Episode 91. Rose, I Missed You
Her stomach churned.
The food she had eaten for lunch churned up.
Doana staggered to her feet, feeling nauseous. Before she could even take a single step, she vomited.
“Uwweek!”
The vomit that had escaped between Doana’s fingers soaked the floor.
Tercia looked at Doana’s suffering with pity.
Of course, she was secretly laughing at Doana’s appearance.
“Oh my. What should I do? The ginger tea you were drinking doesn’t suit your taste at all.”
Tercia grabbed the bell on the table and shook it urgently. The bell rang, and the servants came inside.
“Get that filthy filth out of my sight.”
Doana, frantically vomiting everything inside, glared at Tercia with a venomous look in her eyes.
“Mother! Ugh, what on earth did you feed me!”
Even as she spoke, she screamed, nauseated.
Among the servants who entered when Tercia rang the bell was Beliana's nanny.
Beliana glanced at the nanny and then, as if to show off, hurled a chilling remark at Doana.
"Truly, it's hard to find manners in these lowly people! Mother gave you ginger tea, which is good for the Count's bloodline, but all you know is complaining."
She continued, her expression showing that she didn't want to associate with Doana.
"Everyone else has morning sickness, so don't make a fuss. Is being pregnant a bad thing?"
She scolded Doana, who was vomiting, for making a fuss about morning sickness.
It was something that no one who had ever suffered from morning sickness could ever utter.
However, the more she treated Doana, the more she received praise from the nanny.
The nanny's praise was proof that Beliana was faithfully fulfilling her role.
She firmly believed in the Marquis of Dikar's promise to let her meet her younger sister, and faithfully fulfilled her role.
Tercia was deeply pleased with Beliana, who took on the role of villain.
She didn't have to be mean herself; Beliana did everything for her.
"Mother, from now on, don't give anything to that lowly woman. She doesn't even know gratitude, and she dares to insult you."
"Eldest child. Don't act like that. Her hormones are making her feel uneasy. What can I do but understand?"
Tercia's tears welled up as she played the role of a kind mother-in-law, despite her feelings.
"Because you're so tenderhearted, that lowly thing keeps trying to get in your way! Bring Doana out now. The repulsive stench will permeate your body."
Beliana raged on Tercia's behalf and pointed a finger at Doana.
The once tenderhearted slave had become a perfect example of Beliana.
Everyone has an evil nature.
Her suppressed nature could be fully developed through her environment.
The once-weak slave was no longer good.
Doana exploded with indignation at the sight of Beliana humiliating her.
“Ha! If you’ve never been pregnant, watch your words! Morning sickness is so hard. You think I’m trying to influence you?!”
She couldn’t calm her churning stomach, but she had to say what she had to say.
You rascal.
Do you think you don’t even suffer from morning sickness?
'...Of course, as long as I keep my eyes wide open, I’ll never let you get pregnant.'
Doana didn’t hide her venomous glare at Beliana even as she left, supported by the maids.
'The saying ‘a woman’s enemy is another woman’s enemy’ came about because of brats like you!'
Doana swallowed the words she couldn’t bring herself to say and gritted her teeth.
If Rose had heard these words, she would have been speechless.
It would have been ridiculous to see Doana gritting her teeth without even reflecting on her own actions.
Doana couldn't just sit by and watch the shame she'd inflicted on Beliana and Tercia.
She wiped her hands and face with the wet wipes the maid had brought her and went straight to Eric.
"Count!"
She was fully aware that Eric had been sick for several days since returning from the palace, but now was not the time to be discussing such matters.
She tried to exaggerate her situation, telling him that she had almost miscarried her child.
As Doana tried to enter, the knight guarding the door stopped her.
"The Count said not to disturb him, as he was resting."
"Get out of the way! My child almost miscarried! Are you going to take responsibility if I miscarry?"
She vented her anger at the stern knight for what she'd done to Tercia and Beliana, then violently opened Eric's room and slammed it shut.
The room was eerily quiet.
Eric's eyes were closed, as if he'd fallen asleep.
Doana ran towards him, calling his name noisily.
"Eric!"
Eric, barely awake, opened his eyes to the commotion. He was jolted awake by the sound of a voice calling him.
