abcnovels
Chapter 88
Chapter 88
Chapter 88
Translator: wuttisyun
“Dame of Aventa. I had always wondered why you came to my little sister’s depressing palace. The reason why you had taken this position for yourself.”
Fleon was subtly placing pressure on Rebecca for an answer.
“What’s more important to me is for that baby chick to stand proudly and safely with a smile on her face. Be it today or tomorrow. I don’t want that ugly smile of hers to fade from just a simple tea party. Your role is very crucial for that.”
He was warning her. A warning that she would be held accountable if anything were to happen to me.
“I’m sure you understand.”
With a beautiful expression on her face, Rebecca smiled gently, fluttering her fan-like eyelashes before bowing gracefully.
“I shall keep that in mind.”
She then closed her books on poems. She then lifted her head before shifting her gaze towards me.
“To be honest, my mistress would not be this anxious if you had bore half the similarities to the crown prince.”
“Right, I’m weak.”
Her red lips as if they had been covered in red petals slightly mocked him.
“There was a prince of similar status nearby so I was curious.”
“Ah, you’re seriously not listening to a word I say, you know?”
Since when had they become close enough for them to go back and forth so naturally like that?
‘I could certainly never come close to imitating them.’
Fleon had the privilege of arrogance and thought of all the mansion staff merely as people who cleaned the ground his feet threaded on. Whereas Rebecca was a sheltered daughter of a duke who had never faced difficulties in her life. Neither of them were going down without a fight.
“My mistress is definitely too soft.”
“Huh?”
“She has too much affection. Yes, of course. As the prince said himself, she feels too much for her subordinates. She should follow after the prince.”
“Hm, isn’t it nice to have a lot of affection?”
“Well, do you think you can control the people with mere affection?”
“… I can’t?”
She replied with a smile colder than ice on her pale white face.
“A person who is easily used is a kind person. Don’t give it to anyone. Your heart I mean.”
Rebecca pointed elegantly at me with her fan.
“A wise lady must learn to be as cold as ice whilst smiling brightly like the sun. Your smiles must be friendly but your heart must remain cold. I don’t want my mistress to be swayed. Please become a more mature and difficult mistress.”
“Rebecca.”
“You didn’t forget, did you? You are going as my mistress.”
“Rebecca, uhm, nobody can be cold forever.”
Seeing as how I did not understand the meaning behind her words, Rebecca looked like she wanted to sigh. I raised my hand but she ignored it.
“My brother is extremely unbearable but he has gotten better over the years. He is still horrible for wanting to beat up a maid.”
“Who’s the horrible one?”
Fleon’s protests were ignored.
“It’s a given.”
“Yes, though it’s a given, he has changed.”
My hand which had been pointing at Fleon now pointed at Rebecca.
“There’s nothing that’s a given in this world.”
It was like how I thought there would be nothing after death but I was proven wrong. I now know nothing could be taken for granted.
“Everything changes.”
I smiled innocently.
“However, since I have Rebecca, everything should be fine.”
“How so?”
“Because the fact that you’ll remain by my side will not change.”
She looked at me with a strange expression.
“… Even if the place you’re heading to will be difficult?”
“It’s alright because Rebecca is here.”
Could I ever move as gracefully as Rebecca whilst maintaining the attitude of Fleon? I could not.
‘But I know I can easily curse at their faces and make a commotion.’
I could not bring myself to say I could do things I could not.
“How could you not bear any similarities at all…”
After speaking her mind sarcastically, Rebecca lowered her head. A long sigh broke out from between her lips.
“How pathetic and insincere. What if I were to hurt you one day?”
“Yeah, no. I’ll just think about it when it happens!”
“Are you sure, my mistress who is now so relaxed?”
She smiled before lifting her chin.
“I wish the world would turn as innocent as pure as you want it to be.”
She shifted her gaze, fixing her expression that was as pretty as flowers before widening her eyes.
‘Well, I actually think that the world is actually a very cruel and merciless place.’
I smiled thinly. As if she was staring at someone naive and stupid, her gaze was slightly tinged in pity.
“Fine.”
Rebecca’s smile reminded me of a lake that had been frozen over during the winter or a beautiful piece of ice. But for a moment, I stared at the stillness in her obsidian eyes amidst the blowing winds.
Soon, a thin white hand slipped into my hair and tucked a strand behind my ear.
“I’ll tell you once more.”
Rebecca withdrew enchantingly as she only drew confusion out of me.
“Please act more like him.”
She glanced at Fleon before rising from her seat. Her hand grazed my cheek and removed another strand of hair away.
‘I think I’m halfway though.’
As I lifted my teacup along with her, I judged.
It was like making a bet on the north wind or the sun. Like one of Aesop’s fables, I could choose whether to try and melt her or blow a typhoon at her. I wondered how much of the traveller’s clothes could I take off.
