I Have Become The Heroes’ Rival Chapter 29

Chapter 29

Translator: Kay

In my case, the conversation should go smoothly. I nodded with an awkward smile.

“I don’t socialize at all, but I know that I’m currently a topic for a lot of people.”

“It’s said that Lady Chamberlain picked flowers for Lady Amber.”

At that mont, Erica brought up the subject that had been left in the dust1.

If Erica was aware of that, it ant she had heard that Claudia had a chance to enter the greenhouse, a place where Erica herself had never entered.

Additionally, Erica would know that Claudia was permitted to go in and pick the flowers she liked.

“You seem to be very affectionate.”

I didn’t know who she was referring to. It was unclear whether her statent was directed at Claudia and or Lucas and Claudia.

Her eyes that seem to have darkened was the most notable expression.

Erica soon returned to her mask-like expression as if there had been no change.

I decided that from now on, I’d try to break her composure.

I said, smiling brightly as if I just rembered Erica’s words.

“It was a rose flower. Now that I think about it, it looked a lot like you.”

“…….”

She was speechless for a mont at the undisguised praise.

Erica was a gorgeous beauty with red hair and light green eyes.

It was an obvious complint that could be made simply by looking at the color combination. Erica must have heard the praise that she was “like a rose flower” nurous tis. Perhaps it was nailed into her ears2.

“……That’s what I hear often.”

However, as the other person was the opponent, it seed that it couldn’t be taken lightly.

She showed a slightly wary look.

‘Are you trying to play tricks with now?’

That’s what it looked like she was asking.

There was a rumor circulating that I’d seduced Claudia, so my words sounded like a trick.

Right. I’m trying to seduce you.

I opened my mouth nonchalantly, imitating Claudia’s innocent look, and spoke calmly.

“It was called Bellaroma.”

“It ans a beautiful scent.”

“But after slling it, there was only a faint sll of grass.”

On the contrary, the aroma of the freesias mixed with the roses was very fragrant.

I thought of the flower and continued.

“It was very beautiful, but I guess, in order to make it bloom more beautifully, it lost its fragrance along the way.”

“Is that so? Even though it lost its fragrance, it was chosen and plucked. That would be the best luxury for a flower.”

I tilted my head at her words and asked.

“Is it the will of the flowers to be a luxury? Or is it the human’s will?”

Erica raised her eyebrows slightly and then looked up and down.

She suddenly seed to be trying to figure out my intention of dragging the conversation towards sowhere strange.

After a while, she said as if it were obvious.

“That’s the role of flowers. If it’s beautiful, that’s enough.”

“When did humans start to represent flowers? Flowers just bloom.”

“…….”

When people saw Erica who was born into a wealthy and powerful family, they would say that she had grown up with no shortcomings.

But from what I’d heard from Martina about Erica’s past, the word ‘abuse’ wasn’t enough to describe it.

Of course, as a future Crown Princess, there was no physical abuse.

However, the Depallacion family completely destroyed Erica ntally and made her thoroughly learn of obedience.

Even if she was given the empress’s seat, she was made into a scarecrow who couldn’t judge for herself.

Erica stared down at with her eyes narrowed.

I laughed stupidly in an attempt to make her lower her guard.

“Yesterday, I accidentally heard Lady Amber’s private story. A marriage offer had co in.”

“Ah…… yes. You heard.”

Of course, I had deliberately shouted so that everyone could listen, but I felt embarrassed and rubbed my neck unconsciously.

Despite the clearly disrespectful behavior, Erica didn’t show any displeasure and just stared at .

Even if she was strict with herself, she was generous to others.

“Isn’t it good for the lady? No matter how great the Chamberlain family is, they wouldn’t be responsible for you for their whole life.”

Erica spoke as she looked at . I suppose it was because if I really left the Chamberlains, I’d be at a disadvantage.

However, this marriage was arranged by the Crown Prince.

And it was a matter that entangled interests with other countries.

Even if Erica hadn’t been publicly inford, she would probably have figured it out.

So Erica would never try to beco involved in this. Not that this case would have threatened the empress seat.

She was the prince’s fiancée and the only bloodline of Depallacion, so she had sufficient strength and qualifications.

“Will it really?”

“It may be hard to say that it is no less than the Chamberlains, but you can still enjoy everything you want.”

“I will probably be unhappy.”

I said it without hesitation as if foreseeing the future.

Erica frowned slightly at my words.

In a situation where she was starting to feel a faint sense of similarity through my predicant, because I called the choice an ‘unhappy’ one, it was natural for her to feel offended.

“To get one, you have to lose one3. And it’s not only your business.”

“Is it my will or soone else’s will?”

“…… It is everyone’s will.”

“I wonder why I can’t follow my will.”

“Flowers have no will. The lady will also have no will.”

Erica’s fla-like hair that curled up to her waist looked strong, but her green eyes were like tender leaves with dewdrops, emitting a delicate atmosphere.

After all, she resembled a flower in a greenhouse.

Even if the beautiful delicate flower had sharp thorns, the thorns could inevitably be trimd and broken.

