《He Loved My Sister》 Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Under the lights of the colorful chandelier, the sparkling golden hair was like honey dripping down. Then a voice began to flow from the lips of a handsome man as beautiful as a sculpture. As I stared nkly at the scene, my face hardened. I know what will be saidter. ¡®To all of you who are here today¡­¡¯ I took a deep breath. I don¡¯t know how many times I¡¯ve recalled this scene. ¡°I would like to express my sincere thanks to all of you who are here today.¡± My heart dropped at the sight of the man spitting out the familiar lines. The soft smile and eyes that had never been directed at me swept through the audience. It was a nce that could be passed without meaning, but he never looked at me. Did I really not know? Didn¡¯t I feel a little sorry for myself for being so nervous and hardened in front of him like an idiot? Was I just an extra to him until the end? ¡°I¡¯d like to take this opportunity to make a confession today.¡± I knew this moment woulde one day. But what a foolish one-sided love I have. I knew the man¡¯s fate, but I couldn¡¯t let go of my foolishness. It¡¯s finally time to let go of the string that I barely held in my heart. ¡°I will propose to the young miss of the Hillingtons.¡± Oh my. I felt a rock hit my heart. The eyes of the people in the banquet hall split in half at once. Half was for me, who is standing still like a pir, and the other half for the girl who had a lovely and sweet smile no matter where she was. Between me, who was so stiff that I couldn¡¯t even breathe properly, and the girl who was smiling happily with a peach-like blush on her cheeks, who does it seem like the person to receive the proposal? Soon, everyone¡¯s eyes turned to the beautiful girl, my lovely sister. That¡¯s it. I couldn¡¯t endure it anymore. ¡®Let¡¯s stop.¡¯ I grabbed the hem of my dress and turned around. There was a moment ofmotion behind me, but I closed my eyes tightly. ¡®I can¡¯t look back.¡¯ Digging into the crowd, I left the banquet hall. In the romance fantasy novel ¡°The Young Miss is Sweet¡±, I ran away from the climax part where the male lead proposed to the female lead. Even if it was a highlight in the original, if you¡¯re a poor extra like me, it¡¯s okay to run away. Yes. The man I loved didn¡¯t love me, but my sister. My little sister was the beloved heroine of the world in this novel, and he was the male lead destined to bring the very ss slipper to her. There was no ce for me in that glorious ce. ¡®I can let it go now. Put it all away¡­ Let¡¯s disappear.¡¯ It was me who had excessive greed. So, the extra should be gone. * * * I was pretty lucky. My flower shop was doing pretty well a month after I opened the store, and I even met friendly vigers along with a novice boss. I mean, it was to the extent that the story of my shop was told by the aristocrats of the Mielian Empire who were not usually interested in the lives of ordinary people. Otherwise, that man wouldn¡¯t havee to see me. ¡°¡­How have you been?¡± It was me who spoke first. I ran away because I didn¡¯t have the courage to see it happen, but I can¡¯t help it now that I have to face him. He was my sister¡¯s husband, so he was like family to me. But I was not confident enough to call him my brother-inw with my eyes open¡­ By the way¡­ ¡°Do you think I¡¯ve been well?¡± Yes? What is this atmosphere? ¡®Wait, what?¡¯ I identally dropped the wooden tray I was holding from the power of the man who strode toward me. The trey fell to the floor with a ng and spined until it stopped. I stared at it with my eyes blinking, and then I looked up at him whose eyes were burning. A man with a much bigger head than me was staring down close to me. ¡®Hey, hey!¡¯ It¡¯s only been about a month since I left the Empire, but I wonder why people have changed so much. Is it an illusion? ¡°Did you hate me that much?¡± I don¡¯t know whose voice just trembled. Oh, did I drink during the day? Is this a dream Is it fantasy? ¡°What?¡± ¡°Is this where you trampled on from my proposal and ran away?¡± I almost pinched the man¡¯s pale cheeks. What are you talking about so vividly on what feels like a fantasy? My heart is beating once again at the unrequited love that I threw away. I smiled faintly, but that seemed to have touched the man¡¯s pride. ¡°How can you smile?¡± His bright purple eyes fluttered, and they were getting more and more moist¡­ ¡®What? Moist?¡¯ What I saw in his blood-drenched eyes looked like tears no matter how hard I looked. Why is he crying? Was it such a shock that his wife¡¯s sister disappeared? And what did he mean by trampling the proposal and running away? Did my sister run away? ¡°Wait. Proposal? What are you talking about now¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s no use running away again. Follow me wherever you go¡­¡± Those burning eyes were unfamiliar. Before I knew it, my back was against a cold wall that blocked me from stepping back. He came closer to me. Now I¡¯m out of breath from the distance where he could almost reach my breath. ¡°I¡¯m the only one who¡¯ll see it.¡± What did he just say? ¡°I¡¯ll make it where you breathe without me.¡± I didn¡¯t know what to say. I just know one thing. He¡¯s crazy. Why are you crazy? ¡°That¡­ Are you talking to me?¡± I tried to find a reason. He wouldn¡¯t go crazy just because I¡¯m in front of him. But it couldn¡¯t have worked with a madman. ¡°That day. You didn¡¯t answer.¡± At this point, it didn¡¯t seem like a dream. However, there is no way that a man who visibly hated me and regarded me coldly would turn around and propose to me. He seemed to have a serious misunderstanding while looking at me as if he were looking at my younger sister. A bitter smile hung over me. I thought I finally got out of it, but now I¡¯m involved. ¡®What a terrible rtionship.¡¯ It has been that way since childhood. When I opened my eyes, he was always there. I sighed and thought. I don¡¯t know why, but I think my sister got a divorce. Isn¡¯t this themon clich¨¦ of a regretful man? The male lead and the female lead have a misunderstanding about each other, and the male lead runs away. In the end, the male lead loses his temper and sees me as my younger sister. But then, the man who hated me told me¡­ ¡°Let¡¯s get married.¡± You can¡¯te and propose like this, can you? I closed my eyes tightly and swallowed the rising anger. Right, it¡¯s all bad luck. ¡®Why was I born as the female protagonist¡¯s older sister?¡¯ It all had to start over 20 years ago when I was born as a supporting actor in this damn fictional world. * * * I opened my eyes at the intense and strange feeling. The first thing I felt was the intense hunger and gurgling that shook my skin, and not the patient¡¯s cry from the next room or the beep of a medical machine making a ¡®beep beep¡¯ sound. ¡®I¡¯m hungry!¡¯ Grumble. I didn¡¯t want to believe the thundering sound wasing from my stomach. I opened my eyes wide and blinked hard. ¡®Am I dead?¡¯ Everything didn¡¯t make sense. I still couldn¡¯t forget the eerie feeling when my breath stopped and everything else around me stopped. Nonsense. Could it be that I crossed the Jordan River and managed toe back alive? I tried to get up by moving my limbs, but it was ufortable as if my whole body was tied. ¡®Ugh!¡¯ That was then. ¡°I¡¯m going to die from the noise! Feed it something!¡± My thoughts were cut off. It was because the harsh voice of someone who spoke very cheaply pierced my ears. ¡®A baby?¡¯ What the hell is this? My heart was pounding and I was nervous. I don¡¯t know what the situation was. I opened my eyes and licked my mouth and sucked something hard while making a loud noise¡­ What? ¡°This is funny. Why are you making me do it? What do you know about me? You¡¯re the one who nned it in the first ce!¡± It was a different voice than before. ¡®n? Was I kidnapped? Is this the day I die? Why? What are you aiming for?¡¯ Once again, I violently sucked what was in my mouth, and it was only then that I realized that my condition was definitely strange. Confused, I fumbled toward my mouth and stretched out my hand. Something caught my finger. What was that? And why¡­is my head this heavy? ¡°If you get caught, we will both die. And you know that we won¡¯t be the only ones. That crazy bastard would find the root and eradicate everyone involved!¡± ¡°Shut up, you were the one who told me to kidnap a child from the temple and get some money. You were the one who asked me to bring this kid!¡± ¡°Hey! Be careful. You are also an aplice!¡± ¡°It was you who brought the kid! I only drove the wagon!¡± I rolled my eyes and focused on their conversation. Kidnap. Carriage. Aplice? Aside from that, there were a few odd things. It seems like they are foreigners. My state of being able to understand thenguage I am hearing for the first time is amazing. And the most shocking thing is that I forgot all about it¡­ ¡®Ugh. What kind of sausage is this?¡¯ It was a tiny, plump finger that passed in front of my eyes! The fat rose at every joint and it was plump like a child¡¯s finger¡­ Flickering and sping my hand, that startled finger moved as well. ¡®Is this my finger? Is it swollen?¡¯ It was then I became shocked by the appearance of what looked like four plump sausages next to it. The sound of something being smashed rang out like a roar. The screams of the men who were chatting happily next to each other could then be heard. ¡®What else is going on?!¡¯ Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Everything happened so fast. For some reason, my head feels heavy and difficult to turn, and someone broke the window outside and seemed to be rushing in. Because the two men who kept arguing right in front of me suddenly screamed as if they were being torn apart. ¡°Ugh, already? Oh, how did you find it!¡± ¡°Argh!¡± Things started to go even more crazy. ¡°Did you think you guys could run away?¡± The characters, who looked as if they weremandos, were trying to subdue the men, but only one person was caught. Another man ran up to me, attempting to leave the ce and held me in his arms. ¡°Don¡¯t move!¡± I looked down at my body lifted lightly with a serious expression. ¡°Don¡¯t move if you don¡¯t want me to make a big mess in here!¡± I couldn¡¯t help but frown at the sound of a loud-voiced man yelling from behind. ¡®Can someone please exin this to me. What the hell is going on?¡¯ It didn¡¯tst long to think about what was going on. ¡°You, don¡¯t move!¡± Ugh! ¡°Don¡¯t do anything stupid. Or you¡¯ll be dead.¡± ¡°My, do you think I¡¯m going to die alone?¡± Oh, this crazy bastard The man shook me violently. Thanks to him, my head was pounding hard, making me feel so irritated. The moment I tried to swear loudly, something in my mouth fell to the floor. Round, wet with saliva, something. Wait, what¡¯s that. ¡®Isn¡¯t that a pacifier that babies use for biting? Why is that falling out of my mouth?¡¯ As my eyes shooked like crazy, the screaming kidnapper and the men subduing him caught my eyes. They were talking for a long time now. ¡°Keep in mind that what you¡¯ve touched is the Hillington Family.¡± ¡°Hey, damn it. We¡¯re all going to die anyway, don¡¯t be a loser, what the hell is wrong with you?¡± ¡°You think you¡¯re the only one who¡¯s going to die? Your whole family will die as well.¡± ¡°Ugh! You cowards! Cowards!¡± ¡°Are you the one who¡¯s trying to catch and threaten the baby, or are you trying to save her?¡± The people who overpowered the kidnappers were certainly foreigners. And all of them are handsome. Oh my, their hair is so morous to the point that I wanna ask, ¡°Which hair salon did you dye your hair?¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t want to make the situation worse, let her go.¡± But the strangest thing is that they were wearing uniforms that were unlikely to be worn in a normal state. It wasn¡¯t just a fancy suit, it was a uniform with all kinds of shiny decorations. ¡®Yes! Just like the clothes worn by knights in fantasy games!¡¯ Besides, their gazes were directed right at me, as if they were worried. ¡°If you ever put a scar on her body, your limbs will all be cut off immediately and be killed.¡± Wow, it was like a movie line. It was such a bloody moment for everyone, and no one knew what would happen next. And If I would be in the ce of those kidnappers, I would be peeing in pants already. But hey, why do I have to be stuck in this situation? ¡°Wow, that¡¯s funny. You don¡¯t know who¡¯s in your hands right now, do you?¡± ¡°How dare you!¡± It was seriously ominous. Because the man suddenly grabbed my neck. It hurts! And I realized exactly what I didn¡¯t want to discern, because the men stared anxiously at me and shouted, ¡°My Lady!¡± I¡¯m the one the kidnapper referred to and I¡¯m the one whose being lifted up No way. ¡®Am I a baby now?¡¯ My heart was pounding and I even broke into a cold sweat. In an instant, the man who was holding me suddenly gasped! He started to roll backwards and groaned loudly. As he threw me in the air! You crazy bastard! ¡®Argh!¡¯ I closed my eyes tightly, as I felt myself floating in the air and I feel like all my limbs will be broken anytime soon. I don¡¯t know what the situation is, but I think I¡¯m going to die again! My head! It was just then. ¡°I hope that I¡¯m not toote.¡± ¡°Your Excellency! With a chuckle, someone held me in a firm embrace. I gently opened my tightly closed eyes when I felt a sense of stability¡­¡­. ¡®Wow.¡¯ I saw a man ¡°¡­¡­.¡± I think he was in histe twenties? My first impression of him was that I liked him! Very much. I made brief eye contact with the man. His blunt face looked as cold as ice, and I unconsciously smiled softly at the man whom I¡¯d met for the first time. But he suddenly looked away. Oh my, heartless. ¡°Are those two the only culprits?¡± ¡°Yes, what should I do? Take them with me and do an interrogation.¡± ¡°No, you don¡¯t have to do that.¡± When I followed where the man¡¯s eyes were looking, I saw the kidnapper who fell and hit his but on the floor and was overpowered by another man in a uniform. The kidnapper¡¯s face was very red, and he was giving a look of evil, as if everything was so unfair for him. ¡°No matter what the reason may be.¡± Oh, I can¡¯t breathe! The hard arms were really good, but my face was pressed against his chest. As if he didn¡¯t want me to hear the kidnapper¡¯s abusive words, the man embraced me with his rock-like-arms. ¡°I have no intention of forgiving. There¡¯s no reason for you to keep those pests alive, that touched my daughter¡± Every time he spoke, a very low, deep voice rang out in my ears. Iughed¡ªa moment of reassurance in someone else¡¯s arms. ¡®Aha. Now I know. This is a dream, isn¡¯t it? Otherwise it doesn¡¯t make any sense A grown-up who suddenly bes a baby. And a dream that someone is worried about me. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± As I was smiling like that, the handsome young man with a beautiful voice, who lifted me up from his arms and hugged me tighter, continued talking. He looks like a male protagonist at first nce, so I imagined the lines that woulde out of his mouth. If this is a movie, if it¡¯s really like a drama series, the usual line should be ¡®I¡¯ll forgive you since my daughter is safe¡¯, but¡­¡­. ¡°Kill him.¡± Pardon? I blinked my eyes. ¡°All right, sir.¡± Had it not been for what happened next, I would have continued to perceive this as a dream of a baby. A scream followed through ¡°Argh!¡± ¡®Now, he even killed a man¡­.?¡¯ My spine suddenly felt cold. Who the hell are these people? ¡®Should I run away¡­¡­¡¯ My firm heart was beating hard, but the fragile baby¡¯s body seemed very vulnerable to stress. My dark eyelids are starting to close. No, you can¡¯t fall asleep right now! I need to confirm whether this is a dream or a terrible reality¡­¡­. ¡°Clean up and leave.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± And that¡¯s it. Hearing the man¡¯s cold voice, I fellpletely into dreand. ¡°Oh, my God, I can¡¯t think¡­¡­.¡¯ Groohhh. I¡¯m hearing a snoring sound from somewhere. Anyway, a good night¡¯s sleep would perfect for me. * * * It was the very next day after I fell asleep in the arms of my older brother, as if I fainted over the kidnapping case, that I realized that this world I was reborn or possessed was the novel . ¡®Ugh.¡¯ I woke up to the sound of loud chirping birds. It was before, I became aware of what had happened before I fell asleep. The first thing I saw as soon as I opened my eyes¡­¡­. ¡®Gasp.¡¯ I almost screamed from shock. What I saw was a person. She¡¯s also the most beautiful woman in a medieval film, wearing a maid dress. ¡®Who are you?¡¯ The problem is, those beauties were new to me. ¡®What¡¯s going on?¡¯ When I opened my eyes, I was a baby, this kind of situation seemed to only happen in a novel. I was too realistic to adapt like a ghost, to a situation that had changed in an instant. My pounding heart is so startled that it will jump out of my ribs. I swallowed my saliva, remembering the situation before I fell asleep. I was kidnapped, and it seems that the people who came to rescue me were knights of medieval noble families. ¡®That outfit, it was very unusual.¡¯ Just like the knights of the female protagonist¡¯s family in , in which I had read way before I died. Does that mean that I¡¯m a baby from a noble family? ¡®No, I have to look at things first,I need to know the situation before I assume.¡¯ ¡°Koo, Koo¡±, as I contrived small sounds, I slowly closed my eyes again. While observing me, a woman who seemed to have made eye contact with me appeared to be moving. ¡°Are you going back to sleep?¡± As I gently lifted one eye, she moved her finger in front of my eyes with an expressionless face. I closed my eyes tight again. ¡®I think she¡¯s making sure if I¡¯m really sleeping or not?¡¯ As I expected. ¡°Looks like she fell asleep again. Aren¡¯t you hungry?¡± The women, who sighed as if relieved that the troubled baby had fallen asleep again, brought some chairs and they sat down beside my bed. As they started chatting in earnest. ¡°Well, I¡¯m d that she¡¯s gentle. It takes less time to take care of her.¡± ¡°How much blood has been shed over her. Is that even a good thing? ¡°They deserve to die. And it¡¯s all thanks to you, It¡¯s because you brought the baby into the temple.¡± ¡°Because of that, we have to take care of the baby, right?¡± ¡°Watch your mouth.¡± It was fine. I smiled inwardly. ¡®Once I find out who I am, maybe then I will get out of this ce.¡¯ I wiggled my ass and turned to one side, trying to hide that I was actuallypletely awake. ¡®You¡¯ll only see my ass if I do this, right?¡¯ Okay,dies. I don¡¯t know anything. Come on, tell me, what the hell is this ce? Who am I? There were three women who looked like maids. If there is one thing they have inmon, It¡¯s that they are so dazzlingly beautiful that even I can¡¯t forget they¡¯re faces for a moment, when I opened my eyes and looked at me without a smile. The ck-haired woman who was probably the closest to me said angrily. ¡°Don¡¯t you know that we¡¯re on thin ice, right now? I don¡¯t know what a rich aristocratic family is like. From the time that she was kidnapped¡­¡­.¡± ¡°I know right, I feel like I shouldn¡¯t havee and worked here. But the money I get? It seems that I have to stay a little longer.¡± A rich family. Daughter of a noble family. Perhaps I, a baby, was the main character in the story. Then my parents in this life¡­¡­ maybe people who care about me dearly. With three people attached to a child like this, and the knights rushing to say that I was kidnapped, the cold-hearted man who had a warm and hard chest¡­¡­. ¡°These people are crazy. How dare they touch the Hillington?¡± It was at that moment that my circuit of hope, which had been spinning like a cogwheel, just stopped. Hillington. Hillington? Come to think of it, I think that name was mentioned in the conversations of those men who were screaming after kidnapping me. ¡®It¡¯s funny. It¡¯s the same as the name of the protagonist in the novel.¡¯ Chapter 3

Chapter 3

I Became The Female Lead? I couldn¡¯t help butugh. At the same time, I made eye contact with the women who looked at me. Unknowingly, the corners of my mouth were shaking. Then, something warm flowed down my cheeks. I was drooling. Oh, what a shame. ¡°I didn¡¯t even know you woke up. What kind of baby is this quiet? You must like the master.¡± ¡°I know right, weren¡¯t you surprised about yesterday?¡± ¡°Well, aren¡¯t you hungry, miss?¡± ¡°Bring me powdered milk.¡± I looked at the woman confusedly for a moment, then heard a loud cry when I moved my lips together. I was very hungry before I fell asleep¡­ At that moment, a baby bottle full of white liquid, which I believed to be powdered milk, came into view. ¡®Ugh!¡¯ ¡°Huh? Why aren¡¯t you eating? They said we should feed the babies regrly.¡± Excuse me. I¡¯ve be a baby, but this mind is too strong to suck baby bottles right now! I tried to push it with my lips, but I couldn¡¯t handle the power of an adult woman. As soon as I let my guard down, I bit the bottle to suck. ¡°Don¡¯t say no. You must be hungry, miss. You¡¯ve been sleeping all this time.¡± The moment I swallowed instinctively and felt the contents of the bottle down my throat made me frustrated. ¡°Eat a lot. That¡¯s how babies are supposed to be.¡± Gulp. Gulp. The women who whispered so sweetly without knowing what I was feeling were looking down on me. But even at that moment, they were expressionless. It was a scene that made me feel a little depressed while sucking the bottle. ¡®I guess you don¡¯t like me.¡¯ Usually, babies make peopleugh. However, I felt that the more I looked at them, the more stiff and expressionless they got. Back then, I had never thought that the familiar name, Hillington was from the novel. * * * It was when I woke up after drinking a lot of form, burped, and struggling with the shame from damp diapers, that I knew it was Ros¨¦ who was born in the novel I read before I died. It was bright when I was drinking form, but my vision was getting dark. ¡°Ugh.¡± I stretched out and managed to get up and sit down, move my lips and babble, and when I shook the rattle next to me a little, time flowed like water¡­not. ¡®Wow. It¡¯s so stuffy being a baby, I can¡¯t even move well.¡¯ It was certainly excruciating to wake up again in the body of a vivid baby after a long time. ¡®I¡¯m going to die of boredom.¡¯ It was when I was looking at the colorful jewels on the ceiling¡­ ¡®Huh? What is that sound?¡¯ Through the crack in the door, conversations of the attendants who were talking carelessly in the hallway could be heard. ¡°There is a lot of talk about the Emperor¡¯s birthday celebration. He also got an invitation, but turned it down. Of course, I understand that it is impossible to move in the current situation, but why was it a topic that no one in the capital city knew about?¡± ¡°Ah, are you talking about the engagement?¡± ¡°Yes. The marriage between the families that the previous head of the family shared with His Majesty the Emperor Seon. An oath between the Hillingtons and Belfius that they must be engaged when a girl and a boy are born, respectively.¡± ¡°His Majesty the Emperor nowcks legitimacy, so you are especially fussy about the remnants of thest Emperor. The marriage talk is also one of the topics that touched the pride of His Majesty the Emperor.¡± ¡°By the way, a boy was born to the Duke of Belfius, and a girl was born to our Hillington family.¡± My head was confused. A marriage between Belfius, Hillington, and the Emperor. ¡®I think I¡¯ve heard this before.¡¯ My ears pricked up. Hey! Talk some more! I can¡¯t hear you! I wanted to shout that, but nothing came out except for babble sounds. If it wasn¡¯t for this crazy heavy head, I would have flipped over and jumped off the bed with a ghostly speed and crawled over to hear the servants. Did they just say that I¡¯m the girl from the Hillingtons and there¡¯s a boy from Duke Belfius? ¡®That¡¯s the plot of ¡¯ To be precise, it was the story of Gabriel, a man who had a cold heart, and Ros¨¦, the lovely heroine in the novel, who was warmer than anyone else. ¡°Stop, stop, don¡¯t tell me¡­¡± I moved my trembling hand and sat clutching the wooden post of the bed. I could see my plump and sausage-like fingers. The room was very colorful with many decorations. I¡¯m rich. I¡¯m very rich. If it¡¯s Hillington¡­ Everything would make sense if I were the girl of the Hillingtons in . ¡®Am I the heroine?¡¯ A faint smile came out, but the corners of my mouth then sank. It¡¯s like I couldn¡¯t even smile properly. ¡®Is this the same as my previous life?¡¯ Although my body changed to a new one, the habit of not smiling properly in my past life seemed to be the same, so a disturbing sigh popped out. I was worried. If I don¡¯t smile, people won¡¯t like me since I don¡¯t have any facial expression. ¡®Ros¨¦ was an only child. If I were a baby from the Hillingtons, I¡¯d definitely be Ros¨¦.¡¯ Ros¨¦ is the lovely heroine in the novel. Everyone loved her, and everything in this world flowed for her. ¡®Wait a minute.¡¯ Even during the brief moment of joy, I recalled the plot of the original, which I had read enough to memorize, and realistic worries came rushing in like a dark cloud. Ros¨¦. Even when she was a baby, she was very lovely and had a chubby cheek charm that melted away the people of the family who had lost her mom. And Ros¨¦¡¯s father. I trembled. ¡®Ugh. That man was my father, right?¡¯ I realized who the scary person was that hugged me as a baby and gave cool orders. ¡®If I were the heroine¡­¡¯ I became happy and scared. While thinking of my cold father, my thoughts turned. ¡®Do I have to melt them? I was even pointed out for being unlucky just by looking at me because I couldn¡¯t even smile properly. So how do I do that?¡¯ But I didn¡¯t know when I was struggling with the shock and happiness of bing Rose, that life isn¡¯t as sweet as honey rice cakes. I had a serious misunderstanding. * * * (3rd person pov) The baby was asleep. Just like the figure of an adult who feels exhausted, he felt sorry for the tears that formed on the corners of her eyes while making a sniffing sound. ¡°Why is she crying?¡± ¡°I do not know. Sometimes she weeps as if she were having a nightmare, and she cries silently.¡± Like a trained knight, Lira stood in an angled pose. Looking at Lira like that, Sears wiggled his eyebrows. It is said that crying is a child¡¯s way of talking, but it¡¯s not like she cried loudly with her mouth open. Is it strange to have that quiet feeling? It felt heartbreaking when he looked at her. ¡°Isn¡¯t there something wrong with her health?¡± ¡°They said it wasn¡¯t a bad thing. It is said that even babies dream.¡± ¡°Is she having nightmares that¡¯s making her cry?¡± ¡°But the baby is quieter than anyone else, gentle, and smart. If she had a sore spot, she would have expressed it.¡± Lira¡¯s rude tone and her cold expression were not to a kid¡¯s liking. Wouldn¡¯t children feel reassured by a more friendly tone and lovingly look? ¡®Still¡­.¡¯ She was someone he could trust more than anyone else. Lira is not a friendly person, but she is definitely someone who can protect. She will protect by risking her own name, her money, and themissions she receives. That is why, without revealing her existence, she was specially made to live here. ¡°Anything else?¡± While gently touching the baby¡¯s tears with his thumb, Sears saw her little foot sticking out of the nket. They were too small. ¡°Now she has gotten used to walking.¡± ¡°And?¡± ¡°She can lean on walls and move long distances, and although she can¡¯t say a word yet, her babble has also be more specific. She seems to be on the superior sidepared to the developmental status of a baby at around 12 months of age.¡± It was a familiar routine. ¡°She doesn¡¯t look for her mother?¡± Sears blinked his eyes and Lira replied indifferently. ¡°She¡¯s a curiously naughty person.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know if that¡¯s a good thing.¡± A child who doesn¡¯t look for his parents. Sears was heartbroken. ¡°It seems like you¡¯re holding something back. But I don¡¯t think so. She¡¯s a baby that¡¯s only a year old.¡± It was disastrous, but Sears knew his wife didn¡¯t have that many days left to live, so he spent time with her as if he had be her hands and feet, dealing with everything she had done. Instead, he couldn¡¯t stand by this child. He shook his head and recalled what happened today. ¡®I can¡¯t guarantee it now, sir.¡¯ ¡®Then?¡¯ I think it¡¯s best to reduce the pain. Because the bitter poison in the course of the treatment was strong¡­¡¯ It was awful. His wife was his life. His jaw became firm. ¡®She¡¯s dying¡­?¡¯ ¡®¡­¡­.¡¯ His wife, who had lost consciousness and was ill, woke at that moment and called him with a faint smile. It felt like he was being pushed over a cliff. As he bowed his head as if in dismay, and looked at the doctor who had left, his wife evenforted him with kindness. ¡®It¡¯s okay. Thank you for still loving me.¡¯ The friendly gaze was terribly painful. And he himself was begging for it. She was the person who feared, hurt, and suffered more than anyone else, and he hung on to her like a fool. No. He couldn¡¯t lose her. ¡®I can¡¯t let you go like this. No matter what happens¡­¡¯ His wife gently stroked his face. ¡®Sears, you need to calm down. You know it too. Remember, it¡¯s not all about our kids. If you pour out your blind anger, the sky will be angry and you won¡¯t have good dreams.¡¯ ¡®Please¡­¡¯ ¡®Don¡¯t save me, but our child. And you have to love her more than anyone else, okay? Watch over her and keep her safe¡­ I don¡¯t know if there will be people who use her, and I don¡¯t know what kind of danger there will be in the future if they touch Hillington. Again, never ever let the temple take my child¡­¡¯ A sigh leaked out. He was afraid every day He couldn¡¯t even show her their own recovered daughter properly before she had fallen asleep again as if she were always in a dream. ¡°My daughter.¡± Unfortunately, it was the best thing he could do for the time being to be able toe to see the child, even at thiste night when she was only sleeping. Exhausted, he dragged the chair to the side of the baby¡¯s bed and sat down quietly. (t/n: Sears is MC¡¯s dad) TO BE CONTINUED. Chapter 4 - I’m Growing Fast

Chapter 4 : I¡¯m Growing Fast

(Sears¡¯ POV)

¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± It was funny and bitter to hear about your own child¡¯s progress through a report, just like hearing some information about the subject of a request. ¡°Thank you for growing up well.¡± ording to Lira, she said that she was an incredibly gentle and bubbly baby. However, she also said that my baby developed faster than normal by being healthy and very intelligent. If I were to tell my wife about the development of our baby, she would definitely smile mischievously with a face that shows that everything will be alright. I was burning to the core. To be honest, I wanted to go with my wife. But, I couldn¡¯t. With trembling my hands, I covered the child¡¯s feet as it came out of the nket. She was so small and soft that it made my heart flutter when I touched it. ¡°Why are you so lovely¡­¡­.¡± This child and the child to be born. I¡¯m sure that they will both grow up lovely and that they won¡¯t hurt even if you put them in your eyes. Watching the situation, Lira carefully opened the door and left, leaving only him and the baby in the room. ¡°Baby.¡± Sears pressed his stiff eyes as he listened to the still, addictive sound. ¡°Dad is scary.¡± Unfortunately, tears flowed. There was no sobbing, but tears dripping down his hands. Until it wet the child¡¯s nket. As he stayed by the child¡¯s side for a long time. * * *

( FL¡¯s POV )

¡°Huh?¡± As soon as I opened my eyes, I sucked the side of my mouth vigorously. Oh, now I¡¯m used to it. I need to graduate from this habit, but I keep looking for it when I¡¯m anxious. ¡®But I think I was having a silly dream.¡¯ I think I dream of a man who¡¯s very handsome, with a child-like expression, kept crying right next to me. What kind of dream is this? He kept crying, but my hands and feet didn¡¯t move, So I couldn¡¯t soothe him, wipe his face and also I couldn¡¯t whisper ¡°Please be quiet.¡± ¡®As expected, it¡¯s a very unusual dream. But I need to be careful today.¡¯ There¡¯s no harm in being careful. As I grabbed the pir of the bed and stood up with strength on my shaky legs, I saw Liraing in from the door. And also the other two maids came inside my room. I blinked to say hello to them. Hello, Lira. ¡°You¡¯re up early, miss.¡± I want to smile like a lovely baby, but my lips don¡¯t move like a rock because I was a blunt person in my previous life. I¡¯m sorry,dies But the other two maids didn¡¯tugh either. ¡°The weather is very nice today. You¡¯re in a good mood, aren¡¯t you?¡± It seems that Lira¡¯s touch, which approaches the curtain like an arrow, is particrly quick and urate. ¡®Ugh!¡¯ But can you give some time to adjust. I frowned at the blinding light. But Lira wasn¡¯t satisfied with that. ¡°So you¡¯d better work hard today.¡± Pardon? Lira, who moved so fast as she touched and fixed me in a blink of an eye, then hugged me as she lowered me down to the floor. ¡°Once you grow up you will be walking with me, exercise for you to be healthy. So today, we are exercising indoors. you need to build up those leg strength.¡± What leg strength. ¡°Now, can you walk all the way here, miss?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Seeing her serious face makes me feel like I should follow suit. But is this really parenting? Do they usually raise a baby like this? Why does it feel like I¡¯m getting a PT? Seeing Lira¡¯s solemn expression on her face, I was nervous and moved my feet to the sound one by one. ¡°Good job, now this time this way. One more try, miss.¡± I almost fell backwards from time to time because of the insanely heavy head, but I managed to keep my bnce. **** While holding onto the wall and moving, I felt that this was very simr to core exercise that I had worked hard on in my previous life, and I got a little bit of a reality check. ¡°You did well today, miss.¡± Strange. Why does it feel like I¡¯m being trained as a dog at Lira¡¯spliment? As I took a deep breath, I identally put my hands on the mirror as I walked forward. I could see a small palm like a maple leaf mark, as my palm dipped in the mirror. And I could also see the reflection of myself in the mirror that I had never seen before. ¡®So, this is my face now.¡¯ My brow furrowed sharply. In my past life, I had a habit of not looking in the mirror. Now, I could see my hairing out quite fuzzy. Even the bridge of my nose wrinkled like an angry young beast. I smoothed my hair in the mirror, while being careful not to fall. ¡®But Rose¡¯s hair is pink, isn¡¯t it? Then why does my hair look like silver? Will it changeter?¡¯ It was just then. Then another maid talked to the other older woman. ¡°Did you hear about the Duke of Belfius?¡± Huh? Belfius? My ears suddenly perked up. That¡¯s the male protagonist¡¯s family. ¡°Oh, in the capital, if you don¡¯t know that, you¡¯re a spy.¡± ¡°I heard they¡¯re all dead.¡± Excuse me? ¡°The people of the Belfius family.¡± Oh. I gasped in surprise and immediately closed my mouth, but then my eyes met Lira, who was looking at me with a questionable face. I quickly rolled my eyes and made a casual expression, but I can still feel her tenacious gaze. No, I don¡¯t know anything, so stop looking at me. ¡®It seems to be a Belfius affair.¡¯ I knew about it, since it was from the original story. The male protagonist, Gabriel. In other words, my future fiance, while I became Ros¨¦ the female protagonist. One of the story lines from the original story shows how he became so cold and desperate. Gabrielter ascended the title of head of the family at the age of only 12. And the background of the incident was because of Belfius¡¯ blood rtives who were exterminated when he was still young. ¡®That¡¯s the Belfius Incident.¡¯ The background behind the brutal killing of the powerful Duke of Belfius is not revealed until the end of the novel, but is revealed in the mouth of Gabriel, who draws the sword of revenge. ¡®And the culprit in that case.¡¯ Ugh. I got goosebumps. I have to meet the real criminal. ¡®Living inside a novel is more terrifying than I thought¡­¡­.¡¯ While reading , I always had more empathy for Ros¨¦, but I still thought that the life of the male lead, Gabriel, was very strange. There is a saying in this world. And the characters who were born with sayings will have the appropriate viability. Both Ros¨¦ and Gabriel were born with it. Among them, Ros¨¦ will bloom splendidly. Thus, Ros¨¦ von Hillington was born with the ability of absolute likability that anyone can¡¯t help but love her. And Gabriel, who was born with the motto ¡°Nothing will break through¡±, is expected to be the best swordsman in this empire. However, because of his hardened heart, he lives without knowing the normal feelings that people experience from their family or friends. Gabriel¡¯s past was exined in a few lines in the novel, but hearing it in person gave me goosebumps. ¡®If his whole family were killed overnight¡­¡­¡¯ What happened then to Gabriel? The young boy who was left alone had to suffer hardships from those who wanted the title and wealth of the Belfius family, because he was just an innocent young boy. Until the boy who lost all his family at a young age of 12, as he realizes and uses the power of his words with a cruel degree of certainty. ¡® was the only driving force in my dying life, but it is true that Gabriel is cruel.¡¯ The details of how he lived his life of humiliation as a child are not described in detail, but I can¡¯t imagine how terrible it would have been if the first thing he did when he was only 12 years old, was to kill all of his other blood rtives. ¡®It seems that somewhere in this world. A young boy who can¡¯t even lift a single sword, lost his parents and close friends.¡¯ I felt guilty for no reason. I was excited several times a day that I would be Ros¨¦ and grow up in a harmonious and happy family that was different from my previous life, but for Gabriel, this moment will be hell. ¡°Miss.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± Lira? ¡°Don¡¯t sit there like that, I¡¯ll just give you a hug.¡± If it weren¡¯t for Lira, who hugged me up close, I would have fallen into much deeper thoughts. My feet were swaying in the air and Lira hugged me dearly with her warm arms. Didn¡¯t you lift me like a piece of paper, now? Lira, I haven¡¯t seen your hands yet, but I think your arm strength is very good. ¡®Even though I¡¯m a baby, I¡¯m still quite heavy.¡¯ When Lira fiercely told them to leave, the two maids groaned and went outside the room. Seeing their attitude of not showing any regrets, I felt that none of these maids really cared for me genuinely, which made me depressed for no reason. ¡°Hey.¡± Without realizing it, I grabbed the hem of Lira¡¯s robe, and it was as if Lira¡¯s eyes met mine and seemed to smile a little. But looking back at her with a blink of an eye, her beautiful face is terribly expressionless. ¡°Miss.¡± ¡°Ooh.¡± ¡°Even though the Duke doesn¡¯te to see you often, this youngdy is still very energetic, and I think that it¡¯s wonderful, and I am loving you even more.¡± Hey, that¡¯s a lie. ¡°I, too, enjoy spending more and more time with our little baby.¡± Thank you for that. Before bing a maid, I was curious about Lira¡¯s story. When this damn babble in my mouth is over, I¡¯ll grab Lira and ask her. Where did youe from? Why are you so expressionless? By any chance do you hate me? But howe the words you say are so sweet? ¡°Look, it is peaceful and quiet. What a great time.¡± That¡¯s right. ¡°You have to enjoy your own privileges. Everyone in this mansion will cherish and love you.¡± Really? ¡°Wow.¡± ¡°Yes. Say it like that.¡± I¡¯ll have to ask her if she¡¯ll always be by my sideter. You may hate me, but I just wanted to say that I really like you. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about anything, eat and sleep, all you need to do is be happy and have fun. So don¡¯t make that face.¡± ¡°Aaaaah!¡± What kind of face did I make? ¡°It sounds like you¡¯re answering. You¡¯re such a fascinating baby.¡± ¡°Boo!¡± Lira is a fool. I pouted my lips for no reason. ¡°Now shall we take a nap? I¡¯ll fatten up healthy today, and work out tomorrow.¡± Lyra¡¯s voice was as cold as ice as she patted me on the back and said that, but somehow Iughed. Yes, Lyra. I am Ros¨¦ So you¡¯ll be happy, right? Neither the father, who does not show his face now, nor Gabriel, whom I will meetter, have the confidence to make them as happy as honey like the real Ros¨¦. ¡®Still, I hope that when we finally see each other, we can smile at each other¡­..¡¯ TO BE CONTINUED¡­¡­ Chapter 5

