I Don’t Trust My Twin Sister

After briefly looking at the flowers, we returned to the villa and were able to enjoy dinner together for the first time in a while. She thought that the relationship between Ian and Ercia would be awkward, but surprisingly, Ian treated Ercia warmly and her mood itself was peaceful. Of course, the grandfather, who had been drinking for a long time, smiled happily and asked Ian, ‘When are you going to take my granddaughter away? Are you going to show your middle grandchildren right away?’ I was embarrassed to see him spitting out the same thing and looking disheveled, unlike his usual polite demeanor, but the atmosphere was nonetheless harmonious. I felt somewhat awkward and my heart was tickled by the sight that was exactly like the scenery I had dreamed of.

It felt like the dream would end when I woke up. So I stared at that scene endlessly. If I look at you quietly and smile, I also open my mouth when I hear my name being called. A harmonious and peaceful landscape. These were the people I wanted to watch over forever. After the meal was over and everyone was quietly asleep, I came out of my room alone and looked up at the sky blankly from the balcony. There were many stars in the capital and the Viscounty of Ajstain, but here it felt like the stars were falling from the sky like a waterfall.

When I closed my eyes, I took a drink as I looked at the beautifully twinkling stars, as if they were all going to fall on me. It was early morning, so there was a biting wind and cold air. Right in front, I saw beautiful rape flowers and faint sparkles moving between them. The lights of fireflies fluttered among the flowers as if they were dancing or swimming across a lake. I slowly looked around with my eyes at the bright surroundings where faint lights gathered together to announce their presence. The peace here was unfamiliar to me. Unlike the days when I was always busy and living a difficult life, the tranquility of Sainte-Belle’s flower garden felt like a fantastic place to me. An illusion that doesn’t exist.

“…ha.”

I smiled as I closed my eyes and opened them slightly as the cold still left a bit of breath on my face. May the complicated days, difficult memories, and confusing past all disappear. I lowered my head, quietly wishing in my heart.

“Aren’t you sleepy?”

I thought about it just in case, but it was definitely different. The corner of my mouth was gently pulled at the sound of a voice coming from behind me.

“What about Ian?”

“I’m not really a person who sleeps a lot.”

“But aren’t you tired from the long journey?”

“Not at all. It’s just a little disappointing.”

“What?”

“Sleep time”

I turned my head. The white coat that matched Ian’s blonde hair very well, and the shining smile on top of it, caught my eye. He looked at me and smiled softly and languidly.

“During that time, I wanted to see Lawrence’s face a little more.”

“If you see my face a lot, you will see the same thing.”

“That’s not bad either. I don’t want to save it. I’ll keep it in my head every day, so don’t worry.”

He laughed and reached out and pulled on his clothes. As I lightly rubbed his cheek with my palm and lifted his neck slightly, Ian gently placed his lips on mine. Just as the beginning of my love was quiet but not quiet, Ian’s kisses always flowed quietly and quietly. However, I could feel his greed as he moved into my mouth, as if urging me on. I could feel his passion when he hugged my body, and when he lightly wrapped his arms around my shoulders, I could feel what it meant to be protected and treated as a precious being.

Ian was precious to me. A different person from me. Unlike me, who pretended to be meticulous and perfect but was clumsy, he was the exact opposite of me, expressing many of the gaps as they were. They said that life was a corner of a track where you go looking for fragments. He finds a station where he can stop and create a place where he can one day return. And he meets someone who is also looking for that path. Life was all of these things coming together.

Ian was a station, a resting place, and a milestone that allowed me to return to the starting point. I thought his view of the world had broadened, but looking back, it didn’t seem that way. He had seen, felt and experienced many things, but now all I could see for a while was Ian. My eyes on the world have widened, but my eyes on people have narrowed. In it, Ian looked at me as honestly as he did his own feelings. Just as I existed in his eyes and vision, he existed in my eyes and gaze. I can finally say that this extremely cold winter was warm in his arms.

I could once again feel the moist, soft tongue swimming in his mouth. If the end of my life was frustration and despair, the beginning of my life will be joy and happiness. So I could say it.

“…thank you.”

‘Thank you for coming into my life and for giving me the opportunity to love you.’

* * *

The three days of vacation passed by like an arrow.

As we entered the nearby village, there was a beautiful windmill and watermill, and rape flowers were blooming next to them. As I was intoxicated by the beautiful scenery of Sainte-Belle with rape flowers in full bloom, I realized that evening was already approaching. We laughed and chatted with each other and had a good time, then we met to eat, and then when we came to our senses, we realized that the time to go back was getting closer and closer.

After today, the last day, it will be a busy day again starting tomorrow. To avoid regrets, I looked at flowers and walked the streets every day. While watching the sunset starting to set in the sky, I turned my head and saw Ian smiling next to me. She knew that sooner or later she would marry him and he would sleep in her one room and they would be together with her eyes open, but not yet. She just regrets breaking up with him.

“I heard that a traveling troupe came to the square where the plains spread out today. Should we go and have a look?”

“What does it say?”

“I don’t know. Well, isn’t this a cliché?”

Traveling theater companies have always been criticized by people for being corny. However, I knew that as corny as it was, I would make a lot of money. It’s a cliché, but the fact that everyone saw it meant that it was a play that could be sold for a lifetime. 

“A cliché love story?”

Ian grinned at my question.

“It’s just as interesting a story.”

