It was the next morning when Andrea came looking for me.
“Chloe!”
Andrea burst into the room without my permission and opened the door.
'You're later than expected. I thought you'd come as soon as the party was over.'
It was Andrea whom I first met after waking up from death.
I was a little surprised to see him approaching me with a mixture of tension and anger, feeling anxious.
'What?'
I felt uneasy.
'I used to be more intimidated in front of Andrea because he always looked so flashy and sophisticated, but now he just... looks weird.'
In my memories, Andrea always looked grown-up, cool, and big.
But when I actually went back to the past and faced Andrea, he didn't seem as great as I remembered.
Andrea was wearing brightly colored clothes, his dirty blonde hair pulled back to cover his neck, and his neck collar puffed out.
He was dressed up so extravagantly from head to toe that he actually looked ridiculous.
'Like a clown.'
I thought that if I saw Andrea again, I would be so angry that I wouldn't be able to keep my composure.
I was worried that I would not be able to face Andrea in my right mind, who had killed my mother and tricked me into living a life of utter misery.
But my worries were in vain, and when I met Andrea, I became calmer.
'Why have I been afraid of that kind of person for so long?'
He seemed so big and awesome that it felt like the world would end if he hated me.
It seemed as if the only fence protecting me was disappearing.
But now I know that he is not the one who protects me, but the one who pushed me into a corner, and that no matter how hard I try, he will never truly love me.
Maybe that's why I wasn't scared of him.
Just another person, no need to look good or feel intimidated. Even just a funny clown.
'Besides, seeing Callius and Andrea, they look a bit... unattractive.'
Was he such a small and dwarf person?
The surprise I felt when I met Callius last night was still vivid in my mind.
'He was huge. He looked like a man made of steel.'
What were the eyes like? It was like meeting a wild wolf.
I couldn't forget the feeling of my spine tingling.
Whether it was the psychological effect or Callius's fault, Andrea no longer seemed so impressive.
Still, I shrugged my shoulders as usual and watched Andrea closely so that he wouldn't think anything strange.
“Brother...”
“What the hell were you doing yesterday? You showed up at a party in your pajamas? Are you out of your mind? What the hell is going on with you these days? What the hell were you thinking? Are you crazy like your mother?”
I was shocked by Andrea's shameless dare to bring up my mother.
Andrea let out a deep sigh, as if his feelings were showing on his face without him knowing it.
“Ugh, you don’t look well, do you? You’re not in a bad mood because you’re worried about your brother right now, are you? You know that, too. The doctor said your maternal family has a mental illness.”
I tried to act as timid as usual, but I couldn't help but burst out laughing when Andrea said, "I'm saying this because I'm worried about you."
“Haha, hahaha!”
“...?”
“Ahahahaha!”
“What? Why?”
When a person is so absurd, it makes me laugh more than cry.
Andrea's expression crumpled. That made me laugh even harder.
“Don’t worry. That’s right, my brother is worried about me.”
Don't worry too much about whether I'll ruin your smooth road.
'You must be so desperate to surpass me and ascend to the throne that you come running all trembling just because I went to a party.'
So, you were manipulating me with words like worry and even damaging the reputation of my maternal family.
'Ah...'
Looking at Andrea's distorted expression, I thought I knew.
'It was me that Andrea was afraid of.'
The laughter wouldn't stop.
Andrea got nervous.
“Why are you doing that! Are you really crazy?”
“Yeah. Maybe so.”
“What? Really?”
Andrea's eyes widened as if he didn't expect me to agree.
“Tell me more, Chloe. You know you can tell your brother everything, right?”
Andrea suddenly became kind and looked at me with warm eyes.
Now I know that kindness was a lie that had deceived me countless times.
I felt like taking off that mask.
I thought there might be a better number, then said calmly.
“I really wanted to go to a party like crazy yesterday. That’s why I went.”
“Is that all?”
“Yeah. It would be crazy not to follow your orders, but I wanted to do something crazy.”
Andrea sighed, as if he was at a loss.
“Why all of a sudden? Chloe, you’re not that kind of person.”
“Suddenly, I had this thought. If I wanted to go to a party, wouldn’t I be able to? My brother never asks for my permission, so why do I have to ask for your permission for everything? Isn’t that pathetic?”
"What...?"
“I wanted to lighten my brother’s burden. You have worked hard to take care of me, so I can’t make you work harder forever.”
“Chloe, that’s...!”
I smiled affectionately at Andrea.
