'Anton Geron is interested in me?'
Stella spoke with a completely unfazed expression.
"Well, I don't think so."
She had not forgotten the time he had expressed his feelings to Stella. However, in Stella's turbulent life, it was a trivial incident that was not particularly memorable.
'He is the person who told her about her husband's affair.'
No matter how much he did it for Stella's sake, Stella could not understand him. After all, Stella had never given him her heart at all, yet he was unilaterally pouring his heart out to her.
"You know, people usually say that to women who still have feelings for you."
"That?"
Stella decided not to tell Sia about the past.
"Yes! You're still beautiful. You're still cold toward me. Well, something like that?"
"You must have just said it wrong."
"It’s not like I’ve never dated before, but I could practically see his feelings for you were dripping from his facial expression."
Stella burst into cheerful laughter. Perhaps due to surprise, Sia looked slightly reluctant.
"How many times have I tried?"
Her face soon turned surprised. She seemed to realize her slip of the tongue.
"No, it's not like that."
"Did you really like Kendrick a lot?"
Sia could not hide her embarrassment at all. It felt as though her inner thoughts had been exposed. Stella knew everything Sia had been talking about behind her back, using a recording magic device. Now, the thought of it just made her laugh. The reason she didn't want to cast Sia aside, even knowing that, was because she was convinced that Sia did not genuinely want a man named Kendrick.
"No. It was just greed. The greed to climb to a higher position."
Sia rattled off excuses that weren't really excuses. It felt as if the things she had done to Stella out of jealousy were vividly coming back to her mind. She had deliberately changed her schedule to make Kendrick misunderstand, and she had said mean things too.
"Lord Kendrick and Lady Stella looked so good together that I was jealous, but I honestly never thought he would be mine."
Stella had a look on her face as if she found it just amusing.
"Thank god."
It was a refreshing smile. Hearing Sia say this herself made her feel even more at ease.
"You are going to rise higher than anyone else now."
Stella gently stroked Sia's head. Sia squeezed her eyes shut. Why had she failed to recognize such a dazzling person all this time and tried to treat her as a rival? It felt as if she had been possessed by something back then. Noticing that she was feeling guilty, Stella deliberately changed the subject.
"The Imperial Palace is crowded no matter when you come."
Stella had visited the Imperial Palace a few times. There were many events she had to attend as a Duchess, and she had entered the palace with Kendrick even more often.
"We're going to get lost at this rate. Let's go a little further and then turn back."
"Yes, that's good."
Stella took in the luxurious buildings of the Imperial Palace one by one. Just then, footsteps were heard behind her. Stella paid no attention and walked along, chatting with Sia.
"Stella?"
As a voice that sounded both familiar and awkward pierced her ears, Stella inadvertently turned her head.
'Skyle...?'
As expected, she was right. Was it because she had come to the Imperial Palace? Today, she frequently ran into awkward people. Stella recalled that Skyle was a researcher at the Imperial Household. Stella disliked Skyle Lanedict just as much as she disliked the Duke and Duchess Lanedict.
"What's going on here?"
He looked uneasy as he spoke to her with a welcoming smile. Skyle also exchanged a brief greeting with Sia, who was standing next to Stella.
"You wouldn't have come to see me."
"It's been a while."
Stella greeted him first. She couldn't pretend to know him at all. However, if possible, she wanted to avoid running into him.
"So you've decided to treat me like a complete stranger now?"
Skyle looked hurt. Stella couldn't understand him. Why is he upset? There's nothing to gain from pretending to be on good terms here.
"It might be okay at home, but you should show some manners outside."
Stella drew a clear line with him.
"You don't even come home."
Disappointment dripped from Skyle's voice.
Stella suppressed the sound that was about to escape her lips.
'Did you not hear anything from your mother at all?'
At that moment, Stella unleashed a barrage of harsh words, bracing herself for a complete breakup. She naturally assumed Skyle would have heard it, but he appeared completely oblivious. No. Was he pretending not to know?
"Well then, I'll be going now."
