Chapter 21: Subtle Emotions (1)
“Oh, thinking about it makes me angry.”
On the third day of the game, Daniel, who had gone to the study to take out a book, saw Beth and Lucas exchanging words.
– What are they doing right now?
– Uh, Brother!
Startled, Lucas fled, leaving Daniel and Beth alone in the study.
Daniel expected Beth to be flustered and offer various excuses, but to his surprise, Beth faced him with a mysterious smile.
‘What does Daniel think when he saw Beth like this?’
He probably thought something like that.
‘Beth she has a completely different kind of innocence compared to that witch.’
Even though he had only played the beginning part, it was a clear indication of Daniel’s feelings.
Thinking back to that scene made him angry.
‘Why is the female lead colored so beautifully, and why did they draw Daniel to look so handsome?’
Imagine becoming engaged to a man like that. How disappointing it must be.
“A witch! Our sister is a witch! Live in Sienna’s shoes for just one day. Can you handle not becoming a witch?”
Thinking like that, I was rolling on the bed. It was definitely my own room, but a stern and unpleasant voice echoed.
“Why are you suddenly talking nonsense?”
It was Daniel.
▶ Why did you come? That disgusting face of yours, turn around and leave.
▶ I’m expressing your thoughts. You think of me as a witch, don’t you?
Either Daniel had a deep-seated grudge against the system or the available choices were unusually harsh.
To be honest, Daniel’s opinion didn’t matter to me because I didn’t have any feelings for him.
‘No matter what, it’s not like I feel disgusted by people.’
Despite the dialogue options already leading to a deteriorated relationship, I decided to maintain a certain level of decorum. Getting up from the bed, I chose the second option.
“I’m expressing your thoughts. You think of me as a witch, don’t you?”
Daniel’s body flinched at my words. It seemed he had some conscience left in him.
I let out a sigh through my nose, and that’s when Daniel suddenly hardened his face and glared at me.
“I never said such a thing.”
“What did you say?”
“I meant it’s the princess’s delusion.”
His face, with an air of arrogance, made my insides simmer like a pot placed on a fire.
‘He acts like a twisted pretzel!’
To claim that there was no such incident between him and me felt far from the truth, given the intricate events from our shared past.
I simply grumbled beneath the bedcovers.
“To be honest, you do hate me. You scolded me in front of Percy, and now you dismiss it as my delusion?”
Why did our wicked sister choose Daniel as her fiancé? Anyway, I couldn’t figure it out.
‘Is that kind of face your preference?’
I glanced at Daniel. Neat, black hair and calm gray eyes. He emitted an aura of self-restraint and was undoubtedly handsome.
‘But that’s not my taste!’
I wasn’t into black-haired guys. If you’re Korean, black hair is the default, so why would I prefer a male lead with black hair even in a female-oriented game I play in my dreams? No way!
‘I just prefer men who look more lustful than ascetic. I mean, men who are blatantly handsome.’
Like Percy Stewart, for example.
‘Ugh! Why am I suddenly thinking of that man?’
I shook my head vigorously. Percy wasn’t exactly a good person either!
‘Since it’s a female-oriented game, I prefer handsome men, even if it’s a mystery. Right now, I’m playing a game, but the situation isn’t much different from my reality. From this perspective, I’d avoid dangerous men like Percy.’
And right in front of me is Daniel. Now wasn’t the time to think about Percy.
The system also seemed to want me to gauge the situation with its dialogue choices.
▶ You insult me even after I’ve told the truth. Apologize right now.
▶ So, are you saying you love me?
Seeing those options, I couldn’t help but let out a wry smile. ‘Love is the love of a guy who eats grass.’
I couldn’t quite figure out what the system was thinking when it threw such a dreamy question at Daniel.
‘Love? I thought you only had delusions of persecution. Your narcissism runs deep, it seems.’
Today, my mental strength had already been considerably drained, and if Daniel continued to mock me like this, I felt like I might not be able to resist punching him in the face. I shook my head and chose the first option.
