Episode 9. Should I ignore the horrific and brutal murder you're undergoing?
In the original, the heroine and the Grand Duke of Artaeum had never even brushed shoulders... Not only did they run into each other at the auction house, but he even invited her to a banquet?
In the original, the heroine and the Grand Duke of Artaeum had never even brushed shoulders... Not only did they run into each other at the auction house, but he even invited her to a banquet?
Rose was perplexed. Moreover, the banquet was for her, Countess Wence, not Count Wence. There was absolutely no reason for the Grand Duke to see her. He had declared war on Rose with glaring eyes, saying, “If that’s real, I won’t let you off,” but Luna’s Tears were eventually revealed to be fake.
In the original, Eric sent it to the Empress as a gift, but it turned out to be fake, and this time, it was revealed that a noble had sent it to the Empress as well. That’s why Rose thought she had never met the Grand Duke of Artaeum. Until she received this invitation.
‘...What should I do?’
Rose was deeply troubled. She had been invited by the Grand Duke, so it would be proper to attend, at least out of courtesy. But the thought crossed her mind: since the Grand Duke was about to die, perhaps it wasn't necessary to go anyway.
'Ah... what are you thinking? Even if you're a character in a novel, how can you think like that in front of someone who's about to die?'
Rose shook her head and scolded herself at the thought.
“I guess I should go.”
Rose sighed softly, her face gloomy. But she quickly tried to think positively. She reasoned that this might be a good opportunity to get involved in high society and gauge the mood. While Rose was distracted by the Grand Duke, Doana was rummaging through Rose's closet and accessory case as if it were her own. She was fiddling with the hem of Rose's dress, her eyes gleaming with greed.
'When I become a Countess, I'll have to have this closet filled with new dresses.'
Without asking Rose, she took out a gorgeous red dress and tried it on herself.
“As expected... I suit it much better.”
She looked at herself in the mirror, the corners of her mouth slightly raised. Doana hung her dress on the shelf and reached for her accessory box. She'd assumed a Countess would have many beautiful jewels, but when she opened the box, she tilted her head in confusion.
“What, nothing special?”
The accessory box contained only a diamond-encrusted necklace, earrings, and a tiara. Doana tried the tiara on her head and smiled with satisfaction.
'Yeah, that's me. Why should I get involved with that beggar?'
After marrying Lee Do-hyun, money was always scarce. Even though he was a big business tycoon, Lee Do-hyun, who grew up in an ordinary household, couldn't satisfy her. He occasionally bought her designer bags, but it wasn't enough. Quarterly overseas trips and the adoration of luxury goods were part of her daily routine. She was born with a silver spoon in her mouth.
Rose was deeply troubled. She had been invited by the Grand Duke, so it would be proper to attend, at least out of courtesy. But the thought crossed her mind: since the Grand Duke was about to die, perhaps it wasn't necessary to go anyway.
'Ah... what are you thinking? Even if you're a character in a novel, how can you think like that in front of someone who's about to die?'
Rose shook her head and scolded herself at the thought.
“I guess I should go.”
Rose sighed softly, her face gloomy. But she quickly tried to think positively. She reasoned that this might be a good opportunity to get involved in high society and gauge the mood. While Rose was distracted by the Grand Duke, Doana was rummaging through Rose's closet and accessory case as if it were her own. She was fiddling with the hem of Rose's dress, her eyes gleaming with greed.
'When I become a Countess, I'll have to have this closet filled with new dresses.'
Without asking Rose, she took out a gorgeous red dress and tried it on herself.
“As expected... I suit it much better.”
She looked at herself in the mirror, the corners of her mouth slightly raised. Doana hung her dress on the shelf and reached for her accessory box. She'd assumed a Countess would have many beautiful jewels, but when she opened the box, she tilted her head in confusion.
“What, nothing special?”
The accessory box contained only a diamond-encrusted necklace, earrings, and a tiara. Doana tried the tiara on her head and smiled with satisfaction.
