episode_0036

“What…?”

“Just pick one. The one you like the most among the four of us.”

The one I like…?

There’s no way that could exist…

“Squeal! Let go, let go!”

“This bug-like girl. If she had eyes, she would see the superior looks of the Academy’s Four Musketeers.”

“Hehe. Yeah. It’s too much for a girl like you, but go ahead and pick one.”

I don’t want to…

Who would like bad people like you?

I don’t want to pick…

I said no…

Grr!

“Ugh!”

“Ha, this girl. Can’t understand a word, can she? If she keeps her mouth shut, it might end?”

“Oh. Kyle, my friend. Have we forgotten that we have to be ‘chosen’ by this bug-like girl?”

“Oh, I momentarily forgot. You are indeed wise, Blund.”

Why are they like this…?

Calling me a bug-like girl…

You guys don’t even want to be chosen by someone like that…

“Deron, if you stay behind like that, you might lose your chance?”

“Hmph. The strong are often silent.”

“Hey, Elden? Don’t you need to ‘appeal your charm’ quickly? Or are you so confident that you can stay calm?”

“…I just don’t want to get involved in childish games.”

“Tsk tsk. You also don’t know true fun. Come on, Elysia? Hurry up and choose. It’ll end faster, you know?”

Please… stop this…

It’s pointless…

Even if I choose, you’ll just get mad and hit me…

Grr!

“Ugh!”

“Ugh, frustrating. Frustrating. Do you need to be hit to come to your senses? How will you survive in this harsh world with such stupidity?”

Smack!

“Ow, my hand…!”

Okay…

I get it…

Please, don’t hit me…

It hurts…

It hurts so much…

“Hehe. Then choose. Who is the most handsome man among the great Academy’s Four Musketeers?”

…Elden Raphellion.

“Haha! Look! Elden, because you didn’t appeal your charm, you got chosen by this bug-like girl!”

“Haha, Elden, are you delighted? To receive the admiration of Elysia Velroc. Hahaha!”

“….”

That’s not it…!

I just… I just chose because there was no one else to choose…!

I didn’t run forward to hit you like you guys…!

Elden and you guys are all the same…!

You’re all bad…!

“Hahaha! How much did Elden look down on you to get chosen like this?”

“Yeah. Since you don’t always play with us like we want, you’re throwing a tantrum, right?”

“If you throw a tantrum, you should be punished, right? Elden, show us your answer. Quickly.”

“….”

Don’t look at me like that!

I… I didn’t choose because I wanted to…!

I also find you disgusting and contemptible!

I hate you so much that I feel like throwing up…!!

Grr!

“Ugh!”

“Hehe. Well done, Elden. You also need to play like this once in a while to build up the tension.”

“…If you all understand, then go play for real now. I heard they recruited a mermaid prostitute at the Belpechino Pleasure House today.”

“What? Really? Let’s go!”

…Yeah. It always ended like this.

When the toy loses its fun, you go look for another toy.

I was left alone, feeling the throbbing pain of being abandoned, watching you guys walk away.

Truly weak.

Truly powerless.

By the way.

Looking back, I’ve been rejected by you twice already, haven’t I?

Once as Elysia Velroc.

And once as Remyan Winterfell.

Of course, it was a decision I didn’t like at all, but I had to do it… It’s truly a disgusting thing, isn’t it?

In the end, I was rejected twice by someone like you, who doesn’t even deserve to be loved.

Haha.

Yeah.

That’s right.

It’s really.

Funny, isn’t it?

Elden?

Haha.

**

‘What on earth happened….’

Marian, the personal maid of the Third Duchess.

There was a special reason why she, a commoner by birth, became the personal maid of Remyang.

Personal maids employed by noble families, not only in the ducal family but also in households above the viscount, are usually of commoner origin.

Among them, personal maids who closely attend to the family members or personal stewards are usually entrusted to lower nobles.

Therefore, it was unusual for Marian to become a personal maid.

Even though Duke Logan tried to attach a noble lady who knew well about the physiology of nobles to Remyang as a personal maid, he couldn’t break Remyang’s stubbornness.

“I only need Marian.”

It was a chance encounter, a chance collision.

After the accident of Ronica, Remyang, who was continuing her research and experiments alone, collided with the new maid Marian who had lost her way while carrying tools, materials, and books for the experiment.

And Marian, who accurately deduced what the experiment was about by looking at the fallen tools, materials, and the title of the book, caught Remyang’s eye.

That’s how their relationship started, and they became inseparable.

They could read the meaning in each other’s eyes with just a glance, and knew what the other wanted just by reaching out their hands.

Therefore.

“……”

Marian, who immediately sensed that something was wrong with Remyang when she returned to her bedroom, thought that it was definitely related to Lord Elden.

She had been thinking and talking about him a lot lately.

Hobble, hobble.

Marian limped over with a cup of tea.

She had returned the crutch in a slightly improved condition, but she hadn’t removed the bandages yet.

“Miss…?”

It was winter flower tea, Remyang’s favorite when her mind was unstable.

Before receiving it, Remyang took off her mask and placed it on the table next to the bed.

Marian looked at her with a pitiful gaze.

