🔊 TTS Settings
Chapter 3………………………………
“Thank you. I’ll be off now.”
“Yes, take care, Lady Radian.”
Dressed neatly, Radian descended the stairs one step at a time, her heart pounding in her chest. Seeing people from twenty-one years ago while carrying Lee Su’s memories felt incredibly strange. The more she thought about the people who had made Radian suffer while she lived as Lee Su, the angrier she became.
She had lost count of how many times she had lain in bed imagining what she would do if she ever met them again. And now, perhaps, that opportunity had finally come.
Steadying her racing heart, Radian stepped into the dining hall.
“I heard it’s been quite some time since the Count left his homeland. So today, we prepared doner kebab, a dish from your country. I’ll carve the meat for you—”
There seemed to be a guest. A man in his mid-forties sat smiling as he listened attentively to the chef. The dining hall was filled with a warm, lively atmosphere.
The guest was Ines Kaiyan, a nobleman from the small nation of Toki who had achieved great success in trade and received the title of Count immediately upon entering the Cria Empire. Before Radian’s regression, he had even risen to the rank of Marquis despite being a foreigner, so she remembered him well.
The Duke had probably invited him to lunch because he saw that potential.
The plump chef had been speaking enthusiastically before the nobles when he spotted Radian and abruptly stopped in surprise. Because of that, the members of the Scanan family and their guest all turned toward her.
Six pairs of eyes landed on Radian.
Radian’s gaze met the face of Elliot Scanan.
Red hair. Red eyes. A handsome, likable appearance.
The moment she saw him, something inside her began to boil. Secretly, she bit down hard on the lips Wendy had so carefully painted for her.
Clang!
Apparently, Radian’s appearance was shocking enough that both Elliot Scanan and Sylvia Scanan dropped their forks. Silver forks struck silver dishes, producing a shrill metallic noise. The air around the table instantly grew heavy.
Their mother, Shan Scanan, frowned at Sylvia.
“Sylvia Scanan, who taught you such terrible manners? Dropping your fork like that is no different from someone who can’t even arrive on time for a meal.”
At that moment, both Sylvia and Radian’s expressions stiffened. Sylvia openly frowned, while Radian’s reaction was so subtle it would have gone unnoticed if one didn’t look carefully.
Right now, Duchess Shan was insulting both of them at once: Radian for arriving late, and Sylvia for dropping her fork.
Even though Elliot had dropped his fork too.
Ah, right. These kinds of people.
The familiar feeling almost amused Radian. Enough to conceal her anger toward Elliot.
“I apologize, Mother.”
Sylvia spoke through tightly clenched, crimson-painted lips.
Realizing she had spoken harshly in front of a guest, Shan fluttered her fan gracefully before her face.
“It’s alright, dear. Just be more careful next time.”
She looked every bit the benevolent mother.
Then Shan shot another sharp glance at Radian while trying not to let the guest notice. For three whole months, Radian had stayed shut inside her room like a dead woman. She never went outside, never even appeared in the garden. Yet today, of all days, she shamelessly showed up because there was a guest.
And because of her, Sylvia and Elliot had ended up behaving rudely in front of an important visitor.
What on earth had Baron Cloney’s family taught her before sending her here? Shan inwardly fumed, resentful that such a pathetic daughter-in-law had married her brilliant son.
Even the usually taciturn Duke Aite seemed displeased by Radian’s appearance, glancing at her briefly.
Ignoring their stares, Radian calmly took an empty seat.
The Duke sat at the head of the long rectangular table. To his left sat Marquis Elliot Scanan—Radian’s husband—and Count Kaiyan. Across from them, with a seat between, sat her mother-in-law Shan and Shan’s daughter Sylvia.
Shan expected Radian to apologize like Sylvia had, but when no words came, her irritation only grew.
Was this girl really that oblivious?
In the end, Shan spoke first.
“You arrive late to dinner and don’t even apologize. How rude, especially in front of a guest.”
“I apologize, Mother. And I apologize to you as well, Count.”
Radian apologized with a clean, graceful smile.
The way her eyes curved was charming enough to make the hearts of countless young noblemen flutter.
Count Kaiyan stammered.
“N-No, not at all. But… who might you be?”
“I am Radian Scanan, wife of Marquis Elliot Scanan. I’m embarrassed by my simple appearance.”
“A pleasure to meet you. Embarrassed? Not at all. I had no idea you were this beautiful. Marquis Elliot must be very proud to have such a lovely wife.”
Kaiyan turned to Elliot with a good-natured smile.
Elliot responded with an awkward grin.
“Of course. She’s always been my pride and joy. I told her to stay upstairs because she wasn’t feeling well, but since we have such an important guest, she must have pushed herself to come down. Dear, you’ve worked hard.”
Radian was dumbfounded.
His acting was excellent—better than she’d expected.
Then again, that was probably how he had deceived her for three whole years.
