HPBLL - Chapter 12

Stella pretended not to hear but glanced back. She saw Skyle, befitting the host of the banquet, wearing a sophisticated, patterned coat draped over his shoulders, a white shirt, and black suit trousers. Aside from his neatly styled purple hair, his sharp nose and haughty gaze remained the same.

"I didn't come because I wanted to."

It wasn't that there was no change at all, but the expression on his face as he looked at Stella had changed slightly. It was gentler, perhaps even smiling. However, the moment Stella saw Skyle, the smile vanished.

"You still speak harshly. But."

Because in Duke Lanedict's mansion, the one who most sharply poked at her painful wound was none other than Skyle.

"How did you get out of there? You couldn't get into the garden."

Skyle tilted his head. He knew that Stella's trauma kept her from entering the garden.

'How did you know that?'

Unwilling to speak to him any further, she continued on her way in silence. She heard Skyle sigh, and then the sound of their presence grew closer. He caught up with Stella on his long legs and grabbed her arm.

"Are you just going to leave? It's been a while since we last met."

Stella looked at him sternly.

"Do you have anything to say to me?"

"They said you were sick."

Her gaze wavered for a moment. The news of her suicide attempt had reached him again. Stella didn't want to show Skyle her vulnerable side. But it seemed he always saw her only as a bad person.

"It's okay now."

So Stella was even more uncomfortable with him.

"Where did you leave your husband? Why are you here alone?"

"What does it matter?"

"Do you regret getting married?"

Skyle suddenly burst in. Stella couldn't believe her ears. She hadn't expected to hear such a question from Skyle.

"What?"

What he said next was even more interesting.

"If married life is difficult, just come back without worrying about what others think."

'Since when have we been such close siblings?'

Strangely, Skyle would cross Stella's boundaries without a second thought. Stella would raise her walls whenever he did. Moreover, she had just recently heard her parents tell her to have a son.

"Ha."

She had completely fallen for the Duke of Lanedict, and she never wanted to set foot there again.

"Brother, are you trying to make me laugh?"

Skyle shook his head.

"How about coming under me and working?"

Skyle spoke with an arrogant gaze. Perhaps it was the peculiar aura of those red eyes that made him seem even more arrogant.

"What?"

"When I became an imperial researcher, I needed someone to assist me. Normally, you'd have to take a difficult exam to pass, but I'll just do my best to help you get in. Come in."

Stella hated Skyle. It wasn't just because he was better than Stella.

- For someone who's nothing 

- Because someone like you doesn't fit in our house.

She couldn't forget the harsh words he'd spoken to Stella while she was sick. Skyle also knew all about Stella's troubles: from the cheating scandal, to her feigning illness for attention, to the fact that she was an illegitimate child.

"Why me?"

“Even if it’s just simple work...”

It was not a good feeling to face someone who knew your own shortcomings.

Skyle stopped talking. He frowned and asked again.

"You have to do that, right?"

“That way, you’ll have the will to live.”

Rather, she wanted to avoid it. She smiled wryly.

"Skyle. I will never work with you face-to-face."

Skyle's behavior was amusing. They weren't even close siblings, yet he was using his connections to connect with her. Even in Skyle's eyes, Stella seemed like someone he needed to take care of. But that wasn't true. She had no intention of accepting Skyle's help.

"Why, because your pride was hurt?"

Skyle seemed to have expected Stella to react like this. His expression remained unchanged. He simply shrugged.

"You don't have to come if you don't want to. I just told you because it's a good place."

Stella had long wondered what Skyle would think of her as a child. And she never found an answer. She had never really had a proper conversation with him, so she couldn't know what Skyle was thinking. Either way, Skyle and Stella had a bad relationship. A tedious one, fighting over the sweet treat of her parents' love.

'If only you had worried about me in the first place.'

In her last life, when she was sick and dying, he should have come to visit her at least once.

'If you were my brother, you should have done that.'

As far as Stella could remember, it wasn't Skyle, but Anton Geron who came to visit. Stella couldn't even muster a bitter smile. Skyle hadn't shown his face since Stella's marriage. Occasionally, she'd hear news of Skyle from others, including one that he'd awakened. A natural genius, Skyle would eventually become the empire's only Awakened Swordsman within a year or two.

"Skyle, that would be nice."

She took a step closer to Skyle and whispered in his ear.

"Things are going smoothly."

Skyle's expression was one of confusion. It was true that things had gone well for Skyle. Becoming an imperial official was difficult, but it brought him great prestige and allowed him to expand his network. His experience working in the imperial court would prove useful in other endeavors as well. Above all, it was also a boon to the Duke of Lanedict.

"What are you talking about?"

But Stella didn't seem to be talking about this. That expression wasn't something he often saw in Stella's eyes. Her gaze was desolate and twisted. Skyle was concerned about her gaze. It felt like something serious was about to happen.

"Say it."

Skyle tried to grab Stella's wrist, but she resisted. She pulled her arm back and turned away from Skyle. Skyle's voice boomed.

"What's wrong?"

"It's nothing."

Stella answered curtly and passed Skyle. Skyle tried to follow Stella, but stopped.

"Ha."

