“What?”
The red-colored bedding was replaced, and clothes in the closet were thrown away.
I was heartbroken because they were clothes that I was attached to, but the Duke next to me said something out of the blue.
“You should change your room because something unpleasant happened. Is there a reason why you have to stick to this room?”
“No, there’s no reason, but it’s so out of the blue.”
“I was going to ask you to move out of your room soon anyway.”
I’ve never heard that before.
When I looked at Dane with a confused face, he nodded and agreed with the Duke.
“The room I’m in is too far away.”
What did I hear just now?
My room was at the far end of the fourth floor. This is because when I first came to the residence, I chose the room farthest from the Duke’s room so I wouldn’t be noticed by him.
Since then, I have been staying in this room.
‘It’s not that uncomfortable.’
Contrary to my opinion, the Duke was quite concerned, and before I could say anything, he said he wouldn’t change his mind.
“Where do you want me to move to?”
“Where would you like?”
Dane asked the Duke, and he asked me again.
I answered without thinking.
“The room next to the twins!”
“Okay. Ask Dane for the furniture you need.”
“No, everything here is enough.”
The Duke’s eyes narrowed slightly as if he didn’t like my answer. I didn’t want to change the furniture, so I asked a question to distract the Duke.
“But, Duke, what would you have done if Mrs. Verne had taken it all the way? Did you have any other evidence?”
The Duke’s dissatisfied expression was relaxed slightly.
“Yeah, I said that if you mix Hargen and Leifruf, it’s a drug that increases your mana. It’s a medicine that you can just apply without consuming it. I don’t know if you feel the mana, but I saw it. There was a slight increase in mana around her.”
Aha! That’s why the Duke was talking like he knew it was Verne.
I was struck by his insight.
“Wow! Duke you’re amazing.”
“It’s nothing.”
A satisfied smile was on his face as I applauded and praised him. The Duke said he would finish tea time, perhaps forgetting about the furniture, and I went back to where the twins were waiting.
The twins who heard the incident late that night worried about me all day long. Of course, I explained it to them in a mild way.
Originally, I was worried that the twins might not believe me like in the novel, but I was worried about useless things.
They said that they truly believed me.
“Shall we sleep together tonight?”
After 10 years, I refused even if the twins asked me to sleep together.
I think their tendency to rely on me is too big. Although they had been children for a while, I realized that they shouldn’t depend on me, but as time went by, their immaturity decreased.
I was disappointed, but I can’t hold onto them as children
“Okay!”
“Okay!”
Perhaps because I asked to sleep with them after a long time, I forgot what happened during the day and the twins answered with a bright smile when I said we were sleeping together.
On the first day of moving rooms. The wallpaper and furniture layout were unfamiliar, but the night with the twins was more comfortable than ever.
***
Winter passed and plants began to sprout.
Looking blankly at the traces of the fast-paced season, I was worried about the upcoming big event.
“Lady, it’s cold today. Can I get you a shawl?”
“Yes, thank you. Please prepare tea time in the greenhouse by the end of Erial and Ariel’s classes.”
“Okay.”
When I tried to go outside, a maid who was passing by came up and handed me a shawl.
There are only nice people like this.
The sky was as cloudy as the color of my eyes.
It seemed like it would rain at any moment because of the heavy gray clouds, but the smell of roses mixed between the humid air was even darker.
‘If the Prince’s Birthday party passes safely, Ariel’s villainess route will be completely avoided.’
The main background of the novel begins with the entrance of the Academy! A year later, the heroine who can use magic and spirit techniques arrives.
Ariel, who attended Prince Helios’ birthday party when she was 15 years old, fell in love with Prince Helios.
‘I’ve cursed the Crown Prince a lot, so I’m sure it’ll be alright.’
She explained her shortcomings by saying that she felt like she had a mountain of work to do when she became the empress.
Ariel said, “If you don’t like it, I don’t like it either!”
Still, there is a “what if.” When you fall in love at first sight, you fall in love instantly because you are fascinated by the momentary feeling.
‘Phew, I trust you.’
I arrived at the greenhouse with heavy steps because I was thinking about the Prince’s birthday party next week.
“Why are you so late!”
“Huh?”
“Fool! There must be a reason why you’re late! Don’t say anything to your sister.”
“Both of you came quickly.”
“I wanted to play with you quickly, so I took the class seriously!”
“Compliment me!”
Would you still want to be praised by me after being 15?
They were almost at puberty, and the twins who grew up with love looked at me with twinkling eyes.
They asked me to stroke their hair.
“Yes, that’s great! They’re my siblings.”
“Of course.”
“That’s about it!”
I patted Ariel’s head with my right hand and Erial’s head with my left hand.
The twins smiled satisfactorily and hugged me.
“Don’t get married and live with me forever.”
“No! You’re going to live with me. You go away.”
“We’ll live together. Just like now.”
“Well, I would hate living with Erial for the rest of my life, but if you say so, I’ll hold it in.”
