X

Free Chapters

Chapter 68: Two way.

Everyone went back down to the first floor, and there, as Aina had said, was a woman standing.

From the moment Aisha and Karat had vaguely seen her from across the central hall, they thought she was a bit familiar.

Even though the first-floor central entrance was wide open, that unidentified guest, who was sadly sobbing, didn’t seem to dare to take even one step into this building.

“Your Imperial Highness?”

The first to recognize her was Karat as expected.

That was because he had quite a lot of opportunities to face her directly while serving his master.

“What?”

Minon was so surprised at the words that came out of Karat’s mouth that she almost fainted.

“Yo, Your Imperial Highness?”

As soon as she heard those words, everyone hurriedly knelt down and bowed their heads.

But Ilesha, who was sobbing, didn’t seem to have any feelings about such a greeting. She was just standing there and sadly dripping tears.

“Pl, please let me in.”

Those were the first words she had abruptly spoken.

There wasn’t even the commonplace ceremonial greeting that should have been there.

“Yes…?”

Minon was at a loss as to what to do and was just kneeling.

“Pl, please let me meet that person. Sniff! I have to apo, apologize…”

“Yes? Apologize? Pl, please come in quickly! Your Highness!”

She didn’t stop crying until Minon and Karat led her to the drawing-room.

She seemed to have experienced something incredibly sad and terrible.

‘Just what could have made the princess cry like that in this kind of resort…?’

And in an instant, the villa had become the most uncomfortable place in the world.

‘Originally, the person receiving the guest should be the first to speak, but since the other person is royalty, is that an exception…? So, should I introduce myself now? Or should I wait until that person speaks first?’

She was thinking about court etiquette that she didn’t even remember well, but Minon was almost completely ignorant of this kind of thing.

Because it was ‘court’ etiquette. Minon had thought that she would never personally go to the ‘court’ even if the sky fell.

In fact, it was quite a big deal for someone with Minon’s rank as a baronet to meet Yukomis in a private setting.

The princess’s surprise visit was completely out of the scope of what Minon could handle.

Moreover, the person with the highest status in the villa right now was, ironically, Signa, not Minon.

Because she was nominally a member of the Solenas main family and the younger sibling of the duke’s heir.

It was right for Signa to come out and greet her first, but…

She wasn’t in a situation where she could do that right now.

‘There’s no one accompanying Your Highness, and she seems to have come alone, and she’s crying… Oh my god. What should I do? What should I say?’

She glanced at Karat, who was standing next to her, but he seemed to be thinking exactly the same thing as Minon.

Before long, Aisha hastily brought in tea and handed it to Ilesha, and she barely accepted it.

“Th, thank you.”

Aisha deeply bowed her waist at Ilesha’s gratitude.

And she left the place by stepping backwards so as not to show her back.

Minon was somewhat impressed to see Aisha, who was so calm and composed that her fingertips weren’t even trembling even in this situation.

‘Amazing… A servant is still a servant of a great family after all. Honestly, she’s better than me…?’

Ilesha’s crying had barely subsided as she was drinking the tea without even drinking it properly.

“I, I’m sorry. You must have been very surprised.”

“Not at all.”

Minon desperately recalled the princess’s full name.

“So, uh… I, Ileresia La, Lana Arle…?”

“Just ca, call me Ileresia.”

“Ah… I understand. Then Ileresia-sama. It’s an honor to meet you. I am Baron Minon Irendel.”

“Yes… Baron Minon. Sniff! Thank you for a, accepting my sudden vi, visit.”

“It’s nothing. It is the natural duty as a subject of Your Highness.”

Did she even need permission for the princess’s visit?

Minon thought with a mind that wasn’t working well.

“So… Uhhmm…”

At that time, Karat cut into the conversation.

“Milady, I’m sorry, but may I speak for a moment?”

“Huh?”

“I know that this is a rude statement, but it seems that Your Imperial Highness has come because of something related to the Solenas family.”

“I, is that so?”

Minon looked back and forth between Karat and Ilesha, but Ilesha didn’t deny it and just nodded slightly.

It wasn’t wrong.

Thermis was a member of the Solenas family.

“Yes. So I’m hesitant to tell you about it, milady.”