I nodded and moved on my feet. My legs were probably sore, but I couldn’t remember how difficult it was to be with him. I vaguely felt like I had the strength to walk. As I walked step by step, the scenery had changed before I knew it. The surroundings passed by without much notice. Other people’s love stories, their clichéd content, were more interesting and funnier to me than anything else in the world at this moment. I was sure other people did the same. Being in a relationship, being with someone you love, was already beyond cliche just by itself.

“Have you seen this place?”

The traveling theater troupe was busy preparing for a fairly large stage. People who appeared to be nobles were sitting in their seats in advance and smiling, and people waiting to enter were also wandering around. As we approached the entrance that the wandering troupe had blocked, the man who was controlling the crowd saw us and opened his mouth.

“Hello. Are you interested in taking a look?”

“How much is the admission fee?”

In response to Ian’s question, the man shook his head and smiled softly.

“Because this performance is sponsored by the Lord of St. Belle, no fee is charged. In particular, considering the high travel expenses that nobles spend during the festival, he asked that they be given the privilege of being shown seats in advance. Is this you?”

Ian nodded. I thought there would be a cumbersome process of entering the family name and showing the seal, but surprisingly, the man easily agreed. Is it because of Ian’s appearance, or is it because of the clothes he is wearing? When I looked again, the expensive-looking fabric caught my eye.

The man called the young boy and instructed him to lead the way to his seat.

“The performance starts in 30 minutes. I hope you enjoy the show.”

He left his voice behind and moved inside. The boy showed us to our seats and diligently explained the details related to today’s performance. Ian, who looked so cute, took a coin out of his arms and handed it to him, bending over to him. I looked at Ian curiously as he whispered softly in the boy’s ear. What was he talking about?

As the boy listened, his eyes widened and he smiled brightly and nodded. Ian patted the boy’s head.

“Please take care of it.”

“Please leave it to me!”

The boy moved quickly and disappeared from sight in an instant. What, other than showing people to their seats, where are we going? I looked at Ian and he shrugged his shoulders. Is he not going to tell me what he said? As soon as he opened his mouth to interrogate Ian, the boy came rushing back and pointed in a certain direction.

“They say there’s room for them! Come this way!”

Them? Ian calmly led me and followed the boy. Although it was a little far from the stage, I was able to look down on the entire venue by walking up the wooden stairs. And the wide chair and comfortable space caught my eye.

“This place…?”

“It is said that this is not a place where ordinary nobles but more noble people stay! This old man told me to go to the Great Hall, so I guided him here!” 

The boy looked at Ian with sparkling eyes. Juni An took out a gold coin from his pocket and put it in the boy’s hand. He patted his head again and then smiled.

“You worked hard. This is payment for your hard work.”

“Oh, yeah!”

Ian greeted me with a smile as I raised my dog and looked blankly at the boy’s back as he quickly walked away, clutching a coin with the liveliness of someone his age.

“How did this happen?”

Ian took my hand and led me to sit on a chair, then opened a glass of wine that had been prepared in advance and handed it to me in a glass.

“Even if it’s a traveling performance, if you pay a lot of money, you can get a lot of places like this. Other people don’t seem to know much, but I know because I often saw it when I was young.”

Is that why you asked? To that child?”

“Yes. I thought you would be disappointed if I asked you out loud and said no, so I told you secretly.”

I looked at Ian, who was smiling brightly, and burst into laughter. His eyes and gaze were cute, as if he was asking, “Did I do a good job?”, so I nodded without saying anything. It would have been better if he had said it in advance, but I couldn’t hate him for thinking of me and acting like that. I took the glass from Ian and smiled.

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

I tilted my glass and looked down. The number of nobles was not large, and as the performance time approached, regular visitors also came in and slowly filled the seats. The faces of the people sitting down, each holding something to eat, were filled with happiness. People enjoying festivals, watching performances, and enjoying life always looked comfortable. Do I want to look like that in their eyes too? Then I suddenly realized that we hadn’t had dinner yet.

At that time, Ian stood up.

“Where are you going?”

“Let’s get some light food.”

“let’s go together.”

Ian shook his head.

“Stay here. It’s hectic with people coming in and out, so I’d better get there quickly.”

After telling me to wait again, he took the stairs and disappeared. I twirled the glass in his hand, followed him with my eyes, and then tilted the glass again.

People came in, filled the place, and the stage was ready.

I pushed a sip of wine into my mouth and stood up. As Ian slightly moved his upper body towards the stage to find out where he was, someone came upstairs, stomping down the stairs. I looked at him to see if it was Ian, but it wasn’t him.

A tremendous beauty. That was the first thought that came to mind. Dark blue hair and gray eyes. Even in the dark, its clear appearance felt like it was reflecting light. As I stared at her, wondering how many times I had met such a beautiful woman in my life, she smiled and approached me.

“Hello. I didn’t expect anyone to be there… Nice to meet you.”

I nodded and gave her my smile.

The woman walked over to a few more chairs, sat down, unpacked her luggage, and then leisurely opened her mouth.

“Do you often see performances?”

“No. This is my first time.”

“Is it so? This traveling troupe puts on a lot of pretty interesting performances. They are all popular across the continent because they all have great acting skills and good coordination. It’s been 3 years since this performance… I’m so lucky to be able to see it.”

“You know me well. I guess you like performing.”

“Yes. I like it. Oh, I didn’t introduce myself.”

She smiled and got up and held out her hand to me.

“My name is Fervi. What about you?”

 

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Translator Note: