episode_0039

Certainly, they weren’t on such terms from the beginning.

Harney’s relationship with other peers was quite good.

There were minor issues, but they never caused any major trouble.

One day in the past, during a competition.

Attending a gathering, Harney learned that a peer had fallen in love.

“Helly, are you there?”

“Yes, yes?”

“Hey, where were you looking? We were supposed to guess who would win this competition.”

“Oh, that… haha.”

Helly awkwardly laughed and brushed off the question.

However, others couldn’t be fooled by her.

Seeing Helly continuously gazing absentmindedly, they suspected something.

A girl had fallen in love.

After the girl’s sincere confession of love, they sympathized and offered familiar responses.

“Her eyes are so big and pretty when she smiles…”

The women burst into laughter.

In social circles where women gathered, discussions about romance naturally arose.

Seeing the girl’s honest confession of love, they empathized and suggested familiar responses.

“Her performance looks good in this competition. How about confessing after it’s over?”

“C-confess?”

“Yes. Didn’t Mrs. Delina say there’s no owner for that heart of yours?”

“But…”

“You’ve seen each other often, but it’s clear there’s no partner. Although you two seem compatible, these days, women who capture men first are quite popular, right?”

Love always needs a connecting link.

Everyone present believed that a beautiful couple would emerge from this place.

Of course, everyone did.

“Harney will help too, right? They said you’re closest to that boy, right?”

“Yes, of course.”

Harney was also included.

After the competition, the brown-haired boy in Lane 3 claimed victory. Now, someone needed to receive this honor.

The women predicted that the torch would likely be passed to his parents.

However, there was a variable.

The boy was approaching confidently.

The women gasped, covering their mouths or clutching their chests.

“No way?”

“Oh my. Is this really happening so romantically?”

“Is it going to continue this sweetly?”

Helly seized the opportunity and approached, handing him a handkerchief. It seemed she had already prepared herself before this story unfolded.

If he had come knowing that, it was nothing short of a scene from a romance novel coming to life before their eyes.

Helly was also visibly nervous.

Her heart was pounding.

Perhaps he was approaching to acknowledge her feelings.

But…

“To Harney, who has brightened this place, I dedicate the glory of victory.”

The boy knelt next to Harney, passing by Helly.

Unexpectedly, he didn’t just kneel.

“I have admired you for a long time. You comforted me when I was shy, and supported me not to give up. That’s why I wanted to repay you by winning the competition.”

Thud.

“Harney, please go out with me.”

He extended his hand holding the victory torch.

It was a confession.

A bewildered Harney turned to Helly.

Helly’s face was covered in deep shadows.

Naturally, the boy’s confession was rejected.

And then…

“Helly, Helly!”

To dispel misunderstandings, Harney showed tears on the spot and chased after the fleeing Helly.

“There you are. Let’s talk. Okay?”

“What talk? Comforting me, supporting me not to give up, and then saying you’ll help me. What a terrible joke you played. Truly despicable.”

“It’s a misunderstanding! I just gave it to all participants, and I separately delivered it to you because your participation was late. Moreover, unlike with Helly Youngae, I didn’t give any special attention to you!”

“Then why is that person coming to see you? What’s the story, and is it all lies about having loved you for a long time?!”

With tears of anger in her eyes, Helly accused Harney.

“Haha, haha! You must have had fun playing with me, right? Saying you love someone you’ve abandoned, how ridiculous.”

“Helly Youngae!”

“You wretched woman…!”

She vehemently denied it, but the conversation couldn’t continue.

Since that day, this incident became a hot topic in social circles.

Harney became the enemy of all women in the empire.

Explanations were futile.

Even if a man claimed innocence by saying he had no romantic feelings, what came back was the vindictiveness of those with malicious intent. And at the center of the group stood Helly’s sneer.

As Harney complained about the past from a few years ago, she sighed deeply.

“After that, rumors started spreading little by little. Stories circulated about flirting with other men, abandoning men for others, and so on.”

“There was no solid evidence to prove otherwise?”

“There should have been.”

“Then why not show it?”

“…Because I can’t.”

“What?”

“Ugh. How can you casually bring out a love letter? Are you crazy to ask to see that?”

“…Ah.”

Of course, it had to be that kind of evidence.

Even if there was evidence, it was in a form that couldn’t be shown. It could even escalate the situation.

“Anyway, even if there was evidence, I couldn’t show it. I tried to explain that I don’t have a lover, but it was pointless.”

“I see.”

The future seemed clear after that.

‘She must have suffered terribly.’

Due to the ostracism, it would have been difficult for her to step foot in social circles.

If any stories about men leaked, Harney would quickly face scrutiny, and the cycle of vicious retaliation would continue.

Exaggeration and distortion were inherent functions.

Inflating and changing them wasn’t that difficult. Since she was openly hostile to a group, it would have been impossible to reverse the atmosphere.

‘It’s quite relatable in this context.’

Her painful experiences during school strangely became helpful at that moment.

“You asked me to act as your lover today because you met those women on the street, right? Or did you already know they were coming?”

“Yes. It was good to outmaneuver the fake lovers first, but my thinking was a bit short-sighted. I should have anticipated the move and given you a heads-up…”

“It’s too late now.”

“…Yes.”

Harney didn’t deny it.

It was somewhat understandable that the news arrived late.

‘How chaotic it must have been with the biggest snowflake festival ever.’

She wanted independence from the Theresa Marquis.

If the nobles were making a fuss with fake fireworks due to this festival, it was clear that things here would be equally chaotic.

“Um… Master Karsein.”

“Yes.”

“Thank you. For… helping me.”

Harney clasped her hands together in genuine gratitude.

‘This is really something I’m not used to.’

It was a pure expression of thanks with nothing more to see.

As Karsein and as Kim Minhyuk.

He was not accustomed to this at all.

“It’s a… huge debt. If you ever run into trouble, please don’t hesitate to tell me. I’ll do my best to help from my end.”

“It shouldn’t be that big of a deal.”

“No, it really is a huge debt. I can’t easily explain the reasons behind it.”

His attitude clearly showed his intention to repay the favor.

In that case…

Karsein decided to take one step further in this deal.

“Then, from now on, just tell me about these things.”

“Yes?”

“Saying that you rode a ship wasn’t said in vain. Since I also know about Yeong-ae’s circumstances, if I can help, it’s much better on this side.”

“But that…”

“That one year is also a valuable time for me. As it must be a complete success, there should be no problem for you either.”

Harnier’s purple eyes widened rapidly.

After that, she remained silent for a while, then smiled faintly.

“Yes. It’s much better to help each other.”

She glanced around quickly to check if anyone was listening before speaking again.

“But I really want to say this.”

From her lips with a faint smile.

Unfamiliar words were once again contained.

“Thank you. Karsein.”

***

The conversation with Harnier ended smoothly.

There were no eavesdroppers, and since the task demonstrated Bagrand’s power adequately, there shouldn’t be any issues.

However, returning as it is could leave some uncomfortable aspects between them.

So.

“It might be nice to enjoy a festival.”

“How about enjoying a festival a bit?”

This was the conclusion reached.

Although he felt somewhat puzzled by her following his words, he continued.

“Now, I’m going to try to use the guide’s power. Where should we start to enjoy ourselves?”

“Well…”

In truth, I didn’t know either.

However, in the memorial imbued with Karsein’s memories… that street seemed quite popular.

As we walked in that direction, a shop where I had acquired Flora’s teddy bear appeared.

The man recognized me and called out.

“Oh, you’re back again after winning the prize earlier. And the lovely lady next to you… could it be…?”

Harnier tightly closed her eyes.

I had to say something at this point.

“She’s my fiancée.”

“Oh…!”

At the mention of fiancée, the man’s eyes sparkled instantly.

“You gave a gift to your younger sibling earlier, and now you’re here to give a gift to your fiancée?”

“Huh? A prize?”

“Well, you personally took the punishment on behalf of your younger sibling earlier, creating an opportunity for them.”

“Goodness… Karsein, you…?!”

“Not only that, but after your sibling lost all chances, they used their last chance to win the prize… That’s what happened!”

Moved by the story, the man handed the teddy bear to Flora, tears welling up in his eyes.

When he recounted the incident, Harnier looked at him with a gaze that seemed to express disbelief.

“I thought you were a crook.”

“What do you take me for?”

“I told you. I thought you were a crook.”

Look at this.

You are currently in a relationship with me.

But what if you say something like that?

Sending a signal with my eyes, Harnier shrugged as if to say she didn’t understand.

“So, it’s your turn as my lover. Yes.”

Although I hadn’t explicitly agreed to do this again, it seemed that I couldn’t immediately move on.

Harnier’s eyes were already sparkling brightly in that direction, so to speak.

I reluctantly explained the game to Harnier.

“Wow, sounds fun, doesn’t it? I see some things that catch my eye, so I’ll pick some up!”

“…Did you hear me correctly?”

“Of course. You just need to control the beads well, right?”

Apparently, she didn’t hear me.

I guess I’ll just have to let her struggle a bit.

A little later.

Harnier missed two opportunities completely.

“How could this happen…”

“Here, have some fried fish cakes.”

“Ugh.”

As she ate the last fish cake, Harnier continued to shoot laser beams at the fourth prize until the end.

Unlike Arinana Claire, who breathed fire from her tongue while eating, this side ate quite well, so there was no need to worry about that side.

However.

“I must win this…”

It seemed that Harnier wanted to obtain that fourth prize.

‘Because it’s the fourth time…’

There was no choice.

“Can I eat this fish cake instead and get the chance?”

“Huh?”

“Young master? Hmmm…”

The merchant, who was contemplating between me and Harney.

“It seems possible, but I must add a condition.”

“What’s that?”

“You have to share the fish cake with someone else.”

A condition was set.

Share the fish cake?

It’s not like I have to eat it alone, right?

The spicy taste might not suit the imperial people’s palates. Some even give up the opportunity because they can’t eat it due to the penalty.

Sharing it is somewhat understandable.

“But this doesn’t apply to me.”

Even Harney eats well.

It was like giving away opportunities for free.

“Well, that’s not too difficult.”

“What?! Wait a minute! C-Carson?!”

I immediately grabbed the fish cake and ate half of it first.

Then I chewed and swallowed half of the remaining fish cake and offered the rest to Harney.

“You said you’d give me a chance if I just eat this. Just trust me and eat it, okay?”

“Huh. No… I mean…”

“Is there a problem?”

“What kind of person are you…!”

What’s wrong?

What’s the problem that’s making you act like this?