Minon realized what Karat was saying.

He was politely telling her to leave.

“Ah… Yeah! Do that…”

Minon felt more and more like she was becoming a burden.

‘No, not only is there nothing I can understand anyway. The princess suddenly came to visit, and as soon as we greeted each other, even Karat is trying to completely exclude me from the conversation?’

This… This is, so.

‘What a relief!’

It was an uncomfortable situation in an already uncomfortable place.

Minon, who didn’t know what to say to Ilesha, hurriedly passed over the lead in the conversation, thinking that this was her chance.

Anyway, this was too much of a place for Minon, who had the lifestyle of a petty noble etched into her.

“In that case, Your Highness, I will excuse myself for a moment. Please make yourself comfortable…”

“Th, thank you. Baron.”

Ilesha didn’t particularly cut in to say anything even while Karat was proceeding with the story as he pleased.

She was so full of the clear purpose of ‘I have to apologize’ that she honestly didn’t care about the rest.

The fact that Signa had honestly explained it only to the close aides of the mansion was showing its true value at times like this.

If Minon had been in this place, the conversation would have headed to the mountains because of all her questions.

‘I don’t know what to say and what not to say… For now, it seems that Your Highness has learned of Signa-nim’s identity.’

This was a situation that even Yukomis hadn’t assumed in the first place, but

The fact that he had made Karat, who was talented in handling things, follow Signa was really an excellent judgment as a result.

“Ahem.”

Karat cleared his throat.

“Your Highness. It is an honor to see you again.”

“Ka, Karat. So you were in a place like this.”

It was rare for a man to come forward in this kind of place, and it was usually a very presumptuous and frowning thing to do.

However, Karat was a talent that Thermis had personally discovered in her lifetime, and he was the escort knight that Yukomis, who was so picky with people, kept closest to her.

Moreover, he was even an acquaintance of Ilesha due to his duties.

Because he was an insider who had been allowed to look into even the deepest parts of the duchess’s family along with Parnen, even the imperial family’s many retainers couldn’t easily treat him recklessly.

She would clearly be able to talk to him better in this situation.

“I’m really sorry for coming so suddenly. You must have been very surprised.”

“Not at all.”

Karat answered politely.

“We are all subjects of Your Highness. What problem is there with Your Highness visiting Your territory?”

“Ah, no. The owner of the empire is my mother, and I’m…”

Ilesha trailed off.

“…Anyway, I’m sorry for showing you such an ugly appearance. No matter how much it’s me, it was too out of line.”

“Not at all.”

“…Baron Minon, was it? An appearance I couldn’t show to her either…”

“That’s…”

“Um…I did not have the best relationship with the princess but all the same it may have been of better use to consult a higher ranking member of our Royal Family, but instead I barge in, I…”

Karat had already perfectly guessed who this was entangled with, even though he had not been informed by Irendel.

“That person” whom she had said she would ‘meet’, “I can trust completely”.

Judging from the fact that she was reluctant to reveal who it was, it must have been a secret meeting.

But he deliberately brought up this question.

In order to make sure whether the name ‘Signa’ or ‘Thermis’ would come out.

“Karat… The fact that you, who should be Yukomis’s escort, are here means that Te, Thermis-nim is here, right?”

Ilesha, who said that, looked truly desperate.

‘As expected. She learned of Signa-nim’s identity and came to find her. It was good that I made the Baron leave.’

“That’s…”

As soon as Karat affirmed it, Ilesha jumped up.

It seemed that she had been forcibly maintaining her composure until now.

“Please let me meet her! Please. It’s a request. Please let me talk to that person… Even if it’s just for a moment, there’s something I really have to apologize for.”

“…If Your Highness wishes, that will happen. However, she is currently very… sick.”

“Ah…!”

“So it is difficult for her to show her face to outsiders.”

“That’s right. I, I didn’t even know her body condition was like that, and I, like an idiot…”

“If there’s anything you want to convey, would it be okay if I conveyed it?”

“Ha, but…”

Ilesha clenched her fist tightly.