“If you get rid of the endless greed of humans who are never satisfied, then flowers will also have a will.”

“…….”

“It’s sad that it blooms once and is then broken, without knowing the scent of life.”

Erica just widened her eyes, as if she finally understood my intentions, and smiled.

It was the first ti that a real smile ca on her lips, not a pretense. It was almost a laugh.

“I did recognize that you approached intentionally.”

As expected, my flimsy acting didn’t seem to work.

“I cannot fool the lady’s eyes.”

In the eyes of the socialite queen, I must have looked like a wrinkle chrysalis4.

She was the only daughter of a great family, while there were one or two people like .

But even then, Erica didn’t specifically point it out until she heard all I had to say. She didn’t even drive away.

It ant that I had attracted the attention and curiosity among the nurous aristocrats close to her.

In that respect, it would be good to say that the plan was already half successful.

“Did you captivate Lady Chamberlain like this?”

“If so, will you co over?”

I playfully winked, making a heart gesture with my fingers5, and blew it.

This ti, Erica didn’t smile. Instead, she slowly stepped back, showing a flustered expression.

‘What on earth is she doing?’

From her face, it seed like she had no immunity to this kind of attack.

From her bewildered gaze, it seed like she was confused about whether it would be better to ignore it or not……

I guess it was too much. I humbly put my hands together, recalling the word that I had ‘overpaid’.

Erica sighed at and said.

“Even if you ask for help, I won’t help you.”

Oh, it’s a sha that I was rejected before I even ntioned anything.

However, I didn’t care at all about Erica’s cold-hearted words as she tried to draw a line6.

It was because I knew she would get swept away7 by after listening to my words.

“I’m not going to be swayed by my father’s greed. I’m going to follow my heart.”

“I know one thing for sure. Your choice will only be worthless, and only pain will follow.”

“How so?”

“Soday, you will be abandoned by the Chamberlains and left alone.”

Erica stated. It was because of the endless brainwashing from her family.

The family’s will was always the right way as it would allow you to gain everything. In contrast, to follow one’s own will was considered wrong and would only be t with miserable results.

“Do you really think so?”

I was convinced then.

She didn’t love the prince, but she couldn’t survive unless she had a relationship.

In a situation where she could never escape from the shadows of her family, she had tried to deceive her own heart.

Of course, it may have led to her heartfelt love for Lucas later on.

I already knew what the end would be if Erica fell in love with Lucas while being stuck in the shadows of her family.

I wonder if that was what a miserable ending ant for Erica. She would have done terrible things to Claudia, things that she wouldn’t have been proud of.

Like the heroes, it wasn’t a personality disorder that they didn’t feel anything while wielding, using, and killing others with power.

It was the fate of being used by the Crown Prince for the rest of their life.

When dying at the hands of the Crown Prince, wouldn’t you think about the word ‘regret’?

Would you be confident that you wouldn’t be unhappy even if you died without knowing your heart and not being able to lead your own life?

“Even if it’s sothing that I want to push away because I don’t want it in the first place?”

“Yes. No one cares about the scent of ornantal roses.”

Ornantal flowers could only be improved, trimd, and blood as humans wanted.

But you know what.

“Then it would just fall into the hands of humans and slowly wither and die.”

Erica was different from the flowers. She had the free will to run out of the greenhouse on her own.

It was her family that kept her in the greenhouse. But it was herself who tied her own ankles.

“What’s really worthless and painful is not looking into your heart. If you ask yourself what you want to do and you don’t admit it, you’ll be unhappy.”

It was like crossing the vast ocean without a compass. Who knew where the boat would reach while it was swept back and forth by the current without any indicators.

“Once you have a direction and take the first steps, it’s easier than you think to move forward. I call it a choice that you won’t regret whatever the outco.”

And that was sothing you couldn’t achieve ever unless you made up your mind.

I declared as I put an end to all the questions.

“If you help , I’ll show you what kind of scent the will of flowers bear.”

And there was no doubt that my words aroused Erica’s curiosity.

T/N: Wow, there’s a lot of footnotes ahaha. I hope you enjoyed this chapter everyone and didn’t mind the footnotes! I’ll post chapter 30 shortly as well~. See you all soon. Also, Happy Lunar New Year everyone!🏮🧧🐂

1. If sothing/soone is “left in the dust,” it ans that it/they were left behind.↩

2. This plays on the saying: “(to) have a nail hamred into your ear.” It ans to be tired of hearing sothing that has been repeated multiple tis.↩

3.The author plays with the idiom: “You win so, you lose so” aning that it’s not possible that everything will go in the direction you want it to.↩

4. A chrysalis is the insect pupa of a butterfly or moth.↩

5. This is a popular gesture in South Korea where the thumb and index finger of one hand are crossed to form a heart shape. (If you want to google it, you can search for ‘finger heart’).↩

6. To ‘draw a line between sothing’ ans when you try to set boundaries/a limit to what you will do or allow to happen.↩

7. The author is implying that she will be ‘swept away’ emotionally i.e. awed or overwheld, typically in a positive way.↩