Chapter 18
“The Triangle Begins”
This time I’ll use two rules.
Rule one: The male lead and female lead always meet by coincidence.
Rule two: The male lead shows abnormal levels of interest in the female lead, even when she shows none.
Using these rules, I had planned for Herace to give me a dress today.
I even noted down a budget. On the surface no one would notice, but I attached design examples and prices. Even if I hadn’t spent my allowance in ages, these dresses were expensive.
And since we had already written a contract, even if Herace acted on his own again, I thought I could handle it without too much surprise.
Time passed quickly—thirty minutes at least. Sera, who had been polite at first, began looking bored. She was about to hand me off to another employee and slip away.
Just as the mood was fading—Herace Gray arrived.
Perfect timing. It felt like my plan had worked exactly as I intended. I smiled inwardly.
“Welco—”
One of the employees stopped mid-greeting as a man walked in.
I turned, ready to greet Herace, who was supposed to be the man obsessed with me.
But the words caught in my throat.
“Ah…”
My lips went dry.
It wasn’t Herace. It was Whisler.
Instinctively, I scanned him from head to toe. Perfect, as always. And that made me annoyed. I wanted to be the only perfect one here.
“Lady Light. Why haven’t you answered my letters?”
The employees and even Sera quickly backed away. But though they distanced themselves, their gazes sharpened, locking onto us.
“I sent you letters. Why haven’t you replied? I admit I misunderstood before. But we’ve never truly broken up, have we, Philena?”
His soft, sorrowful eyes glimmered.
What in the world was going on?
At the selection ceremony, Whisler had been harsh and cold, making it seem as though I’d cheated and neglected him.
Herace may have helped correct those rumors, but some people still thought I was cheating on Whisler with him. Why wasn’t Whisler pushing that angle further?
Instead—
“Lady Light. I’ve never let you go.”
Whisler stepped closer, apologizing with a furrowed brow. With a small sigh, he sat beside me.
“I realize I’ve neglected you lately. That was my mistake. I allowed others’ constant whispers to cloud my thoughts. They’re important to me, yes—but so are you.”
I half-listened, half-tuned him out, reminding myself of the “rules” of stories.
Whisler’s appearance, followed by Herace’s inevitable entrance—already dramatic. But if I stirred things up even more, it would be even better.
What if I broke up with Whisler here?
I’d follow Herace’s advice as much as I could, but in the end, my relationship with Whisler was mine to control. If I thought it was necessary, I could declare it right here and now.
“I had no choice. But I’ll explain everything later. Please—let’s make peace, Philena.”
His voice trembled like he feared rejection. The silence in the boutique grew heavy, filled with tension.
I felt countless eyes on me. Slowly, I lowered my lashes, then forced down the smile tugging at my lips.
“…I don’t know. I’m confused.”
Yes—breaking up wasn’t the most dramatic option.
The most dramatic thing was… a love triangle.
Me, Herace, and Whisler. The fallout from today would be enormous.
“Marquis Gas. You have been busy lately.”
My voice flowed smoothly—even I was surprised. Maybe my acting really had improved. But truly, it was thanks to all the information I’d soaked up. In fact, I was quoting a line straight out of a novel I’d read recently, If You Pay 2000 Gold, He’ll Kiss You.
“I thought our relationship was nearing its end.”
Whisler’s eyebrow twitched slightly in shock. Subtle—but I caught it.
I must look unfamiliar to him.
Of course. This was acting. I’d never spoken to him like this before. And it was the first time I’d directly challenged him.
“I thought you didn’t love me. Weren’t we practically broken up already?”
“That’s—no, I—”
His soft voice faltered, but he quickly cleared his throat under the weight of all the watching eyes.
“No… that’s not for you to say. Do you know how much I’ve suffered…?”
He leaned closer, gracefully taking my hand.
But it felt wrong. His touch was gentle, but for some reason I didn’t like it.
Before, I wouldn’t have cared either way. But now… it felt uncomfortable. It wasn’t like when Herace touched me.
“As I said, it was all a misunderstanding. Normally I’d ask permission first, but I can’t wait any longer. I need to fix this now.”
Whisler glanced at the catalog in my hand and smiled faintly. Sera rushed forward as he declared,
“I’ll buy every dress Lady Light was interested in.”
“Yes, of course, I’ll prepare the bill.”
“Every single one. She looks good in anything—nothing won’t suit her.”
While distracted, I pulled my hand from his grasp. But as if expecting it, he immediately slipped his arm around my shoulders.
Definitely unpleasant.
If my feelings changed so suddenly… does that mean my emotions are changing?
It was a strange thought.
Even though I could’ve easily wriggled out with quick thinking, I stayed frozen in his hold. I needed time to process what I was feeling.
So, quietly enough that only he could hear, I murmured:
“Marquis Gas, by the way—”
“Yes, Philena? Let’s leave together.”
Whisler often called me by name when we were alone.
“How tall are you again?”
“About 5 foot 7. But… why ask that?”
“One more question, forgive the rudeness. Have you been eating less? Or has your build changed?”
“…No. Nothing has changed. Why?”
Frowning, I studied him carefully, almost like he was a stranger. My eyes scanned him up and down, then I subtly sniffed the air.
And then—
CRASH!
The sound of dresses being knocked off counters filled the room. Mannequins toppled, and shrieks and groans rang out.
“Oh, oh dear.”
A large hand slapped Whisler’s away from me and wrapped around my shoulder instead.
It was Herace.
“Sorry, am I late, Philena?”
Late? He was fifteen minutes behind schedule!
“I should’ve come sooner. Even without a promise, I shouldn’t have let you wait.”
My heart pounded. The love triangle was unfolding just as I had imagined—no, even better.
Finally, everything was happening under my control.
And then—Herace suddenly dropped to one knee, pulling my hand dramatically.
“What will you do, brother, when Philena is this charming?”
His curved eyes glinted, sharp as if issuing a challenge to a duel.
“I could be her second choice… even her dog, if need be. But you—our noble, cunning brother—what will you be?”
