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IGF 17
I cannot tell you how relieved I was to hear that Roselyn had been divorced as soon as she returned. That was why I was so delighted to see her standing blankly in the rain with a look of resignation on her face. I felt a thrill seeing how she looked at me as if my proposal were her salvation. Ah, the gap between you and me has grown this wide now.
And so, I persuaded her despite her persistent refusals and brought her to the mansion. I wanted to be reminded of the disparity between Roselyn and myself at every moment. The fact that I had helped a friend in dire straits bolstered my morality and reputation, and the rumors that the once-blue rose had become a rotten rose filled my self-esteem.
Whenever I saw Roselyn living as little more than a maid, I felt an inexplicable sense of pleasure. It felt like confirmation that the once-blue rose had completely withered.
That was certainly the case, but at some point, Roselyn began to grate on my nerves again.
The way Cesare, who drove away almost every tutor by tormenting them, followed and liked only Roselyn; the way eyes naturally drifted toward her whenever she smiled; and her pretentious manner of not shedding a single tear despite being trailed by all sorts of misfortune and scandal—all of it began to gnaw at my nerves.
Roselyn was supposed to be pitiful and miserable. Only then could I shine brighter. On the day of the banquet, she subtly dropped hints to Billion Crompter, a man famous for being a degenerate, urging him to seek her out.
"I think Roselyn went to the garden again. I'm so worried that she might be having some sort of secret rendezvous there. I'm afraid the rumors will only grow."
Billion Crompter headed for the garden the moment he heard those words. I felt no guilt. Perhaps it could even be an opportunity for Roselyn. Billion Crompter was the heir to a Count's house, but because of his degenerate personality, no young lady wanted to marry him. If she could capture him, Roselyn could become a Countess despite being a divorcee. If only Prince Aiden weren't there!
That day, seeing Billion Crompter fleeing in a hurry, I had guessed that Aiden had intervened in some way and the plan had failed. I had been anxious ever since. I tried to comfort myself that it was just a fleeting encounter, but a persistent unpleasantness remained, like sharp thorns irritably pricking at my mind.
Eventually, Violet's suppressed inferiority complex exploded upon witnessing Aiden—who had also been bewitched by the temptress before him—deceiving her to have a secret meeting with Roselyn.
Unable to contain her surging temper, Violet's eyes widened and she raised her arm. Roselyn, who was a head shorter than Violet, closed her eyes, bracing for the stinging pain that would land on her cheek. However, even after a long while, no pain came. When she opened her eyes, she saw Violet staring at her as if she wanted to kill her, tears streaming down her face.
"You shouldn't do this to me. I helped you, Rose. I took you in when you had nowhere to go!"
Roselyn could not hide her bewilderment. Violet had always been calm, but now she seemed unpredictably unstable. At the same time, the guilt that often tormented her reared its head again and whispered in her ear.
You must repay the favor, Roselyn. Do you really want to become a temptress who seduces the Prince? Are you really going to betray the friend who helped you?
Roselyn once again gave up on taking care of herself first. The familiar helplessness and resignation screamed that she must first soothe Violet, who was wailing frantically before her. She closed her eyes tight and forced herself to speak.
"I'm sorry if I upset you, Violet. It was my fault."
"Violet?"
A venomous voice cut her off. A deep sense of resignation clouded Roselyn's face as her lips trembled.
"I am sorry, My Lady."
"What are you sorry for?"
Violet's gaze was fierce. She pulled a handkerchief from her pocket to wipe her tears, questioning her as if conducting an interrogation.
"For wagging your tail at Lord Aiden? Or for betraying me?"
"...I didn't wag my tail. And I didn't betray you."
She wanted to make this one thing clear. She had apologized without reason, but she truly could not tolerate any further misunderstandings. However, Violet, glaring at her with reddened eyes, showed no sign of believing her.
"You didn't wag your tail, yet His Highness kissed you? Are you saying Lord Aiden fell for you and courted you?"
"There was no kiss to begin with."
"Really?"
