The Art of Reforming Villainous Men - Chapter 21
Chapter 21
Translator: Yonnee
—
Renée.
That was the name Millein and Hue used to call Adeline when they were young.
The first time young Adeline was introduced to the Belov brothers, she tilted her head as she looked at their names side by side.
—Milleinberg, Huberg. Your names are kind of similar. You even have middle names.
Milleinberg Ishmire Belov.
Huberg Roman Belov.
In contrast to Adeline’s name, which ended simply at ‘Adeline Zeller’, their names sounded rather grand.
When she asked why, Millein answered kindly with a smile.
—It’s my name on my maternal family’s side. When Hue was even younger, he lived in our mother’s homeland for a while.
Millein explained that the ‘berg’ at the end of their names was like a generational name, and the middle names were names used in their mother’s homeland.
He added that this naming style was so common there it didn’t even need explaining.
But to the young Adeline, everything Millein said sounded deeply impressive.
—A name you only share with your family… I wish I had something like that too.
—Then we can make one. Want me to make one for you?
—Can you really?
When Adeline’s eyes sparkled, Millein smiled and deconstructed the letters of her name to create a nickname in the same style as theirs.
—You can read it as Renée. Do you like it?
—Yeah! I love it.
And she really did love it.
Just using a different name made her feel a sense of connection.
‘It kind of feels like I have a family now.’
Like she suddenly had brothers—Millein and Hue—who she got along well with.
Of course, that was a story from long ago.
As Hue grew older, he and Adeline lost contact, and Adeline naturally came to realize that simply using another name didn’t mean one could gain a family.
‘And more than anything, Millein is really popular.’
Millein was undoubtedly one of the most popular students at Froude Academy. Even Adeline’s friends, who were the same age as her, found it hard to approach him.
Adeline, too, sometimes felt a sense of distance when she saw Millein surrounded by people.
But Millein still called her by that same nickname with the same smile.
[ Renée. ]
Just like he had when they were children.
Because of that, Adeline was more than a little surprised by Millein’s proposal.
Even though their Academy friends sometimes teased them, asking if they were dating, to suddenly propose like this?
—Millein… are you serious? You’re the eldest son of House Belov.
Naturally, that meant he would become the heir of House Belov.
The problem was that Adeline was also the heir of House Zeller.
To maintain the noble houses, it was an unspoken rule that heirs could not marry each other.
—What about your family?
—My younger brother will inherit the title. Don’t worry about it.
As if it didn’t matter at all, Millein handed Adeline a bouquet of roses with a smiling face.
Before she knew it, Millein’s face was close.
Now, Adeline could see her own reflection in his light blue eyes.
Her face slightly flushed, colored with both flustered confusion and a flutter of emotion.
—I want to marry you. I always have, since we were kids. There’s no one else for me but you…
Millein’s delicate fingertips moved closer to Adeline.
He gently tucked her wind-blown hair behind her ear.
As his fingers brushed her ear, Adeline’s gaze followed.
By the time her eyes returned to his face, Millein had already stepped a pace away.
Still smiling gently.
—Then I’ll wait for your answer.
Congratulations on your graduation, Renée.
With those words, Millein left.
Leaving behind only Adeline, and her pounding heart.
Adeline had never particularly felt like she was in love with Millein, nor had she ever harbored romantic feelings for anyone before.
But she could still feel it.
That pounding in her chest was undeniably something called fluttering anticipation.
So Adeline returned home and placed the bouquet of roses from Millein into a vase herself.
‘I should tell Father at dinner tonight.’
That Millein had proposed to her—and that she intended to accept his proposal.
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