‘Come to my side, Rebecca.’
If I were to take off the clothes that were protecting the ice within and tame my lady-in-waiting who was as bright as red roses and even more beautiful than the flowers, how valuable would she be after I reveal the truth within her shell?
As she got closer to my neck, her scent wafted into my nose as I witnessed the sun set slowly. The blue sky was slowly fading away. My room had a panoramic view of the garden and the sun was painting the sky in a red that was paler and yet fancier than the burning red of the sun. There was peace for a while.
“Rebecca, I’m glad I met you.”
Seriously. I looked into the moist black eyes before smiling like a small plum blossom yet to blossom.
“Take care of me tomorrow.”
Indeed, would I be able to do well? All I had was the faith that I would not die tomorrow and resigned slightly.
All I had was the will to live.
***
I had a conversation with a friend who had majored in costume design one day about dresses.
Our conversation started when a movie played on the television screen in the bar. The dress Keira Knightley had been wearing looked very glamorous.
Wow, how many lace and ribbons were there hanging on that dress? It must have been very expensive to look that good, right?
When I saw that fancy dress, I had muttered that to myself drunkenly unconsciously before smiling like an idiot.
“Hey. You have no idea how tight that corset is, right? I had tried something like it once during practise. A person can die wearing that seriously.”
In that era, having hair styled so puffed up like that was very popular. I heard some had died because their hair was over half a meter high.
I had giggled at how luxurious women’s fashion had been back then. Such a thing would never have anything to do with me. Both my friend and I agreed on that.
‘But now I’m wearing the clothes I had laughed at so long ago.’
The dress I was wearing today reminded me of the dress I noticed in the movie.
The delicate and fine flower patterns. The tight design was quite revealing around my chest area. There were trims (fine creases made by pulling the thread only after folding the cloth while sewing) at the hem of my skirt.
‘If only I had glass shoes, I would have been the perfect CInderella.”
The Cinderella in the fairytale had her prince on the white horse but I had nothing here. Looking at how gorgeous I had become, I was reminded of the god who had thrown me into this hell. I was no longer happy with the dress I had only dreamed about before.
‘Even though my dream has been ruined, I’m still quite calm.’
How many layers was I wearing? For a moment, I had choked because of the corset that was making it difficult to breathe so after I cleared my throat, I let out a sigh elegantly. I could barely hold back the swear words.
“Did you understand everything I told you?”
“Yeah.”
Rebecca looked so beautiful in her navy dress. I thought it would have been great if I were to have her image as a painting.
Like jewels on display, Rebecca exuded an unparalleled glamour as she wore her fancy dress.
Her red hair which shone under the light was one of her greatest features.
“I’ve called for the carriage so wait here for a while.”
“Alright.”
Feeling more uncomfortable with my restricted movements, I leaned my back against the chair before a dark shadow fell on the back of my hand.
When I raised my head, I felt something cool touch my cheek.
‘Rebecca, are you staring at my cheek?”
“… Yes. Are you uncomfortable?’
“Uhm.”
Rebecca stared at me before frowning slightly. I thought about her gaze. This was the first time Rebecca openly stared at my cheek.
“I’m not uncomfortable.”
I replied whilst shaking my head.
“Shall I tell you since you look so curious?”
“As long as it will not upset you, mistress.”
Was she trying to be considerate? Actually, I thought she would point out my scar the first time she met me.
‘Where shall I begin?’
She looked tangled in worry. Thinking about how I had been living thus far, I smiled knowingly. Well, if I was Rebecca, I would also be curious if my mistress had a scar running down her cheek and smiled like an idiot.
“I don’t know the details. It happened after I was born. Apparently something shocking and tragic happened.”
“… A tragedy?”
“Yeah, from the day I was born, I had disappeared shortly after my birth. When my nanny found me a week later, I already had the scar.”
“… So my mistress doesn’t know either.”
“Yeah. My nanny and head maid had promised not to tell anyone. It was said that no one could fix it and it could never heal. So why do you ask?”
“The curse of God.”
“Yeah. Right. They did say it was ‘The Curse of God.’
“It’s a wound that could not be treated with any medication neither can it be healed by any clerics…”
“Right. Something like that. Do you call it a wound caused by the wrath of God? Did something happen on the day I was born?”
Why did this cut across my face come to being? I wondered what happened. However, my curiosity stopped after I grew out of being a child. The memories of me fleeing to the Empire’s eastern territories were now vague.
I had been hurt countless times while staying there.
T/N:
GAHH SRY ITS SO LATE. i dont think ill be able to provide d third release by this week so maybe ill do a double update next week? GAHAH im not sure we’ll see how it goes. sry that it’s late agn!!