Thought It Was 'The End', Only to Return to a Changed Genre - Chapter 69
“If the door doesn’t open in 10 minutes, I’ll carry you out of the palace.”
“……”
Adeline was about to die from embarrassment.
“Am I some kind of object?”
“It would have been better if you were an object.”
“……”
“I could just lock you up in a storeroom and you wouldn’t do anything dangerous.”
“You’re really scary…”
Shane gave a crooked smile. Sensing he was serious, Adeline couldn’t bring herself to laugh.
Edwin crossed his arms and said,
“See? I told you. She’s locked herself in tight. She wouldn’t even open the door for me. Do you really think she’ll come out just because you called her?”
“…You must be quite close to Genevieve, Your Highness.”
“We see each other often.”
Edwin shrugged.
Adeline studied Edwin’s face closely. But it was hard to read anything from the expression of someone so adept at masking his true feelings.
She figured that if he had romantic feelings for Genevieve, he wouldn’t have allowed her to marry a mere knight. But as always, people’s true thoughts were unpredictable.
Edwin probably was close to Genevieve, as he claimed. Hearing about her attack, he had rushed to her side despite his murderous schedule—a significant sacrifice.
Thinking he seemed to care quite a bit, Adeline said,
“I’ll call her one more time. If she doesn’t open the door, I’ll come back tomorrow.”
She spoke loudly enough for Genevieve to hear.
Edwin chuckled.
“You’re good at making threats, Adeline. Who taught you?”
“From someone by your side, Your Highness.”
“Remind me, how long have you been married? Maybe you always had a talent for it.”
“Bad habits are learned quickly.”
Adeline took a deep breath. Then she knocked on the door and shouted with all her might.
“Genevieve, I know you’re in there!”
Her tone sounded rather threatening.
“I understand if you don’t want to come out! But we won’t be able to avoid each other forever!”
It sounded more and more like a threat.
“If you don’t open the door, I won’t eat! I’ll starve myself!”
Adeline added an empty threat that might only work on Shane. She didn’t think it would have much effect on him either. She was lucky he hadn’t locked her up and force-fed her like the day they reunited.
‘What am I doing…?’
She felt remorseful for troubling an already distressed Genevieve even more.
Genevieve had others she could confide in besides Adeline. She had her husband and Edwin. Just because she was upset with Adeline didn’t mean she had to talk it out with her.
That was a good thing.
Just as Adeline was about to tell Shane they should leave, the door opened slightly. Through the crack came Genevieve’s small voice.
“You’re so unfair, Adeline…”
“Can I come in, Genevieve?”
“……Okay.”
Adeline smiled and firmly grasped Genevieve’s hand.
Edwin’s betrayed expression was quite amusing.
***
Genevieve was in her nightgown.
Since their reunion, Adeline had never seen Genevieve out of her formal attire.
The loose dress, falling to her ankles, suited her tousled platinum blonde hair perfectly.
Her platinum blonde hair, similar to Adeline’s, was far more radiant.
Unlike Adeline’s common green eyes, Genevieve had rare, violet gem-like eyes.
In every aspect, Genevieve was a superior version of Adeline.
The villainess’s role was to make the protagonist stand out.
Comparisons were more effective when the subjects were similar rather than completely different.
She didn’t mind their similarities, as she had no need to compete with Genevieve for Shane’s love, unlike ‘Adeline’. However, if she were in a position to be compared, jealousy would be inevitable.
That’s how the story was crafted.
Similar yet different, a contrasting point that provoked inferiority.
“Um… I just wasn’t feeling well.”
Genevieve started softly.
“The accumulated fatigue finally caught up with me. I didn’t want to say anything. It wasn’t because I dislike you.”
“So, it wasn’t because you were upset with me?”
“……”
“It was because you were upset, right?”
Seeing Genevieve press her lips together and lower her head confirmed it.
“Did I do something wrong?”
“……”
“Is it because I did what you told me not to do again?”
“……”
“This time, I wasn’t planning to—”
“I told you not to do something like that!”
Genevieve’s voice was unexpectedly loud.
Adeline stared at Genevieve with wide eyes. Genevieve glared back at Adeline, her violet eyes brimming with tears.
“I told you not to do it! I begged you not to!”
“Oh…”
