Episode 17: Turning Point (2)
With this, Sienna’s charm should shine through, and it’s a suitable time for a proposal! I didn’t want to marry Percy either, but Julius’s response, as if I couldn’t do it openly, made me furious.
“Hurry up and let this clueless older brother know how attractive Sienna is.”
I was looking at Percy with that kind of gaze.
Then, in the next moment, I realized that the reason Julius was surprised wasn’t me.
“But, Duke, you’ve never shown interest in women until now.”
So Percy had never even made minor advances towards women before.
“Why haven’t you had a girlfriend with that face? Just looking at you should make people fall in love instantly.”
Percy replied to Julius’s words with no hint of a smile but in a casual tone.
“I haven’t met my ideal type yet.”
“But Sienna is your ideal type?”
Julius turned towards me with an expression as if that was impossible. Facing his annoying face again, I got mad again.
‘Why? What’s wrong with me!’
I was angry, but to be honest, I didn’t understand either. He looked at me with that expression only twice. Once when I argued with Daniel, and the other when I was trampling on Julius.
‘What on earth made him want to marry me?’
I wanted to ask him that too, but the choices were absurd.
▶ A man I don’t even know the topic of. Do you think I’d be excited because you propose to me?
▶ (Stands up and sprinkles tea on the table.)
Looking at the choices, I pushed a piece of egg into my mouth and muttered to myself.
‘Why are they adding the teapot again? The choices are too lacking in diversity.’
That’s why they say this game is a failure.
‘These days, the evil deeds of villains are so diverse. Tripping someone, intentionally dropping a handkerchief and making them pick it up, giving handmade gifts and ignoring the effort, etc. This game should have more diverse choices.’
It was an honest opinion as a gamer who enjoys games rather than as a possessed individual.
The system window that seemed to read my thoughts appeared with a ding.
※ We will consider your opinion carefully.
Did just say scammed customer? It wasn’t a typo; it was intentional!
‘Progress is slow.’
I chose the first option while muttering under my breath.
“A man I don’t even know the topic of. Do you think I’d be excited because you propose to me?”
“Pfft!”
Julius sprayed tea again. I knew this would happen, so I should have just added it myself. I wiped the tea splatters off me with a tissue from the table and furrowed my brow.
“You really lack manners, dear brother. You should crawl under the table and eat some hay; it suits you.”
Julius was surprised.
“Wow, that was quite a sharp retort.”
But I was surprised, too.
‘No, why isn’t there any restraint in the dialogue this time?!’
Why does my tongue have freedom and choices emerge?
‘Could it be that the target character changes based on the choices, and I became the protagonist like Beth?’
In games, the target character can change depending on the situation, and different choices are given for different routes, right?
‘But it’s hard to consider this as such…’
“Someone as insensitive as you in making snarky remarks is probably just Sienna.”
Percy Stewart consistently showed favor towards me.
‘What’s going on?’
Does this person enjoy getting scolded as well? Or maybe I have a crazy disposition?
I have 97 days left. In that time, I have to change my unfortunate fate.
‘Can I really change my destiny with the way things are now?’
My appetite suddenly surged like a lie. When I put down my fork, Percy’s eyebrows twitched.
“You should eat a little more. You haven’t even finished half of a single portion.”
I wanted to give a kind reply to someone being kind to me, but the choices weren’t smooth. I replied roughly.
“It’s none of your business.”
“It is my business.”
Percy replied with an unfazed voice to my abrupt answer.
“It’s now my duty to take care of you.”
“…!!”
No, is this person an angel?
‘I thought he was strange, but he’s actually an angel?’
Without that, I couldn’t continue to respond kindly in this situation. However, my lost appetite didn’t return, and choices still appeared before me.
▶ It would be better to just sleep in my palace.
▶ To me, you are just as unpleasant to look at. Get out now.
I chose the first option in my mind, grumbling as I did so.
How could I tell Percy to leave? I chose the first option and said, “I might as well sleep in my palace.”
I didn’t just say it; I actually got up from my seat. There was no point in staying here, as I felt that continuing to berate Percy would be futile.
‘Thank you. I won’t forget that you treated me to my first decent meal.’
