Chapter 6
“Ethan didn’t even react when I stood next to him.’’
Does he not realize I’m standing next to him?
I continued to steal glances at Ethan’s determined profile as he stared out the window, then followed his gaze beyond the window.
What on earth is he looking at…
“What’s wrong?”
I, startled, turned to him.
I quickly looked away from the window and back at Ethan.
But Ethan, who had just spoken to me, wasn’t looking at me.
I took in Ethan’s unchanged profile before I decided to speak to him.
For a moment, my heart raced.
Maybe it was just because I was startled earlier? That could be a reason, but somehow, it felt like more than that…
I swallowed dryly.
If Ethan is pretending not to notice me, I had planned to suggest that we move somewhere else.
After quietly moving to a quieter spot, I planned to kneel in front of Ethan and beg for forgiveness as soon as I spotted him in the hallway.
I hesitated as I stood my ground.
I should tell Ethan to move to another place, but strangely, I couldn’t find the words.
Why is this happening all of a sudden? Princess Ann, you weren’t one to rely on feelings and instincts.
Did you change after possessing me? If not…
“Could it be….”
Is it Bella’s intuition?
The intuition of the villain.
“But villains generally aren’t trustworthy, right?”
I furrowed my brow. Right, they aren’t. If Bella had sharp intuition like Kylid, she wouldn’t just be a strong character; she’d be a super strong character returning to wreak havoc on Ethan .
Okay. I’ll ignore this inexplicable anxiety and unease I’ve been feeling since earlier!
“Ethan, my lord.”
Ignored it.
“I have a request….”
Ignored .
“Could you, my lord, tell me how you’re feeling right now?”
…I tried to ignore it! But still!
Ha, don’t misunderstand. I don’t believe in Bella’s intuition. I’m just following the wisdom of our ancestors.
Hasn’t there always been a saying about testing the stepping stone before crossing it?
I’m testing Ethan like a sturdy stepping stone.
If Ethan seems fine like a sturdy stepping stone, I’ll just beg for forgiveness, and if not… what should I do?
“How am I feeling? Well….”
Ethan opened his mouth while looking out the window.
As I watched Ethan like that, I also absentmindedly glanced out the window, but the scenery outside didn’t seem particularly different to my eyes.
“…I miss my mother.”
Then Ethan’s voice brushed past my ears.
At the same time, my heart thumped.
It was the first time.
Since possessing someone, that is.
Before I could judge anything in my mind, my mouth moved first.
“I do too.”
Since coming to this world, the first sincere words that came out of my mouth in front of someone else spilled out.
“I miss my mom.”
It was only after I heard my own voice that I belatedly regained my senses. Oh no. I responded too impulsively.
But it should be okay, right? It wasn’t anything particularly strange that I said.
I glanced at Aidan to gauge his expression.
And in the next moment, my body froze.
Aidan was finally looking at me instead of out the window. But that wasn’t the important part.
His eyes.
The moment I saw Aidan’s sky-blue eyes, I couldn’t do anything.
The eyes that I thought resembled a clear sky, now looked like a frozen lake.
“Why are you?”
His cold voice pierced my ears.
…What?
The person in front of me, who is this person exactly?
Is this Aidan?
Are the eyes I’m seeing Aidan’s eyes, and the voice I’m hearing Aidan’s voice?
“…Is Kylid possessing him?”
I couldn’t think of anything else because I was too bewildered. Yes. I know the theory of Kylid possessing Aidan doesn’t make sense.
…But does it really not make sense? I possessed Bella too. Kylid and Aidan are brothers, so their frequencies might be similar.
As my mind was in chaos, Aidan spoke again.
“Sorry.”
I snapped back to reality.
“I misspoke, Eli.”
Aidan’s voice apologizing didn’t sound as cold anymore. I tentatively examined Aidan’s face with my gaze.
The frozen lake seemed to have disappeared.
Aidan had become the ‘Aidan I knew’ in the meantime.
As if Kylid had left…
Damn it. That couldn’t be true.
