27. Because I Hated You So Much
Anshi never thought that Elize would hate her that much. Even though she hated her, she still accepted the request to invite her to the party. That, somehow, was both painful and grateful.
“Thanks for the last invitation. For granting my request…”
“I didn’t want to. Did you think I invited you because I wanted to see you?”
“…If it was uncomfortable, I’m sorry.”
At those words, Elize bit her lip.
She glared at the former friend in front of her.
Elize truly did not want to talk to Anshi.
She hated seeing her.
It was even worse now that Anshi was honestly saying thank you and sorry.
From the moment Anshi shamelessly asked to be invited to that party, Elize’s heart had felt crushed and suffocated.
Even when she saw Anshi’s lips firmer than before, yet with the same face as in the past.
Even when Anshi came to her party, acting like she didn’t care.
“I’ll never see someone like you again.”
Elize turned her body away. Then, like someone walking just for the sake of walking, she looked at the ground and moved her feet hastily.
“Elize!”
She heard her name being called from behind, but she didn’t turn around. She shut her ears and kept walking.
She shouldn’t have granted a request from such a self-centered girl in the first place.
“Elize!”
Elize truly vowed never to see Anshi again. What were the chances they liked the same dress shop? She would never go there again. No matter how many times Anshi called her, she would never look back.
And then—
“Hey! Move out of the way!”
Through the noise of the crowd, a scream-like shout rang out.
Elize looked to the side without thinking and turned pale.
A carriage was speeding straight toward her.
Her feet wouldn’t move. Her body had turned to stone, frozen in place. She couldn’t even scream—only barely managed to open her mouth.
Suddenly, her body was yanked backward.
She was so shocked that even as she rolled on the ground, she didn’t feel any pain. It felt like she had died for a moment.
When she came to, she looked to the side and saw Anshi sitting on the ground, trying to lift her up. That emotionless, machine-like girl now had a face full of fear.
“Are you okay?”
“Huh…?”
A dazed sound escaped her lips. Anshi’s clothes were dirty, her sleeve torn and bleeding, and her bonnet had come undone and was rolling on the ground.
Meanwhile, Elize was completely unharmed.
Her whole body was shaking, but she was basically fine with barely a scratch.
“Ah… Anshi…”
Her tearful voice trembled. Only then did Anshi let out a sigh of relief. And in a calm voice, she said something completely unexpected.
“Do you have a spare bonnet?”
That—was unmistakably the same socially awkward friend from before.
“Nooo…”
Eventually, Elize burst into tears.
Anshi, the one who used to be her best friend in the world.
But then she disappeared without a word.
Spent a whole year without any contact.
Elize had cried for days after the day Anshi vanished, just like she had when Anshi’s father passed away.
Where had she gone? Was she eating properly? Was she even alive? These worries never left Elize. Even recently, she would still dream about Anshi.
Friends were supposed to rely on and lean on each other. If that was Elize’s definition, then she hadn’t been a real friend to Anshi.
And yet, out of nowhere came a message asking to be invited to a party. As if nothing had happened, she said hello… Tried to hang out with the people who had gossiped about her…
Elize had said horrible things to Anshi out of bitterness. Mean, unpleasant things—even she thought they were awful.
But why did Anshi care about her?
Why did she say thank you, say sorry, save her even while getting hurt?
All the sorrow she’d held in exploded.
“Waaah…”
Elize cried like a child. Even though she knew Anshi wasn’t the type to lean on others, even though she knew there must have been a reason for what happened, she still judged her and got upset—now she regretted it.
“I’m sorryyy…”
Maybe this was what she’d wanted to say all along.
Sorry for not being there during your hard times.
Sorry for not being someone you could depend on.
In the end, neither Anshi nor Elize bought clothes at Zerdian.
They visited Raul’s place together instead. After treating Anshi’s wound, they both changed into clean clothes. The pale blue bonnet that suited Anshi so well was a gift from Elize.
At Elize’s suggestion, they went to a café together.
The awkward air between them quickly melted away. It was hard to believe they hadn’t spoken in a whole year.
