Chapter 8: It’s Just Uncomfortable
November 27, 2021
A flash of embarrassment crossed Ascan’s eyes. Without a doubt, it was the most flustered expression I had seen from him so far. He opened and closed his lips a few times as if trying to say something, then furrowed his brow. Somehow, his neck seemed a little redder than before.
“What… why is he so cute?”
The words slipped out without thinking. Seeing Ascan react to them made him even more adorable, and I almost felt like I could go crazy. The last time he got soaked with water because of Noxia, he was the first to hand me a towel. It wasn’t exactly an act for me—it felt more like a duty he was performing as a servant—but to me, it seemed extremely loyal.
“Is this really my type?”
I reflected on myself for a moment. Even when bad boys were trending in dramas or novels, I had always preferred pure and devoted men. Especially men with boundless puppy-like charm—they were the best. The Ascan from the novel, the mastermind villain, didn’t fit that type, but the one in front of me now felt like a collection of all my preferences: loyal, devoted, and focused entirely on me. Like a Doberman that only followed me. I lifted the hand that had rested on Ascan’s shoulder and absentmindedly patted his head. It was an instinctive action, like petting a puppy.
“Thank you. You can get up now.”
At my words, Ascan nodded slightly and rose stiffly from his place, standing behind me as usual. Noxia watched him and me with a startled expression, as if observing a robot in motion.
“S-sorry! S-so s-sorry!”
The staff member who had spilled the tea finally regained composure and repeatedly bowed, apologizing. Michelle did the same, her expression darkened by fear of my scolding.
“I don’t know how to make amends… I am truly sorry. It’s my fault for not training the staff properly.”
I glanced at my dress, stained with tea. Thanks to Ascan, the stain hadn’t spread further, but it didn’t look like it would come out easily.
“You’re not thinking that an apology alone will suffice, are you?”
“Of course not. We’ll compensate you. Please let us know what you want.”
“First, I’ll be claiming laundry costs for my dress and Sirdon’s outfit. If the stains don’t come out, you may have to send me a new dress.”
“Naturally. And if you wish for punishment like last time…”
Punishment? What was that about? For some reason, Michelle’s voice was trembling more and more. I could sense she had something more to say. But I had already requested all the compensation I wanted—what else could there be? Curious, I waited, but Michelle, pale-faced, couldn’t bring herself to speak. Impatient, I finally said:
“If you have something to say, go ahead.”
Startled by the coldness in my voice, Michelle responded in a fluster.
“W-well, the last time something like this happened, you personally disciplined the staff. Couldn’t you let this one slide with a kind heart?”
I opened my mouth in surprise. That was completely unexpected. Only then did I notice the terrified staff member. Looking closely, it was the same one who had trembled so much on the way to the fitting room. I didn’t consider myself all that kind, but with Tanacia, I could only surrender both hands and feet. I never imagined she would personally punish a costume shop employee over such a minor mishap. I was at a loss for words. Seeing me silent, Michelle wiped her cold sweat and began to justify herself.
“Of course, it’s our fault, so your disciplining is understandable…”
“Enough. No need to explain.”
I had guessed from the start that I was the troublesome customer at the costume shop, but now I understood why the staff had been so tense in front of me. Even a small mistake would result in immediate punishment. The more frightened someone is, the more likely they are to make errors. That must have been why the staff’s hand shook when moving the tea earlier. I tried to suppress a sigh. Glancing sideways, I saw Ascan’s expression, emotionless as ever. I wasn’t sure whether to feel happy or sad that my punishment wasn’t the only one. I also felt awkward toward Noxia and Ascan, who seemed quietly accustomed to observing my judgments. Denying my actions wasn’t an option—I had to accept them as Tanacia.
“What sins did I commit in my previous life…”
A sudden sense of self-reproach filled me. But that didn’t change the situation. Lost in my thoughts, Michelle spoke again:
“If we’ve offended you, I apologize again…”
“It’s fine.”
“…What?”
Michelle looked surprised. She hadn’t expected me to accept the apology so readily.
“Is the employee I disciplined last time still working here?”
“Ah, n-no. We ensured they can’t enter the costume shop again, so no worries…”
“No need.”
It would be wrong to mistreat the Brelov family’s staff, but it would be worse to act violently in someone else’s business. Until now, everyone had kept quiet because of the Brelov family’s reputation, but now that I knew the facts, I wouldn’t repeat the same mistake.
“If the madam wants, you may rehire them. And the laundry compensation I just mentioned, give it as consolation to the employee I disciplined.”
I could have paid formally, but that would draw too much attention to my change in behavior. It was better to use the dress as a substitute.
“Y-yes?”
Even the normally composed Michelle looked shocked. Noxia, Ascan, and the other staff also reacted similarly. I wasn’t particularly kind, but I disliked causing harm. It didn’t feel difficult to do something good in this case—I was taking responsibility for the staff losing their jobs unfairly.
“We’ll let this one slide. But make sure the same mistake isn’t repeated.”
“And punishment…?”
I answered firmly, leaving Michelle stunned:
“Not necessary. Just give me the invoice.”
“Ah, yes.”
Michelle, still flustered, handed over the invoice. I signed it, stating the Brelov family would pay, and stood up. Noxia and Ascan followed. The staff accompanied us to the entrance. On the way out, Michelle spoke to my back:
“Truly, thank you.”
Her words were brief, but sincere. I nodded slightly in acknowledgment. Then, we rode the carriage back to the Brelov mansion.
Once the Brelov carriage disappeared from sight, the staff member who had spilled tea collapsed to the floor. All the tension drained, she could no longer stand.
