Episode 2
Ugh, stop talking already. I had the sudden urge to grab the leftover éclair from the table and shove it into Leo’s mouth.
“Nope. Maybe original Delphine would understand, but not me.”
I crossed my arms again and looked away into the distance. The nobles who had been sneaking glances quickly turned their heads.
“……”
That’s enough. Dragging things out only makes dramas boring. Yeah, let’s end it here.
I looked back at Leo. I felt completely dry—no emotion at all.
“Leo, take care. If you like Charlier so much, stop bothering other girls and just go be with her.”
Leo stared at me with a cold expression I had never seen before. No, he was glaring at me.
Seriously, what a personality. I clicked my tongue and stood up from my seat. Leo turned his head sharply, ignoring me.
“Leo. There’s no such thing as a ‘gentle breakup.’ You’re the male lead of this novel, and Charlier’s your partner. Go rekindle that love. I’m out of here.”
I walked out of the salon. Ugh, just thinking about going home made me tired.
** Later at home **
“What? What did you say? You told Leo you wanted to break up?! Who do you think you are?! What makes you think you’re so special?!”
Shockingly, that wasn’t just anyone—it was my mom. Well, Delphine’s mom. She slammed her fork and knife on the table and dabbed at her mouth with a napkin.
Wow. I already knew this family was bad, but still…
Actually, many readers quit the novel halfway because of Delphine’s awful family. People just couldn’t stand them.
“Why do I have to see a tragic K-drama eldest daughter in a fantasy romance?! This is straight-up hyper-realism!” That comment had me laughing even now.
“Heh.”
Crap. I accidentally laughed. I was thinking about those comments.
The room instantly went ice cold.
Mom banged her fork and knife on the table again.
“Come on, Mom. Where’s your noble dignity? This family is totally broken.”
Original Delphine probably would’ve shrunk back in fear—but not me. These people aren’t my real family. And honestly, if they were my real family, I’d be even more mad. They’re basically trying to sell off their daughter for money.
“You just laughed, didn’t you, Delphine?”
Her voice was sharp. Her eyes had a cold glint.
She pushed her plate away.
“Take it. I’ve lost my appetite.”
A maid quickly came to clear the plate. I caught the little smirk on the maid’s lips.
“She’s thrilled. She gets to eat that dish now.”
I watched the maid walk away. I could feel her happiness just from her back.
“When whales fight, shrimp benefit.”
Mom asked again in her sharp voice.
“Delphine, why aren’t you answering? Say something.”
I decided to step back for now. Fighting wouldn’t get me anything.
I went with a light excuse.
“I choked on the meat, so…”
I gently shook my head and looked down at my plate.
While Mom muttered to herself in frustration, Dad stayed silent, quietly eating his steak.
“This place is suffocating. Sure, I had issues with my real parents too, but at least they never tried to sell me off for money…”
I suddenly felt sorry for Delphine.
Right now, the person who should be the saddest is her—me—but no one in this house is offering any comfort. And what’s worse…
“Hey, sis. Why’d you break up with Leo? I was planning to ask him for a job in the capital Brunik once you got married.”
“……”
This brat. My little brother, Thoma. Readers always joked that his name sounded like “psycho” for a reason.
Seriously, instead of comforting his heartbroken sister, he’s mad because he lost a chance to benefit from her relationship.
“Geez… Delphine’s life really is pitiful. No one here truly cares about her.”
I stayed silent and sliced up my steak. It didn’t match the mood, but the steak was ridiculously good.
“Dang, this food is amazing. Never had steak like this before.”
I wanted to pick up the plate and shovel the meat into my mouth, but that would probably get me kicked out on the spot.
So I just tried to look as sad and pitiful as I could while slowly chewing the beef.
“I planned everything based on your marriage to Leo…”
Mom sighed deeply. She even waved off the dessert the maid brought.
Watching that made me want to sigh.
I mean, if the family’s going broke and there’s no income, why are we eating full-course meals every day? No wonder this family’s always in trouble.
See, Mom believed not having full-course meals would lower a noble’s dignity.
“Mom… please. Whether noble or not, you need to survive first.”
As Seo Joo-hee, who had lived as a commoner all her life, this kind of logic just made no sense to me.
Mom looked like she was about to cry.
“I thought you’d marry Leo, so I ordered ten new dresses… I can’t cancel them now… Honey, is there any money? We’re supposed to pay for those dresses next week…”
She looked at Dad with desperate eyes, but he didn’t even lift his head and just kept eating.
Not surprising. Dad was the reason our family went downhill in the first place. He got scammed and lost all our farmland.
A few years ago, a friend convinced him to invest in a new trade route. He sold all our land to fund it… and the friend vanished on a ship and hasn’t been heard from since.
“Never trust a friend with a business idea.”
I felt a mix of pity and disbelief as I put another bite of beef in my mouth.
Mom muttered again.
“They’re all custom dresses… I can’t even return them…”
“……”
This family really has no sense. One of those dresses costs as much as a small farm. And she ordered ten. Unbelievable.
I just stabbed the poor dessert with my fork over and over.
“Delphine.”
Mom called my name with a suddenly sweet, coaxing tone. I reluctantly looked up at her.
“Can’t you reconsider? Leo’s got everything. I’ve lived long enough to know—all men are the same. Even if you don’t like something about him, just close one eye and go along with it.”
“……!”
I already knew from reading the novel that Delphine’s mom was heartless and shallow. The whole family treated Delphine like a moneymaker.
But hearing her say it right in front of me made me feel like I couldn’t breathe.
I really couldn’t take it anymore.
“I don’t want to live with Leo.”
“Why? Why?! What’s the reason? At least explain!”
“Well…”
Mom, Dad, and Thoma all looked at me. I spoke slowly and clearly.
“Leo can’t get over his ex. He always talks about her. It doesn’t feel like he’s dating me—it’s like he’s still dating his ex. I honestly think he should just get back together with her…”
CRASH!
I didn’t finish. Dad slammed his fork and knife down so hard they clattered against the plate.
“…What? Dad?”
Dad, who had been silent the whole time, finally looked up.
“That’s a stupid reason. Go apologize to Leo and get back together immediately.”
“……?”
“Wow. This family is something else.”
I was so shocked I couldn’t even speak.
Dad kept going.
“Life has much harder challenges than that. You’re throwing away a comfortable life over something so small? You’ve lost your mind.”
“……?”
“What the heck? My dad is even worse than my mom. How can someone be this lacking in empathy?”
This isn’t something small. Delphine ends up dealing with depression and insecurity for years because of Leo’s behavior.
“Poor Delphine…”
I couldn’t remember the last time I was this angry.
“Aren’t I your daughter? I broke up with him because I was suffering—and instead of helping, you’re blaming me?”
No. I couldn’t take it anymore. This was choking me with frustration.
I wiped my mouth with a napkin and said,
“You’re talking like it’s not even my life.”
“……?”
“……?”
“……!”
Mom, Dad, and Thoma all froze. They looked like they couldn’t believe what they just heard. Their eyes widened, but I just pretended not to notice and popped another piece of beef into my mouth.
They all stared at me, mouths hanging open. Thoma stopped chewing and looked dazed.
“H-How could you say that… That’s not something a proper noble lady should say!”
Dad was the first to speak. Mom looked like she might faint, her face going pale and red as if she’d burst into tears at any moment.
“……”
“Delphine! Apologize! Right now! Apologize to your mother, your brother, and me! And go apologize to Leo too!”
Dad’s voice got louder and louder—almost shouting.
I swallowed the beef in my mouth. And yeah… even now, the beef was really delicious.