It Was My Mistake (1)

It was a few days ago. ¡®Huh?¡¯ While I¡¯m in deep slumber, I suddenly felt something strange, like a chill running down my back. Then, I slowly opened my eyes. ¡®I feel something weird.¡¯ And I realized that it was not a day when the sun was shining strong, but it was still dawn that gave off a blue light energy. I tried to look at Lira, who was always on standby at the rumbling sound of my stomach, but I was alone in my room. ¡®What? There¡¯s no one here?¡¯ Maybe it was because of the kidnapping, but someone was always there when I opened my eyes, day and night. It¡¯s either Lira or another maid. But this was the first time that no one looked after me. ¡®Why? Why is it so quiet?¡¯ My heart was pounding strangely. Just as I felt something ominous. I pushed myself up using my buttocks, and slowly went down from my bed. As I finally touched the floor with my little feet. Thud, thud. I staggered a little, while I tried to reach and pressed my hands against the wall, then finally pushed the door in which I have never done before. ¡°Ooops!¡± The door that had been gently pushed was opened with the power of a baby, and a very long and quiet hallway of the mansion was now visible. I wonder what happened? I can feel that I would regret it, If I ever leave my bedroom. But I really need to know what¡¯s happening. ¡°Tsk!¡± Okay. I¡¯ll go now! I walked out of the door with an adventurous spirit. Will never know what I¡¯ll see outside this door. **** (MC¡¯s POV) Yesterday, Lira said ¡°Tomorrow is your birthday!¡± ¡®But then, where did everyone go? Even Lira, where is she?¡¯ My heart was pounding. Even though I walked that far, the hallway was quite long, for my little feet and I already felt dizzy. I even thought about going back for a while. ¡°Oops.¡± It was a structure where there was no fear of getting lost, but it¡¯s the path that was making it difficult to walk on with short legs. That¡¯s when I decided to go back and try to sleep again, if I couldn¡¯t see anything unusual, once I turned around this corner. I could hear someone, raising his voice as if they were fighting. As I turned around the corner, a scenepletely different from the quiet hallway filled my eyes. ¡®!¡¯ I couldn¡¯t make a sound. I just stood there like a statue. In the dark and gloomy atmosphere, people are holding back their screams. Maids move in a hurry with anxious faces and a sound of a baby crying. Everything was so confusing. ¡°Your Excellency, I have brought the second Miss.¡± Second, Miss? She was holding the child with a face that looked kind of sweet and tender, unlike me. ¡®Huh.¡¯ And what caught my attention was the child¡¯s fluffy hair. It was bright pink. A dense and clear facial features. A sweet little baby that would surely grow up into a cute and adorable one. Although it seems like we¡¯re about the same age, I definitely heard them said ¡®Second¡¯ A second child. At Hillington¡­¡­ There is no such thing as a second child, then who the hell is that baby? The atmosphere of the people who had been calmed down changed abruptly the moment they looked at the bed of the mistress. ¡°Your Excellency, Madame is breathing¡­¡­ !¡± ¡°No! Bring me the holy water, now!¡± ¡°Holy water doesn¡¯t work anymore¡­.¡± There is no more hope. My heart sank as I heard those murmurs. This is not a part of the original story, But I remembered what the doctor said, when she was about to die. No, no. This can¡¯t be true. My legs started to tremble. ¡®Madame?¡¯ It wasn¡¯t just because of the shocking circumstances of someone¡¯s death. It was because I now realized that a certain hope that I had firmly believed in, was actually a thin ss that could copse right away. ¡®Who am I?¡¯ No one has ever called me by my first name. That¡¯s why I didn¡¯t know. ¡®I hadn¡¯t thought¡­¡­¡¯ My hair isn¡¯t like Ros¨¦riel¡¯s sweet pink hair. ¡®Am I Ros¨¦¡­¡­.?¡¯ In the original story, the Duchess gave birth to Rose and died shortly after giving birth to a worsening postpartum disease. So, now, that scene. ¡®I wasn¡¯t Ros¨¦.¡¯ While Ros¨¦¡¯s, or my dad in this life, never smiled like that. The father hugged the unfamiliar baby dearly and whispered with tears in his eyes. ¡°Ros¨¦, baby¡­¡­. Please see off your mother¡¯sst path¡­.¡± ¡°My Lord, should I bring the Oldest Miss here?¡± ¡°Yeah, she may be very surprised, but she¡¯ll have to see her too¡­¡­.¡± His soft, trembling hands touched the baby¡¯s fluffy hair and gently caressed her as if it would break. And the beautiful handsome man shed tears like beads, while holding the child in his arms, he immediately approached the pale woman and knelt down. ¡°Honey,e and see our Ros¨¦¡¯s face for thest time. You need to see our children before you go¡­..¡± ¡°Fortunately, I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry¡­¡­ You¡­¡­ .¡± ¡°Honey? Elizabeth?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Elizabeth. Please, please don¡¯t go like this¡­¡­.¡± Everyone in the room mourned. Their tears, frustration, and sadness were all very clear. I was also afraid of witnessing someone¡¯s death. But that feeling soon disappears. Like a perfect masterpiece, their appearance was terribly beautiful. I held my breath like a frozen statue. ¡®Ah.¡¯ I felt a sudden pain slowly prickling my heart, and a sad reality came in. There seemed to be no ce for me. Like I¡¯m just a bonus. In this world only for Ros¨¦, it¡¯s as if someone was whispering that it had be an ufortable lump. *** (3rd Person POV) The thunder rumbled and lightning flickered, as if someone¡¯s crying. Employers watched desperately at the misery that befell this picturesque family. Sears von Hillington. He was given congrattory remarks of ¡°Finding the perfect love¡± which was announced at his Duke¡¯s inauguration. (t/n I¡¯ll be using the word Congrattory Remarks or Sayings, but from what I understand is that once they were brought to the temple after they were born a prophet will gave a Congrattory Remarks to the baby that was born, just like Rose who was given the remarks of Likability.) At first, he thought that it was an inappropriate saying for a cold-blooded man. Far from loving anyone, he was a man who would have lived his life byshing out at himself. Until he met Elizabeth. A woman with pink hair that is rich and sweet like cherry blossoms in bloom, and her red eyes are sweet as sugar. Sears was engrossed as if he had changed as soon as he met Elizabeth. That¡¯s how their love began. It was the romance of the century. Everyone that was employed at Hillington loved this young aristocratic couple. That they may be happy, and love each other forever. But then this happened. An iron-blooded man who would have lived without any setbacks. But now he was shedding tears, as he lost the woman who was like his own heart. And he doesn¡¯t care, even if he lost his face and dignity as a nobleman. ¡®After all he couldn¡¯t stand losing his wife, who means the world to him.¡¯ It was when everyone was wet with tears, unable to hide their sadness. Those people who were distracted by the situation, suddenly realized that there was someone else in their space besides them. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me, My Lady¡­..?¡± The eyes of the employees followed the gaze of the handmaiden, Lira, who muttered in despair. And then she saw it. A little baby with sad eyes that doesn¡¯t look like a child. It was then that she realized that she forgot about the oldest miss, after she found out about what happened to the Duchess. At the same time, Lira med herself. Thinking that the littledy would be like this once she saw the Duchess. That¡¯s the reason why she bought Rose, to the Duke first. Standing up against the wall, the oldest miss looked as if she was about to copse. (T/N I¡¯ll be using ¡°Oldest Miss¡± for our MC, whenever she will be addressed by the maids.) Those who saw her all felt that their hearts were beating with an unknown emotion. ¡°Miss?¡± The maid, Lira, approached her with a bewildered look on her face, and quickly held the baby in her arms. Everyone was thinking the same thing. ¡®When did youe here? Did you walk on your own all the way from your room?¡± Everyone was astonished. There¡¯s no way a child could have felt something and came here. ¡®I¡¯m sure she came here out of curiosity.¡¯ Even so, the gaze she was looking at was directly towards her father, who was crying all this time, and her mother, who had her eyes closed. ¡®She seems to understand death.¡¯ Even though the baby couldn¡¯t understand death, strangely, she couldn¡¯t take her eyes off the scene. Ordinary maids who normally have no expression on their faces, rubbed their eyes together at the sorrow of the baby. Even though the baby didn¡¯t shed a single tear. It was even sadder to see the baby standing there like a statue, who seemed to be unable to show her emotions, without crying. ¡°Lira, what are you doing? Hurry up, bring the oldest miss ¡­.¡± Take her. One of the maids, who was whimpering, urged the littledy¡¯s dedicated maid. Lira, who was holding the baby with an expressionless face, blinked and quickly walked towards the Duke. ¡°Your Excellency. The oldest miss is here.¡± Everyone watched as the baby hid her face in Lira¡¯s arms as if terrified. Everyone felt sad seeing the reaction of the oldest miss. Considering that the Duke, who was always by the side of his fallen wife, that¡¯s the reason why she didn¡¯t know that this person was her Father. Because she¡¯s unfamiliar to him. The baby slowly turned her face that was buried in Lira¡¯s arms, and looked at Duke once, then to her sister and finally to her Mother who was lying on the bed with her eyes closed. Looking at her mother with a pained expression. ¡°Ma ¡­..¡± ¡®Howe that little babble sounds like a mother?¡¯ Eventually, the Duke, who¡¯s mourning, finally reached out his hand. ¡°Hildea.¡± Hildea. It was a name that no one had ever mentioned in this mansion since the time that the Oldest Miss was kidnapped from the temple. ¡°Your Excellency. I¡¯ll keep holding the Oldest Miss ¡­.¡± ¡°No. Hill,e here.¡± The baby was startled by the sudden action and closed her eyes tightly, but soon the Duke held Rose in his other arms and Hildea, who was slumped in the other side. And the beautiful Duchess, Elizabeth, who was a mother and a wife,y on the bed peacefully. While everyone stays in the room mourning. But people wouldn¡¯t know. The terrible shock the child received at that moment. Her pain. * * * The news that the Duchess of Hillington had passed away soon went viral. The story of the Duke of Hillington, Sears and how he proposed to an ordinarydy Elizabeth was a famous romance novel that was read countless times by the people in the Empire. People felt sad. It is because the happy ending that should have ended with the female protagonist and the male protagonist getting married and having a son and daughter and living happily ever after was broken. But it was the reality, and people, especially the aristocrats, began to think differently. When referring to the Emperor¡¯s strong right and left arms, they all refer to Hillington and Belfius. However, the majority of the Belfius blood rtives were all murdered, while Duke Sears, who was born with a blessing of ¡°Finding the perfect love¡±, lost his most important love. Because everyone knows how impactful this would be to the Mielle Empire. The Emperor¡¯s power will definitely decline. ¡°His Majesty must be in trouble.¡± ¡°There¡¯s also a rumor saying that the sessor of the Belfius Family, suddenly became crazy.¡± ¡°The Empress faction will prevail.¡± ¡°But will the Hilington copse like this?¡± ¡°Everyone knows how much they love each other, to the point that the Duke also wants to die with her.¡± ¡°They say that the children born are twins, right?¡± ¡°Oh, we don¡¯t know the mind of a person who¡¯s blinded by love, I bet that it would be very difficult for the Kids, since they just lost their mother. I feel so sorry for the kids.¡± ¡°Besides, there are stories that the cause of the Duchess¡¯s death was because of a saying that was given to the eldest of the twins. The congrattory remarks can only be known if the person in charge of the temple has said it officially, but how serious was it that such rumors circted? And look at what they did in the temple.¡± ¡°Oh, is it? What kind of sayings are you talking about? So you¡¯re telling us that she died because of the first daughter?¡± The aristocrats were constantly talking about the topic loudly. And some of them ridiculed the tragedy of Hillington and Belfius. To be honest, the hardships they suffered were also enjoyable. That¡¯s what most of them wondered about. ¡°So what happened to the daughter who killed her mother?¡± TO BE CONTINUED¡­. Chapter 6

It Was My Mistake (2)