“No, it’s alright. My health hasn’t been good, so I don’t go out often, but when such an important guest visits, of course I should come down. I’d like to apologize once again for being late.”
“Oh no, no apology necessary. Your health is fragile, yet you still came down—that alone is an honor. I think this will be a delightful meal. Hahaha.”
Kaiyan laughed as though he genuinely meant it.
The Duke also smiled faintly to match the atmosphere.
Since the honored guest himself said it was fine, no one could continue criticizing Radian for being late. The rest of the family forced smiles onto their faces as well.
To think she’d slip away so smoothly like a mudfish.
Shan had expected her to blush in humiliation and apologize in a trembling voice.
Instead, she could only stare blankly at Radian.
Just as Shan was about to speak again, a loud growling sound echoed nearby.
Shan’s face turned bright red as she pinched Sylvia’s side.
“Ow!”
“Sylvia! How can a young lady behave so disgracefully—!”
“Mother… that was me.”
Elliot, who had been silently watching Radian until now, spoke awkwardly.
Shan instantly composed herself and smiled brightly.
“My son, you must be starving. Chef! What are you doing? Why hasn’t the food been served yet?!”
Even though she herself had been flustered moments earlier, the blame was redirected to the chef.
The chef hurriedly bowed and began slicing the meat onto plates.
Radian tilted her head.
No matter how she looked at it, this was kebab.
The familiar appearance reminded her of the kebabs she used to eat on the streets of Itaewon and Hongdae. It felt both nostalgic and strange.
Then again, was anything stranger than this world itself?
A world where the food and clothing resembled medieval fantasy, yet somehow oddly mirrored Korea.
Thinking of Korea made her chest ache again, so she quickly shook her head and decided to focus on eating first.
Radian boldly picked up the kebab with her hand.
A short gasp rang out instantly.
Startled, she looked up to find Shan staring at her in horror, mouth hanging open.
Why was she reacting like that?
Shan’s gaze was fixed on Radian’s hand.
“W-What kind of vulgar behavior is that?! Picking up food with your hands? Haah… this is exactly why the uneducated are hopeless… I apologize on her behalf, Count.”
“She’s absolutely right. Honestly, she lowers the level of the whole meal.”
Sylvia eagerly chimed in.
Radian clearly remembered why she had shut herself in her room and eaten alone for the past three months.
Every mealtime had been like this—constant humiliation.
The old Radian had been far too gentle to ever think of resisting.
Since the Scanan household at least sent meals to her room, staying there had felt easier.
But today, Radian had no intention of letting things slide.
With a soft smile, she turned to the chef.
“Chef, how is this dish supposed to be eaten? It seems I made a mistake because I didn’t know.”
The chef, who had been slicing meat from a large skewer of lamb, hesitated awkwardly.
Count Kaiyan’s face had turned red enough to make one pity him.
Radian smiled faintly.
It seemed the goddess of fortune was on her side.
The Duke urged the chef to hurry before another embarrassing growl came from his son’s stomach.
The chef lowered his head and spoke carefully.
“In the Toki Empire, it is customary to wrap the vegetables and meat in bread and eat it by hand, much like eating appetizer bread. However… this is the Cria Empire, so I suppose everyone may eat however they feel comfortable.”
A loud cough immediately echoed through the dining hall.
Although the chef had tried his best to smooth things over, the table fell silent as though cold water had been poured over it.
Shan’s face was now as red as Kaiyan’s had been earlier.
Sylvia, too, clamped her mouth shut, unable to hide her embarrassment.
“Y-Yes… as the chef said, this is the Cria Empire, so please eat however you’re comfortable. It’s an unfamiliar culture, after all.”
The Count spoke awkwardly, stumbling over his words.
He was clearly trying not to ruin the mood, but it was obvious he felt deeply offended.
The Duke remained silent for a moment before wrapping the meat and vegetables in bread just as Radian had done and taking a large bite.
Feeling victorious, Radian quietly began her meal.
The kebab was delicious.
The quality lamb and fresh lettuce blended perfectly with the bread. The thick slices of lamb crumbled tenderly between her teeth, juices dripping richly. Crisp lettuce crackled softly in her small mouth.
Radian ate with such enjoyment that Elliot and Sylvia stared at her blankly before eventually reaching for their own kebabs.
Shan, who had been trembling as though she absolutely could not eat the same way after criticizing Radian moments earlier, suddenly smacked Sylvia’s hand away from the plate.
“My health isn’t well, so I’ll excuse myself now. Sylvia, come with me.”
“…Yes, Mother.”
Sylvia glanced regretfully at the kebab plate, then shot Radian a venomous glare as though blaming her for everything before following Shan out.
The Duke silently continued eating as he watched them leave.
Then Elliot Scanan, who had remained quiet until now, frowned at Radian.
“Did you really have to go this far?”