Rubbing his eyes in a daze, Eric saw Rose running towards him.
A woman running towards him in the red dress he'd given her. It was Doana, but in Eric's eyes, she was Rose.
Was this a dream? Rose running towards him?
It didn't matter whether it was a dream or not.
Eric, forgetting the pain, jumped up and sat up. He hugged Doana, who was running towards him, with all his might.
"...I missed you."
He hugged Doana tightly, as if he would never let her go.
"I missed you, too."
Doana wrapped her arms around Eric's waist, oblivious to the fact that he mistook her for Rose.
Eric felt a surge of emotion at Doana's voice, saying she missed him too.
Although it was clearly different from Rose's voice, his brain already recognized Doana as Rose.
Eric held Doana tightly in his arms for a long time, refusing to let go.
Doana's distrust of Eric, who had treated her coldly, melted away under his strong embrace.
"Of course, Eric wouldn't neglect me.'
His harsh words were likely simply due to stress.
Eric was human, and stress could make people prickly.
The mere fact that he cared for her comforted her after what Tercia and Beliana had done to her. No matter how much she struggled, it was okay because it proved that Eric only had her.
Eric, who had been desperately holding Doana, kissed her lips.
And then, a pungent smell wafted into his nostrils.
Eric, about to kiss her, felt something strange and raised his head.
"I'm sorry, Eric. I came here with morning sickness."
Doana was standing before him.
It wasn't Rose.
Eric covered his nose and mouth and hurriedly looked around.
There was no trace of Rose. His dazed mind suddenly cleared.
“Hah... Why are you here?”
A sharp, aggressive voice spoke to Doana.
Doana was taken aback by Eric’s sudden change in behavior. He had been embracing her so desperately just a moment ago.
He gave her an eerie look and grabbed her shoulders.
“Why... are you wearing Rose’s clothes?”
Because of that damned dress, he had mistaken Doana for Rose.
The fact that the person in front of him wasn’t Rose filled him with a sense of emptiness and even anger.
“Answer me! Why are you wearing Rose’s clothes!”
Doana felt terrified for the first time in her life, seeing Eric, his haggard face, clutching her shoulders.
“Oh, it hurts!”
Doana cried out, but Eric refused to let her go.
“Take it off.”
“Why are you doing this?”
Eric's eyes, sparkling with dazzling light, sent shivers down her spine.
He looked down at Doana through half-lidded eyes and ripped at her clothes.
"Didn't you hear me say, 'Take it off right now?'"
With a whoosh, the shoulder of the dress was ripped open.
Doana clutched her torn shoulder and looked at Eric.
Eric, still clutching the torn hem of her dress, let out a maniacal laugh.
"Ha... haha, hahaha!"
"Are you crazy? Why are you doing this?"
Doana was completely unfamiliar with Eric's seemingly lost consciousness.
"Rose... Rose..."
He cried out Rose's name and gripped the hem of her dress tightly. Then he lowered his head.
"Oh, no way. Did you mistake me for Rose?"
The sight of him repeatedly calling Rose's name was utterly absurd.
To anyone, it would seem as if he had forcibly separated Rose and Eric.
He abandoned her, and now he's acting so irritating.
Doana didn't understand at all, and her pride was bruised.
"...Who said you could wear that dress?"
Eric's low voice trembled.
"The Count told me to wear Rose's dress for the time being. Yiu promised me you'd make me one right away."
Doana's words were true.
Everything Doana currently enjoyed was practically an inheritance from Rose.
She had received various jewelry and shoes before her pregnancy, but that was it.
Since Doana entered the government, she hadn't received any gifts at all.
Doana's dress was Rose's, and her room was also Rose's.
Rose's room wasn't the one used by the count's mistress in the first place, so it was an inheritance.
"When did I?"
"Huh?"
But Eric's expression was cold, as if nothing had happened.
"When did I tell you to use Rose's things?"
"I clearly did last time..."
"Shut up!"
Eric cut Doana off, losing his temper and cursing.
"You. From now on, don't touch Rose's things. And get out of that room. I'll have a servant decorate your new room for you."
"...Eric. Why are you acting like this all of a sudden?"