'Yeah, that's me. Why should I get involved with that beggar?'
After marrying Lee Do-hyun, money was always scarce. Even though he was a big business tycoon, Lee Do-hyun, who grew up in an ordinary household, couldn't satisfy her. He occasionally bought her designer bags, but it wasn't enough. Quarterly overseas trips and the adoration of luxury goods were part of her daily routine. She was born with a silver spoon in her mouth.
Rummaging through her drawer, hoping to find something more, Do-ahna's eyes widened when she stumbled upon an unexpected item.
“Baby shoes?”
What emerged from the ship were tiny baby shoes. The pristine white shoes looked remarkably well-maintained. Of course, there were no signs of wear whatsoever.
“Hmm, why keep something so useless? You’re already going to have a miscarriage anyway.”
Doana threw the baby's shoes into the box with a remark that seemed to lack empathy. Suddenly, seeing the shoes, Doana was reminded of her own child, whom she had forgotten about. Others say having a child is so beautiful, but she felt no maternal love for her child. Taking care of her own body was more important than caring for her child, and getting enough sleep for her skin was even more important. Whenever she cried and fussed, she felt that she had given birth to her child for nothing. Doana, briefly reminded of her child, muttered as she fixed her hair in the mirror.
“Well, here, if you give birth to a child, the nanny will take care of raising it for you, so I don’t have to worry about it.”
Her words and actions were devoid of any maternal love. Only then, after deciding to accept the Grand Duke's invitation, did Rose realize Doana was strangely quiet.
“Baby shoes?”
What emerged from the ship were tiny baby shoes. The pristine white shoes looked remarkably well-maintained. Of course, there were no signs of wear whatsoever.
“Hmm, why keep something so useless? You’re already going to have a miscarriage anyway.”
Doana threw the baby's shoes into the box with a remark that seemed to lack empathy. Suddenly, seeing the shoes, Doana was reminded of her own child, whom she had forgotten about. Others say having a child is so beautiful, but she felt no maternal love for her child. Taking care of her own body was more important than caring for her child, and getting enough sleep for her skin was even more important. Whenever she cried and fussed, she felt that she had given birth to her child for nothing. Doana, briefly reminded of her child, muttered as she fixed her hair in the mirror.
“Well, here, if you give birth to a child, the nanny will take care of raising it for you, so I don’t have to worry about it.”
Her words and actions were devoid of any maternal love. Only then, after deciding to accept the Grand Duke's invitation, did Rose realize Doana was strangely quiet.
Normally, she would have been chattering away, interrogating her about this and that. Rose, wondering what Doana was doing, looked at her and saw her rummaging through her accessory case without saying a word. She even wore her own tiara.
Rose walked towards Doana, clicking- clicking- clicking.
"What are you doing?"
“I was just looking. This is really pretty. Doesn’t it suit me?”
Doana, far from being surprised by Rose's arrival, smiled, pointing to the tiara on her head. The piece Doana was wearing was likely a gift from Eric. It was the first and last gift Rose, the heroine of the novel, received from him. She remembers reading that she treasured it.
“This won’t do.”
Rose took off the tiara Doana was wearing and smiled playfully.
'Is it because Rose said she treasured it so much because it was a gift she received from Eric at her wedding? It made it feel unnecessarily precious to me, too.'
In truth, Rose didn't care about the tiara or the jewels Eric gave her. But if she had tried to relinquish her position as Countess without any hesitation, she might have doubted herself, given her personality.
Rose walked towards Doana, clicking- clicking- clicking.
"What are you doing?"
“I was just looking. This is really pretty. Doesn’t it suit me?”
Doana, far from being surprised by Rose's arrival, smiled, pointing to the tiara on her head. The piece Doana was wearing was likely a gift from Eric. It was the first and last gift Rose, the heroine of the novel, received from him. She remembers reading that she treasured it.
“This won’t do.”
Rose took off the tiara Doana was wearing and smiled playfully.