While I remained silent in my place, Aidan continued speaking.
“Your mother passed away when you were very young.”
That’s true. Lady Croft died shortly after giving birth to Elisa.
“I thought you wouldn’t have any memories of your mother.”
That would make sense.
Even if Elisa was extraordinary, she wouldn’t remember her mother from infancy.
“So when you said you miss your mother, I was surprised…”
The corner of Aidan’s eyebrow twitched downwards slightly. He looked awkward. Of course, it could just be my misconception.
“I might have responded sharply without realizing it.”
“…I understand. It’s possible.”
There wasn’t much to fault in Aidan’s explanation… Wasn’t there? I don’t know. I couldn’t think properly because I saw a completely unexpected side of Aidan. My mind was a mess.
Anyway, I need to move. Alone, of course. I hastily opened my mouth towards Aidan, who seemed to have more to say.
“I’ll be going then!”
I left abruptly, like someone suddenly remembering urgent business.
I don’t know if Aidan called after me or not, because I didn’t pay attention.
I just walked forward, increasing my pace as much as possible, swiftly crossing the corridor.
Thud!
…And as I turned the corner at the end of the corridor, I bumped into something solid with my face. Ouch!
What the…? Was a servant moving the rice chest – no, the wheat chest?
“What’s this?”
I was startled, my hands covering my face. This voice wasn’t that of a servant or of a servant’s son…
I removed my hands from my sight and lifted my head. Kylid was staring down at me, his brow furrowed.
Wait, did I just bump into Kylid’s chest? From the height, it seemed like it, right around the chest area?
Kylid, with a chest as solid as the castle wall, stared at me with a disapproving, dry gaze. Suddenly, the events from a few minutes ago flashed through my mind.
“Do you happen to know how to possess someone?”
“What?”
“Possession, you know, entering another person’s body in a soul state… Never mind. Pretend you didn’t hear.”
How far are you going to take this, Princess Anne? Let it go. It’s a bit much for the third stanza.
And the gazes of Ethan and Kylid are different. If kylid’s gaze is dry, Ethan’s is icy, emitting a chilling coldness. Experiencing it firsthand, I understand that their temperaments are different.
I hurried past Kylid towards my destination.
“Oh, Miss.”
Upon reaching the bedroom, I encountered Enphi. Enphi, who seemed to be tidying up the bedding, widened her eyes upon seeing me.
“You’re up early. Did you go to the dining hall?”
“No, just took a walk…”
I hesitated mid-sentence.
This isn’t Bella’s intuition; it’s mine.
“Enphi.”
“Yes?”
“What day is it today?”
Enphi opened her mouth without any sign of surprise or confusion at my question.
“Today is…”
Have you ever seen a hamster get angry because you gave it empty sunflower seeds?
An angry hamster is adorable. Really adorable.
Speaking of personal matters, I’m an outstanding member of an internet café called “People Who Love Hamsters.”
No, I can’t access the café right now, so I should correct that to “I was an outstanding member.” Damn it.
Anyway, I love hamsters. Why? Because they’re cute. Plus, when you watch them, you don’t think about anything else.
So, at some point, whenever I had a problem or something troubling me, I developed a habit of fantasizing about hamsters.
I want to live seeing a hamster getting angry because I gave it empty sunflower seeds.
…The hamster probably wouldn’t want to live with me. But still, I’d give it real sunflower seeds every other time, so it should forgive me.
As I imagined a sulking hamster, I sat up on the bed.
“Escape complete.”
As I swallowed an involuntary sigh, I thought about the damn reality I was facing.
“Today was the Countess’s anniversary.”
As I recalled Enphi’s answer, a murmur escaped me.
Right. Today was the anniversary of the Countess of Croft.
Only now did I start to understand what had happened in the hallway.
Ethan wasn’t his usual self today. The Ethan I saw in the hallway wasn’t the usual calm and rational firstborn of Croft, but a vulnerable young man engulfed in immense sadness and longing for the mother he lost. So…
“So you accidentally revealed your true self?”