Doana, sensing Eric's uneasy mood, tucked her tail between her legs. Then she took a step towards him.
However, Eric's reaction was devastating.
"Don't call me Eric. Call me Count."
Doana froze in place, speechless.
But she couldn't back down like this.
If she were kicked out of Rose's room now, her already tenuous position would be further diminished.
"Understood, Count. You're tired, aren't you? Let's rest for today and talk again when you're sober, yes?"
She couldn't accept Eric's order. She was subtly postponing his decision, planning a solution.
"Get out of my room right now."
"Count."
Her stomach churned.
The food she had eaten for lunch churned up.
Doana staggered to her feet, feeling nauseous. Before she could even take a single step, she vomited.
“Uwweek!”
The vomit that had escaped between Doana’s fingers soaked the floor.
Tercia looked at Doana’s suffering with pity.
Of course, she was secretly laughing at Doana’s appearance.
“Oh my. What should I do? The ginger tea you were drinking doesn’t suit your taste at all.”
Tercia grabbed the bell on the table and shook it urgently. The bell rang, and the servants came inside.
“Get that filthy filth out of my sight.”
Doana, frantically vomiting everything inside, glared at Tercia with a venomous look in her eyes.
“Mother! Ugh, what on earth did you feed me!”
Even as she spoke, she screamed, nauseated.
Among the servants who entered when Tercia rang the bell was Beliana's nanny.
Beliana glanced at the nanny and then, as if to show off, hurled a chilling remark at Doana.
"Truly, it's hard to find manners in these lowly people! Mother gave you ginger tea, which is good for the Count's bloodline, but all you know is complaining."
She continued, her expression showing that she didn't want to associate with Doana.
"Everyone else has morning sickness, so don't make a fuss. Is being pregnant a bad thing?"
She scolded Doana, who was vomiting, for making a fuss about morning sickness.
It was something that no one who had ever suffered from morning sickness could ever utter.
However, the more she treated Doana, the more she received praise from the nanny.
The nanny's praise was proof that Beliana was faithfully fulfilling her role.
She firmly believed in the Marquis of Dikar's promise to let her meet her younger sister, and faithfully fulfilled her role.
Tercia was deeply pleased with Beliana, who took on the role of villain.
She didn't have to be mean herself; Beliana did everything for her.
"Mother, from now on, don't give anything to that lowly woman. She doesn't even know gratitude, and she dares to insult you."
"Eldest child. Don't act like that. Her hormones are making her feel uneasy. What can I do but understand?"
Tercia's tears welled up as she played the role of a kind mother-in-law, despite her feelings.
"Because you're so tenderhearted, that lowly thing keeps trying to get in your way! Bring Doana out now. The repulsive stench will permeate your body."
Beliana raged on Tercia's behalf and pointed a finger at Doana.
The once tenderhearted slave had become a perfect example of Beliana.
Everyone has an evil nature.
Her suppressed nature could be fully developed through her environment.
The once-weak slave was no longer good.
Doana exploded with indignation at the sight of Beliana humiliating her.
“Ha! If you’ve never been pregnant, watch your words! Morning sickness is so hard. You think I’m trying to influence you?!”
She couldn’t calm her churning stomach, but she had to say what she had to say.
You rascal.
Do you think you don’t even suffer from morning sickness?
'...Of course, as long as I keep my eyes wide open, I’ll never let you get pregnant.'
Doana didn’t hide her venomous glare at Beliana even as she left, supported by the maids.
'The saying ‘a woman’s enemy is another woman’s enemy’ came about because of brats like you!'
Doana swallowed the words she couldn’t bring herself to say and gritted her teeth.
If Rose had heard these words, she would have been speechless.
It would have been ridiculous to see Doana gritting her teeth without even reflecting on her own actions.
Doana couldn't just sit by and watch the shame she'd inflicted on Beliana and Tercia.
She wiped her hands and face with the wet wipes the maid had brought her and went straight to Eric.
"Count!"
She was fully aware that Eric had been sick for several days since returning from the palace, but now was not the time to be discussing such matters.
She tried to exaggerate her situation, telling him that she had almost miscarried her child.
