Chapter 81

"Hey... Drill Albert!"

Adi's voice echoed through the room, on what was an extremely ordinary day, and it was a peaceful afternoon.

"So, Adi...! It's terrible, he called me Drill Albert!"

Mary, crying and complaining, was being listened to by Patrick, who was sitting across from her. Patrick let out a groan, "Ugh...!" and then began to cough loudly, which was unlike him. Seeing this, Mary, who had been crying, widened her eyes in surprise.

"...Patrick, are you okay?"

"It's fine... Keho... The tea was a bit too hot."

"Is that so? Be careful."

Mary, with tears in her eyes, continued her story. Mary, who had fought with Adi and was hurt by his words, had come to her brothers' room to tell them about the insult. She hoped that her reliable brothers would scold Adi for his rudeness.

"Brothers, listen! Adi called me Drill Albert!"

Hearing Mary's words as she burst into the room crying, her two reliable brothers widened their eyes for a moment... and then they spat out the tea they were drinking.

"It's terrible! After that, my brothers laughed, and I won't speak to them for a month!"

Mary, directing her anger at her brothers as well, made Patrick groan again, "Ugh..." and then he began to cough loudly, bowing his head. Mary, once again wide-eyed, patted his back as he leaned over the table.

"What's wrong, Patrick? Are you okay?"

"A, ah... The tea was still a bit too hot."

"I didn't know, you have a sensitive tongue."

While coughing slightly, Patrick raised his hand to indicate he was fine, and Mary, who had been patting his back, returned to the topic, continuing her story with a frown. After all, it was Adi's insult that caused her to be laughed at by her brothers. While she might have some responsibility for not correcting Adi's inappropriate behavior, calling her Drill Albert was too much.

"Of course, I decided not to speak to Adi, and I ordered him to stay away from me for a while."

"I see, so that's why you're writing a shared diary."

"Yes, and through Father. It's the most painful thing for Adi."

Mary, speaking proudly, made Patrick nod in agreement, his eyes drawn to the new diary on her desk. The cover was made of good leather, and the paper was of high quality, clearly a luxurious diary typical of the Albert family. Looking at this, Patrick sighed, thinking how unlike the Albert family it was to use it for such a purpose.

For a while, the shared diary between Mary and Adi, mediated by the head of the Albert family, proceeded smoothly—though the mental burden on Adi due to the mediation was another matter. Today, as usual, Mary handed the shared diary to her father and was about to leave his room when she was called by her name.

"Can I read this too?"

"Father, do you want to read the shared diary?"

"I am somewhat interested."

"If you want to, it's fine. It's not like there's anything important written in it."

Hearing that it wouldn't matter if it was read, the head of the Albert family nodded and lowered his gaze to the shared diary that had just been handed to him.

A few days later, the shared diary returned to Mary, but it was about two days later than usual. Given that they were supposed to exchange it every other day, it was understandable that Mary, who was still upset about Adi's insult, would be dissatisfied.

"Adi, he's not at all repentant!"

Puffing out her cheeks, Mary flipped through the pages of the shared diary...

"It's not just Adi, Father has joined in too..."

She clutched her head. After all, the shared diary, which was supposed to be written only by Mary and Adi, now included pages written in the elegant handwriting of the head of the Albert family. It seemed he had written a page each time the diary was passed between Mary and Adi, which explained the delay.

"I did say it was okay to read it... but, Father even put a seal on it. He's so thorough."

While muttering this, Mary read the added parts and picked up a pen. If she complained about Father's involvement, it might seem like she wanted to write the shared diary with Adi alone. "I don't care who joins in!" she stubbornly thought to herself as she wrote on a blank page.

After a few more rounds of the shared diary among the three of them, a few days passed. Adi was searching for the head of the Albert family within the mansion.

"That's strange, he should be here at this time..." But he couldn't find him. Just then, Adi was called from behind. Turning around, he saw Lady Carré, the lady of the Albert family, smiling gracefully.