Whatever the case, she didn't want to deal with them anymore. They hadn't even come to visit her once when she was dying. It wasn't just love that Stella didn't believe in. She didn't believe in family either. Especially not in people who had inflicted trauma upon her.
"Did you eat?"
Even though Stella drew a line, Skyle kept holding onto her.
"Not yet."
"That's great. I haven't eaten yet, either."
He wore a smile. His purple hair swayed gently, and the corners of his mouth turned up slightly. Strangely, Skyle's smile often looked arrogant.
"The Imperial Palace chef is an excellent cook. Since I am a senior researcher, I am often served dishes prepared with special care. If you come with me, you will be able to easily taste the food as well."
"..."
Stella wondered what his ulterior motive was in saying this.
"If you don't like that, would you like to try a famous restaurant near the Imperial Palace? I heard they serve cold pasta these days. I heard it's topped with spinach and ricotta cheese. Stella, don't you like ricotta cheese?"
Stella let out a short sigh.
"Surely you wouldn't ask me to eat together, right?"
A moment of silence followed.
"What's wrong with that?"
Skyle's eyes drooped as if he felt wronged.
"I'm busy."
Since he was the first to speak informally, she supposed she should do the same. Stella turned around once again. Skyle took a step forward, as if he didn't want to lose her. Sia watched the situation silently, rolling her eyes from side to side. A fight between the Lanedict siblings. It couldn't be anything but interesting.
"When are you planning to come home again?"
Stella couldn't understand Skyle, who kept holding onto her. She furrowed her brows deeply.
He was always self-centered. Pushing her away when he wanted to, and being nice when he wanted to. Stella suddenly realized that she felt betrayed by Skyle. No matter how indifferent he had been, shouldn't he have visited at least once before she died? She didn't like the sight of someone who didn't even show that much sincerity approaching her as if he were her older brother.
"Your parents will be disappointed."
Skyle grabbed Stella. If she wasn't careful, she might actually end up having lunch with him.
"If you're done talking, could you please move aside?"
"What?"
Skyle seemed agitated by Stella's attitude, which had become much colder than before. Stella gently pushed his arm to the side.
And she walked ahead first. Sia hurriedly followed behind her. Skyle was quite perceptive. He must have easily realized that Stella was upset because of him.
'Skyle is talking a lot today, by the way.'
Stella thought that the way Skyle looked just now might be the last time she saw him before she died. After all, they didn't have much in common. Sia glanced at Stella.
"By the way, Lady Stella, why are you so cold only to Lord Skyle?"
"Because we don't get along very well."
"...Why?"
Well, she wonders why. Many incidents flashed through her mind.
When Stella thought of Skyle, that moment was the first thing that came to mind.
'I actually liked Skyle quite a bit before that, you know.'
In a way, Skyle might have felt wronged. Since she couldn't take out the resentment she had received from her parents on them, she needed someone to blame. And it seemed that person was Skyle. However, she had no intention of making up with them now.
She didn't feel any sense of kinship with him. Looking back now, she thinks she might have felt a little sorrow that he never once came to visit her while she was dying from illness. Even Skyle's friend, Anton Geron, had come to see Stella, so how could her own brother not come?
“That's strange...?”
Stella spoke with a completely unfazed expression.
"Well, I don't think so."
She had not forgotten the time he had expressed his feelings to Stella. However, in Stella's turbulent life, it was a trivial incident that was not particularly memorable.
'He is the person who told her about her husband's affair.'
No matter how much he did it for Stella's sake, Stella could not understand him. After all, Stella had never given him her heart at all, yet he was unilaterally pouring his heart out to her.
"You know, people usually say that to women who still have feelings for you."
"That?"
Stella decided not to tell Sia about the past.
"Yes! You're still beautiful. You're still cold toward me. Well, something like that?"
"You must have just said it wrong."
"It’s not like I’ve never dated before, but I could practically see his feelings for you were dripping from his facial expression."
Stella burst into cheerful laughter. Perhaps due to surprise, Sia looked slightly reluctant.