As Doana tried to enter, the knight guarding the door stopped her.
"The Count said not to disturb him, as he was resting."
"Get out of the way! My child almost miscarried! Are you going to take responsibility if I miscarry?"
She vented her anger at the stern knight for what she'd done to Tercia and Beliana, then violently opened Eric's room and slammed it shut.
The room was eerily quiet.
Eric's eyes were closed, as if he'd fallen asleep.
Doana ran towards him, calling his name noisily.
"Eric!"
Eric, barely awake, opened his eyes to the commotion. He was jolted awake by the sound of a voice calling him.
Rubbing his eyes in a daze, Eric saw Rose running towards him.
A woman running towards him in the red dress he'd given her. It was Doana, but in Eric's eyes, she was Rose.
Was this a dream? Rose running towards him?
It didn't matter whether it was a dream or not.
Eric, forgetting the pain, jumped up and sat up. He hugged Doana, who was running towards him, with all his might.
"...I missed you."
He hugged Doana tightly, as if he would never let her go.
"I missed you, too."
Doana wrapped her arms around Eric's waist, oblivious to the fact that he mistook her for Rose.
Eric felt a surge of emotion at Doana's voice, saying she missed him too.
Although it was clearly different from Rose's voice, his brain already recognized Doana as Rose.
Eric held Doana tightly in his arms for a long time, refusing to let go.
Doana's distrust of Eric, who had treated her coldly, melted away under his strong embrace.
"Of course, Eric wouldn't neglect me.'
His harsh words were likely simply due to stress.
Eric was human, and stress could make people prickly.
The mere fact that he cared for her comforted her after what Tercia and Beliana had done to her. No matter how much she struggled, it was okay because it proved that Eric only had her.
Eric, who had been desperately holding Doana, kissed her lips.
And then, a pungent smell wafted into his nostrils.
Eric, about to kiss her, felt something strange and raised his head.
"I'm sorry, Eric. I came here with morning sickness."
Doana was standing before him.
It wasn't Rose.
Eric covered his nose and mouth and hurriedly looked around.
There was no trace of Rose. His dazed mind suddenly cleared.
“Hah... Why are you here?”
A sharp, aggressive voice spoke to Doana.
Doana was taken aback by Eric’s sudden change in behavior. He had been embracing her so desperately just a moment ago.
He gave her an eerie look and grabbed her shoulders.
“Why... are you wearing Rose’s clothes?”
Because of that damned dress, he had mistaken Doana for Rose.
The fact that the person in front of him wasn’t Rose filled him with a sense of emptiness and even anger.
“Answer me! Why are you wearing Rose’s clothes!”
Doana felt terrified for the first time in her life, seeing Eric, his haggard face, clutching her shoulders.
“Oh, it hurts!”
Doana cried out, but Eric refused to let her go.
“Take it off.”
“Why are you doing this?”
Eric's eyes, sparkling with dazzling light, sent shivers down her spine.
He looked down at Doana through half-lidded eyes and ripped at her clothes.
"Didn't you hear me say, 'Take it off right now?'"
With a whoosh, the shoulder of the dress was ripped open.
Doana clutched her torn shoulder and looked at Eric.
Eric, still clutching the torn hem of her dress, let out a maniacal laugh.
"Ha... haha, hahaha!"
"Are you crazy? Why are you doing this?"
Doana was completely unfamiliar with Eric's seemingly lost consciousness.
"Rose... Rose..."
He cried out Rose's name and gripped the hem of her dress tightly. Then he lowered his head.
"Oh, no way. Did you mistake me for Rose?"
The sight of him repeatedly calling Rose's name was utterly absurd.
To anyone, it would seem as if he had forcibly separated Rose and Eric.
He abandoned her, and now he's acting so irritating.
Doana didn't understand at all, and her pride was bruised.
"...Who said you could wear that dress?"
Eric's low voice trembled.
"The Count told me to wear Rose's dress for the time being. Yiu promised me you'd make me one right away."
Doana's words were true.
Everything Doana currently enjoyed was practically an inheritance from Rose.
She had received various jewelry and shoes before her pregnancy, but that was it.
Since Doana entered the government, she hadn't received any gifts at all.
