Episode 150. You're the One I Regret
"You're sorry?"
Despite Eric's plea, Rose's demeanor remained unchanged.
Rose, who had been staring blankly at Eric, asked in a questioning tone,
"Are you sorry for me?"
"Yes. I'm serious. I don't want to lose you like this. So, let it go."
Eric waited tensely for Rose's answer. A faint smile appeared on Rose's lips, which had remained expressionless the entire time.
'She laughed.'
Eric breathed a sigh of relief at the sight of Rose's smile.
However, Rose's laugh carried the exact opposite meaning Eric had expected.
"That's funny."
The sound that escaped her lips was a cold mockery.
"You're sorry now?"
Eric, who had been at ease, became tense again.
"This isn't the first time I've apologized to you. Why are you being so sensitive? You should know how to accept an apology."
"Why should I?"
“I apologized. Don’t you know what an apology means? Why are you acting so inadequate again?”
Eric, who had been offering a sincere apology, finally revealed his true colors.
“You’re the one who doesn’t know what an apology means, not me.”
“Ha...”
Eric sighed deeply, as if exhausted.
“Yes... I’m sorry, is that enough?”
“No.”
“!”
“I don’t intend to accept your apology.”
Rose pointed to the carriage door, as if there was no need to elaborate.
It was a sign that she didn’t want to talk anymore and that he should just leave.
“How much more do I... do I have to do?”
The first time, he apologized sincerely, but the second time, he labeled her as sensitive. And the last time, he got angry.
“If you thought you were wrong, you wouldn’t be apologizing like this.”
His apology might have been fleeting and sincere, but in the end, the outcome was always the same.
Eric isn’t sorry for Rose.
He doesn’t even know what he did wrong.
Not knowing isn’t wrong, but Eric’s problem lies elsewhere.
He didn’t know his fault, and he didn’t want to know.
In truth, Eric's apology wasn't for Rose, but entirely for himself.
It was a ploy to keep Rose by his side.
Nothing more, nothing less.
"Eric, I never told you to do anything."
"That's just how you are. I told you I couldn't live without you. I'm clinging to you like this, and don't you feel sorry for me?"
"Yeah, not at all."
"Ha..."
Eric sighed, as if he'd been swayed. But now, it wasn't Rosé who was feeling the pain; it was himself.
He closed his eyes tightly and apologized again.
"I was wrong. So, just let it go."
“...I don’t really need to worry about that.”
Eric’s condition didn’t look good.
Not only was his complexion gloomy, as if something had happened in the interim, but sweat was beading on his forehead.
“Wait a minute, I’m not finished talking!”
Eric shouted, stumbling toward the voice. However, there was no way Rose would hear him.
In fact, the Grand Duke's curse had been activated inside the carriage.
That’s why he sat there blankly, unable to stop Rose as she left.
Thanks to the curse, even if it was briefly activated, Rose had bought time to escape Eric.
It wasn't the Grand Duke of Artaeum's grand plan, but his curse ultimately proved beneficial to Rose.
Eric, still under the curse, chased after Rose, but he couldn't catch her.
Eric's staggering steps were easily dodgeable.
Rose effortlessly evaded Eric and returned to Gwen and her companions.
A few days passed.
Rose, who had practically wrapped up Doana's work, had more time to focus solely on her business.
"If we proceed at this rate... we might be able to open sooner, not just in June,"
Rose said brightly as she reviewed various documents with Gwen.
"There are still some complications, but so far, it's going very smoothly."
Gwen, too, seemed much more relaxed.
"By complications... You mean the few brands that arbitrarily broke their contracts with our department store, moved to Doana's department store, and then returned?"
"Yes. I'm worried about what to do with those brands."
Rose was quite uncomfortable with those who were jumping around like bats.
'They didn't even formally break the contract...They were just acting completely selfishly.'
Trust was shattered to the core.
'I don't really want to accept it.'
It wasn't a problem just because the brand wasn't there.
"What do you want to do, Gwen?"
Rose asked Gwen's opinion first.
Gwen, having managed the business, might have a different perspective.
"I..."
Gwen's voice trailed off, as if trying to make a careful decision. He closed his eyes, lost in thought, and seemed quite deep in thought.
Soon, Gwen nodded, lifting his eyelids.
"I'd like to give them another chance."
She hadn't been all that surprised, as she'd expected the answer. Rose exclaimed,
"You're sorry?"
Despite Eric's plea, Rose's demeanor remained unchanged.
Rose, who had been staring blankly at Eric, asked in a questioning tone,
"Are you sorry for me?"
"Yes. I'm serious. I don't want to lose you like this. So, let it go."
Eric waited tensely for Rose's answer. A faint smile appeared on Rose's lips, which had remained expressionless the entire time.
