After bidding farewell to Darcy, I stepped outside and ran into Marquis Etvar.
"What brings you here?"
I knew the Marquis often stayed up until dawn, but we never intruded on each other’s personal space.
The fact that my father, who usually didn’t even join
for als, had co all the way here ant sothing was definitely up.
Expecting him to speak first, I waited, and an awkward silence settled between us.
Spending ti with soone unfamiliar feels like walking on needles.
In the end, I broke the silence first.
"What is it you need?"
"Are you doing well?"
"...Yes."
"That's good. I've co to tell you sothing."
Just as I thought, the Marquis, who initially observed formalities by asking about my well-being, quickly got to the point.
"His Majesty the Emperor has sent you an invitation, Marceau."
...An invitation? For what reason?
In the book, Marceau Etvar courted Prince Ryan but never once received an invitation from the Emperor.
The Emperor did not favor Marceau, since she was trying to use her status and the magic stone mine she owned to win over Ryan.
"You are invited to a dinner with Prince Ryan. It seems His Majesty is considering you for the position of Crown Princess. It appears the ceremony for appointing the Crown Prince will be soon."
I was confused. The Emperor wanted to place Marceau Etvar in the role of Crown Princess?
Was this in the original story? No, I couldn’t have forgotten such an important detail.
There was only one answer. My actions, which diverged from those of the original Marceau, had created a butterfly effect.
This was the first ti I felt that the original story had changed. While it was good to know my actions could alter the situation, I didn’t like this outco.
...Being Ryan's wife? Being married to a man who was determined to eat
alive?
To , Ryan was not a Crown Prince but a bully who always tried to threaten .
I answered imdiately.
"I don't want to go."
Marquis Etvar tried to persuade , looking at
with a face full of concern.
"Marriage to the Prince wouldn't be a bad thing for you. Since we cannot refuse this invitation, please go and give it so thought."
I had no desire to see that face again, not even in my dreams.
"I think I’ll be very sick that day."
"Then the dinner will be rescheduled. This isn't sothing you can avoid forever."
Unfortunately, he was right. How could the Marquis refuse the Emperor's command?
"If it's inevitable, it's better to get it over with quickly. The date is ten days from now, so prepare yourself well. Didn't you originally like the Prince?"
It seed the Marquis interpreted my reaction as re pouting. Since the original Marceau liked Ryan, he assud I would be pleased to be chosen as the Crown Princess.
...Explaining his misunderstanding would take a long conversation, one I didn't want to have with the Marquis. So, I kept silent.
"Then I shall take my leave."
Having said his piece, the Marquis walked past .
Or at least he tried to, but then he stopped next to . After a mont of silence, he spoke.
"Allowing Reshuan inside... I thought she would beco a good friend to you. That was my mistake, and I apologize."
An apology I had not expected. By the ti I turned my head in surprise, the Marquis was already walking away.
In the end, I couldn’t see what expression he wore when he said those words.
However, his slightly trembling voice suggested he was nervous.
...Perhaps I spoke too coldly. The Marquis's apology made
reconsider my attitude toward him.
But that was short-lived, as I was imdiately faced with the looming challenge of Ryan.
As soon as I parted with Darcy, a bomb had been dropped.
"If only I could just stay cooped up at ho."
I missed Darcy. I wanted to tell him what had happened.
If I talked to Darcy, he would listen quietly, then smile with his eyes and share his thoughts.
In front of Darcy, I could be myself.
Away from the title of villainess, I could have sowhat childish conversations and share hobbies I had never told anyone else about.
He was soone I could confide in without any worries.
Realizing I had things I wanted to tell him made
truly feel what it ant for him to be gone.
Sothing surged within , and my eyes turned red.
"...I miss you."
I thought of Darcy's face as I opened the drawing-room door. It was a gesture of hope, wondering if he might be there.
But as expected, the drawing room was empty.
The room, which was always the sa, felt strangely desolate.
I decided to head to the theater. My mind was a ss, and I intended to spend the night there.
I’d continue listening to the nocturne from earlier. Or maybe I’d choose a different piece.
As I was pondering, I saw Letty standing in front of the door and flinched.
"Miss!"
The mont Letty spotted , she ran over, cautiously gauging my mood.
"Are you still upset?"
"No. What would I be upset about? I just didn't have any tasks for you."