'Is it because Rose said she treasured it so much because it was a gift she received from Eric at her wedding? It made it feel unnecessarily precious to me, too.'
In truth, Rose didn't care about the tiara or the jewels Eric gave her. But if she had tried to relinquish her position as Countess without any hesitation, she might have doubted herself, given her personality.
Doana coveted what others valued. That's probably why she married Lee Do-hyun, who wasn't even close to her level. The grass always seemed greener on the other side.
“Oh, it was a wedding gift?”
“Yes. This is the first and last gift the Count gives to the Countess.”
“Oh my, this is your first and last time?”
Doana's eyes widened in surprise at Rose's words. Then she touched her ear and thought.
'I've already had three.'
It was hard to hide her quivering lips. She's received three in less than a month, yet the Countess had only received one in over three years.
“Oh no... that’s too bad. I already received several from my boyfriend.”
Doana, pretending to comfort her, secretly bragged about the gift she'd received. Doana, who had been looking at Rose with a hypocritical gaze, grabbed her hand.
"Should I ask the Count for a favor? He might grant me a favor."
“...My husband?”
As Rose trailed off, Doana opened her eyes wide with innocent eyes and waved her hand.
"Oh, you didn't misunderstand, did you? Of course, I'm the Count's maid, so we're together every day. And we spend even more time together than you."
Doana slyly revealed her closeness with the Count and smiled at Rose.
"The Count is such a kind man. He's so kind, I can't even imagine how much he'll treat you, his wife."
'You've seen the Count act so coldly to me, and yet you say this? You're quite the expert at provoking people.'
Of course, since she didn't like the Count, Rose's heart wasn't broken. However, Rose didn't forget to keep a sullen expression. This kind of petty acting was necessary for the bigger picture. Rose wore a bitter expression and hurriedly left the room.
“...I left something in the study. I’ll go first.”
To Doana, it must have seemed like Rose was avoiding the scene because she was emotionally wounded. Rose's expression turned cold as she left her room. If anyone else had seen her, they might have thought she had a split personality. As she walked slowly, Rose glanced at the large clock hanging in the center of the wall and muttered to herself.
“There’s still some time left until dinner.”
Eric hadn't been out as much as he used to, perhaps because his lover was at the mansion. He was dissatisfied with the fact that he had to meet her for meals more often. Rose, wondering what to do with the remaining time, turned to the study. She'd never really been there outside of class, but it seemed like a perfect place to pass the time. Rose opened the door and entered, tilting her head.
“Huh?”
It was because there were unorganized documents scattered on the desk. Rose, who thought they might belong to Count Wence, averted her gaze from the desk and turned her gaze to the bookshelf. Just then, a breeze blew through the open window. The documents on the desk were instantly blown away and began to fall to the floor. It must have been because of that window, which hadn't been closed. Rose stared blankly at the documents at her feet, then slowly picked them up. She hadn't really intended to read them, but the familiar name made her eyes turn to them.
“This, this is...!”
Rose's hands, which were holding the documents, began to tremble.
“The execution of the Grand Duke of Artaeum?”
What did I just see?
“Oh, it was a wedding gift?”
“Yes. This is the first and last gift the Count gives to the Countess.”
“Oh my, this is your first and last time?”
Doana's eyes widened in surprise at Rose's words. Then she touched her ear and thought.
'I've already had three.'
It was hard to hide her quivering lips. She's received three in less than a month, yet the Countess had only received one in over three years.
“Oh no... that’s too bad. I already received several from my boyfriend.”
Doana, pretending to comfort her, secretly bragged about the gift she'd received. Doana, who had been looking at Rose with a hypocritical gaze, grabbed her hand.
"Should I ask the Count for a favor? He might grant me a favor."
“...My husband?”
As Rose trailed off, Doana opened her eyes wide with innocent eyes and waved her hand.
"Oh, you didn't misunderstand, did you? Of course, I'm the Count's maid, so we're together every day. And we spend even more time together than you."
