Chapter 7: Does It Have To Be Business?

Chapter 7 – Does It Have To Be Business?

Living as a noble was leisure compared to having to work hard in Korea.

After rousing myself from bed late in the morning, I would wash my face with rose water, change into a beautiful dress with the help of a maid, and then eat breakfast. I would leisurely pass the time by reading, embroidering, or drinking tea and chatting with other young ladies. In short, it was the ultimate form of excess! This was the unemployed life I had so desired in Korea.

“Ah, I wouldn’t need any wishes if I could live like this every day,” I murmured as I was swayed by a rocking chair. Was there anything better than reading a book every day in a sunny place? I hummed to myself as I took a bite out of an oatmeal cookie Florinda brought me.

There was a knock on the door.

“Come in,” I said. The door opened, and someone came into the room. Judging by the sound of the footsteps, I could tell it was Florinda.

“What is it, Florinda?” I said without taking my eyes off my book.

“Ah, My Lady. How did you know it was me?”

How did I know? She was the only one that came into my room. But I gave an answer that sounded more impressive.

“I’ve heard your footsteps for years, how wouldn’t I know?”

“Wow, My Lady…I’m touched,” she said in a wet voice. After a moment, she remembered why she came in. “You have a guest.”

I turned the pages of my book. “A guest? Who?”

“Lady Dorothea.”

“…”

At those two words, I stopped turning the pages of the book, then looked up at Florinda.

“Who is it really?” I asked in a quiet voice.

“Lady Dorothea. Of the Cornohen family.”

I frowned. She came here uninvited. “Did something happen?”

“She didn’t say anything about that, only that she came to see you.”

“…”

Normally, it was polite to tell someone in advance when you were going to visit their home. Dorothea had no concept of courtesy. I remembered hearing how her parents looked down on my parents, and it seemed that it passed down from Dorothea to Maristella.

I sighed deeply. I wanted to boot her out, but regretfully I couldn’t.

“So where is she waiting now?” I inquired.

“She is in the parlor room.”

“…I see.”

“What should I tell her?” Florinda asked.

I shook my head at her words. She needn’t bother. “I’ll just go downstairs right now.”

I picked up my black shawl hanging on my chair and drew it around my shoulders, then headed towards the parlor room. It was located in a corner on the first floor. I kept my footsteps slow, and when I arrived in front of the parlor room door, I took in a deep breath and knocked. Exactly three seconds later, the door opened.

“Oh, Marie!” Dorothea squealed as she welcomed me in. I thought the other woman wouldn’t visit for a while given the unpleasantness of our last encounter, but apparently I was wrong.

I forced myself to smile and walked to the table where Dorothea was sitting. “What brings you here?”

“Does it have to be business for me to visit? I’m sorry, Marie.”

“…”

It could have been a friendly visit, but the problem was that I didn’t want to see her at all. I didn’t even want her to visit even if she did have business.

“Is there really nothing, Rothe?” I asked her.

“Um, well…maybe I should call this business. By the way, where is the rest of your family? The house is quiet.”

Count Bellafleur went to the Imperial Palace, and Countess Bellafleur and Martina went to a boutique in the city. However, I had no desire to share any chit-chat with Dorothea, so I replied vaguely.

“Everyone’s out on some business. I was left alone at home.” I added in a warning smile. “I also considered whether I should go out or not, but in the end, I stayed home where it’s empty. So please contact me in advance before you visit, or else I might be out and your visit might be in vain.”

“Alright,” Dorothea replied nonchalantly. I felt a twinge of annoyance because she didn’t seem to be listening to what I was saying, but I just let it go. In fact, this encounter was a blessing compared to the last one.

“The design of this parlor room is a little ugly. Can’t you change it to something else?”

“…”

No, I didn’t need to compare this visit to the last one. She was even ruder than before. Well, I couldn’t expect Dorothea to change, could I?

“It’s because your eyes don’t work well,” I snapped at her. “In fact, I like this antique table. It’s weighty. Like a noble.”

Dorothea still didn’t look like she was listening to me, and I wildly wondered how Maristella could even think of this woman as a best friend. Maybe even if she wasn’t a fool, she would have noticed.

Then, Dorothea held out something towards me. I was still upset, but I accepted it with a puzzled look.

“Why are you giving this to me?”

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“You don’t have one, do you?”

“…”

I tried to hide my disgruntled expression. “You can’t do that, Rothe. Why would you give me yours?”

What Dorothea had handed me was an invitation—an invitation to attend the Crown Prince’s birthday banquet, which would soon take place in the Imperial Palace. Dorothea received an invitation, but not me, even though I was of count status, same as her.

