<strong>+++</strong>


    The maid walked to Aurora bowing her head and informed her, "Mdy,dy Diana asked for you."


    "Take me there." Aurora followed the maid into Diana''s room as she left Marte in her room alone.


    Her eyes were no longer filled with anticipation or excitement meeting the female lead anymore.


    When she walked into the room, Tristan was also there but the duke was nowhere to be seen.


    "Aurora, I''m sorry causing you trouble." her tone changed from the one she used toward her a moment ago, Aurora realized that the author described her right, she was sweet and innocent only in front of people she liked.


    ''What a fake--'' she was going to call her a fake or two face person but somehow she was simr to her too, so she stopped.


    Who didn''t want the person you like to see your good side? Who wants anybody to see the side you don''t want them to see?


    But still, what she did back then was the worst thing she could do to Aurora.


    She humiliated Aurora in front of all the workers and the knights especially the duke. Instead of stepping up for her since Diana was the one involved but Diana didn''t do anything except y dead in her brother''s arm.


    "I''m d you''re well,dy Diana. I''ll take my leave now."


    ''I won''t go along the stupid plot anymore, I''ll stand at Marte''s side and then made her the crown princess, that way I will get more power too.''


    "I''ll see you out." Tristan walked up to her and bowed a little asking for her agreement.


    "Thank you, young lord." Aurora replied with politeness and a voice was heard inside her head with just that little conversation.


    <strong>[Mission 2: Talk with Tristan. Duration 4 min 30 seconds.]</strong>


    <strong>Aurora (Eun-Kyung)''s POV</strong>


    <em>Huh?</em>


    Just that?? The mission was easier than I thought.


    Now that it came down to this, I will just have a small talk with him and then move on to the next question.


    But I wasn''t the one who said it first because Tristan suddenly cut me off.


    "Mydy, I heard you are also Diana''s friend."


    "Yes, and I also be friends withdy Marte yesterday too."


    "You do know the things between them, right?"


    "You mean the engagement?"


    "So you do know, I really don''t understand why are you doing this?"


    "Why can''t I?" I asked raising my tone a bit.


    Suddenly, the conversation was starting to be serious, as our voice became cold and our eyes stared at each other and we stopped walking anymore.


    "Don''t you think you''re the worst person doing that? You abandoned Diana in her worst time."


    "I don''t want to hear that from you of all people."


    "What do you mean?"


    "Diana''s worst time? Then what about Marte?"


    "What about her?"


    "Seriously, do you even see Marte as your sister even once?"


    "..."


    "You only see Diana,fort her and try everything to make her happy. I know what you mean since the crown prince is the one Diana love but have you ever asked Marte about how she felt?"


    "...I--"


    "Do you feel ashamed that I was just her friend for one day know about her more than you?"


    I should stop, that was what I told myself but--


    "Do you think getting married to the one you don''t love is okay for her?"


    ''What''s with this woman? She''s annoying...''


    "I know you''re annoyed hearing this but please say something, I don''t want to be the one saying one-sidedly!!"


    "No, I don''t want to interrupt since you were so into it."


    "Treat your sisters equally, f*ck, god damn it!!!"


    "How could you say that?"


    "What???"


    "Where do you learn that word?"


    ''She looks like a nobledy, but the way she''s speaking...''


    "Don''t change the topic. I said it again, treat Marte better!!"


    "Alright, alright. Don''t raise your voice like that."


    "Urgh!!!! Do you think I care? I''m tired of people telling me to do this and that!!"


    "You''re ady, you might not get a husband if anyone else hears you like this."


    "Now you''re even judging me too, tell you what, I don''t care!!!"


    <strong>[Mission 2plete!! Congrattion, Tristan is disgusted by you!]</strong>


    <em>Huh?</em>


    <em>Disgusted? Hey!!</em>


    ''This isn''t something to congratte for!''


