Villainous Lady, The Obsession Begins

“Love.”

Esadien silently repeated those words to himself, determined. He would kneel and confess everything, just as Minuelle had shown him. He would reveal his heart completely, too.

However, he only managed to go as far as the confession part. He couldn’t even see a single strand of Minuelle’s hair as the door to the Karinen’s mansion was firmly shut and wouldn’t open.

“I thought you said the gate of Karinen mansion would always be open.”

After waiting in front of the mansion’s gate for a day, the Grand Duchess’s spouse, who had the same face as Minuelle, finally appeared and spoke coldly to Esadien.

“That was when Minuelle’s heart was open to the Third Prince.”

Even after receiving help from the Crown Princess to finally meet Minuelle, the problem persisted. Although he had promised to show his true feelings, he had suppressed his emotions all his life, making it too difficult to reveal them…

The things that didn’t need to be shown were too strongly expressed, and because he couldn’t show what he really needed to, he was treated as crazy by Minuelle. Even after explaining that it wasn’t the case, he couldn’t seem to bring himself to say the words “I love you”, as if they were blocked by a cork, even when he tried to help her and the atmosphere had softened a bit.

He began to hate himself more and more for it. 

He could only feel the sting of criticism that he was just acting and not really becoming the person that Minuelle wanted.

“What should I do…..”

Feeling left alone in the world was something he hadn’t experienced in a long time. Minuelle told him that this too shall pass, but he instinctively knew that the love that had been etched into him would never fade away. It was a bitter feeling that could never be replaced with another affection, even if he were to wither and die.

Due to a snowstorm that occurred in the northern border mountains, the monsters started to become active faster than usual. Mother and sister Elga decided to return to the territory first to lead the knights, and Ramande and I agreed to leave together after Father finished his remaining work. And then my mother asked me for a favor.

“My longtime friend, Lady Deone, says she is hosting a tea party for her granddaughter.”

Mother asked me to attend a tea party and deliver a gift there. And I accepted with pleasure, it was only natural for me to go since sister Juella was too busy.

The tea party I attended on behalf of my mother was very calm. This is a gathering of noble ladies, I guess. Besides, since the Marchioness was friends with my mother, everyone was friendly to me, so I could spend time comfortably.

“The Viscount Celeste hanged himself in prison, right?”

“Oh, I heard he was poisoned.”

“His sons were dividing up the business. They’re trying to run it separately.”

“I don’t know if it’s a wise choice. I’m going to withdraw my investment soon.”

The faint sound coming from the next table caught my attention while I was quietly drinking tea.

‘He died all of a sudden? What on earth happened?’

Moreover, in “prison.”

I remembered Lafesch, who had rushed as if she had nothing to lose. Was it because her father was arrested and their household lost its power?

However, thoughts about Lafesch soon disappeared from my mind as the granddaughter of the Marchioness revealed herself. She was dressed in cute baby clothes with a baby bonnet, and her little hands firmly grasped her mouth as she made cooing noises, looking like nothing less than an angel.

“So pretty….”

The ladies around me smiled gracefully as I trembled with emotion.

“Even the Duchess must be hoping for a beautiful grandchild soon.”

“I hope you find a good match, Princess.”

“T-Thank you.”

As I awkwardly smiled while listening to gossip, the butler entered and whispered something to the Marchioness. Her gaze, which briefly landed on me, was filled with embarrassment as she heard what the butler had to say.

However, as a noblewoman, she quickly composed herself and succinctly conveyed the facts to the attendees.

“Fortunately, a special guest has come for my granddaughter.”

A special guest? Coming like this without an invitation in the middle of a tea party was practically gatecrashing.

The warm atmosphere was suddenly disrupted by a small disturbance.

“Who could be so rude like this?”

Fortunately, the curiosity of the ladies did not last long. The mysterious person soon revealed their appearance.

“Oh my gosh…..”

While I was caught with my mouth open in surprise, the ladies concealed their astonishment and greeted the unexpected guest.

“Greetings, Your Highness.”

“…Greetings.”

I quickly stood up and bowed my head as well. Esadien presented the gift to the Marchioness without any trouble and followed her guidance obediently. The Marchioness kindly arranged for Esadien to sit at a table out of my sight.

‘Let’s ignore it. Ignore it. Pretending to know will only lead to defeat.’

As I did last time, I thought that I could ignore it if I did my best.

…I was, until the seemingly terrifyingly persistent gaze pierces the back of my head.

‘I should ignore it.’

I kept getting distracted by it.

 There was no need to even see it as the sight of him standing alone in a plain suit, towering over others because of his height, among the brightly dressed noblewomen, was already vivid in my mind. 

What was even more troubling than Esadien’s gaze was the atmosphere that seemed to be diverting attention away from the Marchioness and her granddaughter, and anticipating what would happen between him and me.