“…I’m sorry. I’m really sorry. But it’s hard for me to say it to you. I want to meet her alone and convey my sincerity directly. I’ve done something that I can’t be forgiven for, but at the very least… I have to let her know that I’m regretting it…”

“Your Highness. It’s a presumptuous thing for trash like me to say, but Thermis-nim is someone who’s as generous as Your Highness.”

“Whatever mistake you made, she has already forgiven you. Don’t you know that best?”

But the still frightened Ilesha didn’t seem convinced by those words at all.

“Karat, Karat. Ah. You don’t understand. How… how terrible a thing I’ve committed. Something I’m even embarrassed to explain… I’m sorry that I can’t even say it honestly to you. But…”

“Please. If her body condition isn’t good… If it’s even impossible for her to face trash like me, please let me talk to her even from beyond the door.”

“Your Highness. If Your Highness wishes, that will naturally happen. No one’s permission is needed for that. However…”

Karat said carefully.

“I don’t know what you’ve done so wrong. Please don’t reproach yourself too much before talking to Thermis-nim. The Thermis-nim that I know…”

“Would be pained to see Your Highness, who is so sad.”

On the second floor, Ilesha, who was standing in front of Signa’s door, was taking a deep breath.

Karat had thought that it would be best for everyone to leave the mansion for a while in case Minon heard something she shouldn’t, and Aisha, who had quickly read the atmosphere, had also suggested to Minon that she go out for a walk.

So the only person who could hear what she was saying now was just one person beyond the door.

Knock knock knock.

Ilesha slowly knocked on the door.

“Thermis-nim…? Are you listening?”

She spoke with a trembling voice, but as if it was obvious, there was no answer from beyond the door.

“I, it’s Ilesha.”

“Are you there?”

However, she could feel the faint sounds of someone stirring as if they were turning over.

“…I’m sorry. I’m really sorry. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to do that, I really didn’t mean to do that, I shouldn’t have done that…”

“Please forgive me. It was all my fault. It was my mistake. It was my fault. It was just, just that the moment I saw you again, I couldn’t control my heart. I was so happy to see you, whom I had only dreamed of. And you were so beautiful… I lost my reason. Really, I didn’t think of anything at that moment…”

Just silence.

As there was still no answer, Ilesha almost frantically spewed out words full of self-reproach.

“…You must be despising me. Thinking that I’m a filthy and vulgar woman. I have nothing to say even if you say that. Because I tried to do such a shameless thing without your permission… Because I tried to do such a cowardly thing to someone who was sick…”

The light exhortation that Karat had given on the first floor had already been erased from her head.

“You must think it’s strange for me to have these thoughts. But… but I can’t help it. I was born like this. I’m this kind of person. The moment I see you, I can’t think of anything other than you.”

While continuing her confession, Ilesha began to cry again.

Tears dripped from her bloodshot eyes and wet the floor.

“…That’s right. I’ve actually always been thinking that. Ever since I was fighting by your side. No, even longer ago than that. From a very long time ago… Perhaps from the moment I first met you… I loved everything, from your caring personality, your intellectual appearance, your dignified profile, your shimmering hair, your good scent, and even your sweet voice.”

“I love you. I love you. Please believe me. You were my only love. You were my only master. I won’t even dare to ask you to accept my heart. I won’t even force you to forgive me. But please know that it’s true that I loved you… At that moment, I probably wasn’t just lusting after your body.”

“Just… I just love you.”

“…I’m sorry. I’m sorry for loving you, trash like me. I’m sorry for messing with your heart with these words… Ha, but…”

Ilesha closed her mouth there for a moment.

That was because she had realized that she wasn’t just giving an apology, but another declaration of love.

“…I’m sorry. What a selfish and vulgar person I am. You’ll only feel bad if you receive these kinds of confessions from trash like me.”

Even though she had come to apologize, she was only saying words that made the other person more burdened.

“You probably think I’m filthy, right? You probably think I’m crazy for how can a woman do that with another woman. Ha, but… Sniff!”

But Ilesha couldn’t stop.

That one-sided heart was what had shattered the relationship after the reunion, which could have been maintained precariously.

But Ilesha, who felt like she had been driven to the edge of a cliff, couldn’t stop this confession.