    Usually, when the female lead did something out of ordinary, the man was always interested in her.


    <em>Haa...</em>


    I don''t care anyway since I alreadypleted my mission with him. We might never see each other again anyway.


    <strong>[Mission 3: Dance with Tristan.]</strong>


    <em>What?</em>


    ''Who set these kinds of missions?!''


    <strong>+++</strong>


    Meanwhile, in Marte''s room, she was sleeping peacefully without noticing a man sitting beside her bed looking at her sleeping face.


    He put his hand on her forehead noticing it was hot, his eyes became soft and filled with guilty.


    He walked out of the room and brought a towel with him when he came in again.


    He put it in water and drenched it then wiped her forehead gently.


    "...father..." he was surprised hearing Marte talking in her sleep, he touched the scar on her face gently with his warm hand.


    "Father''s sorry...don''t cry." he wiped the tear that came out of her eyes flowing on her scar.


    "...father, I''m sorry...sorry...I''ll behave...don''t hate me..."


    "I''m sorry Marte...this father is a jerk...but you''ll understand one day."


    <em>Cough cough</em>


    He put his hand on his mouth to prevent his blood from dripping on the floor. He wiped his blood on his handkerchief and left the room silently.


    <strong>Marte (Sun-hee)''s POV</strong>


    <It is because of you, your mother left me.>


    <If it wasn''t for you, I won''t be like this...>


    <You destroy my life!!! I hate you.>


    Father, I''m sorry...I''ll behave...I''ll be a good daughter...


    ...I''m sorry...sorry for being born.


    I woke up with eyes toward the ceiling of Marte''s room. It was strange to see my father in my dream, and my childhood memories too in the dream.


    I noticed a towel on my forehead, it was wet.


    I put my hand on my forehead, luckily my fever went down.


    It was already evening I woke up, I got up from bed and saw a note on my desk.


    It was Aurora''s. So she must be the one who put the towel on my forehead.


    I should thank herter.


    <em>Hm?</em>


    There was blood on my floor, I took a close look at it. The blood was already dry.


    Maybe it was mine.


    I didn''t think much of it and walked out of my room to know the situation outside.


    It was quiet, some of the maids were cleaning around the duchy under the orange light of the sunset.


    I slept really long, every maid started to look at me unlike before that they ignored me. But now it was my turn to ignore them.


    I will let them try to get my attention and then give a little something to them.


    "You''re awake, Marte." I turned back at the woman upstairs, she had pink eyes and her hair was blonde the same as Diana just like how she was described in the novel.


    Now I knew the reason why everyone cleaned so hard was that Diana''s mother was a clean freak.


    "Good evening, Duchess."


    There was nothing mentioned about the time Marte met Diana''s mother since Diana''s mother usually stayed at her family''s household and Marte was always in the basement most of the time.


    "I''m so thankful for saving my daughter. What could I have done to repay you?"


    ''Just do nothing.''


    Every time she did something, Marte always got into trouble.


    "I just did what everyone was supposed to do."


    "Ohoho, you''ve really grown, my daughter--ah, my apology." I hated this.


    I wanted to walk away from her but something stopped me from doing that.


    She acted like she was Marte''s mother. And if I had to guess, she might want Tristan to treat her like a mother too since Tristan will be the next duke after duke Jel.


    Lady Catherine, thedy of the Nova household. Her father was a marquess, she was famous during her prime. She even got to be the fiance of the emperor''s brother when they were young.


    But her fiance died before their marriage leaving her as a joke of the public. So to solve this problem, her father went to the emperor and asked for the most ridiculous proposal anyone could think of.


    His daughter was still mourning her love''s death and he asked the emperor to engage his daughter to a man with his wife just passed away, duke Jel.


    With all the pressure from the elderly of the Mortel dukedom and the royalty, duke Jel epted the proposal.


    One year after their marriage, Diana was born. Coincidentally, she was born on the date thete duchess died which was also Marte''s birthday, so the duke moved her birthday to the next day.


