Chapter 9 - 9

I got up.

Then someone rushed over.

Knights who I didn't know where they'd been.

I looked at the men surrounding me and blinked.

The ones I made eye contact with, like the other servants, had fearful or bewildered expressions.

"Ah, please sit down, Countess!"

"The Duke ordered that you not leave this spot."

I felt troubled. Hmm, I guess I know how my fiance handles me.

I really want to follow that order since my fiance commanded it...

'Ugh, dizzy...'

The problem was my body wouldn't cooperate. Ugh, feeling something rise, I jumped up from my seat.

Then the knights approached, but when I unintentionally glared, they couldn't quite grab me and flinched back.

Wow, I didn't do anything and they're backing off? It was strange, but this wasn't the time.

'I can't lose my human dignity at my fiance's house!'

I suppressed my churning stomach.

Behind the knights standing a step away, a certain building was visible. Its door was wide open.

As I took a step forward, the knights flinched and precisely retreated one step in sync with my stride.

Cold sweat ran down my back.

"Move aside."

"C-Countess, you can't...!"

"If you block my path one more time, you'll see something unpleasant. I'm warning you."

To their eyes, I must have looked like I was about to go crazy.

Sure enough, the knights, not wanting to be the sacrificial lamb to my already unfocused gaze, just glanced at each other and didn't stop me.

Now! No longer able to hold back the urge, I pushed the knights aside and ran through the hallway towards the door of salvation.

I inwardly felt a sense of self-loathing. What is this, I'll never, ever drink again! If I drink, I'm a dog, a dog!

Unaware of the near future where I'd be woofing, I managed to find a restroom and go inside.

Of course, I unintentionally chased out the maid who was inside.

'Phew... I feel alive...'

Thankfully, perhaps God wanted to protect my dignity, I didn't throw up and just dry-heaved about ten times. My stomach was very bitter, though. Come to think of it, I haven't eaten a single meal yet?

"...By the way, where is this?"

I came out of the restroom, came to my senses, and looked around.

I just entered the building closest to the garden...

When I entered, I thought it was the main building where I met the aide, but looking out the window, it seemed not.

The main building where I met the butler and aide was visible through the window. So where is this?

While the main building was a bit shabby for a ducal residence, it was still comparable to an average noble house. This building felt even more worn down.

Yet, it seemed to be meticulously maintained.

Yes, to describe it...

'It feels lovingly maintained, even if they couldn't afford to renovate.'

Unlike the stark hallway of the main building, this place was filled with cute pansies or small vases and ornaments with pretty patterns, showing clear signs of care.

I walked around, looking here and there.

'I ran here in a daze while dizzy, so I forgot which way I came in.'

I shouldn't have drunk that damn alcohol, I'm feeling a bit of everything.

It seemed the flustered knights from earlier were chasing me, but did they lose me?

My fiance probably won't be pleased with this situation, so I should find an exit quickly.

Thinking that, I had just turned a corner.

Thud. I turned my head at the sound of something falling.

Some distance away, a girl was visible.

A girl with an innocent look, much younger than Charlize.

No, she wasn't just innocent.

'Wow, she's amazingly beautiful...!'

Even though she looked like a teenager, she was incredibly beautiful.

What she dropped was a white flower, which matched her pure white silver hair perfectly, as did the flower she was holding.

When our eyes met and she looked startled, I snapped back to reality.

'Ah, silver hair and blue eyes... Could that person be.'

Is she the male lead's younger sister? Ah, she is his younger sister. I realized it quickly, though there was a slight delay.

Askin's younger sister, Aria.

The reason Askin took on a huge debt, his one and only family, his treasure, his only sister.

But a pitiful girl with an incurable disease who could die any time.

As all the descriptors flashed through my mind, an unpleasant memory also surfaced.

'That outfit, I remember...'

The previous Charlize had said this to Aria.

"The Duke must not love his sister much? Seeing he allows you to wear such shabby clothes."

I grimaced at the surging memory.

Hmm, Charlize tormented Aria a lot, didn't she...?

When I looked away nervously, Aria started hiccuping!

Her face was not just white but pale, and I could see cold sweat beading on her skin.

"Ah, C-C-Countess, I greet..."

"Ah, excuse me!"

I wanted to tell her not to be so scared, not to cry.

But the moment I opened my mouth, her face turned even paler, and my voice died in my throat.

"Ugh, I-I must g-greet you..."

Panicked Aria simply collapsed.

Startled, I approached Aria.

"Excuse me, is anyone there? Anyone? Someone collapsed...!"

Her rough, gasping breaths seemed serious. What do I do? What do I do...!

Wondering whether I should leave her and call for someone, footsteps thankfully sounded. The knights seemed to have heard my voice and chased after me.

"Don't touch her!"

The man at the front was Askin's aide, Ben.

Startled, I withdrew my hand that was about to reach for Aria's cheek.

The knights surrounded me with fierce faces.

Their expressions were murderous, as if they wanted to stab me any moment, though they hadn't drawn their swords. Their faces told me to get lost.

I hadn't done anything, but I obediently got up and moved away.

And Ben, harboring the fiercest anger among them, gritted his teeth and spoke.

His voice tried hard to maintain courtesy even in the midst of it.

"Go back. Right now."

"..."

"...Please, just go back. Please."

I parted my lips.

"Or else, will you finally... go after the young lady as well!"

At those words, I held back what I was going to say and stepped back.

Looking regretfully at Aria, I carefully opened my mouth.

"...I'm sorry. But I really didn't do anything."

But it seemed my words didn't reach the angry men.

...How did I end up opening my eyes in this body. Swallowing a groan inwardly, I turned and went out through a nearby door.

While walking, a tide of unfairness washed over me.

No, it's not like I wanted to open my eyes in this body. Why am I suddenly responsible for all this villainess's karma!

The karma is so heavy it's choking me, grabbing my leash.

Trudging, trudging. With weakened steps, I returned to the bench where I had been.

When I arrived at the bench, I encountered a stranger.

No, the moment I saw the large build and face, I felt it wasn't a stranger.

It was my fiance, Duke Askin Lemut.

"...Countess."

I involuntarily opened my mouth slightly.

...How could I not immediately recall such beauty?

His hair was as white as his eyes. Beneath it, thick eyebrows and a protruding nose bridge.

A face so beautiful it seemed crafted meticulously by a god.

Although those eyes looking at me were filled with freezing cold and coldly flickering anger.

I flinched back in instinctive fear, but couldn't take my eyes off his face.

'...Wow, this person is my fiance? He's really, really handsome.'

In this novel, unfortunately, there are many men with handsome faces but ruined personalities.

So-called 'pretty trash'.

A prime example is the tyrant Roxidian, Charlize's older brother and the male protagonist, whom I've already encountered.

But Askin Lemut is a rare, no, almost unique character who has both looks and personality.

A man who protects justice, is ascetic and faithful, and protects those in his care even at the cost of his life, like a champion of justice.

That's why he didn't fit this angsty novel and couldn't be the male protagonist.

'...I think it's more because he's a premarital celibacy advocate, though.'

He was a character who made readers cry out, 'Author, why did you create him if you weren't even going to give him any action!'

However, if there's one person this man disregards reason and morality to hate and despise, it's me. Charlize.

The setting from the book felt painfully clear.

From that man's cold gaze, as if he could tear my face apart.

"Have you finally come to kill my little sister with that detestable face?"

"Pardon? No, what?"

"Don't use tricks."

Askin took a step closer. My gaze was involuntarily drawn to his swaying silver hair.

"Surely you intended to kill my little sister this time!"