🔊 TTS Settings
CHAPTER 07……………………
In response to Jerdan’s words, Rubelia fell into a new concern.
‘Still… maybe that’s better.’
At least it wasn’t out of greed for power, so it would be easier to persuade him.
Convincing someone driven by ambition was far more difficult.
So she could slowly figure out the reason he was planning a rebellion.
“You stayed longer than I expected.”
Jerdan, who had been quietly watching Rubelia deep in thought, spoke softly.
“Then I suppose I should pack the rest to go.”
As someone who might become a friend, she couldn’t keep a busy person tied up here.
“You’re unexpected.”
“Huh?”
Rubelia looked at him with a puzzled expression. But Jerdan didn’t bother answering.
Nobles usually didn’t care about leftover food. Throwing it away was normal, so packing it up wasn’t even considered. But Rubelia casually saying she would take it to go was outside his expectations.
“Let’s go.”
“Yes, sir.”
Rubelia stood up following Jerdan, then asked the staff to pack the remaining desserts and neatly took them with her.
“See you again.”
“…If the opportunity arises.”
Jerdan replied vaguely, neither confirming nor denying.
He had lent her money today, but he didn’t intend to get it back anyway.
To Jerdan, the money he had lent her was practically nothing.
So there was no reason to meet her again.
And yet, at the same time, he found himself wanting to see Rubelia again.
Being with her made him feel at ease.
Because he didn’t need to constantly analyze why she approached him or what she wanted.
For Jerdan, who always had to stay sharp and guarded, she was the only one who made him feel like this.
After returning to the marquis’s estate, Rubelia flinched at the unusual sight of the marquis.
“Father?”
“My dear…”
“Yes?”
Thinking something might have happened at the estate, Rubelia tensed up.
Life was relatively peaceful, but no one knew when something might go wrong.
And ever since she met that god, not a single day had been truly calm.
“Did I… do something wrong to you?”
‘Huh? What?’
Rubelia tilted her head in confusion.
“I hardly see your face these days, and you’re always out.”
The marquis looked deeply saddened.
“I, um… I’ve been trying to become friends with someone lately.”
She wanted to say she was avoiding the duke’s daughter and the duke, but she didn’t.
The marquis liked them, and she didn’t want to turn them into enemies and put the estate at risk.
If she said even one word against them, the marquis would likely try to remove them entirely, even if it meant making enemies.
That’s why Rubelia never directly asked him to do anything about them.
“That’s wonderful news.”
He had already been worried that Rubelia had stopped attending balls and social gatherings.
She used to enjoy the social scene. So her sudden withdrawal made him worry something had happened.
“Well, if that’s how it is…”
The reason for wanting a friend was a little sad, but Rubelia said it anyway to ease his worries.
“Have you eaten?”
“I actually ate a lot of delicious things today!”
Rubelia replied brightly, thinking of the sweet desserts she had enjoyed.
“I’m relieved. I was worried you were getting thinner lately.”
‘It’s not because of food…’
Rubelia muttered inwardly.
“Still, you should eat properly. Let’s have dinner together.”
“Yes.”
Even though she had just eaten desserts, dessert stomach and meal stomach were separate things.
She nodded cheerfully.
“But… that friend you want to make isn’t a man, right?”
At the marquis’s cautious question, Rubelia flinched.
She couldn’t say yes. But she also couldn’t lie and say no, so she pretended not to hear and changed the subject.
“Wow, I’m hungry.”
“What are you all doing? Prepare the meal immediately!”
How dare they let his precious daughter go hungry.
The marquis shouted urgently.
Relieved that she had escaped the situation safely, Rubelia let out a sigh.
The next day, Rubelia neatly prepared two silver coins and got ready to meet Jerdan.
She needed a reason to meet him often anyway—what perfect excuse!
‘I must’ve planned this by not bringing my own purse so I could borrow money.’
Good job, past me.
Rubelia nodded in satisfaction.
But then she frowned at the noise outside.
It was definitely Aria and Hasedian.
‘They came yesterday, why are they here again?’
Weren’t they supposed to come only two or three times a week?
‘Now I have to run away again.’
Still, the only good thing was that today she had somewhere to go.
However, hearing Aria’s tearful voice made her stop.
Something about Aria and Hasedian sounded extremely serious.
They were usually insane enough to make serious faces over ridiculous things, but Aria’s voice—wet with tears—couldn’t be ignored.
