How did she change through temperaments? I thought she was a clear and pure beauty when we first met, but now the name ‘Rose' really suit her. Her clean-cut gaze resembled a th.o.r.n.y but gorgeous rose.
“Lying? I did no such thing.”
“Ha! Aren't you a smart one? Won't someone get hurt from your obsessiveness?”
Yeah, I'd prefer honesty a lot more. (t/n: i think what it's trying to say here is, honesty is her more preferred trait in a relations.h.i.+p?)
“What are you talking about? I'm being serious. Bless you.” (t/n: blessing their marriage)
“You think I'm gonna believe that? Didn't you throw a vase at me over the prince? Bless us?”
“Yes, my feelings for the prince have cleared. It's none of my business now whether you two get engaged or married.”
Rose was a little fl.u.s.tered by my resolute tone.
“Hm… You seem innocent. Who knows when you'll shoot your shot.”
(t/n: idk how to translate this sentence ‘금방 탄로 날 거 짓말을 왜 하나 몰라.'
bing tl: I don't know why he's going to get me in the shot.
google tl: I don't know why you're going to fly with a bullet.
papago: I don't know what you're talking about.)
“Then you can check yourself.”
“What?”
“I'm supposed to eat with the Crown Prince tomorrow. Check then. Whether I mean it or not.”
I didn't eat the bait set by Rose, and turned the tables on her instead.
“You.. Are you afraid of being abandoned by father? That's why you're lying.”
Rose was the victor this time. Hah laughter naturally escaped my lips after hearing her guess at my goal.
“I don't care about that anymore. I want to join the monastery as soon as possible.”
“What? Becoming a priest? Are you crazy?”
Rose shouted, instead of being excited.
‘No, isn't it good for her if I leave the Duke's mansion?'
Why is she freaking out? I don't know what she wants.
“You're leaving the duke's mansion? What kind of person willingly wants to do that? How are you going to get out!”
“Well…I'll meet a good partner and live a happy life, just like you.”
Rose trembled and clenched her fists at my words. The scene was like a rat being experimented on. She bit her lips until they became white and suddenly changed her att.i.tude.
“Good partner? You want to marry the Crown Prince. Meaning you want to go to the Imperial Palace, right?”
“The Crown Prince…?”
I was expecting something great, but it was just about the crown prince again. [Giggle] I showed her a smiled for the first time.
“Rose, you can have all of that.”
“Hey!”
Clank! (t/n: teacup breaking sound) The cup of tea that fell from Rose's hands shattered. A small stain splashed on me but I didn't care. After realizing that Rose was acting, this was within my expectations. I didn't break my smile and continued talking.
“Listen up because I'm telling you again. The prince, I've stopped liking him.”
Rose glared at me as if she couldn't believe me even though my voice was full of sincerity. Then she walked out of the room breathing roughly.
I could only savor the tea she brought. The smell was good so I was looking forward to it, but the tea was really superior.
‘She deliberately bragged about the fact that it was from the Crown Prince, and the taste is really worthy of royalty.'
Will Rose yell at me if I grabbed her and asked for more tea? I felt like I just finished watching a soap opera.
“Would you please clean this up?”
Calling in the maid outside, she cleaned up the gla.s.s shards from the broken linen teacup. The maid secretly glanced at me, apparently thinking I had threw it at her.
‘I'm really hated in the duke's mansion.'
Even my maids didn't trust me.
‘If I was going to posess someone, I had hoped it to be from the beginning.'
Why did I end up in this role where I'm marked as the villainess, hara.s.sing the heroine (Rose) loved by everyone? The maid walked out of the room after I pretended to sleep and I looked to see if she had cleared all of the broken cup pieces.
‘I knew it.'
I didn't have any say in personnel management. This was a blatant disregard for Albury.
‘Hmph.'
I thought about calling them over so I could show them what a real threat was like, but after a while I just shook my head. There was no need to be petty since I decided to live quietly.
“Ugh…”
I lay in bed feeling tired even though the day wasn't close to over. Okay, let's stay quiet and find a way to leave the mansion for good. It didn't seem to be difficult.
‘The Duke's only interested in Rose anyway.'
If I go to a monastery but she turns out to be the one hara.s.sing me, it wouldn't be good news for him. Rather, it was Rose's reaction that bothered me. She must have felt that I was truly congratulating the prince and her. But the reaction that came back was,
‘Are you leaving the duke's mansion? Who said you could.'