“Apologize right now.”
At my words, Daniel’s face hardened menacingly. He nervously ran his hand through his hair and replied, “The person who should apologize is right here. Princess, you insulted me by calling me an illegitimate man the last time, didn’t you?”
Insult?
What nonsense is he talking about?
It’s a fact that he’s harboring Beth at home, isn’t it?
My eyebrows raised in response to Daniel’s counter-question.
If he had something to say, he should say it more clearly. Daniel’s brow furrowed even deeper.
He glared at me with disdainful eyes and continued, “The princess herself, after condemning me in that way, came to that house, seeking refuge in the arms of an outsider. It seems you don’t care at all about your fiancé’s honor.”
I couldn’t hold back my anger any longer after hearing that.
An illegitimate man?
In his arms?
The honor of a fiancé???
‘I must have fainted. I fainted as a penalty.’
How am I supposed to be responsible for what happened while I was unconscious?
If I have to take responsibility for what happened while I was unconscious, then couldn’t the same be said for Daniel?
What did he do while his fiancée was being treated that way?
And Julius followed me here, and yet I’m being questioned as if I’m the one having an affair?
Shouldn’t you be more concerned about the well-being of the fiancée?’
I didn’t even know anything about the fiancée’s whereabouts, yet now everything was being blamed on me.
I grumbled to myself, ‘Sister, this person is utterly infuriating! Men like him should be discarded! He’s not even recyclable garbage!’
If I could, I would write it down on a piece of paper and stick it on his back. He was like nuclear waste, not even suitable for recycling.
‘Why does the system always control me at times like this? Please, release me. I’m not doing anything significant. Let me just smack his forehead once.’
While I was thinking like that, Daniel crossed the line without hesitation. Once again, he squarely placed the blame on me.
“How did Duke Stewart seduce you? What weakness did he exploit?”
“Hah.”
At his words, everything before my eyes turned pale. It felt like the sound of reason breaking echoed in my head.
I stretched out my legs outside the bed with a cold smile on my face. Even the annoying, grating sounds in my ears seemed to reverberate through the room.
“Do you think I’d fall for Percy Stewart seducing me?”
“…What are you trying to say?”
Daniel’s expression as he made a disgusted face was infuriating. If I could, I’d distort that face.
‘Past Sienna might have needed your affection, but I don’t.’
I crossed my legs assertively, giving a thoroughly villainous look and lifting my chin.
“That man is the one who has been unilaterally chasing after me.”
So, if anyone should be questioned, it’s not me but that man.
‘There’s no need to bring up such irrelevant topics.’
Daniel questioning why Percy took his fiancée didn’t even cross my mind. In the end, it all comes down to that.
In the end, that’s all it came down to. That’s why I could openly scorn Daniel to my heart’s content.
“And I have no interest in a man who belongs to someone else, Daniel Bohan. Just go away in front of me.”
“Sienna Liarta!”
It was when Daniel, in anger, tried to grab my wrist. His hand was intercepted by a gloved hand, and it was Percy. He spoke with his characteristic calm tone.
“I didn’t see it that way, but Lady seems to have a somewhat aggressive side.”
“Commander.”
Daniel glared at Percy with a simmering expression, then spoke up.
“Is what she said true? Commander, did you unilaterally bring her to the Stewart Duchy?”
“I couldn’t answer your question because I didn’t hear the conversation,”
Percy replied, and his crimson eyes passed by me. It was a strangely intense gaze, as if it were asking, ‘Are you hurt?’
While he was gone, his gaze quickly scanned to see if this man had caused me any harm. At the same time, I felt my anger dissipate as it seemed like he was asking why I provoked this man in the first place.
He turned to face Daniel, and a faint smile remained on his smooth face. There was no trace of laughter.
“The last word is entirely correct. I am still pursuing her unilaterally.”
This angered Daniel, but Percy didn’t allow Daniel to counter.
“So, would you kindly step aside to facilitate progress in our relationship?”
It was a gentle but firm request.