I was sitting in front of the mirror. Behind me, a maid was brushing my hair carefully. ¡°¡­Do you like it, miss?¡± A bitter smile rose naturally while I was looking at the maid behind me in the mirror. Why are you so nervous? ¡°Yes, tie it neatly with a ribbon at the end.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The maid¡¯s touch quickened. She seemed happy to be able to do it promptly and get out. Perhaps it¡¯s due to my cold expression, but the employees of the mansion feel distant. Still, it¡¯s unfair because it¡¯s not as if I can help it. ¡°I¡¯m done, miss. Then¡­¡­ May I go out to do my other duties?¡± ¡°Yes, what¡¯s the schedule after this?¡± ¡°You can go to the restaurant for dinner.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± I looked at the back of the maid who did my hair as she disappeared quickly, looking like she had seen something scary, and then turned my head around. I watched as another maid in the room freaked out. That¡¯s embarrassing. Do you hate me that much? I tried not to look at my face as much as I could, and instead focused on my silver hair shining in the light. Now I¡¯m used to the long hair thates down to my hips. ¡°But where¡¯s Lira?¡± Until now, I couldn¡¯t see my exclusive maid, Lira. At my question, the maid¡¯s lips quivered, but she answered fairly calmly. ¡°Lira is visiting Miss Rose for a while.¡± ¡°Ros¨¦? Yes¡­ Okay.¡± Ros¨¦riel. She looked different because she was a fraternal twin, but she was born on the same day, just an hour after me. However, she is the main character of the novel . Today is Ros¨¦ and my birthday and our mother¡¯s death anniversary. We are now 8 years old. Originally, an ordinary aristocratic family would have held a wonderful birthday party for their daughters¡¯ birthdays. But since it¡¯s also the day of our mother¡¯s death, the Hilingtons have been quiet enough to cause rumors to ur. From what I remember, this is the same as the original ¨C refraining from going outside and not letting anyone inside easily. I sighed and got up from my seat. There was still a long way to go, and I had to go down to see my dad and Ros¨¦ right now. * * * The sound of tablewares shing rang loudly. Ros¨¦ was stillcking in table manners. That¡¯s understandable. It can be difficult to move with that small hand. ¡°Hehe. I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Ros¨¦riel, is it because you don¡¯t have good manners?¡± ¡°But Dad, there are too many knives and forks for no reason¡­¡± ¡°Rose, I shouldn¡¯t have spoiled you like that.¡± Strictly speaking, my father¡¯s lips curved like a man in front of something extremely adorable. Perhaps the other servants in the restaurant are all looking at the pink-haired child with those eyes. Cute cheeks that look like they¡¯re going to pop out if you press them. (PR: Think chipmunk?) Small lips that move with a murmur. Certainly, Ros¨¦ was a very pretty child. On the other hand, ¡°¡­Hildea. Did you like your meal? I¡¯ve prepared your favorite salmon.¡± A stiff-faced dad asked me. It was an embarrassing change. As I was chewing the meat in my mouth, I swallowed and nodded quietly. ¡°Yes.¡± I felt even more sorry when I saw my father¡¯s awkward face, as if he had spoken ceremonially, or as if he didn¡¯t know what to say. ¡®I shouldn¡¯t have said that.¡¯ You don¡¯t have to be awkward with me. ¡°It was delicious, thank you.¡± ¡°Do you want more?¡± ¡°I¡¯m full, so it¡¯s okay.¡± ¡°Well, I see.¡± There was silence. I wanted to speak as delicately as I could, but my voice was hard and cold. Seeing my father¡¯s face furrow between his eyes was frustrating. ¡®This can¡¯t be it.¡¯ I should have eaten alone. I think I came down to the restaurant for no reason. It was just then. As if she couldn¡¯t stand the silence, Ros¨¦ got up from her chair and approached father and pulled on the hem of his clothes. ¡°Dad, don¡¯t tell me such a trivial story! It¡¯s my birthday and my sister¡¯s birthday!¡± Dadughed only then. ¡°Ha. Yeah, that¡¯s all you¡¯ve been waiting for, littledy.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± There was a sound ofughter from those who watched the confident voice and charming gestures. I burst intoughter as well, but it must have been a distorted cackle, so I quickly covered my mouth with my hand. ¡®Ros¨¦ is a really lovely child.¡¯ Actually, it was difficult at first. My name is Hildea, not Rose. It¡¯s a life that didn¡¯t even exist in , so you never know when I will disappear. All of those things. ¡®I¡¯ve seen everything in my past life and thought I was right.¡¯ Thinking of how difficult it was, the anxiety and fear that my life might change just like in my previous life came to me. Is it because I saw my dad, who doesn¡¯t smile at me, gently smile at Ros¨¦? Or was it from when Lira, who was cold and expressionless, and the other maids lovingly observed the sleeping Rosel? Was it from the time when the employees of the mansion, who avoided my gaze or awkwardly looked at me, waved their hands at Ros¨¦? Lira, who I thought was my only person, was actually Rose¡¯s person as well. ¡®I¡¯m very worried because the seconddy is weak. Oh, Miss Hill, are you worried, too?¡¯ ¡®Uh-huh. Lira, what about Dad?¡¯ ¡®The Duke has been gone for a while. Do you want to visit? Rather, the Duke was in the seconddy¡¯s room earlier¡­¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s okay.¡¯ ¡®Miss?¡¯ ¡®Dad is busy. I¡¯m fine.¡¯ From what I remember in the original story, the father was apathetic at first, but the reality was quite different. Dad was awkward, but he was also kind to Ros¨¦. And it was the same for other people too. It felt like I was the only one who couldn¡¯t join in and get closer. Actually it wasn¡¯t okay. Everyone¡¯s attention was focused on Ros¨¦, who was very weak since her childhood. So when I was alone, my loneliness doubled. Without realizing it, it was to the point where I began acting like a real child. I mainly grabbed Lira¡¯s hem. ¡®Lira. Are you going¡­?¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m sorry, miss. Miss Ros¨¦ suddenly got a fever¡­ I¡¯ll see you after a while. Are you hanging out with other maids?¡¯ ¡®Yes¡­¡¯ As the incidents piled up one by one, it became increasingly difficult for me to breathe from a certain point onward. I wasn¡¯t originally a bright baby who smiles well, but I¡¯m getting more and more talkative. It was because I was worried about how the other person would react when I said something. Lira was so worried about it that she called in the doctor to see me several times. ¡®Thedy doesn¡¯t speak.¡¯ ¡®But, she doesn¡¯t have any physical problems.¡¯ ¡®Then¡­ Are you saying it¡¯s a mental problem?¡¯ ¡®It seems like it. Try to not leave her alone as much as possible.¡¯ It was funny. The existence of my sister, where we had not seen each other until my mother died,forted me. Thanks to her, I felt warm and was able to breathe again. ¡°Li¡­ Lira.¡± ¡®Lady¡­¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m fine. How is Ros¨¦?¡¯ As soon as I opened my mouth again, Lira was relieved. I think I heard Lira sobbing and whispering sorry in her sleep. Anyways, I gave up and got used to my current position. Because I wasn¡¯t really a kid. Rose is Rose. I am me. When I fell in love with Ros¨¦, I was able to look at her calmly. In the end, everyone cares about and embraces Ros¨¦ has made her more powerful than anyone else. In the novel, I have clearly experienced how the single-line narrative is expressed in reality. ¡®Oh, my God. Lady Ros¨¦ must really like Lady Hildea. As expected, twin sisters have good friendship!¡¯ As for me, Ros¨¦ was lovely. Ros¨¦ smiled at me when everyone else was ufortable around me. Her sparkling eyes melted hearts and even though our eye colors are the same, hers seemed to look more special. How could you hate a child like that? * * * ¡°Hildea, do you¡­¡­don¡¯t you like the present?¡± ¡°What? Oh, a gift?¡± I blinked and looked up. I was too deep in thought. Dad was frowning a little, and it seemed to me that he was unhappy. ¡°You haven¡¯t even opened your birthday present yet.¡± ¡°I was thinking about something else for a moment. I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m not asking you to apologize.¡­.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Hmm, never mind. Why don¡¯t you open the gift?¡± ¡°Yeah, sister. Open it up. What is it?¡± Rose, who was staring with anticipation, had twinkling eyes while dad was frowning. And I could see the maids looking at me as if they were unhappy that I had kept them waiting. And the present in front of me. I swallowed my dry saliva and tried to smile. It didn¡¯t go well. Would it hurt for me to say that I¡¯m nervous when they look at me like that? ¡°Thank you, Dad.¡± Resignation and abandonment were very familiar, but it was still warmer here than in my previous life. It¡¯s like watching a novel that you liked in front of you. It would have been nice if we could hang out naturally even if we weren¡¯t equally loved. ¡°Sister, look at this, it¡¯s a shiny hairpin. Dad bought me five! Am I pretty?¡± ¡°That¡¯s why you feel good. It looks good on you.¡± ¡°Yes. So, open it up too. And you should be proud of me. Aren¡¯t you looking forward to it? What a gift!¡± Other people don¡¯t know it well, but Ros¨¦ was amazingly aware of the moments when I was depressed and used that to her advantage. ¡®Be nice.¡¯ I felt like tears woulde out, so I gave strength to my eyes. They don¡¯t seem to like me as much as I would like them to, but they were nice and lovely. I felt likeughing and crying at the same time. When I opened the box with trembling hands, what came out was¡­ TO BE CONTINUED¡­¡­.. Chapter 7 (Hildea¡¯s POV) I couldn¡¯t help but tilt my head to the side. ¡®Shoes? No, they¡¯re definitely shoes, right? But why?¡¯ It looks like sneakers that I could easily see in my previous life¡­¡­ They have a unique shape with some cute little wings on both sides. Then my dad said, ¡°Do you think they¡¯re too rough? Or do you not like them? I should have bought something more shiny¡­¡­.¡± ¡°No, I like them.¡± ¡°You like them?¡± When I looked at my dad, he quickly turned his face away. That¡¯s why I also dropped my gaze and said calmly, ¡°They¡¯re so nice. I think my feet will be veryfortable.¡± The tension on his lips rxed for a moment. The sneakers were truly a perfect gift, especially when I thought of my father who chose them for me. When I wore them, they would always remind me that somehow he thought about me. At that time, I suddenly heard a strange noise. ¡®What¡¯s that?¡¯ I looked to my father, but he was still avoiding my gaze. His expression was heartbreaking, but I knew that he cared for me; the gift meant that he was aware that I frequently exercised at night. It seemed unlikely, but I think he even gave me the right size. Yeah, this felt good. My heart started to flutter from excitement. ¡°I really, really like them. Thank you, Father.¡± And I¡¯m sorry that I couldn¡¯t express myself better. Unlike how I felt towards my parents from my old life, I just wanted to say thank you for not saying that you¡¯re sick of me. ¡°¡­ I¡¯m more grateful, Hill.¡± Again, I held the shoes tightly in my arms. I felt warmth spread across my body. -?¨A ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ ?? ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ ¨@?- (3rd Person POV) ng. ng. ¡°The news! It¡¯s here!¡± ¡°Ah!¡± The busy maids rushed towards the table after hearing the sound of the bell. Strangely, there were words being written by someone holding an open notebook. ¡°What? What does it say? Go ahead and tell me!¡± ¡°Wait, she¡¯s still writing!¡± The eyes of the maids, who were staring at her, had a bizarre look. Under their persistent gaze, the letters were quickly written down and deciphered. [Sess! We¡¯ve hit the jackpot!. Hildea-nim smiled!] [Hildea-nim is shining brightly today! Even if I die now, I have no regrets.] [The way she smiled while holding her new shoes was so heartwarming. I felt like I won $1mil, because I saw that rare and cute smile.] [Soon, Hildea-nim¡¯s dazzling smile will be painted as a memorable scene and the title will be ¡°Birthday Smile¡±. Wait, are you still there?] ¡°Kyaaaah¡± , the maids cheered loudly. ¡°She smiled!¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s a relief!¡± ¡°Miss Hill is so expressionless.¡± ¡°But when she smiles, It¡¯s really, really¡­. Aigoo.¡± The maids screamed just thinking about the scene:, Hildea¡¯s expressionless face wash bizarre, but her sparkling eyes and blushing cheeks couldn¡¯t hide her excitement. ¡°They said that she liked it, right? All that hard work was worth it!¡± ¡°Yeah, Sien. You really must¡¯ve had a hard time. They¡¯re an unusual pair of shoes, not something that you could buy anywhere. I honestly didn¡¯t expect that you could do it.¡± ¡°Even Lira will praise me, right? They¡¯re something that I made using my own imagination. It¡¯s been 10 days now since she started her night routine and I¡¯ve been anxious everyday watching thedy. While the maids gathered around Sien to praise her for her hard work, another maid was standing in the middle of the kitchen with dazed eyes. Who among them could have imagined this kind of result? It seemed incredible that these women, whose daily lives included getting blood on their hands, had made it their main goal to bring a smile to the littledy, who grew up like a bush in a greenhouse. (T/N: ¡°Grew up like a bush in a greenhouse¡± means that she grew up like an invisible person, unlike Roselia who¡¯s shining brightly and always noticed by everyone.) At the end of the day, they were happy. ¡°But I¡¯m sure the youngest miss had the hardest time. I was so surprised at first. That you would be making something like this, and considering the amount of money and magic that the Duke offered¡­..¡± Then, as if having a seizure, Sien suddenly screamed. She red at those who had talked about the youngest miss.. ¡°Ah! You guys are so noisy. I don¡¯t care at all! It doesn¡¯t matter who¡¯s suffering: the important thing is that Miss Hill smiled! She smiled at something that I made and that¡¯s all that matters, okay!.¡± Trembling with excitement, she immediately lifted up her most cherished quill in her hand. As she filled up the notebook with words, a nging sound was heard again. [Silver hair is the best. Do you want it??] Sien swallowed dry saliva and began to write. [I want Miss Hildea¡¯s painting! How many are you going to make? 1-10? I¡¯ll buy them all.] [10, it¡¯s definitely 10 paintings that I would be producing. It¡¯ll be sold on a firste-first- serve basis, since it has limited quantities. Secrecy is a must in each transaction.] In the middle of that,the bell continued to ring. Sien said bitterly. ¡°I¡¯ll buy them all! All 10 paintings.¡± As the maids gradually moved away to their respective jobs, they heard Sien burst into hystericalughter. Though it may seem absurd to a third party, it was a daily routine that they had grown ustomed to. -?¨A ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ ?? ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ ¨@?- The colorful robes were so long that they appeared to overwhelm the boy¡¯s body. However, the proud upright shoulders and cynical expression were so dignified that everything seemed natural. Who wouldugh at the boy now? If a sword was lifted by that modest body, no one would be able to ignore it. The boy¡¯s lived his life saying that he would grow stronger with every breath that he takes. Nothing could prate him. That is why the nobles who sided with the Imperial Family were invincible, while the nobles of the Empress¡¯s party have all died. All because of the boy who survived, and will reign over the Empire. ¡°Be the firmest sword of the Empire of Mielle and crush your enemies with your sword, so that you will be worthy of your family name. Your steps and actions will be recorded throughout history, so live with caution and loyalty.¡± ¡°I humbly ept it, Your Majesty. I¡¯ll do my best.¡± ¡°All right, from now on you are the Duke of Belfius, the only one in the Empire.¡± Under the sharp gaze of the nobles, Gabriel remained confident, standing resolute without fear. In contrast, his arrogant dry tone implied that this grandiose event seemed boring The Emperor, Detroit, gave his blessing with a satisfied face, while the empress watched the scene with a cold facade. The Duke of Belfius, who was formally recognized with everyone¡¯s congrattions, was only 12 years old. -?¨A ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ ?? ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ ¨@?- ¡°My Lord, did it go well?¡± ¡°As you can see. It wasn¡¯t that much.¡± The adjutant, who smiled warmly even at his unkind words, quickly grabbed the seal that was about to be thrown on the ground. ¡°Oh my, my Lord. We are still inside the Imperial Pce.¡± ¡°So?¡± ¡°You can¡¯t throw away the seal that the emperor gave you like trash.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you catch it? That¡¯s already enough.¡± ¡°Huh? But you don¡¯t look happy. Isn¡¯t this the long-awaited moment? Did the empress pick a fight with you again? Haven¡¯t you sorted out all the things that might cause an argument?¡± The adjutant noticed that the boy¡¯s icy purple eyes were colder than usual. This boy didn¡¯t usually get angry. Because anger, irritation, and the like belong to the realm of emotions. Because the boy¡¯s heart was frozen a long time ago. And yet the adjutant could see the anger emitting from the boy, which was not present when he underwent the ceremony to be appointed Duke. The adjutant looked carefully, and Young Duke of Belfius¡¯s mouth eventually opened in response to his persistent gaze. ¡°Not the empress. This time, the Emperor ordered it.¡± He sounded sick and tired of everything. ¡°Oh, is it about¡­..That?¡± ¡°Yes, marriage. He never gave up.¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s definitely a headache.¡± Gabriel, known for rejecting everyone, quickly climbed into the carriage with his adjutant and left the Imperial pce as if annoyed that someone might catch him. ¡°It¡¯s annoying. I need to take care of it.¡± The adjutant quickly shook his head. ¡°But it is something that cannot be postponed any longer. There were excuses for procrastinating because the sessor had not yet been able to receive official title. However, it is unreasonable to dy any further. The emperor, who always arranges useless marriages, brings trouble to a lot of nobles. Gabriel¡¯s delicate eyebrows furrowed in displeasure. ¡°It is pathetic that the Emperor is still holding onto the will of the dead. Did you investigate the Hillington family?¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s the Hillingtons, right? Not that much. You already know most of it, and¡­¡± ¡°And?¡± ¡°It¡¯s hard to say, but¡­¡± The adjutant frowned while he rubbed his chin. ¡°From the time, when I returned to the capitol years ago, the security of the mansion at night has be very strict. The cause is unknown, but even if the Emperor¡¯s Shadow Knights tried to break in, it would be hard to prate.¡± Gabriel, who was looking outside the carriage¡¯s window, stated in an icy voice. ¡°All right, let¡¯s take advantage of it.¡± ¡°Wait, what are you talking about?¡± ¡°If it¡¯s a marriage, we can just make an excuse and break it. Was there a token of the marriage that my grandfather sent me?¡± The adjutant opened his mouth wide. ¡°My Lord, are you sure?¡± It was very important to share a token of marriage. But what if it suddenly disappeared and was lost? If the other side no longer had their token, they can never im marriage, because they lost their justification. In response, if the other party refused to talk, the marriage would be broken. ¡°Are you nning to move on your own?¡± ¡°Then who¡¯s gonna break inside the Hillingtons?¡± The adjutant said in a hurry, ¡°But the opponent will be the head of Hillington. If you get caught by him, the situation will be veryplicated. Furthermore, knowing the inside details of the Hillington family is a big deal for them.¡± Gabriel¡¯s eyes sharpened. Although he wasn¡¯t physically beaten by Gabriel,the adjutant felt that way. Nevertheless, Gabriel didn¡¯t have a choice. Although the master is now well-behaved, Hillington¡¯s head is still Sears. Even the Empress, who was called a crazy dog before, has been very careful around him. ¡°Who do you think I am? All I need to do is not get caught.¡± ¡°He¡¯s a beast. If you let your guard down, you¡¯ll be in big trouble.¡± ¡°You are the only one who dares to tell me that. Let¡¯s move on.¡± ¡°But¡­ I don¡¯t have a good feeling about this. Please reconsider.¡± Gabriel¡¯s lips twitched, but it wasn¡¯t something you could call a smile. ¡°It¡¯s better to be certain. I¡¯m going inside myself.¡± -?¨A ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ ?? ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ ¨@?- (Hildea¡¯s POV) AsI tried to get up from my bed, I could feel someone next to me who was hugging me like a pillow. Oh, she¡¯s here again. As expected. While tugging on the nket, I could see clearly the face that was covered. ¡°Ros¨¦.¡± Even though Lira nagged, there were times that Ros¨¦ would snuggle into my bed and fall asleep. To be honest, I didn¡¯t like that behavior either. Because Rose is warm blooded. ¡°¡­¡­ For a while¡­¡­ Delicious¡­¡± I burst intoughter. ¡°What are you dreaming about? What are you eating? What is it?¡± ¡°Uh-huh, yummy¡­¡­.¡± I couldn¡¯t help butugh at her. Fluffy pink hair that clings to her cheeks and scattered over the duvet. Her lips are constantly clenching as if she¡¯s dreaming of eating something delicious. A cute little girl, whom I can¡¯t hate, is clinging to me and breathing heavily. ¡°Ros¨¦. My little sister.¡± It¡¯s my sister. At first, I was ufortable approaching Roseriel, because I didn¡¯t know how to treat her. But it was Ros¨¦riel who made the first move between the two of us. This child, who smelled like a soft rose, talked to me, acting fondly to make sure I wasn¡¯t scared. Sister. My sister! Although we were born on the same day, I¡¯m just not as cute as my little sister. ¡°I alwaysugh because of you.¡± How can I hate the pink haired girl, who always follows me around? And who was always there when I opened my eyes? As I pinched her pale white cheeks and slowly let go, I could see her shaking her head slightly and unconsciously biting the duvet that covered her body. Are you eating meat? It was then. ¡°Sister¡­? Huh?¡± As if she was woken from her sleep, she opened her eyes. ¡°It¡¯s okay, sleep more.¡± ¡°Uh-huh¡­¡­.Sister Doo-woo.¡± Okay. To be honest, one of the things that I envy about her is her candor. Her confidence to approach and reach out to anyone at any time, with a big smile. Her ability to socialize, being able to get along and converse with anyone inside the mansion. And her unshaken belief that no matter what she says, the other person will respond with a smile. It was then. ¡®Huh? Who is it?¡¯ I heard someone talking outside. TO BE CONTINUED¡­¡­ Chapter 8 (TL/N : this chapter reveals a lot about Rose and her true nature. And I¡¯m starting to like her as well.) -?¨A ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ ?? ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ ¨@?- (Hildea¡¯s POV) There are quite a lot of people whoe into our mansion these days. Their intention is to see and discuss a lot of things with my father. And it seems like those people are the ones who I can hear talking outside of my room. Perhaps I should have just let it slide, but that scratchy voice caught my attention. ¡°Was it really because of the oldest miss?¡± What? Aren¡¯t I the oldest miss? What are they talking about? What did I do wrong? My heart was pounding anxiously. I quietly got out of bed and walked straight to the door. I didn¡¯t wanna hear it, but I needed to know what they were talking about. Then maybe, I would have an idea about why the people in this mansion continue to look down on me. Thinking about it tore my heart to pieces. I hesitantly turned the doorknob, half with the desire to open the door, and half with reluctance. AfterI heard a very small squeak, I saw two people standing outside through the crack in the door. One was a servant who had been working in our mansion for quite some time, and the other had an unknown face. It seemed to be a newly hired servant who had just started to work at our mansion. ¡°I¡¯ve already heard of it.¡± He looked down as if embarrassed by his unexpectedly high-pitched voice. Then he looked around to make sure that no one heard what he said, and confided in a low voice, ¡°Ever since then, the rumors are well known within the society. There aren¡¯t just one or two people who are curious about the twodies of the Hillington.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the reason why I heard a lot of rumors about the oldest miss.¡± I have no idea what they¡¯re talking about. I haven¡¯t been introduced to society yet, so why are there rumors about me? ¡°It¡¯s certain that Miss Hildea is not a very affectionate person. She¡¯s only eight years old and yet she hardly ever smiles. I also haven¡¯t seen her treat anyone kindly. On the other hand, Miss Rose isa very cute and bubbly person.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± That guy. I wanted to go grab him by the cor and shake him, considering all the nonsense that he was spewing. It¡¯s okay for me to me myself, but I didn¡¯t want to hear it from another person, especially from a stranger! However, my anger that almost erupted like an active volcano, suddenly hardened like cold wax. ¡°Did you just say that the Duchess died because of the firstdy¡¯s congrattory remarks? Be honest with me, is that true?¡± ¡­¡­.What? ¡®Congrattory remarks? My congrattions remarks?¡¯ The moment I heard it, my lips trembled. There was an uncontroble sound of teeth grinding. I felt like I was naked outside in the middle of winter without wearing anything at all. ¡®Do I really have congrattory remarks? But¡­¡¯ (t/n I¡¯ll be using the word Congrattory Remarks or Sayings, but from what I understand is that once they were brought to the temple after they were born a prophet will gave a Congrattory Remarks to the baby that was born, just like Rose who was given the remarks of likability.) Because of me, my mother died? ¡°What on earth did they say to the extent that the Duchess died? What are Miss Hildea¡¯s Sayings?¡± The other servant who was being asked didn¡¯t respond to the question, but his affirmative attitude struck my heart like an axe. My mother died because of congrattory remarks that I didn¡¯t even know. Then¡­. Was that the reason why everybody hates me? Really? My heart was pounding like crazy and it hurt deeply. I was also aware that tears were flowing down my cheeks and I felt like a fool. I closed the door carefully and took a deep breath. ¡°Ugh.¡± My vision blurred. My shoulders continued to tremble, and I couldn¡¯t hold back the tears that were overflowing. There was no such story like this in the original plot. So I have congrattory remarks. What kind of sayings do I have? And did all of this happen because of that? Is that also the reason why my Father and everyone else were having a hard time being around me? ¡®Why am I so sad? This is not even my real body.¡¯ My face which was reflected inside the mirror hardened without any expression, just like the real me in the past. I didn¡¯t know what my ability was. I didn¡¯t even know my name until I was 12 months old. But a sudden fear gripped me. If my mother died because of the sayings, does that mean that I really had no hope from the beginning? Was I really just a spare, like a redundant foreign object? Because there is no other child in the original story of . If that¡¯s the case, does that mean that the real Hildea may have died on the day she was kidnapped? Then I really don¡¯t deserve to be here¡­ Isn¡¯t that the case? -?¨A ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ ?? ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ ¨@?- ¡°Sister.¡± ¡°!¡± If it hadn¡¯t been for those little arms gently hugging me from behind, I would have drowned in my mncholy thoughts. ¡°What are you doing?¡± I quickly wiped away my tears. Ros¨¦, who¡¯s standing behind me, is an eight-year-old girl who didn¡¯t know anything yet. Depression and sadness are contagious. ¡°Nothing.¡± ¡°Sister, why are you crying? Who did this to you?¡± When I looked back, I saw her red eyes with tears overflowing as well. Fine wrinkles gathered atop Rose¡¯s nose, which increased her sniffling. ¡°But why are you crying?¡± ¡°No, (Sniff) the reason I cried is because I heard some bad words.¡± ¡°It was nothing, Ros¨¦. You should sleep more. Why are you awake already?¡± ¡°Oh! Then we should sleep together in bed. Don¡¯t listen to them.¡± Rose gradually approached me and covered my ears with her warm hands, rubbing them soothingly. It felt like she was blocking out all of the sound that reached my ears. That was why I couldn¡¯t help butugh. Oh, so lovely. When I looked at her, she deliberately blinked her cute eyes slowly, as if saying¡°Rather than being clever, I just wanna be affectionate .¡± PR Note: Think puss in boots from Shrek? lol ¡°I¡¯m still sleepy. Come to bed with me, sister.¡± That¡¯s weird. I thought I just heard someone grinding their teeth. But in front of me, I could only see sweet Ros¨¦ who was smiling brightly. Okay, but there¡¯s no way that a rabbit-like kid would have been that angry, to the point of grinding her teeth. ¡°¡­¡­Shall we?¡± ¡°Yes, just a little more. You¡¯re going to sleep with me a little longer too. They said sleep is the best medicine.¡± ¡°Ha ha, and where did you hear that?¡± ¡°Your sister is smart. Hehe.¡± A small hand suddenly grabbed mine. I couldn¡¯t resist her warmth, andid down beneath a soft nket. Ros¨¦ wiped the tears that had flowed down her cheeks with her wiggling hands as if trying to make them evaporate faster. After I cleaned my runny nose, I immediately shut my eyes. The sadness lingered, but anger red towards those servants who spoke badly of me. See youter. I¡¯m going to pluck out all those nasty nose hairs. (T/N she¡¯s implying about dealing with those servants who say bad things about her.) I¡¯m not going to let the roots grow as if they were sprayed with herbicides! ¡®Wait. What the hell am I thinking?¡¯ Pat pat. I held back my tears which were about toe out again, as Rose continued to pat my shoulder and all the while she hugged me tightly. Like an animal that hibernates while leaning in the warmth of its child¡¯s body, I fell into a deep sleep, avoiding my problems. Like I could forget everything. However, anxiety pricked my heart like a thorn. I didn¡¯t want to be hated by my Father nor Ros¨¦. Please. I hope my Mother didn¡¯t die because of me. Please¡­ -?¨A ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ ?? ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ ¨@?- After a while,a shuffling sound was heard under the nket. ¡°Sister, are you already asleep?¡± Tear marks had formed on the cheeks of the silver-haired girl who must have been tired and fell asleep right away. ¡°Those bad guys. I can¡¯t forgive them.¡± Unexpectedly harsh words came out of the mouth of the pink-haired girl who was looking affectionately at her sister. ¡°I¡¯m going to destroy them.¡± The girl stood up, clenching her fists as if she had made up her mind. Then she pulled up a pen from her pocket, ripped a piece of paper from her sister¡¯s desk and went back to the bed. But something strange happened. As if by magic, something that looked like a box appeared out of nowhere from the piece of paper. Ting! ¡°It¡¯s so frustrating that I can¡¯t talk to her directly, and it feels like I¡¯m going crazy. And how dare someone like that hurt my sister!¡± And so the girl, Ros¨¦riel, began to write with her eyes zing. -?¨A ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ ?? ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ ¨@?- (Chris¡¯ POV) ¡®What? Why isn¡¯t he answering me?¡¯ Chris swallowed his irritation while ring at the senior servant, who was staring at a piece of paper without saying a word. ¡®Why aren¡¯t you saying anything?¡¯ This mansion was really strange. At first, I thought that the oldest miss, Hildea, was being harassed by the Duke and her family. But as I observed more, it didn¡¯t seem like that was the case. So I asked if there was really a hidden inside story, and theid-back and slow servant who was called senior servant here in the mansion, didn¡¯t say anything and just looked at the paper. What¡¯s on that piece of paper, you idiot? ¡®Are you sleeping? Don¡¯t tell me that you can sleep while standing up?¡¯ In fact, Chris was a spy. He secretly infiltrated the aristocratic family to obtain their family secrets and sold them to important people for money. Every noble family had a lot to hide in order for them to live, so even if they only disclosed one secret, money still flowed from it. Now the most well sought information, which would make the nobles of the Imperial capital salivate and run like a flock of dogs, was by far about the Belfius and Hillington families. ¡®Because I couldn¡¯t touch the Belfius family.¡¯ Considering that a 12-year-old kid, who will be known as the future tyrant of the Empire, became the immediate head of his family, Dukedom definitely stopped me from going there. And I knew that the Hillington family was more rxed than before. That¡¯s why I thought that it would be okay, or so I believed.. But then. ¡°You.¡± The senior servant, who I thought was sleeping while standing, slowly raised his head. I¡¯m not sure why, but suddenly I felt chills going down my spine. ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°What were you talking about regarding the congrattory remarks of the oldest miss? The scariest part was when I saw how the senior servant looked at me, as if he was going to rip me to pieces. And ¡®Gasp!¡¯ I never thought that this would happen. ¡°When I saw you earlier, shit wasing out of your mouth, wasn¡¯t it?.¡± (TL/N: the senior servant pertains to Chris spreading lies.) My body stiffened, and my heart started to throb, as if it were being squished. I wanted to look away, but I couldn¡¯t even do that. It felt like my body was not mine. ¡°How dare you say bad things about our oldest miss?¡± As a servant of an aristocratic family and for the information to be delivered, Chris had to have enough skills to protect himself. But this servant was on another level. ¡®Damn it! I can¡¯t breathe, I can¡¯t breathe!¡¯ (3rd Person POV) ¡°You crazy bastard. Talking shit inside the residence of the Hillingtons?¡± Not only that, but before he realized what was going on, Chris was caught in the hands of the senior servant. Seeing his face gradually turning red, the senior only smiled fiercely. ¡®This crazy bastard!¡¯ ¡°¡±Ugh, ugh, ugh!¡± ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be difficult to talk with a piercing in your mouth.¡± There was something written on the paper that the servant threw away. Of course, the soft handwriting slowly disappeared,ensuring that there would be no evidence left. [Ting!] [It¡¯s me, the observer.] [I want someone to get rid of that rookie who made Hildea-nim cry.] [He¡¯s talking nonsense.] [A thorough punishment is needed.] [His name is Chris and he is likely a spy.] (TL/N: I was confused about this part from chapter 7, but now it seems to be another ability that Roselia has, and she¡¯s using it to help Hidea, tomunicate with the servants inside the mansion.) ¡°You are going to die today.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­. No!¡± The senior servant whispered ¡°Shh¡­.¡± ¡°You might wake up our Ladies. So you have to be quiet, you punk!¡± Soon, Chris deeply regretted the decision toe here. -?¨A ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ ?? ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ ¨@?- (Rose¡¯s POV) ¡°This time I¡¯ll be telling youdies the detailed story about the families of Belfius and the Hillington. Do you have any further questions before we begin? Youngdies.¡± I was dozing off with my chin resting on my hand, when I suddenly opened my eyes and raised my hand eagerly. ¡°Yes!¡± I smiled when I saw the marquis¡¯ troubled face. I thought that I should give him a bit of encouragement, but maybe not. Give up, Marquis. My sister is a child who can¡¯t be bothered by anything. ¡°Ros¨¦, youngdy. What are you curious about?¡± ¡°About the wedding. What if my sister and I both sayno?¡± I rolled my eyes. TO BE CONTINUED¡­. Chapter 9 HLMS Chapter 9 Ros¨¦ is Gabriel¡¯s soulmate, and Gabriel is Ros¨¦¡¯s soulmate as well. I was shocked when I heard Ros¨¦¡¯s absurd question, because I knew for sure that it was the eventual fate for both of them. ¡®When did Ros¨¦ reject Gabriel in the original novel?¡¯ I don¡¯t remember that part of the story, but it seems odd. I know without a doubt that Gabriel would love to be with Ros¨¦, just as much as I love her. Ros¨¦ then pouts her lips. ¡°But it¡¯s so boring to enter an arranged marriage with someone I¡¯ve never met before.¡± The Marquis¡¯s face became stern. ¡°It was an arranged marriage appointed by the Emperor himself, my dear. If you go around saying these things, you¡¯ll be in big trouble. Do you understand?¡± ¡°Is it bad if the aristocrats talk about it?¡± ¡°Well our Youngest Lady is one of the pinnacles of the nobility.¡± My mind wandered while looking at the Marquis¡¯s troubled face. Come to think of it, there were other minor changes from the original plot. For example, in the original story Ros¨¦ studied hard to receive her father¡¯s praise and approval. But now my sister is¡­¡­. ¡®I don¡¯t like sses.¡¯ And that¡¯s not all. Originally, Ros¨¦ had poor health. Hence, shecked the stamina to run for extended periods of time. There was also a scene in the novel where Gabriel med himself for a cold that she had caught, which was caused by a lot of other minor illnesses she had incurred. The so-called frail heroine. ¡®But our Ros¨¦ right now is strong enough to even chew on wood, right?¡¯ Of course, Ros¨¦ still had some weak moments when she was younger. In contrast, ever since I was born, I¡¯ve been so healthy that I¡¯ve wondered whether my father might have secretly fed me a dragon heart. (TN/N: it¡¯s a metaphor means strong and powerful being) ¡°Miss Ros¨¦, what can you say about your eldest sister Hildea?¡± Ros¨¦ and I look at each other at the same time. I try to smile, but my lips stay down and my hands remain folded. But Ros¨¦¡¯s eyes sparkle lovingly at the question. ¡°My sister is very beautiful; she¡¯s perfect. She¡¯s more elegant than any other nobledy!¡± Well I appreciate thepliment, but I think that¡¯s way too much. ¡°Well of course someone taught her about¡­. Wait. Miss Ros¨¦, that¡¯s not what I¡¯m talking about. What I meant to say is that you should watch and learn from her!¡± Ros¨¦ pursed her lips. ¡°Ah, I can¡¯t do that. We¡¯re different.¡± ¡°What do you mean different? I¡¯ve been teaching both of you, so that you can learn together! Today we will be extending your ss by one hour. Miss Hill, you can leave now.¡± ¡°Sister!¡± As I step out of the room, I look back at Ros¨¦ who has a look of betrayal while the Marquis beckoned. I try to reassure her that it would be okay, and walk out the door. Ros¨¦ is cute, but she needs to be educated more on etiquette. Because I don¡¯t want to see Ros¨¦ humiliated in a party. -?¨A ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ ? ? ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ ¨@?- Deep in the night. Ros¨¦ is already asleep, having been exhausted from today¡¯s ss extension. That¡¯s why I¡¯m alone in my room. ¡°Let¡¯s experiment.¡± I push the flowerpot with my hand and it smashes on the floor. I gulp down nervously. ¡°Please. Please.¡± Since it¡¯s a very small flower pot, no onees running in with a surprised look. I stare at the broken flower pot and carefully reach my hand out. Ok¡­.. ¡°It really wasn¡¯t a dream.¡± The flower pot has been restored to its original condition perfectly. When I lift up the pot and look it over, there are no cracks or defects. ¡°What kind of skill is this?¡± After hearing those words from the servant the other day, I decided to focus my efforts on something productive rather than wallowing. That¡¯s why I¡¯m trying to check. To follow the basic rule of the novel , as one of the characters in the story, I should possess an ability as well. ¡°No way?¡± Things that I had previously overlookede to mind. A nt that practically shines whenever I touch it and the flowers in the garden that have lived for a very long time. It wasn¡¯t just those instances. A few days ago, a bird with an injured wing fell on the window sill, and then ate the fruit from a nearby nt that I was cultivating. After a while, the bird was cured and flew away. ¡°Are my Congrattory remarks healing?¡± But why did rumors circte that my Congrattory remarks are very unlucky? I was deep in thought. I need to know exactly what my abilities are. I really don¡¯t want to, but there maye a time when I will have to leave this mansion. I love Ros¨¦, and I¡¯m also fond of my Father, but the servant¡¯s words reminded me of all the worries I¡¯ve been pushing down. That¡¯s why I¡¯m trying. I decided to study hard to be smarter, and enjoy the benefits of a noble youngdy who is rich enough to live well wherever I go. If I have the ability to heal, it will be of great help no matter what my situation is in the future. ¡°If it¡¯s healing, then I won¡¯t die. I¡¯ll be able to heal people and make money from it. Even the vige chiefs said that physicians would be wee.¡± That¡¯s a good thing right?But why do I feel so sad when I start thinking of that kind of future? Ignoring the unknown emotions, I take out the shoes that I had lovingly stored. ¡°Just like they said, whenever you have a lot of things on your mind, the best thing is to move.¡± These mysterious shoes have a soft material that makes me feel like I¡¯m jumping on clouds, and I love the cute little wings on them. After carefully putting on my shoes, my feet feel veryfortable. ¡°My gift¡­¡­¡± It was hard before because I didn¡¯t have the right shoes to wear when I worked out at night. Since I couldn¡¯t do it during the day, I could only workout at night. (TN/N: this answers the reason why the security is really tight especially at night to provide protection whenever Hildea is doing her exercise at night.) First of all, young noble girls do not run or train like knights in earnest, even if they do exercise like horseback riding. I had no intention of attracting attention. ¡®Wait a minute. But seriously, why did he give me these shoes? As if I knew he knew that these were what I needed the most.¡¯ No one in the mansion knows that I¡¯m secretly exercising at night, right? ¡®Is this really a coincidence?¡¯ I tilted my head. There¡¯s no way there¡¯s CCTV here. Then what could it be? -?¨A ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ ? ? ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ ¨@?- Anyways, while I was on my way back from exercising outside¡­ ¡®Something feels kind of strange¡­¡­?¡¯ The hallway seems excessively quiet. It¡¯s a ce where not a baby ant passed by, but strangely, I have an ominous feeling. And chills are running down my back. Please, please¡­.. ¡®Gasp.¡¯ At that moment. I could see a ck shadow standing at the end of the hallway, but of course nothing and no one is supposed to be there! I feel like I want to scream and then faint afterwards. ¡®You¡¯re not a spirit, are you?¡¯ Then, I realize that it¡¯s a human being. That said, no matter how much I look at it, it¡¯s clearly nothing more than a thief. It seems absurd. Who in the world has the audacity to attempt to rob the Hillington family? But then again. The good thing is, I hadn¡¯t made eye contact with the thief yet. ¡®Damn it. I just need to get out of here, quietly.¡¯ But to be honest. The Hillington mansion is not an easy ce for thieves to break into. So it¡¯s possible that it may not be a simple thief. It might be someone more skilled than that. ¡®Don¡¯te near me, you thief. First off, I will leave quietly on my own.¡¯ I don¡¯t have the ability to take down that intruder in one shot, so I need to go back and call people, and then¡­¡­ But the moment I turn around, the thief turns his head towards me. ¡®Ahh!¡¯ He¡¯s so fast: that¡¯s why I might be caught any moment now. I desperately turn around and flee. At that moment. Squeak! ¡®Huh?¡¯ A long, clear sound echoed in the hallway. ¡®What is that?¡¯ As I stepped back, I could hear the strange noise again. Squeak. I¡¯m very certain. The sound ising from my feet. ¡°¡­.. What.¡± Squeak! Squeak! Squeak! As I looked down distressed, I wondered if that squeaky sound wasing from the shoes that were given to me by my Father. But that¡¯s not all ¨C the shoes have shing lights as well. I feel like they¡¯re the same shoes that were worn by children aged seven or eight in my previous life. I¡¯m screaming inside. ¡®Dad what kind of gift did you give me?!¡¯ And why at a time like this! It was then. ¡°Who are you?¡± Suddenly, my body was spun around. The grip on my shoulder is so strong that I think my arm is about to fall off. ¡®Are you asking me who I am right now when you¡¯re the suspicious person here?!¡¯ As soon as I look back with a scream, I make eye contact with my opponent. ¡°Gasp.¡± ¡°I asked you, who are you?¡­.¡± His face is covered with a mask, and only his eyes are exposed. Bright purple eyes shining in the moonlight. ¡®Purple¡­.. ?¡¯ Purple. And the exposed eyebrows are a brilliant tinum color. When I remember who had such abination, I feel kind of strange. I hope not. But then it makes sense¡­¡­ ¡°What, what?¡± It was then that the masked opponent copsed like a bale of straw, when I was on the verge of running away. His face before fainting looked as if he was afraid of losing me. I was devastated. ¡°You just asked me who I am, but then you suddenly copsed.¡± This person seems so pitiful that I wonder if he¡¯s the same person who brutally interrogated me moments before. ¡°Hey.¡± At first, I wondered if he was just faking it, but it seemed unlikely that a thief who¡¯s even fully armed like that would change his mind out of nowhere andy down in front of the daughter of thendlord. I squatted down. ¡°Hey, this isn¡¯t a hidden camera prank, is it?¡± I try to step in, just to make sure that he¡¯s breathing. Ha. ¡°Boy, why are you short of breath?¡± I grab my opponent¡¯s mask with my trembling hands and slowly take it off. ¡°Ha!¡± I stare nkly at the fully exposed face. His messy hair looks like a honey skein. (PR Note: It¡¯s a Korean dessert simr to Dragon Beard¡¯s Candy) ¡®Hey, is it Gabriel? tinum blonde hair and purple eyes. And the ability to break into the Hillington residence at his age. It can¡¯t be anyone else but him.¡¯ Gabriel. He was the male lead in this novel. My mind went nk for a moment. But what¡¯s this? The original story hasn¡¯t even started yet. Did I just witness the Male Lead stealing? Hehehe¡­. So the Male Lead also had this kind of secret. ¡°But he looks so pretty.¡­. I think that he looks prettier than me?¡± In there was a storyline where Gabriel approached Ros¨¦ first to break the cumbersome marriage, butter was anxious to see it through. And Gabriel, who was colder than everyone else, acted like he was a darling who would cut open his body and give his heart to Ros¨¦. ¡®It was love at first sight.¡¯ I shivered. Gabriel is a scary guy. He was also an actor who could pretend to be kind to the people around him when he needed it, except in front of Ros¨¦. Outside of his love for her, no other subject had value for him. However, it wasn¡¯t that he was kind to Ros¨¦ from the beginning. ¡®The reason Gabriel first tried to break the contract was because Hillington lost the token of engagement.¡± Wait. I just realized. ¡®Maybe he was the culprit?¡¯ The motive fits perfectly. The thief who stole the token was none other than Gabriel! He was trying to brazenly break up the engagement using the stolen token. Because he was the one who stole it! ¡°However¡­. Why did you copse when you saw me, considering your main purpose is to steal the token? Did you think that I was a ghost? And in this situation, what should I do?¡± Should I help him or not? ¡®However.¡¯ When I think about what this kid has been through when he was young, it¡¯s hard to pretend that I don¡¯t pity him. ¡°Okay, just this one time.¡± Hearing some murmurs in the distance, it seemed that people had heard my noisy shoes and wereing. I shut my eyes tightly. In the end, there¡¯s only one option. Let¡¯s escape from here before this boy gets caught. ¡®It¡¯s fate.¡¯ I put the Male Lead¡¯s arm around my neck with a bleak face. Wow! ¡°If you are a man, you should save the woman, and you should also save the woman who will be your older sister. But then again why did you copse?¡± It felt like my face was about to burst from struggling with the unbearable weight, but I was able to eventually lift and drag him. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re so heavy! I didn¡¯t work out enough for this¡­¡­.¡± You really have to thank me, Male Lead. Chapter 10 Chapter 10 It Was Dirty Meeting You and Let¡¯s Not See Each Other Again -?¨A ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ ? ? ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ ¨@?- (Hildea¡¯s POV) ¡°Whoa! Okay!¡± This boy is definitely heavy. He¡¯s four years older than me, so he should be twelve years old by now. Whether he was trained or not, both his arms and shoulders are very stiff for his age: that¡¯s why he¡¯s heavier than he looks. (PR/N: she¡¯s an 8 year old feeling him up LOL) If I wasn¡¯t aware that he¡¯s supposed to be the Male Lead of the story, I would have ignored him and left him behind. ¡°Ugh! Just a little bit more.¡± I let out a groan as I was trying to avoid being noticed by other people in the mansion, and went straight for the dog hole that I saw while walking around the mansion before. ¡°We¡¯re almost there!¡± After putting Gabriel down on the grass, I wiped the sweat from his forehead and looked at the dog hole. ¡°Will he fit in here?¡± I think this should be enough. I originally intended to use this hole, in case I needed to leave the mansion without anyone knowing. ¡°Is it okay if I just push him inside the hole like this? Or, maybe, I¡¯ll just¡­.¡± Confused, I squat down next to Gabriel, who¡¯s still unconscious, and once again put my finger in front of his nose. ¡°Why did you have to faint in front of me?¡± -?¨A ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ ? ? ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ ¨@?- (Sears¡¯ POV) I¡¯m currently thinking about my daughters. Hildea is smart, bright, calm, and shy. Ros¨¦riel is courageous andmanding, and very friendly with everyone. The two of them have different personalities, but they are both equally wonderful in my eyes. But the thing is. ¡°Ugh. I really have no choice but to publicize the Congrattory remarks of my two daughters.¡± Damn traditions. Like a hungry wolf cub, I care too much about the words of the other people. ¡°The problem is Hildea¡¯s remark.¡± I grit my teeth. Even though he pretends not to be, the Emperor is clearly also curious about them. As a young man I was loyal, being the Emperor¡¯s mighty sword, butter on, I became devoted to Elizabeth. And now I only focus my attention on my daughters who have be my world. If the Emperor or the other aristocrats know what I¡¯m thinking about right now, they might use me of treason. However, if the Miel Empire tries to exploit or harm my daughters, I am willing to throw away my position and nobility, and be exiled together with my daughters. I really am worried. ¡°Ros¨¦riel¡¯s remark is¡®To bloom splendidly¡¯.It is good to be loved by everyone, but dangerous at the same time.¡± That skill is just too much for Ros¨¦riel to handle. She¡¯s like a walking fairy: the sound of herughter bounces like a morning dew in the forest, and the way she calls other people¡¯s names captivates the hearts of the people around her. Even an enemy who bent on harming her would fall prey to her charms. Considering how unlikely it is for that to happen though, Ros¨¦riel could be in a less dangerous situation. ¡®But our Hill.¡¯ The Congrattory remarks that even Hildea herself didn¡¯t know. As soon as we heard it for the first time, Elizabeth suddenly became pale and tired, and I myself almost copsed because of how weak I felt. Because of the words from the priest who was assigned to deliver the Congrattory remarks from the High Priest. ¡®There is no fate that can be seen for the youngdy.¡¯ ¡®We don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re trying to say?¡¯ ¡®It means that the blessing for the youngdy is having no fate at all.¡¯ ¡®Is that even considered a blessing!¡¯ ¡®There is no fixed destiny. That was all the message that was given to me.¡¯ ¡®No destined fate?¡¯ After that, I spent a lot of time contemting. Is it really an ominous remark? Maybe it¡¯s just like what the priest said? Hildea started to write and to speak fluently from a very young age. She acquired all sorts of knowledge and excelled in every manner. In addition, she learned everything that was needed to be a qualified youngdy in a noble family. She was clearly different from Ros¨¦, who was struggling to learn while ying around. ¡°But that¡¯s not what it¡¯s supposed to be.¡± That is why I¡¯m worried. If her Congrattory remark means something else. Because having no destiny means that she can choose her own fate. It means that she can be anything that she wasn¡¯t fated to be. (TN/N: He¡¯s worried that Hildea has the capability to do things that she wouldn¡¯t normally do. It might be his gut feeling that Hildea would decide to live outside the Hillington family.) It isn¡¯t just that. Hildea tries too hard. I could see the little child struggling; she seems to be crawling on everyone around her. That¡¯s why I feel sorry for her. (TN/N: ¡°?? 2¡± Crawling (figurative) In the manner of behaving servilely while humbling oneself in order to please another person.) She feels like she needs to do that. It was really strange to be enthusiastic, but it seemed like she was being chased by something and was anxious about it. ¡°She might have felt that I haven¡¯t given her the stability that she needs from me as her sole parent. Hildea is only 8 years old, but she has alreadypleted all of the secondary academy basics. ¡®Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re smart enough to remember what happened.¡¯ (TN/N: Sears refers to the kidnapping incident that happens way back when she¡¯s still a baby.) I buried my face in my hands and sighed deeply. It breaks my heart to think that the child feels neglected after Elizabeth left us. Even now,pared to Ros¨¦, I don¡¯t seem to be able to treat her with kindness. So what should I do if I think that Hildea is being discriminated against by others because of it? ¡®She¡¯s just too precious.¡¯ (tn/n: If that¡¯s how you feel then please show it to her, my gee.) She has always been shy and timid; Hildea always turns or looks the other way whenever she tries to talk. And whenever I talk to Ros¨¦, I can feel Hildea¡¯s gaze on me and her face shows how sad she is. That¡¯s why I was really looking forward to her eighth birthday gift. Because I was very curious if that shy and timid girl would like my gift to her. Hildea miraculously developed her stamina while exercising, though her training method is very unusual. It isn¡¯t anything close to the techniques used by the sons of nobles who arecking athletically. I thought that she would definitely needfortable shoes for that purpose, so we decided to develop custom-made shoes exclusively for Hildea. Since then, many people have been touched. ¡®I¡¯ll do it. I¡¯ll do it!