Just like when Andrea first approached me.
“I did it all because I thought of you. Do you know how I feel? For your sake.”
Andrea's gaze wavered.
He looked as if he was extremely annoyed that I, who always trembled in front of him, was speaking my mind without fear of him.
He couldn't keep his composure.
“Don’t you know that your selfish behavior is only a burden to me? You made a mistake.”
Anger toward me for not listening to him and not doing what he wanted burned brightly in his eyes.
“Ha. You must have forgotten because you’ve been so shut in, but the royal family must uphold their dignity. You saw people pointing fingers at Her Majesty the Empress before? Do you want to be the same? I’m trying to protect you. So that you don’t make the same mistake as yesterday!”
From the beginning, he had no intention of listening to my story, but came to nag me and get angry at me.
So that I don't go out like this again without his permission.
My reasons were of no real interest to me.
“Are you in a position to worry about me now? Everyone is already worried that you might become like Her Majesty the Empress. The stain on the royal family is enough for Her Majesty the Empress. Do you understand? You know how worried I am that you might become like that. Your brother is trying to protect you.”
Because I had heard this so many times, I was no longer affected by words criticizing my mother by putting the word worry first.
“Chloe, everything I say is for your own good. Do you understand? Do you see now how foolish your thinking was this time?”
Andrea kept trying to get me to tell him that he was right and I was wrong.
“I did that for my brother, too.”
But no matter what he said, I responded in an affectionate tone and gave orders to the maid next to me.
“My brother, your throat must be sore from talking. Go and bring some warm tea and snacks.”
“Do you think that would go down my throat right now?”
I quickly ordered some more.
“Did you hear? Bring out a soft dessert for His Highness the Prince. Something like a smooth chocolate pudding.”
Pudding is always delicious, no matter when you eat it.
Then Andrea's face turned bright red, and he shouted at me, forgetting the dignity he so valued.
“Chloe!!”
It was a face so distorted as to be hideous.
'That's your real face.'
For a moment, the startled maids' gaze turned to Andrea.
It was the moment when the mask of a warm-hearted Prince and a caring older brother who took care of his half-sister was removed.
'Ah, it's thrilling.'
Andrea, who treasured the mask as much as his life, flinched when he felt the maids' gazes and panicked.
I made a sad face on purpose.
“Brother, are you yelling at me just now...? I was just worried that your throat might hurt...”
“Oh, no. That’s not it.”
He quickly lowered his voice and spoke as if making an excuse.
“This brother couldn’t contain his anger when I heard that Marquis Rodrian approached you at the party. Do you know how worried I was when I heard that? How dare someone like that approach you!”
It was as if the reason he had just gotten angry was because of Marquis Rodrian.
“How dare he approach my beloved sister while I’m away! How shameless and ignorant he is! What on earth could he do to you?”
I shook my head for a moment.
“Marquis Rodrian? I don’t know who that is...”
Of course, this time Andrea had no intention of listening to me.
“Approaching a girl who has already been married. People will point fingers at you and say you are doing such a promiscuous thing without even knowing it. Accepting a gift from another man? What are you going to do if the Princess doesn’t behave properly? They’ll say things like that.”
It just seems like the person is criticizing me.
“What are you going to do if Viscount Pelsus calls off your marriage because of this?”
"Well..."
“Marquis Rodrian has a bad reputation. You shouldn’t get close to him. I forbade you to go to the party because I was afraid something like this would happen.”
“...”
“Do you realize now how wrong you were? Chloe, you know how much I care about your marriage. If your marriage is ruined because of someone like Marquis Rodrian, I will be so angry that I can’t stand it...”
'The talk is too long. I'm tired just listening to it.'
As I was sighing inwardly, a maid came running into the room we were in.
Instead of reporting to me, the master of this palace, she spoke to Andrea as if it were a given.
“Your Highness! Marquis Rodrian has come to see Her Highness!”
'Good!'
It was perfect timing.
I wanted to yell at Karl, who wasn't even there.
'Look, Marquis Rodrian won't reject me and will come to me.'
I quickly hid my satisfied expression as Andrea turned his head sharply and glared at me.
“Why, Marquis Rodrian? You invited him?”
“There’s no way I would do that.”
I pretended to be innocent and shook my head.
“What a crazy man. Where is this place?”
I clapped my hands together as if it were a good thing and said to Andrea.
“You can personally admonish Marquis Rodrian. Will you do so for me?”
"Uh...?"
Andrea's gaze shook wildly.
