
Now, things will be as he wants.
But at that moment, Josefina Aberdeen grabbed Ariana’s shoulders tightly, preventing her: “If her skin tans, it will be a disaster, so Ariana will stay inside the house.”
Ariana's eyes looked at the ground like a falling bead of glass.
How can this feeling be described...
At that moment, there was a strong desire to break that woman's will in half, to get what he wanted.
So, he did what he was taught never to do: “Recently, other ladies have been enjoying the beach of Port Elisia. Thanks to my mother, tanned skin has become attractive among noblewomen.”
He provoked Josephina Aberdeen's pride by using his mother's name.
No matter how humble a lady from a viscount family tried, she would never enter his mother's circles. It lacks sophistication.
Even though he was thirteen, he knew this stream well.
Therefore, when he saw Josephina Aberdeen's gaze, he felt for a moment that he might regret it in the future.
But Kenneth, even as a boy, was not afraid of that woman.
'I can handle it.'
At that moment, he was happy that things had gone the way he wanted.
Bring the curious little girl out of the dark palace.
But he felt a little upset because she acted like she was going to hide her head inside her hat.
'This shameless girl, she finally took it out, and she doesn't even show a single smile.'
Even when she was close, she stubbornly avoided his eyes.
Because of that, he changed his decision to see her only once during that vacation.
He wasn't happy feeling like Quentin cheated on him, but he kept visiting that girl.
'It will show itf one day.'
If he visits Aberdeen Palace a few more times. someday.
With age, this stubbornness turned into other feelings, and he suggested to Quentin to establish a joint venture first.
Without such assets, Aberdeen's family would not have satisfied his parents, an incomplete family.
'With this I gave them proper face...'
Then the most important and fundamental problem remained.
The most mysterious object in the world.
Every time he went to meet Ariana then, he remembered their first meeting.
Since those naive days, has he wanted to be her savior?
If he wasn't there, would someone else have taken that girl out of the dark palace?
The more he thought about this, the more he couldn't bear it.
Even now, after all the good things are over, only hatred and blame remain.
***
As summer approached early, Ariana's daily life gradually began to change.
The weather was a little warm, but the fresh, crisp air signaled the start of socializing season. Ariana was checking clothes and servants for the “prestige of the duke.”
However, unlike the past when she stayed inside the palace for fear of prying eyes, this time she decided to host the guests in the garden for tea.
“Mr. Baptiste, I hope this suits your taste.”
Ariana smiled and poured herf lemon tea for Damian.
Kenneth wasn't there for his actions today, but his absence didn't mean Ariana would be blamed.
After hosting a banquet, it was a social custom for the lady of the house to prepare afternoon tea for the guests.
'stud? 'How ridiculous.'
Kenneth himf spoke indifferently of sending her away and taking in another woman. What double standards are these?
Let him doubt it as he pleases.
Anyway, the conversations you have now will reach Kenneth's ears, but there won't be any topics that lead to scandal.
“I tried to explore Dobris's pastries...but you can't match your chef back home, can you?”
"What's the worry? It's like what I used to drink at home, there's no time for longing."
Damian responded cheerfully and relaxed, crossing his long legs. As he praised, the well-kept garden and tea were flawless.
Even if he wanted to criticize something, the lady of the house's warmly smiling face would make it go away.
Ariana continued speaking lightly, then gently began to direct the topic to the real target: “By the way, I was attracted by Luang City that you mentioned earlier...”
Ariana fiddled with her tea cup and smiled politely: “I heard that Dobris holds her national projects competitively every year.”
“Yes, that is true. Thanks to Her Majesty’s difficult nature.”
“Isn't that good for the sake of justice? But I heard that Luang and Strogen are in the final competition for this year's project, right?”
“Oh, my God. Looks like your husband told you.”
Damian's eyes looked a little surprised, but Ariana just smiled softly.
Kenneth telling her the business details? impossible.
“Actually, I don't know exactly, but I heard people talking about it in the cathedral.”
“Ah, well. Of course, there are a lot of investors here too. The outlook is scary.”
“I believe you will succeed.”
She said that, but Ariana already knew the winner.
'In my previous life, I heard that Luang lost.'
Both areas submitted excellent plans, but Strögen was chosen because it was more “creative.”
‘But the next year, Mr. Baptiste’s Luang won.’
But success, couldn't it come a year early? It is not a disaster or an epidemic.
Sensing an encouraging reaction from the listener, Damian revealed a little about his intentions: "Well, the competition so far isn't bad. But I was going to propose Luang as a commercial area, but now we're leaning towards the arts as usual."
“Oh, really?”
Ariana tilted her head cautiously: “The commercial area was a good idea too… but maybe not a regular market.”
“Eh, of course. You, ma’am, seem to find the traditional market lacking.”
“Yes. Actually, I’m interested in that too.”
"For example?"
The other party finally showed genuine curiosity, not just pleasantries.
Ariana smiled as if speaking of a passing thought: “Sometimes I want to buy things, but having a place that collects many goods will be good.”
“That's true...”
“But such places are often markets, and they do not display prices.”
“Haggling every time is annoying, so if the prices are clear on the goods... and they are sold at those prices, it will be more convenient.”
Ariana raised her cup to drink the rest of her tea, smiling: “Just an idea I had.”
She threw the bait straight away.
Now, all she had to do was watch whether the other party picked it up.
***
In the middle of the matter, the tea ran out, so the table became crowded with the movement of servants. For Damian, his attendant servant was naturally helping with the organization.
The servant maintained a smile because of the eyes of others, but his voice was trembling slightly as he whispered in Dobris: [Master, how did the lady know this?]
[Wasn't that in the plan you abandoned...?]