Chapter 22

꒦︶꒷‧₊★₊‧꒷︶꒷‧₊ଓ₊‧꒷︶꒷‧₊★₊‧꒷︶꒦

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I’ll Come Back To You

(Hildea’s POV)

“Sister, sister! There seems to be a lot of chaos at the Imperial palace these days.”

“What’s new about that? The Imperial Army is coming back after being victorious; that is why everyone is in a festive mood.”

“Ugh, not that!”

“Then what are you talking about?”

Rosé, who had a pinch of pink on her cheeks and curled-up lips, was looking lovely as always.

I don’t know where and what she has been doing, but I saw a blade of grass on her cheek. I let out a sigh as I took it off.

‘Did she just roll over in the fields?’

“Lira mentioned something to me about another person who died yesterday. Who the hell is killing people for the sake of fun?”

“Murder?”

“Yes!”

“Rosé, why are you interested in such things?”

I don’t like the fact that Rosé is very interested in those ridiculous stories.

I said it sternly, while playfully tapping the bridge of her nose.

“There are a lot of crazy people in this world, so please don’t mind them. The most important thing right now is our upcoming debutante ball.”

“Sheesh! But things like that are so boring, sister.”

Rosé puffed her cheeks and pouted her lips like a crucian carp. ‘Who in the world would think that this young lady is already twenty years old?’

“And, it’s so shocking. To think that the Imperial Capital was considered to be the safest place in the empire!”

“…That’s true.”

If it’s really a murder case, it certainly doesn’t fit in this glittering romance world.

Still, it is not possible to include every detail inside the novel , which I read before.

Therefore, it is only natural that even things that the reader hasn’t read can occur in this world.

‘Is there really a serial killer?’

I narrow my eyes, grab Rosé’s shoulder tightly, and warn her about the seriousness of the situation.

‘To my little sister who loves to run around like a little pony.’

“Okay. Well said, Rosé. So, starting today, you should always be careful whenever you plan to go outside the mansion. Or better yet, you should no longer go outside, especially at night time. Understood?”

My sister, who always speaks with reason, smiles brightly.

“Okay! Don’t worry I never go out anyway. But you, on the other hand, got scolded by our father before, last time when you went outside at night, remember? Hehe.”

“What should I do with you?”

(T/N: Haha Rosé is definitely the cutest ever.)

‘I really don’t know why this kid grew up so freely.’

As she sat down on the window sill and swayed her legs comfortably, I looked at Rosé with troubled eyes.

‘Then what if she suddenly tears her dress in the banquet hall, just because she feels stuffy? No, I don’t think that…’

“Come on down quickly. Are you not even interested in choosing your own dress?”

Rosé, who smiled like an angel, jumped down, whether or not she knew about my complicated thoughts.

“Yes! But still, you’re going to pick it out for me right? Everything that my sister chooses is beautiful. Anyway, what color did you pick this time?”

“Rosériel! Color is not the only thing that matters when you’re choosing your dress.”

‘My younger sister is really pretty. She gives justice to being the heroine of this world.’

‘Her tousled pink hair looks very natural, and her broad smile was bright and full of vitality.’

‘However, she is far from what is considered beautiful in society, where a woman has to hide her true self gracefully and proudly shake off any judgemental public sentiment.

‘She is definitely different from the Rosé in the novel that I originally read, but still she is very pretty to me.’

“But sister, did you know that Gabriel will now be coming back this time? How many years have passed since the last time we saw him?”

“Ah, yes. That’s right.”

The corner of my mouth twists awkwardly.

‘Gabriel.’

‘It’s because my heart is stinging from how comfortably she called his name.’

I also remember him asking me why I wasn’t calling him by his first name.

‘But why would I call him “Gabriel”?’

“Sister, what’s wrong? Are you sick?”

I quickly shook my head. Then, I immediately looked at the mirror hanging on the wall, fearing that my face would reveal whatever was in my mind.

‘Well it is the same expressionless and stoic face that is reflected in the mirror.’ I sigh in relief, knowing that my feelings weren’t revealed.