'She laughed.'
Eric breathed a sigh of relief at the sight of Rose's smile.
However, Rose's laugh carried the exact opposite meaning Eric had expected.
"That's funny."
The sound that escaped her lips was a cold mockery.
"You're sorry now?"
Eric, who had been at ease, became tense again.
"This isn't the first time I've apologized to you. Why are you being so sensitive? You should know how to accept an apology."
"Why should I?"
“I apologized. Don’t you know what an apology means? Why are you acting so inadequate again?”
Eric, who had been offering a sincere apology, finally revealed his true colors.
“You’re the one who doesn’t know what an apology means, not me.”
“Ha...”
Eric sighed deeply, as if exhausted.
“Yes... I’m sorry, is that enough?”
“No.”
“!”
“I don’t intend to accept your apology.”
Rose pointed to the carriage door, as if there was no need to elaborate.
It was a sign that she didn’t want to talk anymore and that he should just leave.
“How much more do I... do I have to do?”
The first time, he apologized sincerely, but the second time, he labeled her as sensitive. And the last time, he got angry.
“If you thought you were wrong, you wouldn’t be apologizing like this.”
His apology might have been fleeting and sincere, but in the end, the outcome was always the same.
Eric isn’t sorry for Rose.
He doesn’t even know what he did wrong.
Not knowing isn’t wrong, but Eric’s problem lies elsewhere.
He didn’t know his fault, and he didn’t want to know.
In truth, Eric's apology wasn't for Rose, but entirely for himself.
It was a ploy to keep Rose by his side.
Nothing more, nothing less.
"Eric, I never told you to do anything."
"That's just how you are. I told you I couldn't live without you. I'm clinging to you like this, and don't you feel sorry for me?"
"Yeah, not at all."
"Ha..."
Eric sighed, as if he'd been swayed. But now, it wasn't Rosé who was feeling the pain; it was himself.
He closed his eyes tightly and apologized again.
"I was wrong. So, just let it go."
His tone was far from his initial earnestness. His overbearing tone remained unchanged, as usual.
"..."
Rose fell silent.
It was pointless to continue.
Eric and Rose couldn't communicate.
Ironically, Eric took Rose's reaction positively.
But that was fleeting, as Rose's next words immediately brought home the situation.
"... Seriously, you're so clueless."
Rose was so tired of dealing with Eric.
“If you just need a well-behaved doll, go look somewhere else.”
“...What do you mean, a doll? I never treated you like a doll.”
“Why are you forcing your feelings on me? If you need a well-behaved doll, go to a doll shop.”
“When did I ever force you?”
“You were forced to apologize, didn't you? No matter what you did, if you just get an apology, should I just laugh like an idiot?”
Rose looked at Eric with a bewildered expression.
“Who are you? Who are you to make me do that? Is it over if you kill someone and apologize?”
“...Don’t be so extreme.”
“That’s not extreme. You said you’d kill the Grand Duke of Artaeum.”
Eric was momentarily speechless and said nothing. He should have said that the Grand Duke really did kill his father. He had been angry for no reason and made a mistake.
He regretted revealing everything to Rose.
This wasn't surprising, considering Eric was usually quite clueless about such things.
"If you were truly sorry, you would have cleared the Grand Duke's name first."
“Only my own people matter to me. Rose, how can you not know that I’m only focused on you?”
“My own people matter to me, too. Eric, not you.”
Rose spoke words that stabbed Eric in the heart without batting an eye.
Meaningless arguments were a waste of time.
Rose opened the carriage door, leaving Eric frozen in shock.
If Eric didn’t get out, she could.
“Serun.”
Rose, wearing a flowing dress, called out to Serun for an escort. Serun, who had been waiting, approached Rose.
Rose gently took Serun’s hand and cautiously descended the stairs.
“What did the Count say?”
Serun glanced at the carriage and whispered softly.
“He wasn’t even interested in finding the culprit who killed his father.”
“Ah...”
How... how could that be?
‘Master... no, father... how much he cared for you.’
It was a bit sad that he could only call Cedric his father after his death, but something else weighed on him even more.
As Serun, Cedric's secret son, he found Eric's reaction quite difficult.
Because Eric's harsh discipline was an open secret, Serun was unaware of Cedric and Eric's circumstances.
Rose, too, was unaware of the details.
Serun trailed off, recalling Cedric's horribly decomposed body.
'If I were you, I would have caught the real culprit who murdered my father, not framed the Grand Duke...'
Investigations often fail to catch the culprit, and refusing to investigate would be tantamount to refusing to catch the culprit.
"...Miss Rose. What about His Highness the Grand Duke?"
"Don't worry. Eric's cooperation made it easier to assert the Grand Duke's innocence, but that doesn't mean there's no other way."