    Diana and Marte were born on the same day, but one year apart.


    "I''m d to see youing back, Duchess."


    "You''re really a good girl, Marte." there was a slight grin on her face.


    "I have somewhere I have to go, so excuse me." I shouldn''t talk with her or I might be getting into trouble.


    "I heard the basement was closed now...I should''vee sooner. I really want to see your room."


    <em>Huh?</em>


    ''This woman, is she out of her mind?''


    Saying such a thing to Marte, did she have a death wish?


    "It''s closed because no one is staying there any longer."


    "Hmm...there might be in the future since we never know."


    "Yes, we''ll just have to wait and see then."


    I walked away from there as soon I finished saying it. My magic energy went crazy when I talked to her.


    I didn''t know why.


    I walked and walked to the basement, I always wanted to see where Marte was brought up.


    Dust was all over the air when I opened the heavy door. The basement was wide but it was so dirty with all of the spider web and the bone of the rat.


    There were many tes on the floor, they all were old and dirty with some leftover food covered in mold.


    When I walked in further, the temperature started to drop. There was a bookshelf too but the book was all yellow and ripped apart.


    There was a cushion on the floor next to the bookshelf, and above the cushion, there was a big hole with the iron bar covering it.


    I looked through the hole, it was the backyard of the duchy, there was a tree and a field of flowers there.


    My heart started pounding as if I used to experience this before.


    I sat on the smelly bed, with just a little piece of nket, I wonder how Marte survived in this basement.


    I noticed something under the pillow, it was a fairy tale book.


    din?


    There was heart drawing everywhere on the panel where din took Jasmine''s hand and took her on the carpet.


    Did Marte want someone to take her out of this ce too?


    This basement was like a cage with no light but a little lighting from the hole. There was a strange creepy sound every minute.


    Jasmine was also a princess who was trapped in her home, the pce but it was just a cage banning her from going out to the world.


    There was no man who woulde to take your hand bringing you outside the world. You just had to dig the hole in the wall and escape yourself.


    When I said that, I only jokingly tapped the wall if there was really a hole.


    But then I heard a sounding behind the bookshelf, it was a rock dropping on the floor.


    I moved the bookshelf aside and I really saw a hold fit enough for a kid.


    Marte...she really dug the hold out of the wall.


    Just how many years did it take to dig this hole?


    There was a spoon and a little hammer under her bed when I took a close look at the hole.


    Without hesitating, I destroyed the hole and expanded it bigger enough for me to get out.


    I crawled outside, it was really much better than the basement with all the fresh air brushing my hair as it flowed toward me.


    I walked to the tree filled with green leaves, there was a swing attached to the branch of the tree.


    "Mama, I want to y a little more."


    "You cane tomorrow, let''s go home. Mommy made your favorite food today."


    I looked at the mother holding her kid''s hand leaving the backyard of the duchy, I sat on the swing looking at them.


    I wanted that too.


    "Marte?" someone called that name, I turned quickly as if they called for me.


    A man ran to me quickly when he saw me, he had ash color hair, he was the same man I met back at the royal pce.


    "Duke Asher?"


    "Do you finally forgive me? I''m sorry for hiding it from you." the man kneeled in front of me putting his head on my finger with tears dropping on my hand.


    I was so surprised seeing the high mighty duke with power only one level under duke Jel kneel down as if he proposed to me as his hand traveled to my palm and cried his eyes on it.


    "What''re you saying?"


    "This is our ce, I went here every day waiting for you...you were so cold to me, I can''t bear it...I can''t bear you ignoring me...it''s difficult...please forgive me, Marte."


    I should have finished reading Marte''s diary.


    I had no idea how to respond to this. I never knew the second male lead of this novel was head over heel for Marte like this.


    Has Marte rejected his confession yet during this time?


    <strong>To be continued....!</strong>