Chapter 6
“…!”
Philios’ eyes shook hard when he recognized Etias.
Etias, with a cold expression, quietly whispered to Philios.
“What do you think you’re doing?”
Even if he was a powerless prince, Etias’ status was still higher than Philios’.
If Philios hurt Etias, he could be punished for harming royalty.
Philios gritted his teeth and said to him,
“There was just a small issue with my fiancée.”
“Then this is…”
Etias gripped Philios’ wrist harder, making Philios flinch in pain.
“This is how you solve your problems?”
Among Oswell’s nobles, using fists instead of swords was shameful.
And hitting a woman was seen as cowardly and unforgivable.
Philios trembled his eyelashes and barely pulled his wrist away.
Then, glaring at me with wide eyes, he growled through clenched teeth at Etias.
“This has nothing to do with you, Your Highness.”
Now it was my turn to step in.
“No, if someone knows what honor is, this is exactly something to step in for.”
I looked Philios straight in the eye.
Now that I’ve become Catrin, I guess I lost a lot of fear. Even though he tried to hit me just now, I wasn’t scared at all.
“…Catrin!”
“If you’re someone who can’t stand injustice, even more so.”
I could feel Etias looking at me.
Ah, so dazzling.
“Unlike someone who’s not only ugly but also a total flirt.”
“…!!!”
When I clearly compared him to Etias, Philios’ face turned red with rage, like it might explode.
But with Etias, who had a clearly bigger and stronger build, standing right next to me, all Philios could do was shake his fist.
Coward.
In the end, he let out a puff of air and threatened me.
“You’ll regret this, Catrin.”
Then he turned and stomped away angrily.
How could someone even walk that ugly?
I shook my head, doubting Catrin’s eyesight for ever being engaged to such a man.
“….”
Then I heard a soft puff of breath come from Etias as he turned his head.
I flinched a little and looked at him.
I couldn’t see his full face, but his lips were curved just slightly—maybe he was smiling?
Had Catrin ever seen Etias smile even once in her memories?
I stared at him in a daze. A moment later, he turned back to me with that same stiff face as before.
‘Was I imagining it?’
Ah. But he’s so handsome, my eyes feel healed just looking at him.
Sharp eyes, cool blue gaze, a high nose bridge.
Must be at least 190cm tall, with wide shoulders too.
Meeting my favorite character this close in real life… I was overwhelmed with joy.
“Catrin Elemoer.”
His cold voice snapped me out of my thoughts.
“You haven’t changed. Shockingly so.”
He must mean—still got that mouth from hell, huh?
Well… he was the victim of one of Catrin Elemoer’s confession attacks.
His blue eyes, under slightly furrowed brows, looked like he was thinking about something complicated.
A long silence passed between us.
A cool breeze blew by, making my silver hair sway.
“Don’t misunderstand. I didn’t step in to help.”
Oh? How cute.
Well, considering my past, it’s only natural that he wants to keep his distance.
“Of course, Your Highness. You’ve always been a fair and righteous man. Always the same.”
I spoke calmly to him.
‘Etias, you’re the one constant justice in my life.’
If I could, I’d run into his arms and gush about how he’s my savior and my love. But that would probably freak him out.
My goal is to quietly support Etias from the shadows.
So I barely held back my emotion and said:
“Such sarcasm. Impressive.”
My eyebrow twitched at those words.
Sarcasm? I didn’t mean it like that.
I guess the tone I picked up from Catrin—full of snark and contempt—just comes out that way now.
“Ah, if that’s how it sounded…”
I lowered my head slightly and turned away.
“I have nothing more to say.”
In the end, I chose to say nothing.
Etias has no idea.
That my heart only beats for him.
That my bamboo-like heart turns to reeds in front of him.
“I have somewhere to be.”
But since I’m in Catrin’s body, all I can express is hostility and sarcasm. It’s frustrating.
And I can’t even be honest about it.
“…But you.”
His voice suddenly grabbed my attention like a hook.
Phew, calm down.
I turned back to him with my coldest face, and I saw his eyebrow twitch.
‘Is he glaring that hard at me?’ his eyes seemed to say.
Then Etias moved his lips slowly with dark, unreadable eyes.
***
On the way back in the carriage, I placed a hand on my pounding heart and whispered,
“I really hit the jackpot today, right? He actually talked to me…”
Etias even called out to me at the end, with such a meaningful look in his eyes:
“Don’t you have something to say to me?”
I had so much to say.
‘EtiasIsTheBestMyHeartIsExplodingHe’sSoCuteMyBabyIMightDieFromThisHe’sAlwaysHotFromEveryAngle…’
So many wild thoughts filled my head, but I just held back and said:
“Nope.”
With the coldest, most arrogant face I could make.
“Young Lady.”
My dazed look was broken by the voice of Heros, my butler.
“Hm?”
I answered, but Heros looked surprised.
Oops—was that the wrong expression?
“Oh, what?!”
I raised an eyebrow and changed my tone, glaring at Heros.
“….”
“…Ah.”
What the heck? That was totally Catrin’s usual way of talking.
Then why was he blushing and looking like he was in a daze?
I tilted my head, and he flinched, snapping back to reality.
“Um, I mean. How was your talk with Young Lord Philios? Did he ask for more support or…”
“We broke up.”
I stretched and said it like it was no big deal.
Heros’ eyes went wide, shocked enough that his shoulders jumped.
“What?”
“I said we broke up. I told him I wanted to end the engagement.”
“W-what… how…”
Heros looked stunned as he asked,
“Why, Young Lady?”
Well. I expected this reaction.
Marriage and breaking engagements are decisions that affect families, so they’re not to be taken lightly.
I must’ve looked immature for acting so recklessly.
Especially since it was an engagement even her late father had approved.
“Philios Regalo is a man with neither talent nor knowledge. He just pretends to like the arts. He’s pathetic.”
But insulting people is Catrin’s specialty.
“His outside might look okay—no, not even that—but his inside is even worse. If we brought someone like him into our family, he’d just suck up all our money.”
Saying “I dumped him because he’s ugly” in a longer, fancier way.
“…Ah…”
Heros’ brown eyes wavered as he looked at me.
“And I don’t need to explain all my private decisions to you.”
I continued, looking at him.
“Don’t overstep and question my personal choices.”
Heros would soon be free of me and the Elemoer family.
Once I escape with the money and the revolution succeeds, Elemoer will be gone, and he’ll be free.
So drawing a clear line with him now, as the villainess of Elemoer, was the right thing to do.
“I’m sorry, Young Lady. I didn’t mean to question you. Actually…”
His head slightly lowered, and his face was shadowed so I couldn’t see his expression well.
“…?”
Then he lifted his head, and I froze.
His face was slightly red.
“…I’m glad.”
His voice surprised me even more.
“…What?”
“…I just…”
His eyes were trembling, and his face was flushed.
“I always thought that man didn’t suit you, Young Lady.”
“…Ah…”
I nodded awkwardly.
That was unexpected.
But maybe not, now that I thought about it.
As a butler, he might not like the idea of his lady wasting money on a useless man.
“For someone strong like you… a gentler, more pet-like man…”
He trailed off and then looked up with a soft smile and asked,
“…What shall we prepare for dinner, Young Lady?”