I smiled at her. It was true that I had been avoiding Letty. Her attempts to bring Reshuan and
together had made
uncomfortable.
Perhaps sensing my feelings, Letty opened up first.
"Miss, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have brought Reshuan there.... I just thought it would be better for you to reconcile with Reshuan and return to social life rather than staying like this."
Hmm, do I look pathetic to others for staying like this?
Even if I keep trying and living diligently, isn't it necessary to have so ti to rest?
"What do you an by 'staying like this'?"
At my calm question, Letty seed to realize her slip of the tongue.
Blinking in embarrassnt, she carefully continued.
"Miss, I just thought it would be good for you to overco this hardship and move forward. Staying like this is just... well, you know."
Perhaps Letty was thinking of my best interests. Maybe she was trying her best to cope with the change she saw in .
But her words lacked consideration. She dismissed my current state as "sothing like that" and tried to fit
into what others considered normal.
Her attitude showed that she had never experienced what I was going through and didn’t try to understand my actions.
I didn’t like that.
I was finally trying to live freely, healing, and breaking away from the norms.
Since I wasn’t hurting anyone by living like this, why should I change?
Was I expecting too much from Letty, who was rely an employee?
But it was Letty who first overstepped the line.
"I'll take today’s words as you thinking of
and leave it at that. But, Letty."
I looked at her sternly, my expression hardening.
"I won’t forgive it a second ti, so be mindful of what you say."
Ti that may seem pathetic to others was precious to .
No matter how they might deny it, that fact didn’t change.
Ti spent lying alone.
Ti watching plays.
Ti spent in the garden.
All these were tis to heal the festering wounds inside , a form of rehabilitation.
At my words, Letty fell silent, seemingly at a loss for words. She looked at my face.
Without her usual carefree deanor, my expression was sharper than expected.
After a mont of silence, Letty respectfully bowed her head. She spoke hesitantly.
"I'm sorry, Miss. I was thoughtless. I misspoke. I truly... thought Reshuan could be of help to you. To , that sounded like the best advice...."
This was an unavoidable difference. I didn’t know how Letty had lived, and she didn’t know what shaped my personality.
Her words suggested that unlike , she found motivation in them.
Indeed, people are profoundly different.
The depth of a relationship depends on how much we can accept and adapt to each other's differences.
Taking a deep breath, I spoke slowly.
"As long as you don’t say such things in the future, it’s fine. Was that the only reason you were waiting for
here?"
"...I've prepared your favorite cake and macarons. I thought you might feel down after hearing about the dinner from the Marquis."
I appreciated her thoughtfulness in preparing sothing I liked.
I muttered, glancing at Letty.
"You know I’d be upset, and yet you said those things?"
"But when I thought about how little ti was left before the dinner with the Prince, I also beca anxious...."
"The dinner and this matter are separate. I’ll be sleeping in this room today, so you can leave."
"Yes, understood."
Seemingly aware that she had overstepped today, Letty quickly departed.
I spent so ti alone in the theater, intending to conserve my energy until I faced Ryan.
If Reshuan had already shared our previous conversation with Ryan, that alone was a problem.
I ate the dessert Letty had prepared as a late-night snack, listening to soothing piano pieces, but sleep did not co easily.
I was reminded once again of how important ntal peace is, finally falling asleep at dawn.
Staying ho didn’t make ti pass any slower.
To conclude everything at once, thorough preparation was necessary.
The one comfort was knowing Pitol had finished revising his ambitious new work.
He was excited, believing this play would be a huge hit.
Inside the Etvar Theater, people were enthusiastically preparing for the premiere. My recording collection grew daily.
Even Lidro was more cautious in drawing boundaries these days. He would quickly leave if he saw .
He acted as if talking to
would cause so great disaster, as though he had been threatened not to et .
'...At least the rose-colored glasses are off, thank goodness.'
Although his sudden change in attitude was bewildering, it wasn’t necessarily a bad thing for .
And soon enough, the day of the dinner with Ryan arrived.
'It’s been so long since I last went out.'
Since it was an event directly invited by the Emperor, it was only polite to dress up.
I wondered what stories were circulating about . Staying away ant I had no way of knowing what rumors were out there. Not that I wanted to hear them—I’d probably only get stressed out.
I decided to do it perfectly since it was sothing I had to accomplish anyway.
Sitting in front of the mirror, I let the maids tend to .
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