How to Live as the Terminally Ill Younger Sister of the Villain - Chapter 73
“Get a grip.”
Blake pressed hard against his shadowed eyelids.
Hot. His face, his breath mixed with small sounds, everything was too hot.
He had expected her to try to comfort him. But he hadn’t known she would draw out feelings he himself hadn’t realized was hiding.
‘Don’t hate yourself so much.’
Did she know?
Long ago, that young boy…
That those were the exact words the young Blake, who blamed himself and resented the world, had wanted to hear most.
Forgiveness, permission, and encouragement filled with trust.
“Haa…”
But Blake knew what he was doing now was merely seeking a substitute for an unhealed wound.
So he pushed himself to stop, struggling desperately to hold firm his weakening heart.
However, the feelings that had already begun grew enormously like a snowball rolling down a hill.
‘You are indeed kind, Your Grace.’
It couldn’t be stopped.
‘Because I believed in you, Your Grace.’
The words she had casually dropped without much thought…
‘It’s not your fault, Your Grace.’
The flutter created by each small word…
‘Those who left us would want those remaining to be happy.’
She had no idea what a great storm these had caused in Blake’s heart.
‘Your Grace, would you like to have dinner together?’
And it had begun much earlier than he thought.
‘If things get really bad, please come rescue me splendidly, Your Grace. I’ll wait for my hero like a princess in a fairy tale.’
Angelina, who mistakenly thought she was faithful to her extra role, would never dream of this.
11. The Difference Between Affection and Curiosity
Angelina went to greet Aiden without delay. Since she was already dressed up for Blake’s party, she didn’t feel the need to change.
Entering the drawing room, she found the Crown Prince already enjoying tea.
He was waiting for her while looking out the window, as he always did.
“I pay my respects to the Empire’s little sun.”
“Why so formal?”
At her appearance, Aiden stepped forward and extended his hand.
Since the hand gesture didn’t seem to be requesting a handshake, Angelina had to ponder for a moment what he wanted.
‘Surely not an escort?’
After hesitating briefly, she lightly placed her hand on his arm, and he indeed escorted her to the sofa.
‘That was just a few steps.’
Though slightly bewildered, Angelina let it pass. Ante did such contextless things too.
He seated her on the sofa first before sitting across from her. After confirming he was seated, the maids prepared tea again.
While they discarded the cooled tea and reheated the water, Angelina broke the silence.
“What brings you all this way? I didn’t know you were coming, so I couldn’t prepare anything.”
She said this meaning to imply that he should just state his business and leave quickly. But a faint smile appeared on his face.
“Only when it’s this unexpected do you show curiosity.”
The sudden visit was the same as last time, but while she hadn’t shown any interest before, this time she asked why he had come.
Aiden felt oddly pleased by this small difference.
However, that smile quickly turned cold.
“Or is there something inconvenient about my coming?”
“…….”
Angelina felt his gaze scanning her sharply.
‘Does he really know something?’
Her mind was chaotic, but she spoke calmly.
“Because you came all the way to this retreat.”
Unable to know what he might know, she chose the safest answer.
A perfectly natural inference that there must be a reason for him to come meet her here, not even at her main residence.
“I came to see you, Lady.”
Then, making her brief tension seem foolish, he answered lightly.
“Me?”
“I sent a letter to the Marquis’ house, but the reply said you were away.”
“So that’s how you knew I was here.”
“That’s right.”
“You really came all this way just to see me?”
“Yes.”
Angelina was certain this was a lie. There was no reason for the Crown Prince to seek her out.
Surely he had some business in the area and was just covering it up with polite words.
But Angelina decided to go along with it and let his words guide the flow of the conversation.
“I’m sorry for making you come such a long way.”
“What reason do you have to be sorry? I came because I wanted to see you, that’s all.”
“…….”
What’s with him?
Angelina stared at him blankly.
Meeting her gaze, he burst into laughter.
“I wasn’t expecting you to be moved, but that look of disbelief is a bit hurtful to a man who said he wanted to see you.”
“Ah, I’m sorry.”
Angelina slightly covered her face with the back of her hand and averted her gaze.
‘Was it that obvious on my face?’
She thought she had maintained a stiff expression well enough, but apparently not.
‘But how can I not be dumbfounded by that?’
She felt a bit wronged.
“You’re not even going to deny it?”
“…….”
“Hahaha!”
When she didn’t say anything, Aiden’s laughter grew louder.
“You’re just as honest as the Marquis.”
“Thank you… for the compliment.”
It is a compliment, right?
Thinking that being compared to her brother couldn’t be anything but a compliment, Angelina accepted it somewhat dazedly.
“You seem to like the Marquis a lot.”
Aiden asked.
“He’s my only brother.”
As Angelina answered with a pretty smile, Aiden, resting his elbow on the sofa armrest, slowly rubbed his chin and lips with his hand as he observed her.
“Did you know that the Marquis opposed our engagement?”
“Ah… I found out after Your Highness visited.”
“So it was a rejection that didn’t reflect your opinion.”
“I leave all business matters to my brother.”
“As I said before, marriage is a bit special. While profits and losses are important, your feelings are equally important in this transaction.”
“…….”
“So I’m thinking of rejecting his rejection.”
“You mean…”
“The letter I sent to the Marquis’ house was to convey that intention. That I would soon visit with a proper marriage proposal.”
Angelina’s eyebrows rose at the unexpected words. She was quite surprised.
Enjoying her subtle change in expression, Aiden continued.
“I heard that my mother and the Marquis only had a light conversation, nothing was put down in writing.”
While the Empress’s casually mentioned words could be easily rejected by the Marquis, once proposal letters and documents start exchanging hands, it’s a different story.
The fact that the Crown Prince proposed, and that proposal was rejected, would be documented.
It would inevitably become more serious.
Aiden was aiming for this point.
“My words about wanting to get to know you better are still valid.”
Unlike their first meeting, Aiden didn’t miss a single change in Angelina’s moment-by-moment expressions, taking them all in.
And he delivered the finishing touch.
“So, Lady, I’d like you to give me an answer now.”
“An answer…”
“About giving me some of your time, as I asked before.”
Angelina unconsciously swallowed dry.
‘Come to think of it, he did ask something like that last time…’
She had completely forgotten about it, preoccupied with the sacred object.
‘I thought it was settled when my brother refused.’
But what is this? This sticky situation?
‘Was the Crown Prince originally this kind of character… Ah, right. He was indeed a clingy and obsessive character.’
Angelina, about to lose her composure, recalled the original story and understood. In the original work, the Crown Prince was the role that obsessed over the female lead and constantly picked fights with the male lead.
‘But why is it happening to me?’
It was a bit confusing that the target was wrong.
Is this just his personality? Does he respond to everything like this?
Surely she is not… some weird role like the Crown Prince’s unforgettable first love from the original story, right?
No, no. If she had such a role, it would have been mentioned. Besides, the Crown Prince didn’t have a first love.
…But there was no mention of the female lead being his first love either?
‘It can’t be. There’s no way such a big task would be given to a minor extra like me.’
Right, the Crown Prince must be considering whether he can make the Flaubert Marquis’ house part of his faction.
…But isn’t that strange too? My brother, the Marquis, is already politically close to the Empress. Isn’t that as good as being part of the Crown Prince’s faction?
