PSTB 51

~Chapter 51~

The hand holding the teacup trembled slightly.

Damn it. Maybe I let my guard down too much just because they suddenly gave me food. I had made up my mind to stay cautious, yet I fell for something this small.

That’s the kind of person I was—pathetically weak in front of food.

My pride…

I set the teacup down and dabbed at my lips with a handkerchief.

“Yes, it’s… fairly decent.”

I tried to sound aloof, but it already felt too late.

Sofienne rested her chin on her arm and stared straight at me.

“Lady Dalia.”

What. Why are you calling me? What are you going to say now?

“You’re a liar.”

“What kind of rude accusation is that all of a sudden?”

Sofienne leaned closer, then whispered near my ear.

“You said you weren’t interested.”

“Well, you kept insisting, so I had no choice but to try it.”

Sofienne let out a soft chuckle. I frowned in irritation.

“I mean Betheus.”

Ah. So she was talking about when I said I had absolutely no interest in Betheus.

“That’s true. I’m not interested. Not now, not ever.”

“Don’t lie. You followed us all the way toward Betheus, and now you’re pretending it’s nothing?”

“I did suspect that’s what you’d think, but this is a misunderstanding. I didn’t come along because of that—”

Because I had a fight with Etienne and left in a fit of anger.
Obviously, I couldn’t say that.

“It’s an imperial order. I really don’t care. I like cute men.”

Sofienne’s neatly shaped eyebrows shot up.

“See! You are interested! Betheus is adorable!”

Adorable?

Betheus?

If she’d said he was handsome, I could’ve accepted that. But cute?

Come to think of it, there were scenes like that in the original novel.

Saying Betheus looked cute when he frowned during political meetings, or that he was sexy when he got angry…

When I’d read it as a novel, it hadn’t bothered me. But now that I knew the real Betheus, it felt oddly uncomfortable.

“He’s not cute at all. If we’re talking cute, then my husband—hm. Anyway, I’m really not interested. So please, don’t waste your energy.”

“Even if you say that, I’m not letting my guard down. I’ll keep following you and stop you.”

“You came all this way just for that?”

I pressed a hand to my forehead.

What a headache.

Sofienne looked at me with eyes full of suspicion.

I’m really not lying… When is she going to clear up this misunderstanding?

“Don’t forget, I’m watching you at all times. I’ll do whatever it takes.”

“Yes, yes. Do whatever you want…”

Feeling exhausted, I closed my eyes again. I could feel her gaze on me, but I decided to ignore it.

If she keeps following me, she’ll figure it out on her own eventually.

After Dalia left, Simon paced back and forth along the corridor.

Where the hell had Etienne gone? He had no idea.

Then, from somewhere nearby, he heard the voice he’d been waiting for—Etienne’s angry voice. Simon stiffened and looked around.

“Simon!”

“Yes!”

Etienne soon appeared at the far end of the hallway, striding toward him. He was holding an oversized paper bag that looked completely out of place.

“Dalia.”

Despite the sudden mention of her name, Simon wasn’t surprised. These days, everything Etienne said seemed to start with that name.

He wouldn’t even be shocked if Etienne started greeting people like that.

“Hey, Dalia! How have you been?”
“Oh, Dalia! Long time no see!”

Lost in such pointless imaginings, Simon quickly refocused.

Etienne rubbed his forehead in irritation. He’d just come back after checking the now-empty palace entrance.

“Why did she leave already? I’m sure I said we’d depart after sunrise.”

“More importantly, where did you go without saying anything? Lady Dalia came looking for you, you know.”

Simon’s voice rose higher than Etienne’s.

“She came looking for me?”

Etienne’s expression twitched. His eyes were still sharp with anger, but the corners of his lips moved slightly.

She came looking for me? Why? Did she still want to see me after all? Damn it. I should’ve come back sooner.

He glanced out the window, calculating whether he could catch up if he left now. With so many branching roads, it didn’t seem likely.

“Yes. When she heard you’d stepped out on urgent business, she was really disappointed. And she asked me to pass along a message, but… well…”

Something about Simon’s hesitant tone made Etienne stare at him again. Simon shifted awkwardly.

“Stop dragging it out and tell me.”

Even at the command, Simon struggled to speak. Finally, he let out a deep sigh.

“Lady Dalia said… she was sorry for everything… and that she was grateful…”

Simon’s small eyes grew moist.

Etienne stood there blankly, staring at him.

“…What? Say that again.”

“You really should’ve treated her better from the start… honestly.”

