DYBAR - Chapter 37 < It Doesn't Go Back >

DYBAR - Chapter 37 < It Doesn't Go Back >

Do Your Best And Regret It

Ethella followed Olivia down the stairs of the Grand Duchy. The workers we encountered bowed their heads to Olivia.

Every time their steps stopped, the sound of Ethella and Olivia's shoe heels could be clearly heard. Is it because of the sound of each other's shoe heels exquisitely moving past each other? Or is it because of this ambiguous distance from her older sister?

Ethella measured the distance between her and Olivia with her own eyes. Just three steps. It was an ambiguous distance that seemed impossible to reach if she stretched out her hand. If she stretched out her arms as hard as she could, she would be able to catch her older sister who was ahead of her.

 Ethella bit her lip. Her fingernails dug into her palms as she clenched her fists. She couldn't tell what expression Olivia, who walked gracefully and uprightly, was looking at right now. She was obviously sitting close to Olivia just a moment ago. Where did she go astray?

Ethella lowered her head sullenly, recalling what happened a moment ago. She was cuddling with Olivia when she suddenly realized she was thirsty and she coughed dryly, so she stepped away and took a sip of the cold tea. And when their eyes met she even smiled a little as they both blushed, perhaps. She may have been harboring vain hopes. 

Now that her sister has forgiven her, she can see her sister again. perhaps. Let's hope for a little more. But her knock and the blunt words of the visiting butler threw Ethella back to reality.

"The Little Duke of Madeleine came to the front door."

Conrad came looking for Ethella. Above her excited mind, her concerns about Veronica and Sally rose. If her brother knew, her father would also know. Although she made up her mind, she couldn't help but feel scared. 

Ethella unconsciously looked at her sister. In times like this, if she were the older sister, what would she say? 

The moment she lifted her head and saw Olivia's face, Ethella covered her mouth. Olivia said with her face that she was fine. The time has already come to this. 

"I guess I should go now, right?"

But Ethella saw Olivia's sincerity disappear in an instant. Although she was filled with very difficult emotions, Ethella was able to identify several of her expressions. The faint smile that she said she knew would be like that was the resignation. Ah, now that Ethella thinks about it, it was because of her face. Her foolish what-ifs were swept away in an instant. Her sister would never go to Madelelaine.

Ethella could not bear to finish. The moment she thought about it, she felt like her sister would go away forever.

Meanwhile, the two reached the first-floor entrance. The brown-haired knight Ethella saw earlier was standing in front of the carriage outside the entrance. As Olivia and Ethella left the front door, they heard the sound of bugs chirping. It was late at night, the night sky was pitch black and the stars were high. The brown-haired knight opened the carriage door and said.

"You can take this carriage to the front gate."

If she rode that carriage, she probably wouldn't see her sister again, Ethella, who had been quietly walking towards the carriage, turned around with a desperate look on her face. She wanted to do something before the end came.

"Miss. I think the princess left this behind."

"Uh? Thank you."

"Hannah."

The maid who came running from behind handed something to her sister. She smiled as she waved her item, which her older sister had naturally accepted, towards her.

"Ethella. You left this behind."

What was in Olivia's hand was her pink diamond necklace. How dare she leave that behind? 

No, actually, there was something more shocking than leaving the necklace behind. Her sister reacted very naturally when she was called 'Young Lady'. It felt like someone had hit her in the back of the head. 

Her older sister was always Princess Madeleine. She suited the title of Princess more elegantly than anyone else. Ethella stared blankly at that face. She was strange. Olivia's face, smiling so beautifully and shining so brightly, was unfamiliar. But there was no point in wondering why she was there. Because she meant that she had never seen the Duke of Madeleine smile like that before. 

What can she say about this Grand Duke's residence that she only stayed at for a few days? Ethella's heart sank when she saw Olivia looking comfortable. What was Madeleine to her older sister? 

Questions that she couldn't bear to ask floated through her mind. Meanwhile, Olivia held out the necklace with a puzzled look on her face.

"Don't you accept it?" 

"Sister... Can you please put it on me ?"

"Is that so?"

Olivia smiled and nodded. Ethella turned her back to Olivia and lifted her hair. Olivia gave Ethella a pink diamond necklace around her neck. 

Suddenly, Olivia's date with Leopold came to her mind. That day Ethella casually took off her necklace with a pink gem from around her neck and hung it around Olivia's neck. 

Olivia said, fixing Ethella's hair.

"It's the complete opposite of last time. At that time, Ethella, you gave me your necklace."

The memory of Leopold touching the necklace and telling me it didn't suit me has faded. That day should only be remembered as a day that felt as good as cotton candy to me. The day Ethella and Sally told me I was beautiful, the day Ethella put a necklace on me, the day I met Edwin at the coffee house. Just that kind of day. 

"It's done."

Olivia, who was looking at Ethella with a smile, opened her eyes wide. Ethella, who even wore her necklace beautifully, had transparent tears streaming down her amethyst eyes.

"Why are you crying again?"

A kind voice comforted Ethella. Ethella managed to suppress her heart that really wanted to cry. It was funny. Her older sister got along so well with Grand Duke that it brought tears to her eyes. She knew without asking her sister. Madeleine was no longer in her sister's mind. 

The older sister who always looked at her from afar with a smiling face, the older sister who did her best to be the Princess, is no longer there. Here, everything about her sister seemed natural and comfortable. 

Ethella unconsciously asked Olivia, half out of relief and half out of desperation.

"Still.. That's my sister."

The terribly selfish Ethella Madeleine. Ethella mocked herself. But in the end, all she could do was cling to it. It was a good thing that his vision was blurred because of the tears. Because she couldn't really see what kind of expression her sister was making. 

