Chapter 22

Arinel’s smile was no longer as bright as it had been, but she had a calm look in her eyes. It was unknown if this was due to the fact that she didn’t have her usual headdress, or because it was made of the fabric she was wearing.

Maribelle’s mood, which had already been disrupted, dropped to the ground.

Maribelle, looking at her with a stiff face, was amazed. Arinel opened her mouth as if she was wondering.

“Aren’t you surprised?”

“—It’s no wonder, you’re here because Uncle is here.”

It’s a lie. Maribelle only just recovered from screaming inside. Of course it was an angry scream.

‘I can’t act surprised.’

How many people wouldn’t be surprised to see an unexpected face? Surprised reactions may be reasonable, but it will show signs of insecurity to Arinel. But Maribelle, rather than having trained to remain emotionless, missed the time to react because she was so surprised.

Now that it’s this way, she should just do as she planned. Maribelle’s gloomy expression was brightened by a smile.

“It is interesting why you’re here in this hall, Arinel. I don’t think it is your place.”

“Why not, it looks good. I think it’s a good Palace and you don’t own it. Anyways, without His Majesty, you won’t have anything to lean on.”

“It is so unusual to have two uninvited guests that I thought I got my dream and reality mixed up. I’ve been awake all night, so I don’t have much to say. Last night, His Majesty came to see me and-“

“Sister!”

Arniel called out to her, as if asking her to stop talking. Arinel must have wanted to pose a threat, but to Maribelle, such a threat looked tiny compared to her own claws.

Maribelle took a step closer to Arinel. The dark evening light soaked her silver hair as it draped over her shoulder.

“Why do you call me that? Not long ago, you used to call me Maribele. Didn’t you say I was crazy? Arinel, please let me know if I’m wrong about anything. I don’t want to misunderstand you.”

Maribelle stood in front of Arinel’s face, scattering her adorable cousin’s image all over the place. It had been a while since the vaguely sneering joke had transformed into outright sarcasm.

Unrefined words don’t just attack the opponent. Though they were certainly the sharpest sword, it was a sword that cut both ways.

She had a headache. She felt sick.

‘It’s disgusting.’

Maribelle eventually lost her composure and frowned. She had no control over her expression. She was irritated because she couldn’t keep her cool or whatever it was.

Arinel has always been this way. She would come to Maribelle when she was happy and brag, and when Maribelle was happy she would push her into an abyss of sadness. The methods used were varied. Either she dismisses Maribelle’s joy as insignificant, or she boasts of something more valuable than Maribelle’s accomplishments, drowning her in her sense of inferiority.

Arinelle was the one who couldn’t let go of Maribelle’s joy, as always. It also happened before she died in the past. It was unfortunate that Maribelle, who was slyly pleased by Arinelle’s distressed expression, couldn’t pour cold water—.

‘You like it? It’s a political marriage anyway.’

‘I’m sure you’re incredibly happy to be the Empress. We’ll have to see if you deserve it. I’ll be relieved if you don’t make a total fool of yourself.’

‘I’m always trying not to be like that. Thank you for your concern.’

‘Sister, you know it too, right? I was the one who was supposed to be around His Majesty.’

‘I understand. But what about Uncle’s and His Majesty’s wishes? Relax. I’m not at ease with this either.’

Her voice was full of sincere affection then, as opposed to now, which is full of sarcasm.

Maribelle’s rushing headache caused her to touch her forehead. This was obviously her own memory. What a contradiction it is to forget. The memory that came to Maribelle’s mind was part of the memories that had been lost when she returned to the present.

Maribelle was dressed as a bride in a pure white gown, complete with a bouquet and veil. She was at a wedding,her wedding, as evidenced by the white clothes and bright roses surrounding her.

It was, in fact, a wedding at the palace they were currently in. Maribelle was now very familiar with the wedding location. The Palace of Calende, where she lived.

Maribelle, who had been hiding at the wedding reception for a while, was still unable to escape, so she was in her bridal room soothing Arinel, who seemed angry.

‘It’s for the family, Arinel. We have to endure it. We are not a proud Edenbert. A political marriage is something that any aristocrat does.’

‘Don’t you have any feelings for His Majesty, Sister?’

‘Huh?’

Maribelle’s eyes widened slightly accented by the heavy makeup matching her bridal attire.