It was definitely nothing significant, so why do I feel so guilty? Looking at Rosé’s twinkling eyes, I immediately turned my gaze away for no reason.

After a while, I was on my own after talking for a long time with Rosé, who was continuously chatting, but was forced to leave since her etiquette teacher suddenly came to visit.

“Gabriel.”

Alone in the quiet room, I softly say the unfamiliar name aloud. Then I got up and slowly opened the side drawer, picking up the white envelope that I had safely kept in the depth of my drawer.

I tore the wax seal on the envelope, pulled out the letter and saw his beautiful handwriting. Afterwards, I carefully read the contents of his letter.

‘It is a miracle that the boy, who used to stare at me frigidly, can write sentences full of rhetoric.’

‘Perhaps he entrusted someone else to write a response on his behalf. I suddenly laughed at that thought.’

‘Then the person I’m interested in is the person who wrote these words?’

(PR/N: If Gabriel heard that, he’d probs be jealous of himself for writing the letters.)

I touch the letter with my fingers unconsciously. I don’t see any of his usual stories in this letter.

There was nothing about the hardship of the war that he recently encountered, which would have indicated that the letter was written by a person who had travelled far away.

‘If it’s really hard, you can rant from time to time.’

At the end of all his letters, this sentence was always attached.

[How was your day Lady Hildea?]

“It’s far from perfect.”

‘In fact, the handwriting was excellent, but the overall style was aloof except for the rhetorical parts. It was surprisingly clumsy, but that definitely caught my attention.’

‘It seems that the one who wrote this letter was a little nervous.’

‘Rather, it may not have been right if he only sent expensive jewels and flamboyant compliments like other noblemen.’

‘He probably didn’t know what to say to his beloved’s older twin sister; that’s why he was very modest when writing the letter.’

[I requested some local flowers that look pretty to be dried out and special herbs to be collected and sent to you.]

‘It was like a detailed report being sent to his commander, but there were times that I laughed out while reading it.’

(T/N: Because he thinks of you as his only boss, baby Hill.)

‘Should I say that it’s like a letter from a boy who doesn’t know what to say to his first love, as he struggles to look good somehow?’

(T/N: Haha Hildea spot on.)

‘It’s all my misunderstanding.’

I quietly folded the letter.

Anyway, since he’s coming back. This letter was fairly shorter than usual. And the sentence written at the end of the letter was different from before.

Not the customary [How was your day Lady Hildea?] but…

[I’ll come back to you.]

“Why are you saying this to me….”

That was it.

-ˏˋ ━━━━━━ ʚ🌸ɞ ━━━━━━ ˊˎ-

(3rd Person POV)

Joseph, the guild leader of the Shadow Auction Guild, has always lived his life as busy as a rat in the gutter.

And the most important thing in this back alley is to have the ability to recognize the most expensive items with just a glance.

Ironically, he was given that kind of blessing.

(PR/N: I think mine would be something like ‘To have the mind and body of an old man.’ Player 001 from Squid Game is my spirit animal.)

‘It’s ridiculous to have such congratulatory remarks!’

Surprisingly, even though he was just a commoner, he was born with a blessing and a unique ability. But his ability was not visible unlike the others.

This ability given to him was an instinct for choosing between right and wrong at crucial moments.

And it has saved Joseph several times so far.

Just then, there was the sound of a bell chime, and a guest came inside wearing a deep hooded robe.

Although the person’s entire body was covered, the small and slender figure made it possible to deduce that the guest was a woman.

Joseph narrowed his eyes, but his face immediately changed when he saw the familiar person.

“How many did you prepare for today, Hill?”

The woman also responded to him familiarly.

“Three. Will that be enough?”

Joseph rubbed his hands together.

A serious voice came out of nowhere. The woman was a very important customer of his.

“Of course. Do you know that the price soars whenever someone tries to purchase your item forcefully, especially if there is only one product that was in stock? Since we have three stocks now, the black market will overturn.”

This woman was hidden inside her hood.