“I-I survived…”
She had always been timid, but after seeing Tanacia punish a fellow employee, her fear intensified. Tanacia, a fifteen-year-old girl, was notorious for her fierce eyes and cruel temperament. Being the eldest daughter of the Brelov family, no one dared intervene, which made her even more intimidating. She vowed thousands of times not to make mistakes, yet her entire body trembled whenever Tanacia appeared. When the glass of tea broke, she thought her life was over—but surprisingly, Tanacia forgave her without a word. She still couldn’t believe it.
“Are you okay?”
A coworker asked, worried. She nodded and stared in bewilderment toward the direction the Brelov carriage had gone.
“But why… why did she forgive me?”
It was so unlike Tanacia. Moreover, she even gave compensation to the employee she had punished before.
“Who can say? Noble moods are unpredictable. Perhaps she had a good day.”
“I-I guess so…”
Whatever the reason, it was a relief nothing bad happened. Being punished by Tanacia was scary, but losing her job permanently was even worse. Michelle, who had been silent, murmured softly:
“I don’t know why the Brelov heiress suddenly changed, but maybe rumors about her will completely shift.”
At first, I didn’t understand, but soon realized what she meant. Tanacia exuded a rare charisma today. Watching her confident words and actions, it was easy to lose oneself in awe. Like an unspoken agreement, Michelle and the staff stared blankly in the direction the carriage had gone.
The carriage back to the Brelov mansion was quiet. Noxia, appearing in a good mood, tried to speak, but I stayed silent, and Ascan answered with short replies, so the conversation never developed. When we arrived, Noxia stepped out first.
“Thanks for today, sister.”
I waved lightly as if it were nothing. My mind, however, was preoccupied with Tanacia’s previous misdeeds. I felt embarrassed to face Noxia and Ascan. The driver cautiously asked:
“Where to, miss?”
“I want a moment to think, so just go around the block once more.”
“Yes, miss.”
I often lost myself in thought while watching the passing scenery. Then, I realized Ascan was quietly riding in the carriage with me. When I looked over, he was staring at me. I wondered how long he had been watching but didn’t care much.
“Should I have gotten off with Noxia? I need a moment to think alone…”
It took a beat before I noticed his eyes darkening. I stopped mid-sentence. His gaze reminded me of a predator observing its prey.
“What is it?”
“Do you have something to say to me?”
In a lower-than-usual voice, Ascan replied:
“I may have mentioned this before… I don’t know your intentions, but this just makes me uncomfortable. If you want something, just be honest.”
What had I done? Whatever he thought, he had always been obedient. Why this sudden complaint? Then it hit me—it must have been when I called him cute and patted his head.
“No way… because of that…?”
I was dumbfounded. The boy who never flinched under a whip now reacted to a single compliment. Thinking back, even when I showed him the stars, he had frowned, displeased by my sudden change in attitude. Perhaps that wasn’t all.
“Hahaha.”
I couldn’t help laughing. Perhaps he had never been called cute before. His expression twisted in confusion at my laughter.
“What am I going to do with him?”
I had momentarily forgotten he was still a boy, despite being a formidable villain in the novel. Just moments ago, I had lamented my struggles as Tanacia. But seeing his unexpected reaction made me laugh. Though he seemed prickly, he was simply unaccustomed to kindness. His clumsy response felt less like a warning and more like an adorable complaint.
“What? If you say that, I want to treat you even better.”
Confusion flashed in Ascan’s eyes at my unexpected response, and I laughed again, feeling like I had cracked open his hard shell for the first time.
When Noxia returned to the Brelov mansion and entered her room, the waiting maids swarmed her. They had worried because they knew she and Tanacia had gone shopping together today.
“Miss, was everything alright?”
“Clearly, Tanacia promised to pick out a dress and then tricked her, right?”
“She probably recommended the worst dress in the shop.”
Based on the original Tanacia’s behavior, that wasn’t far off. But today was different. Noxia spoke firmly:
“Don’t say that. Thanks to my sister, I got the perfect dress. Every one of them was beautiful—it was hard to choose.”
“Oh, our young lady is so kind.”
The maids, who hadn’t seen the events, didn’t believe her. Noxia, frustrated, had no way to prove it. The dresses would arrive at the mansion in a few days.
“Even if it’s true, you’ll be surprised when the dresses arrive.”
“Miss, be cautious. Tanacia might meddle. There’s talk she planned to ruin your dress for the royal ball.”
In the original story, the maids’ caution would have been correct. But this time, Noxia was certain something was different. She couldn’t describe it precisely, but she felt it.
“She’s different from before.”
Even when Noxia’s control faltered and Tanacia got splashed with water, Tanacia didn’t overreact. Normally, the household would have erupted. Tanacia’s words then were still vivid in Noxia’s mind:
─From now on, don’t ask timid Noxia to show her abilities anywhere.
“Timid Noxia.” Tanacia had never called her that before. Moreover, she had tried to give Noxia a set of red diamond accessories she had received from Orland, showing unexpected generosity. Noxia had always wanted to be close to Tanacia, so this change felt wonderful. When picking out dresses, Tanacia prioritized Noxia’s choices over her own, genuinely recommending what suited her. She didn’t even try her own dress before choosing. Tanacia’s attitude toward Noxia had changed, and she had forgiven the costume shop staff—actions uncharacteristic of her. Small, subtle, but real.
“Maybe we can go back to the old days.”
In childhood, Tanacia had cared for and loved Noxia deeply. She remembered being called her sister, with affection in her eyes. Everything had changed when Noxia awakened her water ability. The first time she controlled water, she saw the despair on Tanacia’s face and had prayed for them to return to the way they were. Perhaps God had granted her wish. Now, it felt possible to return to that time. Noxia recalled Tanacia patting Ascan’s hair at the shop.
“I wish she’d pat my hair too…”
She couldn’t help but feel jealous of Ascan.