¡¯ ¡®Ros¨¦. What do you mean?¡¯ The specific shape and function were designed by Ros¨¦ herself, who was surprisingly very detailed. The child, who had a natural talent for painting, drew and brought something that no one had ever thought of. (PR/N: Another transmigrator?? :O) ¡®How great is this? As expected, my daughters must be geniuses.¡¯ And after that the designs were sent to Sien. She used an astronomical number of materials and maximized manpower to make the gift a reality. Seeing the shoes with both defensive and offensive magic spells applied, I decided that I would continue presenting simr items to both daughters in future. ¡°The world is just too dangerous.¡± Hildea wouldn¡¯t even know what kind of shoes she¡¯s wearing right now. I didn¡¯t want her to know that a Hillington child could be exposed to such risks. Especially in this mansion, when there is a movement to harm her or when the child feels threatened by something, the shoes will automatically be triggered. ¡®And a warning will be delivered to summon all the knights.¡¯ Just then. The door swung open, and I could hear a small thump from someoneing in. Soon, a small head appeared and our eyes met. ¡°Ros¨¦, you can¡¯t sleep?¡± ¡°Dad. Where¡¯s my sister?¡± ¡°It Looks like she¡¯s gone out to do her exercises again.¡± ¡°My sister works so hard. I want to sleep with my sister.¡± ¡°Come here. Give me a hug.¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t want to. I¡¯m not going to hug you!¡± The roar ofughter was very clear. Seeing her smiling happily reminded me of Hildea, who hugged her shoes and smiled shyly. It would be nice to see her smiling like that more often¡­ ¡®No. No way! If she starts smiling like that, all those useless bugs will definitely try to be entangled with her.¡¯ And it would be impossible for me to ept anyone who takes Hildea¡¯s hand from me and talks about dating her. Ros¨¦ suddenly asks me a question. ¡°Dad, are you sad?¡± I was so engrossed in my own thoughts that I couldn¡¯t understand for a moment what Ros¨¦ meant. ¡°Why do you say that?¡± ¡°Today is a happy day, but it is also a sad day.¡± I look down and the child blinks and points at something. Ah. ¡°Are you talking about your mother?¡± ¡°Yes, Mom, since she left us behind.¡± ¡°Well she didn¡¯t really leave. Because your mother left the two of you, to stay with me in this world.¡± ¡°Ahm. That¡¯s it¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s it.¡± I was once a stupid person, but now I know better than anyone else. Hildea. Ros¨¦riel. My two daughters are the most irreceable gift in my life. It is not just for me, but for Elizabeth as well. ¡°It is the day that I miss Elizabeth, your mother, but it is also when the two of you came into our lives. It¡¯s the happiest day of the year for your father. So don¡¯t think that your father would be sad.¡± ¡°Yes. I see. I like my dad the most.¡± Ros¨¦riel says, while I pinch her smiling cheek slightly. ¡°You are so good at lying. I know that you like your sister more than your father.¡± ¡°Oh. I got caught!¡± It was then. The rm in the mansion res. I¡¯m suddenly panicking and myplexion pales. I slowly put Ros¨¦ in my chair. This notification came from the shoes that I gave to Hildea as a gift. What if something happened to my calm child who generally isn¡¯t shocked by anything? ¡®This is not just a simple warning.¡¯ I open my mouth to exin the situation to Ros¨¦, but the child is already standing up from the chair with proper posture. With folded arms, she whispers solemnly. ¡°Ros¨¦ will be waiting here, bravely.¡± ¡°¡­. Don¡¯t move, don¡¯t evere out.¡± ¡°Yes! I¡¯ll stay here. I¡¯m going to stay like a good daughter, Dad, I promise!¡± I smile warmly, squeeze her little hand, and leave the office immediately. Hildea! -?¨A ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ ? ? ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ ¨@?- (Hildea¡¯s POV) I haven¡¯t read anything like this from the original story, but maybe he has a bad heart or something? ¡°What should I do about this?¡± If I call a physician to save him, he will definitely be caught. Also, I¡¯m not sure if there are other people who woulde and save Gabriel in the Hillington residence. Actually, I wasn¡¯t desperate to help him, but I just had a strangepulsion that made me eager to do so. As I bite my lips while contemting, I recall the bird with an injured wing that flew away. ¡®Maybe my skills can work on people too.¡¯ This is definitely a new experience. But isn¡¯t it Gabriel? Well I know that I won¡¯t die because of this. I reach out and ce my hand on the boy¡¯s chest. I don¡¯t know if it really works or not, but it¡¯s better than doing nothing. After practicing a few times, I¡¯m able to fully control and use my abilities in any way I want. I close my eyes and think about healing this boy several times. Soon, I could feel somethinging out of my body. A warm aura is slowly spreading out towards the boy, which indicates that I am sessful in healing Gabriel. ¡®Done!¡¯ I can see that he¡¯s breathing steadily now. His breath, which had been weakened, has returned to its original state. As I let out a sigh of relief, I shove Gabriel directly into the hole with no regrets. ¡°It was dirty meeting you. Let¡¯s not see each other again.¡± Oh! I take off the nket that I was wearing to keep myself warm because it¡¯s cold outside and gently wrap around his body. This is as far as I can help you. Please don¡¯t feel bad for Hillington. And also forget everything that happened today. ¡°I am a difficult person to deal with, Gabriel.¡± At this point, I couldn¡¯t even guess what would happen next. Just as the pping of a small butterfly¡¯s wings can have a significant impact, I wonder what the consequences of my choices will be. And now the situation has changed since the tokens that Gabriel should have stolen remain intact. ¡°Oh what should I do now?¡± I sigh as I look up at the Hillington Mansion, where the lights are shing and there¡¯s an uproar because someone broke in. As I slowly enter the mansion, the first thing that greets me is a fierce embrace, not a harsh rebuke or a disapproving look. Huh? ¡°Hill! My baby!¡± Leaning my forehead in those tight arms, I slowly look up, and see that it¡¯s my Father hugging me. TO BE CONTINUED¡­¡­ Chapter 11 Chapter 11 We¡¯re Getting Married? -?¨A ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ ? ? ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ ¨@?- (Hildea¡¯s POV) Dad is drenched in sweat, and his face looks flushed from how much he ran. Don¡¯t tell me that you have been looking for me all this time? ¡°You ¡­. Ah ¡­ I know that something happened to you and just how much this Father of yours ¡­¡­..¡± (Tn: Sears wanted to tell Hildea that he was aware that something happened to her and that he was deeply worried, but he can¡¯t speak properly because he¡¯s exhausted from running) I¡¯m stunned by his intense reaction. It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve ever seen my father look like this. ¡°Are you worried about me?¡± ¡°Of course! You have no idea how worried I am.¡± I lick my lips. My heart aches for some reason. I¡¯m sorry. I was so confused about what happened earlier, that I forgot about how you would react. No, I really didn¡¯t know that you were looking for me¡­¡­ It¡¯s a strange feeling. And I can tell even without looking in a mirror that my expression ispletely distorted. Now when I look at my Father¡¯s face, I don¡¯t see his usual tense countenance or detached cold demeanor. Maybe it¡¯s because of my Father¡¯s crying face. I can¡¯t say anything, so I just grab the hem of his clothes. ¡°No, it¡¯s okay. Don¡¯t be surprised, baby. I¡¯m d you¡¯re back safe and that¡¯s enough.¡± I lean my head against my father while being held in his arms, as he continues muttering like that. My dad isn¡¯t trying to make me feel sorry for him. Me too. That¡¯s enough for me too. -?¨A ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ ? ? ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ ¨@?- ¡®Ah.¡¯ After falling asleep in my Father¡¯s arms yesterday, I wake up to someone hugging me and steadily breathing beside me. ¡®It¡¯s already morning.¡¯ A pink-haired girl, who mumbles with her mouth wide open, continues to slumber. And the girl is clutching my hand tightly as if she doesn¡¯t want to let go. ¡°Ros¨¦.¡± It¡¯s my little sister, but her cheeks look like steamed buns. Howe her cheeks look so soft and cute? ¡®I can¡¯t imagine it. The future of that thief (Gabriel) and our lovely Ros¨¦.¡¯ My thoughts gradually wander back to that boy. What happened to that kid who was pushed through the dirty hole? I poke Ros¨¦¡¯s soft cheek and yawn, thinking about getting some more sleep. It¡¯s at that moment. Bang! The door ms open, and Lira surges in with a harassed face. ¡°Lira, what¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Miss! Miss Hill, you¡¯re finally awake. That¡¯s good. All I have to do is wake Miss Rose. Youngest Miss, please wake up. Now is not the time to sleep like that. Come on, get up.¡± I¡¯m shocked. Lira, the calmest and most collected person I know, looks so agitated right now. She even dragged Ros¨¦, who was still sleeping with her head on the pillow, out of bed and sat her down. Why are you waking her up like that? Just as Lira is about to nag again, Ros¨¦ lets out a hissing sound with one eye barely open. ¡°Muaaah, better.¡± ¡°No, please open your eyes. Both eyes! Why are you so sluggish in the morning?¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± ¡°Miss Hill shouldn¡¯t be like that either ¨C you should also prepare to leave. Come on. Everyonee in and get the girls ready.¡± Under Lira¡¯smand, the other maids rush in. We¡¯re moved, washed, and dressed up like dolls in a matter of seconds. Ros¨¦ is wearing a bright pink dress, and I¡¯m in a calm yellow dress. It feels like we¡¯re heading to a party. ¡°What¡¯s all this about? You need to exin it to us.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll find out when you go down.¡± What? There¡¯s not a war, is there? ¡®Ugh, is that even possible?¡¯ I need to consider this seriously. In fact, it was said that a territorial war broke out in the neighboring kingdom, and many people were killed. In the story of , there was no information about when/why the estate where Ros¨¦¡¯s kingdom would be burned down or when war would break out. But it was already proven that unforeseen changes could ur when I was born. ¡°An unexpected guest came and the house is in chaos.¡± ¡°Guest?¡± It was another maid who answered. Having seen her face a few times, I recognize the maid named Sien, who I¡¯ve be ustomed to. She is one of the maids who always looks ufortable facing me. I want to smile and say hello, but I stopped trying since it didn¡¯t work in the past. Instead, I¡¯ve decided to express my feelings directly. ¡°Thank you for exining, Sien.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­.¡± (TN: Seriously Sien speak up!!!!!) ¡°Sien?¡± She doesn¡¯t answer. I feel dejected for a second. Ah, it seems like my first attempt is a failure. Bitterness wells up briefly. Is my face that scary and unpleasant? Or are you embarrassed because I called your name? Still, I gained some courage from my father¡¯s behaviorst night. I calmly look in the mirror and stare at my face for a while. Let¡¯s be brave from now on. -?¨A ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ ? ? ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ ¨@?- (Sien¡¯s POV) ¡®My Lady, she called my name!¡¯ Even if Hildea died, she would never have any idea that Sien is stomping her feet on the sidelines, while the other maids look back at her with fiercely jealous expressions. Sien held back to prevent herself from copsing from happiness. She sticks out her tongue at Lira, who is currently the embodiment of jealousy. She¡¯s the only one who has ever been called by name. It was a minor incident but in any case, Sien decided to brag about it to everyone in the conversation notes. -?¨A ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ ? ? ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ ¨@?- (Hildea¡¯s POV) I walk down gracefully with Ros¨¦, after barely getting dressed. ¡®I¡¯m d it¡¯s not a war.¡¯ But I didn¡¯t know this was gonna happen. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± As soon as I see the visitor, I know why the Hillington mansion has been overturned. Don¡¯t tell me the guest is him. ¡®Why are you here?¡¯ Gabriel. He was the boy I saved yesterday using the doghole. A boy with angelic features, bright hair, and a cold, mask-like face. Purple eyes reflect the light and shine with a colorful brilliance. Although he looks beautiful on the outside, I know very well how cold Gabriel is to everyone other than Rose, so there is a subtle tension in the air. (TN: Hildea refers about Gabriel¡¯s attitude based on the original novel) I shrug my shoulders ande back to my senses. ¡®No. He stole from our mansion, so why should I be nervous?¡¯ And I¡¯m also his lifesaver, I¡¯m the one who helped him get awayst night, so why should I be worried? ¡°Father.¡± ¡°¡­Hill. You¡¯re here¡­¡­.¡± ¡°I waste getting ready. I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Huh? That¡¯s weird. Why does he look sad? I think it¡¯s just an illusion. As I walk towards my father, I can feel his eyes following me. It¡¯s because I can¡¯t cling to my Father like a child in front of a guest. In addition, Ros¨¦, who is still learning following etiquette, is hidden to the side. ¡®This scene wasn¡¯t part of the novel so Gabriel doesn¡¯t love Ros¨¦ yet.¡¯ Taking a deep breath, I try to recall the noble etiquette that I¡¯ve learned. ¡®I can¡¯t show you any faults.¡¯ Since my Father and Gabriel are already talking in an equal manner, it¡¯s enough for me to pull out a nearby chair and sit down. As long as we don¡¯t look at each other¡­¡­. That should have been the case. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± As I try to calmly sit down, I can see Gabriel looking straight at me. I stop moving. ¡®What, hey?¡¯ No. It¡¯s not just a quick nce. ¡®He¡¯s definitely staring at me right now.¡¯ Oh you ungrateful thing, Isn¡¯t this called ingratitude? However, my embarrassment onlysts for a brief moment. Since I was taught how to hide my feelings with a poker face, I¡¯m already used to this kind of situation. Don¡¯t show what you¡¯re thinking inside to those who are hostile or to those who offer favors. ¡°Should I say hello first?¡± You came here first as a guest, so you have to say the first word. You little imp! As he turns towards my Father, the boy¡¯s eyebrows twitch. I look at my Father¡¯s face as well, and I notice that his lips are trembling. Huh? Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re holding back yourughter¡­¡­? No way. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mydy. My name is Gabriel of Belfius.¡± It was a brief introduction. In response, I bow slightly and say hello. ¡°I am Hildea Hillington, it is an honor to meet you. And this is my sister Ros¨¦riel Hillington.¡± A moment of silence passed, but the snowball fight between me and Gabriel continued. (TN: Snowball fight, she talks about the staring contest between the two of them.) Given the cold atmosphere that lingers around the table from the time before we sat down, it seems that Gabriel hasn¡¯te here with good intentions. ¡®Well. He is the kid who tried to create a w by stealing the token anyway.¡¯ But as soon as I see Ros¨¦riel, I know very well how she¡¯ll react.¡­. Gabriel¡¯s gaze toward Ros¨¦ is more than I expected, but it¡¯s far from being mesmerized or in love. It¡¯spletely indifferent. It¡¯s strange in many ways. ¡®No matter how much I dig through my memories, this never happened before. No way ¡­ Is it because of what happened yesterday? Because he couldn¡¯t steal the token? Is the Emperor keeping our family in check? If not, then why is Gabriel here already?¡¯ I¡¯m really confused. Gabriel¡¯s eyes alternate between me and Ros¨¦. I keep my back straight, but I swallow down a lump in my throat. It¡¯s because his piercing gaze looks like he¡¯s judging us as if trying to recall something. ¡®Don¡¯t tell me you remember me yesterday.¡¯ At that point of doubt, the boy turns to Ros¨¦, who isughing and smiling next to me. Ah. It¡¯s a moment of relief and an indescribable emotion at the same time. ¡®I guess he came here to see Ros¨¦ as well. It¡¯s just a weird approach.¡¯ ¡°Duke of Belfius.¡± Just then my dad opens his mouth as if he won¡¯t allow any further confrontation. ¡°Then I must give you my reason for such a rude and unexpected visit. And to even ask the presence of both of your daughters.¡± Huh? You asked for us? When I look at my Father in surprise, I can see Gabriel¡¯s lips curving slightly. Even though I know it¡¯s fake, his smile is so pretty that I¡¯m mesmerized by it. Somehow or the other, I can hear the subtle sound of teeth grinding in the background. ¡°I am.¡± Then Gabriel spoke slowly. ¡°I¡¯m here to ask for the marriage between Hillington and Belfius.¡± TO BE CONTINUED¡­ Chapter 12 Chapter 12 I¡¯ll Stay Only If you Allow Me ?¦á???¡ï???¦á???????¦á???¡ï???¦á? Dad¡¯s eyebrows furrow deeply. I open my eyes wide, too. What¡¯s with the sudden change? ¡°What now? You want to think positively about the marriage between Hillington and Belfius?¡± ¡°That¡¯s correct. Seriously.¡± Father¡¯s eyebrows twitch relentlessly. All the people on our side have distorted faces. ¡°Come now? Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s toote for that, Duke Belfius?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s about time.¡± Gabriel, who has never lost an argument, is unthinkably brazen for his young age. ¡°That¡¯s amazing. Does the time only matter when it is you who is satisfied?¡± My father looks eager to fight in this absurd situation. I feel the same. Why now? Did he meet Ros¨¦ before today, for him to change his mind like this? Also yesterday, you tried to steal the token so that you could cancel this marriage. Have I read it all? Did I miss something when I read the novel before? I manage to hold myself back from standing up and shouting, ¡°Everyone, he¡¯s the intruder yesterday!¡± I can¡¯t figure out what the trick is. As if there is an unknown spark between the main characters, Ros¨¦ only tilts her head and looks at the pretty boy curiously. ¡®You originally wanted to break up this arranged marriage, but why the sudden change of mind?¡¯ I look at my father¡¯s face. But my father seems puzzled too. Meaning it wasn¡¯t talked about beforehand. In fact, the rtionship of the Dukes of Belfius and Hillington is not so bad. I already know in the future how beautiful Ros¨¦riel and Gabriel will be, and there¡¯s no reason to oppose the union. Nheless, I feel uneasy about how radically things have diverged from the original novel. ¡®What should I do?¡¯ ¡®What will my father say? Actually, I¡¯m more nervous than Ros¨¦. My father slowly opens his mouth and says, ¡°No.¡± A moment of silence descends. What? What? I blink. ¡°Duke, what did you say?¡± ¡°No.¡± To those who couldn¡¯t believe his refusal, my father reaffirmed it like an axe. ¡°Never. So back off.¡± ¡°Duke?¡± ¡°I will not allow it. My daughters are not objects. There¡¯s no reason for you to do it. We don¡¯t care if you want this marriage or not.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°So get out of here, And onlye back if you have something good to say.¡± Not only I, but Gabriel, and the knights of the Belfius family, who are standing behind him appear to be bewildered by that provocative response. I didn¡¯t even know that my father could say no to such an candid, umm, crooked child. But Gabriel doesn¡¯t easily ept it either. ¡°I don¡¯t like it.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I said no.¡± The boy is smiling as if he has no intention of backing down. ¡°Does the Duke intend to reject His Majesty¡¯s orders? The Emperor trusted the Duke Hillington.¡± My Father¡¯s lips twist. ¡°Marriage cannot be an order. You wouldn¡¯t know that. And that¡¯s why I¡¯ve put it off so far. Duke Belfius, wasn¡¯t it the same for you?¡± ¡°I was worried about the sessor position. That¡¯s why I postponed the conversation, but now there is no reason to drag it out.¡± ¡°Ha!¡± My father openly snorts, and the people watching could feel chills going down their spines. ¡°You¡¯re talking nonsense that even a passing dog wouldn¡¯t believe you. If you want to tell a lie, then don¡¯t let us chew the meat and spit out the bones.¡±(*) (TN(*): It means to separate good or valuable information from that which is unsound or invalid.) ¡°Hmm? That¡¯s odd. I said yes, but what does a passing dog have to do with it?¡± I break out in a cold sweat. ¡®As expected of the male protagonist.¡¯ What a good talker. A little boy, who is only 12 years old, confronts an adult, engaging in a verbal battle. ¡°Duke. I¡¯m not talking nonsense. As a head of state who shares the tokens, I assert my due rights.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°That is something that even the Duke cannot deny. I¡¯m sure you know?¡± ¡°Is this dog threatening me now?¡± Gabriel smiles mockingly, not caring that my father¡¯s voice is as low as a growling beast. ¡°Since you have two daughters, I will leave the decision to Hillington.¡± He points to us. How did the story end up like this? I frown, while Ros¨¦ licks her lips in a funny way. My father seems to agree with me that the decision should be ours. ¡°You¡¯re pretending to be generous.¡± ¡°But before that, I¡¯d like you to give me the chance to try to choose as well.¡± ¡°What?¡± Everyone is speechless for a second. Gabriel politely ces his hand on his chest and smiles. ¡°As you know, I have to go to war soon. So before that, I will ask for a chance.¡± ¡°So, if I give you that opportunity, what will happen if my daughters refuse? Are you going to leave quietly?¡± ¡°¡­It may not be quiet, but I agree.¡± It sounds like an ominous concession. I turn towards Gabriel. Our eyes meet. ¡°How about you Lady Hildea, will you give me a chance?¡± What chance? And I don¡¯t know why he asked to meet both of us, since he¡¯ll end up engaged to Ros¨¦ anyway. ¡®And¡­¡¯ It¡¯s weird. I¡¯m not imagining it either. I gulp as I nce at Gabriel, who is staring back fiercely. ¡®Why is he looking at me like that? So scary.¡¯ It feels creepy seeing the tenacious gaze he¡¯s directing at me. It¡¯s an intense stare that ispletely different from the quiet look he gave Ros¨¦ earlier. He appears so tenacious that even when I turn my head or move my body, it seems like my movements are being tracked. Thinking about it, I feel extremely embarrassed by his scrutiny. ¡®Even if you can¡¯t remember me, I¡¯m your lifesaver, so why are you treating me like this?¡¯ In these kinds of cases, people usually fall in love with the person who saved them. I never wanted that, but there¡¯s also no need for you to be so hostile against me, right? I feel bitter and break eye contact. ¡°Is my opinion that important?¡± ¡°Yes, it is important.¡± ¡°It¡¯s decided anyway.¡± ¡°Still, it¡¯s important.¡± Maybe it¡¯s because I was slightly interested in him, that makes it hurt all the more. (TN: What!!!! Seriously, he¡¯s freaking falling for you.) Gabriel hates me, to the point where he doesn¡¯t even think about hiding it. I know very well howpetent he is in the art of lying. At one point, I thought that when I finally met him, maybe he would treat me like Ros¨¦? Should I change how I approach him? I lift up my head and look at my father. Our eyes meet. My father nods at me, waiting for my answer. I turn to Ros¨¦. ¡°I don¡¯t think it matters to me. Ros¨¦, how about you?¡± ¡°Huh? Sister, what?¡± Ros¨¦ is always thinking about something else and acts like she¡¯s surprised. I almost forget the situation we¡¯re in andugh. Our innocent Ros¨¦ will marry him. I can¡¯t even imagine it. ¡°I¡¯m asking what you think of that offer.¡± Ros¨¦ tilts her head. ¡°Huh? I mean, yeah. You¡¯re saying that he¡¯ll stay at our house, right? And that he¡¯s going to marry either my sister or me? ¡°Cough! Cough!¡± While listening to her frank remarks, someone from the Belfius side coughs. I nod at her. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s correct.¡± Ros¨¦ wrinkles her nose. ¡°He¡¯s getting married to someone that he likes, right? And then we can both reject him?¡± ¡°I suppose so.¡± And that¡¯s you, Ros¨¦. Ros¨¦ grins. ¡°It sounds like fun. What about you sister?¡± As expected, the questiones back to me. ¡°¡­If you like it, then I would agree as well.¡± Ros¨¦ ps her hands, suggesting that everyone was waiting for my answer all along. A warm breeze sweeps through the strained atmosphere in the room. Ros¨¦ rolls her eyes and pulls herself up to look at Gabriel. If the Marquis had been by her side, she would have been scolded for behaving poorly. ¡°Then, brother, are you going to stay here? Until when? Hmh?¡± ¡°If our Lady allows it.¡± Oh my god. Unlike when he spoke to me, his voice toward Ros¨¦ sounds almost weak. Like he¡¯s begging her not to let him go. I¡¯m stunned to see it. ¡®You¡¯re really good at acting.¡¯ At that moment, Our father taps the table and stands up. ¡°Then it¡¯s decided.¡± However, he did not forget to throw in a warning. ¡°But remember, it won¡¯t be my decision to make. I hope you enjoy yourself quietly during your stay here, Duke Belfius.¡± Why does it sound like My Father telling him to take care of himself and get lost? It¡¯s bizarre. Gabriel responds sharply, as if he had been discouraged in front of Ros¨¦. ¡°Not yet, Duke Hillington. I will set up a date ande back.¡± ¡°Tsk.¡± I clench and unclench my fists repeatedly. The situation seems to flow just like it did in the story. it¡¯s just a little bit earlier, but it has nothing to do with me anyway. There¡¯s no way that I¡¯m going to like Gabriel, nor will Gabriel like me, and I definitely won¡¯t prevent Gabriel and Ros¨¦riel from getting married. -?¨A ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ ? ? ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ ¨@?- (Gabriel¡¯s POV) ¡°Are you all right?¡± No matter how difficult the situation, I always persevere through it. Yet, how can a few words of conversation make me feel so nervous? As soon as Gabriel arrived at his mansion, he leaned back on the chair as if he had lost all his energy. The adjutant¡¯s face contorted with concern at the unfamiliar appearance. ¡°Was I weird?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Did I look strange, I mean weird?¡± ¡°¡­It can¡¯t be. You did a great job today.¡± Rather, the adjutant looks as if he wants to ask.Why on earth, are you making things difficult like this? ¡°But, My Lord.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Why did you do that today?¡± Why? Why? The boy wants to ask himself that. What¡¯s wrong with me right now? -?¨A ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ ? ? ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ ¨@?- Gabriel von Ellen Belfius. The Emperor¡¯s rtive and the heir of the most powerful Duke Belfius was born with such a blessing. A natural sword that is stronger today than yesterday and even more so tomorrow than today. ¡®Ha ha! What a blessing to the Empire!¡¯ The Emperorughed out loud and rejoiced. But nothing is perfect. No one knew, but there were limitations to that powerful prophecy. His heart was frozen. TO BE CONTINUED¡­¡­ Chapter 13 Chapter 13 My Heart Beats ?¦á???¡ï???¦á???????¦á???¡ï???¦á? (Gabriel¡¯s 3rd person POV) It was a problem that emerged as the boy grew up. ¡°Young master. Don¡¯t be sad, Rocky must have gone to a good ce.¡± ¡°What am I supposed to be sad about?¡± ¡°Young Master? I meant Rocky, the dog that the master raised just died a while ago.¡± ¡°Yeah, I know he died, so what?¡± ¡°Oh my god.¡± It wasn¡¯t just a sword or an opponent that couldn¡¯t prate the boy. He couldn¡¯t feel emotions; he was never attached to anything or anyone. People didn¡¯t linger in his heart. His mother, who always cried while holding him, didn¡¯t make any sense to the boy. ¡°Can this child still be considered living? He¡¯s not interested in anything. Will this kid ever get what he wants in this life? Andstly, will he ever love or be loved by someone?¡± ¡°Honey. Please calm down.¡± ¡°How can I calm down? This kind of power is useless ¨C tell them to take it back! All I ask for is for them to return my child¡¯s heart!¡± (TN/N: In this part the mother talks about Gabriel¡¯s blessing/saying who is the strongest person in the Empire, but he can¡¯t feel any kind of emotion.) His mother¡¯s words of sorrow weren¡¯t wrong after all. Whether peopleughed or cried, Gabriel was indifferent to it all. Still, the boy was not without joy and sorrow. Everything was just dull and blunt. It wasn¡¯t as clear. It just felt too awkward tough or cry. Feelings like love and affection were things that only existed in fairy tales. The most he could understand were anguish and anger. ¡°Don¡¯t forget what happened today, Lord!¡± ¡°Belfius belongs only to you. Do not forgive those insolent fools!¡± Even though he appeared to be humiliatingly defeated by his rtives, he persevered through these perilous times. Eventually, the years of enduring like that came to an end. The moment arrived when he finally became head and took over as the Duke of Belfius. But even then, Gabriel¡¯s heart was empty. At that time, the adjutant, who was watching, asked with a sad face, ¡°Lord. Aren¡¯t you happy?¡± ¡°Why? Don¡¯t you understand me well?¡± ¡°No, on the contrary, I think that our Lord is way cooler and better. However¡­¡± ¡°However?¡± ¡°Personally, I feel sad.¡± Such was Gabriel. There were a lot of things around him that hecked interest towards, and one of them was the arranged marriage that he has with Hillington. For him, it was annoying and bothersome, like something that needed to be cleaned up. So he devised a trick. By stealing the marriage token, he couldpletely sever the cumbersome connection with Hillington and use it against them. Since he was about to be called to fight in the impending Imperial War, if he stole the proof of engagement, Hillington would have no other choice but to look for another marriage partner. He thought it was that simple. Untilst night, when he snuck inside the Hillington mansion. ¡®Why are there so manyyers of protective magic here?¡¯ He clicked his tongue and managed to break through the defense barrier before entering the Hillington mansion. And he began to move towards the ce where the token might have been. Gabriel had already reached the level where he was invisible to the human eye and able to pass the knights unseen. He moved as if the distance were getting shorter every time he took off. At one point, while he continued to move at that pace, something sparkling appeared in his peripheral vision. ¡®What is that?¡¯ ¡®It was definitely someone.¡¯ If he passed by like this, they would undoubtedly never meet. ¡®¡­¡­.¡¯ And yet, Gabriel forgot that he was supposed to be moving stealthily and abruptly stopped. ¡®Wait, what?¡¯ Strangely, Gabriel couldn¡¯t advance at all. It was as if he had be a statue, His body refused to listen. He suddenly felt desperate for no apparent reason, and he felt that someone was startled by his appearance and attempted to run away. ¡®No.¡¯ ¡®Please don¡¯t go.¡¯ Gabriel was really surprised by the emotions he felt that resembled nervousness. ¡®Why do I feel like this?¡¯ Then, his body started to move. He immediately chased that person. Hepletely forgot his purpose of stealing the token, and he grabbed her shoulder and spun her towards him. It was a really stupid decision. He even asked, ¡°Who are you?¡± Gabriel thought that the whole process waspletely absurd. ¡®Yes, this may be a trick.¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s clear that this girl did it.¡¯ While thinking like that, the opponent stared at him. A white face was visible through her swaying and messy, shiny silver hair. And something changed, as if someone had clicked and pressed a trigger in Gabriel¡¯s heart. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± The opponent was just an ordinary girl. She must have been surprised by his appearance, but the person was quietly looking at him, perhaps because she had a calm personality. The girl had a pretty face like a doll. Gabriel wasn¡¯t even interested in any human being, but somehow this girl was different. The moment their eyes met, he felt like something was piercing his heart. Gabriel clenched his fists. It was an unbearable sensation. ¡®Ugh.¡¯ If there are things he never felt before that hit him all at once, what will happen to his heart? He felt an overload in his dull heart. It thumped like it was going to explode. ¡®Ugh!¡¯ After the shock, like being struck by lightning, he couldn¡¯t think of what to do next. Because he copsed afterwards. His heart was beating like it was about to explode, and then Gabriel suddenly stopped breathing. ¡®I thought I¡¯d die like that.¡¯ ¡®Ah¡­¡­.¡¯ When he woke up again, someone was muttering next to him. What appears to be a blurred vision of a girl with a disturbedplexion. She¡¯s the one that he saw, just before he fell down. Ah, I understand. ¡®Did she save me?¡¯ Gabriel thought nkly. ¡®That hair must definitely be-¡¯ Hillington¡¯s first child. He suddenly felt joy and happiness. ¡®Strange.¡¯ As soon as he saw the girl, his heart began to beat as if it was his first time feeling it. ¡®I don¡¯t understand.¡¯ The surroundingndscape, which had been in all achromatic colors, began to shine beautifully with all kinds of colors as if it had bloomed splendidly. ¡®What is this feeling?¡¯ The girl¡¯s bright silver hair and white face, her cheeks glowing deep red from struggling, her breath that spread through the night air, and her vivid red eyes. Without knowing why, Gabriel hastily gathered all the pieces of the scene into his memory. ¡®I wanted to speak, but my tongue wouldn¡¯t move.¡¯ And there was no chance. Because the girl pushed me into a dog hole without hesitation. ¡®Not yet.¡¯ He lost consciousness again. When he opened his eyes again, the ce had already changed. ¡°Ugh.¡± ¡°My lord! Are you awake?¡± Gabriel faced the knights with desperate faces surrounding him. ¡°My lord, no, just how did this happen? Did something happen inside? Have you been attacked, my lord? And what¡¯s wrong with your face?¡± ¡°What?¡± Gabriel didn¡¯t know that his face was as red as a tomato. He slowly ced his hand on his heart. It felt very unfamiliar with the continuous beating, it was so fast as if it were about to explode. His hands and feet were trembling, and he felt like he was walking on soft and fluffy clouds. The boy had finally grown up. He used to think that thinking of someone was just aplete waste of his time. Still, for some reason, it wouldn¡¯t be bad to look at her all day. Gabriel ced his hand on his chest and shook his head. ¡®What is this sensation that I¡¯m feeling now?¡¯ ¡®What kind of feeling is this?¡¯ ¡®Am I going crazy?¡¯ The angel¡­ ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°There was an angel.¡± ¡°What?¡± Gabriel, who had taken a deep breath for a moment and organized his thoughts, said as he looked at the knights who were muttering as if their master was going crazy. ¡°I¡¯m going to change my n.¡± ¡°How do you n to change it?¡± ¡°The Hillington¡¯s¡­.¡± For some reason, he suddenly felt very shy to say these words. ¡®Ah, so this is what shyness was like.¡¯ Gabriel smiled, rubbing his heart once again. ¡°I¡¯ve decided to marry their first child.¡± ¡°¡­.What?¡± -?¨A ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ ? ? ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ ¨@?- (Gabriel¡¯s POV) When I finally finished reminiscing about the past event and opened my eyes, I saw my adjutant with a worried face. ¡°Everything happened so fast, the sudden proposal of marriage¡­. My lord, we are all aware of it, but everyone is asking and wondering what¡¯s your purpose.¡± ¡°Yeah, I guess so. But¡­¡± The adjutant waited patiently for my answer. Then I finally grinned. ¡°I don¡¯t know to be honest. So don¡¯t ask me any more questions, okay? Because I don¡¯t know how to answer you as well as why I did it.¡± Yes, it was a sudden impulse. The adjutant, who looked at me as if I was going crazy, had a strangely distorted face. ¡°¡­¡­My lord, you suddenly became strange for some reason in just a matter of days.¡± ¡°Like I¡¯ve been struck by lightning?¡± ¡°Yeah, exactly.¡± Gabriel smirked. ¡°Well, maybe our first meeting was a bolt from the blue.¡± (TN/N: A bolt from the blue is a metaphorical phrase referring to a lightning bolt suddenlying from a clear sky, like something that you wouldn¡¯t expect to happen.) Because I almost died. ¡°Ha? What are you talking about?¡± I was really curious about Hillington¡¯s first child. It was like I always wanted to be by her side and approach her all the time. I didn¡¯t know why, but this is the first time that I desired someone or something, and I couldn¡¯t help but helplessly want it. (3rd Person POV) The youngest Duke in history, Duke of Belfius, was considered to have the blessing of powerful words and monstrous strength. Having made up his mind, there was definitely nothing that could stop him from doing what he wanted. Later, Gabriel finished the process as quickly as lightning. He visited the emperor first and made sure of his answer. However, the Emperor who initially requested the marriage proposal, was skeptical when Gabriel suddenly said that he would do it. ¡°Why did you suddenly change your mind, Gabriel?¡± ¡°There is a valid reason, Your Majesty.¡± It wasn¡¯t for any political reason the Emperor thought, but he didn¡¯t feel the need to exin it. ¡°We¡¯ll proceed as you said.¡± After he heard that one sentence, he immediately turned his back. Hearing the Emperor¡¯s chuckles, he immediately hardened his heart. ¡®There¡¯s not enough time.¡¯ ¡®I have to leave for the war.¡¯ The battlefield, which he was supposed to leave for casually, has now turned into something cumbersome. Feeling bitter, he instructed his subordinates to go straight to the Hillington residence. ¡®I knew that I had to follow a more careful and thoughtful procedure. But my mind and my heart yed separately. Gabriel was very curious. ¡®What did that night mean to that girl? She must have felt the same sensation that I experience. Like the pounding of the heart?¡¯ ¡®Does she want to marry me too?¡¯ ¡®But what if the girl refuses my offer?¡¯ ¡®No, think positive.¡¯ His eyelids trembled. ¡°I think I¡¯m going to die.¡± ¡°What?¡± Somehow Gabriel felt like he was about to cry. Thinking of Hildea, who was so cold today, he felt like his endless confidence was abating. He was confident in the whole process, but when he was in front of Hildea, he felt so small that it was ridiculous. His heart ached when he remembered that Hildea¡¯s face wasn¡¯t very bright until the end of the conversation. ¡®Does she hate me?¡¯ ¡°It¡¯s a mess.¡± ¡°My Lord¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll say it again. That there¡¯s no other reason. It¡¯s not about family benefits or hidden agenda. It¡¯s just that I want to get married.¡± ¡°¡­Oh, my God. Lord, don¡¯t tell me¡­¡± ¡®I just wish that I had made a better first impression on her.¡¯ ¡°Are you in love?¡± TO BE CONTINUED¡­. Chapter 14 Chapter 14 It¡¯s Obviously A Bad Rtionship ?¦á???¡ï???¦á???????¦á???¡ï???¦á? ¡°Did your heart skip a beat?¡± ¡®I thought it was a strange question.¡¯ ¡®But then, I felt it literally skip a beat.¡¯ ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡­. What¡¯s that?¡± ¡°And you can¡¯t pull yourself together whenever you see Miss Hildea?¡± ¡°Are you trying to pick a fight with me?¡± ¡°Oh my God!¡± Gabriel did not answer, and the adjutant remained astonished. ¡°I thought it was because you were looking for a political advantage, but did you really mean wanting to pursue this marriage?¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with that?¡± ¡°Because it¡¯s weird! And it¡¯s you, my lord!¡± Gabriel crumpled his face upon seeing the adjutant¡¯s excitement. ¡°What is this feeling?¡± ¡°You really don¡¯t know? Remember how you felt when you were in front of Miss Hildea?¡± ¡°Then what?¡± ¡°Since this is new to you, My lord, you can¡¯t seem to exin what you feel, right? Then please listen to me.¡± In order not to be ignored for being young, Gabriel put on his mask skillfully as well as his posture so that no one would think that he was only a 12 years old boy. ¡°Whenever you see that person, you feel like your heart will fall to pieces, and at the end of every thought it will always be that person.¡± He knew better than anyone else how to draw the interest and attention of another person. ¡®But I couldn¡¯t.¡¯ ¡®I don¡¯t know what to do when I¡¯m in front of that cold girl.¡¯ ¡°It¡¯s the kind of feeling where when that personughs, you wouldugh as well, and when she grieves, you would feel the same pain.¡± He felt nervous, scared, happy and excited to see what kind of expression she would make. ¡°Did you feel the same way, my lord?¡± Hildea was always cold and blunt, but one thing was clear. ¡°How did you know?¡± At that time, he didn¡¯t even realize what expression he had, while he was looking at that silver-haired girl. He was so annoyed that their first meeting was messed up. He shouldn¡¯t have gone to steal that token. ¡°We usually call that emotion as love, my lord. I think that you fell in love at first sight.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Gabriel rubbed his face recklessly, as he felt regretful for the first time in his life. ¡°¡­ Maybe.¡± ¡®It felt really good.¡¯ ¡°Just like what you said, this must be love.¡± ¡®Crazy in love.¡¯ Gabriel¡¯s eyes, which had always been filled with false emotions, melted gently and softly just by reminiscing her cold, pretty face. ¡°Okay.¡± He didn¡¯t know why, but that girl definitely lifted the curse of his heart. Otherwise, it wouldn¡¯t make sense. Gabriel made eye contact with the adjutant and nodded very slowly. ¡°¡­¡­ I like her.¡± ¡®So this what it means to like someone.¡¯ -?¨A ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ ? ? ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ ¨@?- (Hildea¡¯s POV) Gabriel, the male protagonist, will be staying at our house. But I am confident. ¡®Because, It has nothing to do with me.¡¯ It happened so suddenly, but even if Gabriel stayed at our house, it won¡¯t have a big impact on me. Ros¨¦ smiled softly and liked it so much, so I thought that the two of them would get along well. Gabriel also seems interested in Ros¨¦, that¡¯s why I decided not to get involved with him. ¡°I can just act like usual.¡±¡¯ I thought it was simple. I had no idea. I didn¡¯t know these things would happen one after another. I was desperate. ¡°Why? Why the hell did this happen? Why did I have to have such an encounter with Gabriel?¡± Since there¡¯s no one in the room, I sigh and rip my hair out to my heart¡¯s content. Argh! It hurts! ¡®Well, it doesn¡¯t matter.¡¯ I¡¯ve already said it a thousand times already. ¡°It has nothing to do with me¡­¡­¡± Gabriel had a very serious impact on me to the point where it hurts to even stay at Hillington! -?¨A ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ ? ? ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ ¨@?- I like to move my body. Since I couldn¡¯t do this in my previous life, it¡¯s better to run with a healthy body in this new life that has been given to me. Of course, the worldview of was focused on social standing. But I didn¡¯t want to neglect my training. ¡®And it doesn¡¯t seem like I¡¯m not the only weirdo in the family.¡¯ I smiled and thought of my lovely little sister. ¡°Sister, sister! Come up quickly!¡± ¡°Ros¨¦, it¡¯s dangerous to climb up too high!¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay- I¡¯m good at this!¡± My younger sister, Ros¨¦riel, is one of the weirdos who could easily climb trees even though she doesn¡¯t exercise steadily like me. ¡®If my sister was born in Korea, she would have been a rare talent that Taereung would cherish. Obviously she would have swept all the awards, right?¡¯ (TN/N: Taereung Training Center has been the home of elite Korean sports activities.) (TN/N: Hahaha love their sisterplex both Ros¨¦ and Hildea are so cute.) I envied Ros¨¦, who smiled and waved on a high tree. I also wanted to move freely. I thought that my father would be worried if he ever found out, so I quietly practiced alone with a tree at a height that wouldn¡¯t be dangerous for me, and in the end, my hard work was rewarded. Like this. ¡°Wow, the air is so good. It¡¯s an air that I couldn¡¯t even think of in my previous life. The mountains and the water are good.¡­.¡± As I look at the scenery from the top of a fairly tall tree, I suddenlyugh out loud. ¡°It¡¯s so peaceful. I hope it continues like this.¡± Now I know why Ros¨¦ kept skipping sses just to climb up a tree. It¡¯s because it was worth it. If the Marquis ever found out, he would definitely lose his mind while only thinking about the reputation of the family. But the good thing is that no one could see me now. ¡®Once I get older, I won¡¯t be able to do this, right?¡¯ It seemed very sad just to imagine it. I giggled and stretched my legs out as I tried to go down. But it was at that moment an unexpected thing happened. ¡°Ugh!¡± The buttons that decorated the riding clothes that I wore to movefortably were suddenly caught in the branches. ¡°¡­Oh my!¡± Creak. I heard the sound of branches breaking and felt the sensation of losing bnce and fell backwards. ¡°!¡± As my body slowly slipped down the tree, I felt myself being drained away from fear. Oh my god! I close my eyes tightly. If I fall off like this, I would definitely break a bone. However¡­. For some reason, it wasn¡¯t me who screamed in pain. ¡°Oh my gosh, my lord!¡± ¡°Lord, lord, are you all right, what is this? Howe there¡¯s a person who fell from the sky?¡± ¡°Is that a girl? Wait, isn¡¯t that Miss Hildea? What are you doing here, Young Miss?¡± What are they talking about? ¡°Ugh¡­..¡± Why did it seem like it didn¡¯t hurt as much as I thought? If I fell from that height, at least my blood should be dripping¡­ I grabbed my head that continuously pounded and slowly raised it. I then realized that there were people staring at me and that there was someone under me. No way. I suddenly felt terrified, as if blood rushed up to my face. As I try to look down to see the face of the victim. ¡°Ga.. Ga.. Gabriel?¡± I saw glittering tinum blonde hair. ¡®Why are you underneath me?¡¯ It is definitely Gabriel. Gabriel, like any other male protagonist, showed an amazing power and easily caught me in a princess carry¡­. As if a miracle happened. ¡°Ahh!¡± I screamed in surprise. My gosh is he okay? Is he dead? ¡°Are you okay¡­?¡± ¡°Young Miss, please move for a moment.¡± The knights who approached us quickly picked me up. I finally saw the figure of a boy with his eyes droopy and closed. I opened my eyes and lost my mind as If I would pass out anytime soon. ¡®Is he dead?¡¯ Gabriel, who stretched out helplessly, seemed to have passed out, perhaps. Because I crushed him with my butt. ¡®Gasp.¡¯ He almost died because of me. Why does this keep happening? It was a big ident that I didn¡¯t want to imagine. If I made a mistake, Gabriel would have broken his neck or suffered a major ident, and I almost crossed the Jordan River together with Gabriel. (TN/N: But before we enter the ¡°promisednd¡± a rite of passage must be experienced ¨C a ¡°river¡± has to be crossed; This ¡°river¡± is called death. It¡¯s what Crossing Jordan River means.) ¡®Did I almost kill the male lead again?¡¯ He had a heart attack when he first saw me, and now this? Just what kind of bad luck is this? Cold sweat dripped down my back. ¡°Call a physician!¡± I felt so sorry and upset that I was about to cry. The gazes of those brutal knights also frightened me. And then. A faint sound was heard. The knight immediately checks on Gabriel. ¡°Lord, lord! Are you awake?¡± ¡°Ugh, what was that?¡± ¡°It was Young Miss Hildea, who suddenly fell off the tree.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± As my eyes trembled from fright, Gabriel suddenly opened his eyes. As if he had lost consciousness for a moment, the boy who woke up frowned as he looked at me Then our eyes met. ¡°I¡­.¡± I feel like a criminal, that¡¯s why I was unable to say anything. ¡°Ah¡­. Ahm.. ¡° I wanted to say¡®I¡¯m sorry¡¯. And I also wanted to ask,¡®did you get hurt?¡¯. But the more nervous I got, the more I couldn¡¯t say anything and my crazy chronic disease that hardens me tormented me even at this very moment. No. I have to say something. ¡°Really¡­¡± I know for a fact even without seeing my face that I have a hard and cold look, and it didn¡¯t look like Imitted a mistake. When I saw the faces of the knights hardening, I knew it. Rather than apologizing, I actually looked more arrogant in the situation. I¡¯m doomed. As I thought about the words that would be saidter, I could only imagine how unfair and unpleasant it would be. ¡®He would definitely curse me, or even worse, get mad at me.¡¯ I cringed like a person who was waiting to be hit. But something unexpected happened. ¡°Youngdy?¡± ¡°¡­Yes?¡± What came out of Gabriel¡¯s mouth was not a reprimand or criticism against me. His purple eyes looked at me delicately. ¡°Are you okay, Miss Hildea?¡± For the first time, I felt like those eyes were looking directly at me. ¡°Did you get hurt?¡± He was submerged in shock, but his youthful tone was very calm and still. And he¡¯ wasn¡¯t not mad at all. There wasn¡¯t even an insult. Somehow, my lips trembled. Gabriel cleared his throat and coughed again. ¡°Are you by any chance hurt anywhere? You suddenly fell from that height, and we need to make sure that you don¡¯t have any injuries.¡± ¡°¡­¡­I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°Young Miss, it is better not to climb up the tree, okay? It¡¯s really dangerous.¡± ¡°Yes, I feel so ashamed of how I look.¡± I felt so embarrassed. Even if our first impression wasn¡¯t good, the little boy was very worried about me, so why couldn¡¯t I be honest? While his mouth was stiff, Gabriel responded with a fresh answer. ¡°As long as you¡¯re not hurt, that¡¯s fine.¡± It was particrly impressive to see the boy trying to get up casually. Because he just seemed so worried about me as if saying it was okay, so don¡¯t be sorry to me. It was like him reading my mind. -?¨A ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ ? ? ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ ¨@?- After the incident. I couldn¡¯t give a definite answer to whether a single moment can change my impression of a person. When I think of that calm voice asking if I was okay, it really warmed me up deep in my heart. ¡®My first impression was ruined.¡¯ Gabriel was a much nicer kid than I thought. Then maybe we can be friends after all. ¡®I hope that he doesn¡¯t hate me.¡¯ Of course, that hope did notst long. TO BE CONTINUED¡­.. Chapter 15 Chapter 15 Unrequited Love Is Harsh ?¦á???¡ï???¦á???????¦á???¡ï???¦á? (Hildea¡¯s POV) ¡°Lira, where are the guests staying?¡± ¡°Guests? But I thought that you hated them.¡± ¡°Oh no, it¡¯s not like that.¡± Lira asked with her eyes wide open. Somehow, I felt embarrassed and immediately turned my head away. ¡°The guests are staying in the annex. And there is no particr movement as well.¡± ¡°I see. The annex.¡± Then that means we wouldn¡¯t have that many encounters in the future. I was thinking about it without realizing it, but then Lira asked abruptly. ¡°Do you have any instructions regarding the guests, mydy? If you are going to visit, then I will contact the Duke of Belfius-¡± ¡°Oh, no. I just asked randomly.¡± Lira, who was still expressionless despite my fuss, nodded her head as if she understood what I meant, then came up to me and finished tying my hair. ¡°What kind of ribbon style should we do today? Did you have anything in mind?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll use the red color on the left.¡± ¡°All right. Then let¡¯s go with that mydy, and let¡¯s also choose your dress ording to your ribbon.¡± Even today, Lira¡¯s face as always was expressionless. However, I can feel in her hands how she cares for me, that¡¯s why I don¡¯t feel upset when I see her only smiling at Rose. Because I know very well that she cares for me too. Also, I can¡¯t smile properly, so it¡¯s not a shock if she does the same. ¡°But Lira.¡± ¡°Yes, mydy?¡± I couldn¡¯t stand the silence and brought up another topic. ¡°Does Ros¨¦ seem excited these days? Is it because a new guest has arrived? It seems that the house has been a little noisy these past few days.¡± ¡°Lady Ros¨¦riel has always been like that. I can¡¯t see any difference from her before.¡± ¡°So nothing was different from what I saw.¡± Within a few days after Gabriel¡¯s arrival, several changes had taken ce inside the mansion. One of the changes was that Ros¨¦¡¯s movement was suspicious. ¡®It must mean something good.¡¯ Perhaps the curiosity of our little lively Ros¨¦riel had been activated, there were times when I couldn¡¯t see her all day. It¡¯s obvious. ¡®I¡¯m very sure that she went out to meet Gabriel today¡­ Well isn¡¯t that a good thing?¡¯ Even in the novel, there was no major event in which Gabriel and Ros¨¦riel fell in love. Meetings that were mere coincidences continue, and then we would find out that they were already talking about getting married. Since the two of them held each other in their hearts as if their feelings in which they had secretly kept, had ignited without any major reasons. Of course, this novel was not without any conflicts or events. For example, what may happen in the Imperial Pce. Thinking about the future made me want to run away. ¡°I think that Ros¨¦ likes the Duke of Belfius. And it would also be better if he chose Rose so that they can get married right away.¡± Lira suddenly blinked her eyes. ¡°Did you see them like that?¡± ¡°Yes, because I noticed that Rose was very fond of him and the Duke of Belfius seemed to like her as well.¡± I just nodded my head. At that moment, I did not notice Lira with a questionable look on her face. ¡°There are people who fall in love at first sight. Maybe that¡¯s the case with those two.¡± ¡°But everyone is still young.¡± ¡°The nobles get engaged early, Lira.¡± ¡°Hmm, it seems like someone else is excited ¡­.¡± ¡°Huh? What did you say?¡± I tilted my head. It was because I couldn¡¯t hear Lira¡¯s murmur very well. ¡°Again. I didn¡¯t hear it.¡± Lira shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s nothing, mydy. More than that, is it really okay for you not to visit the Duke?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°He might really end up with Lady Rose if this continues. You wouldn¡¯t have a chance again in the future?¡± No chance? ¡°Yes. Because I know that it would be the best decision.¡± ¡°If it¡¯s the Duke of Belfius, it would be the marriage that everyone wanted. Are you not interested at all?¡± I blinked and lost strength in the corners of my lips. Because Iughed. It must have been a small movement, but for a moment, Lira¡¯s gaze seemed to touch my face. ¡°The Duke of Belfius can¡¯t choose me, nor can I choose him.¡± ¡°But, mydy-¡° ¡°I¡¯m sure that Lia already heard about me falling from a tree. I¡¯m already thankful that it didn¡¯t get worse. Our story was already over before it even started.