Don't Ask, It'll Hurt If You Know - Chapter 9
Chloe, fleeing as if in a panic, headed to a terrace that overlooked the expansive garden.
She threw off her impractical and uncomfortable heels, which were pretty but utterly useless, and sat on a white chair, lifting her head. The cool breeze washed away the lingering heat from her face.
“This is nice.”
She should have come to the terrace from the start, going to the corridor had only led her to witness things she didn’t want to see. Thinking back on it still made her pout in frustration.
Looking at the softly twinkling night sky, her cluttered mind felt as if it were being cleared.
Creak—
As she relaxed in her chair, gazing at the night sky, Chloe turned her head upon hearing the sound of the door opening.
At the door stood a woman wearing an old, beige dress that was well out of fashion. It was so ridiculous that she thought it might have been better if the woman hadn’t worn any makeup at all.
The pink hair that looked soft like cotton candy was the only redeeming quality, but even that was poorly tied up, failing to enhance her appearance.
If she had come to participate in Rumonie to find a marriage partner, it would have been nice if she had dressed properly.
‘Well, it’s none of my business.’
It didn’t matter to Chloe how a woman whose name she didn’t even know chose to present herself.
But what was she doing here? From the way the woman didn’t move an inch at the sight of her, it seemed she intended to stay.
Chloe thought about asking her to please leave because she wanted to be alone, but she refrained.
She didn’t want to engage in unnecessary squabbles. There were other places on the terrace, it would be easy to resolve things by simply stepping aside.
As she crammed her shoes on indiscriminately and prepared to leave the terrace, the woman, who had been silent all along, suddenly asked.
“Um, are you dating Duke Ian MacMilden?”
At the absurd question, Chloe’s legs buckled, and she nearly stumbled. The fact that she wasn’t wearing her shoes properly didn’t help either.
Quickly bracing herself against the wall to avoid the crisis, Chloe sharply turned her head with a sound.
“W-who am I dating?”
The woman’s face turned pale at Chloe’s eerie voice, which sounded like it could scare a ghost away.
“I-I mean you!”
If the woman had kept her mouth shut, it would have been quite frustrating, but thankfully she answered right away.
“I was asking if Lady Elena is dating Duke Ian MacMilden!”
Her voice trembled, and her pronunciation was unclear, but there was no problem understanding her.
Hoping she had misheard, Chloe realized it was not the case and replied irritably.
“I don’t know what nonsense you’ve heard, but that’s not true.”
“Really? So you’re not in a romantic relationship with Duke MacMilden?”
“No. Ian MacMilden and I are just schoolmates and friends who graduated together, so I’d appreciate it if you didn’t have any strange misconceptions.”
The idea of Ian and me as a couple was so uncomfortable that Chloe scrunched her nose, as if she had something stuck in her throat just from imagining it.
On the other hand, the woman clasped her hands together and smiled brightly as if she had just met her savior.
“Then please help me get together with Duke MacMilden!”
What on earth was she talking about? Chloe shot her a glare, her expression darkening.
“Why are you looking at me like that? Is it…… not possible?”
Did she really think I would accept such an absurd request?
Irritated by the woman’s ridiculous misunderstanding, Chloe pressed her throbbing temples and firmly declined.
“No. It’s not possible.”
“Why, why not? Why can’t it happen?”
“Are you really asking that because you don’t know?”
If the hair on her head wasn’t just for decoration, there was no way she could be oblivious to this.
When Chloe shot back in disbelief, the woman hesitated and fell silent. Soon, tears filled her large eyes.
Chloe clicked her tongue, feeling as if she had become the cruel villain tormenting an innocent and kind young lady.
It seemed that this woman genuinely didn’t understand the reason for her rejection, and Chloe was at a loss about how to explain it to her, from where to start and where to end.
Wait a minute. Was there even a need to explain?
It felt like she wouldn’t understand even if she did.
“I’ve said it several times, but it’s not possible. So please don’t make that request again.”
Feeling annoyed and not wanting to waste any more time, Chloe firmly stated her opinion instead of giving a lengthy explanation.
At this point, unless the woman was completely oblivious, she should have taken the hint and backed off. Unfortunately, she was not that type.
“Miss Elena…… you’re really a selfish person.”
The woman looked at Chloe with a deep sense of resentment, tears streaming down her face.
“You’re not even dating Duke MacMilden, yet you want to keep him all to yourself. How could you do that? That’s too much. You’re really selfish, Miss Elena!”
“……The truly selfish person here is you.”
Chloe’s patience finally reached its limit with the continuous misunderstandings and absurd remarks, and she snapped back irritably.