“Chloe!”
Andrea burst into the room without my permission and opened the door.
'You're later than expected. I thought you'd come as soon as the party was over.'
It was Andrea whom I first met after waking up from death.
I was a little surprised to see him approaching me with a mixture of tension and anger, feeling anxious.
'What?'
I felt uneasy.
'I used to be more intimidated in front of Andrea because he always looked so flashy and sophisticated, but now he just... looks weird.'
In my memories, Andrea always looked grown-up, cool, and big.
But when I actually went back to the past and faced Andrea, he didn't seem as great as I remembered.
Andrea was wearing brightly colored clothes, his dirty blonde hair pulled back to cover his neck, and his neck collar puffed out.
He was dressed up so extravagantly from head to toe that he actually looked ridiculous.
'Like a clown.'
I thought that if I saw Andrea again, I would be so angry that I wouldn't be able to keep my composure.
I was worried that I would not be able to face Andrea in my right mind, who had killed my mother and tricked me into living a life of utter misery.
But my worries were in vain, and when I met Andrea, I became calmer.
'Why have I been afraid of that kind of person for so long?'
He seemed so big and awesome that it felt like the world would end if he hated me.
It seemed as if the only fence protecting me was disappearing.
But now I know that he is not the one who protects me, but the one who pushed me into a corner, and that no matter how hard I try, he will never truly love me.
Maybe that's why I wasn't scared of him.
Just another person, no need to look good or feel intimidated. Even just a funny clown.
'Besides, seeing Callius and Andrea, they look a bit... unattractive.'
Was he such a small and dwarf person?
The surprise I felt when I met Callius last night was still vivid in my mind.
'He was huge. He looked like a man made of steel.'
What were the eyes like? It was like meeting a wild wolf.
I couldn't forget the feeling of my spine tingling.
Whether it was the psychological effect or Callius's fault, Andrea no longer seemed so impressive.
Still, I shrugged my shoulders as usual and watched Andrea closely so that he wouldn't think anything strange.
“Brother...”
“What the hell were you doing yesterday? You showed up at a party in your pajamas? Are you out of your mind? What the hell is going on with you these days? What the hell were you thinking? Are you crazy like your mother?”
I was shocked by Andrea's shameless dare to bring up my mother.
Andrea let out a deep sigh, as if his feelings were showing on his face without him knowing it.
“Ugh, you don’t look well, do you? You’re not in a bad mood because you’re worried about your brother right now, are you? You know that, too. The doctor said your maternal family has a mental illness.”
I tried to act as timid as usual, but I couldn't help but burst out laughing when Andrea said, "I'm saying this because I'm worried about you."
“Haha, hahaha!”
“...?”
“Ahahahaha!”
“What? Why?”
When a person is so absurd, it makes me laugh more than cry.
Andrea's expression crumpled. That made me laugh even harder.
“Don’t worry. That’s right, my brother is worried about me.”
Don't worry too much about whether I'll ruin your smooth road.
'You must be so desperate to surpass me and ascend to the throne that you come running all trembling just because I went to a party.'
So, you were manipulating me with words like worry and even damaging the reputation of my maternal family.
'Ah...'
Looking at Andrea's distorted expression, I thought I knew.
'It was me that Andrea was afraid of.'
The laughter wouldn't stop.
Andrea got nervous.
“Why are you doing that! Are you really crazy?”
“Yeah. Maybe so.”
“What? Really?”
Andrea's eyes widened as if he didn't expect me to agree.
“Tell me more, Chloe. You know you can tell your brother everything, right?”
Andrea suddenly became kind and looked at me with warm eyes.
Now I know that kindness was a lie that had deceived me countless times.
I felt like taking off that mask.
I thought there might be a better number, then said calmly.
“I really wanted to go to a party like crazy yesterday. That’s why I went.”
“Is that all?”
“Yeah. It would be crazy not to follow your orders, but I wanted to do something crazy.”
Andrea sighed, as if he was at a loss.
“Why all of a sudden? Chloe, you’re not that kind of person.”
“Suddenly, I had this thought. If I wanted to go to a party, wouldn’t I be able to? My brother never asks for my permission, so why do I have to ask for your permission for everything? Isn’t that pathetic?”
"What...?"
“I wanted to lighten my brother’s burden. You have worked hard to take care of me, so I can’t make you work harder forever.”
“Chloe, that’s...!”
I smiled affectionately at Andrea.
Just like when Andrea first approached me.