¡± It was so funny to think that I have the right to be greedy for the engagement. ¡®I almost killed him by crushing him, I don¡¯t think that I would still stand a chance after that. And I¡¯m neither foul nor pervert.¡¯ I grunted and finished organizing my clothes. I had already been scolded by my father for falling from a tree. ¡®I¡¯m not talking about you climbing a tree. But you know how worried I am after knowing that you almost got hurt, Hildea.¡¯ ¡®Yes. I know, father.¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s better not to climb trees when you¡¯re alone.¡¯ ¡®Yes, father. I¡¯m well aware of it now.¡¯ ¡®¡­¡­ Are you calling me father now?¡¯ ¡®Yes?¡¯ ¡®¡­ Oh.¡¯ How scary it was to be scolded with a calm voice. And I think he said something weird at the end. ¡°Lira, I want to go out now.¡± I shook off myplicated thoughts as I opened the door and stepped out. We didn¡¯t have any sses for today. On such days, I would usually go horseback riding or observe the people of the mansion. ¡°Where should we go today?¡± ¡°Well, today¡­.¡± It was then that my steps towards the garden stopped. Because I heard a clearughter from somewhere like a bird chirping. ¡®Isn¡¯t that, Ros¨¦?¡¯ I can see the happy smiling face of my younger sister, Ros¨¦riel. And the person sitting in front of her¡­ -?¨A ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ ? ? ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ ¨@?- A smiling boy and girl in a wide open ss greenhouse at the end of the garden. It may be the description made by looking at that figure to say that they were a well-matched couple. Ros¨¦ was bright originally, but today, she shone brightly like the sun. While holding her chin cutely with her hand and concentrating on the other person¡¯s words, Ros¨¦ bursted outughing intermittently. Her pink hair fluttering in the wind and red rabbit-like eyes were so adorable that made you want to hug her. Gabriel, a kind boy who was eager to exin something to Ros¨¦ without sparing a smile from his face. ¡®It seems to be a ce just for the two of them that no one could reach.¡¯ It was a scene to look forward to when the years passed and the boy returned safely from the battlefield. But why? It was a scene I was drawn to while reading the novel several times, so I thought that seeing it in person would only make me very excited and happy. ¡®But why do I feel lonely?¡¯ Was it because Ros¨¦, who normally greets me with a wide smile when she hears meing to her, is now focusing her attention on other people? ¡®A sister who has a sisterplex.¡¯ Or was it because Gabriel, who showed only a hard and calm expression toward me, was smiling so softly and gently to Ros¨¦? ¡®This isn¡¯t right.¡¯ If this was jealousy, then it¡¯s a feeling that I should not have. I¡¯m not really an eight-year-old girl, so I guess I just wanted to be friends with him. I bit my lips. It was embarrassing. ¡®After all, the person who got hurt is the one who leans on, and I don¡¯t have the hobby of holding onto another person. I don¡¯t like to beg for a person who doesn¡¯t like me.¡¯ Gabriel was ufortable with me, and Rose didn¡¯t seem to want to be disturbed by their friendly time either. ¡®Do your best,Ros¨¦.¡¯ I turned around, pretending that I didn¡¯t see them while thinking about where to head off to. Theughter seemed to have stopped for a moment, but I knew it had nothing to do with me, so I decided not to care and disappeared. -?¨A ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ ? ? ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ ¨@?- (Gabriel¡¯s 3rd person POV) Gabriel swallowed a dry saliva. Seeing the tense look evident, the girl in front of him smiled wickedly. ¡°Wow, my sister is very shy. So it¡¯s clear to me that it¡¯s more difficult than hating Gabriel!¡± Wouldn¡¯t it be great if that were true. Gabriel¡¯s heart swelled as he saw the sparkling silver waves approaching from afar. Ros¨¦riel¡¯s voice, which chirped like a bird, also flowed into one ear and out the other. ¡®What should I say when shees closer?¡¯ ¡®Will I be able to smile this time?¡¯ ¡®Would it be okay if I asked again if there were any injuries when she fell?¡¯ Should I say¡®I heard you were scolded for falling from a tree by your father.¡¯ Thinking that that might have made Hildea hate him even more, he suddenly became worried. ¡®I¡¯m very upset.¡¯ ¡®Why is it that my facial expression that can move freely at any time is always broken in front of Hildea?¡¯ ¡®But this time¡­¡¯ It will be different since I have a facilitator. Gabriel looked at the pink-haired girl who was smiling in front of him with significant eyes. Ros¨¦riel, a girl who looked cheerful and innocent, but more mischievous. This girl was Gabriel¡¯s new helper. -?¨A ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ ? ? ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ ¨@?- (Gabriel¡¯s POV) A few days ago, the girl suddenly appeared and said, ¡°You look like you¡¯re crying!¡± I was frustrated. It was not a monkey, and I was wondering if this was the other daughter of the Duke. I narrowed my eyes with a suspicious look, but the girl dangling and waving her legs above the tree did not disappear. ¡°¡­ Are you by any chance, young Ros¨¦riel?¡± ¡°Just call me Ros¨¦! And I¡¯m going to call you Gabriel as well.¡± It was an unbearable affinity, but I didn¡¯t want to get too close. ¡°I don¡¯t want to.¡± ¡°Huh? But that would be difficult for me¡­?¡± ¡°That won¡¯t happen.¡± Because I didn¡¯t want to be misunderstood that I wanted to get married to Ros¨¦. However, the following words of the girl caught my attention. ¡°By the way, if you keep waiting like that, you won¡¯t be able to get along with my sister, will you?¡± Gabriel was surprised. No one knew why he kept walking around under the tree, but how did that innocent twin know the reason? ¡®¡­What do you mean by that?¡¯ ¡°Aren¡¯t you waiting for my sister?¡± What¡¯s even more surprising is that Ros¨¦riel, whose eyes were twinkling, asked. ¡°Do you need my help, Duke?¡± -?¨A ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ ? ? ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ ¨@?- (Gabriel¡¯s 3rd person POV) At the present time. Gabriel¡¯s cheeks flushed. Hildea was looking this way. But things didn¡¯t go the way he hoped. The girl who had been waiting for a long time turned around casually and started to go back. He was in great despair. ¡®But why?¡¯ ¡°Didn¡¯t she see me?¡± ¡®Is she avoiding me?¡¯ Gabriel felt like his heart was breaking. Perhaps if Ros¨¦riel hadn¡¯t stopped him, he would have gotten up immediately and followed Hildea. ¡°I said I would help you get close to her, but I will never forgive you for harassing my sister!¡± ¡°What did you say? Why would I do that to Hildea?¡± ¡°If you chase after her even though she doesn¡¯t like you, that¡¯s what¡¯s bothering her!¡± ¡°No way¡­ Did Hildea say that she hates me?¡± The youngdy, who seemed innocent and a little foolish, was quite bitter about what she said, and her sharp red eyes pierced him. TO BE CONTINUED¡­. Chapter 16 Chapter 16 I Didn¡¯t Mean to Be a Hindrance, but Why Do We Keep Running into Each Other? ?¦á???¡ï???¦á???????¦á???¡ï???¦á? ¡¤ ¡¤ ?? ¡¤ ¡¤ (Gabriel¡¯s 3rd person POV) While staring at him, Ros¨¦riel smiled innocently. ¡°Hey, I never said that. And my sister has never mentioned Gabriel either.¡± ¡®She¡¯s definitely stabbing me with her words.¡¯ The words she said with a smiling facepletely crushed Gabriel¡¯s hope. ¡®This sneaky girl.¡¯ Gabriel didn¡¯t respond. While observing him and feeling sullen, Ros¨¦riel pouted her lips.¡®He looks like a grumpy little chick.¡¯ ¡°I don¡¯t know the reason why, but my sister is definitely avoiding the topic. But if you force my sister on something that she doesn¡¯t want, even if his Majesty the Emperores, I will definitely beat your ass! What you need to do is to give my sister time to adjust and choose on her own.¡± ¡°But that¡¯s different. Didn¡¯t you say that you¡¯d help me?¡± ¡°Did I? When did I say that? All I remember is that I said that ¡®I wanted to be friends with Gabriel¡¯, but I won¡¯t help you.¡± ¡®This is absurd. I¡¯m really regretting it.¡¯ ¡®Did I ask the wrong person for help? And why am I hanging out with her?¡¯ ¡°But, Gabriel, why do you like my sister? Is there any specific reason? Do you like her more than the stars in the sky?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just¡­..¡± ¡°If you say that you like her just because she¡¯s pretty, I¡¯ll clip your lips with a clothespin.¡± (PN: Hahahaha I love it. Calling him out for that overused romance trope) Gabriel leaned back slightly and his previously twinkling eyes dimmed. ¡®Who the hell are all these people that are hiding? There seem to be servants hovering everywhere.¡¯ ¡®In the grass, inside the garden, outside the sshouse and so on.I¡¯m also concerned that they might have the wrong impression of us.¡¯ ¡°But it¡¯s good if you feel like your heart is about to explode. Am I right?¡± ¡°Hey, why aren¡¯t you answering me? Are you not confident? Don¡¯t you know your own feelings? Gabriel is such an idiot!¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡®This little girl really doesn¡¯t filter her words.¡¯ Gabriel¡¯s face was acutely distorted. ¡°Then how about now? Even if you can¡¯t see my sister, you¡¯re always thinking about her, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡®I can say this without a doubt.¡¯ ¡°Yes. It makes me feel happy whenever I see her, and I keep thinking about her even when I¡¯m not looking at her. And I¡¯ve never thought of marrying anyone other than your sister.¡± ¡°Wow¡­. You¡¯re so adamant, but you¡¯re talking in a really bad way!¡± Gabriel decided not to be fooled, considering how Ros¨¦riel could smile sweetly while talking like this. Ros¨¦riel looked as if she couldn¡¯t harm a single flower. And yet despite her innocent appearance, she acts like an antagonist, continually stabbing him with words even now. The worst part was, Gabriel was in an extremely vulnerable state of mind because she was the twin sister of the girl that he loves. ¡°I have no intention of marrying Gabriel either. And what else?¡± ¡®Why do I have to say this to her when I can¡¯t even say it directly to Hildea.¡¯But since he had no choice, Gabriel said shyly, ¡°I just want time to stop when I¡¯m looking at her, even just for a bit.¡± The more he speaks, the more frustrated he bes. Gabriel wants to somehow talk to Hildea, but as soon as she saw him earlier, the girl suddenly frowned and ran away. ¡®I think Hildea hates me.¡¯ ¡°Wow Gabriel, you¡¯re only twelve years old, but I never would have thought that you would be this mature. I¡¯m overwhelmed.¡± She spoke in a weird way as if she was already an adult. (TN: Omo is this a sign that Ros¨¦riel might be reincarnated as well?) ¡°By the way, our maid said this: if you fall in love at first sight, you have to get to know that person instead of just looking at her from afar.¡± Gabriel¡¯s eyebrows twitched. He thought that the person who would know Hildea the best would be her twin sister, who is the one in front of him. Gabriel then sat down to listen to more. ¡°You have no idea how pretty my sister is when she smiles. You don¡¯t know, right? Hehe. You¡¯re jealous right?¡± ¡®Maybe.¡¯ ¡°My sister always pats me warmly, and it feels really good. She also said that she liked me the most. Do you envy me?¡± ¡®Hearing her words¡­¡¯ ¡°Oh, you don¡¯t know about it? Maybe because you know nothing about my sister!¡± Gabriel felt worse and worse. ¡®Are you kidding me? You¡¯re not even trying to help me.¡¯ He recalled what the knights had advised, ¡°What they¡¯re saying is that it would be better to arrange a marriage with Ros¨¦riel, who looks bright and innocent, rather than Hildea, who looks cold and unsympathetic.¡± ¡®This is all stupid.¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m already jealous. Just how many times does she have to rub it in?¡¯ (TN: Aww poor Gabriel, being bullied by Ros¨¦.) He struggled to hold back his anger. And finally while grinding his teeth, he asked her, ¡°So, what does your sister like? You seem to have forgotten that we met because I was going to ask you to tell me about that, Lady Ros¨¦riel.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t even know the rules of life!¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Originally, if you want something, you need to be sincere about getting it! Why is your attitude so overbearing? Who is the one who desperately needs it? Should I just go back?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°If you find someone you like, you have to grab the person who knows her well and rip out the information, okay?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Gabriel probably doesn¡¯t know anything about what my sister likes, where she goes often, or what she¡¯s interested in, right? I know that you know nothing about her.¡± Even Gabriel, who was emotionally dull, could understand that this girl was clearly mocking him. ¡°What does she enjoy?¡± ¡°That¡¯s more like it!¡± Gazing at him gently, Ros¨¦ then opened her mouth, grinning widely, and offered Gabriel what he had been waiting for. ¡°My sister likes flowers and pots. She¡¯s growing them one by one, on one of the window sills, but now there are well over ten. And I like shiny things. ¡°I don¡¯t think thetter part is something that I need to hear.¡± ¡°Because I¡¯m good at drawing. I have a lot of drawings of my sister, and I also have one that shows my sister¡¯s smile.¡± ¡°¡­Shiny things, I¡¯ll definitely remember that.¡± (TN: This chapter is really hrious, poor Gabriel.) (PRN: Ros¨¦ knows what the important things in life are) Gabriel listened intently while muttering to himself, trying hard to remember everything. -?¨A ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ ? ? ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ ¨@?- (Hildea¡¯s POV) ¡®It seems very strange.¡¯ It hasn¡¯t been that long since Gabriel entered the Hillington Mansion and stayed here. However, for some reason, Gabriel and Ros¨¦ were always together wherever I went. ¡®What kind of coincidence is this?¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s as if they would suddenly appear in a ce where I usually stay or pop up within my periphery.¡¯ ¡®How can this be happening? Is it all just a happenstance?¡¯ I let out a sigh and frown. Of course, I have no problem approaching my sister Ros¨¦, but it¡¯s a different story if she¡¯s together with Gabriel. When that happened, I would automatically leave without even realizing what I was doing. As a result, all of the walks that I had nned to take were cancelled. On seeing them, I immediately stopped doing what I intended to do and went back to my room earlier than scheduled. ¡®It¡¯s ufortable. Very ufortable.¡¯ But oddly enough, just like now. ¡°This is not amon ce for people to go to, Duke of Belfius.¡± There are times when I run into Gabriel in a ce where I shouldn¡¯t see him ¡®Why is he here? Don¡¯t tell me that he¡¯s spying on our house?¡¯ ¡°¡­Gabriel is enough.¡± I¡¯m shocked by his blunt response. ¡®If you don¡¯t like pretending to be friendly with me, then don¡¯t talk to me. But what¡¯s wrong with you? Why are you giving me that cold stare and asking me to call you by your first name?¡¯ I¡¯m offended, but then again we have no reason to be close. ¡°Then I¡¯ll do that, Gabriel.¡± Adding on, I asked him how he was doing. ¡°Have you beenfortable living in the mansion?¡± It¡¯s a polite greeting. ¡®I don¡¯t have to try to improve the first impression that was already ruined, so I won¡¯t try tough.¡¯ ¡°Thanks to you, I¡¯mfortable.¡± I nked out for a second. Then I think about what he said. ¡®Is he tantly being sarcastic saying that to someone who has never treated him kindly or greeted him properly?¡¯ A heavy silence descended between the two of us. If Ros¨¦ was here, we would have had a lively conversation. ¡®He¡¯s so unlucky today. Why did he have to meet me, whom he hates so much?¡¯ As the silence extends, I feel pitiful. I take a deep breath and then immediately tell him, ¡°If you have nothing to say¡­¡± I can see that this conversation is going nowhere, so if he¡¯s waiting for someone, he can patiently stand here for a few more minutes. ¡°Then I¡¯ll be going on my way now? I have other things to do.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± ¡°If you are on your way to meet Ros¨¦, you can go to the right. I¡¯m going to the left side, so you don¡¯t have to worry because you won¡¯t see me after this. You can rx now.¡± I prayed earnestly. ¡®That we wouldn¡¯t have such awkward encounters over and over again.¡¯ ¡®I don¡¯t want to be in an awkward situation with my future brother-inw, right?¡¯ ¡°Flower.¡± After turning around without regrets, Gabriel suddenly replied to me. ¡°That.¡± ¡°¡­..?¡± ¡°Flower.¡± ¡®Is it hot?¡¯ Gabriel¡¯s earlobes seem to be burning red for some reason, and I looked at him nkly for a second. Our eyes suddenly meet. I¡¯m surprised and try to avoid his gaze. However, I¡¯m even more shocked and offended by the boy¡¯s behavior: he shifted his eyes in a different direction as if he glimpsed something that he didn¡¯t want to see. ¡®You don¡¯t have to treat me differently.¡¯ ¡®I also have no intention of marrying you.¡¯ As always, whenever the two of us are together, he keeps his mouth shut and gives off unpleasant vibes. Every time I meet Gabriel, it bes a bad memory for me. (TN: Poor Gabriel.) It¡¯s the same today. ¡°You don¡¯t seem to have anything to say, so I should get going¡±. ¡°Lady Hildea is¡­¡± But I was stopped from leaving again when he started to speak once more. ¡°I heard that Lady Hildea likes flowers.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± I opened my eyes wide. He spoke quite quickly, as if speaking slowly was not an option, and he seemed afraid of being cut off. I red at Gabriel with piercing eyes, but he didn¡¯t make eye contact with me. ¡®What are you doing?¡¯ ¡®Are you trying to get close to me?¡¯ ¡®But why don¡¯t you look me in the eye?¡¯ ¡®Or did you hear something from Ros¨¦?¡¯ ¡°Is that right?¡± ¡°Well¡­.¡± ¡°If that¡¯s the case, I will¡­¡± The rumor that I like flowers and pots was a misunderstanding that arose when I was collecting flower pots to test my abilities. ¡°Yes, I do.¡± ¡®Actually, I don¡¯t like flowers that much.¡¯ Even so, the flowers that bloomed when I used my powers were particrly lively and fresh, and I¡¯m fond of them. But there is no reason or need for such an exnation. I just nodded. ¡°But I wonder why you ask that.¡± ¡°If you ask, I mean, I want to know. So¡­.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Ugh.¡± Gabriel paused for a moment, like a person who had shortness of breath. Sometimes I couldn¡¯t speak properly as well, so I waited for him to respond first. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°No. It¡¯s okay.¡± I¡¯m not sure why. Then after a while, Gabriel spoke slowly. ¡°I intend to send a letter from the battlefield, to Lady Ros¨¦.¡± ¡®Oh, I see. It seems like he wants to tell me that he¡¯ll be sending a letter to Ros¨¦.¡¯ (PN: I swear it¡¯s a miracle these 2 managed to fall in love XD) TO BE CONTINUED¡­.. Chapter 17 Chapter 17 (Hildea¡¯s POV) ¡°If you would allow me¡­.¡± ¡®What is he trying to say? Is he asking for my approval?¡® I only understood his bizarre behavior then, and chuckled to myself inside. Ros¨¦ seems to like him a lot. I can even see their determination to get married. He must be worried, thinking that Ros¨¦ might get a boyfriend while he is on the battlefield. ¡°¡­ May I send it to you?¡± ¡®What?¡¯ While happily thinking about Ros¨¦, I missed his question. ¡®But maybe it would be okay for him to write a letter to Ros¨¦.¡¯ I nodded indifferently. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll be happy.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°?¡± It¡¯s clear that Ros¨¦ would be delighted. ¡®But why?¡¯ As he paused, Gabriel¡¯s face flushed red. He looks like someone with an allergic reaction after eating a certain food. I was startled by the sudden change. ¡°Hey. Are you okay?¡± ¡°Ah¡­.¡± Since I was worried about his situation, I tried to reach out to him, but he flinched at my touch and took a half-step back. ¡°Gabriel?¡± ¡°Ugh!¡± ¡®Wait, is he really okay? He looks really weird.¡¯ ¡°Ahm, my name, you said just now¡­.¡± (TN: Haha Gabriel is hopeless =)) Gabriel rubbed his ears as if they itched. ¡°Wait. Did something happen to your ears?¡± ¡°No, no.. it¡¯s not like that.¡± I thought about it seriously. I wonder if there¡¯s anything in this area that would cause this kind of allergic reaction. ¡°Please stop scratching. It would probably be better to have it looked at by a physician. Do you feel any other abnormalities besides your ears?¡± (TN: My gosh, his heart Hildea hahaha.) Because of my ability, I¡¯m now more knowledgeable about nts so I know which nts are edible or not. ¡®Is there grass around here that could affect Gabriel like this?¡¯ ¡®Wait a minute.¡¯ My eyes narrowed as something came to my mind. ¡®Hopefully it¡¯s not an allergy.¡¯ ¡®¡­ Is it because we¡¯re talking about Ros¨¦ right now? Is that the reason why he¡¯s blushing?¡¯ ¡®Wow, I¡¯m in awe.¡¯ ¡®It seems like I was right.¡¯ ¡®Oh, my. How can there be such a pure guy? Is it because he¡¯s the male lead?¡¯ ¡®Is he that happy?¡¯ Gabriel from the original book was a fully devoted male lead to Ros¨¦riel; he was sweet, kind, and warm only towards the woman he loved. Gabriel suddenly looked serious, perhaps because he noticed my perplexed expression. However, his face was still as red as a tomato. ¡°Lady Hildea, I¡¯m not normally like this.¡± ¡®I don¡¯t think so. I can tell that you will always be like this in the future.¡¯ ¡°Okay, I understand.¡± ¡°Really¡­.¡± Thinking like that, the boy immediately changed his expression, which showed his cute side. Even though that love is not directed towards me, my heart is touched. But then again I can¡¯t help but feel a little bitter. ¡®Will I ever be able to meet someone with such unconditional affection for me?¡¯ ¡°Do not worry. Ros¨¦ will love it.¡± ¡°¡­ Oh, really?¡± ¡°Yeah, definitely.¡± ¡°Only Lady Ros¨¦ would love it?¡± ¡°¡­..? Yes?¡± ¡®Then who else is there?¡¯ I told a boy, who¡¯s deeply in love, something that he would want to hear the most, but what¡¯s with his reaction? It seems like his shoulders are drooping. ¡®I¡¯m really not sure, but I guess we¡¯re good now.¡¯ I decided to go back since Gabriel was no longer talking. As I left, I could see him standing alone as if he was waiting for someone. ¡®Looks like he¡¯s waiting for Ros¨¦ again.¡¯ Anyway, I have too much work to worry about a boy who¡¯s practically a stranger. -?¨A ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ ? ? ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ ¨@?- (3rd Person POV) ¡°Chris, were you meditating? It¡¯s almost time for dinner, so let¡¯s go down now.¡± The boy, who was quietly meditating inside the prayer room in a reverent atmosphere, opened his eyes. ¡°Priest Hamel. Can I ask for a few more minutes to pray?¡± ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to pray that hard. You have to take care of your health as well.¡± Hamel, the head priest, looked at Chris full of respect. He is definitely younger than the other priests, but his divine power is unbelievable for his age, which is only twelve years old. Even his long, beautiful silver hair and the friendly green eyes make him look like the embodiment of a god. Supreme Priest, Chris. The one who loves God the most. The representative of the divine blessing. The person who gives the blessings. All the glorious names belong to that young priest. Among the people of the Mielle Empire, all who were born with special abilities and blessings received them through the mouth of the highest priest at the time. Therefore, the supreme priest was like a living god to the people. They were so powerful that even the Emperor could not easily touch them. Because the supreme priest was born into their world as the supreme priest. ¡°By the way, Chris. I heard that a person came from the Imperial Pce a few days ago. What did they want?¡± For a moment, Chris¡¯s smile disappeared, and then immediately reappeared. ¡°You¡¯ve heard about it. Well not many people would have known about it.¡± ¡°Yeah, they sometimes make demands that are beyond the line. That¡¯s why I can¡¯t help, but be worried.¡± The supreme priest smiled softly, as if he was an innocent angel. ¡°By the way, Priest Hamel.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Who else knows about this?¡± ¡°¡­¡­ Pardon?¡± Hamel had a strange feeling. As always, Chris smiled like a cute kid, but the way he spoke gave off a feeling of authority. Without realizing it, the mid-level priest staggered backwards, but there was nowhere for him to retreat. ¡°I¡¯m asking you, who else knew about it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s something that only I know, but then again why are you asking¡­¡± Hamel couldn¡¯t continue his words. It was because he screamed as an intense pain cut through his heart. Chris showed a dazzling smile as he gazed at the other person in pain. Then he gently whispered, ¡°I¡¯m d that you¡¯re the only one.¡± Pak- After the priest¡¯s heart burst, a deadly quiet resounded inside the room. And soon after no other sounds were heard. (TN: Omo we have a killer priest here) -?¨A ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ ? ? ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ ¨@?- (Hildea¡¯s POV) ¡°Gasp!¡± I opened my eyes wide. ¡°What was that?¡± (TN: Wow! Can this be another ability of Hildea?) It seemed like I had a very scary dream, but I woke up feeling very ufortable. That was why I couldn¡¯t remember what happened in my dream. And after checking today¡¯s date, I let out a frustrated sigh. ¡®It¡¯s happening today.¡¯ ¡®That damn boat ride.¡¯ Gabriel is going to be my future brother-inw. Even though he¡¯s indifferent towards me and hardens his face every time he sees me, I still treat him like my own family. Moreover, Gabriel, who has to go to war at such a young age, is somewhat pitiful. So I was even more mindful and tried to make him stick with Ros¨¦, but I was ambushed out of nowhere. ¡°I want to go with my sister!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Sister, let¡¯s go boating together. Ros¨¦ wants to be with her sister and sister is okay with that right?¡± The problem is that my sister, Ros¨¦riel, likes me too much. I peeked at Gabriel¡¯s face which had copsed when he heard this. He must have wanted this to be a date for both him and Ros¨¦. This older sister doesn¡¯t intend to be a third wheel on their couple¡¯s date¡­. ¡°My Lady, please wake up? Oh my, you¡¯re already awake.¡± After greeting Lira, I began to prepare my ceremonial outfit from head to toe. But then¡­.. ¡®Ros¨¦.¡¯ This is definitely cheating. ¡°Ros¨¦riel!¡± I shed tears of blood as I called my sister¡¯s name inwardly. There is no pink-haired girl smiling at the meeting ce. ¡°You¡¯re here, Lady Hildea.¡± There is only Gabriel, who is staring at me with a pale face. -?¨A ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ ? ? ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ ¨@?- (Ros¨¦riel¡¯s 3rd person POV) The pink-haired girl hummed. As she looked at her open notebook, a loud ringing notification was heard. -You are invited to the conversation. ¨C He obviously has no intention of getting married. Biting her lip, the girl picked up a pen and began to scribble. ¨C I think so too. It seems like he needs to work harder, because he hasn¡¯t proven himself yet. The conversation that followed was quite intense; people hoped that someone like Belfius, whom they hated, would leave the mansion as soon as possible. The girl¡¯s eyes narrowed affectionately. ¡°You can do it, male lead-sama.¡± (TN: Omo, is this a sign that Ros¨¦ is definitely transmigrated as well?) (PN: Called it!) -?¨A ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ ? ? ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ ¨@?- (Hildea¡¯s POV) ¡®Can it be any more awkward than this?¡¯ Whenever I went out with our lively Ros¨¦, it was always a boat ride full of pleasant memories. ¡®If you don¡¯t like it that much, we can always go back.¡¯ It¡¯s nice to see how devoted he is to my cherished sister, but it¡¯s awkward if he keeps covering his face whenever he faces me. Compared to when he smiled softly in front of Ros¨¦, Gabriel has a tense face the whole time, maybe because he isn¡¯t satisfied boating with me. And he seems to be holding his breath for some reason. I sighed. ¡°We¡¯re almost there.¡± ¡®Can you give me some answers, please?¡¯ I¡¯m desperately hoping our boat would reach its destination as quickly as possible and end this suffocating situation. Suddenly, my stomach churned and shook. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Ah.¡± The escort knights, attendants, and maids followed along, but they aren¡¯t in the same boat with us. Even if we were all together on the boat, it wouldn¡¯t have helped. The boat tilted in a direction as if it had been caught by something in theke. I leaned over to check. At that moment, I had a ridiculous thought. ¡®Is it okay if I drink the water from theke?¡¯ But it¡¯s not an exaggeration. Since my dress has severalyers on it, if I fall over like this, I don¡¯t think that I¡¯ll be able to get out of the water¡­? ¡°Hildea!¡± At that moment, someone called my name and grabbed my hand. My body was hugged tightly and our eyes met for a brief moment. It was Gabriel. ¡®Why are you looking at me like that?¡¯ The boy was looking at me with a bewildered face. He didn¡¯t show his usual stiff expression or a sign of dislike, just a surprised face. ¡®As if you were very worried about me.¡¯ And then we fell in together. Ssh! -?¨A ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ ? ? ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ ¨@?- (3rd Person¡¯s POV) ¡°Achoo!¡± Hildea¡¯s face was a deep shade of red. The way she closed her eyes as if she couldn¡¯te to her senses pained the onlooker¡¯s heart. Gabriel crushed the hearts of those working for the Hillingtons, who were all passionate followers of Hildea. ¡®Our littledy is so sick!¡¯ ¡®Damn you Belfius!¡¯ Just then, Ros¨¦riel, who was guarding Hildea by her side, grumbled. ¡°You should have grabbed this opportunity since you saved her. But why did you immediately leave?¡± After waking up, Hildea scolded her twin sister for being immature. ¡°Ros¨¦, Achoo! Where did you go? Achoo! Why didn¡¯t¡­ Achoo!¡± ¡°Sister, please calm down, don¡¯t move too much. You still have a fever¡­.¡± Everyone wiped away their tears with handkerchiefs. Hildea von Hillington. Our firstdy is a very smart and very calm person. There was no one in the Hillington residence who hadn¡¯t received help from her, even though she was only an eight year old girl. It was like that¡­. TO BE CONTINUED¡­.. Chapter 18 Chapter 18 ?¦á???¡ï???¦á???????¦á???¡ï???¦á? ¡¤ ¡¤ ?? ¡¤ ¡¤ Was It Really That Bad? (Servants of the Hillington Mansion¡¯s 3rd Person POV) No one could believe that the notorious Duke of Belfius, a person who usually didn¡¯t care for anyone other than himself, would be attracted to Lady Hildea. ¡®But our youngdy doesn¡¯t seem to like him!¡¯ At first, the people of Hillington weren¡¯t attached to the blunt and emotionless girl. Unlike her twin sister, Ros¨¦riel, who always smiled brightly, Hildea was a very quiet girl. She rarely expressed herself. On asion, she was misunderstood as an arrogant person who ignored or ridiculed others, and looked down on them. But in fact, the eldest young miss was very kind. ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s necessary for me, you can have it if you want.¡± ¡°I heard that you¡¯re getting married, and I thought that it would be burdensome to hand this over. Then would you kindly give this to your wife? And again congrattions on your wedding.¡± ¡°Excuse me, but the air will be very cold since it¡¯s almost winter. And you¡¯ll definitely catch a cold with that kind of fabric. Then the prestige of the Duchy will be diminished.¡± (TN: These are different statementsing from Hildea, referring to how she treats the servants of the Hillington Mansion.) ¡®Who on earth would look with this kind of detail so carefully? What kind of nobledy would be curious about and considerate of such trivial things?¡¯ People who were cared for by Hildea gathered and shared their stories about the youngdy¡¯s kindness. And they prayed with one heart and mind, ¡®Please don¡¯t let the Duke of Belfius, who was well known to have a bad temper, be the youngdy¡¯s fiance!¡¯ But heaven has forsaken them. Because the Duke of Belfius, who didn¡¯t show any interest before, suddenly stormed into the house of Hillington and began to actively pursue a courtship. Neither the boy¡¯s appearance, which looked like a pretty doll, nor his significant title were considered. ¡®I can¡¯t believe that he can¡¯t even speak properly when he¡¯s facing our youngdy Hildea.¡¯ Whenever Hildea wasn¡¯t looking, the young boy¡¯s gaze following her was tenacious and intense. But as soon as their eyes met, he would immediately turn around and avoid making eye contact with her. He acted so coldly and rudely to others, but he couldn¡¯t smile properly whenever he faced Hildea, because of the stiff expression on his face. Whenever the subject was rted to Hildea, his ears would always turn as red as apples and his fingers would twitch from nervousness. ¡®As for ourdy Hildea¡­¡¯ Rather than understanding the boy¡¯s unusual behaviour which showed his shy heart, she seemed to have misinterpreted him as being rude. Because she always expressed hatred whenever she looked at Gabriel and had a very awkward expression on her face. ¡®But the ungrateful Duke even drowned our precious littledy on theke!¡¯ ¡®But the truth is, everyone was aware that they fell together at theke. Still, what¡¯s the use of his amazing ability if he can¡¯t protect his beloved who fell off theke with him, right?¡¯ But the Duke of Belfius couldn¡¯t do anything if thedy Hildea herself didn¡¯t approve of him. -?¨A ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ ? ? ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ ¨@?- (Hildea¡¯s POV) ¡®It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve been sick like this.¡¯ ¡®No, I think it was the first time that I¡¯ve experienced this kind of pain since I possessed this body. It felt like my whole body was bruised from a beating.¡¯ It took an entire week for me to get better, and thanks to that, there is little time left before Gabriel leaves for the war. Ros¨¦, who came to visit, used to chat with me, but half of those conversations wereining about Gabriel. It was just a cute whisper. ¡®I hate it when my sister is sick. Both of you fell down on theke, but howe Gabriel is fine?¡¯ ¡®Yes, you¡¯re right. ¡°Cough¡±. It¡¯s really unfair.¡¯ But I remember everything. The moment he reached out his hands to me, that point when he saved my life, and the time that I fell on the tree and he protected me. Those were times when I felt embarrassed and hated him at the same time. That alone makes me feel a little bit relieved about theints that have built up. (TN: I think the reason why she kind of hates him might be because of what happened to them but she would feel grateful to himter on.) ¡®But if I look back at all the things that have happened, the victim was definitely Gabriel.¡¯ Especially, from the time when I fell from the tree, and the boat ride on which I fell over theke, Gabriel was involved all because he was trying to rescue me. ¡®If Gabriel had been alone at those times, whether the ship stumbled or not, he might have been able to save himself andnd safely without any bruises. No, he certainly could have.¡¯ That¡¯s why, for no other reason, I thought that it would be better to say thank you in person, so I decided to visit Gabriel. But when I try to see him face to face, it¡¯s very difficult to find him. When I didn¡¯t want to meet him before, we always bumped into each other very often. ¡°Is the Duke of Belfius here?¡± In the end, I almost circled the whole Hillington Mansion and finally arrived at the library. The very first head of the Hillington family was a man who was crazy about books. Since he was not satisfied with only his study room, he decided to turn the entire building into a library. The knights guarding the front of the door saluted me and shouted. ¡°Yes, miss. If you look at the entry and exit records, it¡¯s been quite some time since he entered, as it shows on the list.¡± As I looked at their rigid, embarrassed expressions, I sighed and wrote down my name on the list, and then entered the library. ¡®How can I possibly find him here?¡¯ Gabriel is still a boy, so it would be difficult for me to see him since he is small and the same applies to me. There is no librarian, since this is not managed by the state itself. And even if there were, they would never have been able to find that little boy in this spacious ce. ¡®Anyways, I can do it myself, since I have a lot of time.¡¯ I start looking through the bookshelves one by one. And after a while, I found the back of the boy, while he was focusing on something. -?¨A ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ ? ? ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ ¨@?- (Gabriel¡¯s 3rd Person¡¯s POV) ¡®It was a disaster.¡¯ As a result, Hildea was sick for a week. Gabriel kept going back to the ce where Hildea was staying, but repeatedly walked away without properly seeing her. Unfortunately, precious time just passed by. There was not enough time to stay at the Hillington mansion. More and a little more. It was bing a big problem because his greed kept growing. And he wouldn¡¯t be seeing her for a very long time. ¡®It would have been better if I was the one who got sick instead.¡¯ Gabriel chuckled at the thought that came to his mind. If his adjutant heard his thoughts, he would definitely be trembling, saying that it¡¯s really scary. He had done that many times now, ever since Gabriel started treating Hildea with care. ¡°Hey.¡± It was then. ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Hi there, Ahm.. I actually came here because I have something that I wanted to say¡­..¡± Gabriel had never been followed before. There was never a time when he couldn¡¯t feel another person¡¯s presence before. The problem was that these past few days, he has been constantly unfocused, especially when he was thinking about Hildea¡¯s condition. ¡°Hill¡­.¡± But what if someone suddenly speaks behind you? He was shocked as if he had died of a heart attack. Gabriel stumbled back while he was climbing thedder, and at that specific moment¡­ ¡°!¡± With his elbow, he identally pushed the books that were ced ntedly. At that point, his body twisted and fell, and the books also poured down like rain. ¡°Ah¡­¡± However, Hildea, the girl who was looking up with her eyes wide open, the same girl who drove him crazy these past few days, happened to be down there! ¡®If it¡¯s like this, then..¡¯ Gabriel¡¯s heart tightened. ¡°You¡¯re going to get hurt!¡± ¡®No. Please, no.¡¯ -?¨A ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ ? ? ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ ¨@?- (Hildea¡¯s POV) ¡®How can this be?¡¯ ¡®How can this be happening now?¡¯ I crouched and waited for the books to pour heavily. However, as time passed, the pain was never felt. But instead, someone was hugging me tightly. When I opened my eyes slowly, the first thing that I saw was Gabriel¡¯s face, who had somehow wrapped his small body around mine and got hit by the books instead of me. ¡°Oh, my¡­.¡± My usually neat hair was messed up, and so was his. I looked at the boy who had a disheveled face and was tightly hugging me, and I saw a lump sticking out of his white forehead, which was already red. I frowned. ¡®It must have hurt a lot.¡¯ Then, at some point, Gabriel shivered. ¡°Ugh!¡± It was then that he realized our current state, and in response, Gabriel immediately jumped back, as if he was a high jumper in the Olympics. ¡°I almost got you in trouble.¡± The problem was that the surrounding area was full of messy books. The boy who was stumbling from shock, almost fell backwards. This time I reached out first and grabbed Gabriel to support him. I let go of his hand awkwardly, but a clumsy smile seemed to appear on my lips. I finally opened my mouth, and looked at the boy properly. ¡°Thank you.¡± I should¡¯ve said it from the beginning, but I couldn¡¯t say it properly. ¡®I kind of feel like the atmosphere has softened a bit. Am I mistaken?¡¯ For some reason, Gabriel¡¯s hand seemed to tremble slightly, perhaps because he was injured while blocking all those books. ¡°Give me your hand.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t get hurt. I¡¯m okay.¡± ¡°Then how about your forehead?¡± ¡°This, too. It¡¯s okay.¡± I tried to look closely, but the boy hid his hands behind his back as if he didn¡¯t want them to be seen. While his face was bowed down. ¡®Okay then.¡¯ It¡¯s not hurt to that extent, so this time, I decide to respect Gabriel¡¯s sensitivity. Also he¡¯s my life savior. ¡®Even though I¡¯m not your fiance, you still did all those things to protect me.¡¯ My first impression of Gabriel, which was all messed up, has copsed again. ¡®It would have been nice if we could be friends. I just wish that he hadn¡¯t hated me yet.¡¯ I¡¯m pretty sad. And sorry as well. I know that Gabriel may have a bad impression of me, due to the frequent idents that we got into when we were together, but at least for me, I see him as a good boy. I can¡¯t smile as kindly as Ros¨¦riel. Still, I say it again with all my heart. ¡°Thank you, Gabriel.¡± ¡°¡­ Of course, it¡¯s my responsibility.¡± Gabriel didn¡¯t even look at me. Even so, his small hand, that he reached out with as if asking me to help him up, was faintly trembling as if it had been injured. I stood up holding the boy¡¯s hand without force so I wouldn¡¯t hurt him. Gabriel¡¯s hand was very warm. -?¨A ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ ? ? ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ ¨@?- (Hildea¡¯s POV) The remaining few days went by very quickly. ¡°May the silent hand of the goddess rest, and there may be peace.¡± ¡°May only the blessings of peace and well-being bloom like the blessings of the wind god.¡± It¡¯s too formal and bleak for a conversation between families that are getting engaged. Gabriel¡¯s gaze is directed towards my sister. It¡¯s obvious that he¡¯s been looking at Ros¨¦ for a long time now. After he stared at Ros¨¦ for a while, he then looked at me for a moment as if showing whom he isfortable with. He licked his lips and greeted me as if he couldn¡¯t help it. ¡°I hope that Young Miss is also at peace.¡± ¡°I hope that the Duke will be careful too.¡± Rather than the formal greeting from before, it¡¯s a word of gratitude. And it¡¯s very sincere. ¡®His destination is the battlefield. It¡¯s a ce where anyone can die at any time.¡¯I frowned thinking that this little kid would be going to that kind of ce. It was then that Gabriel, who was looking at me as he said his farewell, suddenly turned his eyes away. ¡®Since he¡¯s already said his farewell greeting to me, It¡¯s now time for him to say goodbye to Ros¨¦.¡¯ As I turned around, I was about to call Ros¨¦. But for some reason, Ros¨¦, who had been chattering and saying something, took a step back and smiled at me. When I beckoned her to provide a ce for the two of them, Rose waved her hands. She raised her finger and pointed behind me. ¡®Huh? Wasn¡¯t Gabriel behind me?¡¯ The moment I turned around, I was stunned. ¡°¡­..Hildea, dear.¡± ¡®When did you get so close?¡¯ TO BE CONTINUED¡­ Chapter 19 Chapter 19 ?¦á???¡ï???¦á???????¦á???¡ï???¦á? ¡¤ ¡¤ ?? ¡¤ ¡¤ 12 Years is a Long Time (Hildea¡¯s POV) I was really surprised for a moment, but seeing the boy¡¯s serious face, I suddenly felt nervous without realizing it. ¡®What does he want from me? What is he going to say?¡¯ However, the words Gabriel said were more than I expected. ¡°Letter, I¡¯ll send you a letter.¡± I couldn¡¯t answer for a second. Then I remembered Gabriel¡¯s promise that he would be sending a letter to Ros¨¦. However, Gabriel¡¯s words are not over yet. ¡°If you send me a letter, I would definitely reply.¡± ¡°What?¡± I frowned slightly, because I couldn¡¯t hear his mumbled words, but Gabriel¡¯s shoulders flinched. ¡®What? Was there a bug?¡¯ However, as I look over the boy¡¯s shoulder, I can¡¯t see anything. Just as I was about to tilt my head, ¡°I would be happy to receive a reply from the Young Miss.¡± ¡°¡­Huh?¡± I open my eyes wide. I thought that he was rapping, because he was talking way too fast. (P/N: Should¡¯ve rapped his proposal to her XD) It feels so unreal, since he always spoke slowly before. ¡®Did he ask me to write a reply?¡¯ ¡®I don¡¯t understand.¡¯ ¡®I don¡¯t have anything to say to him, so it¡¯s a very difficult request.¡¯ Then it suddenly urred to me. ¡®Ah¡­. Is he asking me to tell him anything about Ros¨¦?¡¯ (T/N:My gosh Hildea hahahaha.. Imagine receiving a letter from her then once Gabriel opens it, it¡¯s all about Ros¨¦.) He may ask me some things that would be difficult to request from the person involved. Only then did I understand the boy¡¯splicated mind and calmly nod. ¡°Okay, Duke. I will send a letter as well.¡± ¡°¡­Why aren¡¯t you calling me Gabriel?¡± ¡°?¡± ¡®Why would I call you Gabriel? And why are you frowning like that?¡± Gabriel¡¯s face hardened, as if the previous moment when he had been friendly with me was a lie. Along with my slightly wrinkled forehead, I feel like I¡¯m frowning as well, but I just can¡¯t control it. I think it would be best to just acknowledge it again. ¡°Excuse me!¡± Then Ros¨¦ intervened. Seeing them happily talk about something, I took a step back. ¡°Lady Ros¨¦riel.¡± Gabriel¡¯s expression rxed as soon as he saw Ros¨¦. They look very friendly as if they¡¯re really close. I look over at my father instead of feeling offended, because it¡¯s quite normal for the people around me to hate me and treat me coldly. Father then nods at me, and I take a step back and grab Ros¨¦¡¯s hand while she continues to chatter. ¡°Then, My Lord, let¡¯s go.¡± With the sound of people moving, Gabriel jumped on his ck horse. This will be thest time that I will see the little boy on a big ck horse. As I watch the procession of Gabriel and the knights who follow him resolutely leaving as if they wouldn¡¯t look back, I see Ros¨¦ who keeps smiling next to me. ¡®Wait, why is sheughing?¡¯ ¡°Ros¨¦, aren¡¯t you worried?¡± ¡°Huh? What did you say sister?¡± ¡®Why are those eyes sparkling like jewels?¡¯ ¡®Is it because she¡¯s still a young girl, and she doesn¡¯t know that her future fianc¨¦ is leaving for a dangerous battlefield?¡¯ I want to offer some constion. ¡°It¡¯s okay, Ros¨¦. The Duke will return safely.¡± ¡°Hehe. is that right?¡± ¡°Ros¨¦?¡± Ros¨¦ holds my hand tightly andughs like a naughty little girl as she watches me closely with satisfied eyes. ¡°But the way, sister.¡± ¡°Yes, what is it?¡± ¡°What angle do you like?¡± ¡°What did you say?¡± ¡®Even though she¡¯s my younger twin sister, Ros¨¦ usually says things that I can¡¯t understand at all. What did she mean by that?¡¯ (T/N: Haha I guess the reason why Ros¨¦ was happy, is maybe because she will be painting Hildea and sending it to Gabriel. She must have asked for a higher payment. Haha poor Gabriel being scammed by our little schemer.) ¡°Hmm, never mind then I¡¯ll decide for myself. I think the front angle is the better choice!¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± The girl said outrageous things and smiled softly, all while looking so innocent. Even if I don¡¯t understand what she¡¯s talking about, it seems like whatever happens, her smile will never age. I think it¡¯s Rose¡¯s own way of not being depressed about what happened, and I patted her pink hair gently. I feel so sorry for Ros¨¦, but they have no choice except to wait since Gabriel will be tied to the battlefield for up to 12 years. And when hees back, that will be the beginning of the novel . I turn away slowly as their appearance gradually fades in the distance. -?¨A ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ ? ? ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ ¨@?- (3rd Person¡¯s POV) The woman with the most noble status in the Mielle Empire still retained her graceful appearance over the years. However, an anxious expression was reflected on her face, which didn¡¯t match the soft music surrounding her. ¡°As expected, I really hate it.¡± The woman was hysterically biting her neatly-trimmed, long nails. And her son, the Crown Prince Benjamin, who nced at her thinking that her habit looked unsightly, did not bother to point it out. He was just worried about his mother. ¡°Mother, please stop that, your nails will be damaged.¡± ¡°Son, Crown Prince.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± When their eyes finally met, the Empress had a stern face. ¡°If Gabriel marries Hillington, your position as Crown Prince and as heir might be in danger. That abominable Detroit is pushing for it!¡± ¡°I know Mother.¡± Benjamin hardened his face. Detroit, his father and his mother¡¯s husband. But they were never close. He was a father who valued the unblemished blood of Belfius more than his own son. Anxiety swelled inside him, but Benjamin nodded softly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll do my best, Mother.¡± ¡°Wait. When did you be so gentle?¡± ¡°Because I want to be a good son to my mother.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t bepared to that venomous Belfius.¡± The Empress clicked her tongue as if she didn¡¯t like his son¡¯s soft voice, but the boy was ready to kneel at the very least whenever his mother spoke. (T/N: You bish¡­ tsk¡­) ¡°There¡¯s nothing that I can do about your innate nature, but keep in mind that I did not raise you to be hesitant at any crucial moment.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°If you have a sword, you should swing it when the time is right.¡± ¡°Of course, Mother.¡± Benjamin loved and respected his mother very much. Growing up, he was told countless times that he should be a good son, and he was willing to do anything to achieve it. ¡°However, why did Gabriel suddenly change his mind about being uninvolved? I really can¡¯t figure it out. I¡¯m worried that he and Hillington might have done something that we¡¯re not aware of.¡± Benjaminughed softly. It wasn¡¯t because he heard the story of the unlucky Belfius boy, but because he was happy to hear the charismatic voice of his Mother. ¡°Who knows what¡¯s happening inside their residence. But you don¡¯t have to worry, Mother.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°No matter what their intentions are, it was all useless. He has to be away during the war, and far from the Hillington family for many years. That means they won¡¯t have any contact at all.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ You¡¯re right.¡± A strange expression appeared on the Empress¡¯s face. It has been in nning for a very long time. Thanks to this, the young Duke of Belfius, who was only 12 years old, was driven out to fight on the battlefield. ¡®And that is where life and death intersect. No matter when and how you die, isn¡¯t it a ce that no one knows about?¡¯ ¡°If he doesn¡¯te back, his marriage won¡¯t be possible in the first ce. Isn¡¯t that right, son?¡± The Empress reached her hand out, and Benjamin walked over to her knees and rested his cheek against her hand. (P/N: Def momma¡¯s boy with some mommy issues right there *shudders*) ¡°Baby. With a little patience, everything will be fine. This mother will give you a splendid empire.¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± Such a strong empire that no one dares to touch the Imperial power. Looking at those viciously shining eyes, Benjamin held his mother¡¯s hand tightly. ¡°That¡¯s why you have to do your best for this mother, Always. Live for this mother. Did you understand?¡± ¡°Yes, Mother.¡± -?¨A ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ ? ? ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ ¨@?- (3rd Person POV) 12 yearster. It was a bloody war thatsted for 12 long years. The momentum of the Mielle Empire army, which disyed powerful abilities with words, was truly strong. However, the strength of the opponents who resisted and fought to survive was not inferior, so the sluggish confrontation continued. As a result, the number of dead could not be counted, and the Empire suffered serious wounds. However, this would notst long. The situation has been reversed. ¡°The end ising.¡± The man looked at the opposing camp, which was quiet, with his cold eyes and frosty voice. (TN: OMO Gabriel!!!!) A few days ago, the man sessfully caught a veryrge prey. The arrow that was fired by his hand prated the shoulder of the most valuable quarry. Thanks to this, themander-in-chief of the opposing camp suffered a fatal injury and has since been in an unstable situation. ¡°If the leader copses, the charter will also be broken.¡± A handsome man watches with a frigid face. He is Gabriel von Ellen Belfius, themander-in-chief of the Mielle Empire¡¯s army and the living god of war. His loyal subordinates bowed their heads with satisfied smiles, and Gabriel¡¯s lieutenant, who had been by his side during the worst of times, spoke kindly. ¡°Everything wille to an end in this attack, my lord.¡± ¡°Yes. However¡­¡± It was that moment. ¡°Huh? My Lord, isn¡¯t that a response letter?¡± Soon, a letter from a pigeon* flying in the sky, fell into Gabriel¡¯s hands. (T/N: *A military support animal who¡¯s delivering the letter.) Everyone became alert. ¡®What¡¯s the news? I wonder if there is any movement in the enemy army?¡¯ Gabriel read the letter indifferently. ¡°¡­Ha.¡± ¡°My Lord? What¡¯s wrong?¡± The subordinates were shocked when they realized that their superior, who was always collected and cold-hearted, was suddenly shaking his hands. ¡®What kind of news would give him such a reaction?¡¯ Because they had previously thought that they were already taking the lead, dark clouds appeared on the faces of his subordinates. ¡®What if the battle starts again unrelentingly¡­?¡¯ Just then, Gabriel raised his head. The subordinates were startled. It was because a grim expression, which looked as if it could cut through anything, suddenly appeared on their superior¡¯s handsome face. Their tinum-blonde leader growled with a tone that seemed to have crawled out of hell. ¡°Kill them.¡± ¡®What?¡¯ ¡°I¡¯m going to kill them all and go back.¡± ¡®What did he just say?¡¯ ¡°This war will be over in a week and we will all return.¡± (TN: Hahaha Gabrielle) Everyone was shocked, with their eyes wide open.¡®What the hell is he talking about? A week, seriously?¡¯ The closest lieutenant checked what was written in the letter that Gabriel had thrown away in anger, and his face hardened. ¡®So this is it? What¡¯s the big deal about this?¡¯ The lieutenant handled the paper over quickly so that no one else could see it. An indescribable irritation appeared on his face. What was written there was simple. It was not rted to the enemy head showing serious advancement, nor rted to themander of the enemy¡¯s army, who was unconscious, miraculously awakening from a serious injury. ¡®Tsk¡­¡¯ It was the news that the two young girls of Hillington were going to make their debut to the public. TO BE CONTINUED¡­. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