In any case, Aria and Hasedian were gifts arranged for her by the god. So something happening to them was not a good sign.
Especially since there must be a reason the god chose them for her.
At first she hadn’t understood, but after learning about Jerdan’s situation, she had begun to suspect something.
In the original story, the reason Jerdan’s rebellion failed was because of Hasedian and Aria.
With the crown prince and the two ducal families joining forces, even a grand duchy couldn’t win.
Of course, if Jerdan never rebelled, it wouldn’t matter—but the future was unpredictable.
Who knew?
The very people who once caused Jerdan’s downfall might now help prevent his rebellion.
Or, in the worst case, even save his life.
So while she couldn’t deal with them too closely, she couldn’t completely ignore them either.
With that thought, Rubelia opened the door first.
Aria rushed into her arms in an elegant but desperate manner. Hasedian also looked like he wanted to hug her, but as a noble young man, he couldn’t dare touch a lady.
“Lady Persinen?”
Aria clung to her, her face so desperate she looked like she had come back from the dead.
“Lady, no.”
“What do you mean, no?”
Could she have been dying without realizing it?
So they were saying she couldn’t die?
Although that hadn’t appeared in the original story, anything was possible now.
Everything so far had already deviated from the original anyway.
“I will definitely make you happy, Lady Stein.”
Hasedian said with determination.
Rubelia’s expression twisted.
The very people currently making her life the most difficult were saying they would make her happy.
‘And what is this even about?’
Was she seriously dying and they were reacting like this?
“Lady Rubelia, becoming the crown princess is absolutely a worthless position.”
“Pardon?”
‘Why is the crown princess suddenly coming up?’
Rubelia looked dumbfounded.
“It is as Lady Persinen said. The crown princess position is useless, and the crown prince himself is not impressive.”
Hasedian said firmly.
That only made Rubelia look even more confused.
She didn’t care about becoming crown princess either, and even agreed it seemed useless—but the crown prince being “not impressive”…?
Wasn’t Hasedian supposed to be close friends with him?
“Could you please explain what’s going on first?”
Rubelia said, already exhausted by their incomprehensible words.
“Of course. In two weeks, a ball will be held to choose the crown princess.”
“All unmarried noble ladies are required to attend.”
‘And so what?’
Rubelia still didn’t understand.
Attending the selection ball didn’t guarantee becoming crown princess, and there was no chance the crown prince would choose her anyway.
Because the crown prince disliked her.
The reason was simple. The original Rubelia had bullied Aria, the heroine who liked Hasedian, the crown prince’s close friend. That had caused Hasedian great distress.
And the crown prince had personally witnessed Rubelia harassing Aria multiple times.
‘Honestly, how thoughtless.’
At least she should have been more careful in front of the crown prince.
Rubelia shook her head.
Then Aria and Hasedian spoke at the same time, firmly:
“You absolutely must not become the crown princess.”
“That’s right. Even if His Highness proposes, you must never accept.”
“…I don’t think that’s going to happen.”
Rubelia said awkwardly.
Was Aria crying because she thought she would become crown princess?
If so, she might regret not running away sooner.
And even if she did become crown princess, why would it matter to them?
“No. If His Highness sees you, he will naturally fall for you and try to make you crown princess.”
“That’s right. Anyone would fall for you. But how dare the crown prince…!”
“Yes, and we’re not mentally prepared to let you go yet.”
To Aria and Hasedian, Rubelia was like an absolute being—almost divine. They never even considered becoming her lovers.
But even so, they didn’t want to see her become someone else’s partner.
It felt like their idol being tainted by another person.
Hearing them, Rubelia decided to correct their misunderstanding first.
“You are making a very big mistake.”
You two are just messed up because of the god, but the crown prince isn’t. He has no reason to like me.
That was what she meant.
“Ah, I understand. With your generous heart, it must be difficult to accept confessions you cannot return.”
Aria misinterpreted her words dramatically.
“No one is allowed to hurt Lady Stein.”
Hasedian said firmly.
Rubelia genuinely wanted to tell them to get a grip.
She couldn’t ask them to hate her like before, but she wished they would at least behave normally.
“Then there’s only one solution.”
Aria muttered quietly after hearing Hasedian.
“…We’ll go deal with His Highness immediately.”
Hasedian’s hand slowly moved to the sword at his waist.
