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“Ethan… Ethan?”
After closing Dorothea and Theon’s door, Monica called for Ethan, who stood still and remained silent.
It wasn’t until Monica tapped his arm that his blurry focus turned to Monica.
“Let’s go.”
Ethan, who was standing in a daze, moved slowly.
They were ushered into a room across from Dorothea and Theon’s room.
Monica and Ethan, like Dorothea and Theon, sat opposite each other with a table between them.
“What should I order?”
“Whatever you want.”
Monica asked, and Ethan answered.
“Do you also eat lamb? The lamb here is delicious.”
“Yes.”
Ethan nodded at all Monica wanted.
Having finished ordering, Monica chatted eagerly in front of Ethan while waiting for the food to be served.
Ethan just nodded and listened to Monica’s story.
From the time the appetizers arrived to the time the lamb of steak arrived, all Ethan did was nod his head like a machine and give repetitive, simple responses.
Meanwhile, Ethan suddenly distorted his face as he held the knife.
“Ethan, you don’t like the food…?”
Monica asked cautiously.
After the steak came out, Ethan didn’t cut a single piece of meat with a knife and fork. He hadn’t even finished the appetizer.
“No, I have no appetite today.”
Ethan’s expression still darkened, and he clenched his teeth as if enduring something.
It was because he could feel the spirit’s power in the next room.
Dorothea was borrowing the power of the Spirit Stone for Theon Fried.
The more clearly he saw her presence, the more he felt like a nail was being pierced into his chest.
Monica, who was facing Ethan, put down her fork on the table.
His attitude had been indifferent since earlier.
“Is it because of the princess?”
When Monica asked, Ethan raised his head in surprise as if the word “Princess” is liquor.
Ethan didn’t seem to realize that he was not concentrating on this spot.
“Why all of a sudden….”
“I think you’ve been only paying attention to the princess.”
Monica said, examining his expression.
Only then Ethan realized he hadn’t touched his plate.
The surface of the meat that had been cooked warm was cold, and the oil on the edge of the plate was solidifying white.
Ethan averted his gaze when he realized he had been rude to Monica.
“I was really happy when Ethan accepted my invitation today. I thought you might read the letter.”
“….”
“You may wonder why someone who has never talked to you properly is so interested in you. It’s only natural that you don’t like it. But I—”
“Lady Monica.”
Ethan intercepted her words. And he smiled bitterly and opened his mouth.
“I like the Princess. You already know.”
Ethan cut Monica off before she could get her words out and grabbed him by the ankles.
‘In fact, when I first came out, I even thought about using Monica a little.’
As much as she’d used him before the return, this time he was going to get more information about Hark in exchange for accepting the plan of the breakup of their engagement.
On the other hand, there was also a rebellion against Dorothea, who didn’t seek him.
‘There are so many people who like me, and even if you don’t accept me, I’m being treated well.’
He wanted to show off. childishly. Ethan Bronte can live well without Dorothea Milanaire.
He was also hoping that Dorothea would see him with another woman and hoped that she would pay attention to him again.
But the moment he saw her and Theon today, his brainwashing was over.
‘I did that so Dorothea Would pay attention to me, but I was the one who got hurt.’
As soon as he closed the door of Dorothea and Theon’s room, he regretted it.
‘What if she misunderstands when she sees me with Monica?’
He was shaking as soon as he closed the door.
‘With what courage did I meet Monica.’
Those were the words of a clumsy rebel.
An idiot who is very angry with his parents and just goes out the door and regrets leaving the house and only panics about how to get back.
A coward who wants to go back, get down on his knees and beg, and bow his head so that he can enter the house again.
When Ethan looked down at the plate he hadn’t touched, Monica reminded him of his foolishness.
“But Ethan, the princess is having lunch with Theon Fried now.”
There is no place for you by Dorothea’s side.
Monica seemed to pity him for his foolish greed.
She’s right. The power of the spirits lifted Dorothea to a higher place he couldn’t reach.
A higher place that suits her. A place within easy reach to the eldest son of the Grand Duke family, so Ethan has no chance.
“Theon graduated as the best graduate of Episteme and he’s close to the Crown Prince. Grand Duke Fried was close to the imperial family since the time of the first emperor of Ubera, and Theon also had a lot of interaction with the Princess—”
“That part…”
Ethan interrupted Monica.