‘I would be a nuisance if I just stayed here like this.’

Suppressing the desire to cover my face, I asked the Marchioness for permission.

“I think I should be the first one to stand up. I’m very sorry for unintentionally spoiling the mood.”

“It’s not your fault, young lady.  Please show me what you’ve got.”

I chuckled vaguely once again. It was a mystery how our affairs had spread among the noblewomen.

Feeling flustered, I left my seat with gratitude. Sure enough, before long, I sensed that Esadien was also following me out.

Despite expecting it, my insides were boiling, and I hastily opened the potion cap and gulped it down noisily.

I was angry not only at Esadien but also at myself. 

It had come to this, yeah. Honestly, it was because I was shaken by him. I pushed him away and turned away, but I kept looking back at him.

“It looks like you’ve gotten closer to the Third Prince again.”

No wonder that’s what Ramande said.

This won’t do. I should have blocked everything from the beginning as my father did.

I turned my body around and glared at Esadien, who followed me all the way to the carriage.

“Can we talk for a moment?”

The dark face of Esadien suddenly brightened. He nodded eagerly like a child and asked.

“Are you going to the imperial palace?”

“Anywhere is fine. Somewhere with no people.”

I feel like I’m going to do something bad today.

‘Better to scream where there is no one around.’

I took a short breath and composed myself. Esadien extended his hand to escort me, but I quickly turned around, clutching the hem of my dress.

As I entered the Imperial Palace, which I hadn’t visited in a long time, the atmosphere had changed once again. The familiar furniture had returned, but the servants had been replaced again. But…

‘Ugh. Sweet smell.’

Upon seeing the table full of desserts, my face stiffened. However, whether he knew it or not, Esadien urged me to sit and tried to sit next to me with a look of excitement on his face.

“Let’s go that way, shall we?”

Finally, Esadien, who looked a little down, sat across from me and opened his mouth.

“I heard you’re going to the north, Minuelle.”

“Where did you…..”

I tried to ask back, but I stopped. Why would I ask? The answer is clear.

‘Theodore!’

A while ago, both Theodore and Rene left Roquette at the same time and we happened to cross paths. We only talked about it once there….. but should you tell Esadien about it?

“I’ll go with you. As a sword that protects you.”

What is this gentleman saying? The Second Prince is also likely to be entangled with the Church of Fire.

“Are you saying that makes sense between a broken engagement? And I trust the knights of my family. I don’t need another sword.”

“We haven’t broken off our engagement, Minuelle.”

That was because you kept rejecting it.

“Since it has been brought up, it’s good. We should stop dragging it out and wrap things up today.”

“Minuelle.”

“I’m sorry, Your Highness. We’re not on a first name basis, so please refrain from using my name like that. It makes me uncomfortable.”

“Unless we broke up…. you’re my fiancée.”

The suppressed voice was desperate.

But we were too different types of people. It was also impossible to change people to my taste just because I liked their appearance.

It was only after I decided to break up my engagement that I realized the simple fact.

I was so angry, thinking that all the explanations I had given so far to make him understand were in vain.

“Oh, really!”

The dessert plates rattled as I slammed the table.

“Let’s break up. I don’t like the moment when I’m in a relationship with someone like you, let alone to marry you. Let’s break the engagement. Break the engagement! Break! The engagement!”

“I refuse.”

He had a firm attitude as much as I did, but his fingertips, which handed over my hair flowing down to the side, were trembling slightly. That gap made me even angrier.

‘Oh, my blood pressure.’

“I told the Crown Princess about what the Second Prince has done.”

“You said that?”

“Yes, I did. I told her he’s still planning to send assassins.”

We had agreed to keep it secret, so I thought that Esadien would be angry if it was revealed.

I even thought that it would be the cherry on top of the cake* if the remaining trust between us was shattered.

[*T/N: 금상첨화, Icing on the cake or the icing on the cake, means that it makes a good thing even better, but it is not essential.]

But his reaction was very different from what I had expected.

“You…. You worried about me.”

‘Why are you so moved!’

I replied with a sigh.

“It’s not like that, so let me go now. You were just trying to use our family as a shield, anyway.”

“It’s not like that.”

“Then what is it!”

“….”

Esadien, who had been responding well, suddenly lowered his gaze.

‘Oh, my blood pressure….!’

I stroked my chest and closed my eyes for a moment.

‘Inner peace, inner peace….’

When I barely managed to calm my mind and opened my eyes, Esadien’s face was close to mine. 

Flendena’s brilliant masterpiece.

A bombshell beauty that made one pause in awe, and as if that description wasn’t enough, his perfectly proportioned lips opened and dropped a bombshell.

“I like you.”

…..What?

“I love you. I realized it too late.”

I was dumbfounded.

My eyes widened in shock as I heard words that I never expected to hear. Then Esadien poured out everything he had held back in a torrent of words.