♡ TL: Khadija SK
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Yvonne did not want Annette to buy her a pile of clothes.
“I only asked for a polite apology, but now Your Highness is mocking me.”
“This is my way of apologizing. Since I am the Marchioness of House Scheringen and a member of the imperial family, it is difficult for me to bow my head easily and apologize to others. But I do not wish to fight with Miss Yvonne any longer, so this is my solution.”
“Is this the attitude of someone who is sincerely apologizing?”
“It seems you were not paying much attention to what the etiquette teacher was saying during the manners class.”
Yvonne’s hands trembled with anger.
Annette also thought she might have gone a little crazy for saying that, but she couldn’t stop her mouth.
“We also need to adjust the measurements of your new clothes. So there is a tailor waiting outside. Let’s bring him in to take your measurements.”
“What are you saying! Was it not enough that you poured wine on me and humiliated me in public, but now you have started interfering in the affairs of other noble ladies as well?”
“It seems I have done much more to you than I initially thought. In any case, I want to give you all these clothes as compensation for my rudeness to you.”
“Grand Duchess! No matter how wealthy you have become after obtaining the position of Grand Duchess, I cannot tolerate this level of rudeness from you. What the hell is this? Why do you visit someone else in their comfortable home and bother them early in the morning like this?”
Yvonne could not endure the situation and shouted, furious with rage.
She was terrified of thinking about what kind of strange method Annette would use to bother her this time.
“You are quite good at lying.”
“Excuse me?”
Yvonne’s anger subsided for a moment upon hearing the unexpected words from Annette’s mouth.
“A comfortable home? Honestly, this place is uncomfortable and does not even deserve to be called a house.”
Annette was well aware that Yvonne was greatly disliked by her relatives and suffered mistreatment.
‘If I had to compare, it would be more appropriate to call that rotting room in Elysia’s mental asylum a comfortable place than this one. At least there, I was alone and away from the hateful gazes of others.’
As proof of that, the maid of the house stood in the corner, staring at Yvonne with an annoyed expression.
Her attitude was not that of a maid looking at her lady.
If the person visiting Yvonne had not been the Grand Duchess but just an ordinary friend, the maid might have outright asked her to leave.
It was clear that the reason she was hesitating about whether or not to serve tea now was that she knew Annette was someone who treated those beneath her with cruelty.
In reality, the villainous Annette had a habit of treating people below her as if they were mere slaves under her feet.
Annette arrogantly called the boy in charge of the dresses, fully reinforcing all the maid’s expectations, and then ordered him to carry the clothes into Yvonne’s room.
The store employees, who were about to carry the dresses back, were utterly exhausted.
It was uncommon for a customer to buy more than two pieces of clothing from that shop.
“I cannot accept these clothes!”
“If you want to be prepared for the social season, one dress will not be enough. Especially considering that you are His Highness the Crown Prince’s partner.”
A large number of outfits were needed to attend the many gatherings that would begin with the hunting festival.
From riding attire to everyday clothes that seemed simple yet luxurious, to specially designed dresses meant to stand out.
The hunting festival lasted only half a day, but for the many social events, nobles frequently changed their outfits and attended several gatherings throughout the day, even switching the colors of their hats and gloves.
“Ah! Did His Highness the Crown Prince already gift you better clothes than these? Still, it is good to have extra clothing as a precaution.”
“I will not accept clothes that you have brought with unclear intentions, and the same applies to the clothes sent to me by His Highness the Crown Prince—!”
“Why?”
“Because….”
“The clothes His Highness the Crown Prince sent are of such high quality that they do not suit me, so I cannot accept them because I do not deserve them. That is why I tried to buy clothes that fit my budget. Are you going to say something like that?”
“……..”
Yvonne’s face turned red with embarrassment.
Annette had just spoken a line that any novel’s female lead would say, but it seemed she had hit the mark precisely.
“Stop thinking that way. How can you hope to receive a greater, more valuable love and be accepted as the Crown Prince’s partner when you can’t even buy a single set of decent clothes?”
Yvonne’s mouth shut at Annette’s unexpected words.
Annette spoke as if she knew about her recent argument with Hugo over the dress.
He had offered to buy her a dress, but Yvonne had refused out of pride.
The fact that someone of such high status loved her was already overwhelming enough, filling her with happiness, so she couldn’t bear to accept material things from him as well.
Hugo had been saddened by her refusal, which eventually led to a quarrel between them.
“Do you love His Highness the Crown Prince?”
“Of course. So if you’re going to tell me to give up on him again…”
“But I don’t love him.”
“Pardon?”
“I’m already married, and I no longer love him.”
“Your love for the Crown Prince was a lie from the start. How could you claim to love him to death and then suddenly marry another man overnight?”
“The one who truly loves Hugo is you, Miss Yvonne. I’ve decided to love Theodore.”
“How dare you say his name like that!”
“What’s the problem? When we’re alone, I call him by his name. It’s not like I embrace him or act affectionate.”
“Why are you doing this! Do I look so pitiful to you that you’ve decided to mock me all of a sudden?”
Annette had come to destroy Yvonne and Hugo’s love, yet she ended up giving them advice instead.