"Yes."
Serun nodded cautiously, agreeing with Roger.
It was true.
The easy way out was gone, but there were other plans already prepared.
“Rose!”
As Rose was walking away from the carriage under Serun’s escort, Eric, who had been absentmindedly staring at her, belatedly called out to her.
Rose glanced behind her, wary that Eric might rush in and grab her, but...
"..."
Rose fell silent.
It was pointless to continue.
Eric and Rose couldn't communicate.
Ironically, Eric took Rose's reaction positively.
But that was fleeting, as Rose's next words immediately brought home the situation.
"... Seriously, you're so clueless."
Rose was so tired of dealing with Eric.
“If you just need a well-behaved doll, go look somewhere else.”
“...What do you mean, a doll? I never treated you like a doll.”
“Why are you forcing your feelings on me? If you need a well-behaved doll, go to a doll shop.”
“When did I ever force you?”
“You were forced to apologize, didn't you? No matter what you did, if you just get an apology, should I just laugh like an idiot?”
Rose looked at Eric with a bewildered expression.
“Who are you? Who are you to make me do that? Is it over if you kill someone and apologize?”
“...Don’t be so extreme.”
“That’s not extreme. You said you’d kill the Grand Duke of Artaeum.”
Eric was momentarily speechless and said nothing. He should have said that the Grand Duke really did kill his father. He had been angry for no reason and made a mistake.
He regretted revealing everything to Rose.
This wasn't surprising, considering Eric was usually quite clueless about such things.
"If you were truly sorry, you would have cleared the Grand Duke's name first."
“Only my own people matter to me. Rose, how can you not know that I’m only focused on you?”
“My own people matter to me, too. Eric, not you.”
Rose spoke words that stabbed Eric in the heart without batting an eye.
Meaningless arguments were a waste of time.
Rose opened the carriage door, leaving Eric frozen in shock.
If Eric didn’t get out, she could.
“Serun.”
Rose, wearing a flowing dress, called out to Serun for an escort. Serun, who had been waiting, approached Rose.
Rose gently took Serun’s hand and cautiously descended the stairs.
“What did the Count say?”
Serun glanced at the carriage and whispered softly.
“He wasn’t even interested in finding the culprit who killed his father.”
“Ah...”
How... how could that be?
‘Master... no, father... how much he cared for you.’
It was a bit sad that he could only call Cedric his father after his death, but something else weighed on him even more.
As Serun, Cedric's secret son, he found Eric's reaction quite difficult.
Because Eric's harsh discipline was an open secret, Serun was unaware of Cedric and Eric's circumstances.
Rose, too, was unaware of the details.
Serun trailed off, recalling Cedric's horribly decomposed body.
'If I were you, I would have caught the real culprit who murdered my father, not framed the Grand Duke...'
Investigations often fail to catch the culprit, and refusing to investigate would be tantamount to refusing to catch the culprit.
"...Miss Rose. What about His Highness the Grand Duke?"
"Don't worry. Eric's cooperation made it easier to assert the Grand Duke's innocence, but that doesn't mean there's no other way."
"Yes."
Serun nodded cautiously, agreeing with Roger.
It was true.
The easy way out was gone, but there were other plans already prepared.
“Rose!”
As Rose was walking away from the carriage under Serun’s escort, Eric, who had been absentmindedly staring at her, belatedly called out to her.
Rose glanced behind her, wary that Eric might rush in and grab her, but...
“...I don’t really need to worry about that.”
Eric’s condition didn’t look good.
Not only was his complexion gloomy, as if something had happened in the interim, but sweat was beading on his forehead.
“Wait a minute, I’m not finished talking!”
Eric shouted, stumbling toward the voice. However, there was no way Rose would hear him.
In fact, the Grand Duke's curse had been activated inside the carriage.
That’s why he sat there blankly, unable to stop Rose as she left.
Thanks to the curse, even if it was briefly activated, Rose had bought time to escape Eric.
It wasn't the Grand Duke of Artaeum's grand plan, but his curse ultimately proved beneficial to Rose.
Eric, still under the curse, chased after Rose, but he couldn't catch her.
Eric's staggering steps were easily dodgeable.
Rose effortlessly evaded Eric and returned to Gwen and her companions.
***
A few days passed.
Rose, who had practically wrapped up Doana's work, had more time to focus solely on her business.
"If we proceed at this rate... we might be able to open sooner, not just in June,"
Rose said brightly as she reviewed various documents with Gwen.
"There are still some complications, but so far, it's going very smoothly."
Gwen, too, seemed much more relaxed.
"By complications... You mean the few brands that arbitrarily broke their contracts with our department store, moved to Doana's department store, and then returned?"
"Yes. I'm worried about what to do with those brands."