"Yes. I don't know what you're imagining, but it's all a misunderstanding."
The way she slowly scrutinized her to see if there were any lies in her words made her look like a throwing a tantrum child. Roselyn gave a hollow laugh and nodded. Only then did Violet's expression soften slightly. She was gradually returning to the calm Violet of old.
"Then why was Lord Aiden meeting you here?"
Just how far did she have to go with excuses and explanations? Roselyn swallowed a sigh of hopelessness. She considered simply telling her about Prince Aiden's proposal, but that would mean exposing the fact that the Prince loathed the marriage talks with Violet, so she couldn't do that. Moreover, if Violet found out the Prince had tried to use her to break off the engagement... the truth would only bring disaster.
After imagining Violet's reaction for a moment, Roselyn spoke.
"I felt a bit stifled, so I went for a walk and ran into him by chance. I just thanked him for the help I received previously."
Predicting that Violet would ask about the help she had received, Roselyn quickly continued.
"On the day of the banquet a while ago, I almost had a troubling encounter with a man. Prince Aiden happened to be passing by, saw it, and helped me."
"...That's enough. Then, was the posture that looked like a kiss also a misunderstanding?"
Contrary to Roselyn's expectations, Violet looked slightly unconvinced but did not ask further about the incident on the day of the banquet. She had thought Violet would certainly be curious since it involved the Prince.
"That was... he was just removing something that was stuck to my back."
It was a clumsy excuse, fashioned in haste, but it seemed to work well enough on Violet. After staring at Roselyn while biting the inside of her cheek, she closed her eyes, let out a deep sigh, and wore the beautiful smile she always showed.
"I'm sorry, Rose. I think I got too excited."
Violet lowered her eyebrows deeply and took Roselyn's hand in hers. The sight was so eerily similar to Selena that a wave of nausea surged within her.
"...It's okay."
Pretending to be okay even when she wasn't had almost become a habit. As Roselyn forced the corners of her mouth up, Violet smiled brightly and let go of her hand.
"You know how much I care about you. Right?"
"...Yes."
"I want you to be happy, Rose."
Violet crossed her index and middle fingers behind her back and gave a beaming smile. Roselyn's eyes, which seemed stained with darkness, calmed her heart. Come to think of it, it wasn't something to get so worked up over. Her aunt had clearly said that the marriage talks with Prince Aiden would proceed. Since her aunt's plans never failed, she was as good as the Prince's consort already.
The green eyes of Violet, whose composure had fully returned, shone coldly. Even if Lord Aiden had developed an interest in Roselyn, it didn't matter. Anything bothersome could simply be brushed aside.
Wijena Russell, known as the Emperor's mistress and Lady Rowin, arrived at the Marquess's residence in the late afternoon. Perhaps because it was the spring social season, the servants seemed restless, unable to calm their excitement. Wijena clicked her tongue softly and entered the mansion with her characteristic light step. Violet, who had changed into an evening dress for dinner, hurried over to greet her.
"You've arrived, Aunt?"
Violet gave a graceful curtsy to Wijena. Wijena's eyebrows arched at the sight of her niece's face, which looked as if she had much to say.
"Yes. Let us go inside. By the way, I don't see the Marquess or our young Marquess."
"Cesare must have had a long nap because he was tired from his riding lesson; he's probably getting ready now. Father has stepped out for a moment on merchant guild business. I believe he mentioned going to Arita."
"Ah, for trade with the Northern Kingdom."
Wijena nodded as if she understood and headed toward the formal dining room. Upon opening the door, the interior of the dining room, decorated primarily in red tones, came into view. Violet looked at Wijena with an expectant gaze.
"I tried changing the fabric of the furniture for the spring."
"It's better than last time."
Wijena, surveying the interior with an air of indifference, spoke as she sat in the chair pulled out by a servant. Knowing that she was a person stingy with praise, that alone made Violet's expression brighten. As Violet sat in the seat next to the table with Wijena in the seat of honor, the door soon opened and a boy dressed in formal attire ran in.
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