"Because I know I’m not the only one that regressed, my Lady."
The room went completely silent after those words, neither saying a word as their gazes remained locked.
Renelle could deny his words, but for so reason, she didn’t do so right away.
Instead, a small part of her wanted to trust him with this secret, that was not really a secret to him, if what he just told her was true.
The sa part that was causing her heart beat to be louder than she’d like everyti they were close.
A part she very much wanted to suppress... at least, until she was certain of his intentions.
"And how are you so certain?"She finally spoke up.
"During the ball, you were supposed to be wearing a blue dress," Adrian started, "but instead, you ca out wearing a red one."
He paused to look at her expression before going on.
"And instead of causing a scene when the prince broke the engagent," he continued, "you just calmly accepted it, seemingly wanting nothing more than to leave the ball."
"I see," Renelle nodded, at this point, she truly believed that he was also a regressor, after all, there was no other way he could’ve known all this.
"And finally," Adrian glanced around the room, specifically on the walls where the prince’s portraits are, "you seem to be trying to erase him from your life, unlike in your previous life."
With that, he went silent, waiting for her response.
She let out a sigh after his words.
"I see," she finally said, "then I suppose there’s no point pretending."
Renelle stood up, and slowly walked towards him, stopping a few ter away.
"I am also a regressor."
Adrian smiled at her honesty, nodding in response.
"But I still have a question," Renelle added, still holding his gaze, "why?"
"Hmm?"
"Why were you so obsessed over in your past life?" She clarified, "even now, you can barely hide your feelings towards ."
"How could soone care so much about a person they’ve never truly interacted with?" she finished, waiting for his reply.
Why?
Where should he start?
Maybe it was because she was the first person to cause him to feel sothing after living a monotone life.
Or maybe it was because she introduced an ounce of color into his world without even being physically present ther.
He had a lot to say, but couldn’t, not yet anyway.
"Because you saved ," Adrian settled for the simplest, sothing that was true for both him and the forr Adrian, "and gave a reason to exist."
Even though he tried to tone it down, Renelle could feel the intensity of his obsession through his words and gaze.
It was almost overwhelming and yet, for so reason, she didn’t find herself hating it.
Was it because she was also like him? No, this felt like sothing else, sothing she couldn’t quite understand.
"I see," Renelle nodded, calming her intensely beating heart, which was a lot harder to do with him looking at her like that.
She turned, walked towards the bed and sat back down on it, her expression turning neutral again.
"Since you claim to be obsessed with ," she started, "then you wouldn’t mind using you, right?"
"However you’d like," Adrian answered without the least bit of hesitation.
Renelle was a bit surprised by how quickly he answered, but she still went with it.
"Even if that involves risking your life?"
"Yes."
"Even if I beca an enemy of the crown?"
"Even if the world stands against you."
Renelle sighed, looking at his expression, searching for even the smallest sign of doubt, but there was none.
"And what do you hope to gain from all this?" She asked, although she already knew what his answer would be.
But that didn’t an she was prepared for him to say it outright.
"You," Adrian calmly answered, "I hope to gain your love, my Lady."
Renelle was completely caught off guard by the sincerity in his words.
Normally, a servant, no matter their rank, would never outright confess their feelings to their masters.
But then again, a normal servant wouldn’t just casually bring a Frozen sovereign’s lotus as a gift to their master, so Adrian had long established that he was not just any butler.
It took a couple of seconds, but Renelle finally regained her composure, losing track of how many tis she had lost it in just a few minutes of talking to her butler.
"And what if I can’t offer you my love," she asked, "would you leave my side then?"
"No," Adrian shook his head, "not even if you order it."
Renelle went silent, contemplating his words.
Her butler had already proven himself useful, as evident by the breakthrough she just had, and the look he had on his face was one she had seen a bit too many tis in her previous life.
In the mirror.
There was also this feeling in her chest that she couldn’t quite explain, one that only intensifies the mont she’s close to him.
She wanted to find out what it was.
So she ca to a decision.
"Unfortunately, I can’t give you my love, not yet," she admitted, "but....."
She slowly got back up and approached him again, this ti determined not to lose her compsure.
She stood so close to him that he could sll the scent of strawberries coming from her, and that, definitely wasn’t good for his obsessed brain.
Adrian stood there, trying his hardest to control whatever emotion was on his face, though he couldn’t properly hide all of it
Renelle saw the reaction she had on him, and although she didn’t voice it out, she was pretty satisfied.
She contemplated pushing a bit further, but she stopped herself.
’I wonder how heavy his obsession is,’
She thought curiously but sothing told her that doing any more than this would be dangerous, and she wasn’t ready to see the extent of his obsession just yet.
"But I can give you a chance to earn it."
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