Chapter 17
It had already been several days since we visited the temple.
The Geumgok Festival that the ghost—who looked exactly like Blake—had mentioned was now not far off.
And ever since that day we returned from the temple…
Blake and I were still awkward.
No, to be precise, Blake seemed to be oddly avoiding me.
It was as if he had gone back to how he acted before I resurrected him.
Ah—except for one thing.
Apparently, he did want to keep living, because at night he still came to my bedroom and slept with me.
Though even that—he only came in very late, when I was already asleep, and then left very early in the morning before I woke.
When Lily realized the situation, she smiled brightly and said:
“That alone is great progress, Your Highness! And I’ve come up with an even better idea!”
“…What is it?”
“How about this slip? See here, just a little bit revealed—it really highlights Your Highness’s charm…”
“Put it back.”
My head hurt just looking at Lily’s lecherous grin while holding up a sheer slip.
It had already been days of Blake just… sleeping.
I worried whether he was okay, since he couldn’t even taste food. I brought meals to his office several times, like before.
“It’s fine. You don’t need to come, Master.”
Blake’s cold face left me feeling embarrassed.
…What a jerk.
It made me upset and hurt, even more than overhearing the maids gossip about me.
Even this morning, I forced myself to wake up at his usual time, opening my sleepy eyes.
But Blake—still pale-faced—just pleaded, “Please sleep a little longer,” and fled.
Lying in bed, I thought of that cold look and started kicking my feet against the mattress in frustration.
So what if the Crown Princess looked uncouth?
It wasn’t like anyone could see me anyway…
“Your Highness, a guest has… arrived.”
“Hah, guess it’s not ‘no one.’ Who is it?”
Lily’s hesitant voice reached me as I slumped weakly, still lying down.
Wait. A guest? For me?
Ariel’s mother had passed away long ago.
My father? He hadn’t stepped foot in the palace since he was mocked for becoming a baron with money.
Then…
“Young Lord Ian Harmel.”
“…Ugh.”
Right. As if I had any friends.
The only one who’d come all the way to the palace to see me would be that so-called “friend”—my ex-fiancé.
And yet, even after I’d kept him at a distance and acted coldly, he still came back, stubborn as ever.
What excuse should I use today to brush him off again…?
Sighing deeply, I sat up in bed.
Lily fussed over me, fixing my hair and clothes with a worried expression.
But honestly, it wasn’t necessary.
I had no intention of looking good for him anyway.
“…Hello, Ariel.”
The problem was him.
Even when I came out looking all disheveled, his eyes lit up like he was staring at an angel.
Seriously—you just said hello, so why is your face already flushed?
I couldn’t even be bothered to care, so I replied with a curt, “Mm.”
Ian Harmel.
The second son of the Marquis Harmel family.
Once Ariel’s fiancé, and also her childhood friend.
With his soft brown hair and green eyes—
My first impression of him had been: “He’s the classic second male lead type.”
The kind who’s sweet and gentle… but only toward Ariel.
And though Ariel was already married, he still pursued her relentlessly. I had to admire that twisted sense of morality, at least.
Plus, the way he growled at Blake without caring about Blake’s status—it made me wonder if he even realized how much Blake had been tolerating him.
He had once said offhand that he knew Ian badmouthed him.
“What brings you here? You were just here not long ago.”
“…Can’t I come if there’s nothing special?”
Of course not.
I didn’t say it out loud, but my eyes answered for me.
He immediately wilted, looking like a puppy caught in the rain, and I let out a small sigh.
“Anyway, you must have something to say?”
“Yeah, Ariel… Have you and the Crown Prince… had something happen lately?”
“What do you mean?”
“I heard rumors that you two are sharing a bedroom…”
The way Ian said it, it was obvious he desperately wanted me to deny it.
But come on—how long had it even been since Blake and I started sleeping in the same room?
How had rumors spread so fast?
Grumbling inwardly, I narrowed my eyes at Ian.
“I don’t know where you heard that, but yes. And… why should that matter to you?”
I had already drawn a clear line—friends, nothing more.
My cold tone made Ian’s face harden and twist.
His expression slowly filled with despair, and in a pitiful voice—as if begging for his life—he spoke.
“But Ariel… I just don’t understand any of this. You didn’t want this marriage. The Crown Prince didn’t either.”
“Well, that’s…”
“It was a forced marriage. How could your feelings change so quickly?”
“…”
“I can’t accept it. I don’t want us to just go back to being ‘friends.’”
As he pleaded with watery eyes, I subtly glanced around to check if Lily was there.
Thankfully, she wasn’t!
Lucky her—she didn’t have to listen to this nonsense.
I shot Ian a sharp glare, my lips curling.
“In this marriage, feelings don’t matter. What matters is that—however hollow it is—I am married.”
“…”
“And that means you and I can never be more than friends.”
“…Ariel.”
Ian called my name in a broken voice, full of grief.
Then, avoiding my eyes, he changed the subject—his old bad habit.
He always did that, dodging whenever he didn’t want to hear my harsh words.
It was the biggest reason why nothing ever moved forward between us.
“I bought some dresses that I thought would look beautiful on you at the Geumgok Festival.”
“….”
“I’ll send them to the palace tomorrow. Just once—like when we were kids—dance with me.
Even if I’m not your first partner, even if I’m not your official partner… it’s fine. Just once.”
“Ian.”
“Between friends… that much is okay, isn’t it?”
Good grief—could he fix those sappy, love-struck eyes before talking like that?
I bit my tongue.
Endure it. I’m the elegant Crown Princess now…
Breathing in the fragrant aroma of the tea Lily had made me, I calmed myself.
After a deep breath, I smiled prettily at Ian.
“Don’t send the dresses. I already have one picked out.”
When Ian mentioned the Geumgok Festival and dresses, I suddenly remembered that ghost who looked just like Blake.
What had it said again…?
Ah, right—if I wore a dress from Ian and danced with him at the festival, it would kill him.
A grim warning, but seeing Ian cling so pathetically, maybe it had been describing a future that could really happen.
The first Geumgok Festival after I possessed Ariel, I had no idea about any of this.
I had simply worn what Lily picked out for me, spent the night nervously looking around, and went home.
Even then, Ian had looked sad and muttered something about how I didn’t wear the dress he sent.
Then he asked me to dance, but I had suddenly remembered the original novel’s tragic ending and bolted in fright.
Anyway, I hadn’t actually chosen a dress this time either.
But I wasn’t stupid enough to wear whatever Ian sent me.
“…”
Ian said nothing, staring blankly.
But it didn’t feel like resignation—it was unsettling.
After a long silence, he staggered to his feet and said:
“I’ll come again, Ariel.”
At this point, I couldn’t help but wonder.
What kind of woman was the original Ariel, that Ian was this obsessed?
Since I took over her body, the only things I’d done to him were—
Being cold. Constantly insisting we were only friends. Cutting him off whenever he said something weird.
All things that should’ve made him lose interest.
Yet here he was, still clinging with those desperate eyes.
And, sure enough, my bad feeling soon proved right.
After leaving with that dazed expression—
“Your Highness, these… um…”
“…”
Ian had sent piles of dresses to the Crown Prince’s palace.
Was he insane? Seriously?
I was aghast at my pathetic ex’s persistence and rushed to the Crown Prince’s residence—
Only to find Blake already there, arms crossed, leaning casually against the wall.
He was staring at the dresses Ian sent.
Then he let out a hollow laugh and muttered quietly—
As if mocking himself for ever expecting otherwise.
“Of course…”
The mess was Ian’s doing.
So why was I the one feeling guilty under Blake’s gaze?!
