Chapter 15
Arahan also turned his head to see who was stopping him, and I—having recognized the owner of the voice before he did—called out his name brightly.
“Ain!”
“I apologize to Duke Arahan, but it seems Miss needs to move to a different carriage.”
“…Huh? Why should I listen to you? And what about ‘lover’?”
Clearly irritated by Ain’s sudden intervention, Arahan frowned and tried to ignore him as he attempted to climb into the carriage. However, Ain boldly blocked the entrance with his body.
Is it just me, or is there some serious tension here? Why is he suddenly clashing with someone who wasn’t even involved?
I should stop Ain first. The loyal knights of the Guardian Order tend to draw their swords far too easily—that’s what I read in the novel…!
“Ain…?”
“Miss, please step down.”
“…Even if you’re a knight of the Vincent family, you can’t stop me.”
“Then what if someone sees you entering this carriage and arriving at the Imperial Palace together? Tomorrow’s newspapers will be filled with it. Surely, the Commander—and the entire Guardian Order—would not want to see the Duke lingering at this mansion. If you truly insist, I can escort you immediately.”
“….”
Ain’s words struck home. After exchanging sharp glares, Arahan slowly withdrew the hand he had raised to enter the carriage. Turning his head sharply, he muttered,
“Do as you please.”
…Is Arahan sulking?
No way.
But then—why does he look like that? Is he upset because I didn’t ride with him?
…No, there’s no way.
Arahan didn’t like Elizabeth. His apology earlier was probably just because my words and expression had troubled him. There was no reason for him to sulk.
Although…
It really did look like he was pouting—head turned away, lips slightly pursed in a strangely childish manner.
“Miss, this way.”
This time, Ain extended his hand. Still confused, I took it, stepped out of the carriage, and glanced back at Arahan. He was frowning, though I had no idea why.
As I was about to follow Ain toward the Vincent family’s carriage, Arahan spoke carefully.
“‘Lover’… you said.”
“Yes. Ain.”
The moment I answered casually, Arahan’s expression hardened.
Reading the shift instantly, Ain leaned down and whispered in my ear.
“Miss, I warned you, didn’t I? Look at that glare. Didn’t he threaten you like that at the last ball?”
“…Well, that’s…”
Half right, half wrong.
Arahan’s already serious face grew even more intense. Does he have a problem with me? His gaze is so sharp—it almost feels like he’s seen something he shouldn’t have.
“…Duke, did I do something to make you uncomfortable?”
“…? No. How could I, Miss?”
Despite his words, his expression remained rigid. I stepped closer and examined his face directly.
Startled, Arahan quickly turned away, staring off into the distance—though his eyes kept flicking back to me.
“Miss… if you get so close all of a sudden…”
He trailed off. His ears—and maybe his cheeks—seemed faintly red.
Was he flustered because I got closer?
“Miss, we’ll be late if this continues.”
As I continued observing Arahan, Ain—no longer able to wait—called out. I still had questions, but his expression made it awkward to bring anything up. It would be embarrassing if I misunderstood.
“Okay, I understand. Ain.”
At that, Arahan’s eyebrow twitched.
…Wait a minute. Could it be—?
“Ain.”
“Yes, Miss.”
The moment I said his name again, Arahan flinched slightly. That alone made me nod inwardly.
Elizabeth loved the Emperor. And Arahan—his close friend—would of course be wary of a man she openly called her ‘lover,’ especially for the Emperor’s sake.
Even if that ‘lover’ wasn’t real.
In the novel, there was playful wordplay surrounding Ain’s name. Given how similar its pronunciation was to “lover,” this situation was entirely possible within the story’s logic.
Sigh… To experience something I’d only read about in fiction.
I wanted to tease Arahan a little more, but since we were heading to the Imperial Palace, I didn’t want to say anything reckless and risk the ball being canceled. Still, I needed to clear up the misunderstanding.
Outright saying, “He’s not her lover, his name is Ain,” would only make things awkward.
So I casually walked toward Ain and spoke as naturally as possible.
“When we reach the Imperial Palace, I should call you Vishnu, right?”
“It doesn’t matter, but in front of His Majesty, that would be best. My name tends to cause confusion. If His Majesty misunderstands, it could become troublesome.”
“Right? That’s what I thought too. So why name yourself ‘Ain’? It sounds exactly like ‘lover.’ You really need to be careful with that ‘A’ sound.”
“Hm—then perhaps you should be more careful with it yourself, Miss. I rarely call myself by name. The knights usually address me as ‘Commander,’ not ‘Ain.’”
“…Ah, you’re right. Then I’ll pronounce it carefully—A‑in.”
As I giggled, Arahan—who had clearly been listening—finally relaxed. A faint blush crossed his face before he hurriedly climbed into his own carriage.
Seeing that, I entered mine as well, escorted by Ain.
Once seated, Ain spoke.
“You did that on purpose, didn’t you? You knew the Duke would misunderstand.”
“That’s right. If word got out that I—whose name was once linked to the Crown Princess—called someone other than His Majesty my ‘lover,’ it wouldn’t just be gossip. It would be a major scandal.”
“That’s already an old rumor. His Majesty danced with Lady Luciela first, didn’t he? Many already believe you’ve been abandoned.”
“They believe it because it’s true.”
In an instant, the rumors of Elizabeth Osborne becoming Crown Princess—and then Empress—vanished. No one mentioned her name in that context again. Instead, Osborne’s name took its place. The Emperor must have known about her long before the ball.
Elizabeth was forgotten.
Of course they’d think she was abandoned.
“…Miss.”
Seeing Ain look at me with pity, I laughed softly. To them, I must look like a woman desperate for the throne.
In reality, Elizabeth was both the greatest villainess—and the most miserable one.
Branded a witch, she grew thorns to survive. The man she loved chose another woman. And in the end, she died because of him.
“It’s okay. I’m used to it.”
“….”
The carriage rattled onward in silence.
Ain, usually cheerful, remained quiet for a while before speaking carefully.
“…Miss, you must never get used to that. No matter what happens, you are the only granddaughter of the Vincent family.”
“Still, I’m the daughter of Count Arlesia.”
But that wasn’t all.
My body belonged to Elizabeth—but my soul was Lee Se‑hwa’s.
For Lee Se‑hwa, this kind of thing was nothing new.
If my mother hadn’t died… if my father hadn’t run away…
“…The Duke won’t think that way.”
Even if Anais believed that, it wouldn’t change Elizabeth’s name, her status, or her fate.
None of this was mine.
The clothes. The service. The affection.
And neither was the ending—where I die as the villainess.
“So don’t get used to it. No matter what you do—even if you kill someone—the Vincent family will never abandon you.”
Blind loyalty.
That devotion only made my chest ache more.
Why did the villainess, who was loved so fiercely, commit such cruelty?
And was I now receiving the love that should have been Elizabeth’s?
“…Well. Whether I do it well or not, there’s no choice if I have to go back.
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- : T/L: 애인 (ae-in):Means “lover” or “sweetheart,” combining ‘애’ (love) and ‘인’ (person).