The strength drained from Etienne’s arms. The paper bag slipped from his grasp and fell to the floor. Colorful candies spilled out, scattering loudly across the marble.

Sofienne turned out to be a better travel companion than I’d expected.

She spoke to me from time to time but wasn’t bothersome. After a late lunch, she even said she’d ride a horse and left me alone in the carriage.

Was she going on a date with Betheus? Sure, sure. Go ahead.

I leaned back comfortably.

Wait.

Does that mean I get to witness a male lead–female lead date scene firsthand?

That was… kind of interesting.

With the same excitement I used to have when reading novels, I quickly looked out the window.

Sofienne and Betheus were riding side by side. I could only see their backs, so I had no idea what they were talking about.

I watched them quietly for a long while.

If this were the old me, I would’ve been overwhelmed with excitement.

Now, I felt a mix of strange emotions.

Aside from that, the carriage ride was peaceful—and boring.

Which was why, against my will, thoughts of Etienne kept popping into my head.

I stared stubbornly out the window.

Even after the capital disappeared beyond the plains and a full day passed, I half-expected him to suddenly appear somewhere.

Like before—Etienne riding that magnificent black horse, ta-da.

“Tsk. As if. Just because I ended up in a romance novel, I’m getting way too carried away. I’m not even the protagonist.”

Why am I expecting anything from Etienne? He has no blood! No tears! No compassion!

All he has is enough money to live off for life, three gem-producing mines, a monastery, a sculpted face, a perfect physique and voice, endless stamina, a high status, and eyes so deep they could melt you just by looking—

Ugh. It’s annoying how much he has.

Maybe if someone has all that, it’s fine for their personality to be trash.

“Is Etienne’s arms still better, even if I have to crawl back? If I just think of him as a boss who pays a salary…”

I muttered blankly, then shook my head hard.

“What kind of sucker talk is that again?”

To him, I’m nothing more than a candlestick sitting in his house. Maybe even less than that.

“Thinking about it again just pisses me off. I’m the same too, you know? I was just trying to secure a sponsor! A kiss? What does a kiss even mean? Please. I’ve kissed before too!”

Of course, that kiss and the one with Etienne were different enough to circle the Redona Empire six times over—but still.

Knock, knock.

Someone tapped on the carriage window. I must’ve been louder than I thought.

When I cracked the window open, Betheus’s face appeared, his silver hair fluttering in the wind.

Matching the carriage’s speed, he bent slightly to meet my eye level. Against the darkening plains, his body bounced lightly with the horse’s steps.

“Is something wrong?”

“No. I was just stretching because I felt stiff, and I accidentally hit my head on the ceiling.”

Perfect. A natural excuse. Not elegant, but effective.

“Should we take a break?”

“There’s no need for that because of me. I’m just sitting anyway. This is enough to loosen up.”

I stretched my arms exaggeratedly. Betheus laughed, his eyes curving.

See? Even Betheus treats me this kindly. What is Etienne’s problem, seriously? If that were Etienne, he’d definitely say, Stop doing pointless things and maintain your dignity.

I could practically see his scolding glare without even looking.

And then he’d turn away and secretly lift the corner of his lips, thinking I wouldn’t notice. He really does love tormenting me.

When I went quiet, Betheus gave me a curious look. I smiled back casually.

Fine. I won’t hesitate anymore. I’ll take everything I can from Etienne and then run.

It’s different from when I first came here. Back then, I had nothing…

Now I have Nathan. And I also know about all the expensive stuff in Etienne’s house. I can steal it—

And open a shop! I’ll become just as rich as Etienne. Then I’ll live lavishly off my own money and eat whatever I want. Steak!

There was a bit of crime involved, but honestly, it didn’t seem like a bad plan.

“We’re almost there. Just hang in a little longer.”

At Betheus’s words, I obediently nodded. He smiled and lightly kicked the horse’s flank. His face soon disappeared from the window.

Even knowing I’d betrayed him, Betheus still treated me the same.

I didn’t understand it. Even if not punishment, I thought he’d at least question me, get angry, or ask something.

It made me uneasy—like the calm before a storm.

But I didn’t have another option. I couldn’t exactly ask first, Why aren’t you punishing me?

What Betheus said turned out to be true.

I’d expected it to be one of those lies like, Just five more minutes and we’re there.

I took my time admiring Lendias at night.

Lendias wasn’t our final destination, but we would be staying the night. They said it was the best place for lodging before heading to Deyron.

“Has it been a while since you were last here?”

Earlier, as Betheus climbed into the carriage, he asked casually, as if testing me.