Remyang’s face without the mask looked unusually pale.

Colder than the chilly moonlight.

“Please have some of this.”

For a few days, the young lady hadn’t been taking care of her meals properly.

She couldn’t even sleep, let alone continue her beloved research and experiments.

It was the first time Marian had seen her like this, and that’s why she was so worried.

“Thank you.”

Marian handed her the tea and placed the tray on the table, sitting next to her.

And she asked cautiously.

“What… happened?”

Remyang’s lips parted, then closed again.

Marian and Remyang had no secrets from each other and were open with each other.

She was the only one who knew about this revenge drama and was a great advisor.

The plan of leadership and repentance was only possible with Marian’s advice and help.

However, she couldn’t easily open up about what had just happened.

She was embarrassed.

Embarrassed by her own failure to solve the problem posed by the ignorant Elden.

Her own weakness and helplessness, which she had never succumbed to failure and always been confident in any adverse conditions.

And.

Unlike the initial intention of sincere repentance through leadership and enlightenment, only my lingering attachment and stubbornness remained.

Nevertheless, I cannot stop, I do not know how to stop my foolishness.

I, who wished for the change of a villain more than anyone else, closed my eyes as if I did not wish for it.

It was so embarrassing and shameful.

To be ‘defeated’ by a villain who was like a sworn enemy.

Of course, it was a confession that did not contain a handful of sincerity, but rather a strategy to lure the villain into the pit of revenge. However, for some reason, it felt shameful and embarrassing.

I felt unjust because it seemed like he genuinely rejected my confession.

I felt unjust because he seemed to think of himself as a courageous and strong man.

Frustration and irritation surged within me.

It was repulsive and disgusting.

Those feelings only fueled the burning fire within me even more.

Moreover, the observer who was monitoring his every move was always reporting the same things.

Moving between the library and the training ground.

Devoting himself wholeheartedly to everything happening there.

There was no sign of falsehood, and he was even performing acts of kindness that were hard to believe in places where others did not see.

Picking up trash, organizing scattered items, fixing broken things, and so on.

Without paying attention to the main tasks, he was solely focused on his mental and physical training.

“Sigh….”

A deeper sigh than the deep night flowed out.

In that sigh, I filled with a sweet tea.

The winter flower tea, infused with winter, needed to evolve the burning heat.

However, the flames did not evolve at all, no matter how fierce they were.

With a teacup in hand, I looked down at the trembling winter flower tea.

Reading his gaze, Marion cautiously spoke up.

“Or perhaps, it would be better to accept his surrender…?”

“What?”

“Look at yourself now. You’ve become half of what you were.”

Suddenly, Remyan turned his head and looked at the mirror on the table next to the bed.

A pale, exhausted, and worn-out portrait of a woman appeared.

“….”

“I’m worried. At this rate, you might collapse…”

Remyan shifted his gaze to Marion and forced a smile.

In Marion’s eyes, it was a more fragile and delicate smile than ever before.

“Don’t worry. I’m not that weak.”

“I know. You’re stronger than anyone else. I just… find it hard to see you struggling. It might be difficult, but how about believing in Elden Gongja’s change…?”

It was still fresh in my memory.

The moment I clashed with Elden Gongja.

It was a dizzying moment that could be described as a clash with death.

To the one who helped me directly when I stumbled, Elden Gongja.

And.

Elden Gongja, who warned me ominously that if I ever revealed his help to anyone, I would truly regret it.

It was a first meeting that was different from what I had heard.

In fact, it was the opposite.

Elden Gongja, who would execute a maid for merely annoying him and who would repay pain tenfold or a hundredfold, helped me.

I wondered if it was because the evaluation committee was watching, but there were no strange looks around me.

I wondered if it was because he knew I was the exclusive maid of the third princess, but his helping hand and gaze were pure.

If his actions were planned, I hoped he would want it to be known to others.

But he demanded silence.

I was worried that my actions would become a bothersome rumor and stick to me.

‘…Should I tell him?’

I thought about conveying Elden Gongja’s pure kindness that I felt at that moment, but the ominous warning and the fact that telling him now would not improve the lady’s condition made me hesitate.

No.

It seemed like she would delve deeper into it.

It felt like going back to that day and starting all over again.

This relentless task, that is.

That’s why Marion hoped for nothing but the return of the lively and spirited lady she once knew, accepting the change in her.

However.

The plea to accept the change was mercilessly ignored.

“I don’t like it.”

A firm response.

“…What?”

“I can’t trust you. If we have a face-to-face meeting, it will all be exposed. No, I will make it so. Definitely.”

“Before that, can I just say something to you…?”

“Forget it. This is something I have chosen and something I must do on my own. That’s the only way I can be completely liberated.”

“But…”

Marion tried to persuade her, but Remyan, who had set down her teacup, lay down on the bed.

She turned over, pulling the blanket over her head.

“I’m sorry, but I want to be alone tonight. Please leave.”

“Ah… Yes.”

In the end, Marion, who placed the teacup on the tray, had to leave the bedroom.

Although the cold words of the lady were somewhat hurtful, Marion, who knew all too well what made her impatient, irrational, had no choice but to retreat.

May my lady’s night pass without incident.