“Did you run here?”
As we sat down, escorted by Walter, Mel frowned and asked.
“Huh… … No.”
Hermia barely managed to catch her breath and replied, looking back and forth between the two of them before suddenly letting out a hollow laugh.
Walter, dressed perfectly in his military uniform today, was still a fine gentleman, and Mel, in her pink two-piece, looked even lovelier than yesterday.
Yes. Everything is just going back to where it was. There is nothing to feel wronged or regret.
“I’ll get right to the point without further ado. Looking at you two again, you two look really good together.”
I wasn’t being sarcastic, I was being sincere. Now that I’ve said it out loud, I can see it clearly.
The foreign substance that came between the two beautiful people, like a prince and princess in a fairy tale, was none other than himself. Not poor Mel.
“As you both know, I didn’t grow up in a very refined environment, so I saw a lot of dirty things when I was young.”
It wasn’t a prepared comment, but when she actually met the Duke and the Countess, words flowed out without her intention. Hermia continued to speak silently with a feeling of resignation.
“There are all sorts of love fights out there, but the ugliest of them all is when they involve family. I even thought it was fortunate that I didn’t have any sisters.”
And I smiled bitterly at Mel. Mel was looking at me with a surprised face.
“Even though we’re not biological sisters, Mel… Lisa and I are cousins who share the same grandfather, and I don’t want to fight over who this girl should marry.”
“Miss Hermia.”
Walter sensed something ominous and called out her name. It was very unusual for him to interrupt a story while it was still in progress.
It was evidence that she was that flustered, but unfortunately Hermia had no way of knowing.
“What’s the point of fighting if I’m the only one who’ll get hurt?”
“I think there is some misunderstanding.”
“No, don’t misunderstand. I heard you two talking yesterday. That’s why I’m saying this, Your Majesty.”
She straightened her back and continued speaking softly. It was a cowardly request, in contrast to her dignified demeanor.
“Can you please break off the engagement as I requested? The more I think about it, the more I think no one will believe me.”
“… Did you just say the engagement was broken off?”
There was a sense of eeriness in the low voice that seemed to be sinking into the ground. The atmosphere was as if the table would be overturned at any moment, and even though it was early summer, there was a freezing cold air.
Mel, who was fast asleep, rolled her eyes here and there, but Hermia didn’t feel scared at all.
Walter stared at the table as if trying to decide what to say, then finally opened his mouth.
“I am speaking of Miss Hermia’s childhood, but I was taught that it is a man’s disgrace to go back on his words once he has said them.”
“You never said anything in particular.”
“Anyway, what this means is that once I’ve made a decision, I won’t change it.”
“Are you saying you will marry me just because of your pride? Are you crazy, Duke?”
Mel jumped up from her seat at the harsh words that flowed out unfiltered.
“Miss! What kind of a habit is that to use with the Duke!”
Hermia couldn’t help but laugh at the absurd admonition.
‘That’s right. How absurd must it be for me to say something like that?’
The words came pouring out like water pouring out of a suddenly collapsed dam.
“You’re the worst at speaking here, Melissa. Even if you’re just childhood friends, you keep saying ‘Walter, Walter.’ in front of everyone. What’s that?”
“yes yes?”
Hermia shook her hands with an annoyed expression, as if even this conversation was annoying.
“Excuse me, Your Highness. When Melissa returns as the Countess, people will point fingers at me and say that I stole her position. In fact, I’m in a pretty bad situation right now.”
“If it’s because of that novel, then it can be solved.”
He pushed the newspaper with today’s date that he had kept folded to one side.
What do you mean by solution? She muttered as she opened the newspaper and saw the headline on the front page, which was as big as a door, and then opened it again.
[Royal family bans popular novel ‘The Thief Youngae’… … Author publicly wanted.]
Crazy. It’s even in the newspaper now?
As I was just smiling blankly, the words ‘Public Wanted’ written at the end caught my eye.
“They wanted to arrest the author and interrogate him, but the publisher said he disappeared right after the second volume was published.”
“Who is the author?”
Hermia asked expectantly. Her heart had been pounding hard for some time.
“I have identified you, but I have not yet found any contact with Bansenga. I have been investigating that, so I have not been able to contact you for several days.”
Walter spoke as if reporting the current situation as Hermia had felt the other day.
“I will catch the author and get him to testify that the novel is a lie. If I do that, Miss Hermia’s name will also be cleared.”
“oh my god…….”
She lowered her eyes again and quickly scanned the article.
[The novel called ‘The Thief Youngae’ is definitely a hot topic for its second volume. It’s because of the new character that appears. ‘Miss H’, who recently got engaged to ‘Duke R’, is in the novel… … (omitted)]
Hermia rubbed her eyes and read the contents carefully.
There was not a single line about Count Arnold Bahnsen in it. In my father’s case, it was a sensitive issue, so the newspapers must have been cautious.
Naturally, the target turned to an easy bastard. Looking again, it wasn’t a local newspaper, but a copy from a major media outlet with nationwide distribution.
“You’ve become a famous person not only in the capital but also nationwide. Wow. What an honor.”
I don’t think even the countryside will be safe. I’d rather go abroad.