Rose was quite uncomfortable with those who were jumping around like bats.
'They didn't even formally break the contract...They were just acting completely selfishly.'
Trust was shattered to the core.
'I don't really want to accept it.'
It wasn't a problem just because the brand wasn't there.
"What do you want to do, Gwen?"
Rose asked Gwen's opinion first.
Gwen, having managed the business, might have a different perspective.
"I..."
Gwen's voice trailed off, as if trying to make a careful decision. He closed his eyes, lost in thought, and seemed quite deep in thought.
Soon, Gwen nodded, lifting his eyelids.
"I'd like to give them another chance."
She hadn't been all that surprised, as she'd expected the answer. Rose exclaimed,
"Gwen, you're so generous. You must have such a big heart to do business."
But for a moment, Rose realized she was deeply mistaken.
"Of course, the conditions will be very different from before."
Gwen lifted one of his monocles with a solemn expression.
Gwen's kind smile vanished.
Gwen spread out a large piece of parchment on his desk and sketched the interior of the department store.
"As you know, all the brands that could fit in have already moved in, so there's no room left."
"Yes, that's right. We've replaced the brands that canceled their contracts with other brands."
In order to re-accept the original contract holders, they couldn't kick out the latecomers.
They, too, had trusted and chosen Rose's department store, even though they could have chosen Doana's.
"But it's not like there's no way out."
"Are you planning on redoing the interior?"
"No. It's extremely dangerous to tamper with the design now. If we're not careful, the building could collapse."
Gwen circled various places in the long corridor that stretched between the tightly packed stores.
"Here, we're using the empty space."
Gwen tapped a space that wasn't cramped, but wasn't wide either.
"Wouldn't it be a bit cramped to display products here?"
Rose's words, laced with concern, suddenly brought to mind Korean department stores.
'Wait a minute... I think Korean department stores also display promotional items in the hallways and next to the stairs.'
"It doesn't matter if it's cramped,"
Gwen continued, seemingly unconcerned.
"It's not us who's feeling bad right now, it's them. We're not really at a loss if they don't join."
Gwen said he wouldn't force them to join, but would give them a choice.
Then, he added,
"Since they arbitrarily broke the contract, there should be a penalty in the commission."
Gwen's eyes sparkled the most when talking about money.
"It's normally 30%, but let's charge 40% for those who break the contract. Of course, it's not forced; it's entirely their choice. Please don't think of it as being too malicious. A penalty of this magnitude will make it harder for other brands to break their contracts."
Gwen clasped his hands together with a firm, calculating smile.
Rose looked at Gwen in front of her and thought.
He definitely boasted about making 10 billion re in a week.
'... He's not joking, I think he's serious.'
She had a happy feeling that she would soon become a millionaire.
But for a moment, Rose realized she was deeply mistaken.
"Of course, the conditions will be very different from before."
Gwen lifted one of his monocles with a solemn expression.
Gwen's kind smile vanished.
Gwen spread out a large piece of parchment on his desk and sketched the interior of the department store.
"As you know, all the brands that could fit in have already moved in, so there's no room left."
"Yes, that's right. We've replaced the brands that canceled their contracts with other brands."
In order to re-accept the original contract holders, they couldn't kick out the latecomers.
They, too, had trusted and chosen Rose's department store, even though they could have chosen Doana's.
"But it's not like there's no way out."
"Are you planning on redoing the interior?"
"No. It's extremely dangerous to tamper with the design now. If we're not careful, the building could collapse."
Gwen circled various places in the long corridor that stretched between the tightly packed stores.
"Here, we're using the empty space."
Gwen tapped a space that wasn't cramped, but wasn't wide either.
"Wouldn't it be a bit cramped to display products here?"
Rose's words, laced with concern, suddenly brought to mind Korean department stores.
'Wait a minute... I think Korean department stores also display promotional items in the hallways and next to the stairs.'
"It doesn't matter if it's cramped,"
Gwen continued, seemingly unconcerned.
"It's not us who's feeling bad right now, it's them. We're not really at a loss if they don't join."
Gwen said he wouldn't force them to join, but would give them a choice.
Then, he added,
"Since they arbitrarily broke the contract, there should be a penalty in the commission."
Gwen's eyes sparkled the most when talking about money.
"It's normally 30%, but let's charge 40% for those who break the contract. Of course, it's not forced; it's entirely their choice. Please don't think of it as being too malicious. A penalty of this magnitude will make it harder for other brands to break their contracts."
Gwen clasped his hands together with a firm, calculating smile.
Rose looked at Gwen in front of her and thought.
He definitely boasted about making 10 billion re in a week.
'... He's not joking, I think he's serious.'
She had a happy feeling that she would soon become a millionaire.
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