And all he could see were her red lips and a white, flawless chin. It was clear enough that this client was of noble status, which was uncommon in the black alley.

‘She must be a high-ranking aristocrat.’

However, what was important to Joseph was not whether the customer called ‘Hill’ was either an aristocrat or not.

What mattered were the items that she entrusted to him and put up on the auction house regularly.

“Hehe, then can I expect a similar volume next time?”

“It would be difficult for me if we suddenly increase the quantity. Only this time.”

“Ah, that’s true!”

It was two years ago that Joseph got to know the woman in front of him.

‘When she first opened the door and came in, I was about to kick her out right away.’

But then.

“Are you Joseph of the Shadow Auction Guild?”

Until he heard that voice.

“How do you know about me?”

He couldn’t help but be worried. As the guild leader, he had never told anyone his real name.

“There is always a way to know.”

Her cold and arrogant voice appalled him.

“What do you want from me?”

“I need you. To be exact, I need someone to replace me.”

Strangely, there was an unknown dignity that emanated from her small body.

He wondered as if this was how it felt like to be called by his first name, as if there was a princess or a prince standing in front of him.

“I know that it would be hard to believe me. However, if you sell the items that I bring, you will make quite a lot of profit too.”

“Even if it’s not me, I still can’t understand why a noble woman would seek assistance from a lowly person like me?”

Although the woman’s voice was aloof, strangely enough her voice felt warm all over.

“Because I need the shadow auction house.”

The woman pointed at Joseph with her white, slender finger. At that moment, he felt like he had been pierced by an arrow.

“I want you to be my substitute.”

That was how the trade started.

And now, with trembling hands, Joseph accepted the flowerpot from a woman named Hill.

It looked like an ordinary looking plant, but it was never ordinary.

“The more I see it, the more fascinating it is.”

A small, palm-sized pot was filled with plants that looked like medicinal plants.

Whenever they went to auction, participants rushed in with veins popping out of their necks.

‘It’s a panacea.’

‘Surprisingly, if you take a leaf of this medicinal herb and put it directly into the person’s mouth, all their ailments will be relieved!’

Some noble ladies even said that their skin became younger and more radiant, while some noble gentlemen said that they were healed of diseases that could not be expressed in words.

(PR/N: I mean… I’d bet it’s either bedroom problems or something a colonoscopy could fix)

It’s said that Hill’s collection could stop being produced at any time.

So they’re bound to always be sold out like hotcakes.

The Imperial Palace was also trying to find out who this Hill person was, but Joseph kept his mouth shut.

‘There is no need to cut the stomach of a goose that lays golden eggs.’

He smiled and rubbed his hands.

“Then I hope that you will have a lot of stock next time as well, Miss Hill.”

-ˏˋ ━━━━━━ ʚ🌸ɞ ━━━━━━ ˊˎ-

(Hildea’s POV)

No one would have ever guessed that the person who was covered by a hood, wearing the simplest dress and walking through the black alley without any escorts, was one of Hillington’s maidens.

When I came out of the black alley street and finally saw the bright light, I could finally breathe a sigh of relief.

“Whoa. Good thing that I got out here safely today.”

‘My spine feels very stiff.’  To be honest, I just pretended to be fine, but it’s a place where I always feel nervous every time I go.

Nevertheless, the reason why I always come here is to make some money.

‘To be exact.’

‘I’m just preparing myself just in case I go away.’

I always feel bitter whenever I think about that possibility.

‘If someone discovers my actions, they may feel betrayed or sad.’

‘But I’m just trying to do my best.’

It’s been two years now since I started using the name ‘Hill’ and selling flower pots with magical powers.

In the meantime, I have accumulated enough money for me to travel anywhere.

‘But I don’t really want to leave.’

‘But no one knows what will happen in the future.’

I’m still feeling anxious about my position, which was originally a person who is not supposed to exist in this world.

Just then, as I was about to return in the direction of the Duke’s mansion.

“Argh! Get out of my way!”

I suddenly heard the sharp cry of a person who was driving a horse from behind me.

TO BE CONTINUED…..