Chapter 23
Isn’t it natural for a person to want to keep their distance from someone unjust?
Of course, I would make sure not to create a dangerous situation.
I believed that if I kept my boundaries, nothing harmful would come my way.
After all, my peaceful life had essentially ended the day Lena ran off.
From the moment I opened my shop, Rachel, who had been appointed crown princess and was also the empire’s top wedding dress designer, was scheduled to visit.
“Your Highness, people are like that. Even if you only want to bring one person close to you, they end up tangled with all the people around them.”
I nodded as if it were obvious and smoothly pulled my wrist free.
I wasn’t a child anymore, and there were limits to how much I could stop someone.
He was an adult too, so there was no need for a lengthy explanation.
Edin frowned and asked me,
“Is it because the Alzerf family isn’t financially independent yet?”
“…What?”
“Miss Daphne must have her reasons for rushing in like this. Even if you try to think of a reasonable explanation…”
“You’ve completely got it wrong. That’s… rather rude, isn’t it?”
His words sent a chill through me.
How could anyone say something like that?
I felt all the goodwill I’d accumulated for Edin vanish in an instant.
I let out a hollow laugh, filled with disbelief.
It was true that I had dreamed of a leisurely vacation at the townhouse.
But even now, forced to work, I accepted reality.
Since graduating from the academy, I’d rarely felt financially free, even though I was covering my younger sibling’s tuition.
Except when thinking about the arranged marriage with the lady proposed by Salvia, my mind had never felt like it would collapse.
“I will work according to my convictions.”
“……”
“Even if you’re dissatisfied, I’ll do what I must. Money may be an important indicator for survival, but work has become more important to me than money. You spoke in anger, didn’t you? Worried about me as your friend.”
“…Miss Daphne.”
“But I’d like to hear an apology. Well, no… I guess not now. Then please apologize later.”
Unconsciously, I postponed my forgiveness.
Instead of stopping myself from speaking, I greeted him politely.
“I’ll be going in. There may be staff who haven’t left yet because they were waiting for me.”
I turned away decisively.
Edin didn’t apologize at all.
He hadn’t even tried to stop me.
‘Damn… I’m glad I’m not married to that guy.’
I stepped into the dress shop.
Contrary to what I’d told Edin, Manager Olivia had already left.
I locked the shop door and headed to the workshop.
Then, after voicing my frustration, I slumped into a chair.
‘Lena… leaving me to handle all this. I wonder if she’s living well somewhere.’
Lena’s face flickered before my eyes.
If I ever met her, I wanted to confront her.
If life was so hard, couldn’t she have told her best friend at least once?
A friend would at least share the burden, wouldn’t they?
Why did she leave so irresponsibly and force me to take on Edin’s marriage arrangements?
‘Ah… I’m not the type to cry just anytime.’
In a corner of the workshop was the wedding dress I had made for Lena.
When I first created it, my heart had raced.
Lena, who rarely showed emotion, had smiled when choosing fabrics and accessories for the dress.
Worried yet trying to spend as much time as possible with her best friend before her wedding, she had made an effort.
‘You’re really a bad friend. You only left me in situations that made me unhappy.’
I had been grateful to Lena all my life, so I didn’t want to harbor too much resentment.
Yet Edin’s words had stung a little today.
Sniffle—
I wiped my tears.
I needed to get up, cut the lace, and sew pearls densely onto the veil.
Yet I felt no strength in my body.
‘I hate them both.’
For the foreseeable future, I didn’t want to see Edin at all.
To think he would disregard someone who prioritizes principle as much as I do.
The twisted feelings I had felt when looking at him seemed to stabilize.
No more thinking.
Edin had solved something for me.
He had steadied the swaying heart that had been floating aimlessly.
I promised myself to cry for only one hour, then rise refreshed and get to work.
I was glad that, in a way, I had been given a chance to step back from the cliff of my emotions.
‘Damn… Damn it. I couldn’t get any overtime done.’
I woke up in the morning, exhausted from crying.
I headed to the bathroom in a daze.
After roughly removing my smeared makeup, I returned to the workshop.
I was already worried about having to manage the shop with this blank, drained face.
And I still had to go see Jake.
Looking back, all my packed schedule had come from the consequences of my own actions.
Fortunately, Olivia had left the shop neatly organized the previous night, so no extra tidying was necessary.
‘Hmm… I wonder if Jane will show up today.’
She was a suspicious enough employee that I could trust her with investigations.
Seeing her would not help with my composure.
I took a deep breath and waited for the staff to arrive.
But by opening time, only Olivia had shown up.
“Oh, you came early.”
“I couldn’t go home.”
“Wow.”
‘Jane really is strange. Maybe she noticed I had investigated her.’
I felt sorry for her, but I needed to go see Jake as planned.
Just as I was about to mention going out, Olivia spoke first.
“Oh, there was a gentleman at the door.”
“Huh?”
…A gentleman? Edin?
But Olivia would surely recognize Edin.
Then who could it be?
I went to the entrance and opened the door, thinking the mysterious man might just be a peddler.
“Oh, I was just about to come in. Hello.”
It was Jake, dressed as he had been instructed yesterday.
His cravat was slightly awkwardly tied, but compared to the tattered clothes I’d seen yesterday, he looked well put together and fashionable.
“…Why aren’t you surprised? Aren’t you curious how I found this place?”
“I assumed someone as resourceful as you would already know.”
“You’re quick to notice.”
“Please, come in. I’m glad I won’t waste a trip.”
I opened the door wide.
He stepped inside, looking mesmerized by the lavishly decorated dress shop.
Of course, Doren’s shop was messy and chaotic in comparison.
“It’s very well decorated. If I were a lady, I’d feel happy the moment I entered.”
“That’s the psychology we use to have them order dresses. You can tell Doren as a tip.”
“It’ll be messy in a week. By the way, Miss Daphne, you didn’t go home yesterday?”
“I stayed up all night working.”
“Unfortunate, but labor is important. Admirable.”
He smiled gently, though it wasn’t for flattery.
Having fallen asleep after crying, I felt guilty for not accomplishing anything.
Anyway, I guided him to the reception area inside the shop.
I reminded Olivia not to enter, as he was an important guest.
I started with the topic I wanted to discuss first.
“Jane didn’t come to work today. What happened?”
“She ran away last night. According to the guild members, this was found when they entered her room.”
He handed me an old parchment.
Strange magical formulas were drawn on it.
Even with no knowledge on my part, it was clear the formulas weren’t completed.
Probably left unfinished.
“Is this… really my mirror, Miss Daphne?”
He handed me a hand mirror. It was mine.
‘Belongings!’
Only then did I remember why Jake had asked me yesterday if I had properly kept my belongings.
“Her real name is Jenna. She’s a disciple of Radipal, a magical criminal organization in the Empire.”
“…Why would someone like that try to get a job here?”
“She intended to harm you and this shop. I’ll explain what would happen if this formula were completed.”
My heart pounded.
The fact she tried to get hired for malicious purposes was horrifying.
I couldn’t understand why she wanted to harm me with such impure intentions.
“If this curse takes effect, you will fall into a mysterious, incurable illness. That’s not all.”
“Uh… what else?”
“The illness will slowly spread to people around you, in a way that no doctor could detect, though it manifests differently in each person.”
I clenched my teeth tightly.
I had already experienced a severe illness that caused me to lose memories.
I didn’t remember who I was before age nine.
She had tried to cast the most disgusting curse imaginable on me.