I had such thoughts as I rose from my seat. A large hand firmly grabbed my wrist. When I turned my head, it was Julius. He stared at me as he spoke.
“The conversation isn’t over. Sit down, Sienna.”
What more is there to talk about? He probably meant that he wasn’t done with the conversation he wanted to have with Percy. I made a disgusted expression.
‘Ugh, the prince is the second most annoying character in the game after the emperor.’
Originally, Daniel was the main character, but in an instant, these two rich guys took the top spots.
“It hurts, so can you let go of my hand?”
“What?”
Julius, who had been irritated by my words, suddenly gave an awkward smile, perhaps conscious of Percy. Then he spoke with warmth in his voice.
“It’s not because I don’t respect your will; it’s because your palace is currently being cleaned. So it’s better for you to stay at the Stuart Duke’s mansion for a while.”
I raised my head in surprise at his words. Cleaning my palace? Why?
‘Are they doing construction while I’m collapsed?’
Taking advantage of my momentary confusion, Julius spoke to Percy this time.
“And, Duke, about the wedding, Her Majesty will absolutely not allow it.”
Huh? Is that my misunderstanding? Even though it was only for a moment, Julius’s hand seemed to tremble when he used the term “Her Majesty.”
Percy replied calmly to Julius’s words.
“If it’s a sincere marriage proposal, I’ll need your help.”
“No, not Sienna. She’s absolutely not negotiable.”
“Your Highness.”
My misunderstanding was not unfounded. Every time I thought of father Emperor, Julius appeared visibly anxious. Despite this, Julius spoke with determination.
“So, if the marriage proposal is sincere, I want to make a ‘deal’ with you.”
Percy’s crimson eyes gazed steadily at the trembling Julius. Then Percy slowly got up. It was like watching an elegant beast rise.
“My fiancée should enjoy her meal in peace…”
His voice, calling me his fiancée, sounded completely natural.
Engaging with Percy wasn’t necessarily a bad choice for me. Honestly, Sienna’s dead end occurs when she becomes Daniel’s fiancée, leading to a conflict with Beth.
‘But accepting the engagement so readily makes me feel uncomfortable’
He might be a kind and gentle man like an angel, but a strange discomfort lingered whenever I faced him.
As I stared at Percy with mixed feelings, he firmly grabbed Julius’s wrist and said, “Shall we have a good talk, Duke?”
If his grabbing my wrist earlier was a warning, it could be my excessive self-consciousness.
❀❀❀❀
In fact, it wasn’t just my excessive self-consciousness. The moment Julius left, Percy’s words were the reason for it.
“Don’t grab my fiancée’s hand so casually.”
“My fiancée…”
If someone saw us, they might think we had received the blessings of all and even had a grand engagement ceremony.
‘In reality, just last week, I was looking at him like a pebble on the side of the road.’
Julius laughed as if he couldn’t believe it. Then he wiped his head and needlessly provoked Percy.
“I must have misunderstood the Duke all this time. I didn’t know he was such a romantic. Although, even when Sienna rejected him, the Duke didn’t care for me at all.”
Not only did he not care for me, but he also stepped on Julius like a frog to propose to Sienna. Even now, it felt like that momentary rib pain was still bothering him.
Percy took out a pair of scissors from his pocket and cut the thread with two fingers, using the delicate embroidery scissors. He spoke as he did so.
“Seeing you blabbering nonsense, it seems you’ve completely forgotten your memories of Her Majesty, haven’t you?”
At that remark, Julius’s shoulders twitched. Percy didn’t hand him the scissors, instead, he cut it himself. The sight of the beautiful man with the thread on his fingers was incredibly beautiful, but for Julius, it was just a scene that turned his insides.
Julius replied curtly.
“Please stop mocking me.”
“Well, after being treated like that for several years, it’s not easy to forget those memories all at once.”
“…”
“I understand. After all, it’s a place where I can’t live in my right mind.”
He had a skill for laying out his words as if he didn’t hear anything. Julius lowered his head with a gloomy expression.
“I know it sounds like an excuse, Duke Stewart.”
Both Percy and Julius knew that saying it wouldn’t make any difference.
“But I’m afraid of my parents. I can’t resist them, and I can’t escape from them either.”