“I’m sorry! But… but it’s because you said it was okay, because you said it was okay for even someone like me…! Sniff! You’re so kind to everyone that you probably forgot…! But those words were so engraved in my heart that I imagined that I might be able to connect with you, and I was so happy just by that imagination…!”

At some point, the sound of bare feet stepping on the floor was getting closer from beyond the door.

“I’m a lewd, terrible, vulgar, and selfish b*tch. I’m a greedy woman who can’t even be satisfied with just secretly liking you. So you can curse me. Please laugh at the fact that trash like me dared to love you.”

But Ilesha, who wasn’t in her right mind because she was spewing out all sorts of words, wasn’t even feeling that loud noise.

“…If you want, if you want, I won’t appear in front of you again. I just wanted to honestly tell you that one last time. I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I’ll apologize again. Your voice for the last time. Kyaak!”

Finally, the door burst open.

“Li, listening to this, those words you’re saying to yourself are too harsh.”

It was an angry voice.

“Ah…”

In front of Ilesha, who was startled and pushed out of the door, was Thermis, breathing heavily.

From what she could see, she seemed to be a bit angry as much as she seemed to be precarious.

“Did I teach you to self-reproach so harshly?”

And Ilesha took that as anger towards herself.

“Ah, no! Thermis-nim, I’m sorry. I…!”

But Thermis cut off Ilesha’s words right away before she started another self-reproach.

“Ilesha-nim. I don’t hate Ilesha-nim that much.”

Just like right before she had left Ilesha’s villa,

Thermis, who wasn’t wearing a single thread, still seemed to be having a hard time even standing.

“Th, Thermis-nim. I, I’m…”

Ilesha, who had been spouting out just any words she could get her hands on, became speechless again as soon as she faced her.

“But because Your Highness has a very bad habit of self-reproaching like my sister, I’ll give you one piece of evidence.”

“Yes…? Wh, what do you mean by evidence…”

Thermis slowly approached Ilesha.

Despite being in a state where it was hard to even control her body, Ilesha was unknowingly pushed towards the wall by her mysteriously forceful appearance.

Thermis put one hand on the wall next to Ilesha.

“Kyaak…!”

“Close your eyes.”

But Ilesha, who was already spaced out, didn’t do that, so Thermis added one more word.

“That’s an order.”

“Hic…”

At the word ‘order’, Ilesha reflexively closed her eyes.

As soon as she did, a warm and soft sensation briefly touched her cheek and… soon left.

It was a light and momentary contact like a butterfly had landed on her.

“Ot…?”

In front of Ilesha, who had opened her eyes again, Signa, whose face was flushed redder than a burning fire, was wiping her lips with her index finger.

“If I really hated you. If I thought women were more, more dirty than each other, there’s no way I would have done something like that, right?”

For a moment, Ilesha even forgot to cry.

“Do you understand a bit now…? That I don’t care about that kind of thing? …Eueut! Well, it’s just that I don’t think the situation is very good to be saying those words, so…”

Signa, who had been speaking until there, hurriedly dropped the gaze she was facing.

It was as if she had just realized how embarrassing an act she had done.

“Ah, anyway, my body condition is really bad. Don’t worry because it’s not because of Ilesha-nim… Keuk… Eueut! C, come find me again next time.”

“Th, Ther…”

“I really don’t think I can endure doing this, this much anymore… The stimuli are too strong, ha, it’s the limit…”

Thermis backed away and went back into the room.

“O, okay, that’s all for today!”

The door was closed again with a bang as it slid closed, and Ilesha’s back, which had been pushed against the wall, slid down the wall.

And she lightly swept her cheek with her index finger and middle finger, the place where the other person’s lips had just touched.

“Ju, just now…?”

The place where her lips, which were slightly wet with sweat and saliva, had touched was still moist.

“So… you said ‘today…’?


Recommended Novel:

You’ve got to see this next! Medieval Game Developer will keep you on the edge of your seat. Start reading today!

Read : Medieval Game Developer
0 0 votes
Article Rating
Subscribe
Notify of
guest
1 Comment
Oldest
Newest
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Space
2 months ago

If You Notice any translation issues or inconsistency in names, genders, or POV etc? Let us know here in the comments or on our Discord server, and we’ll fix it in current and future chapters. Thanks for helping us to improve! 🙂