That was thanks in part to Elize’s naturally cheerful and affectionate personality.
Before long, the conversation was split about 70/30—Elize doing most of the talking.
Just like it had always been.
“So, what kind of person is Sir Damion?”
Elize asked in an excited voice.
What kind of person?
Anshi fell into thought.
Many memories crossed her mind.
His breezy laughter.
His gentle voice calling her name.
His thoughtful kindness.
The warmth of his touch, as if soothing her heart.
And everything he had done for her up until now.
But the more she thought of it, the more complicated her heart became.
Anshi admitted it.
Damion was… a good man.
If only he wasn’t Damion de Orphez. The kind of thought that made her wish for something impossible.
But for Anshi de Lubelsa, Damion de Orphez could never be a good man. He must never be.
“…Not sure.”
That was all she could manage to say.
Elize instantly launched into chatter.
“You mean you married him without even knowing what kind of person he is? Anshi, you should really make sure he’s decent and not some awful guy before marrying!”
“Hmm… There is one thing I do know.”
“What?”
“He’s a total romantic.”
“Him?”
“Yeah.”
Elize widened her eyes in surprise.
To be honest, Elize found Damion a little suspicious. At his request, she had invited Lady Ziden’s daughter to the party, and that girl had caused a huge scene targeting Anshi.
Though in the end, the attention that had been on Anshi shifted to that girl, so maybe it worked out…
But Elize couldn’t forget the strange smile Damion had worn that day. Maybe it was just her imagination, but it felt like he’d orchestrated everything.
“And? Anything else?”
“I’m not sure.”
“Check his social circle! You can tell a lot about a person by their friends!”
“His social circle?”
The image of Henette came to mind. She seemed to care for Damion, which was good… but she had also openly declared she would get in the way of Anshi’s relationship with him, which was not so good.
Whether Damion was a good person or not didn’t matter to Anshi.
But she did need to know more about him.
“Maybe I should.”
“Yes! Start by throwing a party. Invite people and then…”
They continued chatting about several things.
But when Elize asked what she’d been doing all that time, Anshi couldn’t answer. She didn’t say she’d been in the South, or that she’d worked as a servant for the Ziden family.
The wall Elize had built toward Anshi crumbled easily. Like sand, it scattered to the ground and became fertile soil where friendship could grow even stronger.
But things were different on Anshi’s side.
She had never built a wall in the first place.
She had simply drawn a line and stepped back.
Back then—for the sake of survival.
Now—for the sake of her revenge on Orphez.
Elize was a friend who would give boundless affection once she opened her heart. But Anshi planned to disappear after taking down Orphez.
So it was better to keep that line.
Even as she looked at her smiling friend, Anshi repeated to herself that this was the right way.
“Let’s meet again, Anshi.”
The two parted ways in front of the café.
After seeing Elize off, Anshi turned her head.
From earlier, she had heard songs and cheers coming from afar. Now, she saw a group holding up blue flags.
She stared blankly at them until Simon approached, raising an eyebrow and smiling.
“Looks like the revolutionaries and their supporters are holding a demonstration, Madam. I have a carriage waiting nearby. We should take the longer route.”
The carriage was parked just beside the café. But Anshi shook her head.
“I want to walk for a bit before heading back.”
“Ah! Then I’ll have the carriage follow you.”
Anshi nodded and began walking.
Toward the street where Damion’s club was located.
“How noisy. Shouldn’t we be cracking down on things like that?”
Those inside the club had stepped onto the terrace and looked outside. The sound of the procession heading to the square reached them from afar.
“They aren’t carrying weapons. If we started cracking down on even that, we’d have no citizens left.”
“How generous. Henette, are you perhaps part of the revolutionary army?”
Hofrey teased lightly as Henette calmly spoke the obvious. The others shook their heads and booed.
“Boo, boring.”
“Can’t you see that disappointed look on Henette’s face?”
Hofrey pouted and turned his body back toward the terrace view. That was when he opened his mouth again.
“Huh? Isn’t that your wife?”
