Karen thought that things might turn out more interesting when she saw Dulan clumsily smear the medicine. Karen had seen many people for a long time. Though it was not intentional, radicalizing the relationship with Dulan can be that spice twist that can turn the things more interesting. Though these clumsy feelings won’t be able to touch her battered heart, it was enough to excite her brain.
“It.. might leave a ..scar.”
“Oh?”
“.…..”
Would it be a problem when she seduced Raymond? As she tilted her head, Karen looked at the mirror. She doesn’t want to forsake her great dream to ‘Cut Raymond’s throat!’ just because she harmed herself to vent her anger. He was quite sensitive about his face, so he would not allow himself to get fat or burned. What a man.
“But still pretty right?”
“.…wh.what?”
“Am I not?”
“.…Haa.”
There was no need to say.
Karen pulled at Dulan’s clothes as she brought his face to her level. She reached up and her lips overlapped his cold, thin ones.
“W,why….?”
“.…..”
Dulan was still confused. She kissed him again with her tongue slightly as she licked his lips. Karen imagined a corpse when she kissed him. You are obsessed with me. Then snatch me. From the male protagonist – from Raymond.
…. Then die.
“Am I not?”
I want you to fall for me.
Like hell.
* * *
“Omo, what in the world, are you okay?”
“Yes, it’s not that serious as it looks.”
“Because you went back too late… Oh My god.”
Isela made a big fuss.
But rather than genuine concern for others, she just bragged about this and that. As she played the Cembalo, Karen changed from a hard skilled song to a simple one which soon became background music.
Isela sat beside Karen and talked diligently about her necklace which she found, and the person who gave it, her fiance. In that refreshing morning, Isela delightedly chatted with relief and joy.
Raymond-nim gave me this – he also gave me this too. The sound of the girl chattering felt like a bird’s chirp, especially today – felt good to listen.
Oh, is that so? You like it that much. I also liked Raymond. I was just like you a hundred years ago Karen closed her eyes. At one time, I even pitied you, Isela even though it was meaningless. Even though Dulan and Isela were completely different with their looks, tone and background, there was one thing they had in common – nervousness.
“You must like him quite a lot.”
“Of course. Even my father couldn’t hide his admiration by saying ‘How can each and every one of his attributes be of good quality?’.”
A merchant like praise*. Maybe he just wanted not to notice anything else about her and Isela too doesn’t want to think about if there was a real meaning behind these gifts. Dresses, necklaces, fabrics, each one were very expensive, but there was no proposal ring.
[*T/N: Here what Karen meant is she is praising like a merchant, like saying about it’s value, not like a lover praising a token of love.]
The relationship between Raymond and Isela was weak. Verdick, a man of abilities from the countryside, proposed an engagement towards Raymond’s elder brother who faced financial difficulties and the second son of the Baron silently followed that order.
To be more specific, he said nothing as there were no marriage arrangements nor a proposal ring. Even when Verdick or Isela introduced him as Isela’s fiance, he never said anything – in support or contrary.
Their relationship was just surface level.
But right now, such things should not have been known to ‘Karen’. So now, she needs to look at Isela with envious eyes. She cannot mock or pity Isela. Whatever she thought in her heart, her eyes locked on Isela’s clothes and accessories and she blinked her eyes and slightly opened her mouth. A thoroughly calculated display of jealousy.
“Lord Baron really is different. Though what Father gave me this time was also quite good….”
Pathetic Isela. Her act of searching for feelings from those gifts resembled a stupid woman who was just excited about vanity. Closing her eyes to her Father’s denial and cruelty only seemed young and ignorant.
“Karen, can I call you like that?”
You were already calling me that. With smiling eyes, Karen flipped open a folding fan.
“Of course you can, Isela.”
Karen recalled when later Isela asked this same thing to the daughter of the Count and got humiliated. She looked forward to that time. Isela couldn’t read anything from Karen’s smile – rather she felt delighted and continued her chatter without any hitch.
“By the way, why are you still playing Cembalo? Recently everyone likes to play piano.”
“Maybe the timber is different. As I started playing this from a young age, I can’t get accustomed to others.”
In truth, the reason she played Cembalo wasn’t because of it’s timber, rather it was because she was unable to buy a piano. Though her family did not lack basic amenities, her family can’t afford such luxuries. To put it more bluntly, Our family is not wealthy so we can’t buy such things.
But why such words didn’t leave her mouth – it was because of her decorum and dignity. Isela had the sharpness enough to notice this, but lacked a considerate heart. No, it was because she never felt the need for it. What she wanted was to prove that she was higher than Karen, regardless of her means.
How was it different from the piano, touching the keys of Cembalo, Isela asked.
With the passage of time, the Cembalos that had beautiful and elegant patterns and drawings engraved remained expensive. But this one was just old. [T/N: Old Cembalo with good patterns will receive a high price but Karen’s was just an old one. Not a decorated one.]
“Hmm, Shall I give you one? To invite a tuner to this countryside must also be difficult, right? Hearing the timber, the overall tone seems weak…..”
“It’s okay. I am more comfortable with this one.”
To say such rude words as if it was nothing was also a talent. When she looked at Isela’s face, Karen smiled inwardly. Buying hate with money was not easy, but Isela could do this with ease. She, a 100 years old, old lady, did not feel any agitation because of a mistake by a newborn calf. All the more calm since she was to do something dangerous in the near future. A big liar will always have a soft complexion.
“Miss Evans. If you are bored, shall we take a walk in the fief?”
Isela agreed without any hesitation.