I said I could. It's like she wants me to stick to the Duke all the time. Above all, rose's personality was a 180 from what I read in the original.
‘I don't know what's going on.'
I only need to think of how I will survive. To do so, I must reduce my interactions with the prince and my brother as much as possible.
Knock Knock.
I was looking at the ceiling when I heard a knock outside.
“Sister, it's Eve.”
Eve? I'd vowed to cut back on interacting with him a few seconds ago, so this was quite the momentous meeting.
“Sister.”
I couldn't resist a moment longer and rushed.
“Come in.”
The door opened at an alarming rate after I gave my permission to enter. I swear a ray of light came pouring through the door. I noticed this in the dining room, but I couldn't speak for a moment because of the enormous beauty in front of me. It's sad that I can't directly tell him about his beauty, but his face was so beautiful.
Brilliant blond eyes and hair of the same color. Eve Valentine. My brother. Without a doubt, he was such a handsome beauty that I felt my heart beat out of it's chest.
“Sister.”
[Footsteps] It didn't feel like he walked a few steps. His legs were long and he walked through the room until he reached the bed I was sitting on.
‘Pay attention, and keep your distance from Eve. Don't forget.'
She made a nonchalant expression after reiterating that in her head.
It wasn't the time to be admiring a handsome face.
“What is it?”
I pulled myself out of bed and sat down at the table where I dealt with Rose. Eve didn't stop staring at me even after I sat down.
“Eve, what are you doing? Sit.”
He finally sat in the char in front of me when I told him to.
“Good, now what's–“
“What do you mean?”
“Huh?”
I couldn't understand the words he cut me off with.
“What are you talking about?”
“Rose said.”
“…?”
“You were going to leave the Duke's mansion.”
“Ah…”
You were just outside my room a few moments ago and this is what you say? We're advancing too fast. I hid my bewilderment and said with a gracious smile.
“Yes, I've had my coming of age ceremony so I feel like I need to meet a good person and get married.”
Of course this was a lie. With this appearance and position as a powerful Duke's daughter, there would be a lot of marriage oppurtunities.
I just want to go grab a hefty sum of money and live out a dull life. The thought made me involuntarily smile. The pleasant thought filled me with excitement.
“Marriage… I'll do it.”
“Huh?”
Eve's voice trembled bitterly. Wait, he trembled bitterly? I doubted my ears.
“Then I–what do I do?”
I met face to face with Eve's fluttering eyes. He looked like he was holding back tears. I couldn't hide my confusion this time and my mouth was agape.
‘What is this. What's the matter with you?'
The great-looking beauty in front of me, aka my little brother, was about to cry.
The situation made me feel like c.r.a.p.
“Eve, what's wrong?”
“…”
I turned my head as I asked my question, because I didn't want to see him cry. The sight filled me with guilt.
‘What the h.e.l.l did I do wrong…?
I don't think I've done anything wrong, but I felt like I did something wrong. The logical part of my brain had stopped.
‘Ahh… I'm such a jerk.'
I wanted to shower him with non-stop apologies. I didn't know what was going on, but it was wrong to do nothing.
“Eve, I'm sorry. Look at me, huh?”
I resolved not to be fooled by his looks, but I had already forgotten about that and was comforting him.
“Sister.”
He was like a big dog who came back after I apologized. His brilliant golden eyes darkened. The deepness of them gave me gooseb.u.mps.
It must be… The gaze you give to the woman you love…? Or it might be my mistake. Because Rose is the heroine.
“Don't say that again. Please.”
“Ah…”
There wasn't an easy way to answer this. I had made up my mind to leave the Duke's. I thought I could just appease him by lying, but I couldn't.
‘I might've been caught.'
He was too straightforward and honest. He wasn't one of the major causes of my death though. I couldn't let my guard down at his pretty face, so I firmly held my heart.
“…”
But..when I didn't reply, Eve violently shook his head and raised a hand to cover his eyes. My heart throbbed at his sorrowful appearance.
“Sister you… you're going to abandon me, is that it.”
Eve spoke in a soaked voice.
‘I-I didn't say I would abandon you!'
I didn't say such harsh words……. Did you twist your hearing!