ISMCFC 04

Chapter 4

I had been shrinking back, afraid of ruining our relationship. In the meantime, Eve entered Hares’s field of vision.

Well, it’s not like I have anything to lose now, do I? Even if I leave things as they are, Hares will eventually fall in love with her anyway.

So, if I try a little too… maybe, even if he doesn’t come to like me, he might at least see me as a woman?

Having resolved myself, I sniffled and clenched my fist tightly.

“I-I can do this!”

And then, the next day, at the ballroom…

“Young Duke Irisel, we met at the riding competition last time. Do you happen to remember me?”

…I was immediately plunged into despair.

Eve was now truly the rising star of high society.

Women admired her and wanted to befriend her, while men courted her passionately.

I was no different.

Even knowing that Hares found her quite interesting, I could never bring myself to hate Eve.

…Well, at least, that was the case until just a moment ago.

Eve, who usually focused on mingling with those who approached her rather than approaching anyone first, had come directly up to Hares for the first time and said this:

“Actually, I thought you looked incredibly handsome on horseback at the last riding competition.”

Everyone watched nervously, their gazes alternating between Hares and Eve standing beside me.

Hares, uncharacteristically, awkwardly nodded once.

As if he was consciously aware of the beautiful woman before him.

Eve, with a face that knew full well her own beauty, continued.

“By the way, what is your relationship with Lady Lise Chelsea? Hmm, are you perhaps engaged by your families?”

At her question, asked with a tilt of her head, Hares glanced at me from the corner of his eye and then grinned.

“Of course not. This one’s practically like my little sister.”

He laughed, playfully putting his arm around my shoulder. I made a displeased face and tried to push his arm down.

It was a futile effort, of course.

At Hares’s clear answer, Eve nodded with an innocent, childlike face, as if relieved by something.

Her action was so endearing that everyone’s attention instantly focused on her.

“Ah, you two always come together, so I was curious. This is actually my first year attending the social season in the capital. I didn’t realize you two were such close friends.”

Eve smiled, tilting her head gracefully.

At her words, a friend standing next to Eve chattered away, explaining to her.

“They’re practically siblings, beyond just being childhood friends. It’s a pretty well-known story in social circles. They say the Young Duke always escorts her, even though she’s just a childhood friend.”

“I see. It’s not an easy thing to do, escorting a friend like that. He seems… very kind and considerate.”

Eve nodded in understanding, agreeing with her friend’s words.

Up to this point, everything followed the original story.

Having already grown close with the male lead (who was hiding his identity), Eve shows interest in Hares at the ballroom.

Then, though the male lead’s jealousy, watching all of this, will eventually hinder their relationship, Hares will already be falling for Eve…

And after I die, Hares becomes obsessed with Eve.

Honestly, I couldn’t quite believe the current Hares would become obsessively fixated on anyone. He just wasn’t the type.

Even his attitude towards the girl he supposedly liked now was quite light and distant.

So much so that Eve had to be the one to ask first.

“Will you be attending the upcoming hunting festival as well?”

“I believe so.”

“Then… would it be alright if I offered you my handkerchief?”

Gasps arose from around them. Both Eve and Hares were popular figures in society, lacking nothing.

“Ah.”

Last year at the hunting festival, I had been the one to offer Hares my handkerchief first.

Of course, I had been so embarrassed that I practically threw it in his face, saying, “Here!”

“Did you embroider this yourself for your big brother? You’re really bad at this, you know.”

Even though he teased me like that, Hares had steadfastly tied my handkerchief to his sword and worn it.

I knew he still kept it safe somewhere.

For a moment, Hares’s eyes met mine. Then he leaned towards me and whispered.

“Hey, are you going to give me a handkerchief this time?”

Actually, I had already prepared one. Since the start of this year, I had even learned embroidery from my maid.

I had embroidered his symbol, the black lion, and his initials.

I was secretly quite proud of it, as my embroidery had turned out rather decent this time.

But just as I was about to nod, I met Eve’s blue-gray eyes, which were staring intently at me.

Her rare blue-gray eyes were so clear and innocent that I almost felt guilty for nodding.

Originally, I had intended to follow the original story, but thinking that I might not know how much longer I had to live, my mindset had changed a little.

Whether I succeed or not, from now on, I was going to appeal to Hares as a woman!

