Chapter 9
A woman more beautiful than anyone in this world, and possessing a kinder nature than any person.
She was the perfect protagonist, described as someone everyone felt friendly towards, regardless of age or gender.
Eilen’s soft pink hair, like a silky thread, waved gently as she descended the stairs.
Her large eyes, prominent nose, and small, rosy lips.
Despite being the same blue color, her bright blue eyes were warm, unlike Richard’s cool blue eyes.
The blue dress she wore complemented her eyes, making her stand out even more.
Even at a ball where everyone dressed and adorned themselves with great effort, Eilen stood out more than anyone.
Perhaps that’s why everyone at the ball was looking at Eilen. Including me.
In an instant, I was captivated and froze in place.
She was so beautiful that it was believable she was the female protagonist at a glance.
Especially, her well-kept pink hair made her look even more lovely.
She was so beautiful that it made sense why the male protagonist, Crown Prince Cesar Crichton, and Richard would fall in love with her. Of course, Eilen’s true value wasn’t just her appearance, but that was my initial impression of her.
While everyone was entranced by Eilen entering the ballroom, I turned to look at Richard.
Richard, like everyone else, was also looking at Eilen. He couldn’t take his eyes off her. It was that kind of relationship.
I felt a sense of emptiness.
It was because I felt a contrast between Eilen, the protagonist of this world, and myself, who was destined to die soon.
As Eilen fully entered the ballroom and stood in the hall, many people gathered around her.
Some of the people who had been around Richard and me also moved towards her. Her pure appearance, untouched by any misfortune, captivated people.
Probably, because of that purity, Eilen would get entangled with the villains who wanted her. Villains who would go to great lengths, including kidnapping and imprisonment, to have her.
And that villain was my husband, Richard Theodore.
Richard was still staring at Eilen.
Even though there was a year left before the original storyline entangled them, her presence was so intense that it had already captured his attention.
I withdrew my hand from his arm.
Only then did Richard turn his gaze from Eilen to look at me.
“What’s wrong?”
Richard asked, as if nothing had happened, with a curious expression.
I tried to read his thoughts by staring intently into his eyes.
But he had a look that I couldn’t decipher.
“Diarna?”
Richard, who had been enduring my sharp gaze, finally frowned. By now, I thought I might be able to read his expression.
It meant he wanted me to get to the point.
I looked at Eilen and then back at Richard.
“Since I’m fine, why don’t you go see her?”
I knew he had been looking at her with intense interest. Besides, Eilen and Richard had a very complicated relationship.
Even if the original story hadn’t started yet, I could guess that Eilen’s presence was already very strong to Richard.
But he didn’t immediately approach her.
Probably because I was there.
“Aren’t you going?”
I shrugged my shoulders to show I really didn’t mind. Even so, Richard didn’t understand my words and frowned.
“What do you mean?”
“You seem interested in Lady Heinz.”
“What?”
“Aren’t you?”
Of course, he was. He had been looking at her ever since she entered the ballroom.
“Why do you think that?”
“Well…”
Because you were looking at her with such intensity.
I couldn’t bring myself to say that out loud.
I knew that speaking so directly would only cause Richard discomfort, so instead of speaking plainly, I found a reason for him to go to her.
“Lady Heinz is the only daughter of Duke Heinz, who is second in power only to the Emperor. It wouldn’t hurt to maintain a good relationship with her.”
I said, unconsciously gauging his reaction.
Of course, in the original story, Richard didn’t fall in love with Eilen just because of her appearance.
The reason he fell in love with her was that she was pure and kind. And she was someone who could empathize with his pain.
Not someone like me, who only wished things from him.
However, unexpectedly, Richard shook his head as if he had heard something strange.
“I already have a good relationship with Duke Heinz. So I don’t need to meet Lady Heinz separately.”
“Really?”
I had thought he would go to her immediately, but his reaction was unexpected.
But I didn’t ask further because Richard might find it strange.
I guessed it was because the original story would start two years later, after my death.
In the end, my death had to precede the original story.
Suddenly, I felt envious of Eilen.
She had everything I didn’t have and would eventually be happy in the end.
“Why?”
While looking at her, who was joyfully mingling with people, Richard asked me.
“What?”
Lost in thought, I couldn’t understand what he meant, so I asked back, and Richard followed my gaze to Eilen.
“You keep looking at Lady Heinz.”
“I’m just envious.”
“Of what?”
“Of everything.”
Everything she had.
The family that loved her dearly, the male protagonist who would only look at her, and even the predetermined happy ending.
Even though she would suffer greatly because of Richard before reaching that happy ending, I envied her for that too. At least she would live.
I couldn’t bear the envy for someone who had everything I didn’t.
If I could, I would exchange everything with her.
At least to avoid my death…
“By the way, your father is over there. Aren’t you going to see him?”
Instead of continuing the topic about Eilen, Richard changed the subject. Looking up, I saw my father, Duke Tristan, in the direction Richard was pointing.
If he were truly my family, he would have been the first to greet me as soon as I entered. But my father didn’t even glance at me.
Of course.
He had already gotten everything he wanted and disposed of what needed to be disposed of.
He must have paid off his debts with the money he received from Richard, and since he had dealt with me, Diarna Theodore, who was a threat to what he had, he had no further business with Richard or me.
“There’s no need to go.”
“…”
I turned my head away, avoiding Richard’s gaze as he raised an eyebrow at me.
“You already know, don’t you? That I’m not my father’s real daughter.”
The story of the Duke of Tristan had already spread widely throughout the empire.
Everything, including how my stepfather had taken everything after my mother’s death.
And surely, Count Theodore must have known this too.
That’s why when he demanded a marriage, he requested Cecilia instead of me.
In the current situation, whoever married Cecilia would gain everything from the Duke of Tristan.
What Richard wanted was everything belonging to the Duke of Tristan.
But what he got after paying a large sum of money was me.
An ugly duckling like me.
How frustrated and angry must he have been to even skip the wedding ceremony.
Besides, he didn’t know that I was rotting from the inside due to Darnnella’s disease, which I had been suffering from for years.
What if Richard found out that I had only a year left to live?
Would he get angry at being deceived and throw me out?
I couldn’t go back to the Duke of Tristan’s household anymore, so what would I do then?
Even though it was something that hadn’t happened yet, I felt a dark despair.
Richard, unaware of my situation, raised an eyebrow and spoke.
“Even if you’re not Duke Tristan’s biological daughter, he’s still your stepfather, isn’t he?”
“That’s true, but…”
Even if I went to him, I would only be ridiculed, so why should I go to him just to be laughed at?
Having everything taken away…
As I thought that far, I lifted my head and met Richard’s gaze.
Yes, that’s what Richard wanted.
Everything that my stepfather, Duke Tristan, possessed.
And all those things originally should have been mine.
I held onto happy memories from my childhood, hoping my father would return to how he used to be, but now, in this situation, it seemed pointless.
Letting go of greed and waiting only brought me thorough cold treatment.
So, instead of that, it didn’t seem so bad to take everything back to how it originally was.
“Richard.”
As I quietly called his name, Richard smiled with interest.
“Something has changed.”
Noticing my change, Richard glanced around.
Then he took my hand.
“There are many eyes and ears here, so let’s move somewhere else.”
😔🤍