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Chapter 17
“Did you mistake me for my lover because I resemble her?”
It was a sneering tone unlike him.
“Yes. I suppose that’s what happened.”
“So you intend to feign ignorance to the very end?”
“It’s a relationship neither of us benefits from remembering. You deceived me too, Your Highness.”
“Basil, you and I—”
“Please erase that name. It’s no longer needed.”
I turned my face away, drawing my brows together.
Evan seemed too shocked to even relax his stiff expression. My harsh words must have sounded cold and merciless. He must feel miserable and wounded. Even though I had already steeled my resolve, this was painful—so how must it feel for you?
But Evan, there’s no other choice. You belong to Sherry. I’m sorry, but this is the path that’s best for everyone. If you knew the full situation, you might even thank me for it.
Clenching my fist, I lifted my chin.
“Your Highness, as you know, I’m not such a good person. If the proposal becomes public knowledge, it will stain your reputation, so please reconsider. Wasn’t our relationship nothing more than childish play?”
At that moment, Evan’s eyes darkened.
“So to you, that time was nothing but amusement?”
He spoke coolly, without a change in pitch. His blue eyes were gradually consumed by betrayal and anger.
Overwhelmed by the tension, I straightened my neck.
“Yes. It was just a game.”
“A game. A game, you say.”
Rolling his tongue, Evan scanned my face as if he were about to chew and swallow it whole.
Gulp. I swallowed my dry saliva, waiting for him to explode in anger and storm out. How much time passed? Evan narrowed his eyes and stared at me intently.
“One question.”
“Yes. Go ahead.”
“They say this about your actions.”
“…?”
“That you toyed with me.”
“Toyed with….”
I repeated his words and stiffened. It was a brutally frank question—so much so that even I, who had created this situation, was taken aback.
Damn it, I went too far. I only meant to sever his feelings completely—am I going to end up dying by Evan’s hand or ruining the Feard family at this rate?
Anxiety surged through me. I licked my lips with my tongue and shifted restlessly.
“Well, that expression is a bit extreme. Since we’re both responsible in this relationship, it would be best to end things cleanly—”
“Yes. Just as you say, we should take responsibility.”
Evan cut me off decisively. After a moment, he lifted his chin with a languid gaze.
“Go on. Keep playing with me.”
“…What?”
“I said, keep playing with me.”
He tilted his head slightly, his brows twitching minutely, as though suppressing emotions that were about to explode. Contrary to his words, the veins standing out on his forehead and his clenched teeth told the truth.
“I’ll play along.”
If you want to die, then keep playing with me.
How much time had passed since Evan swept out like a storm? I was left alone in the reception room he had departed from.
As my tense muscles relaxed, my body slumped into the chair like a wooden puppet.
It seemed he had come to see me with his own eyes to confirm the truth behind the rumors. But then…
“Keep playing with me.”
Could it be that I missed the words “if you want to die” at the beginning? No matter how I thought about it, it sounded like a threat to kill me if I kept this up. In short, it meant he had no intention of withdrawing his proposal.
“Does he want revenge?”
Ha… this is getting troublesome.
I pressed my palm to my forehead, enduring the headache that surged in.
Things were unfolding very differently from what I’d expected, and I couldn’t sort them out.
Before long, I recalled what had happened earlier.
“Your Highness.”
When I called him, Evan stopped as if a nail had been driven into his foot. His hand, which had been on the doorknob, slipped.
“Was there anyone at the banquet who left a particular impression on you?”
He remained silent long enough to make me uncomfortable. I pressed for an answer, elaborating on my question.
“You must have met many people at the banquet, but among them—who left the strongest impression?”
“Me.”
An unsteady breath escaped his lips.
“Do you want me to meet someone other than you?”
Evan turned his face away and looked at me with resentful eyes. A faint crack appeared on his composed features and spread across his face like ink in water.
“So you’re in a hurry to get rid of me.”
“…”
“Don’t harbor any pointless expectations.”
With those words, Evan left the reception room.
“Shouldn’t have asked.”
I gently rubbed the back of my neck, then shook my head to dispel the stray thoughts.
“Don’t get swept up by emotions.”
Judging by Evan’s reaction, it seemed the two of them hadn’t met. Since the original story had already been derailed because of me, I couldn’t assume that Sherry and Evan would fall in love so easily. That meant I’d have to work even harder to return things to how they were supposed to be.
“Ha.”
Letting out a deep sigh, I drank the cold tea to quench my thirst.
Click—
“Miss.”
As if she had been waiting, Donna entered the reception room. She came over and poured more tea from the pot.
“Um, Miss…”
Donna set the teapot down, watching my expression. It seemed she wanted to ask something but held back when she saw how exhausted I looked.