?¦á???¡ï???¦á???????¦á???¡ï???¦á? ¡¤ ¡¤ ?? ¡¤ ¡¤

The Problem Was The Letter (1)

(3rd Person POV) Debutants would have a chosen partner with whom they would attend together, holding hands and dancing at the banquet hall. And that fact drove someone crazy. ¡°Ugh! No. Never.¡± ¡°My lord¡­.¡± The lieutenant had a grim face, right after he discovered the letter. His superior, who was insanely jealous, seemed so unbearable. Then Gabriel said without stopping, ¡°Prepare to attack.¡± A chilly silence descended, as Gabriel furiously raised an eyebrow. ¡°Why are you all surprised? Since we already took care of their militarymander, it¡¯s the perfect time to attack. I won¡¯t give them a moment to rest.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Everyone, move back into your positions right now.¡± Promising himself that he would not allow anyone else to hold Hilea¡¯s hand, Gabriel immediately grabbed his armored sword and ordered an attack. -?¨A ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ ???? ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ ¨@?- (3rd Person POV) The war was rampant with blood and paid for by Gabriel leading the charge. And finally, a few days ago, after a long 12 year war, he received the surrender of the enemy forces. The Emperor¡¯s power, which everyone thought would be shaken, was instead stabilized, and the Empress, who was aiming for its profit, ground her teeth. ¡®So, how would the Duke of Belfius, the youngest Duke and a returning war hero who had brought about this remarkable achievement, be treated in the future?¡¯ ¡°He will definitely be the talk of the town, from the moment he returns.¡± He was definitely the hottest topic in the society. ¡°How can the ghost Duke suddenly change? And not only that, there¡¯s also all kinds of rumors running around.¡± ¡°Well we can¡¯t call him a ghost Duke now, right? Since the Empire gains a lot after he bes the ¡®War Hero¡¯, His Majesty¡¯s favor will definitely be inclined to one side.¡± Some of the noblesughed. Perhaps, they referred to the fact that the current Emperor valued the Duke, more than his only son, the Crown Prince, whom he never had a good rtionship with before. ¡°Didn¡¯t he openly dismiss him at the cab meeting yesterday? Hmmm, His Majesty the Emperor is also very cruel. Isn¡¯t His Highness the Crown Prince also making great efforts for the Empire?¡± ¡°Not only that, His Majesty also emphasized three times at thest meeting that once the Duke of Befius returns, a splendid victory banquet must be held. Thanks to this, all of the aristocratic nobles are very excited.¡± ¡°And if the Duke happens to return at this very moment, the situation from the Crown Prince¡¯s side would be even worse.¡± As the conversation about Duke of Belfius continued, a certain family name came to mind naturally. ¡°What happened to that engagement?¡±¡± A name which has been quiet as if dead for the past few years. The Hillington family. It concerned the betrothal that they shared 12 years ago when the Duke of Belfius was still known as a bloodthirsty boy. But what they wanted to discuss was. ¡®Is Gabriel still willing to take one of Hillington¡¯s daughters as his marriage partner, since he now has apletely different position than before?¡¯ ¡°What are you curious about? Are you thinking about who will appear together with the Duke of Belfius at the victory party?¡± Thedies who were listening sarcastically answered, ¡°But Hillington is not the same as before. The Duke of Belfius will change his mind for sure.¡± ¡°If their marriage ties really end¡­ Then all of the youngdies will be in a frenzy, since the Duke of Belfius is the most sought after bachelor in the Empire. ¡°Do you think it could really happen?¡± ¡°Oh my gosh!¡± Since they set their eyes on him as the candidate for a son-inw, they really needed to get rid of those Hiilington girls from the Duke¡¯s sight! ¡°But still,pared to my family, the union of those two Duchies would still be the bestbination.¡± For Hillington and Belfius. And yet rumors were circting within society that the Duke left for war without properly discussing his marriage due to a bad rtionship between the two families. ¡°This is definitely a must see.¡± It seemed to be an exciting event that they would definitely look forward to. The eyes of the nobles gleamed. The most important thing is, Gabriel the war hero. ¡®Whose hand would he hold at the party?¡¯ ¡®Is it going to be the one of the Hillington girls, who has never been introduced to society?¡¯ ¡®Or would it be an unknown girl, who would be introduced, having stolen the heart of the war hero?¡¯ ¡®Whoever it is, it will definitely be fun.¡¯ -?¨A ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ ???? ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ ¨@?- (Hildea¡¯s POV) ¡®For a 20-year-old¡¯s debutant, there¡¯s just so much to prepare.¡¯ ¡°Would you like to wear this dress, mydy?¡± I raise my chin and look closely at the dress in front of me. ¡°It¡¯s okay, but I would like to change thece into something more fluffy. And the waist tightening is too skittish. And the ribbon doesn¡¯t match the color of the dress either.¡± As I calmly pick it up, the tailor¡¯s assistant immediately writes down what I had pointed out, while sweating profusely. I look at both of them and turn to the other woman who was standing nearby leisurely. ¡°Don¡¯t you think so, Madame Rum¨¹er?¡± I still can¡¯t smile well. However, due to her professional attitude, she nods her head as if not hurt by my impassive expression. ¡°Yes of course, I agree with Lady Hildea¡¯s opinion. But thanks to the youngdy, I don¡¯t have much to do.¡± ¡°Is that apliment?¡± ¡°Oh, my.¡± ¡°Well I think you¡¯re trying to tease me, because you know that the oue of a dress depends on who¡¯s wearing it.¡± Madame Rum¨¹er winks one eye as she looks at me with a yful expression. ¡°Oh my gosh. I don¡¯t say this to anyone else, Lady Hildea. For example, I wouldn¡¯t be saying this to Lady Ros¨¦, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± I couldn¡¯t evenugh at Madame Rum¨¹er¡¯s words since she¡¯s the most recognizable person in the capital. ¡®Ros¨¦. Ros¨¦!¡¯ I ground my teeth inside. ¡°But I haven¡¯t seen Lady Ros¨¦ these past few days? When is she nning to see us ¨C the Debutant day is almost around the corner?¡± ¡®I don¡¯t know that either, Madame Rum¨¹er.¡¯ ¡°Next time, I hope that Lady Ros¨¦ wille with you as well.¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll tell her.¡± My lovely sister, who still acts the same even at the age of 20. That¡¯s why I¡¯m always worried about her. ¡®She isn¡¯t climbing any trees today, right?¡¯ I couldn¡¯t even reveal my feelings, so I rolled my eyes awkwardly. (T/N: Aww poor Hildea, just be brave and open up. Gabriel will definitely ept you with open arms.) And the Debutante Ball was right in front of us. Nevertheless, Ros¨¦ was not interested in preparing her all important dress. ¡°Please choose one for me sister, hehe!¡± ¡°I told you not to talk that way, and also don¡¯tugh like that. Ros¨¦riel!¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay!¡± ¡®Why? Why do I feel so sick today?¡¯ I was trying not to say anything unnecessary, but I¡¯m worried that Ros¨¦ might be insulted at the debutante ball. ¡°Anyway, Madame Rum¨¹er. I would like to have Ros¨¦¡¯s dress with this.¡± ¡°All right then, Lady Hildea. I will do my very best to create the most dazzling dress to bring out the beauty in both of you.¡± -?¨A ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ ???? ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ ¨@?- (Hildea¡¯s POV) It¡¯s been 12 years now. Gabriel¡¯s status as a war hero has changed significantly from before. Originally, everyone was fussing at the time he ascended to the position as the youngest Duke of the Empire. But now he has be an object of admiration for them. In fact, Gabriel¡¯s face has not been seen for twelve years now, and any news about him is considered almost sacred, along with various rumors. ¡®That¡¯s why it has be a problem.¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s obvious without looking at it.¡¯ ¡®In the original it was because her fiance was Gabriel that the fragile Ros¨¦riel suffered due to nder from most of the youngdies of the Empire.¡¯ ¡®Since there are two candidates this time, there must be a lot of people who want us to drop out voluntarily so they could lure Gabriel to be their future son-inw.¡¯ I cut off my thoughts and raise my head, while briefly signing the paper in front of me. ¡°Everything has been checked.¡± I could see the faces of the people waiting nervously. ¡°That¡¯s it for today.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll see you tomorrow at this time. I hope you have a rxing afternoon.¡± As soon as I finish speaking, I bow politely, send out the merchants leaving, and release a sigh. When I nce at Mira, who had followed after me, I notice that she was handing out the gifts to the merchants before closing the door. Immediately, I fall down on the bed. ¡°Ugh, I survived.¡± The sound of suffering, like an old man, came out automatically. (P/N: I feel that adulting pain too T_T) ¡®Who is it? Who the hell is it, that said that a nobledy could enjoy afortable and rxing life?¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s so unfair. As I get older, I feel like I¡¯m getting more work than before.¡¯ ¡®No. Am I increasing my workload? Then¡­ It¡¯s my fault, after all.¡¯ I frown and pat the ends of my hair as Iy down. In fact, I need something to focus my mind on, so that I can¡¯t think about other things. ¡®I can¡¯t think about anything else.¡¯ I gently close my eyes, after habitually staring at the drawer above my bedside. ¡®No. I didn¡¯t see anything.¡¯ Just then, Mira, who had gone out to send off the merchants, opened the door and immediately stopped as she saw meying around. Still, with a reserved expression, she nags me, asking what she should do if someone sees me lying like that. ¡®Oh, I don¡¯t know, since no one has seen me like this before.¡¯ ¡°Please do that kind of nagging to Ros¨¦, and not me, Lira.¡± ¡°Are you saying that I should nag someone who doesn¡¯t listen?¡± ¡®Ugh! This is ridiculous.¡¯ ¡°Then you¡¯re saying that you¡¯ll just give up on Ros¨¦?¡± Lira was originally like that, but is it eptable for a maid of a noble family to use such harsh words, no matter how careless Ros¨¦ is? ¡°Didn¡¯t you notice, Lady Hill? You are the only one in the mansion who didn¡¯t give up on reprimanding Lady Ros¨¦.¡± ¡®Is that really the case?¡¯ Looking far ahead, Lira spoke firmly as if she could understand what I¡¯m thinking. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± ¡®That¡¯s a really depressing statement.¡¯ ¡®Our Ros¨¦, when did you be like this?¡¯ ¡°Well, she¡¯s still as lovely as ever¡± The people of the family still couldn¡¯t talk to mefortably, but they talked loudly with Ros¨¦. Sometimes it¡¯s confusing whether her figure looks like a nobledy or one of the servants. ¡°I just hope that the young lords of the capital won¡¯t know that if they get punched by that lovelydy, it would make them sleep forever.¡± ¡°Lira. Do you really have to say that?¡± ¡°But it¡¯s true. Mydy.¡± ¡®Well I can¡¯t say that it isn¡¯t true, since my lovely sister¡¯s hand naturally leans towards holding a sword rather than a pen, and clenching her fist over a sword.¡¯ ¡°Well Ros¨¦ doesn¡¯t need to look good to other young men, so that¡¯s fine.¡± ¡®Her only job is for her to look good in front of Gabriel.¡¯ As I hold my forehead and sigh deeply, Lira suddenly bombards me with facts. ¡°And His Highness didn¡¯t even say anything about it. Do you remember the incident that happened to Lady Ros¨¦ a few days ago?¡± ¡®Ugh, it was about my father¡¯s office, which Ros¨¦ almost burned down. I¡¯m about to faint just thinking about it.¡¯ ¡®What did she say then?¡¯ ¡®Oh, yes she said that she was eating roasted sweet potatoes¡­ Yes, that¡¯s what she said, but why in there?¡¯ ¡°Lira, the next time you see Ros¨¦, please tell me. Or I¡¯ll be angry at you.¡± ¡°Yes of course. More than that, mydy¡­¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡®It was a strange feeling. No, it felt familiar.¡¯ I ce my hand on my chest, as if to grasp my anxious heart. As I stare at Lira, she hands me something with her usual emotionless face. ¡°It¡¯s arrived again.¡± ¡®Oh my. I¡¯m speechless.¡¯ ¡°That letter.¡± ¡®It¡¯s a letter someone sent me.¡¯ ¡®For the past 12 years, it has continued to arrive without ceasing.¡¯ ¡®The letter in question.¡¯ Chapter 21

Chapter 21

?¦á???¡ï???¦á???????¦á???¡ï???¦á? ¡¤ ¡¤ ?? ¡¤ ¡¤

The Problem Was The Letter (2)

