When the Villains Unite - Chapter 13; Part 3
I smiled brightly as I blocked her path. She looked at me with a frown as I swept my hair behind my shoulders.
“Princess Orca…?”
“Oh, so you already know me. Good.”
In the Empire, if you don’t know about the Duke of Orca, then you’re probably a spy…
I could tell what she was going to say by the look in her eyes, but I innocently smiled and pretended to know nothing.
“I-I am honored that you recognized me, Princess, but what is the matter…?”
I noticed her eyes kept looking behind me, so I grabbed her hand and moved closer to her with a serious expression.
“The truth is, I don’t know where else to turn for help… And I’m so glad to have found you. I thought I’d stop and ask if you would be so kind as to listen to my story if you don’t mind… keuk…”
I dropped my head, and covered my mouth, forcing out a sob to act as if I couldn’t finish my sentence.
Susan, who had just cheerfully greeted me, looked at me full of pity. It was like she had a sense of responsibility to lay her hand over mine, urging me to relax and speak.
I’ve caught you.
“Someone’s been stalking me lately, and I felt his presence here, too. I was wondering if you don’t mind, if you could take a look around with me today… and….”
“Hmph, stalking, what kind of wretched man would….! Don’t worry, Princess. I’ll pledge to help you as a fellow woman.”
Her eyes held a fire of determination, completely forgetting about the Marquis.
My conscience pricked at the thought that she might not be as bad as I thought. I hope she didn’t see what injustice I was doing to her.
If only she was someone who knew how to give up on a relationship that was already over…
“Thank you. I’ll be sure to repay your favor in the name of Orca in the future.”
I brightly smiled at her.
Susan Sperryn and I went to the corner, sipping champagne and talking about stalkers. Of course, I have never actually been stalked, so I just listed the social problems of modern Korea off the top of my head.
Someone stalking me…
In hindsight, it didn’t really make sense. Even if I did have a stalker, he would have been dealt with by Bellamy and Damian in no time.
“Stalked your personal space and left his mark?!”
“Lady… Just be a little quieter…”
“Ha… I can’t believe it. How can another human do that?”
She showed her anger as if she was the one going through it. I gauged her reaction and glanced toward the terrace where the two men had gone. Of course, I couldn’t see from the outside, so I was pretty concerned.
No matter what happened, I was confident that the Marquis de Pessil’s answer would be positive. I’m sure Ashik will have a considerate conversation, given the time and effort he’s put in… In any case, though, I’d still like it to be done fast…
The longer I waited, the more problematic this became. It was easy to tell a simple lie to stall a bit, but the deeper I got into it, the more difficult it became to improvise.
By now, Sperryn completely forgot about the Marquis and was even leaning forward to hear the most interesting story she has ever heard in her life as a noblewoman.
As I ran out of things to say, she asked more questions.
I started to ramble with appropriate responses, but when she mentioned my brother, I was left speechless.
“Princess, have you tried asking your brothers for help?”
“Ah… That hasn’t happened yet…”
“Why? The princess’s brothers are the Crown Prince’s personal bodyguard, and the Duke is, needless to say, an unprecedented wizard who threatens the position of the Mage Lord…”
I know. I, too, wondered why I didn’t tell them.
If I said I didn’t tell them because I didn’t want them to worry, I’d look like an indecisive fool. If I said I didn’t tell because I was afraid they’d kill the stalker, I’d be seen as saying they are vicious monsters.
The Orca brothers aren’t exactly kind people, but if a rumor spreads, it could lead to a misunderstanding that couldn’t be resolved.
After much deliberation, I finalized my decision. I took a small loss since I was the one helping Ashik.
“I don’t have anything solid to go on yet, and I don’t want to rush into it and lose the opportunity, so I’m going to wait and see.”
“Princess, you’re going to get yourself in a lot of trouble!”
As if on cue, she protested my response and went on about how dangerous the world is these days, how men are all animals, and urged me to hurry and tell my brothers.
I shook my head at her persistent nagging, and silently vowed to never lie again.
After a while, I stood there with a half-dead soul. She covered her mouth, as if ashamed by her lecturing, unlike before when she spoke so boldly. Are you going to care about your appearance now? I think it’s a little late…
I found myself laughing at her behavior, slightly enjoying it.
Susan Sperryn was a more kind and gentle woman than I thought. I could tell that she had a feisty personality, though, when it came to spouting off about my so-called stalker. I can’t help but wonder why this woman held on so much to Dion, who had unilaterally broken off their engagement and refused to show her any affection.
“By the way, why were you trying to leave in such a hurry earlier?”
I asked even though I already knew the answer.
Susan’s eyes widened as if she was shocked when she heard someone catch her.
“You noticed?”
Her eyes were calm and a little melancholy as she asked. She continued, “I was on my way to my ex-or rather, someone I can’t even say was my ex.”
“I have been rude, it must have been very important…”
“No, my time with you was more beneficial. I’m sure if I had followed him, I would have been filled with regret, like usual.”
She forced a smile as she looked at me.
“Is it possible that he has his heart set on someone else?”
“No. I guess I just wasn’t good enough because he hasn’t had another lover, even after we broke off our engagement.”
Susan did know that Marquis de Pessil didn’t share the same feelings as her. She looked at me with a mixture of emotions that I couldn’t tell if it was regret or resentment as she spoke in a pitiful manner.
I gave her my honest opinion, swiping my finger across the now-bottomless champagne glass. For some reason, this reminded me of that day two years ago when I took a look inside Ashik’s head.
“The Lady Sperryn who spoke with me today was just as charming as anyone, wasn’t she?”
“Oh no, I don’t think I was…”
“Lady, it’s hard for someone to listen or empathize with another’s pain to such an extent. I feel bad that you have such a warm heart, but your heart is tied to someone who doesn’t see the value in it.”
It’s not that she doesn’t have a heart.
Susan rolled her eyes around, then stopped like a man who had a few screws missing. Soon, tears filled her vivid orange eyes and trickled down her cheeks. Now, I was puzzled.
Why? Why is she crying all of a sudden?”
“Lady?”
“Hmph, hmph… I’ve never been told that before, so… suddenly…”
As it turns out, Susan didn’t follow the Marquis because she wanted to. She said that her parents were more in love with him than she was. Because of their business ties, her parents pressured her to reconnect with him. To fulfill their expectations, she was forced to follow him.
Maybe it’s because I’m from modern-day Korea, but I just couldn’t feel at home in a society where economic marriages were commonplace.
“And, I thought that one day, the Marquis would return to me.”
“Why is that?”
“Because the person the Marquis had in mind was… Ha… Not within the bounds of what was acceptable under Imperial Law…. It’s a very foolish idea.”
Huh? What does that mean? Someone Marquis de Pessil has in mind?
My eyes were wide as I looked at her, scratching my head. She hesitated before speaking more.
“Whenever I went to the palace to see the Marquis two years ago, his eyes were always on the Duke of Euassis. If I can’t read his mind by looking at his eyes, wouldn’t I just be dull?”
Two years ago… Aria was having a flirtatious affair with the Crown Prince and was out partying. It was one of the few times she went to the palace. What were the odds that Susan would run into her every time she went to the palace? It was far more likely that it was Ashik, who went to work there every day.
“So, the person the Marquis has in mind is…”
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