"Adi, what's wrong?"

"Lady, I'm looking for Sir."

"He's gone out, called by an old friend. He won't be back tonight."

"I see, that's a problem..."

Adi, looking at the shared diary in his hand, was at a loss. Lady Carré, noticing this, smiled softly and said, "I'll pass it on for you," knowing that Mary and Adi were still not speaking.

"But, I don't want to trouble you, Lady."

"It's fine, don't worry. By the way, is it okay if I read it?"

"Ah, yes... I don't mind."

Lady Carré smiled gently and took the shared diary.

A few days later, when Adi opened the returned shared diary, it was no surprise that he clutched his head.

"Lady has written in it too..."

Gradually, more people joined the shared diary, including both of Mary's brothers and even Adi's brother. Eventually, it even reached Patrick, and naturally, Alicia joined in. Sometimes, even their parents would write in it. Considering that the Albert and Dice families, at the top of the nation and the social scene, were exchanging messages, it would be a matter of national and international attention, perhaps even treated as a confidential document. However, everyone diligently wrote only "diary-like" entries, and the exchanges continued peacefully. Moreover, since it started with just two people and then increased unexpectedly, there was no set order, making the shared diary even more chaotic. As a result, it took an unusually long time for the diary to reach Mary and Adi.

A few weeks later, Mary was wondering whose hands the shared diary was in when she saw Adi walking down the corridor. She watched him pass... but for some reason, he stopped beside her, making Mary widen her eyes in surprise.

It had been months, she thought, looking away. Until now, he had always been by her side, and she had taken it for granted. They had fought occasionally, but this was the first time it had lasted so long...

While Mary was thinking this, Adi, looking away as well, began to speak hesitantly.

"Have you read the diary?"

"Whose?"

"The part I wrote. After I wrote it, I gave it to Lord Patrick... I don't know where it is now..."

"It hasn't come back yet. What did you write?"

Mary, glancing at Adi, asked, and he, in turn, glanced at her. He looked uncomfortable and out of place, and she might have teased him under normal circumstances, but she held back, thinking she might look the same.

As she waited for Adi to continue...

"Would you like to go get some croquettes?"

Mary's eyes widened at the unexpected suggestion.

"The deli we always go to has released a new croquette."

"Oh, really?"

"I bought some to try, and the owner asked, 'Where's the young lady who's always with you?'"

"That owner still doesn't believe I'm Mary Albert."

"The idea of a young lady buying and eating at a deli is hard to believe... Anyway, he said, 'Bring her with you next time.'"

"I see..."

Mary murmured and glanced at Adi again, noticing that his face, which had been uncomfortable, was now red. She felt a bit embarrassed too, but at the same time, her heart warmed. It had been a long time since she had heard his voice, and it was still the most familiar to her. However, she couldn't bring herself to say it honestly or apologize, so she turned away and said, "Well, if you insist..."

"If you say so... would you go with me?"

"Yes, well... I want to try the new croquettes from that shop too."

Mary, being stubborn, answered, and Adi let out a small sigh of relief. "Shall we go then?" he asked, and of course, Mary had no reason to refuse. Still, she emphasized, "It's only because I have no choice!" and they walked side by side.

"Miss, Lord Parfait is here."

"Oh, Lord Parfait? What's the matter?"

"I asked, but I didn't understand."

"I see, he's crying."

"(´；ω；) Mary-sama, Mary-sama..."

"I see, that's what it is."

"(´；ω；) Sniff, Mary-sama..."

"Yes, you came all the way here for that."

"(((´；ω；))) Faah..."

"Lord Parfait, thank you for telling me."

"((((´；Д；))) Mary-sama...!"

"Oh, don't say it like that. It's embarrassing."

(Why does he understand me so well?)

"So, Lord Parfait has gone, but what was the matter?"

"It seems this work will be published."

"Really? He came all the way here for that... Wait, what!?"

*For more details, see the activity report on 2015/01/31.*