(Hildea¡¯s POV) During a period of ten years, it¡¯s expected that even rivers and mountains would change. Byparison, twelve years have already passed. But I wasn¡¯t aware that in that period, a change of heart could happen unexpectedly. ¡®I was proud of myself. But I wasn¡¯t prepared for the fact that my heart could be shaken in an instant.¡¯ As I slowly reflect on myplicated feelings, I ept the letter from Lira¡¯s hand. ¡®A small envelope without any patterns or symbols on it.¡¯ ¡®I don¡¯t have any ns to read it. Just please send it back.¡¯ The urge to say those words soared up to my throat. ¡®It would really be better if I don¡¯t look at the content in the letter.¡¯ I close my eyes tightly and take a deep breath, while Lira, who continues to stare at me, asks, ¡°Do you hate it that much, mydy?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡®Do I hate it? Me?¡¯ Her unexpected words confused me for a second. Lira then pointed to the hand that was holding the letter. ¡°I mean the letter. You always have that kind of expression every time you receive one. Everyone can see it on your face.¡± ¡°Really?¡± I was dumbfounded. I wasn¡¯t aware that everyone thought so. However everyone, including Lira, is seriously mistaken. But of course I can¡¯t say that out loud: that everytime I received a letter, my heart would start pounding in a very pleasant way. So this misunderstanding is better. ¡°Yeah, I guess I don¡¯t like it.¡± ¡°Then shall we throw them all away?¡± ¡®It was a letter from Gabriel.¡¯ ¡®I had never imagined it. It just happened anyway.¡¯ ¡®In the past twelve years, some have spent their time on the battlefield, some have freely roamed the mountains to find happiness, and while the others are¡­¡¯ ¡®Me.¡¯ Little by little, I have built up an unintended affection for all the letters and gifts that were being sent by a certain someone. (T/N: Wahhh Hildea please, don¡¯t hold back.) ¡®Or is it just me being a fool?¡¯ ¡®I can¡¯t help butugh at it.¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m fully aware that Gabriel hates me. Since our rtionship started with the worst first impression and ended with hate. But why am I always thrilled whenever I receive a letter from him?¡¯ ¡®Since when did I start waiting for these letters?¡¯ ¡®It wasn¡¯t that kind of letter that had some love proposal or anything like that.¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s the same as what the (*) fox told the prince about how he would be able to tame him?¡¯ ¡°I got used to it.¡± ¡°Pardon, mydy?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing. I won¡¯t throw them away since all of these letters came from the Duke.¡± I remembered the words in the previous letter that my hands held. ¡®Each sentence asking things like ¡®How are you doing?¡¯ was so straight and informal.¡¯ [Hello Young Lady Hildea,] [The battlefield is so quiet these days.] [How are you doing today? By any chance, did you talk with your friends or hang out with them again¡­?] [It¡¯s so frustrating not being able to know anything that is happening in the capital. Do you still climb trees?] [It wasn¡¯t easy to fight against the enemy in the mountain areas, but thanks to that, we were able to get some precious flowers. I hope you like them.] (T/N: Gabriel is so damn, sweet.) [I heard that you were sick. It is a pity that I can¡¯t visit you. I wonder if you¡¯ve recovered by now.] [I heard that the flowers that I sent to you already filled up the greenhouse. Next time I will send you a much smaller batch.] [Those people who talk behind your back are cowards. That¡¯s what I think.] [Young Lady Hildea is always working hard. Thanks to you I¡¯m learning a lot.] ¡®Those simple words.¡¯ ¡®The small pots and flowers.¡¯ I fiddled with the letter in my hand, which was thin and unadorned. ¡®There¡¯s nothing special about it.¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s always a matter of timing.¡¯ ¡®Whenever I¡¯m down and sad, he coincidentally asks about it in those letters.¡¯ [Are you okay?] ¡®As if he was aware of my current situation.¡¯ (P/N: Well if you think about it, he¡¯s either santa or a stalker XD) ¡°Well those girls grew up without a mother, so I¡¯m quite curious if they have proper manners? From what I hear, the second one is not that great.¡¯ It was the day when I went to the capital, towards a misceneous store favored by the aristocrats. I pretended not to hear thedies gossiping loudly about my family. And coincidently, that was referenced in the letter. [Those who gossip behind your back, it¡¯s all just talk.] ¡®Why, now?¡¯ Pat, pat.It felt like the boy¡¯s hand was gently stroking my painful wounds even if he doesn¡¯t love me. ¡®Why are you saying this now?¡¯ Because of this, I got to know him much better and it¡¯se to the point where I¡¯ve been subconsciously waiting for those soothing letters. ¡®Why?¡¯ Just like what the boy requested before he left, I would send him a formal reply whenever he sent a letter. [Yes, Ros¨¦ is doing well. This is what Ros¨¦ likes, and this is what Ros¨¦ did today.] And then the boy asked, [How about Lady Hildea?] He was the first person who asked something about me. [What about you? Are you happy, Lady Hildea?] It was from then on. I started talking about myself in those letters but in a formal manner. Once I received the letter, I would respond without missing a day. Then at some point, I realized something. ¡®What am I doing now?¡¯ ¡®It was like any normal day when I was too frightened to even look at my face in the mirror.¡¯ ¡®But why?¡¯ ¡®Why am I smiling at Gabriel¡¯s letter?¡¯ ¡°Well, this will probably be thest letter from Duke on the battlefield, mydy.¡± ¡®Oh.¡¯ I returned to reality at the sound of Lira¡¯s stoic voice, ending my reminiscing about the past. ¡°Yeah. I guess so.¡± ¡®He¡¯ll now return to the capital, so I shouldn¡¯t expect any more letters. And once he¡¯s back, there¡¯s no need for me to reply anymore¡­..¡¯ (T/N: A¡­ Don¡¯t worry Hildea you¡¯ll be seeing him soon.) ¡®This will be thest letter.¡¯ I received the letter with slightly trembling hands. There was also a small flower pot next to it that was brought by the other maid. ¡®Oh my, it¡¯s a small cactus.¡¯ ¡®Where did they get this?¡¯ It¡¯s so amazing that they were able to save all these things while being busy on the battlefield. (P/N: Imagine Gabriel threatening his men to preserve the nts with their lives and them making wild assumptions about his nt fetish lol) ¡®Is he being kind to me or does he still hate me?¡¯ ¡®I know that he loves my sister, and that he doesn¡¯t want anyone else.¡¯ ¡®Because he treats me and Ros¨¦ differently. I can¡¯t be mistaken about that.¡¯ The things that were sent to me have always been a few thin letters and a small flower pot. In contrast, my sister Ros¨¦ has always received thick letters and a couple of colorful jewels. (T/N: I knew it; this must be the payment for all those drawings of Hildea.) Of course, I don¡¯t like jewels, but it¡¯s clear that this distinction is a sign of who Gabriel cares for more. ¡®He definitely likes Ros¨¦.¡¯ I was not hurt and didn¡¯t care about the difference. ¡®Ros¨¦ likes him, as well.¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m really happy and d to see Ros¨¦¡¯s smiling face.¡¯ ¡°Mydy?. What are you thinking right now?¡± ¡°Nothing.¡± I casually set aside the letter in the bedside drawer, and handed the flowerpot to the maid as usual, to put it in a sunny ce. Lira tilts her head. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to read the letter? You¡¯ll be seeing him soon. There might be a reason why he sent you a letter now.¡± I pause for a moment. ¡°Well, how can I read it right now? I don¡¯t have time to read because I¡¯ve been busy these past few days, and the war is already over. Anyway, he will be returning back to the capital.¡± ¡°Right.¡± ¡°And I don¡¯t need to send a separate response to the Duke. Also, if there¡¯s any urgent matter, It would have been sent directly to Ros¨¦, not me.¡± ¡°However¡­.¡± ¡®The process of being tamed.¡¯ (P/N: See note above about the fox and the prince) ¡®The longing.¡¯ ¡®The friendship.¡¯ ¡®I didn¡¯t want anyone to know about it.¡¯ ¡®Because I¡¯m going to cut it anyway.¡¯ ¡°Lira, that¡¯s enough. What happened to the letters that the young lord sent?¡± ¡°Oh, about that¡­.¡± Ros¨¦ is very precious to me and I don¡¯t want to ruin her happiness. ¡®This is my one-sided affection, and I have no intention of continuing this.¡¯ ¡®That will be the time when I throw away the letters.¡¯ ¡®In the end, the main character in those letters that Ifortably conversed with was Gabriel, who should only stay in my imagination.¡¯ ¡®So I will burn the letters before any real connection with Gabriel begins in person.¡¯ ¡°However¡­¡­¡± ¡®But, just in case this curiosity and happiness spreads beyond my control¡­¡¯ ¡®At that time.¡¯ ¡®Then I.¡¯ My eyes zed fiercely. ¡®I will disappear.¡¯ (T/N:Noooo.. Hildea¡­) -?¨A ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ ???? ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ ¨@?- (Emperor Detroit 3rd PERSON POV) Emperor Detroit. He was a person who had lived a rough life like a lion roaming the fields. That¡¯s why he had no reason to hesitate. Maybe it¡¯s because he¡¯s getting older now? Because something happened that didn¡¯t go his way. And of all things, it¡¯s about his children. Pale white face, red lips, clear blue eyes, and ck hair as soft as the night sky. The Emperor¡¯s gaze at the youngdy, who had a ck hair, became affectionate for a moment. ¡°Princess.¡± ¡°Yes, Father.¡± The reason Empress Djia grinds her teeth and hates this child, Princess Raffia, is probably because of her hair. The Empress never treated her well, but it¡¯s because she is a child of the Emperor¡¯s mistress whom he loved the most. ¡°I can¡¯t understand. Why are you saying that you don¡¯t want to do what your father said?¡± ¡°Because I don¡¯t want to.¡± The princess stubbornly shook her head. ¡°I only knew him when I was only a kid, father.¡± ¡°So what?¡± The princessughed cynically. ¡°Gabriel and I didn¡¯t get along very well. But do I have to change the situation, just because he¡¯s returning as a war hero?¡± ¡°My daughter. It¡¯s different from when he was a kid.¡± ¡°He already has a fianc¨¦e.¡± ¡°They are not officially engaged yet.¡± ¡°It¡¯s an arranged marriage. It also contains the promise of His Majesty the Emperor.¡± The princess¡¯s pride was hurt.¡®Why is he trying to push me into a rtionship with an engaged man?¡¯ But the emperor was so frustrated. ¡®The Empress and the Crown Prince are finding ways to eliminate everyone who would be a thorn to them, so what would be the best choice to protect her?¡¯ ¡®Wouldn¡¯t it be nice to partner her with the most powerful man in the Empire now?¡¯ Of course, there were times when he thought about forcing Gabriel to marry Princess Raffia. However, since he cared for Gabriel more than his own son, the Crown Prince, he thought that it would be best for the boy to form a rtionship with Hillington. So at that time, the princess could not be considered as Gabriel¡¯s mate. ¡®And besides.¡¯ ¡®Gabriel as a child was very weak. He still had no power, nor influence.¡¯ ¡®But once hees back, it will be different.¡¯ The Emperor has seen the congrattory remarks of most of the nobles of the empire. So he knew. That Gabriel¡¯s blessings are one of the most outstanding. ¡®However, if this marriage continues, it would be the Hillington who would manage to get the most benefit from it.¡¯ ¡®In the past, it was Hillington who gave him strong support, but now he¡¯s just staying inside his mansion and doesn¡¯t show his face to anyone.¡¯ ¡®Would it really be okay? In the future, will it not be a stumbling block for the Empire?¡¯ ¡°But Gabriel is not the person that I love. However, if you really pursue this then I would have no choice but to follow your request.¡± ¡°My father is the Emperor. There are several things to consider. But wouldn¡¯t it be great, if everyone could just be happy?¡± The Emperor then whispered as if to appease the displeased princess. ¡°At the victory party, Hillington¡¯s twin sisters will be participating as debutantes. In that case, those two will definitely get the most attention, maybe even more than the Royal Family.¡± That part seemed to strike the heart of the princess. ¡°¡­I don¡¯t want that to happen.¡± ¡°Those are your father¡¯s thoughts as well.¡± The Emperor let the wind blow softly(*) with a faint smile on his face. (P/N (*): He wanted tond a soft blow as in trying to convince the princess gently instead of forcing her.) Hillington¡¯s daughters are not inferior to the princess. Also, if the twins do try to win Gabriel¡¯s favor, Raffia will follow suit. ¡®Even if it¡¯s just to turn Gabriel¡¯s gaze away from the twin sisters.¡¯ Thinking that was already enough, the Emperor smiled as they continued their conversation. But he didn¡¯t know. That the marriage talk, which everyone had taken lightly, was regarded as more precious than a person¡¯s life. Chapter 22 Chapter 22 ?¦á???¡ï???¦á???????¦á???¡ï???¦á? ¡¤ ¡¤ ?? ¡¤ ¡¤ I¡¯ll Come Back To You (Hildea¡¯s POV) ¡°Sister, sister! There seems to be a lot of chaos at the Imperial pce these days.¡± ¡°What¡¯s new about that? The Imperial Army ising back after being victorious; that is why everyone is in a festive mood.¡± ¡°Ugh, not that!¡± ¡°Then what are you talking about?¡± Ros¨¦, who had a pinch of pink on her cheeks and curled-up lips, was looking lovely as always. I don¡¯t know where and what she has been doing, but I saw a de of grass on her cheek. I let out a sigh as I took it off. ¡®Did she just roll over in the fields?¡¯ ¡°Lira mentioned something to me about another person who died yesterday. Who the hell is killing people for the sake of fun?¡± ¡°Murder?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Ros¨¦, why are you interested in such things?¡± I don¡¯t like the fact that Ros¨¦ is very interested in those ridiculous stories. I said it sternly, while yfully tapping the bridge of her nose. ¡°There are a lot of crazy people in this world, so please don¡¯t mind them. The most important thing right now is our uing debutante ball.¡± ¡°Sheesh! But things like that are so boring, sister.¡± Ros¨¦ puffed her cheeks and pouted her lips like a crucian carp. ¡®Who in the world would think that this youngdy is already twenty years old?¡¯ ¡°And, it¡¯s so shocking. To think that the Imperial Capital was considered to be the safest ce in the empire!¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s true.¡± If it¡¯s really a murder case, it certainly doesn¡¯t fit in this glittering romance world. Still, it is not possible to include every detail inside the novel, which I read before. Therefore, it is only natural that even things that the reader hasn¡¯t read can ur in this world. ¡®Is there really a serial killer?¡¯ I narrow my eyes, grab Ros¨¦¡¯s shoulder tightly, and warn her about the seriousness of the situation. ¡®To my little sister who loves to run around like a little pony.¡¯ ¡°Okay. Well said, Ros¨¦. So, starting today, you should always be careful whenever you n to go outside the mansion. Or better yet, you should no longer go outside, especially at night time. Understood?¡± My sister, who always speaks with reason, smiles brightly. ¡°Okay! Don¡¯t worry I never go out anyway. But you, on the other hand, got scolded by our father before,st time when you went outside at night, remember? Hehe.¡± ¡°What should I do with you?¡± (T/N: Haha Ros¨¦ is definitely the cutest ever.) ¡®I really don¡¯t know why this kid grew up so freely.¡¯ As she sat down on the window sill and swayed her legsfortably, I looked at Ros¨¦ with troubled eyes. ¡®Then what if she suddenly tears her dress in the banquet hall, just because she feels stuffy? No, I don¡¯t think that¡­¡¯ ¡°Come on down quickly. Are you not even interested in choosing your own dress?¡± Ros¨¦, who smiled like an angel, jumped down, whether or not she knew about myplicated thoughts. ¡°Yes! But still, you¡¯re going to pick it out for me right? Everything that my sister chooses is beautiful. Anyway, what color did you pick this time?¡± ¡°Ros¨¦riel! Color is not the only thing that matters when you¡¯re choosing your dress.¡± ¡®My younger sister is really pretty. She gives justice to being the heroine of this world.¡¯ ¡®Her tousled pink hair looks very natural, and her broad smile was bright and full of vitality.¡¯ ¡®However, she is far from what is considered beautiful in society, where a woman has to hide her true self gracefully and proudly shake off any judgemental public sentiment. ¡®She is definitely different from the Ros¨¦ in the novel that I originally read, but still she is very pretty to me.¡¯ ¡°But sister, did you know that Gabriel will now being back this time? How many years have passed since thest time we saw him?¡± ¡°Ah, yes. That¡¯s right.¡± The corner of my mouth twists awkwardly. ¡®Gabriel.¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s because my heart is stinging from howfortably she called his name.¡¯ I also remember him asking me why I wasn¡¯t calling him by his first name. ¡®But why would I call him ¡°Gabriel¡±?¡¯ ¡°Sister, what¡¯s wrong? Are you sick?¡± I quickly shook my head. Then, I immediately looked at the mirror hanging on the wall, fearing that my face would reveal whatever was in my mind. ¡®Well it is the same expressionless and stoic face that is reflected in the mirror.¡¯I sigh in relief, knowing that my feelings weren¡¯t revealed. It was definitely nothing significant, so why do I feel so guilty?Looking at Ros¨¦¡¯s twinkling eyes, I immediately turned my gaze away for no reason. After a while, I was on my own after talking for a long time with Ros¨¦, who was continuously chatting, but was forced to leave since her etiquette teacher suddenly came to visit. ¡°Gabriel.¡± Alone in the quiet room, I softly say the unfamiliar name aloud. Then I got up and slowly opened the side drawer, picking up the white envelope that I had safely kept in the depth of my drawer. I tore the wax seal on the envelope, pulled out the letter and saw his beautiful handwriting. Afterwards, I carefully read the contents of his letter. ¡®It is a miracle that the boy, who used to stare at me frigidly, can write sentences full of rhetoric.¡¯ ¡®Perhaps he entrusted someone else to write a response on his behalf. I suddenlyughed at that thought.¡¯ ¡®Then the person I¡¯m interested in is the person who wrote these words?¡¯ (PR/N: If Gabriel heard that, he¡¯d probs be jealous of himself for writing the letters.) I touch the letter with my fingers unconsciously. I don¡¯t see any of his usual stories in this letter. There was nothing about the hardship of the war that he recently encountered, which would have indicated that the letter was written by a person who had travelled far away. ¡®If it¡¯s really hard, you can rant from time to time.¡¯ At the end of all his letters, this sentence was always attached. [How was your day Lady Hildea?] ¡°It¡¯s far from perfect.¡± ¡®In fact, the handwriting was excellent, but the overall style was aloof except for the rhetorical parts. It was surprisingly clumsy, but that definitely caught my attention.¡¯ ¡®It seems that the one who wrote this letter was a little nervous.¡¯ ¡®Rather, it may not have been right if he only sent expensive jewels and mboyantpliments like other noblemen.¡¯ ¡®He probably didn¡¯t know what to say to his beloved¡¯s older twin sister; that¡¯s why he was very modest when writing the letter.¡¯ [I requested some local flowers that look pretty to be dried out and special herbs to be collected and sent to you.] ¡®It was like a detailed report being sent to hismander, but there were times that Iughed out while reading it.¡¯ (T/N: Because he thinks of you as his only boss, baby Hill.) ¡®Should I say that it¡¯s like a letter from a boy who doesn¡¯t know what to say to his first love, as he struggles to look good somehow?¡¯ (T/N: Haha Hildea spot on.) ¡®It¡¯s all my misunderstanding.¡¯ I quietly folded the letter. Anyway, since he¡¯sing back. This letter was fairly shorter than usual. And the sentence written at the end of the letter was different from before. Not the customary[How was your day Lady Hildea?]but¡­ [I¡¯lle back to you.] ¡°Why are you saying this to me¡­.¡± That was it. -?¨A ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ ???? ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ ¨@?- (3rd Person POV) Joseph, the guild leader of the Shadow Auction Guild, has always lived his life as busy as a rat in the gutter. And the most important thing in this back alley is to have the ability to recognize the most expensive items with just a nce. Ironically, he was given that kind of blessing. (PR/N: I think mine would be something like ¡®To have the mind and body of an old man.¡¯ yer 001 from Squid Game is my spirit animal.) ¡®It¡¯s ridiculous to have such congrattory remarks!¡¯ Surprisingly, even though he was just amoner, he was born with a blessing and a unique ability. But his ability was not visible unlike the others. This ability given to him was an instinct for choosing between right and wrong at crucial moments. And it has saved Joseph several times so far. Just then, there was the sound of a bell chime, and a guest came inside wearing a deep hooded robe. Although the person¡¯s entire body was covered, the small and slender figure made it possible to deduce that the guest was a woman. Joseph narrowed his eyes, but his face immediately changed when he saw the familiar person. ¡°How many did you prepare for today, Hill?¡± The woman also responded to him familiarly. ¡°Three. Will that be enough?¡± Joseph rubbed his hands together. A serious voice came out of nowhere. The woman was a very important customer of his. ¡°Of course. Do you know that the price soars whenever someone tries to purchase your item forcefully, especially if there is only one product that was in stock? Since we have three stocks now, the ck market will overturn.¡± This woman was hidden inside her hood. And all he could see were her red lips and a white, wless chin. It was clear enough that this client was of noble status, which was umon in the ck alley. ¡®She must be a high-ranking aristocrat.¡¯ However, what was important to Joseph was not whether the customer called ¡®Hill¡¯ was either an aristocrat or not. What mattered were the items that she entrusted to him and put up on the auction house regrly. ¡°Hehe, then can I expect a simr volume next time?¡± ¡°It would be difficult for me if we suddenly increase the quantity. Only this time.¡± ¡°Ah, that¡¯s true!¡± It was two years ago that Joseph got to know the woman in front of him. ¡®When she first opened the door and came in, I was about to kick her out right away.¡¯ But then. ¡°Are you Joseph of the Shadow Auction Guild?¡± Until he heard that voice. ¡°How do you know about me?¡± He couldn¡¯t help but be worried. As the guild leader, he had never told anyone his real name. ¡°There is always a way to know.¡± Her cold and arrogant voice appalled him. ¡°What do you want from me?¡± ¡°I need you. To be exact, I need someone to rece me.¡± Strangely, there was an unknown dignity that emanated from her small body. He wondered as if this was how it felt like to be called by his first name, as if there was a princess or a prince standing in front of him. ¡°I know that it would be hard to believe me. However, if you sell the items that I bring, you will make quite a lot of profit too.¡± ¡°Even if it¡¯s not me, I still can¡¯t understand why a noble woman would seek assistance from a lowly person like me?¡± Although the woman¡¯s voice was aloof, strangely enough her voice felt warm all over. ¡°Because I need the shadow auction house.¡± The woman pointed at Joseph with her white, slender finger. At that moment, he felt like he had been pierced by an arrow. ¡°I want you to be my substitute.¡± That was how the trade started. And now, with trembling hands, Joseph epted the flowerpot from a woman named Hill. It looked like an ordinary looking nt, but it was never ordinary. ¡°The more I see it, the more fascinating it is.¡± A small, palm-sized pot was filled with nts that looked like medicinal nts. Whenever they went to auction, participants rushed in with veins popping out of their necks. ¡®It¡¯s a panacea.¡¯ ¡®Surprisingly, if you take a leaf of this medicinal herb and put it directly into the person¡¯s mouth, all their ailments will be relieved!¡¯ Some nobledies even said that their skin became younger and more radiant, while some noble gentlemen said that they were healed of diseases that could not be expressed in words. (PR/N: I mean¡­ I¡¯d bet it¡¯s either bedroom problems or something a colonoscopy could fix) It¡¯s said that Hill¡¯s collection could stop being produced at any time. So they¡¯re bound to always be sold out like hotcakes. The Imperial Pce was also trying to find out who this Hill person was, but Joseph kept his mouth shut. ¡®There is no need to cut the stomach of a goose thatys golden eggs.¡¯ He smiled and rubbed his hands. ¡°Then I hope that you will have a lot of stock next time as well, Miss Hill.¡± -?¨A ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ ???? ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ ¨@?- (Hildea¡¯s POV) No one would have ever guessed that the person who was covered by a hood, wearing the simplest dress and walking through the ck alley without any escorts, was one of Hillington¡¯s maidens. When I came out of the ck alley street and finally saw the bright light, I could finally breathe a sigh of relief. ¡°Whoa. Good thing that I got out here safely today.¡± ¡®My spine feels very stiff.¡¯To be honest, I just pretended to be fine, but it¡¯s a ce where I always feel nervous every time I go. Nevertheless, the reason why I alwayse here is to make some money. ¡®To be exact.¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m just preparing myself just in case I go away.¡¯ I always feel bitter whenever I think about that possibility. ¡®If someone discovers my actions, they may feel betrayed or sad.¡¯ ¡®But I¡¯m just trying to do my best.¡¯ It¡¯s been two years now since I started using the name ¡®Hill¡¯ and selling flower pots with magical powers. In the meantime, I have umted enough money for me to travel anywhere. ¡®But I don¡¯t really want to leave.¡¯ ¡®But no one knows what will happen in the future.¡¯ I¡¯m still feeling anxious about my position, which was originally a person who is not supposed to exist in this world. Just then, as I was about to return in the direction of the Duke¡¯s mansion. ¡°Argh! Get out of my way!¡± I suddenly heard the sharp cry of a person who was driving a horse from behind me. TO BE CONTINUED¡­.. Chapter 23 Chapter 23 ?¦á???¡ï???¦á???????¦á???¡ï???¦á? ¡¤ ¡¤ ?? ¡¤ ¡¤ I Almost Killed The Male Lead Again? (Hildea¡¯s POV) ¡°Ah!¡± The moment I turned my head at the urgent cry, the startled horse¡¯s hooves were raised high above me. I immediately closed my eyes, and screamed as loudly as I could. -?¨A ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ ???? ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ ¨@?- (Gabriel¡¯s 3rd Person POV) Gabriel¡¯s heart, which hadn¡¯t felt anything before, was now anxious enough to swallow the first emotion that he had ever known. A tidal wave of emotions broke his patience and made him think about her all day long. Gabriel was so surprised that he himself didn¡¯t know how to control his obsession. It was the same as when he engaged in a battle where the arrows were pouring down like rain, or when discussing a raid to assassinate the enemymander. Even when a sword flew and cut his side, or when he went back with a tired face and saw a flower on the side of the road that was blooming splendidly. It would always remind him of Hildea, whom he missed terribly. ¡®Who did she meet today?¡¯ ¡®Does she ever think of me?¡¯ ¡®Did she receive the flowerpot that I sent?¡¯ Every time he sent out a letter, he would put a lot of thought into it, throwing away multiple drafts more often than the actual letter that he sent to her. ¡®I¡¯ve always wanted to send a lot of expensive and rare things to her, but I restrained myself because I was afraid that she would feel pressured by them.¡¯ That was why he carefully thought about things that he thought Hildea would like and sent them to her regrly. ¡°Sir, do you really have to do that?¡± ¡°Say that to me one more time, and I¡¯ll let you know what happens after.¡± ¡°Ha¡­ No, Sir. I value my life, Sir.¡¯ When he personally picked up the shovel and collected those herbs that could only be found at the edge of a cliff, the knights, who came along with him, looked at him as if he was a crazy person. ¡®Just once.¡¯ He buried his face in his hands and sighed. ¡®Even just once, is fine.¡¯ ¡®I want to hear Hildea call my name. I want to confess and ask her¡­¡¯ ¡®Please call me Bree.¡¯ (PR/N:First thing I thought was that he¡¯s asking to be called cheese . They are both yummy??? ) ¡®I want to be a meaningful person to her, not just another person passing by.¡¯ Gabriel, who had eyes and ears in the Imperial Capital, was aware that he was known as a war hero or something like that. And that there were rumors that his marriage with the young girls of the Hillington, which is not the same as before, will be broken eventually. He chuckled. ¡®Those fucking rumors, I just can¡¯t believe it.¡¯ If only he knew who spread those rumors, he would definitely twist that person¡¯s neck. ¡®Should I kill them all?¡¯ Under that pretext, he heard that a lot of young noblemen offered unofficial engagement proposals for both the Hillington girls. ¡®Especially to Hildea!¡¯ Just thinking about it made his blood boil from range. ¡®If they wanted to talk about marriage, they¡¯d better offer it to Ros¨¦riel, but why are they including Hildea?¡¯ After he gained the title of ¡®War Hero¡¯, his primary concern was knowing the opinion of only one person. ¡®Did Hildea hear about it? Would that peak even just a bit of her interest? Or did she think that it was too childish?¡¯ When he couldn¡¯t get a hold of his emotions, he finally shared all his thoughts with one of his trusted adjutants, Dian, because he would have felt ashamed if he talked about it with other people. Dian was intrigued at first, butter on, he looked like he was being strangled and begged for relief. (T/N: Hahaha poor Dian, became Gabriel¡¯s stress reliever) ¡®Stop. Please sir, enough.¡¯ Well it wasn¡¯t that Dian was asked to not share the information with others. It was because once Gabriel started, he wouldn¡¯t ever stop. That was why Dian gave up first. ¡°You¡¯re really crazy. Where did that majestic Duke of Belfius go?¡± ¡°You were the one who told me to have feelings. Then why are you tantly changing your mind?¡± ¡°No, I didn¡¯t mean it like that! Why is it now my fault?¡± It was definitely something to admit, since Dian, who was a longtime adjutant of Gabriel, saw howpletely crazy he was with his emotions. Soon after Gabriel heard the news about the debutante ball, he couldn¡¯t stand it even for a second. That was why he conducted a full battalion attack on the enemy camp and killed every single knight who faced him. And finally, after 12 years, he won. ¡°Can I go back now?¡± He moved as if invisible to the human eye so much so that the Emperor added a word of concern that he was going too fast. The moment he took up the g of victory, he let go of all his reasoning. His leash waspletely unrestrained. ¡°I can¡¯t do it anymore.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t stand it any longer.¡± ¡®Looking at Hildea through pictures only was not enough. I want to see her for myself and speak to her personally.¡¯ ¡°I¡¯m going back.¡± ¡°Um, sir. What did you say just now? I think I heard it wrong?¡± Gabriel wiped his hands, pretending not to notice Dian¡¯s pale face. The g of victory was thrown away like garbage. Looking at the knights who epted it haphazardly, he said coldly, ¡°I will go back first. Follow me if you¡¯d like.¡± After a chilly silence, Dian¡¯s lips trembled as if convulsing. ¡°Now, I really didn¡¯t hear what you just said, sir.¡± ¡°Have you dealt with what I asked for?¡± ¡°If it¡¯s about that mansion, we sent someone to solve it, but why are you asking about that now?¡± ¡°Once you have all returned, you can gather there since I will not be going back to the estate.¡± ¡°My lord!¡± Leaving behind the screaming soundsing from Dian, Gabriel rode his horse onward. A happy smile appeared on his face as if he was deranged. ¡®Damn battlefield.¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s all over now. I¡¯m now free to do what I want.¡¯ ¡®I¡¯ming back now, Hildea.¡¯ Without drinking water or even sleeping, he ran like a crazy man and arrived in the Empire earlier than he expected. He headed back to the mansion without greeting or reporting to the Emperor and moved without exining himself, to the astonishment of the Duchy¡¯s employees. (Gabriel¡¯s POV) ¡®Since there¡¯s only one thing going on in my head now.¡¯ ¡®Hill.¡¯ (T/N: Gabriel is a gem really, I love him more¡­) ¡®How can I go to Hillington¡¯s street?¡¯ ¡®What if she still hates me, just like thest time?¡¯ ¡®I¡¯ve been so worried about it. But then, after much deliberation, I came to the conclusion that I only need to have a good appearance so that she would change her opinion of me.¡¯ (PR/N: This isn¡¯t a Disney movie hon. Looks can¡¯t solve everything) I ran to order a custom suit, since I couldn¡¯t wait to have the servants order it. I specifically went to a ce the butler rmended, because I wanted to show off a nice and gentlemanly look for Hildea. ¡°Hey, Get out of the way!!¡± ¡°Ahhh!¡± I heard a loud voice from somewhere, telling me that it was an urgent situation. As I looked towards themotion, I could hear sharp neighing, and see a woman standing right in front of the horse. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡®For a moment, it seemed as if time had stopped.¡¯ A dazzling wave of silver hair flowed out from the hem of the hood, piercing my eyes. ¡®Thud.¡¯ My heart screamed at that moment. ¡®There is no way that I wouldn¡¯t recognize that woman.¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s the woman that I¡¯ve longing for.¡¯ ¡®Hill.¡¯ -?¨A ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ ???? ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ ¨@?- (Hildea¡¯s POV) In a brief moment, all kinds of thoughts ran through my mind. ¡®Is this what they call (*) seeing your life sh before your eyes? Even if I didn¡¯t want to see it.¡¯ (TN: (*) We¡¯ve all heard about our lives shing before our eyes when we¡¯re on the brink of death and new research has found it may be thest thing we think about before we die.) ¡°Ugh!¡± But the moment I closed my eyes and shrank my body, someone¡¯s big, solid arms wrapped around my waist. And at the same time, my body was strongly pulled to the side. ¡®Gasp¡­¡¯ When I came back to my senses, I was leaning against someone¡¯s broad chest and rolling on the ground. ¡°Hah¡­¡± I repeatedly blinked my eyes because I was dumbfounded after what happened, and then I realized that someone was lying underneath me. My current self is too close to the other person. ¡®Thank you, I need to say ¡®Thank You.¡¯ I tried to get up in a hurry. But as soon as my eyes met with the man who saved me, ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± For a few seconds, I stopped thinking. Then, my senses stood on the edge like needles. The man¡¯s toned muscles supported me when we both rolled on the ground. My fingertips feel numb as if electricity had passed through them. My eyes felt dizzy looking at the beautiful sight. His thick, messy, honey-colored hair was brightly shining. His eyes had this strange charm that dazzled me, even though he was frowning as if worried. However, neither the man¡¯s beautiful face nor the embarrassing situation we were in made me freeze like a statue. ¡®Ah.¡¯ ¡®Those clear purple eyes.¡¯ ¡®I know those eyes very well. I really do.¡¯ ¡®He has changed a lot. However, it¡¯s very unlikely that there¡¯s another owner with such eyes.¡¯ ¡®Thump, thump.¡¯ It¡¯s a pounding heart beat. I can¡¯t tell if it¡¯s mine or from the man beneath me, since my hand is on his broad chest. But one thing is clear. ¡®It¡¯s beating very loudly.¡¯ ¡°Did you get hurt?¡± Thoe heavy voice sounded like it wasing from a cave. The man who used to be a boy suddenly reappeared in front of my eyes after 12 years. Like a fully-fledged young man, he asked me again in the same sweet tone which seemed to be lower than before. ¡°Are there any injuries?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡®When I didn¡¯t answer him, was it a mistake to think that this man had be more worried?¡¯ ¡°Please don¡¯t tell me that bloody word, ¡®No¡¯.¡± ¡®Is it my misunderstanding that his caring beautiful eyes are not as cold as he used to be?¡¯ ¡°Are you hurt?¡± ¡®Maybe it¡¯s because I miss him too much?¡¯ ¡®Then why did he suddenly change?¡¯ When I thought of that, I felt like I had been stabbed by a needle. ¡°Oh, no. I didn¡¯t get hurt.¡± I quickly recovered. As if cold water was poured over me, I remembered who I was and who he was. ¡®My sister¡¯s fiance.¡¯ ¡°¡­ It¡¯s been a while, mydy.¡± ¡®Gabriel.¡¯ The man got up first and reached out to me. He approached me without being rude and grabbed my waist, making sure that I could stand up, as naturally as flowing water. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right. Long time no see.¡± I tried to clear my throat hoping to sound natural, but I was surprised to hear my voice crack. ¡®It must simply be because I¡¯m shocked and disoriented at the same time.¡¯ I bowed my head gracefully in a familiar gesture and greeted him. ¡°Thank you so much for saving me, Duke of Belfius.¡± ¡®It¡¯s him, Gabriel.¡¯ ¡®He¡¯s back.¡¯ -?¨A ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ ???? ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ ¨@?- (Hildea¡¯s POV) After our heart thumping reunion. I don¡¯t even remember the expression I had when I left him, because it was more important for me to get back to the mansion as soon as possible. As soon as he came to his senses, he poured out his words like crazy. (PR/N: Still rapping 12 yearster¡­) ¡°Later, it didn¡¯t ur to me that we would be seeing each other like this. I¡¯m really grateful to see you again, but of course, I¡¯ll officially see you at the mansionter.¡± ¡°Later¡­¡± I dragged thest word he said, since I¡¯m not sure what he means by that. After saying thank you, I immediately got into the carriage. ¡°Wait!¡± It seemed like Gabriel was trying to say something to me, but my thoughts were all over the ce. That was why I gave the coachman extra money and asked him to run at the fastest speed. My heart is beating so fast. Only then did reality hit me. ¡®Haha, it really is Gabriel.¡¯ It seemed a bit ridiculous. ¡®How did this happen?¡¯ ¡°How can we meet so easily? The capital is so big? And how can he save me in such a situation?¡± My imaginary boy, the same person whom I had exchanged letters with, suddenly disappeared as if he never existed in the first ce. The only thing left in my mind is the man that I encountered earlier. ¡®As expected of the male protagonist¡­ He¡¯s so handsome.¡¯ If I were topare humans to beasts, it would have been like seeing a lion in the jungle. ¡°No.¡± I shook my head over and over. ¡®As I expected , he definitely has someone who writes those letters for me on his behalf.¡¯ ¡®There¡¯s no way that such a man would make an effort to write those kinds of letters to me.¡¯ Thinking like that made me feel so ashamed. I never would have thought that I¡¯d be (*) drumming to my own beat and putting a lot of meaning in those letters. (TN: (*) Drumming to my own beat means she¡¯ll do it all on her own like her expectation towards those letters would never be reciprocated by Gabriel.) Chapter 24 Chapter 24 ?¦á???¡ï???¦á???????¦á???¡ï???¦á? ¡¤ ¡¤ ?? ¡¤ ¡¤ Why Do I Feel So Guilty? (Hildea¡¯s POV) ¡®Why are you doing this to me?¡¯ I rub my throbbing fingertips which he touched and slowly put my hand on my pounding heart. ¡®My heart, why are you going crazy?¡¯ ¡®Why is my face so hot?¡¯ ¡®There¡¯s really nothing new about him. He¡¯s still the same.¡¯ Gabriel was a dazzlingly handsome boy when he was young, so it¡¯s only natural that he would still be handsome even as an adult. ¡®Isn¡¯t praise for Gabriel¡¯s appearance, who was the male lead, repeated several times in the novel?¡¯ At the same time, I let out a hollowugh. ¡°The first time we met, it was a mess, and this time again¡­¡¯ And the war hero, who just returned back after winning a twelve year war, almost died due to a horse¡¯s hoof all because of me. It was a tragedy that even I couldn¡¯tugh about. ¡°As expected, we¡¯re really not good for each other.¡± ¡®But still¡­.¡¯ ¡°Okay, everything is a mess right now, so I need to run away first andpose myself. Once I¡¯m okay, I¡¯ll say thank you properly the next time that we meet.¡± It was when I let go of the unknown emotion, slowly got off the carriage and stood still in front of our mansion. ¡°Huh?¡± As soon as I got off, I couldn¡¯t help but open my eyes wide at the sight. I saw a carriage that had stopped ahead of me with a slight rustling sound, but that wasn¡¯t the problem. The problem was that the person who got off the carriage was none other than Gabriel himself! ¡°Wait, why is the Duke Of Belfius getting off here?¡± ¡®That¡¯s weird. Didn¡¯t I pay extra money to have my coachmen run at a crazy speed, so that I would be able to arrive at the mansion ahead of him?¡¯ ¡®But how did he manage to arrive in front of the carriage that I am in?¡¯ ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Gabriel, who was a bit startled when he saw me bewilderedly looking at him, slightly tugged at the back of his neck cor as if he was nervous. A button loosened with a popping sound and his deeply curved muscles became visible. Suddenly, I feel dizzy from what I¡¯m seeing. ¡®Wait, why are you taking off your clothes?¡¯ I immediately turn my head to the side from embarrassment. He seems to have been in a hurry. Finally, he said, ¡°Why did you just leave?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡®I wish that could have been the case.¡¯ ¡°I was going to ask earlier if you¡¯d like to apany me since we were going in the same direction.¡± ¡®This is so unbelievable.¡¯ ¡®How could he and I be going the same way? Then I realized something very shocking. I open my eyes wide. ¡®Why is this guy here in our region in the first ce? Moreover, the Imperial Army hasn¡¯t returned yet, right?¡¯ ¡®There is no way that themander-in-charge would return back alone.¡¯ ¡®But that doesn¡¯t make sense.¡¯I was dumbfounded andughed to myself. Gabriel looked at me and said, ¡°You moved very fast, Hill.¡± My breathing suddenly stopped for a moment. ¡®Did Gabriel just call me Hill?¡¯ Thinking about it, he seems to have been calling me that name since he saved me from the unstable carriage earlier. My mood dropped quickly.¡®Why is he calling me Hill? Did he make a mistake thinking that we are in a friendly rtionship now?¡¯ ¡®And that¡¯s the name he used to call me on the letters.¡¯ ¡®But my guts failed me, refusing to say ¡°please don¡¯t call me that.¡±¡¯ It¡¯s a strange feeling, as if I had just swallowed an (*)unripe persimmon. (TN: (*)Astringent is the word used to describe the bitter taste of the tannins in the unripe fruit which causes a mouth-puckering sensation. Astringent persimmons produce this taste until they arepletely ripe.) ¡°I¡¯m sorry to ask you this, but why are you here, Duke of Belfius? We haven¡¯t heard that the Imperial Army has returned yet.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡®And he¡¯s here in front of our house too.¡¯ After I came to my senses and asked him, Gabriel kept his mouth shut. Gabriel followed me as I took a step forward. ¡®What is he trying to do? And what¡¯s wrong with him today?¡¯ Gabriel¡¯s face hardened and he frowned slightly. ¡®Well yeah, that expression is really familiar to me. As expected, all those friendly feelings were just an illusion.¡¯ My unstable mind is a little more at ease. ¡°You couldn¡¯t havee alone, right?¡± ¡°Why not?¡± ¡®What did he just say now?¡¯ ¡®Just hurry up and say no!¡¯ ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Mydy?¡± I¡¯m stunned. ¡®Don¡¯t tell me that you ran here on your own, ignoring all of the customs and rules, just so that you can see Ros¨¦?¡¯ ¡®That would definitely cause Ros¨¦ to be involved in a huge scandal.¡¯ ¡®Would people insult Gabriel for his hasty actions?¡¯ ¡®No, they will surely curse at Ros¨¦! My eyes turned sharp suddenly. ¡°When did youe back?¡± ¡°¡­Just now, no, what I mean is not long ago. I didn¡¯te running like crazy.¡± ¡®What did he just say? Did hee straight to our house?¡¯ I shake my head.¡®I must have heard it wrong. There is no way that he went straight to our mansion first, without even greeting His Majesty the Emperor, right? Haha.¡¯ ¡®He couldn¡¯t be that crazy, right?¡¯ ¡°That¡¯s a shame. Ros¨¦ isn¡¯t in the mansion right now.¡± ¡®But why?¡¯ He looked back at me with sharp eyes and muttered. ¡°¡­I came here to meet¡­Lady Ros¨¦riel¡­¡± (PR/N: Notice that he addresses Ros¨¦ by title and her full name while he calls her Hill.) It was just when he was trying to say something. ¡°Bang! Thud!¡± We heard a loud crashing noise. ¡°!¡± I was stunned while looking around the empty duchy and turned my gaze to the entrance beyond the gate, which was in front of the Hillington Mansion in the capital. Then I realized it was the sound of something that was being moved. ¡®That was supposed to be an empty lot, right? It may seem a bit strange that there is an empty mansion in front of the Duke¡¯s capital mansion, but it was built by the head of Hillington a few generations ago to serve the head¡¯s beloved wife¡¯s adoptive parents. It¡¯s a beautifully decorated ce, but hasn¡¯t been used for a very long time now. That¡¯s why it has remained a headache for the current Hillington family. ¡®There¡¯s no way that my father would allow anyone to stay there¡­¡¯ ¡®Then who?¡¯ At that moment, one of the people moving luggage saw me and shed a friendly smile. Just then, it dawned me as I looked at the tall man standing next to me. A cold sweat ran down my back. ¡®No way.¡¯ As I turn my head along the end of my gaze, I see Gabriel with a rigid expression on his face. He answered slowly, in a lower voice than before, ¡°Do you not like it?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡®What does he mean by that?¡¯ His brow furrowed deeply, and his expression looks like he wants to step back. ¡®I feel kind of weird for some reason. Are you making that face because of me?¡¯ ¡°I will be staying at this mansion for a while.¡± ¡®So he¡¯s going to be staying in that mansion.¡¯ But I can¡¯t hide my confused look and ask him right away, ¡°You aren¡¯t going back to your estate?¡± ¡°Yes, because this ce is closer to the capital.¡± ¡°That¡¯s probably not it.¡± ¡®He was definitely good at lying. Isn¡¯t it better to say that it¡¯s because you wanted to see Ros¨¦ that badly?¡¯ I unconsciously said those words out loud and Immediately cover my mouth, but Gabriel must have already heard me. ¡°Mydy?!¡± He opens his eyes wide, and raises his eyebrows, as if he had listened to something that he wasn¡¯t supposed to. ¡°What do you mean by that? By any chance¡­ Did you already know¡­? I suddenly feel bitter. ¡®What do I know? I have no idea what he¡¯s talking about?¡¯ ¡°So that¡¯s the reason why you¡¯re angry¡­?¡± (T/N: My gosh you both are just the same.) (PR/N: They really should have some kind of socializing 101 ss for these 2.) ¡®I¡¯m surprised by what he said. When did I get mad at him? Isn¡¯t he the one who¡¯s angry all the time?¡¯ I really didn¡¯t know what he meant, so I quickly shook my head. ¡°No, it doesn¡¯t matter to me.¡± But my words sounded very indifferent when I said it. Gabriel¡¯s face then grew even colder, possibly because of what I said to him. ¡°So it doesn¡¯t matter, does it?¡± There is an icy atmosphere lingering between us, as cold as a freezer. Not only that. Somehow, I feel even worse, because I¡¯m aware that I just ruined our conversation. ¡°Yes, It doesn¡¯t.¡± ¡®But I was just telling the truth. His moving to the mansion has nothing to do with me. So why is he making that kind of face?¡¯ ¡®Anyways.¡¯ I sighed. ¡®Ros¨¦ is very lucky.¡¯ ¡®Because looking at Gabriel¡¯s behavior, I can see just how much he loves Ros¨¦¡¯ ¡®All of his actions were directed at one person. It wouldn¡¯t matter if he isn¡¯t recognized by the Emperor and loses his reputation, nor if he secretly returned without a proper victory ceremony to address his hard work.¡¯ ¡®All of that is proof that there is nothing that cannot be done for Ros¨¦.¡¯ ¡®Ah.¡¯ ¡®But why?¡¯ ¡®His affection towards my younger twin sister, which I should be looking upon with joy, instead sends a twinge of pain to my heart.¡¯ -?¨A ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ ???? ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ ¨@?- (Hildea¡¯s POV) ¡°Mydy did a perfect job again today.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a level where there is nothing for me to teach you.¡± ¡°I bet the Duke would be proud too.¡± Teachers who are more enthusiastic about education ahead of the debutant pour out praises like that. But these are all unfamiliar words to me. ¡®They¡¯re proud of me?¡¯ ¡®But it¡¯s the most obvious thing that I should be doing right?¡¯ My mind is so confused. Being a debutante is not just a simple introduction to the public. It¡¯s also very important to me personally. Because before my debut, I may find out my congrattory remarks. When a noble child is born, the majority of the child¡¯s remarks are conveyed to their parents. However, the exact contents of the remarks will be known to everyone once the aristocrats make their debut or officially receive a noble title. ¡®Like what happened to Gabriel.¡¯ When I think about my remarks, a cold sweat runs down my back. ¡®An ominous congrattory remark.¡¯ The words from that servant have not been forgotten. And until now, no one has talked about or mentioned anything about it. ¡°Sister, are you awake?¡± With a slight knock on the door, Ros¨¦ with cute braided hair on each of her shoulders,es inside my room. If there is an existence that makes you smile just by looking at it, it would be my twin sister. ¡°Can¡¯t you sleep?¡± ¡°Yes, you aren¡¯t sleeping yet?¡± ¡°As you can see. Come in, Ros¨¦.¡± It would have been better if I could smile kindly, but it¡¯s a shame. It is still difficult for me to smile brightly due to the memories of my past life. Ros¨¦, who ran quickly,ughed like a child and jumped onto the bed. And she immediately bes clingy. Later, if I ever leave this mansion, this child will definitely be sad. ¡°We are going to hear the congrattory remarks soon. What if it¡¯s just a scary saying? That¡¯s why I couldn¡¯t sleep.¡± I¡¯m very shocked and look at Ros¨¦ who keeps muttering words. I have no idea that my younger twin sister, who always seemed strong and bright, would have these worries as well. And I know very well that it¡¯s just a ridiculous worry. I smile internally. ¡°No way.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Ros¨¦, your remarks will be ¡®the prettiest and warmest person in the world.¡¯ So you don¡¯t have to worry about it.¡± Since I spoke confidently, Ros¨¦ pouted her lips, as she used to whenever she was dissatisfied. ¡°There¡¯s no such thing as that?¡± ¡°What are you saying? It is because Ros¨¦ is such a lovable person. You definitely have good remarks. Everyone loves you.¡± ¡°Hehe. Then that goes for you too, Sister!¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°You must have a beautiful remark as well, Sister, since we are twins who were born together.¡± It¡¯s a very pleasant feeling to see her smile so shyly. ¡®I don¡¯t know about Ros¨¦, but she¡¯s definitely a very positive kid.¡¯ ¡°I hope so¡­¡± ¡°Of course, I¡¯m right! Sister¡¯s congrattory remarks will be several times better than mine. Since you¡¯re smarter than me and you always work hard at everything you do.¡± ¡®Well it¡¯s not like that.¡¯Anyway, when Ros¨¦¡¯s passionate constion was about to warmed my heart, she then suddenly opened her eyes wide and said: ¡°But sister. I have something that I want to ask you.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Ros¨¦ blinks her eyes. ¡°Sister, have you already met Gabriel?¡± TO BE CONTINUED¡­. Chapter 25 Chapter 25 ?¦á???¡ï???¦á???????¦á???¡ï???¦á? ¡¤ ¡¤ ?? ¡¤ ¡¤ The Person Who Delivers Congrattory Remarks (Hildea¡¯s POV) I paused for a moment. ¡®She must have heard it directly from Gabriel. It¡¯s possible that they have already seen each other, since he is staying at the mansion in front.¡¯ ¡®However¡­¡¯ ¡®Why now? Why is this now the topic of discussion?¡¯ I chose to pretend that I didn¡¯t know. Even if I could untangle the tangled thread, I still wouldn¡¯t want to touch it. Ros¨¦, who has no idea about myplicated inner thoughts, asks me again, as she tries to beat her chest from frustration. ¡°I heard that you met him? It¡¯s been such a long time. How did you feel after meeting him?¡± I frown. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡± ¡°I mean did you feel anything at all?! It¡¯s been 12 years since you¡¯ve been exchanging letters with him.¡± ¡®That is what I¡¯ve wanted to ask Ros¨¦. What do you want me to feel about your fianc¨¦?¡¯ I feel very ufortable looking into Ros¨¦¡¯s sparkling eyes. I can¡¯t tell if she¡¯s interrogating me or if she has expectations about something. ¡°Well, yeah we met earlier by chance, and there¡¯s nothing going on between us.¡± ¡®So there¡¯s nothing for her to misunderstand.¡¯ I tried to exin further, but Ros¨¦ opened her eyes wide as if she¡¯s extremely excited about something, and immediately whispered, ¡°I¡¯m not talking about that; what I mean is Gabriel changed a lot right? It¡¯s been a decade since youst saw each other, so doesn¡¯t it feel like your first impression of him has changed as well? Like his eyes are now burning with passion.¡± ¡®I¡¯m taken aback by Ros¨¦¡¯s me-like momentum. Why has she be like this all of a sudden?¡¯ ¡®But maybe she¡¯s just asking for my opinion.¡¯ ¡®Well he definitely has.¡¯ I unconsciously remembered Gabriel¡¯s appearance, without realizing it. ¡®He changed a lot, though.¡¯ ¡®Gabriel was indeed a pretty boy like a doll when he was young. Well it seems to be the case because he has grown up well without shedding any tears.¡¯ (*) (PR/N: (*) It basically means he grew up good looking, regardless of his age, without anything unfortunate happening to appearance. The idea is that if he had lost his beauty, it would¡¯ve caused tears. Those Korean beauty standards¡­) I snorted as I contemted those thoughts. ¡°He hasn¡¯t changed that much.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Ros¨¦ suddenly paused for a moment. I tilt my head to the side as if I was confused about her reaction.¡®Why? Isn¡¯t this the answer that she wanted?¡¯ It was really my intention to change the flow of the conversation, but the direction of thoughts still went back to Gabriel. ¡®His body became thicker and stronger, but his face remained the same with its gorgeous features.¡¯ ¡®And his muscles are so strong¡­¡¯ My face hardened upon realizing. ¡®Why do I remember Gabriel in such detail?¡¯ Thinking about my usual personality, I can¡¯t remember things that I¡¯m not interested in at all. Then, my ears start pounding from Ros¨¦¡¯s voice. ¡°Oh, after you saw his current appearance, did your heart beat uncontrobly¡­¡± ¡±No. Why are you asking me?¡± I immediately refute her words, but Ros¨¦ rolls her eyes as if she¡¯s in disbelief. ¡°But still, how was it? By any chance, did you feel moved that he came here all the way from the battlefield¡­?¡± ¡°No. What if he gets reprimanded by the Imperial Pce because of that? Never in history has amander-in-charge returned back alone.¡± ¡°Really?¡± My face contorted thinking about it. ¡®But is the situation really that serious?¡¯A chilling silence rang through the room. I looked at Ros¨¦ because I was wondering if she was offended after I cursed the person who she likes. She smiled awkwardly. ¡°To be honest it¡¯s really hard for me to read your facial expression right now, but I hope that I didn¡¯t offend you Ros¨¦ by saying those words¡­¡± Ros¨¦ scratched her cheek and smiled like a mischievous kid. ¡°Sister, I¡¯m actually wondering if Hillington and Belfius are really that close. Close enough for him to stay at one of our mansions here at the capital?¡± ¡®Is it possible that our father is not aware of it?¡¯ (PR/N: Imagine, hees home in a good mood thinking about seeing his daughters and instead sees Gabriel at the door. Prepare yourself Gabby.) Even now, I still can¡¯t understand who allowed Gabriel to stay at our old mansion. ¡®But he¡¯s too close.¡¯ ¡®Shameless and close.¡¯ ¡®He acts like the kind of person who can¡¯t do anything unless he¡¯s right next to the person he likes the most. They¡¯re not even properly engaged.¡¯ But contrary to the rumors, once the nobles hear the news, they will have an impression that Hillington and Belfius are on really good terms. ¡°We¡¯re not that close. Especially now that the Duke is known as the war hero, everyone would definitely try to appeal this marriage.¡¯ ¡°Hmmm, I see¡­¡± I agonized over the situation. There are advantages and disadvantages. ¡®It will be both helpful and poisonous to Ros¨¦.¡¯ I put my hand on Ros¨¦¡¯s shoulder.¡®My poor and affectionate little sister.¡¯ ¡®Will this cheerful girl be able to survive a quarrel that usually happens among the aristocratic girls.who have fullbat power?¡¯ ¡®We should also be preparing as well.¡¯ ¡®I only have one conclusion. Knowledge is power.¡¯ I clench my fist tightly, then squeeze Rose¡¯s hand to give a bit of strength. ¡°Ros¨¦.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s take more sses from now on.¡± ¡°Huh? Why there¡¯s nothing much to learn anyway.¡± ¡°Stop making excuses. When you¡¯re not even attending your ss and always disappear. Will you please listen to your older sister this time?¡± Ros¨¦ shuddered andined right away. ¡°Ha, but Sister! I¡¯m pretty busy too. Really. I am really busy.¡± ¡°You¡¯re so noisy. Can you even dance properly at the ball?¡± ¡°There¡¯s always a way!¡± ¡°What?¡± Ros¨¦ chuckled.Isn¡¯t she saying nonsense confidently?¡¯ ¡°If I don¡¯t dance, then that would solve the problem!¡± ¡°You really!¡± As I pped her on the shoulder, she rolled around in bed saying that she¡¯s going to die in pain. ¡°Am I talking to my five-year-old or my 20-year-old twin sister?¡¯ (TN: Aww love them both.) Having said that, I began to worry. ¡®What if, while dancing with Gabriel, she identally knocks him down because she¡¯s too strong? Or what if she steps on his foot ording to the beat?¡¯ ¡®I can¡¯t stand it if someone insults my sister.¡¯ Recalling the original plot of , there are a lot of people who didn¡¯t like that Ros¨¦ was engaged to Gabriel. And somehow, everyone worked hard to break off the engagement between the main characters. In the process, the original Ros¨¦riel suffered from humiliation. ¡®And of course there are episodes of kidnapping.¡¯ I hardened my face. ¡°Your sister wouldn¡¯t allow that to happen.¡± ¡°Eh? What are you talking about?¡± ¡®I just want you to be happy.¡¯ It¡¯s hard to say just how much this child has helped me in this life. When I was deste, she brought me sunshine to help me move forward. (TN: Just love how she describes her sister¡¯s love for Ros¨¦.) ¡®If it wasn¡¯t for Ros¨¦, would I be able to live like this among these people in the Duchy?¡¯ Perhaps my father and I would remain the same, living together without properly looking at each other. Even now, I¡¯m still not on friendly terms with my father nor the people in the household, but still. ¡°Ros¨¦. Your sister will help you so that you won¡¯t have to suffer. Because I love my younger sister more than anyone in the world.¡± Ros¨¦, who had a bewildered face, suddenly smiled. It was a look befitting the title . ¡°I love my sister and I hope my sister won¡¯t suffer too. Because everyone loves you¡­¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Ros¨¦ sometimes lied to me so much that I didn¡¯t care if people weren¡¯t nice to me. ¡°That¡¯s okay. Ros¨¦.¡± ¡°No, sister, I¡¯m being serious¡­.¡± It¡¯s been a long time since I stopped bothering with such things, but my sister is just too kind. I stroked Ros¨¦¡¯s soft hair for a long time and found stability. -?¨A ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ ???? ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ ¨@?- (3rd PERSON POV) The Mielle Empire was a country that had benefited a lot from the congrattory remarks and the powers granted through them. Therefore, the people had a monotheistic belief in the God who bestowed blessings and powers. In addition, the exact origin of God and thenguage of God were unknown to the general public, so it was decided a long time ago who would understand, interpret, and deliver the spoken words. The highest priest. And the highest priests called the one and only God. ¡°Chris.¡± All the young priest believers sat around a room as they watched and listened to the current high priest, Chris, who has been living in the priesthood for a very long time. ¡°It¡¯s okay to ask questions.¡± ¡°Me, me! Supreme Priest, me please!¡± Highest priest, Chris, smiled softly while looking at the unusually active young priest, and nodded. The boy¡¯s eyes sparkled. ¡°Why is God called Yeon-nim? It¡¯s really hard to pronounce it. And where did that namee from? What does it mean?¡± Chris smiled solemnly at the child¡¯s enthusiasm and gently stroked the child¡¯s head. At that particrly gentle touch, the young priest blushed as if embarrassed. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°Uh, so there¡¯s something even the highest priest doesn¡¯t know?¡± ¡°Because thenguage of God is difficult for us to understand. We can specte, but we can¡¯t confirm and judge.¡± The young priests frowned at once, as if to say¡®I don¡¯t know what he¡¯s talking about.¡¯ ¡°That¡¯s the thing to remember, everyone. We are those who love God. It would be a shame if we ourselves couldn¡¯t utter the name of God.¡± The young priests tried to utter the name ¡®Yeon-nim¡¯ all at once. Yet it was still too difficult for them. They felt that it was too unfamiliar since it was a name that they normally didn¡¯t say aloud. While ncing at one another, the young priests smiled at each other because they felt proud to be taught directly by the highest priest and receive his blessings. ¡°Now, is it still difficult?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s good now! And also fun! We can now speak of it clearly.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a good attitude.¡± The stories that havee and gone inside that room can never leak out. Priests have been priests since birth, but they were born with love and respect for God as if it was carved inside their body. Thus, regardless of age, learning the knowledge of God from the highest priest, as if indulging in it, was very natural. They worship and love God because they are priests. ¡°Have you ever been afraid of giving out congrattory remarks, Chris?¡± Then the quietest young priest who was shyly sitting in a corner, suddenly raised his hand and asked. The young priests¡¯ eyes opened wide and held their breath in unison. In the end, the highest priest¡¯s biggest task was to speak thenguage of God and that¡¯s the Congrattory remarks. ¡°If I am afraid?¡± The young priests sped each others¡¯ hands and murmured. They actually felt the same way.¡®Me too! Me too!¡¯. After a while, Chris spoke again. ¡°Why? Because they think that their fate is already decided once we utter their congrattory remarks?¡± Chris¡¯s eyes narrowed and that young priest¡¯s shoulder shuddered, when he saw the intense gaze on him. ¡°Young priest. We only deliver God¡¯s blessings. Have I ever made a remark without any witness on the spot? If not, then why should I be afraid?¡± The young priest¡¯s face paled. Chapter 26