The Eastern Empire? The Western Empire? Or maybe head south and take a ship to a faraway land?
As my mind was spinning in a complicated manner, Walter knocked lightly on the table.
“Let me be clear: Miss Hermia and I will never break off our engagement.”
“So you’re telling me to keep getting cursed at until the writer gets caught and explains himself?”
He told her a story he couldn’t understand as she asked him again in bewilderment.
“Let’s be clear and blunt, breaking off the engagement now won’t do Miss Hermia much good. It would be bad if Helen’s image is fixed and imprinted on the public.”
“I don’t understand what you’re saying.”
“‘The villainess is punished, the engagement is broken, and the story is over.’ If people come to that conclusion in their heads, even if the writer explains it later, no one will care.”
“ah.”
Only then did Hermia slowly nod her head.
“So… you’re saying that I should continue to be a villainess for the time being and have fun being chewed out. If I don’t lose sight of their interests, I’ll be able to clear my name later?”
“Yes.”
“Wh, what are you talking about? Walter, explain it to me again.”
Mel, who couldn’t keep up with the conversation, hung on to his arm in embarrassment. Hermia deliberately looked away from the scene and got up from her chair.
“Okay. For now, I’ll stay engaged. I have to live, too. I won’t ask you to get married, so don’t worry about that.”
I thought I should go back now that I had said everything. As I was about to turn around and leave, Walter quickly passed me by, then walked in front of me and stopped abruptly.
It was the first time Hermia had learned that you don’t have to grab someone’s wrist, arm, or shoulder to stop them.
“I know it’s rude, but I can’t let you go if you misunderstand. Please forgive me.”
“What is that… … .”
He straightened his body, pulled his chin up, looked her straight in the eye, and began to speak forcefully, word by word.
“I will make this clear on this occasion. I do not have romantic feelings for Melissa. Instead, I feel a sense of responsibility as her guardian.”
Hermia looked into Mel’s green eyes that seemed to suck her in, and then she unconsciously looked at her. She was frozen with a face that seemed even more shocked than her own.
“Melissa and I have no siblings and have a father who is a soldier, so we were literally like siblings. She also relies on me in the same way. After losing her memory and then finding it again, I was probably the only person she knew.”
“Excuse me, I’m a little embarrassed… … .”
Walter was delivering his message quickly and monotonously, as if he was really annoyed by the situation. It seemed as if he wanted to end the situation quickly.
“If it’s not something I don’t like, we’ll have the wedding right after we find the writer. I was planning on sending Melissa back today, but she seems unstable, so I’ll keep her for a few more days. Do you mind?”
“…yes.”
Perhaps it was because he showed a firm attitude that a gentleman would never do. Rather than feeling unpleasant about the one-sided notice, it felt refreshing.
Walter’s true nature, behind his noble mask, made me think that he might actually be more impatient than I was.
Hermia nodded absentmindedly and sat down with him, who had turned from a soldier to a gentleman, and ate with him until breakfast.
The menu consisted of eight kinds of bread, various fruit juices, and the filet mignon she had left over from yesterday because she was full.
* * *
The Duke’s carriage slowly stopped, and the tall, handsome man who emerged from it immediately attracted the attention of those around him. The man held out his gloved palm with a very natural movement, and a slender hand came up on top of it.
The one who got out of the carriage, escorted by Colonel Rockford, the pride and hero of the kingdom, was none other than Hermia Bahnsen, the illegitimate daughter of the Bahnsen family and the rumored villainess.
She listened to the mutterings of those who were looking at her as if it were her habit, then stopped. She was going to hear it so tiresomely that she needed to become a little more numb.
“If Miss Hermia is uncomfortable with the mansion… … .”
“It’s okay. Your Majesty, please catch the writer quickly. This is something I can handle.”
He looked at Hermia for a moment and then nodded slightly.
“Come to me whenever you need me. I’ll pay for the carriage fare, but please don’t sell any more books.”
“Hmm. Are you kidding me?”
“I’m sorry if it wasn’t fun.”
It was so boring that Hermia stopped laughing. She watched Walter climb back into the carriage and drive away for quite a while before slowly turning away.
As I stood in front of the iron gate and pressed the doorbell, tension rose belatedly. After a while, Mrs. Laura came out and opened the door with a thoughtful face.
“Oh my, what should I do? Miss, if you go in now, you’ll get sick.”
“Because you stayed out overnight? The Duke said he sent someone yesterday.”
“It’s not because of that… … .”
“Hey! Hermia’s here! Hey, Arnold!”
The Countess was the first to shout, and Count Arnold came stomping out of the study. The moment he saw Hermia, his eyes lit up.
“What the hell is going on!”
“… … .”
Hermia squeezed her eyes shut as she looked at the wad of yellow paper her father had roughly thrown at her feet.
The newspaper, which had been crumpled and then unfolded, contained the same article Hermia had read that morning.
“What did you do to deserve to be in such a low-quality novel!”
As expected, you saw it. I didn’t know you’d know so quickly.
No matter what excuses he made, it would be of no use since the Countess was watching him with her arms crossed.
Let’s just apologize unconditionally and end it early. Thinking that way, Hermia opened her mouth.
“What should I know?”