Obsessed with Regressors

That’s the most incomprehensible. What was their intention when calling her a witch?

“Are you a witch?”

Julia also had a look on her face as if asking what that meant. Witch, a word with so many meanings, she didn’t know what the heck he meant. In fact, witches did exist. She didn’t know if they still existed. An old herbalist who usually decocted medicinal herbs in a secluded place was called a witch. Of course, the word witch to refer to them was not the right word. It was because they usually thought that such herbalists did bad things to people, and called them witches out of spite. But now people knew that it’s a false name. At least in the city.

“Did you even curse that man?” asked Julia as a joke.

She wished she could curse someone. Then she would be able to curse Cathrow. Or not… She shook her head trying to think of the people who annoyed her. To be honest, it’s not to the extent that she wanted to curse them. She just wanted him to be punished, not terrible.

“I don’t know. He’s just a weirdo, so he could have his own weird thoughts and stuff like that.”

She said as she lifted the teacup. No matter how much she thought about it, the contact between her and Cathrow was the first time they bumped into each other at the Aston Mansion that day. She checked with her mother and Oliver just in case, but neither of them knew who Gordon Cathrow was.

“Uh, I didn’t know Julia was here.”

Just in time, Oliver, who had been out, came into the drawing room, found them, and talked. Did he practice rowing and eat dinner at the club? As Julia and she got up to greet him, Oliver shook his hand as if to stop.

“Long time no see, Julia. How is your father?”

“Oh. Be very well.”

Julia’s face immediately heated up, but she pretended not to know. Julia liked Oliver. And most of her friends as a teenager liked Oliver. She didn’t know what’s good about him. She grumbled inwardly, knowing that Julia’s crush was once like a wind blowing. She knew that Oliver was a bit more handsome than others. It’s hard not to know this. Ever since she was little, everyone complimented Oliver for how handsome he was. But all Oliver had was good looks. People should know that his personality was downright pathetic, irritating, and picky.

“What were you talking about?”

What the hell was the wind blowing, Oliver asked, sitting on the sofa left after he didn’t go upstairs. 

‘Oh, really.’

He tried to tell him to go up, but Julia spoke first.

“That man. A man named Gordon Cathrow. We were talking about why he did that.”

“Ah.”

Oliver’s face hardened. Because it’s like that. Her mother and Oliver used to turn around with that look whenever she asked about  Cathrow. But today, Julia was there, so he seemed to have changed his mind. 

He said with a sigh.

“He’s been hanging out with Sir Aston a few times.”

“Did Sir Aston know someone?”

“Not well.”

Did you have a bad relationship with Sir Aston? Several hypotheses popped into her head. Oliver nodded to the servant who asked if he would serve tea, and he continued.

“I’ve heard that Lord Aston goes to bad places.”

He’s asking for tea, so it looked like he would be there for a long time. She gave up kicking Oliver and leaned back on the sofa. Fortunately, Julia seemed very happy with the situation. Yes, Eugene was glad she was happy too.

“What is the bad quality?”

Oliver put on a troubled expression at Julia’s question. Well, he should have been careful with his words. She chuckled as she said she wouldn’t help, and Oliver wrinkled his nose at me and then turned her head to Julia and said:

“It’s a place where mindless men do pathetic things.”

You answer well. It would be better to say it euphemistically. Unless you want to be interviewed by Sir Escalee. It seemed that Julia had a point in Oliver’s explanation. She nodded and said.

“Oh, I know. You mean playing card games or something?”

“No, the card game itself is not the problem. As long as you stick to it.”

Everyone played card games. Also bet some money. She heard that if the board got bigger, there were cases where you could hang a little more. It’s polite to pay off the debt you’d incurred before playing the next game. Occasionally, they hear stories of pitiful nobles who avoid the game because of debts that were difficult to repay. But that’s not what Oliver was talking about. He took the teacup from the servant, sighed, and leaned back on the sofa. Then he looked at her and Julia alternately and said.

“There are some guys who take a bit of a risky gamble. They don’t play card games. No, I do, but that’s just bait.”

It was said that after arousing excitement with a card game, they attract it to other games. In some cases, cockfighting or dogfighting was used to gamble, and sometimes people fight directly. Sir Aston met Cathrow there.

