I grabbed the doorknob and went inside. Even though it was broad daylight, the curtains were draped so it was like night. I wasn’t used to the darkness, so I went into the room, closed the door, and walked carefully to the bed where Ersia was sitting.
“I was surprised that you suddenly disappeared yesterday. Did you get sick?”
Her mouth didn’t open. That look was refreshing.
“How did you find your sister yesterday…?”
“Sister.”
Interrupting my words in the middle, Ersia asked.
“How did you meet the Grand Duke of Berdian?”
“Huh?”
It was rare for her to cut my words directly. But I smiled softly, remembering that she was such a child. I had to play the good sister while unmasking that kid. So that others could still think that I was a good and understanding older sister. My mask must not fall.
“It happened that we got to know each other. Why is that?”
“Then what about the Marquis of Alpensia?
“I have nothing to do with that person.”
“But you also got flowers.”
‘Oh, that rose?’
“You got it too.”
“That…”
I looked at her biting her lip, perhaps at a loss for words, and this time I went in first.
“By the way, I was surprised yesterday. I never thought you would bring the Marquis of Alpensia with you as your partner. Did you two know each other without me knowing?”
They must have known each other. Could it have been possible to get better at such fantastic timing without doing that?
“That was the first time I saw him. When you invited him to the mansion.”
“Oh, so?”
Did those who have won for the first time dance like that, keeping pace with each other? It was an incredible excuse.
“The two of you got along well.”
It was dark, but I could see her shoulders twitch. yYeah, it went well. The woman who met her sister’s fiancé, and the man who betrayed her fiancée. If two people who were united by ‘betrayal’ don’t get along well, who would they get along with? Despite my praise, Ersia kept her mouth shut. Yeah, she wouldn’t be fooled. I thought they were intelligent, but it turns out they weren’t, it must have been luck. Not to mention the Grand Duke of Berdian, whom they wouldn’t be able to touch. Even if they thought about it, they would be angry and toothless. But, Ersia… The hurt and shock I received from her was indescribable, so it’s difficult to think that it would end like that. I would try until the mask on her face comes off.
“You look tired. Get some more rest. I’ll go out.”
So look forward to the moment when that proud mask would break.
As I moved my feet to leave her room, Ersia spoke to me from behind.
“Me too…”
“Huh?”
“Please let me meet him too.”
Lifting the waist, she couldn’t resist the stinging in her eyes. It’s in the dark anyway, so she couldn’t even see what kind of expression I was making.
“Who?”
“The Grand Duke of Verdian, please introduce me too.”
It seemed like a laugh was about to burst out. She said that she couldn’t give her manners to others, and now I wondered if she was trying to reach out to Ian. I thought she was my younger sister, but now I looked at her quietly thinking how she could be so different from me.
“He seems to be someone important to my sister… Can I meet him too? We’re twins.”
At the last word, anger surged momentarily. Twins? Yes, twins. But how did she see me as a twin? Because we were twins, did she think she could have what I have? Was that why she sold the family that I cherished to Beralt? If she became his wife, did she think it would be all hers?
“Please, sister…”
I heard that voice, so sad, that I was very sick of it. A voice that would do anything to take what was mine. The precious jewels, and the jewelry box that contained those jewels… and even their mother’s keepsakes. She took it all with that sweet voice, I would have passed it in the past, but not now.
“I’ll think about it.”
“Sister…!”
As she lifted her body, Ersia came over and grabbed me.
It was like getting goosebumps at her disgusting touch. I tried to shout to get her hands off me right now, but the door opened first. I frowned slightly as my eyes hurt from the bright light that broke through the darkness that filled the room. Wanting to see if anyone entered the ladies’ room without knocking politely, I looked at the entrance, but I couldn’t see their face because of the backlight.
“Here you are.”
But the voice came through clearly. A familiar voice, just hearing it would make you taste like strawberries. Gradually getting used to the light, I removed my hand from my blindfold and looked at the man entering the room. He was smiling again this time with a strawberry-flavored candy in his mouth.
“Ian…”
“Hello. I’m here to see you again.”
Why was he here again? I glanced down at Ersia. Her eyes had changed like wildcats. It was the eyes of a beast looking for prey.
Anxiety stabbed my heart to the point of throbbing.
“Wow, looking at it this way, you look really alike. I can see why other people can’t tell the difference between the two.”
He laughed merrily. Yes, it was. We were identical twins. Because if I was doing it, Ersia would follow it unconditionally. People around us couldn’t tell us apart very well. The only thing that differentiated them was the intensity of our voices.
Ian removed the candy from his mouth and gave it a light shake. After that, he looked at Ercia and me alternately and smiled.
“Still, it’s worth distinguishing.”