“I did it all because I thought of you. Do you know how I feel? For your sake.”
Andrea's gaze wavered.
He looked as if he was extremely annoyed that I, who always trembled in front of him, was speaking my mind without fear of him.
He couldn't keep his composure.
“Don’t you know that your selfish behavior is only a burden to me? You made a mistake.”
Anger toward me for not listening to him and not doing what he wanted burned brightly in his eyes.
“Ha. You must have forgotten because you’ve been so shut in, but the royal family must uphold their dignity. You saw people pointing fingers at Her Majesty the Empress before? Do you want to be the same? I’m trying to protect you. So that you don’t make the same mistake as yesterday!”
From the beginning, he had no intention of listening to my story, but came to nag me and get angry at me.
So that I don't go out like this again without his permission.
My reasons were of no real interest to me.
“Are you in a position to worry about me now? Everyone is already worried that you might become like Her Majesty the Empress. The stain on the royal family is enough for Her Majesty the Empress. Do you understand? You know how worried I am that you might become like that. Your brother is trying to protect you.”
Because I had heard this so many times, I was no longer affected by words criticizing my mother by putting the word worry first.
“Chloe, everything I say is for your own good. Do you understand? Do you see now how foolish your thinking was this time?”
Andrea kept trying to get me to tell him that he was right and I was wrong.
“I did that for my brother, too.”
But no matter what he said, I responded in an affectionate tone and gave orders to the maid next to me.
“My brother, your throat must be sore from talking. Go and bring some warm tea and snacks.”
“Do you think that would go down my throat right now?”
I quickly ordered some more.
“Did you hear? Bring out a soft dessert for His Highness the Prince. Something like a smooth chocolate pudding.”
Pudding is always delicious, no matter when you eat it.
Then Andrea's face turned bright red, and he shouted at me, forgetting the dignity he so valued.
“Chloe!!”
It was a face so distorted as to be hideous.
'That's your real face.'
For a moment, the startled maids' gaze turned to Andrea.
It was the moment when the mask of a warm-hearted Prince and a caring older brother who took care of his half-sister was removed.
'Ah, it's thrilling.'
Andrea, who treasured the mask as much as his life, flinched when he felt the maids' gazes and panicked.
I made a sad face on purpose.
“Brother, are you yelling at me just now...? I was just worried that your throat might hurt...”
“Oh, no. That’s not it.”
He quickly lowered his voice and spoke as if making an excuse.
“This brother couldn’t contain his anger when I heard that Marquis Rodrian approached you at the party. Do you know how worried I was when I heard that? How dare someone like that approach you!”
It was as if the reason he had just gotten angry was because of Marquis Rodrian.
“How dare he approach my beloved sister while I’m away! How shameless and ignorant he is! What on earth could he do to you?”
I shook my head for a moment.
“Marquis Rodrian? I don’t know who that is...”
Of course, this time Andrea had no intention of listening to me.
“Approaching a girl who has already been married. People will point fingers at you and say you are doing such a promiscuous thing without even knowing it. Accepting a gift from another man? What are you going to do if the Princess doesn’t behave properly? They’ll say things like that.”
It just seems like the person is criticizing me.
“What are you going to do if Viscount Pelsus calls off your marriage because of this?”
"Well..."
“Marquis Rodrian has a bad reputation. You shouldn’t get close to him. I forbade you to go to the party because I was afraid something like this would happen.”
“...”
“Do you realize now how wrong you were? Chloe, you know how much I care about your marriage. If your marriage is ruined because of someone like Marquis Rodrian, I will be so angry that I can’t stand it...”
'The talk is too long. I'm tired just listening to it.'
As I was sighing inwardly, a maid came running into the room we were in.
Instead of reporting to me, the master of this palace, she spoke to Andrea as if it were a given.
“Your Highness! Marquis Rodrian has come to see Her Highness!”
'Good!'
It was perfect timing.
I wanted to yell at Karl, who wasn't even there.
'Look, Marquis Rodrian won't reject me and will come to me.'
I quickly hid my satisfied expression as Andrea turned his head sharply and glared at me.
“Why, Marquis Rodrian? You invited him?”
“There’s no way I would do that.”
I pretended to be innocent and shook my head.
“What a crazy man. Where is this place?”
I clapped my hands together as if it were a good thing and said to Andrea.
“You can personally admonish Marquis Rodrian. Will you do so for me?”
"Uh...?"
Andrea's gaze shook wildly.
Comments
Post a Comment