Dorothea grinned at my question. “Come to the banquet with me, Marie.”

“You’re not going with your parents?” Usually it was customary for young nobles to attend banquets with their families, even if they separated to other parties. I looked at her curiously.

“They’re both too busy with work,” she pouted. “Do they really have to work that day? They’re only ever either asleep or working.”

“…”

I didn’t know how to respond, so I kept my mouth closed. Dorothea continued.

“So let’s go together, Marie.”

“…”

I wanted to reply, “I’m sorry, Rothe,” and I really did try. But then, something I had forgotten surfaced in my mind. ‘Did Dorothea and the Crown Prince meet for the first time at this party?’ Then, in the original work, Dorothea would become the Crown Prince’s concubine. Unless something unusual happened, I would follow her into the Imperial Palace as her maid. Then I would die by guillotine, after being falsely accused of attempting to kill Crown Princess Odeletta.

‘No!’

I couldn’t be that again. I inwardly shook my head. Now that I’ve become Maristella, that couldn’t happen. Then there was only one way.

‘I have to stop the two from meeting.’

However, the structure of this world may try to maintain itself. If so, I had no choice but to stop it with human power. I had to stay next to Dorothea and somehow prevent the two from meeting. It may be a little cowardly, but I had no choice. I would be thrown in hot water if the two fell in love like in the original story, and Odeletta, who would become crown princess, would fall into misery. I had wanted to stay as far away from Dorothea as possible, but this time I had to make a move to secure my future.

I put on a thin smile. “Alright, Rothe. I’ll come with you.”

“Really?”

“Yes.”

“Kyaaa! You’re the only one, Marie!” Dorothea let out an exuberant scream, and lunged forward to hug me. My eyes widened at the sudden contact. If she was so grateful, maybe she could try and make sure that I didn’t fall over?

“I knew you’d come, Marie. You’re my best friend, of course.”

“…”

She was only my best friend when it suited her. Her standard of a friend was someone who did what she wanted. I gave an inward sigh.

***

Count Bellafleur did not give any special reaction when I told him that I was going to the Crown Prince’s birthday banquet with Dorothea, but Martina was openly disagreeable. She probably thought if I already forgot my promise not to be Dorothea’s maid.

I couldn’t tell Martina the real reason—that Iwas trying to prevent Dorothea and the Crown Prince from meeting—so I tried to placate her by inventing a plausible one.

When the day of the Crown Princes’ birthday arrived, I decided to wear a white dress that would contrast with Maristella’s black hair. Her red eyes created a mysterious atmosphere. After I wore silver flower-like ornaments on top of my long black hair, as well as the same color of necklace and earrings, I was ready to go. When I looked at myself in front of the full-body mirror, I let out a gasp.

“Oh. It’s so pretty.”

It was embarrassing to describe myself like this, but no other description was true. Of course, I could say it more confidently as I was commenting on Maristella’s body rather than my own. I smiled and studied each angle of myself from the mirror, when a knock on the door interrupted me.

“Who is it?”

“It’s me, My Lady.”

Florinda. I gave a sigh of relief. “Come in.”

The door opened and she soon stepped in, and gave a similar reaction of awe.

“Oh my word, is that you, My Lady? You look so beautiful.”

“Thank you for the compliment, Florinda. Did something happen?”

“Ah, no, Lady Dorothea has arrived.”

“Oh.” An unwelcome expression flitted across my face, but I quickly wiped it away. Instead, I walked out of the room with a dainty smile. When I went down the stairs and exited the door, I saw Dorothea waiting for me in front of the carriage just like when I first came here.

“There you are, Marie!” She was smiling brightly and wearing an innocent expression. Her dress was the same color as her fiery red hair. I knew that dress. It was the same dress the original Dorothea wore when she and the Crown Prince fell in love.

‘If she attends the banquet wearing that dress, the Crown Prince will fall in love with her at first sight.’

That was exactly what the novel said. Odeletta became the crown princess through a political marriage, while Dorothea became the Crown Prince’s concubine, and the two fought each other bitterly. Then I died on Dorothea’s behalf.

‘I can’t let that happen.’

I was not as pure-hearted as Maristella, nor naive, and because I didn’t like Dorothea, I had no desire to die for her. I made up my mind as I rolled my delicate white gloves onto my fingertips.

From now on, I would thoroughly destroy the original novel. The starring character would be Maristella, not Dorothea. The villainess, whose destruction was due, would be Dorothea, not Maristella. The roles would be changed. Wouldn’t that be fine just for once?

“Hello, Rothe.” I walked towards Dorothea with a bright smile.

Watch out, Dorothea. This was starting now.

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