"How many times have I tried?"
Her face soon turned surprised. She seemed to realize her slip of the tongue.
"No, it's not like that."
"Did you really like Kendrick a lot?"
Sia could not hide her embarrassment at all. It felt as though her inner thoughts had been exposed. Stella knew everything Sia had been talking about behind her back, using a recording magic device. Now, the thought of it just made her laugh. The reason she didn't want to cast Sia aside, even knowing that, was because she was convinced that Sia did not genuinely want a man named Kendrick.
"No. It was just greed. The greed to climb to a higher position."
Sia rattled off excuses that weren't really excuses. It felt as if the things she had done to Stella out of jealousy were vividly coming back to her mind. She had deliberately changed her schedule to make Kendrick misunderstand, and she had said mean things too.
"Lord Kendrick and Lady Stella looked so good together that I was jealous, but I honestly never thought he would be mine."
Stella had a look on her face as if she found it just amusing.
"Thank god."
It was a refreshing smile. Hearing Sia say this herself made her feel even more at ease.
"You are going to rise higher than anyone else now."
Stella gently stroked Sia's head. Sia squeezed her eyes shut. Why had she failed to recognize such a dazzling person all this time and tried to treat her as a rival? It felt as if she had been possessed by something back then. Noticing that she was feeling guilty, Stella deliberately changed the subject.
"The Imperial Palace is crowded no matter when you come."
Stella had visited the Imperial Palace a few times. There were many events she had to attend as a Duchess, and she had entered the palace with Kendrick even more often.
"We're going to get lost at this rate. Let's go a little further and then turn back."
"Yes, that's good."
Stella took in the luxurious buildings of the Imperial Palace one by one. Just then, footsteps were heard behind her. Stella paid no attention and walked along, chatting with Sia.
"Stella?"
As a voice that sounded both familiar and awkward pierced her ears, Stella inadvertently turned her head.
'Skyle...?'
As expected, she was right. Was it because she had come to the Imperial Palace? Today, she frequently ran into awkward people. Stella recalled that Skyle was a researcher at the Imperial Household. Stella disliked Skyle Lanedict just as much as she disliked the Duke and Duchess Lanedict.
"What's going on here?"
He looked uneasy as he spoke to her with a welcoming smile. Skyle also exchanged a brief greeting with Sia, who was standing next to Stella.
"You wouldn't have come to see me."
"It's been a while."
Stella greeted him first. She couldn't pretend to know him at all. However, if possible, she wanted to avoid running into him.
"So you've decided to treat me like a complete stranger now?"
Skyle looked hurt. Stella couldn't understand him. Why is he upset? There's nothing to gain from pretending to be on good terms here.
"It might be okay at home, but you should show some manners outside."
Stella drew a clear line with him.
"You don't even come home."
Disappointment dripped from Skyle's voice.
Stella suppressed the sound that was about to escape her lips.
'Did you not hear anything from your mother at all?'
At that moment, Stella unleashed a barrage of harsh words, bracing herself for a complete breakup. She naturally assumed Skyle would have heard it, but he appeared completely oblivious. No. Was he pretending not to know?
"Well then, I'll be going now."
Whatever the case, she didn't want to deal with them anymore. They hadn't even come to visit her once when she was dying. It wasn't just love that Stella didn't believe in. She didn't believe in family either. Especially not in people who had inflicted trauma upon her.
"Did you eat?"
Even though Stella drew a line, Skyle kept holding onto her.
"Not yet."
"That's great. I haven't eaten yet, either."
He wore a smile. His purple hair swayed gently, and the corners of his mouth turned up slightly. Strangely, Skyle's smile often looked arrogant.
"The Imperial Palace chef is an excellent cook. Since I am a senior researcher, I am often served dishes prepared with special care. If you come with me, you will be able to easily taste the food as well."
"..."
Stella wondered what his ulterior motive was in saying this.
"If you don't like that, would you like to try a famous restaurant near the Imperial Palace? I heard they serve cold pasta these days. I heard it's topped with spinach and ricotta cheese. Stella, don't you like ricotta cheese?"
