CHAPTER 06
“…!”
The moment Philios recognized Ethius, his eyes widened in shock.
Wearing an icy expression, Ethius spoke to him in a low voice.
“What do you think you’re doing?”
Even if he was treated as nothing more than a figurehead prince, Ethius still held a higher rank than Philios.
If Philios injured a member of the imperial family, he would be prosecuted for assaulting royalty.
Grinding his teeth, Philios replied,
“I was merely having a disagreement with my fiancée.”
“Then this…”
Ethius tightened his grip around Philios’s wrist.
Philios’s brows twitched in pain.
“…is how you resolve disagreements?”
Among Oswell’s nobility, resorting to fists instead of a sword was considered disgraceful.
And for a man to strike a woman was an act of unforgivable cowardice.
Philios’s eyelashes trembled as he finally managed to wrench his wrist free.
Then he glared at me before gritting out,
“That is none of Your Highness’s concern.”
It was finally my turn to step in.
“No.”
“Anyone with a sense of honor has every right to interfere.”
Looking Philios straight in the eye, I spoke calmly.
Perhaps I’d become much braver after transmigrating into Katrin’s body.
Even though he’d just tried to hit me, I wasn’t particularly afraid.
“…Katrin!”
“Especially someone who cannot stand injustice.”
I could feel Ethius’s gaze on me.
Ah…
How dazzling.
“Unlike a certain someone who’s not only ugly but also a shameless womanizer.”
“…!!!”
The moment I openly compared him to Ethius, Philios’s face turned crimson, looking ready to explode.
But with Ethius’s broad, muscular frame standing protectively beside me, there was nothing Philios could do except clench his trembling fists.
Coward.
In the end, he merely snorted angrily.
“You’ll regret this, Katrin.”
With that, he spun around and stormed away.
Even the way he walks is ugly.
Shaking my head, I seriously questioned the original Katrin’s eyesight for ever agreeing to marry someone like him.
“…”
Then—
I heard a faint snort from beside me.
It sounded suspiciously like someone trying not to laugh.
Startled, I turned toward Ethius.
I couldn’t see his full expression, but…
The corner of his lips seemed to have lifted ever so slightly.
Had Ethius ever smiled in any of Katrin’s memories…?
I stared blankly at him.
A moment later, his face returned to its usual impassive expression as he looked back at me.
…Was I imagining it?
Ah…
He was so handsome it felt as though merely looking at him cleansed my eyes.
Those cool, sharp eyes.
Those icy blue irises.
That impossibly high nose.
Nearly six-foot-three, broad-shouldered…
Seeing my favorite character in person, from this close…
It was overwhelming.
“Katrin Elemore.”
His cool voice interrupted my admiration.
“You haven’t changed.”
“Remarkably so.”
In other words…
“Your mouth is still as venomous as ever.”
Well…
I couldn’t exactly blame him.
After all, he’d been the victim of—
No, of Katrin Elemore’s catastrophic confession.
Beneath his slightly furrowed brows, those blue eyes held complicated emotions.
Silence stretched between us.
A cool breeze stirred my silver hair.
“Don’t misunderstand.”
“I wasn’t trying to help you.”
Oh?
That’s actually kind of adorable.
Well, considering our history, it made sense that he’d want to draw a clear line between us.
“I’m sure you weren’t.”
“Your Highness has always been someone who stands for justice.”
“You’ve never changed.”
I spoke in a calm voice.
Ethie…
You’ve always been justice itself in my life.
If I’d followed my heart, I’d have thrown myself into his arms, shouting,
“My savior! My love!”
…and poured out every embarrassing compliment imaginable.
But he’d probably be horrified.
Besides, my goal was simply to support him in secret and quietly return home.
I’d barely managed to suppress my overwhelming emotions before saying that much.
Yet…
“So now you’re mocking me as well.”
“Impressive.”
His words made my eyebrows twitch.
Mocking him?
That wasn’t my intention at all.
It seemed that because Katrin’s naturally sneering tone and arrogant smile fit me like a second skin, everything I said sounded sarcastic.
“Oh…”
“If that’s how it came across…”
I lowered my head slightly before turning away.
“Then I have nothing more to say.”
In the end…
I chose not to explain.
Ethius didn’t know.