There was an invisible wall between Stella and Skyle. A transparent yet solid wall. Skyle stared blankly at Stella as she disappeared beyond it. Approaching his sister had always been difficult, whether as a child, a student, or now.

***

Stella bit her lower lip. It felt strange whenever Skyle acted as worried as he did just now.

'If it's going to be bad, it'll stay bad.'

He was a mediocrely bad guy. Stella shook her head, shaking off thoughts of Skye. After returning, her hatred for others had subsided considerably, but she couldn't force herself to be friendly with Skyle.

'I guess I really hate Skyle.'

Stella looked down at the jacket in her arms. She couldn't throw it away. She entered the banquet hall with the intention of making a quick excuse for Kendrick. Kendrick was nowhere to be seen.

"Marquis Anton, I heard that you have been appointed Captain of the Guard."

"You look great."

There was talk of Anton Geron nearby. He seemed to be calmly accepting the flattering compliments. Running into him wouldn't be pleasant. After all, she had rejected him years ago. Stella quickly turned her head and passed by. After a few minutes of searching the banquet hall, she finally found Kendrick.

'It looks good.'

He was talking to another woman on the terrace. Stella deliberately kept quiet and approached him. The wind made it difficult to hear the exact conversation, but she could definitely hear him laughing. Kendrick was already famous for his handsomeness. The women around him would blush, cover their mouths with their hands, and smile shyly whenever they were with Kendrick.

'This man is definitely here even without me.'

He will eat well and live well.

'There are still so many women who covet the position of Kendrick's second wife.'

Stella recalled the moment before she died. It felt like someone had grabbed her hand and sobbed, begging her not to leave. When she opened her eyes again, she thought it might be Kendrick. But then, surrounded by women and smiling so beautifully, she shook her head.

How long are you going to live like this, a backroom lady? There are widespread rumors that Duke Adrian is having secret affairs with that secretary. No, she heard he frequents bars. Do you really plan to continue living this way, blind and deaf?

She heard rumors that Kendrick was cheating. It was vague, but it sounded like Anton Geron had said it. Stella wasn't the spoiled brat she'd been. No matter how upright Kendrick was, he was still a man, a human being. She'd accepted the fact that, like any nobleman, he might look away from Stella and look at another woman. That was why Stella's number one priority was divorcing Kendrick.

'Should I go out soon?'

As she was about to approach Kendrick, unable to watch this any longer, another woman appeared.

"Your Highness, you're here. I've been looking for you for a long time."

"Oh, Sia. What's going on?"

The other women took notice of her appearance and then slowly shifted their positions. Stella chuckled, as if Sia were his wife.

'You followed me this far.'

Sia leaned over to Kendrick and showed him the documents.

"This is the business status you mentioned at that time."

"It's not urgent, so why did you bring it all the way here?"

"I'm sorry."

Sia smiled brightly, seemingly oblivious to Kendrick's reaction.

"Huh?"

Sia, who was organizing documents, stumbled and fell onto Kendrick. She staggered, a look of confusion on her face, and then came to him in his arms, but Kendrick calmly caught her. It was an obvious tactic, Stella thought. She found it amusing to watch them, so she stopped talking to Kendrick and turned to re-enter the banquet hall.

Basasak.

He stepped on a fallen leaf on the ground. Kendrick, who had been holding Sia's arm, turned his head to look at Stella.

"Stella."

She tried to turn back, but she was caught hiding. She didn't want to be noticed. Stella had no choice but to turn around. Her eyes met Kendrick's in midair. Sia looked at Stella, too.

"Did you follow me all the way here?"

Stella let out a soft laugh. It wasn't awkward being treated like an interruption anymore.

"I'll stay in. Finish talking."

"Stella. This is..."

Kendrick shook off Sia's arm and approached Stella. She shrugged, her expression natural.

"Huh? What is it?"

Kendrick rubbed his forehead, frustrated by the situation. He heard Sia's voice behind him.

"Lady Stella, don't misunderstand. It was just Your Highness who caught me when I was about to fall."

She even tapped her leg as if she had fallen because her leg really hurt.

"The person Mr. Kendrick loves is Stella, so please, don't misunderstand!"

It seemed as if Stella was worried that Kendrick and Sia might misunderstand each other. She was wide-eyed and making over-the-top gestures.

"Why did I have to wear these shoes and stumble? It's all my fault."

Stella couldn't help but laugh as she watched Sia finally blame her shoes.

'She sure goes on and on about how she pretended to trip and hugged him.'

Stella regretted not having responded properly to Sia's behavior in her last life. The more frightened she became, the more violent Sia became.

"Stop it, Sia."

'It looks ugly.'

Stella smiled leisurely.

"Yeah, that could be true."

Thoughts of Sia's previous rude behavior flashed through her mind, she didn't get angry. She didn't completely dislike Sia's attempts to provoke Stella, even if she gritted her teeth.

'I wonder if I looked like that too.'

After being revived, every time she saw Sia, a strange sense of kinship washed over her. Stella knew that Sia was the Emperor's daughter. She knew that being estranged from her would be bad for her. So, she decided to pretend to be the one being treated.

"I understand everything. Don't worry, I won't misunderstand. Have a good time, everyone."

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