‘You know I’m madly in love with His Majesty, don’t you? You said you don’t have that kind of feeling for him, Sister.’

‘Of course, Arinel,’

Maribelle responded immediately. She even laughed, as if being asked an obvious question.

‘He’s the one you’re in love with. Besides, I like good men. Tyrants are terrifying.’

Too bad the Maribelle, who had patted Arinel on the back and told her not to worry, was no longer in existence.

“—Bell? Sister? Are you listening?”

Maribelle raised her head. Arinel’s face was right in front of her nose. With a dubious but worried expression, a fool who can’t hide her hostility or compassion from the enemy in front of her—

“Go away.”.

“I’m not doing this because I like you Sister. You don’t look very well, if you’re sick—”

“I told you to get away!”

Arinel took a step back in disapproval as Maribelle started shouting. She seems to be much more cautious than before. She was convinced she saw something she couldn’t see.

“Even if I worry about you like that, ah really— you should regret living like this.”

“I didn’t need you to worry, Arinel.”

Maribelle grabbed the frustration that had accumulated in her chest to try and clear her head. Her mind was complicated, but she couldn’t explain it here. Only in front of that child.

Maribelle put on a distorted smile. Even though it had not fully recovered its composure, the dim darkness filled the void.

“Were we truly worried about each other? Did you forget what you said behind my back? Do you want me to tell you what I’ve heard so you won’t have to console me anymore?”

“Ha— Isn’t it natural, Sister, to be concerned about sick people in front of you? Is that something I can’t even do?”

“Don’t. That is not something you should do.” Maribelle’s calm voice silenced the last remains of reason. “I don’t want a single grain of your kindness to deceive me.”

“……”

“There was something you often said to me. Know your place.”

Maribelle cast a cold stare at Arinel before turning away.

“This ‘sister’, I want you to know your place.”

She doesn’t want to talk to a clueless idiot who is aiming out of her league.

Maribelle walked right past Arinel. She couldn’t smile in front of her for the first time today.

*******

Maribelle knew that she wasn’t strong.

She had a weakness but wasn’t cunning enough to hide it, and she was clever enough to deal with people but couldn’t see what was happening behind her own back. She was a person who burned down a mansion because she couldn’t calm a crying child.

She’s not strong; she’s just desperate. So desperate, so consumed with hatred, so ready to lose everything for her goals.

‘What’s someone’s value.’

Maribelle was walking. Maybe the plan was to go back to the Palace of Calende. But she didn’t know if the path she chose was correct, so she just kept walking like she always did. She couldn’t afford to be concerned about it.

If someone had seen Maribelle, they might have asked why she was crying. She must have looked as if she was crying sadly, as if she had just lost her parents. Maribelle would have questioned how they could ask such a question when she hadn’t shed a single tear.

She was running away.

‘What on earth.’

With each new step thudding on the ground her sad distorted expression gradually regained its composure.

‘You know, there’s nowhere to run.’

Maribelle wiped her face. She understood why she felt broken and wanted to run away. Because when she meets Arinel, she recalls a time in her life when she was very affectionate and kind.

Her past self who was willing to put up with even the most horrible things for the sake of the younger sister she loved. Even though the younger sister was harassing and setting her up, she was too busy embracing and loving her to notice. The emotions from the past were overlaid on the present.

She almost smiled as sweet as she used to. She almost thought her worried eyes were adorable.

‘Why did the memory of that time come back—’

Maribelle sighed and leaned against the pillar. The cool stone temperature seemed to calm her dizzy head. Maribelle’s head was spinning due to more than just Arinel.

Maribelle began to move again. The dazed mouth let out a faint murmur.

“Clearly, she said Empress—”

What in the world was that? Such vivid memories are impossible to fabricate. It’s shocking enough that she was married, let alone Empress.

Then it’s a fact that I’ve previously been married to His Majesty—.

“Maribelle?”

Maribelle raised her head. It was then that her surroundings caught her eye. It seemed that she had entered the garden of Igcentium without realizing it.

She looked around, and she realized just how ugly she might look. However, she did not see the face of the person who called her. Only her trembling hand that was being held by a larger one wearing a dress shirt and gold cufflinks engraved with the imperial design under a robe.

Then there was another golden light in her periphery.

“…Your Majesty?”

Maribelle fell in the dazzling golden light that surrounded her.