Chapter 26

?¦á???¡ï???¦á???????¦á???¡ï???¦á? ¡¤ ¡¤ ?? ¡¤ ¡¤

Supreme Priest, Chris

(3RD PERSON POV) In fact, not everyone believed in the priests in the beginning. ¡®They are only human beings just like everyone else and they can deceive and misrepresent God¡¯s words!¡¯ And not everyone could receive a blessing. Even if they did, it would have been better to not receive one than to receive something like a terrible curse. ¡®But what if you were deceived by such blessings?¡¯ The distrust was deep-rooted, but over the years, the priests proved their credibility. As a reward for their faith, people gradually acknowledged that priests were no ordinary human beings. ¡®Their mouths only speak the truth. What they say is only the truth.¡¯ However, there are still many who doubt the words that the priests deliver. ¡°There are some people who say that¡­¡± The junior priest* looked like he was about to cry, and his shoulder shook as if he was in pain. (T/N:(*) I¡¯ll call them junior priests from now on since it seems more appropriate than young priests.) (PR/N: Young is associated with age whereas you can technically be a junior priest at any age, though I think they¡¯re kids in this story anyways.) Chris softened his eyes as if to appease the junior priest. ¡®Even though those eyes are so soft, still, why?¡¯ The junior priest felt a little fearful. ¡°Okay, you¡¯re not wrong about that, but we should all be careful, especially since one of you will be seeding me as the next Supreme Priest.¡± Then the eyes of those junior priests, who were holding their breath, began to brighten up in a different way. ¡®The seat of the Supreme Priest!¡¯ All of them have gathered here, hoping to sit in that glorious seat. ¡°It¡¯s been over 20 years since you¡¯ve be the Supreme Priest! That¡¯s so cool!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. And all of us are still considered juniors!¡± Supreme Priest Chris. At the age of four, he delivered the message of god brilliantly and a few yearster, with everyone¡¯s consent, he became the youngest Supreme Priest ever. A holy man. The representative of the congrattory remarks. The one who loves God the most. The Supreme Priest was a position that even the Emperor of the Mielle Empire could not bring down or insult. ¡°So, junior priest¡­..¡± The junior priest, who previously said that he was afraid of delivering congrattory remarks, now had a reddened face. He was embarrassed and upset at the same time. He realized that his words sounded like he doubted the Supreme Priest and insulted his capabilities. ¡°You don¡¯t have to make a face like that. Because your concerns and worries are correct. That has actually happened before.¡± The junior priest immediately raised his head. ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°It was the same year when I was first enthroned as the new Supreme Priest, but it was still the time when the former Supreme Priest led.¡± Chris¡¯s eyes curved as if he was in a dream. ¡°A child was born. The child was born with a seemingly ominous blessing and rumors began to spread that the child¡¯s congrattory remarks were sinister.¡± (T/N: Oh now we¡¯re having some back story about Hildea¡¯s remarks.) ¡°No one should talk about a person¡¯s congrattory remarks recklessly¡­¡± Chris grinned. ¡°That¡¯s correct.¡± The junior priests widened their eyes in fear, since that could have been an insult to the former Supreme Priest. ¡°The child¡¯s mother was very weak. Ill-fated things happened one after another in that family¡¯s mansion. Then, what do you think people¡¯s reactions were?¡± ¡°Then that means¡­¡± Seeing the perplexed reaction from the junior priests, Chris smiled and nodded. ¡°Yes, there is no such thing as ominous remarks in the world. Because it¡¯s God¡¯s blessing, it¡¯s just that it¡¯s not the same as everyone else¡¯s. Nheless, sometimes people interpret and ept it ording to their own perception. Everyone med that poor child for the bad things that happened to that family, but at least the child¡¯s parents loved her¡­¡± However, he suddenly felt unhappy. Chris swallowed his remaining words and then continued. ¡°That¡¯s why the temple decided to bring her back. If there was really a problem, then the main goal would be to purify the blessing within her.¡± ¡°Then what happened to that child? Is she staying in the temple now? Have the congrattory remarks been purified?¡± ¡®No.¡¯ Chris smiled as he thought about it. ¡®That child has be connected with the temple, so we need to bring her back someday.¡¯ ¡°Anyway, that¡¯s why we have to be careful. People can misunderstand that bad things may happen because of what they assumed to be ominous remarks.¡± Chris sped his hands. The eyes of the children, which had been tainted with mncholy, were wide open. ¡°It was a very realistic story. Now, shall we talk about something else?¡± ¡°Supreme Priest Chris!¡± It was the junior priest from before. ¡°This junior priest definitely has a lot of questions. Okay, what is this time?¡± ¡°We heard that¡­ You are about to head to the residence of the Duke of Hillington. Are you going to tell them about their congrattory remarks yourself?¡± ¡®This junior priest is definitely knowledgeable about the current rumors.¡¯ Chris thought so and narrowed his eyes. ¡°Yes, I will be visiting them soon.¡± And he too, expected to meet the subject of the rumor. ¡®The treasure of the temple.¡¯ (T/N: Oh my gee what!!!!!) Hildea von Hillington. Because Chris wanted to see for himself the child that the former highest priest tried to keep inside the temple, even if he was told not to. ¡®And once I¡¯ve confirmed it.¡¯ ¡®I will do my best to have that treasure back in the temple again.¡¯ (T/N: Oh my gosh I can sense another obsessive second male lead here.) (PR/N: I think you mean another stalker XD. She¡¯s a ma for weirdos.) -?¨A ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ ???? ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ ¨@?- (Hildea¡¯s POV) The next day, as the morning dawned. Apart from the preparation for the debutante ball, it has been very chaotic since morning. ¡°Wake up,dies!¡± The curtain is drawn, and Lira¡¯s cheerful voice resounds inside the room. I squint my eyes from the sunlight and groan. As I turn my head, I see Ros¨¦, who is sleeping next to me in azy posture, with her nket kicked off. ¡®Oh, yeah. After talking with Ros¨¦ for a long time, we fell asleep¡­¡¯ ¡°Good morning, Lira¡± Lira looked at me once with an expressionless face and then at Ros¨¦. ¡°Oh, is it morning already?¡± At that moment, Ros¨¦ yawned and slowly got up, with her eyes still closed. The corner of my mouth was pulled upwards and I let out a giggle. ¡°Come on now, move. We have a lot of work today,dies!¡± ¡®Yes, this is it.¡¯ I got up like Ros¨¦ with my eyes closed. My heart started pounding. ¡®Today¡­. It¡¯s finally today.¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s the day that the Supreme Priest will visit us.¡¯ ¡®And now I will know my congrattory remarks.¡¯ When I finally went down to meet the guests after I finished dressing up. ¡®Everyone has gathered.¡¯ Father and most of his adjutants, whom I saw often, have assembled. Sien, who has an expressionless face like mine, said as she pointed towards the door where everyone was standing, ¡°Ladies, the Supreme Priest is now waiting in the drawing room. Please go in one at a time.¡± Ros¨¦ and I saw our father. Father, who has a tense face, looks at me and then at Ros¨¦. ¡®I think he¡¯s kind of worried. Am I mistaken?¡¯ I gulped nervously because I thought that he would have said something, but surprisingly he did not. It¡¯s just a passing pat on the shoulder. ¡®Why do I feel a little bit disappointed?¡¯ ¡°I want to hear it first!¡± Just like she said the other day, Ros¨¦es forward first with a very lively voice. Ros¨¦ squinted her eyes with an enigmatic face and entered the room without any hesitation. . Obviously, after hearing those words, Ros¨¦¡¯s cheeks will surely be rosy from happiness. ¡®I want to congratte her once shees out, but I can¡¯t stop myself from worrying about my own remarks.¡¯ ¡®What if the rumors are true?¡¯ Then, someone put a hand on my shoulder and I looked up in surprise. It¡¯s Lira. And behind her, Sien is there as well. I can¡¯t figure out why they¡¯re looking at me like that, so I blink my eyes and Lira says, ¡°Breathe out slowly.¡± Oh, that¡¯s when I realized that I was breathing heavily. I can also feel the adjutants and the other servants looking at me as if they¡¯re worried about me. I¡¯m embarrassed.¡®Perhaps it¡¯s because they think that the oldest miss is not bold enough and showing a shameful appearance.¡¯ (T/N: Nooo¡­ they¡¯re concerned about you, Hildea.) ¡°Uhm, I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Lady Ros¨¦ wille out soon. Of course, hearing your congrattory remarks is nerve-wracking, but it¡¯s not something for you to worry about.¡± ¡®No, Lira. I¡¯m worried¡¯ ¡®I might get sick from worry.¡¯ -?¨A ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ ???? ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ ¨@?- (Hildea¡¯s POV) Some young nobles may not know it, but all of the high-ranking aristocrats at that time definitely knew about it. That the rtionship between Sears von Healington and the Temple was simply the worst. Because they had taken one of their precious children as if they were kidnapping her, iming that it was to purify her remarks. The Duke and Duchess of Hillington, who were known to have the romance of the century, suffered as they did their best to find their oldest child. However, the power of the temple was strong, and there was no one who could stop them. Then, the incident happened. A group of kidnappers took the oldest daughter of the Hillington, which the temple tried to cover up. Sears was always watching if by chance the temple made a move. ¡®How can I trust my daughter to a temple who cannot even protect a single baby like this?¡¯ Sears argued so. The cause was clear, and the Emperor, who had thought that Sears would finally be back to his former position, sided with him. ¡°Since this has happened for him to protect his family, I think it¡¯s now time for Sears to go back to his former position.¡± At the same time, as Chris had appeared as the sessor of the Supreme Priest, the former Supreme Priest unfortunately gave up on Hillington¡¯s child. After that, the Duchess, who was weak and could not properly hold the twins, had just barely recovered and suddenly died. (T/N: Okay, to those who still have questions on NU spoilers, here it is: they are definitely twin sisters.) ¡®There were also some rumors that the Duchess¡¯s death was not a natural death, but by someone¡¯s scheming.¡¯ Anyways, Chris was not interested in the inside story of the incident. It is true that he was thinking of bringing Hildea with him someday, if it is proven that she is an object of the temple that was taken away. However, he didn¡¯t have a good rtionship with the previous Supreme Priest, and he had an even more important goal right now. That is why he came to look at her today. ¡®Isn¡¯t this the best opportunity?¡¯ ¡°Hello, Supreme Priest!¡± Chris cut off his thoughts and looked at the woman who confidently opened the door and came in. (T/N: Oooh haha, herees Ros¨¦, she would definitely roast Chris, before he can face Hildea.. Hahaha.) Her broad smile was very refreshing and attractive, as if drawing the affection of everyone who could see it. ¡°You can call me Chris, young Ros¨¦riel.¡± ¡°Oh? You know my name.¡± Chris curved his eyes as he looked at thedy in front of him. A youngdy who acts young enough to be called a girl. Her particrly bright pink hair was unusual. ¡®The second.¡¯ ¡®Just like what the rumor said.¡¯ The oldest, Hildea, is rumored to be quiet with a dark personality, and has no one beside her to call as her friend. In contrast, the second child, Ros¨¦riel, has a bright personality and a lot of people always follow her around. Since she¡¯s just a simply lively child, Chris doesn¡¯t have many thoughts about her. ¡°The rumor is not just the truth.¡± Most of them let go of their boundaries and showed their heart through their smiles. But thedy in front of him was different. ¡°Please tell me now about my congrattory remarks.¡± The way she held out her hand with a dignified attitude was very unusual. No one had ever shown such an attitude when listening to congrattory remarks. The thought of having fun flowed out from her. ¡®Hmm?¡¯ Chris¡¯ face hardened at the sense of alienation he felt from Ros¨¦riel. TO BE CONTINUED.. Chapter 27 Chapter 27 ?¦á???¡ï???¦á???????¦á???¡ï???¦á? ¡¤ ¡¤ ?? ¡¤ ¡¤ No Predestined Fate (3RD PERSON POV) It was hard to define what the feeling was. Chris held out his hand and delivered Ros¨¦riel¡¯s congrattory remarks based on what he felt. ¡°Young Lady Ros¨¦riel, congrattions¡­¡± Usually, those who hear their congrattory remarks are divided into two primary reactions. They rejoice as if they own the world, or despair as if the ground has copsed. ¡®But for Ros¨¦riel?¡¯ ¡°Thank you!¡± she eximed cheerfully. ¡°?¡± ¡°Then can I go out now?¡± (T/N: Hahaha Ros¨¦ is really the best.) ¡®That¡¯s it? Her reaction is very energetic and straightforward which is very shocking.¡¯ He narrowed his eyes and held on tightly to her hands, sping and opening them repeatedly. ¡®Strange. It feels like she¡¯s heard something very obvious?¡¯ ¡®It was somewhat insulting for him if she had heard her congrattory remarks from her parents in advance.¡¯ At that moment, Ros¨¦riel, who raised her eyes, met his gaze. ¡°Supreme Priest.¡± The atmosphere, which seemed as cold as ice for a brief moment, became as soft as sugar like it had never happened. ¡°Supreme Priest, please take good care of my sister¡¯s congrattory remarks.¡± ¡°I¡¯m always doing my best whenever I deliver congrattory remarks, so you don¡¯t have to worry about it.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll call my sister now!¡± The door closed, and after a while the door opened again. Chris then raised his head. ¡®The treasure that the former Supreme Priest aimed for.¡¯ As soon as he was about to be filled with curiosity and interest, his eyes intertwined with the youngdy¡¯s eyes. He was suddenly struck by an unknown emotion, and for a moment he forgot how to breathe. It wasn¡¯t about congrattory remarks nor sensing a supernatural power. The moment that he saw her. His heart started pounding. ¡®What is this feeling?¡¯ -?¨A ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ ??? ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ ¨@?- (3RD PERSON POV) Lira, who was disapprovingly looking at the trembling legs, sighed deeply. Duke Sears von Hillington, who had been waiting for news while deeply concentrating, suddenly opened his eyes. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Can you please stop shaking your legs, My Lord? You¡¯ve been doing that for a while now.¡± Sears frowned and ignored Lira¡¯s request, venting out his feelings instead. ¡°Lira, what do you think? Since you¡¯ve been taking care of her since she was a child, you know better than anyone.¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± ¡°You know about that thing.¡± Sears hesitated, and then asked in a rather gloomy voice, ¡°About Hill¡¯s remarks, do you think that my daughter is ill-fated? How do you think she will react? What if she¡¯s upset? I don¡¯t know what to say. I can¡¯t help but be a coward¡­¡± The Duke of Hillington has always been a straightforward person. So whether or not the other nobles gossiped, pointed fingers, or talked with their noses in the air was of little importance. ¡°The Miss Hildea that I know is a strong woman. The question is, how will the Supreme Priest deliver her remarks?¡± ¡°Do you think that he will do something different?¡± ¡°He may be the same as the previous Supreme Priest. Since we can¡¯t investigate the inside story of the Temple, we only have a little information about the current Supreme Priest, Chris.¡± ¡®The most important thing is Hildea, and what she thinks about it.¡¯ ¡°That¡¯s what the previous Supreme Priest said ¨C that she had no ominous remarks, but despite saying that, he still had her kidnapped.¡± Sears ground his teeth. ¡°Yes that¡¯s true.¡± So Elizabeth died in pain, without seeing her two daughters properly. ¡°If this Supreme Priest is such a person, he will say useless words to ourdy¡¯s ears, and if he is different, he will give advice genuinely.¡± If he is the same as the former, then the Hillington and the Temple will be enemies again. ¡°If you are so anxious, then why didn¡¯t you say something earlier?¡± Lira¡¯s hit caused Sears to suffer, as he pointed his finger at his forehead. Thinking about it made him feel sad again. He thought that he may have been dying his words for this moment. ¡®I should have said that she¡¯s not a cursed child, given her an idea about her congrattory remarks, and talked about the things she doesn¡¯t know.¡¯ ¡®But would she ever believe me?¡¯ ¡®Would that even make her more suspicious?¡¯ ¡°Lira, can you get rid of that facial expression?¡± Lira frowned slightly as her expressionless face remained. ¡°Is that even possible? It doesn¡¯te off that easily.¡± ¡°But you alwaysugh when you see Ros¨¦.¡± Lira stopped breathing for a moment. Her eyes widened as if she couldn¡¯t believe it. ¡°Me? Did you even look at me properly, My Lord?¡± ¡°Yes, sometimes. You and Sien are the same.¡± She seemed to be contemting what she heard. ¡°Maybe. I¡¯m not sure, but maybe. Ros¨¦¡¯s ability is so powerful that she is liked by everyone else, so I think it may have influenced us.¡± ¡°Then, what do you think about getting rid of that facial expression altogether?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± A chilly silence persisted for a moment. Lira looked at Duke Sears withplicated eyes, like a person who had a very difficult problem to solve. ¡°What¡¯s the point of that?¡± ¡°Why is it meaningless?¡± ¡°I have always taken care of the girls with all my heart. I think Lady Hildea and Lady Ros¨¦ will understand that.¡± Sears snorted. ¡°People believe most of what they see. I¡¯m worried that I¡¯ve hurt my two children unknowingly because I¡¯m too cold hearted¡­ What do you think?¡± Lira¡¯s face hardened. ¡°How do you think she would have felt if you only showed that kind of expression in front of Ros¨¦?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°What about Hildea then?¡± (PR/N: You couldn¡¯t have said this earlier? Like anytime during thest 20 years?) She twirled her fingers for a while and whispered as if hesitating, ¡°If I smile naturally, will the girls like it too?¡± It was a very unsure voice. Sears didn¡¯t know the answer because he didn¡¯t have any confidence in front of his daughters either. ¡°For now¡­ Let¡¯s hope that Hill, who has heard her congrattory remarks, wille out smiling.¡± -?¨A ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ ??? ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ ¨@?- (Hildea¡¯s POV) The man called the Supreme Priest was a character who did not appear in the original novel. He was mentioned only as a person who recites congrattory remarks, so I knew nothing about him. And as soon as I look at his face closely, I¡¯m stunned. ¡®Wow?¡¯ ¡®I¡¯ve never seen a person who looks so pretty before.¡¯ Even though I knew that he was an adult man, he is the first person for whom I would use the words ¡°pretty¡± and ¡°beautiful¡±. His hair, which seems to stretch down to the floor, is the same color as mine, but it appears softer and much more beautiful. ¡®I think he looks prettier than the actors from my previous life.¡¯ He has white, fair skin and gorgeous features surpassing a woman¡¯s, and he is staring at me, which is far from the sweet expression before. ¡®Wait, I hope that the priest doesn¡¯t hate me as well.¡¯ In that case, no matter how ustomed I am to this kind of treatment, I would still feel a little bit depressed. ¡°Wee.¡± As I stared at him, he suddenly opened his mouth. ¡°Hildea. right?¡± ¡°Of course that¡¯s right. Is there anyone else besides me and Ros¨¦riel?¡± He looked at me with a bewildered look, but he opened his mouth again without answering my question. His lips were very red as if he had bitten them. ¡°Do you want to hear your congrattory remarks right away? If you don¡¯t want to hear it now, we can dy it, Hildea.¡± ¡®I wonder if he is supposed to ask this?¡¯Just as I was about to nod my head, I then stopped moving for a second. ¡®Even if I don¡¯t listen to it, it will definitely leak everywhere, and it¡¯s possible that it will be announced at the debutante ball.¡¯ ¡®So, it would be better to listen to it first.¡¯ ¡®Even though I know it already, but¡­¡¯ ¡°You are so kind.¡± ¡°Do you mean me?¡± ¡°Yes, you¡¯re so kind. Didn¡¯t you just give me a chance to run away? You must have heard the rumors.¡± ¡°¡­¡± I can tell that he¡¯s concerned about me, but he raised his eyebrows as if it was very surprising. ¡°But I don¡¯t want to run away.¡± I approached him and sat down in the chair facing him. Then he took a deep breath and held out his hand. ¡°Please tell me. I will listen carefully.¡± ¡°It¡¯s very unexpected.¡± ¡®What¡¯s unexpected?¡¯ For some reason, Chris¡¯s eyshes, which were slightly lowered, trembled, but he continued speaking gracefully. ¡°There are no bad remarks in the world. Because God loves humans.¡± ¡°¡­¡± There are no bad congrattory remarks. It was something that no one had ever told me. Of course, it was written in the book, but it was the first time that I¡¯d ever met anyone who actually said it to me. Out of nowhere, my heart warmed up and my lips rxed. I now had a bit of courage. I extend my hand forward. ¡°I will listen to it. Please tell me, Supreme Priest.¡± ¡°¡­Just call me Chris.¡± Somehow, his eyes are more gentle than before. ¡®Is it because he wasn¡¯t in the original story?¡¯ I nodded my head and was more rxed than before. ¡°¡­Okay, Chris.¡± ¡°Come on then, let¡¯s start.¡± I sped his long, fine-lined fingers. They were tangled in between my hands like a tree vine. A very brief moment had passed. My hands felt itchy, but I didn¡¯t know if it would seem weird if I moved. I bit my lips and looked up. ¡°Ourdy¡¯s congrattory remarks is .¡± The way he spoke at a slow pace, made me spaced out for a little bit. I have already thought about the worst possible blessings that I could have imagined, and since my ability was healing, I also hoped that my remarks might have something to do with it. But this is something that I¡¯ve never even thought about. ¡®No fate or destiny?¡¯ ¡®Maybe it¡¯s referring to the fact that I¡¯m a character who didn¡¯t originally exist in the novel.¡¯ ¡®Then, does that mean that I have no destiny to live in this world¡­¡¯ ¡°No. It¡¯s not that.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re thinking right now, but I don¡¯t think that¡¯s the case.¡± I thought as I looked at his serious, beautiful face, ¡®Chris is definitely a very kind person.¡¯ Myplicated thoughts stopped and felt like lies that I told myself at the sound of that soft voice. I thought about the congrattory remarks of the original characters that I knew. There¡¯s definitely something odd about mine. ¡®Just by hearing those sayings, I can already tell that they are born with good abilities. Then what about mine?¡¯ ¡°Hildea.¡± As if to appease a child, Chris touched the back of my hand, which was still being held by him. I tilted my head. ¡®What is it? I can feel that his hands are shaking¡­?¡¯ ¡°Yes, Chris.¡± When I called out his name, his eyes softened and he smiled as if he did a good job. ¡®I might be wrong, but why would his hands be shaking?¡¯ Looking back, he spoke to me like a patient teacher teaching ate developed child. ¡°Think about the meaning of the remarks. It will always be up to you to decide.¡± He¡¯s a veryfortable person. I felt an unfounded liking in my heart. ¡°Are you trying tofort me?¡± ¡°Comfort? What do you mean?¡± ¡°Well, because you¡¯re only saying nice things right now.¡± When I was dealing with people, my facial muscles were always stiff, as if my muscles had been damaged. Yet, somehow my eyes seemed to loosen up and my mouth didn¡¯t feel as rigid. ¡®I feel somewhat grateful to him.¡¯ ¡°ording to the meaning of the remarks, I will think about it that way.¡± ¡°¡­All right, Hildea. Oh, may I call you by your first name?¡± ¡®I wonder what I would have done if it ended up a cold and scary moment as if I was trapped in a well, but then it wasn¡¯t as scary as I thought it would be. Rather it was warm.¡¯ I politely said thank you to the Supreme Priest in front of me. ¡°If you ever see me again, then please feel free to call me by my first name.¡± ¡®I wonder if we¡¯ll ever see each other again. I hope so, with my heart.¡¯ (T/N : RIP Gabriel Hahaha.) TO BE CONTINUED.. The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!