Doana's dress was Rose's, and her room was also Rose's.
Rose's room wasn't the one used by the count's mistress in the first place, so it was an inheritance.
"When did I?"
"Huh?"
But Eric's expression was cold, as if nothing had happened.
"When did I tell you to use Rose's things?"
"I clearly did last time..."
"Shut up!"
Eric cut Doana off, losing his temper and cursing.
"You. From now on, don't touch Rose's things. And get out of that room. I'll have a servant decorate your new room for you."
"...Eric. Why are you acting like this all of a sudden?"
Doana, sensing Eric's uneasy mood, tucked her tail between her legs. Then she took a step towards him.
However, Eric's reaction was devastating.
"Don't call me Eric. Call me Count."
Doana froze in place, speechless.
But she couldn't back down like this.
If she were kicked out of Rose's room now, her already tenuous position would be further diminished.
"Understood, Count. You're tired, aren't you? Let's rest for today and talk again when you're sober, yes?"
She couldn't accept Eric's order. She was subtly postponing his decision, planning a solution.
"Get out of my room right now."
"Count."
"Do you want to leave on your own, or do you want to be dragged away by the knights?"
"..."
It was almost a threat.
She absolutely couldn't bear to be dragged away by the Count's men.
Left with no other choice, Doana let out a soft sigh.
"I'll leave. But I can't leave like this, so have the maid bring me a new dress."
Doana calmly looked around, then turned toward the shelf.
She picked up a pair of sharp scissors and began ripping apart her dress.
Slicing her own dress?
Eric, who had only ever seen Doana's beauty, found her actions utterly bizarre.
Doana's relentless cutting with venomous eyes made Eric frown.
"What are you doing?"
"I can't take off my dress myself."
She absolutely has no intention of showing anyone that she's been treated like this.
Changing the dress, with its multi-layered laces, required a maid.
Or Eric would have to take it off, but with his low-pressure nature, there was no way he would unravel Doana's dress, piece by piece.
So, Doana's only option was to tear it off.
She kept a nonchalant expression and haphazardly cut the dress.
Doana leisurely climbed onto Eric's bed and covered herself with the blanket.
Eric looked at Doana with a look of exasperation.
Doana, instead of her usual coquettish expression, looked up at Eric with a blank expression and said,
"Now, call the maid."
The maids who saw her must have thought this.
Doana and Eric were incredibly close.
It was a blow to her pride that Eric was pursuing Rose instead of her, but Doana had no intention of backing down.
It didn't matter if she couldn't win his heart completely.
As miserable as her situation was, Doana had only needed Eric's shell from the beginning.
The hellish life of clinging to the Count's family was just beginning.
"..."
It was almost a threat.
She absolutely couldn't bear to be dragged away by the Count's men.
Left with no other choice, Doana let out a soft sigh.
"I'll leave. But I can't leave like this, so have the maid bring me a new dress."
Doana calmly looked around, then turned toward the shelf.
She picked up a pair of sharp scissors and began ripping apart her dress.
Slicing her own dress?
Eric, who had only ever seen Doana's beauty, found her actions utterly bizarre.
Doana's relentless cutting with venomous eyes made Eric frown.
"What are you doing?"
"I can't take off my dress myself."
She absolutely has no intention of showing anyone that she's been treated like this.
Changing the dress, with its multi-layered laces, required a maid.
Or Eric would have to take it off, but with his low-pressure nature, there was no way he would unravel Doana's dress, piece by piece.
So, Doana's only option was to tear it off.
She kept a nonchalant expression and haphazardly cut the dress.
Doana leisurely climbed onto Eric's bed and covered herself with the blanket.
Eric looked at Doana with a look of exasperation.
Doana, instead of her usual coquettish expression, looked up at Eric with a blank expression and said,
"Now, call the maid."
The maids who saw her must have thought this.
Doana and Eric were incredibly close.
It was a blow to her pride that Eric was pursuing Rose instead of her, but Doana had no intention of backing down.
It didn't matter if she couldn't win his heart completely.
As miserable as her situation was, Doana had only needed Eric's shell from the beginning.
The hellish life of clinging to the Count's family was just beginning.
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