Chapter 6
“It was hot earlier, so I wondered why you were wearing something like that. But now it’s a bit chilly,” said Hares as he buttoned up the jacket he had draped around me.
“Ah.”
You clueless idiot! The weather had been hot for weeks! Why do you think I wore this dress today?!
I wanted to scream but instead nodded awkwardly.
“T–thank you.”
For some reason, the way he carefully buttoned it so my chest wasn’t visible made my heart ache even more.
Just then, Killian, wearing his usual polite smile, bowed slightly toward me.
“Then, I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow? …Ah, right. Yes.”
It took me a second to remember what he meant, and I nodded.
Killian deliberately said that loud enough for Hares to hear, nodded to him as well, and then walked away gracefully.
Silence filled the air between us.
Hares looked away briefly, then asked in a wary tone,
“…Who was that guy?”
I answered vaguely — truthfully, but not completely.
“Just someone I happened to meet here.”
“Really?”
He was still watching Killian’s fading figure with a look I had never seen before.
His eyes — sharp, cold, and oddly heavy — made me nervous.
“…Then why did he say he’ll see you tomorrow?”
“We just have something to talk about.”
“You suddenly have something to talk about with a stranger you just met? In private?”
“Maybe… it’s a date?”
There was no way I could tell him the truth about Killian or what we’d planned.
To explain that, I’d have to mention my feelings for Hares — and I could never do that.
I turned my eyes away, avoiding his gaze.
He let out a small laugh.
“What’s wrong? Feeling guilty? Why are you avoiding my eyes?”
“Look at your eyes, you psycho! You look like you’re about to kill someone!”
Normally, I’d just snap at him without thinking, but the look on his face wasn’t the Hares I knew.
It was the first time I’d ever seen him genuinely angry.
“My eyes look strange?”
“Yeah! You’re glaring like you want to murder someone — me, specifically!”
“…Really?”
“You were the one dancing around having fun earlier! What’s the big deal if I have someone else now?”
I hadn’t even held Killian’s hand or anything.
It wasn’t like he liked me.
It wasn’t like I was Eve — the girl who actually had Hares’s interest.
So whatever this emotion of his was — whether it was possessiveness or protective instinct — I didn’t want it.
Because I had no right to tell him not to get close to Eve.
The one with feelings always has to hold back — worrying about every little thing that the other person might not even notice.
If I told him that seeing him with Eve hurt me, he’d immediately know what it meant.
And that was what scared me most.
So I couldn’t say anything.
Meanwhile, he — under the excuse of being like a brother — could stop me from meeting any guy he wanted.
Because to him, I wasn’t someone he saw as a woman.
That was the gap between us.
I can’t live without him, I thought bitterly, but he could build a family with someone else anytime — while still telling me not to see other men.
And every time he did that, I, stupidly in love, mistook it for hope.
A sign.
Some fragile, invisible thread between us.
Of course, I knew how childish that was.
But my heart was still too tangled to be rational.
And Killian had been right — if I didn’t change, nothing between us ever would.
Even if I changed my clothes or my makeup, it wouldn’t matter.
Hares wouldn’t see me differently.
He wasn’t the type to look at me that way anyway.
To him, it probably felt like watching his little sister wear a revealing dress — uncomfortable and annoying.
Our feelings were completely different.
When he put his jacket around me, my heart fluttered for a second,
but that warmth was only brotherly.
He just didn’t like other men looking at me with interest.
That’s all it ever was.
He’d always been like that.
‘There are too many weird guys out there,’ he used to say. ‘If anyone bothers you, tell me right away.’
He’d even driven away men who’d tried to approach me before.
So now, he asked again, narrowing his eyes,
“Do you seriously think that guy asked you on a date? Maybe you’re just misunderstanding him?”
I remembered Killian’s advice — make him feel uneasy.
So I smiled lightly and replied,
“Well, a gentleman personally inviting a lady to meet alone — that’s basically a date, isn’t it? Are you jealous? Because I might start dating first?”
At that, Hares’s jaw clenched.
Then he snapped,
“Hey, Pig, didn’t you say you already liked someone?”
“I fall in love easily,” I said sweetly. “My heart just changed.”
He stared, incredulous.
“In love? You mean you suddenly developed feelings in a few minutes?”
“He’s handsome. Polite. Kind.”
“You can’t tell that just from one meeting.”
“That’s why I’m meeting him tomorrow — to find out.”
I said it with a teasing tone.
Hares’s voice dropped lower, almost like a warning.
“Hey, you…”
I ignored him and took another sip of lemonade.
“You’re seriously going to meet that guy alone? Someone you don’t even know?”
“I do know him,” I lied calmly.
Killian might be obsessive, but he wasn’t the type to hurt people he didn’t care about.
He wouldn’t kill me or anything.
“What do you mean you know him? I know every unmarried man in this capital, and I’ve never seen his face.”
“So?”
“So at least wait until I find out who he is before meeting him.”
I winced. Killian’s face was magically disguised — hardly anyone could recognize him.
He went around freely because of that, without people realizing who he was.
“Forget it. Mind your own business. Don’t ruin my date!”
I raised my voice, frustrated.
“Oh, so I’m the bad guy now? I’m worried about you!” Hares shot back.
“I’m just saying — if you show up, everyone will think something weird is going on.”
“When have I ever cared about what others think?”
He had a point.
If he did, he wouldn’t have brought his female childhood friend to every party and made a scene half the time.
“Don’t come. I mean it. Thanks for worrying, but I don’t need you checking every man I meet.”
“Even you know you attract weird people sometimes.”
“What?”
“I’ve heard things, you know. A few guys even asked me to introduce them to you — all creeps. I told them no.”
He turned them down for me?
“How bad were they?”
“I’m not saying you attract perverts, but the social scene’s full of guys with bad intentions. I just don’t trust them.”
“I get that, but this one’s fine.”
He shook his head.
“You can’t know that. So at least let me come with you for the first meeting. All right?”
“You…”
I wanted to yell, but my mind was spinning with the real reason I didn’t want him anywhere near that man.
Because if Hares went to meet Killian, he’d draw his attention — and that would be dangerous.
In the original story, Eve invited Hares on a date after their first dance.
Eve, who had grown up sheltered and naive, was now seeing the world for the first time — curious, excited, and enchanted by everything.
Then she met Hares, and slowly, she began to fall for him.
So why didn’t they end up together?
‘Because this is a dark, twisted romance.’
Killian wasn’t called a “possessive, scheming male lead” for nothing.
Later, he even tried to secretly eliminate Hares out of jealousy.
His obsession was extreme.
So if Hares caught Killian’s eye tomorrow, he’d become a target.
He wouldn’t die — but his fate wouldn’t be pleasant either.
So, apart from my jealousy, I also had a very real reason for not wanting him involved.
Though, let’s be honest — mostly it’s jealousy.
And seriously, why is it okay for him to go on a date with Eve, but I can’t see someone else?
With a sharp look, I asked,
“What about you, then? You’re going on a date with Lady Lotesier tomorrow, aren’t you?”