She didn’t even know what had come over her to say all this out of nowhere, but strange things just kept spilling from her mouth.
“Honestly, I feel strange too, because I didn’t come here to say any of this.”
Annette clenched her fists.
She really hadn’t meant to say all this.
She had planned to spread rumors that she had bought clothes for Yvonne—who had once demanded a formal apology from her—and publicly humiliate her, fueling her fight with Hugo.
However, Annette knew too much about Yvonne to stand by and watch her be ridiculed for her shabby clothing.
Her unfortunate story, the mistreatment she suffered from her relatives, her strong sense of self-respect before the man she loved, who was of a higher status than her, and her refusal to lose her dignity and pride in front of anyone.
Yvonne had been the female lead of this story before she became Annette’s enemy.
Just as Annette hoped Theodore would become a good emperor one day, she also hoped Yvonne and Hugo would find happiness.
But the thought of having to ruin their lives with her own hands made her miserable, so she ended up saying cruel things to Yvonne instead.
Knowing the circumstances of others was an immense burden on Annette’s shoulders.
It was extremely uncomfortable.
Because Annette needed to destroy Yvonne’s love and turn her future upside down to achieve her goal.
Yet interfering in someone else’s love seemed like an act of pure evil in Annette’s eyes, and she couldn’t accept it easily.
Yvonne and Hugo weren’t married, so there wouldn’t be any legal issues, but wasn’t there still a moral responsibility?
Even though Annette was a selfish person who pursued her own interests, she still felt uneasy knowing she had to deliberately play the villainess in Yvonne’s life for the sake of her own gain.
But wasn’t Annette doing this to survive?
Saving someone’s life was a good thing, wasn’t it?
That was why she hoped the kindhearted female lead would understand and forgive her.
These thoughts weighed on Annette’s heart, making her uncomfortable because she didn’t want to destroy an innocent person’s life. That was why she started speaking nonsense without realizing it.
“To sum up what I just said, I want you to accept my gift.”
“What the hell are you talking about?”
Both women felt exhausted at the same time.
“Yes, in truth, I didn’t come here to say this either.”
“If you have nothing more to say, please leave quickly.”
“……… Do you love the Crown Prince that much?”
“Pardon?”
This time, Yvonne didn’t answer Annette’s question right away, thinking she was mocking her again.
But Annette’s expression was unusually serious.
Annette had insulted Yvonne countless times before, but this was the first time she asked about Yvonne’s feelings with such clear, sincere eyes.
That was why Yvonne answered her question directly and with confidence in her voice.
“Yes, I love him.”
“To the point that you wouldn’t give up under any circumstances?”
“Y- yes.”
This time, however, there was hesitation in Yvonne’s answer.
The words should have come out of her mouth instantly, without a second thought, yet somehow, she wasn’t entirely sure of her response when she saw Annette’s unwavering gaze.
Annette noticed that hesitation.
This was supposed to be an unshakable love, one that would not waver even in the face of a storm.
But there was undeniably doubt in Yvonne’s heart.
“If you truly love him, then why do you argue with him over a single piece of clothing and prioritize your pride over being with him?”
“Because I love him for who he is, not for his wealth. I don’t want to take anything material in exchange for my love for him.”
“Miss Yvonne, have you ever considered his status compared to yours? If you really, truly love him, why do you stubbornly refuse to accept a few dresses that would allow you to stand by his side without being subjected to humiliating remarks or ridicule?”
Yvonne was speechless for a moment.
Annette rubbed her forehead in exhaustion, realizing she was toying with Yvonne’s thoughts without meaning to.
She really hadn’t come here for this.
“You’re making too many mistakes that could ruin your relationship with the person you love.”
Annette was finally ready to leave.
“Never refuse the clothes His Highness sent you. They’re so beautiful that if you wear them, you’ll stand out even more than me.”
If things continued like this, Yvonne would end up arguing with Hugo, her pride would be hurt, and she would reject the magnificent dress he had sent her, choosing instead to attend the hunting festival in her usual shabby attire.
Afterward, others would secretly mock her appearance, and Annette herself would ridicule her clothing openly. Then, Yvonne would retreat to a deep forest, crying with a broken heart, only to be attacked by a wild beast. At that moment, Hugo would appear just in time to save her and finally dress her in the exquisite gown he had sent her—the finest dress in the entire empire—replacing her torn and ragged clothes.
Annette really didn’t want to witness such a childish development in their story.
She wouldn’t be able to achieve her goal this way.
“I have no idea about what you mean.”
Yvonne looked exhausted, but Annette continued speaking until the end.
“I’ve given you advice to follow and clothes to wear, so I’ll be leaving now.”
Annette appeared ready to exit, but just as she reached the door, she turned back toward Yvonne once more.
“W-What is it this time?”
“I know this isn’t right, but I have to tell you something.”
After all, this wasn’t just about wearing a few dresses.
Annette felt bad seeing the pink-haired girl fail to understand her words and act so fiercely, so she decided to give Yvonne one last chance—not to stand against her.
But the words that left Annette’s lips were far from merciful.
“What do you think about breaking up with His Highness the Crown Prince?”
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T/N: Yvonne doesn’t seem like a bad person ಥ_ಥ
I hope they both can become friends (─.─||）