Stella let out a short sigh.
"Surely you wouldn't ask me to eat together, right?"
A moment of silence followed.
"What's wrong with that?"
Skyle's eyes drooped as if he felt wronged.
"I'm busy."
Since he was the first to speak informally, she supposed she should do the same. Stella turned around once again. Skyle took a step forward, as if he didn't want to lose her. Sia watched the situation silently, rolling her eyes from side to side. A fight between the Lanedict siblings. It couldn't be anything but interesting.
"When are you planning to come home again?"
Stella couldn't understand Skyle, who kept holding onto her. She furrowed her brows deeply.
“No. It's been way too long since you've been here.”
"Your parents will be disappointed."
Skyle grabbed Stella. If she wasn't careful, she might actually end up having lunch with him.
"If you're done talking, could you please move aside?"
"What?"
Skyle seemed agitated by Stella's attitude, which had become much colder than before. Stella gently pushed his arm to the side.
“Let me through.”
'Skyle is talking a lot today, by the way.'
Stella thought that the way Skyle looked just now might be the last time she saw him before she died. After all, they didn't have much in common. Sia glanced at Stella.
"By the way, Lady Stella, why are you so cold only to Lord Skyle?"
"Because we don't get along very well."
"...Why?"
Well, she wonders why. Many incidents flashed through her mind.
"For someone who's nothing."
'I actually liked Skyle quite a bit before that, you know.'
In a way, Skyle might have felt wronged. Since she couldn't take out the resentment she had received from her parents on them, she needed someone to blame. And it seemed that person was Skyle. However, she had no intention of making up with them now.
“We just never got along, even when we were kids.”
“That's strange...?”
Sia muttered as if talking to herself.
"Why?"
It seems like Skyle cares for Stella just as much as Kendrick does.
"What?"
Stella drew a line as if to say it was absurd.
"Not at all."
"Do you know what Kendrick and Skyle have in common?"
"What is it?"
"Both of them are reluctant to share personal stories. They consider it a waste of time."
Sia said that this was not just her personal sentiment, but a well-known story in high society.
"Mr. Skyle is particularly famous for not initiating conversations with ladies. To use a dating analogy, he’s the type who doesn’t turn away women who come to him, but doesn’t call them over either?"
'Is that so?'
Stella tried to recall her memories of Skyle.
'I think that might have been the case...'
It made sense in its own way.
"But Skyle was the first to ask if I had eaten and talked about various things regarding food. That is truly a rare occurrence."
Sia snapped her fingers and said.
"Oh, by the way, you could say Lord Kendrick is the type to block every woman except Lady Stella."
Stella felt somehow embarrassed by her words.
"Mr. Skyle, you still don't know that Lady Stella is sick, do you?"
"Yeah. He doesn't know."
Stella nodded. Sia looked sorry for her.
"Oh, dear..."
"I have no intention of saying anything."
They wouldn't believe her anyway, so what?
Actually, she had never told Skyle directly. She had confided in her parents in her previous life, but they didn't believe her. Even if she had told Skyle, he would have reacted similarly.
"I'm fine, so let's focus more on proving that you are the Princess."
When the time came, Stella went to have an audience with the Emperor. Stella reported to the Emperor what the orphanage director had said about Sia's mother.
"It is said that Sia is the Emperor's daughter."
Sia seemed unconvinced by Stella's words. However, the Emperor seemed to feel differently, as evidence that she was a Princess began to emerge one by one after he met her.
"Don't overwork yourself."
Stella had to frequently visit the Imperial Palace due to Sia's affairs. As a result, the time she had to write became even tighter.
"I'll proofread a little more and then go to sleep."
'Honestly, I wish you would give up on the Imperial Writer Exam.'
Kendrick did not say these words. Stella knew what Kendrick was thinking. And the story about the mysterious young lady often came to mind for Sia.
"Why are you staring at me like that?"
I was just waiting for Kendrick to tell me about her on his own.
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