Each second felt like minutes. She said it for no reason. Why did she want to confirm her sister's feelings?

It was a time when regrets came rushing in. Her hands were warm as they hugged her shoulders.

"Then, of course."

I patted Ethella's back. I thought she was all grown up. The crying Ethella still looked like a child. But I didn't care. Because I now know that I became an adult before Ethella. Madeleine, whom I clung to so much. Even if there is no such thing as a border. The fact that Ethella and I are sisters remains unchanged. 

***

At that moment, Conrad gritted his teeth and glared at Grand Duke Vikander. To be precise, it is a carriage moving away toward the inside of the Grand Duke's residence. The face of Grand Duke Vikander, who had just left in a carriage, was before his eyes. A face that smiled innocently and looked at him with disdain. 

It wasn't even funny. Conrad recalled the Grand Duke's first words when he suddenly appeared.

"Should I file a formal complaint against the Madeleine family continuing to occupy the front gate of my mansion?"

Conrad was simply following Ethella, who was visiting Olivia. He had no intention of running into Olivia either. Especially if he is a Grand Duke. 

He just asked to quietly tell the guard guarding the gate that he had arrived. It was the Grand Duke who personally came to the gate.

"... Meet the great hero, His Highness the Grand Duke. I just came here to pick up my little sister."

Conrad politely stated his business.

"Younger sister? Who are you talking about?" 

"Ethella Madeleine. I heard she went into the Grand Duke's residence earlier."

At that moment, the Grand Duke, who was smiling sarcastically, laughed brilliantly. To some, it might have been a laugh so beautiful that it made them forget to hold their breath, but Conrad instinctively thought that the laugh was poisonous. 

At the same time, a heavy atmosphere weighed down Conrad. If he had not been standing strong from the moment he saw the Grand Duke, he would have stumbled violently. 

The Grand Duke clicked his tongue softly as if he was displeased with Conrad standing upright.

"The Little Duke has a good attitude." 

"I will take it as a compliment."

Conrad pretended like nothing was wrong, but it was difficult to fully accept the raw intimidation. He can't believe the Grand Duke, who has no influence over the system, would act in such a way as to criticize him, a member of the imperial faction. 

It was not easy for Conrad's smart brain to understand. Then Conrad laughed sarcastically. If he's doing this to him just because of Olivia, the evaluation given to the Grand Duke had to be adjusted downward for a long time. He was honored as a war hero, but not very bright. Just about that much. 

It was then, that the violent mood disappeared, and the sound of the Grand Duke clicking his tongue could be heard loudly.

"Really, it seems like the Princess is the only one who doesn't miss out on luck at Madeleine's."

"What...!"

Conrad shouted without realizing it.

However, the Grand Duke just rode the carriage into the depths of the Grand Duke's residence as if his business was over.

Conrad glared at the carriage with eyes overflowing with anger. And finally, when the carriage with the Grand Duke was moving away like a dot, Conrad let out a sigh as if gritting his teeth.

 "What do you know?"

Perhaps because of his title as a war hero, it was clear that the Grand Duke was now obsessed with playing hero. By protecting Olivia, he may feel like a hero again. 

What kind of girl is Olivia? 

It was a time when his angry breathing did not subside easily. The gate of the palace-like palace opened and carriage came out.

"Brother."

The carriage door opened and an unfamiliar, cracked voice was heard. It was Ethella. 

He was about to get very angry. The moment he came face to face with Ethella's swollen face, Conrad's will to fight was broken. Conrad took a deep breath as he saw Ethella slowly approaching. And she stopped the Duke's carriage.

"Get on first."

At Conrad's signal, the carriage set off. Ethella lowered her head as if she knew her mistake. Conrad scolded Ethella. However, everyone could see that what was underlying it was affectionate affection.

"You. I'm sure Father told you not to come here. If Father had known, you wouldn't have ended up on probation in your room."

"But I had to come."

"What?"

Conrad's keen senses immediately noticed a strange crack in Ethella. It was completely uncharacteristic of Ethella to speak clearly while being watched.

"I had to apologize to my sister."

“Ethella!”

When Conrad finally called her name in an angry voice, Ethella unconsciously opened her eyes. It was the first time her brother did this to her. 

But at the same time, Conrad exhaled as if calming himself. And he looked at her fondly, as he always did.

"...I don't know what you're thinking right now. Ethella Madeleine. I hope you think wisely."

And that familiar affection became unbearably painful today. What would it have been like if this affection, which she thought was natural, had reached her older sister even just a little? 

Ethella said, trying to swallow her anger welling up.

"Why didn't you do this to sister?"

“Ethella!”

"Just a little. It would have been different if you had done just a little bit like you did for me."

Ethella, who was swallowing her sadness, became blurred at the end of her words.

Conrad spoke to her quietly, as if he was frustrated. 

"That's right! Olivia didn't do anything."

Ethella's wet horse hit Conrad on the head. 

She's doing nothing. No way. The reason she hated Olivia was clear. From the moment he came into our home, his happiness was shattered. His mother was dead, his father was obsessed with work, and Jade became angry every day and went to war. However, that kid didn't do anything. 

Conrad tried to correct Ethella's words. But strangely, his lips did not fall.

Finally, Conrad turned his head to the window. When he saw the Grand Duke's residence walking away, he felt even more uncomfortable. It's all because of Olivia.

She didn't even have the energy to blame him now. Ethella's sobs faded. If he had thought just a little more, he would have realized that the crack he felt with Ethella had also appeared within Conrad himself.

But Conrad thought no more. Instead, he found something he was accustomed to hating. She is the easiest person to blame. 

Of course, she was Olivia.

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