Doana slyly revealed her closeness with the Count and smiled at Rose.
"The Count is such a kind man. He's so kind, I can't even imagine how much he'll treat you, his wife."
'You've seen the Count act so coldly to me, and yet you say this? You're quite the expert at provoking people.'
Of course, since she didn't like the Count, Rose's heart wasn't broken. However, Rose didn't forget to keep a sullen expression. This kind of petty acting was necessary for the bigger picture. Rose wore a bitter expression and hurriedly left the room.
“...I left something in the study. I’ll go first.”
To Doana, it must have seemed like Rose was avoiding the scene because she was emotionally wounded. Rose's expression turned cold as she left her room. If anyone else had seen her, they might have thought she had a split personality. As she walked slowly, Rose glanced at the large clock hanging in the center of the wall and muttered to herself.
“There’s still some time left until dinner.”
Eric hadn't been out as much as he used to, perhaps because his lover was at the mansion. He was dissatisfied with the fact that he had to meet her for meals more often. Rose, wondering what to do with the remaining time, turned to the study. She'd never really been there outside of class, but it seemed like a perfect place to pass the time. Rose opened the door and entered, tilting her head.
“Huh?”
It was because there were unorganized documents scattered on the desk. Rose, who thought they might belong to Count Wence, averted her gaze from the desk and turned her gaze to the bookshelf. Just then, a breeze blew through the open window. The documents on the desk were instantly blown away and began to fall to the floor. It must have been because of that window, which hadn't been closed. Rose stared blankly at the documents at her feet, then slowly picked them up. She hadn't really intended to read them, but the familiar name made her eyes turn to them.
“This, this is...!”
Rose's hands, which were holding the documents, began to tremble.
“The execution of the Grand Duke of Artaeum?”
What did I just see?
Rose's mind went blank. The documents showed traces of careful consideration of how to deal with the Grand Duke of Artaeum. It seemed they were not only planning a reasonable way to kill the Grand Duke, but also involved in the deaths of the former Emperor and Empress.
[If he dies from a chronic illness like the former Emperor, many people might suspect poisoning. If the Grand Duke dies in quick succession, following the former Emperor and Empress, suspicion will inevitably arise. If this incident tarnishes the Grand Duke of Artaeum's reputation, no one will object to his execution.]
Rose covered her mouth in shock and remained silent. The documents she held contained no specific plans. Rose, who had been holding the documents blankly, quickly began to pick up the scattered documents on the floor.
'I need to check how things are going...'
Even a fragmentary glance revealed the truth. They were murdering the innocent Emperor and Empress, and plotting to kill their son, the Grand Duke. Perhaps it was because she had already read about the unspeakable and brutal death of the Grand Duke of Artaeum. Rose couldn't help but be concerned about the death of the Grand Duke, whose face she had only seen once.
'I need to check how things are going...'
Even a fragmentary glance revealed the truth. They were murdering the innocent Emperor and Empress, and plotting to kill their son, the Grand Duke. Perhaps it was because she had already read about the unspeakable and brutal death of the Grand Duke of Artaeum. Rose couldn't help but be concerned about the death of the Grand Duke, whose face she had only seen once.
Rose's hands trembled as she picked up the documents that had fallen to the floor. She bit her lower lip and muttered with difficulty.
“Why are there so many documents?”
Normally, she would have picked it up quickly, but remaining calm in such a precarious situation proved quite difficult. It took Rose a long time to gather all the documents. Then, she spread them out on the desk and sighed. The order was so jumbled that she had no idea which document to look at first. Rose, deeply contemplating, picked up the documents. Then, suddenly, someone opened the study door and came in.
“Why are there so many documents?”
Normally, she would have picked it up quickly, but remaining calm in such a precarious situation proved quite difficult. It took Rose a long time to gather all the documents. Then, she spread them out on the desk and sighed. The order was so jumbled that she had no idea which document to look at first. Rose, deeply contemplating, picked up the documents. Then, suddenly, someone opened the study door and came in.
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