“Hmm. I hate you, too! I don’t want to be with you for a while.”
Why do they follow me so blindly? Is it similar to when animal imprints on the first thing they see as their parent? I looked at the cute twins happily and said.
“How precious is it to be a blood-related family? Especially since you’re twins, cherish each other’s existence.”
“You’re my family, too. You’re the most precious.”
“Yes, you and I share blood!”
Oops. I didn’t mean to say that.
My parents died early and I was by myself alone without any siblings.
“You know, you’re the most precious to me.”
The twins, who swayed wildly as if they had a tail, looked happy with my words.
We had a relaxing tea time.
Along with sweet cakes and bitter black tea, they were full of laughter, but the subject jumped to the prince’s birthday party.
“Why aren’t you coming with me?”
The beginning was normal. Ariel asked me what dress I was going to wear. She wanted to wear matching dresses with me.
Do you want to make me into a squid? Ariel, who turned 15, was more gorgeous and beautiful than the Little Mermaid. The most beautiful woman in the Empire!
Anyway, without thinking about it I said I wouldn’t be wearing a dress because I wasn’t going to the party, but Ariel shook my shoulder and asked why I wasn’t going.
The twins were thinking that I would of course go.
‘Cause I didn’t appear there. There’s no excuse…What should I say?’
“Oh, I’ve had a cold since yesterday. I’ll be resting at home, so you two should have fun.”
“How can we have fun when our sister is sick? If my sister doesn’t attend, I won’t go either.”
“Me, too!”
Hmm? It’s good if we don’t go together.
Anyway, Ariel doesn’t have to fall for the crown prince.
I was thinking that it was okay, but an uninvited guest came.
“No, you can’t.”
A low and heavy voice was heard.
It was the Duke who suddenly appeared in the greenhouse.
‘Wow, the Duke’s beauty will never fade with age.’
This is the first time seeing the Duke’s brilliant face after a month.
I haven’t seen the crown prince yet, but by my standards, he was a top beauty!
I wouldn’t think of him as a father of two children.
‘Does it make sense that you don’t have any wrinkles? I heard that the more mana someone has, the slower you age, so now I want to build mine up.’
It was nonsense. If I could feel the mana, I would have already entered the magic tower.
However, he was almost 40 years old, but he had white jade-like skin without wrinkles and had hair that was darker than the twins’. Looking at the green eyes that shone brighter than emeralds, I thought it was a two-dimensional character in animation.
“Be sure to attend the birthday party.”
“You can’t overdo it when you’re sick!”
Ariel spoke out in a fit of rage.
However, the Duke did not budge and looked away, shifting his focus onto me.
I thought so, but why are they looking at me?
“Are you sick?”
“What? Oh, I think I have a slight cold.”
“I will call the priest.”
“What?”
Priest? All of sudden a priest?
He did not say a doctor, he said a priest. If a doctor is commonly referred to as a doctor in Korea, then here priest treats diseases with divine power. The cost of medical treatment for doctors and priests is different.
I didn’t actually catch a cold. I can’t believe you’re calling a priest.
“No, it’s not enough to call the priest. I’ll get well soon if I just rest well.”
It’s my fault for underestimating the power of the duke, but who knew that he would find the priest without any hesitation?
I prayed that it would be okay if I rested and moved on.
“Then you will take a good rest and go.”
Prayers didn’t work. The Duke still looked down indifferently and said sternly.
I was under pressure from his eyes, so I felt like I should kneel down and shout, “I will accept your orders!” right away.
‘No, let’s not back down. I wasn’t going to bring this up, but if the Duke pushes like this, I’ll take out my hidden card!’
“Actually……. I didn’t get an invitation from the palace.”
Usually, a large party has a list of invitations. Not everyone was invited even if they were from the same family. Of course, if the person cannot go due to unavoidable circumstances, someone else may go instead.
“…….”
“…….”
“…….”
Silence fell.
What’s this atmosphere? The air was heavier than I expected.
No, isn’t that obvious? I’m not directly related to the duke, and I don’t have parents to go with…….
What? Am I the only one who hasn’t figured out the mood?
My intention was to simply say that I couldn’t go because I didn’t get an invitation, but they must have taken it completely differently.
“You don’t have to go to a party like that.”
The Prince’s birthday party turned into something that I didn’t have to go to at an instant.
Ariel’s eyes sank coldly.
“Sister, never mind. They just don’t know your worth.”
Erial, who sometimes argued with Ariel, and always had a soft smile, spoke coldly.
Hey, guys, I’m not hurt at all and I don’t care.
Not knowing what to do with the strange atmosphere, I looked at the duke.
But I’m still an adult, so I think I’ll solve this situation.
“I don’t care, don’t forget. You are an Ardentine. There is no one who can stop the Ardentines.”
“!”
“!”
The twins looked respectfully at their charismatic father’s appearance, but I was speechless.
Hey! The emperor is above the duke!
This is why the twins thought of rebellion so easily in the novel.