“Donna, there’s something I’d like to think over alone. Could you leave me by myself for a bit?”
“Miss, you pushed yourself too hard today.”
Donna frowned, her face filled with worry. With a composed air, I tapped the hand holding the teapot.
“It’s okay, Donna.”
At last, she left the room, as if she had no choice. She really is kind. Compared to her, that fairy is…
“Hey! Human, what’s wrong with that human woman again, huh?”
“…”
“So annoying! She’s always hanging around right in front of my eyes!”
“And you, stop hovering over my head all the time.”
Perry glared at me sharply, grumbling.
“How dare a mere human look down on me! Do you know how big a deal I am in the fairy realm?”
“Yes, yes. I’m sure.”
“I’m serious!”
“Of course you are.”
“That’s so mean…”
When I ignored him consistently, Perry’s shoulders drooped. He wobbled like a deflated balloon before settling onto the table, drawing little spirals with his finger.
“This is all because I’m low on magical power… because of the side effects of coming to the human world… sniff.”
I scanned Perry with a cold gaze. Again—another act. Since coming to the human world, Perry’s emotional swings had worsened, and he filled the emptiness in his heart with indulgence.
At first, I’d been fooled by his pitiful face and fine acting and bought him all sorts of things: a private bed, clothes, accessories, genre novels, cookies. But not anymore.
Perry’s eyes darted as he stole a glance at me. Apparently dissatisfied with my reaction, he sniffled and flew back to his bed to lie down—making sure not to forget the crying sounds.
“Sniff, snifff!”
Flutter—
As Perry tossed and turned, a book fell behind the bed. It was a product catalog from a merchant guild, published this month.
Startled by the noise, Perry trembled slightly and stretched an arm behind him, trying to pick it up. His hand flailed uselessly in the air.
“Perry, why don’t you just get up and pick it up properly?”
“Tch.”
I could hear the click of his tongue from here. After picking up the book, he pursed his lips and muttered quietly.
“I found out some really, really important information…”
“…”
“I even stayed loyal after getting kicked out and brought back some huge information!”
If I didn’t respond, he’d definitely keep pestering me until I did. What was he trying to butter me up for this time—what did he want me to buy? I let out a long sigh and brushed my hair back.
“What is it? Let’s hear it.”
“Hmph, now I don’t feel like telling you.”
Perry sat up, crossed his arms, and turned his face away sharply. I already had a headache, and he kept getting on my nerves. I stared at him, irritated.
“From now on, snacks and everything else—”
“So, you know what I saw?!”
Having discovered the pleasures of luxury since coming to the human world, Perry rattled off everything he had seen and heard without hesitation.
“But you still have to buy me a scarf, okay?”
He didn’t forget to make his demand. Narrowing my eyes, I shifted my gaze. So, to summarize Perry’s information—
“The Feard Trading Company is currently having trouble renewing its contract with Viscount Jegard, and the condition he wants is a meeting with me?”
“Exactly!”
“Viscount Jegard, huh…”
I tapped the table intermittently, my irritation plainly showing.
Jegard. Who was Jegard again? It sounded familiar. I moved the hand that had been tapping the table and pressed the center of my forehead. At that moment, a crafty idea flashed through my mind.
“Wait—this might actually be…”
Isn’t this a chance to reject Evan’s proposal in a short time? If I make a real lover, the proposal would be invalidated automatically, wouldn’t it?
On top of that, since he already has feelings for me, securing the contract would be easier. If Jegard is interested in me, developing a relationship would be simple.
All I’d have to do was drop the rumor among some loose-lipped nobles that I had a lover. If word spread that I was dating Jegard, Evan wouldn’t have a choice. No matter how much he was Evan, he couldn’t do something as insane as marrying someone who already had a lover. And even if he tried, the retainers of Duke Dustin’s household would oppose it.
If Evan won’t withdraw his proposal, then I’ll make him withdraw it. I smiled faintly, my eyes gleaming.
“I need to meet Jegard.”
If I return things to the original story and leave right away, I might even survive. They’d all be happy too—if that happens, it would be the perfect ending.
But there was one part of Perry’s story that bothered me.
“Human, human!”
At some point, Perry was lying on his stomach on the bed, lazily beckoning with his hand.
“Human, are you listening to me?”
I adjusted my posture and turned toward him.
“I’m listening.”
“Why are you only talking about contracts?! It’s not like his family hates you!”
“I know.”
“You know?!”
Perry asked again in surprise. You know? Soon, reproach and criticism filled his green eyes as he looked at me.
“So you were twisted from birth. Your family must have had a hard time.”
Seriously. Perry wagged his index finger left and right like a pendulum on a grandfather clock.
“Tsk tsk, so why are you refusing him anyway?”
I stared blankly into the air for a moment, then let my gaze slide away.
