That Lady’s Stalker - Chapter 19
“Thank you for your concern, but my sister is doing well.”
Very well.
“Well… in that case, I’m glad to hear it.”
He didn’t seem entirely convinced, but since it was her family who said so, he returned to where his group was with a somewhat sullen expression.
Oliver let out a weary sigh. How many times had he heard the same thing?
“You need to endure it. The rumors about him are… not great.”
“What does superstition matter?”
The Count’s lord placed a hand on Oliver’s shoulder as if to calm him, but Oliver grumbled in dissatisfaction.
“It’s not just that. People are worried about your sister.”
“What else is there?”
“Um…”
At Oliver’s question, the Count’s son rolled his eyes, seeming hesitant to speak. He appeared burdened by the weight of the words he was about to say.
“What is it?”
“It seems that the previous Emperor was quite harsh.”
“Harsh?”
“To put it nicely, he was abusive. I mean, one could say he treated him like an ancient slave…. Anyway, if he didn’t like something, he would lock him in the basement for days without giving him a drop of water, not letting him sleep, just beating him. It’s practically equivalent to wishing him dead.”
“What?”
Oliver’s mouth fell open at the darker side of Asher’s childhood than he had expected.
“Where did you hear this?”
“Everyone whispers about it, but it’s not really a secret. There are even worse stories. But you wouldn’t know since you don’t pay attention to others.”
“Ugh…”
“Anyway, they’re worried that his pent-up frustration might spill over onto your sister. She’s like a flower, the most beautiful rose in high society.”
Oliver glanced at Olivia. The expression on her face, hardened more than usual, was chillingly terrifying compared to her playful frown when she teased him.
“Regardless, I don’t think he’s the type to hurt you, Sis, so you should either embrace him or break it off quickly.”
“……”
“Sis? Either way, make a decision… um… I’ll be going.”
As Oliver hesitated and stepped back, he hurriedly exited the room to avoid facing Olivia’s wrath.
“If he was that bad, your mouths would have been ripped apart long ago. You fools.”
Asher was kind, so he tolerated the dirty words thrown at him. Otherwise, half the nobility would have had their mouths torn off.
Oliver muttered curses as he walked down the hallway.
It wasn’t just that he was worried about Olivia. He felt sorry for the man. Although he was dark and heavy, Oliver knew he would never harm or hurt his sister. That was all there was to it.
Left alone, Olivia stared at the door Oliver had just exited. No matter how much the Emperor doted on his brother now, Asher had faced years of scorn since the reign of the late Emperor, and the perception people held of him, as well as the way he defined his own essence, were all dreadful.
“Deeper than I expected…”
Yes, the wounds ran deep. For him, just visiting the Duke’s residence to see her required a great deal of courage. Every little action and word had to be navigated with care; that was probably the case for him.
“What a wretched man. I hope you die again.”
Rather than returning to the embrace of a goddess, the previous Emperor should fall into the true underworld, be trampled, and killed in a horrifying manner.
“Son of a b-tch.”
It was strange that Asher didn’t mention the late Emperor, his father. Her nails dug painfully into her soft skin.
* * *
Olivia felt disoriented.
‘Is this better…?’
The pile of clothing on one side and her own reflection in the mirror showed how seriously she was taking this outing.
She stared intently at the woman in the mirror. With her red hair pulled up to reveal her white nape and a blouse that accentuated her cleavage, paired with an empire waist skirt that fell to her ankles, she looked beautiful.
She felt satisfied with her appearance, but something felt lacking. Unfortunately, Oliver was out, so she had no one to ask for a second opinion.
‘As always, it’s no help.’
Even if she asked the maids, their compliments would be predictable.
Lost in thought, Olivia pulled out a diamond necklace that was too flashy for regular wear. For some reason, its extravagance appealed to her today. Once she put on the matching earrings, her racing heart calmed.
Yet she was still slightly tense, absentmindedly fiddling with the necklace. Was he busy? He had seemed overwhelmed with work lately… Would she be interrupting him if she went? What would the people there think of us?
While putting on her high-heeled shoes and heading towards the carriage, she continued to think of Asher. Although she had seen him in the morning, their time together felt too short, leaving her yearning for more.
With him frequently going to conflict zones lately, they had spent far too many days apart. She couldn’t just swallow her disappointment at another brief meeting today.
As she looked out at the quickly passing scenery from the carriage, she smiled. The path she was taking to him felt long for the first time. His location was so far away. And yet, he rushed toward her every day without fail.
She realized that the worries swirling in her mind were absurd. There was no way he wouldn’t welcome her. He would blush and be at a loss for how to express his delight.
But still, she couldn’t let go of her tension. It was only natural.
Visiting him in this manner was essentially announcing to the world that they were in a relationship. That made her even more anxious. She couldn’t afford to appear trivial, especially for his sake.
