Upon arrival, a swarm of photographers surrounded the carrier, their flashing cameras turning the scene into chaos. The crowd made it nearly impossible to move forward.
It was nothing new for Elio. He was used to this kind of attention—being from a noble house meant the spotlight followed him everywhere.
But not just any noble house. His family had shaped humanity's progress for thousands of years, responsible for every major advance that pushed civilization forward.
…Well, not just his family.
Suddenly, Vera grabbed Elio's face and kissed him.
Adele frowned, disbelief flashing across her face at the scene unfolding before her.
A few long minutes—and countless flashes—later, the guards finally managed to push the photographers back, allowing the carrier to move again.
Adele, arms crossed, stared at the two with barely concealed discontent. Her voice was flat.
"What was that just now? Why did you two suddenly kiss!?"
Vera didn't answer. She simply gazed out the window, her reflection flickering across the glass. Every so often, she cast a glance at Elio, her expression unreadable.
Elio, on the other hand, turned to his aunt with an easy, almost lazy defense.
"What, Aunt? Am I not allowed to kiss someone I like? Is that a crime now?"
Adele scoffed, shaking her head as if she'd just heard the most ridiculous thing imaginable.
"You? Love? Please."
She chuckled, her tone dripping with amusement.
"Unless, of course, we were talking about her…"
Elio's expression hardened in an instant. His jaw clenched, voice tight.
"No… no. You better stop right there."
His usual composure cracked, if only for a moment.
"That's low—even for you."
Getting on Elio's nerves was Adele's favorite thing. That and taking care of her florist shop. Both things easy to do.
Already tired of his aunt's attempts to embarrass him. Elio's attempted to tell her the truth... atlest a part of it.
"Fine. You want the truth?"
Adele tilted her head, arms still crossed.
"Would be nice for once."
He sighed, shifting uncomfortably.
"I may have… hired those photographers. Just for some publicity. You know how these things work."
Not waiting for her aunt to respond he added:
"Just for publicity. You know how these things work."
She furrowed her eyebrows slightly, her eyes narrowing as she analyzed the explanation the young man gave her. A couple of minutes later she shifted her gaze to Vera who was still looking at the window, trying to not look like an accomplice.
"Right. And Vera just happened to throw herself at you in front of them? Out of pure, passionate love?"
Elio hesitated, then gave a half-hearted shrug.
"Something like that."
"Please. Don't insult my intelligence. What's the real reason?"
Vera's eyes widened, and her gaze shifted to Elio, hoping he would make an excuse. To her surprise, Elio did the opposite of that.
"...I wanted to make someone jealous. To show her I've moved on."
Elio tensed, but knowing there was no escape from this he confessed.
"So I made Vera an offer. A favor she couldn't refuse—one night with me, in return for something she wanted."
Adele blinked once. Then twice.
Vera, on the other hand, relaxed as if she was in peace. She runs her hand through her hair and turned her head to the window.
Adele exhaled a short, disbelieving laugh.
"So let me get this straight,"
She said, rubbing her temples.
"You, the 'I love her' man, are out here... trading favors for sex?"
Elio flinched.
"Not quite. I wouldn't call it 'trading.' More like… a mutual agreement."
Adele's lips curled into a smirk, her face only showed disappointment, but there was something sharp in her eyes.
"And what exactly did she get out of it?"
Vera finally spoke, her voice smooth, almost amused.
"Simple. Sleeping with Elio Greenwood is enough to turn anyone from a nobody into someone worth noticing."
She turned fully toward Adele now, her lips curving.
"And at the ceremony? I won't just be another nobody. I'll be someone worth watching. Someone they'll whisper about, someone they'll remember. That's how you climb in this world, isn't it?"
Adele, who had been listening in silence, finally let out a soft, amused breath. She shook her head, her smirk laced with something close to pity.
"You really think that?" she asked, tilting her head.
Vera's smile faltered for a fraction of a second.
"Excuse me?"
Adele leaned forward slightly, her voice deceptively light.
"Do you honestly believe this stunt will secure your place among the nobles? That they'll welcome you into their world because you kissed Elio in front of a few cameras?"
Vera opened her mouth to retort, but Adele didn't give her the chance.
"They're laughing at you, dear. Not with you. In a week, no one will remember your name. At best, you'll be a punchline at their dinner parties. At worst, they'll pretend they never even saw you."
Vera's fingers curled against her lap, but she forced a smirk.
"You don't know that."
Elio, who had been silent until now, exhaled and rubbed the back of his neck.
"Actually, she does."
Vera turned to him, searching his face for any sign of denial, but he only gave her a tired, almost apologetic look.
"You really thought this would change anything? You were never going to be one of them, Vera. Not like this. And certainly not with me."
Vera's eyes narrowed.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
Adele let out a laugh, resting her chin in her palm.
"Oh, sweetheart… Did no one tell you?"
She motioned vaguely toward Elio.
"He's in the middle of a scandal. A big one. Right now, the nobles are either too busy plotting his downfall or too afraid to be seen anywhere near him."
Vera stiffened.
"That… that's not true."
Elio finally met her gaze, his smirk hollow.
"It is. And you just tied yourself to me in front of every camera in the city."
Adele clicked her tongue.
"Five minutes of fame, dear. That's all you get. Hope it was worth it."