Chapter 2
I collapsed face‑down on the bed. When I first met Adel, I think I put on airs and tried to act demure, but that now felt like a story from the distant past.
Ah, whatever. I was going to die in two years anyway—what did manners or propriety matter? Adel didn’t seem to care much either.
No, it wasn’t just that he didn’t care. He wasn’t even looking at me. He was sitting at a tea table made of walnut wood, quietly reading.
Just reading the long title—something about the inherent goodness of human nature—was enough to make me sleepy.
I can’t believe I had a book like that on my shelf. Once Adel leaves, I should throw it out immediately.
“I’m bored. I want to go outside.”
No sooner had I muttered that than Adel’s voice flew back at me.
“That won’t be possible.”
“And who do you think you are?!”
“I am Anastasia’s close friend.”
I felt the urge to throw a pillow at Adel’s annoyingly handsome face.
“We’re breaking up as friends.”
Only then did Adel lift his head slightly.
Contrary to the ascetic life he supposedly lived without indulgence, Adel’s hair was a little disheveled.
In the early dawn light, it shimmered like a forest of golden flames, swaying temptingly.
He must have rushed over to stop me from going out and ended up like that, but somehow the sight made the tip of my tongue itch.
I want to touch it…
Whether he knew my impulse or not, Adel calmly spoke to me as I glared at him, clutching the pillow.
“The Count asked me to take good care of you. Until he returns, I am responsible for your safety.”
I only half listened. His birch‑white hand closed the book with a neat, precise motion, and the evenly shaped bones caught my eye.
“If I go out, you can just protect me, right?”
At my grumbling, Adel smiled. It was such a fresh, pure smile that I briefly reflected on myself for ever thinking this guy looked sexy.
Get a grip. He’s someone else’s male lead.
“So you’ve finally decided you’d like to go out with me? Even so, I must refuse today. Please rest comfortably in your bedroom.”
I pressed my lips together.
“I’m sorry I have to be so blunt. But, Anastasia, you have no color in your face. Even if you went out now, you’d collapse.”
I rubbed my cheek. I could definitely feel that my strength had dropped even more than before.
It was dizzying just to sit up, but even so, I couldn’t bring myself to give up. Each day felt unbearably precious.
“Then what about tomorrow?”
This time, Adel retreated a step.
“If your condition is good, a short walk should be fine.”
“Okay.”
When I agreed, deciding to be satisfied with that for now, Adel looked relieved.
“Thank you for understanding my intentions.”
“Hmph.”
Just you wait.
Adel stayed a few more hours before leaving. I crunched on candy and vowed revenge.
Sure, today my condition worsened as time passed, but the fact that I hadn’t been able to see the fireworks yesterday still felt like a huge regret.
I was really fine yesterday! There was a carriage, and I could’ve gone with the maids!
I’ll definitely get payback for this humiliation.
Thinking at least my teeth were still strong, I unwrapped a new candy. As I did, Illina, who had been tidying the tea table, quietly approached.
“Miss, I’ll clean up the trash for you.”
“No, leave it.”
“…Pardon?”
I smiled at Illina, who looked confused.
“I have a use for it.”
That day, after drinking twice a foul‑tasting medicinal tonic that restored stamina but had an entire snake steeped in it, I fell into a deep sleep.
Perhaps the heavens took pity on my burning desire for revenge, because I managed to recover my energy.
Adel came by a little after lunchtime, and I greeted him at the front gate with a bright face.
“Hi, Adel. As you can see, I’m totally fine.”
“You do look better than yesterday. That’s a relief.”
There was a glow on Adel’s face as he said that.
As always, his rose‑tinted eyes sparkled softly with goodwill, and his lips spoke only noble, hopeful words.
When I’d encountered Adel through the novel, he had seemed perfect and admirable. Now, he was just unbearably irritating. Too much kindness really is a problem.
“You remember what I said yesterday, right? I won’t be greedy. I just want to walk around nearby.”
“Of course. Please take my hand.”
Adel held out his hand. I only glanced down at it.
“I can walk on my own.”
“Are you still uncomfortable with me?”
Adel murmured in a subdued voice. I thought of the original Anastasia, who had grown increasingly uneasy around him as her illness worsened.
Before I could respond, Adel added,
“That was inappropriate of me. Please forget it. Just being able to come outside like this with you makes me happy.”
Since Adel didn’t seem to want to continue the conversation, we walked side by side.
After we’d gone a fair distance from the Count’s estate, I stopped.
I looked steadily at Adel.
“Adel, I have a favor to ask.”
“Go ahead.”
Adel stopped with me and replied readily. I tilted my head toward him, angling my face perfectly to show off my youthful beauty.
“Will you do it?”
“…If it’s not against reason or propriety, anything.”
As expected, Adel put up a barrier in advance. No matter how much of a male lead he was, even the maids sometimes swooned over my face, but this guy showed zero reaction. How disappointing.