He trudged over, took another lollipop from his pocket, opened his bag, and stuffed it into his mouth. I couldn’t even respond to the sudden action. As I stared blankly at the sweetness in his mouth, he put the candy he was holding in his hand back into mine and smiled.
“Your sister is prettier.”
What is this person talking about?! I was so flustered that I didn’t know what to say, so I rolled my eyes. Behind his open shoulders, the restless butler Fiebel came into view. Fievel, who met my eyes, let out a deep breath and bowed his back. He tried to figure out how the situation was, but in the end he only sighed with no income. I looked up at the smiling man. As soon as he made eye contact with me, he smiled even more and my eyebrows twitched
“… How did you get here?”
“I came to see you.”
“Me?”
His head moved vertically. Why did he come see me? Did he spend a lot? There must be quite a distance between the Viscounty of Ajstain and the principality. No way… I cleared any doubts. Being excited for no reason didn’t usually look unsightly, but I took a step back and continued.
“If you have something to say or ask something, you can send me a letter.”
“What are you talking about?”
He widened his eyes in a puzzled, incomprehensible expression.
“I have nothing to do. I just came to see you.”
Just like he did before, this time he pointed his finger at me. Ah, in the end, I muttered with a tired face with my hand on my forehead.
“What are you thinking…”
“What?”
“It’s nothing.”
My ears were also bright, and I twitched the corners of my mouth and expressed my dissatisfaction. Did he know who Ersia was coveting right now? It’s as if I took the liver out of the fox who was flirting with me just a moment ago to let her meet you. I couldn’t figure out why he was giving me a headache by coming a little later or a little earlier.
“I heard you’re Lawrence’s twin sister, and that you’re not feeling very well.”
This time, Ian’s voice pierced Ersia, not me. Hastily, she turned her head.
Ian, who had approached Ersia, stared at her. Ersia was taken aback for a moment, but quickly changed her expression and looked up at him with her face as fragile and delicate as possible. What an abomination! I wanted to humiliate her by reciting the words I just said, but there were too many people watching. From the butler and attendants at the door right now to the person who seems to be Ian’s lieutenant. I bit my lip.
Anxiety crept up. Power went into my fist.
Ersia was like that. What she wanted, if she really wanted to have it, she had to have it to release her temper. Men, love, and even the family that I treasured! Like Beralt, that damned human being, if greed was second, it would be sad. Ersia’s way of obtaining the things she wanted was sympathy and comfort. The warm touch she poured out on her, the object of her pity, wrapped around the warmth of her surprise. The society was warm in front of Ersia, who would play as if she did not want to show her coldness. That same world was terribly cold to me.
When Ercia made up her mind and reached out to people with that face and asked for help, they most likely helped. In a way, you could call it an ability. And that’s why I was anxious. What would happen if Ercia set eyes on Ian and took him away from me? Just thinking about it was terrifying.
‘Ian…’
I looked at him as he exchanged a few words with Ersia. It was a very peaceful looking face. My heart throbbed at the sight of him smiling halfway through.
‘Don’t laugh, don’t look, don’t talk.’
I was also greedy and possessive. No matter how deep he was with me, he was mine. I wanted to shout like that. My heart was pounding. My lips were parched. My head, which normally worked well, did not work in front of the conversation between the two.
I exhaled laboredly, hammering my brain, which seemed to have stopped working. No matter what, I had to stop the two of them from talking. But how? How could I stop them? What should I do…? Just when I was repeating the empty cry in my mind, Ersia’s hand moved. It had never been sunburned, so it was so transparent and fine that you could see the veins. All the men were eager to get a hold of her hand. They said she was a sickly princess.
Her hand moved to Ian, how would he react? Would he catch it? I hated seeing it. I wanted to dry it. But how…?
I was in deep anguish. No sound was heard. I just raised my ears because the sound of ‘beep’ was repeated. But even though the echoes were repeated, they did not last forever.
“Haha, what is this hand?”
A voice came along with Ian’s laughter. At that moment, I could see my surroundings completely, and I seemed to hear all the sounds.
I blinked a few times and looked at the two of them. Ian was laughing.
“Can you give me that candy too, Grand Duke?”
“Oh, this?”
He took out the candy he had been chewing on in his mouth and stared blankly at it.
“Yes. My sister always told me not to eat sweets and stay away from it. But I also like candies and cakes.”
I never did. It was an evil lie. I tried to tell her not to say anything false, but Ian’s eyes moved before that. He looked at me with emotionless eyes. My heart seemed to drop in his eyes. Did he think it was unkind? Did he think of me as a mean sister who bullied a sick child? So was he looking at me like that?
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Translator Note:
Fron now on this novel will have a different schedule. But do not worry since you will have 2 chapters a week, 6 in special weeks and an extra for any ko-fi donation you can/want to send me.
Hello there! This is RJR. Thank you very much for reading.
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