Monica looked up at him, a little surprised, and a smile appeared on Ethan’s cold face.
“I know that part better than anyone.”
His smile spoke quietly. ‘I know, please keep your mouth shut.’
“I think it would be better to get up first.”
Ethan cleared his napkins, placed them on the table, and stood up.
leaving a napkin that was placed heartless and the food getting cold, Monica followed Ethan to his feet.
“Ethan.”
Ethan stopped walking as he was about to leave the room as Monica called his name.
Then he turned to look at Monica.
“Let me give you some presumptuous advice. It’s better to stand up for yourself than to run away from a scandal.”
At Ethan’s advice, Monica flinched and trembled.
“I…”
“You can do it. You don’t want to sell your body in the name of marriage.’”
Ethan laughed as he remembered what Monica had said a long time ago.
Then Monica’s eyes widened as if she had been caught.
“Then I wish you good luck.”
Ethan said goodbye to her and left the room.
‘I’m sorry Monica, but I have achieved my purpose.’
If it goes against Monica like this, at least Nereus won’t start a war under the pretext of “Ethan Bronte”
Still, his heart was heavy.
Then…
“Ethan…?”
As soon as he left, he met Dorothea, who was out in the hallway.
It looked like she had already finished eating.
Theon went ahead to pay for the meal, and Joy seemed to be out first to put the carriage on standby.
“Are you and Monica done eating…already?”
He could feel Dorothea’s eyes looking at him and the room alternately.
The helpless rebel nodded, unable to answer.
‘Should I make excuses? I have nothing to do with Monica. But why? Dorothea wouldn’t even care about me.’
‘If I hold her again now, wouldn’t it be like threatening her not to go to Theon, just like before the return?’
‘I can’t make the same mistake. Let go, Ethan. let go of her, don’t hold her.’
It was as if two souls were fighting each other.
“But how did you get here with Monica? You know it’s not good to get involved in Monica and Nereus’ engagement.”
Whether she knew Ethan’s true intentions or not, Dorothea asked him about his relationship with Monica.
“Don’t worry, I won’t do what the princess is worried about…Rather, the princess seems to be using the gift I gave you well.”
‘Looks like you’ve succeeded in getting Theon Fried.’
Ethan smiled as he swallowed the bitter saliva.
At his smile, Dorothea clutched the brooch that was fastened to the inside of her sleeve.
She rolled her red lips inward as if nervously and opened her mouth.
“Theon needs me.”
After Raymond becomes emperor, he’ll be busy, so he won’t have much time to help Theon regularly.
In addition, as the eldest son of the Grand Duke of Fried, he needed an external excuse to not inherit the head of the family.
“I… I want Theon to live this time.”
Ethan’s heart ached at her words, but he nodded.
“Sure.”
‘I want you to live too. I know it in my head, but my heart just doesn’t follow it.’
Ethan forced himself to raise the corners of his lips.
Then Theon appeared from the entrance.
Ethan looked at Theon, trying to calm his boiling heart.
Ethan wanted to get rid of his shell, which everyone praised as beautiful, and have that dark hair, red eyes, and deep eyes.
‘If only the dark spirits could eat away my whole life so that I may live for only one day and I could have Fried’s blood in my blood.’
Looking at Theon Fried, Ethan still had a bad impulse.
A dozen times a day he imagined separating him from Dorothea and taking his place at her side, whether Theon was dead or not. No, he always thought about what it would be like to kill Theon in advance after his return.
It would have been no big deal, cutting the lifeline of young Theon Fried.
But it was only because of Dorothea that he couldn’t carry out the work.
After discovering that Dorothea has all her memories from her first life, he couldn’t kill Theon.
If he did, Dorothea would suspect him and hate him. Even if he hid the fact of his return, Dorothea would have collapsed toward death in Theon’s shadow.
Ethan couldn’t be the killer who killed Dorothea again.
“Princess, they say the carriage is ready.”
Theon, who had come to pick up Dorothea, found Ethan and bowed his head lightly.
“You finished your meal early, Ethan.”
“The food is not to my taste.”
“If you two have more to say…”
“No. I can’t interrupt you two from having a good time together.”
Theon turned his eyes as if to leave for a moment, but Ethan took a step back.
“It was nice to meet you, Princess.”
Ethan bowed his head, not wanting to be a hindrance to her happiness, which she had barely revived.