That my heart beat only for him.
That my heart, as steadfast as bamboo, became as fragile as reeds whenever he stood before me.
“I’ll be going now.”
Being trapped inside Katrin’s body was frustrating.
No matter what I felt inside…
Only hostility and sarcasm came out.
And telling him the truth wasn’t an option either.
“…You.”
Just then, Ethius’s voice hooked around my ankle like an invisible tether.
My heart lurched.
Calm down.
Putting on an even colder expression than before, I turned back.
Ethius’s brow twitched slightly.
His expression seemed to ask,
“Why are you glaring at me so fiercely?”
A moment later, he spoke quietly.
***
On the carriage ride home, I placed a hand over my still-racing heart and murmured to myself.
“I totally hit the jackpot today…”
“…We actually talked.”
At the very end, Ethius had even called me back and looked at me meaningfully before asking—
“Isn’t there something you want to say to me?”
There were countless things I wanted to say.
Ethie, you’re the best. My heart’s going to burst. You’re so adorable. My precious boy. You’re driving me crazy. Every time I see you, you somehow become even more handsome. No matter how many times I look at you—from the front or the back—you’re still the most gorgeous man alive…
Those hopeless fangirl thoughts swirled around inside my head.
But what I actually said was…
“No. There isn’t.”
With an incredibly arrogant and icy expression.
“My Lady.”
Heros called out to me as I sat there grinning foolishly.
“Hm?”
The moment I answered, he looked startled.
Ah.
Wrong expression.
“…What is it?”
I quickly corrected myself, knitting my brows and glaring at him.
“…”
“…Ah…”
What?
That had definitely sounded like the proper Katrin just now.
So why were his ears turning red while he looked at me with such a dazed expression?
Tilting my head in confusion, I watched him snap back to reality.
“…Ah… well.”
“How did your conversation with Young Viscount Philios go?”
“Did he ask you for financial support again?”
“We broke up.”
Stretching lazily, I answered indifferently.
Heros’s eyes widened so much that his shoulders actually jerked.
“…What?”
“We broke up.”
“I told him I wanted to end the engagement.”
“H-How…?”
His face was frozen in disbelief.
“…Why, My Lady?”
Well.
I’d expected this reaction.
Marriage—and breaking an engagement—were decisions that affected entire noble families.
To everyone else, I’d probably looked incredibly reckless.
Especially since Father himself had approved the engagement before he passed away.
“Philios Regalo lacks talent and learning, yet pretends to pursue art while drowning in empty vanity.”
Luckily…
Speaking ill of people was one of Katrin’s specialties.
“His exterior only looks respectable…”
“No.”
“It doesn’t even manage that.”
“The inside is even uglier.”
“If someone like him married into our family, he’d simply devour House Elemore’s fortune like a fish thrown into water.”
In other words…
A much longer version of:
“I dumped him because he’s ugly.”
“…Ah…”
Heros’s brown eyes shimmered as he looked at me.
“And I don’t need to explain every calculation behind my personal decisions to you.”
I continued calmly.
“So don’t overstep your place by questioning my private affairs.”
Soon enough…
Heros would have nothing to do with either me or House Elemore.
Once I fled to the Principality with my fortune and the revolution succeeded…
House Elemore would disappear.
And he would finally be free.
Perhaps it was best to keep my distance and act like the infamous villainess until then.
“I’m sorry, My Lady.”
“But I wasn’t trying to question your decision.”
“Rather…”
His head lowered.
A shadow hid his expression.
“…?”
Then he looked back up.
My hand twitched in surprise.
His face had turned faintly red.
“…I’m happy.”
Those words startled me even more.
“…Huh?”
“…I…”
Heros’s eyes wavered as he blushed.
“I’ve always believed…”
“…that man wasn’t worthy of you.”
“…Ah…”
With an awkward expression, I slowly nodded.
That…
Was unexpected.
Or perhaps not.
From a butler’s perspective, it made sense that he wouldn’t approve of his mistress dating a man who constantly wasted her money.
“Someone as strong as you, My Lady…”
“…deserves someone gentler.”
“…Someone almost like a loyal pet…”
Heros trailed off, lowering his eyes.
Then he looked at me with a faint smile.
“…What would you like for dinner tonight, My Lady?”