Anyway, I laid the groundwork to coax Adel.
“You know, I probably won’t live very long.”
“Please don’t say things like that again…”
“Listen to the end.”
“…All right.”
Though clearly displeased, Adel backed down.
I began speaking slowly and calmly, trying not to seem emotional.
“I’ve long expected to die. What’s painful is wasting what little time I have left shut up in my bedroom, doing nothing. I know you stopped me out of concern, but all I want is to travel around and see as much as I can in the short time I’ve been given. Even if I say all this, you’ll keep blocking me, won’t you?”
“It’s all for your sake.”
I stepped closer to Adel. There had only been a few paces between us to begin with; now we were close enough to embrace.
I grabbed the hem of his clothes so he couldn’t step back.
“Then shouldn’t you grant any request I make? If you have even a shred of conscience.”
Adel’s face stiffened slightly. I didn’t stop.
“You keep ignoring my wishes and forcing your own. If this continues, I can’t guarantee I won’t resent you even after I die.”
A shadow finally crossed his face.
“I’m sorry. I truly believed this was the best course.”
“You never give up hope. You’re thinking my parents will find a cure, right?”
Adel was worried about me, but his way of doing so wasn’t what I wanted at all.
Worse, Adel was stubborn.
Even if he believed he was right—and maybe he was—the problem was that he wasn’t respecting the person directly involved: me.
When that dawned on him, his eyes filled with guilt.
“Anastasia, tell me everything you want. I will give my life to fulfill your request.”
You just said everything!
I desperately forced down the corners of my mouth that were trying to rise.
“From today on, will you come visit me whenever you have time?”
I asked in a deliberately gentle tone. Adel blinked.
“Do you… truly mean that?”
“Yes. It means you care about me that much. Honestly, I’m a little touched.”
“Anastasia…”
Adel looked at me, unable to hide his joy, and for a moment my heart almost wavered. Does this guy actually glow or something…?
In an excited voice, he confessed what he’d been feeling all along.
“I thought you hated me. For a while, you didn’t even smile at me. You even said you wished I’d become mute and stop speaking altogether. Still, I kept coming to see you, making all kinds of excuses and forcing the issue. I knew you’d dislike it, but I couldn’t stop worrying, so I acted selfishly.”
Well, the real Anastasia probably couldn’t handle your positive energy.
Telling someone who’s terminally ill to “have hope” can sometimes sound like nothing more than mockery.
Adel’s noble and kind intentions couldn’t be denied, but to an Anastasia worn down by long illness, they likely didn’t sound comforting at all.
“But lately… you still seem to dislike me, but at least you don’t ignore me anymore. I suppose I got carried away. I had no idea my meddling was causing you such deep pain…”
“It’s okay. That can happen. Then, how about we make up by holding hands?”
I held out my hand to Adel.
“Gladly.”
Adel took my hand.
This is insane—this is unbelievably thrilling.
No, no! He’s the male lead! Even if every joint of his fingers is perfect and his touch feels better than velvet or silk, calm down!
I took a deep breath and barely managed to steady myself.
Now, it was time to get my revenge on Adel.
I slipped my free hand into my pocket and pulled out the candy wrapper I’d prepared in advance. Then I deliberately dropped it onto the ground.
Just as expected, Adel reacted immediately.
“Anastasia, you dropped your candy wrapper. Just a moment—I’ll pick it up.”
“No. Pretend you didn’t see it.”
“…Pardon?”
Adel asked in confusion. I gently tugged on his shoulder—he was already half bent down—making him stand upright again.
“You said you’d grant all my requests, didn’t you? Just leave it.”
Adel looked utterly bewildered.
“But throwing trash on the roadside isn’t the right thing to do.”
“That’s right. I did something wrong. And I won’t reflect on it, nor will I fix it.”
His clear eyes wavered.
“Then I will—”
“I said leave it.”
How does it feel? Miserable, isn’t it? Driving you crazy, right? That good‑kid instinct inside you is writhing, isn’t it?
“Why are you doing this?”
Adel, who had never once committed a moral mistake, was visibly shaken.
He was worried someone passing by might notice the candy wrapper I’d dropped. But if he picked it up, he was afraid it would damage his relationship with me.
It was unbelievably childish, but Adel’s shocked expression filled me with glee.
This trick wouldn’t have worked on just anyone, but on Adel—made of ethics, morality, and nobility—it was perfect. His life was a textbook, a law code in human form.
And I was a petty, spiteful, grudge‑holding person.
“Because I’m a bad person.”
Even when I admitted it outright, Adel tried to deny it.
“You are not a bad person—”
I ignored him.
“And I’ll give you this.”
I pressed a small plastic bag into Adel’s hand. He stared at his palm, then at me, then back at his palm.
“It’s a candy wrapper,” he murmured.
Then I made a request that sounded more like an order.
“Go on. You throw it on the ground too.”
Adel froze.