“Could Sir Aston be in debt to Cathrow?”

“That’s not it. They say that this is just a link between Cathrow and Sir Aston, and that the grudge is still under investigation.”

Huh, that’s right. As she sipped her tea, she thought about how many shady cultures there were that she didn’t know about. Then, suddenly, she raised her head to the fact that Oliver knew all too well about gambling.

“By the way, Oliver. How do you know these things so well?”

“Ah, one of my friends has a guy named Frankie, and this guy…”

Oliver, who had been talking until there, hesitated. Then he looked at her and gave her a disapproving look. Oh, she could have known if he said more. She put on a pitiful look and he changed his mind as he sipped his tea.

“I heard from a friend, my dear little sister. Does your brother look like someone who would go to such a place?”

She wished he didn’t go for her mother. She added, putting down the teacup.

“For the sake of my brother’s honor, I will not answer that question.”

Right next to her, Julia burst into laughter. She called the servant and told him to bring her more tea. The tea in the kettle quickly runs out after the three of them drink it. Meanwhile, Oliver asked Julia to change the subject.

“By the way, how is your friend?”

“My friend?”

“The one who came before. The pretty kid.”

“Oliver.”

When she heard Oliver refer to Lauren, she was startled and quickly called him. It was rude to refer to a person by their physical characteristics. Fortunately, Julia didn’t care. At times like this, she didn’t know if the etiquette she learned was too tight or if the academy taught it too loosely.

“Is it Lauren?”

Oliver didn’t seem to remember Lauren’s name. He quickly explained to her bruises.

“Your friend who is about this tall, blonde, and said she runs a dressing room before.”

‘Oops’

She put on a pitiful look and Julia said it was Lauren. And she added with a nod of her head.

“She is doing great.”

“Is she popular with men?”

Julia’s expression hardened for a moment at Oliver’s question with a smirk. She should have sent this pathetic older brother to his room sooner. She opened her mouth to speak to Oliver. But Oliver spoke first.

“There must be many men who like her, right?”

“I do not know.”

Now Julia was pouting. Nevertheless, Oliver continued to speak without notice.

“She will be popular. She stands out. Even my friends know.”

“Oliver.”

Why didn’t he stop talking? She noticed, but Oliver didn’t seem to notice. Or he pretends not to know. She didn’t want to think that the blood of such a mindless fool runs in the Biscons. Should she even kick the shin? She thought so.

“Stop doing useless things and tell her to get married quickly.”

“What are you talking about?”

Julia, who seemed offended by Lauren’s beauty, changed her attitude. This time, she was putting on an expression that was offended by Oliver’s words.

“She is pretty. It would be better for her to quickly find a decent man and marry him instead of doing useless things like dressing rooms.”

“Oliver, wouldn’t it be better to stop?”

‘Please stop, ok?’

Oliver’s ass was persistently attached to the sofa despite her pleading. She should kick his ass, not his shin. The moment she thought so, Julia said.

“I don’t think that’s a matter of your concern.”

“Huh?”

Oliver made a strange expression, perhaps noticing Julia’s changed attitude. She said with an angry expression.

“It’s Lauren’s choice, it’s Lauren’s life. Just like you gave up more productive work and chose to sit here and say things to other people’s lives.”

She spoke well. Eugene raised her hand and then he looked straight at Oliver and started clapping his hands.

Clap, clap, clap.

Oliver’s expression contorted, but she put on a look that said what was wrong. Shame on you, Oliver Biscon.

“No, I mean… She’s pretty, so hurry up and grab a good guy…”

“Oliver.”

‘Get out, really.’ 

Just as she was paying attention, Julia jumped out of her seat. She turned her head to Eugene and said.

“Because my father told me not to go to places where thoughtless men do pathetic things. I will be going.”

She saw Julia off with her apologetic expression. Then she turned her head to Oliver, who didn’t know what the problem was.

“Why is she doing that?”

Did he really not know? She was dumbfounded and asked.

“Don’t you know what my brother just did?”

“What did I do? She’s pretty, so isn’t it better for her life to marry into a good family?”

“My brother is also handsome, so wouldn’t it be better for you to marry into a better family?”

—————————————————————

Translator Note:

Want to read more?