That’s why today, I had even worn a dress that exposed my neckline and shoulders – something I would never have worn normally.

Even though I had tightened my waist and pushed up my chest, wearing a dress that revealed my figure, Hares hadn’t reacted much, which was disappointing.

But that wasn’t all I had.

Steeling my resolve, I nodded.

“Well, it was a hassle, but you used last year’s well, so I made one. Why?”

“Oh, really?”

Hares answered like that, then turned his gaze back to Eve and replied.

“I’m afraid I cannot accept it.”

“Ah. So Lady Chelsea has agreed to give you one?”

“It seems so, as she is my closest acquaintance. I’m sorry.”

“Then…”

Eve hesitated for a moment before cautiously asking him.

“Would it be possible for you to just grant me this one dance?”

“Oh…”

Hares had already danced one dance with me, and he couldn’t dance the next one with me.

Not because anyone would stop him, but simply because etiquette dictated so.

Besides, Hares had just refused her handkerchief.

While refusing a lady’s request two or three times in a row wasn’t a breach of etiquette, it wasn’t gentlemanly either.

And it would be extremely strange for me, who wasn’t even his fiancee, to say ‘no’ here.

Seeing him look at me helplessly, I eventually let Hares go first.

“I’m going to the balcony to get some fresh air. It’s hot.”

Besides, without Hares, I found it burdensome to be in a place with so many stares.

“Yeah. Hey, you’re going to have a drink, right?”

Hares asked, knowing that I always had a glass of lemonade after finishing a dance.

I nodded and left him first.

To be honest… every nerve in my body was still focused on what was happening behind me.

It wasn’t as if Hares had only ever danced with me at balls until now.

Gentlemen to dance with were always in short supply, after all.

He had danced with many young ladies several times before, but I never felt particularly jealous.

Because I knew that no matter how much those ladies liked Hares, their relationship would never come to fruition.

But this time was different.

It felt like someone had placed a heavy stone on my chest, making it hard to breathe.

A foreboding feeling that I shouldn’t have let her go belatedly crept up the back of my neck, as if pulling me back.

I wondered if I should have held him back with some petty excuse. Maybe I really shouldn’t have let him go.

Thinking this, I stepped onto the deserted balcony.

It felt like something was tangling up inside me.

I didn’t know how to explain it, but it felt similar to when I entered my empty, always-vacant house.

Emptiness. A hollow, famished heart. The feeling of becoming a tiny star on the swaying waves of a lake, with nowhere to lean.

The feeling of having coveted something I shouldn’t have.

As punishment… I now have to feel this gloomy, watching Eve and Hares dance sweetly together.

As the music started, I just stared at the two of them beginning to dance.

Hares held her ivory-like elegant hand and her tightly cinched waist, leading her gracefully.

‘I was always the one who practiced dancing with Hares.’

Unlike me, who was terrible at dancing, Hares was always skilled with his body. Because of that, I often stepped on his feet, and even though he scolded me, he never gave up.

I remembered Hares back then – he would tease me, but ultimately coax me and teach me until the end.

How time flies.

Just one more day, just one more day.

The lingering feelings I couldn’t easily shake off still refuse to let go, even in the face of his destiny.

Suddenly, Hares firmly caught Eve’s body as she almost fell, seeming to ask if she was alright.

Eve shyly nodded and smiled brightly. That fresh, radiant smile that Hares always admired and praised in the book.

It has to be you, for me.

Maybe Hares’s heart has already been swept away by this one dance.

My nose stung.

Feeling my eyes start to redden, I turned away and even closed the balcony door behind me. Then I leaned against the door and lowered my gaze.

Behind me, people laughed, music played, and the dance continued.

Even without me. Things happen as they are meant to.

Even now, it’s foolish to just hide without appealing myself, but right now, I absolutely couldn’t bear to see the two of them so happy.

After all, I knew from the beginning that Hares  belonged to Eve.

A sub-male lead exists solely for the heroine.

A sub-male lead never falls in love with some other supporting character.

Especially not with a minor character like me, who is barely even mentioned in the original story.

Is there anything more heartbreaking than unrequited love for someone who isn’t your destined one?

Feeling utterly wretched, I bit my lip hard.

‘Will I ever be able to stop loving you?’