chapter 2

“Rick, and Lockherd.”

“Yes.”

“Yes.”

Rick, who was trying to detect mother’s mood, replied in a faint voice. Lockherd, on the other hand, barely managed to hold back his laughter, twitching the corner of his mouth.

“Whatever the reason is, and even though it’s a little late, if Katrina has decided to become a dignified lady, you kids should support her as her older brothers. But to me, I can only see you two laughing at Katrina’s behavior and making fun of her. Is it not?”

“No.”

“What do you mean ‘no’? Does that mean what you did was right?”

I could hear Rick swallowing his saliva. So much for teasing me. I covered half of my face with the napkin and pretended to cough in order to obscure the cheekbones that were rising up out of amused.

“Oh no, I do not mean anything like that, mother.”

“The two of you shouldn’t come close to Katrina for the time being, especially Rick! If you keep provoking Kate, I’m going to scold you.”

After making herself clear with a firm voice, my mother shifted her gaze to me and smiled softly. It was a benevolent look that I had never seen in her for fifteen years of my life.

“Daisy, why do I have no friends?”

“…P-pardon?”

After lunch, the maid, Daisy, who was serving refreshments on the garden table, widened her eyes at my unexpected question. How shocking was my question to make her hands tremble like that?

“You have been looking after me for a long time, haven’t you? Why do I have no friends?”

“That….”

Daisy Lowered her head.

“So…that is because…”

“Hahh, Daisy, it’s okay, so just be honest. I get it, I am bad luck, people avoid me, that’s why I don’t have any friends.”

Daisy put down the teapot at my bitter tone and grabbed my shoulders with an emotional face.

She was the only one who cared about me even though I acted like a jerk. I guessed she could not bring herself to explain why I was an outcast.

And yes, I had no friends.

Sadly, it was true. Whenever other young girls of the same age gathered around at a tea party to chat then occasionally burst out laughing, I used to sit next to my mother and enjoy a slice of cake little by little.

Still, there was never a time when I felt lonely. It was possible because I was always busy fighting with my brothers and chasing after Nezar.

But, as I said before, the story was a little different now. Having been reborn as a new Katrina after remembering my previous life, I had set a lifelong goal of getting Nezar a lover.

To achieve that goal, I had to stop fooling around with my brothers, the same went for following Nezar around as his tail.

All of this was for a comfortable and harmonious life in my old age.

“Daisy, how do I make friends?”

“Well shouldn’t you reach a mutual understanding through communication first? It will give you the opportunity to get to know people and establish ties.”

“You’re saying I didn’t communicate before?”

“Um, until two days ago, Miss Katrina …was more like an animal than a human. Well, if you stay like that, you will not be able to make friends any time soon!”

Damn, was it hurt, but Daisy was right.

So I had to be a premature lady from now on in order to get Nezar a lovable lady.

A lady drank tea with her little finger up, covered mouth when she laughed, and smiled softly every time she spoke, that was all required in a woman as soft as a whipped cream cake!

“What kind of scheme are you plotting for you to smile on your own like that?”

Suddenly, Rick’s voice was heard.

I quietly closed the etiquette book I was reading and raised my head. I was trying to enjoy tea time sitting at the garden table like any other little girl, but Rick, who ignored mother’s words, came to ruin this pleasant time of mine.

“What’s really the problem with you? Why do you keep doing things you haven’t done before? You could even hardly read the textbooks with shallow knowledge in your literature class, why choose a book of this difficulty of understanding?”

Rick’s expression was now more serious, unlike earlier. There was no sign of him joking around, it made my lips harden when I tried to swear at him just like I usually did in our silly fights. I put the book I was holding on the table.

“Everything is fine, I’m just being a little more modest for the future.”

“Don’t be ridiculous. Does it happen that changing your personality is a condition of being engaged to His Highness Nezar?”

It was not an engagement condition, but rather a condition to break it. I shook my head, but Rick’s doubtful expression did not unravel, it seemed that he was suspecting my answer.

“Kate, do you like the Crown Prince that much?”

“It’s not because of Nezar though?! Why are you being so sensitive anyway? Could it be because of late puberty?”

Actually, it was because I remembered my previous life, but it was impossible to say that. Who would treat me like a normal person after hearing that?

I did not back down from Rick’s suspicious look, I raised my chin and stared straight  at him. Rick looked down at me silently, then sighed deeply.

“Fine, I will stop bothering you, so relax…but if anything happens, don’t get sick alone, and make sure to tell me or brother Lockherd.”

Rick stretched out his arm and stroked my hair. Soon, he turned his back and disappeared into the garden. Perhaps because of his broad strides, Rick’s figure quickly vanished over the marguerite-scented garden.

Why did he suddenly do something so absurd and unlike him? I lightly touched the place where Rick’s warmth lingered on my head. He was only two years older than me, yet he was treating me like a child.

When I opened the book again and brought the teacup up close, the maid, who had been standing far away, waiting for our conversation to end, approached. Judging by the way her expression brightened up like the morning sun, it seemed that good news had arrived.

“Miss! His Highness Nezar has visited.”

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I should not have concluded so rashly, and excitement was not necessarily good news all the time. I got up unnaturally, my movements instantly became stiff like that of a machine.

My heart started pounding wildly at the thought that Nezar had arrived in the drawing room and was waiting for me.

Calm down, Katrina. You are now different from who you used to be, so there’s no reason to suffer quietly from his harassment!

However, unlike my determined mind, my legs already faltered.