Chapter 26
“Good morning~”
“Welcome, Lily.”
Odin greeted me as I opened the door energetically. Even though it was early in the morning, he was already sitting at his desk, having finished all his preparations.
The desk was piled high with papers.
“It’s a sudden change, but I’ll be counting on you for a while.”
“Yes, of course. Me too.”
I responded quietly and stepped to the side. The tea that Deriksha had carefully instructed was already brewed, steaming in a cup on the desk.
With nothing else to do, I just stood there, watching Odin work through the papers.
I couldn’t start cleaning while he was busy, and my clothes were already ready and worn.
So… what should I do?
Thinking back to when I stayed with Lu, I remembered our mornings. We would sit and chat over tea, refill our cups, share cakes, and even do puzzles together…
Wait. I spent the whole day just playing with Lu?
“Lily, aren’t you tired coming here so early?”
Startled by my own laziness, Odin finally spoke, breaking the silence. His eyes stayed on the papers, but his hands moved quickly.
“No, it’s fine… I usually come at this time anyway.”
“……Really?”
“Yes……”
“…….”
“…….”
Silence stretched again. Experiencing this quiet alone with Odin for the first time, I closed my eyes tightly.
Wow, this is so awkward. I didn’t realize it before, but there’s really nothing to talk about with just the two of us.
Odin seemed to think the same, saying nothing, just looking at his papers.
If I were to follow my role, I’d have to give him love advice—but I can’t even start a normal conversation right now, so suddenly asking about romance would be impossible.
Wait… what kind of advice could I even give him?
In the original story, Lily had experience with Chris and could give advice, but I had none. For seven months, I had only cleaned and never cared about any men.
Ah, this is hopeless.
I thought of Able’s face and smiled faintly.
Sorry, Miss. The original story is out the window…
“How’s it been staying with Lu?”
Odin tried again to start a conversation. His effort to break the awkwardness was touching, and I decided to participate actively.
“He treats me well. At first, I didn’t have a good impression, but living with him, I’ve realized he has many good qualities.”
I tried to speak as positively as possible. Even if we didn’t get along, he was still family, so some goodwill existed.
“He has good qualities? I can’t believe you found things I couldn’t see in fifteen years.”
Of course, my prediction was off. Odin laughed as he teased Lu.
I stared at him with a cold gaze. Now that the fighting over Deriksha was over, why did they still dislike each other so much?
“He treats the maid well and doesn’t look down on her.”
“That’s not a good point—it’s just normal.”
“He keeps a proper routine and eats well…”
“Really? Isn’t he extremely picky? He never touches tomatoes.”
“Yes. He even separates finely chopped pieces. That must be so much work for him.”
“Exactly why he’s not tall.”
“Right! He should fix his picky eating before taking growth supplements…”
I realized I had been gossiping about Lu a lot. Odin glanced at me, trying to hide a smile, and then chuckled quietly.
How did our conversation turn into trash-talking him? No wonder he was so skilled at turning small talk smoothly.
They say having someone to gossip about brings people closer. Just like that, the mood lightened considerably.
“Thanks to you, Lily, Lu has become much brighter.”
I tilted my head. Me? I’d been annoying him every day lately, often getting scolded. That didn’t seem very convincing.
Odin, still smiling, continued.
“Lu never got along with family. His father was always busy, and he’d fight whenever he was with me or Able. After his mother, whom he relied on, went to the countryside for care, he hated staying at the mansion, even though it was his home.”
Odin spoke slowly, jotting notes, reflecting on the past. He paused and smiled faintly.
“…Now that I think about it, I wasn’t a good brother either. Lu didn’t do anything that bad. Why did I dislike him so much?”
Of course, Odin naturally disliked Lu in the original story. Lu was a secondary male lead, a villain who interfered with the main characters, left isolated in a happy family setting by the author’s plot.
I smiled faintly at the faint memory of the original story. Lu was a villain. Even at the ending, he lived alone. Villains like him, whom even readers didn’t love, were given only tragic endings.
“Master Lu is a good person.”
I said it again. Odin nodded with a smile, different from before.
Once the words flowed, the initial awkwardness disappeared, and conversation continued. Most of it, of course, was about Deriksha.
I steered the conversation toward love advice intentionally, and Odin simply listened, smiling whenever I spoke about Deriksha.
“…So Deriksha was upset when his work location changed suddenly.”
“Really? I think that’s actually a good thing.”
I was surprised by his response. He seemed happy that the male lead was separated from the heroine.
“Why?”
“I rarely get a chance to talk alone with you, Lily. I thought it was a good opportunity, so I accepted.”
Odin said it casually. No, you shouldn’t say that.
I wondered if he liked me, and gave him a cold look. He smiled.
“I don’t mean anything special. I just had a lot I wanted to ask.”
Why are Chris and he so curious about me? I’ve lost most memories, so there’s little I can answer.
Fortunately, Odin asked questions I could answer.
“Lily, you’re a noble, right?”
“….”
I could answer but shouldn’t.
“For example, a princess of the Dern Empire…”
It was asked lightly, like talking about the weather. I almost nodded without realizing. The atmosphere was so relaxed, there was none of the seriousness he had when asking if I was possessed by Able.
It was scary how smooth he was at making someone let their guard down and directing the conversation.
Even now—I got caught but didn’t feel afraid at all.
“Yes, that’s right.”
I answered lightly, almost surprised at my own words.
Odin still smiled. He had a final boss-like presence despite the casual atmosphere.
“How did you figure it out?”
“At first, I didn’t know, but thanks to Chris, I realized. He only looks at his fiancée that way. That was suspicious, so I investigated alone.”
Chris… that guy. I clenched my teeth, thinking of his calm face.
“You’re very perceptive. I didn’t notice even when I was stared at directly.”
“I’ve known Chris for years. That’s easy.”
Odin smiled as he organized the scattered papers. The atmosphere was so relaxed I could have been dragged away by guards, and I would have waved at him before being taken out.
Thankfully, he had no such plans.
“I’ve met Garnet before too. It’s funny I only realized now. Just the hair and eye color changed, yet you look like a completely different person.”
“…Garnet?”
Odin blinked.
“Garnet.”
“Garnet…?”
“Yes, that’s your name.”
Ah, really?
In the original story, Lily had hidden even her name. Plus, her hair and eyes were different—like the magic stone Chris used for his hair. Maybe a similar spell was on me too.
Odin smiled awkwardly at my reaction.
“…Garnet, you really lost your memory? Not pretending?”
“Yes.”
I answered lightly with a laugh. Odin’s smile faded. The relaxed atmosphere broke slightly.
“Didn’t we play together as kids with Chris?”
“I forget what happened yesterday, how could I remember childhood?”
I guess I was taking it too lightly. Odin’s expression turned serious, and I adjusted my own mood.
“…By the way, does Master Lu know I’m a princess?”
“No. Only Chris and I went to the Dern Empire. No one else here knows your face, except three people.”
Three? Odin and Chris, and… who else? I remembered the person Chris mentioned before leaving.
“Could the third be Her Highness, the Crown Princess?”
“Yes.”
Of course. Back then, Garnet/Lily was extraordinary, playing with a prince, crown princess, and a minor duke.
“Her Highness would immediately put you in prison, so avoid her.”
“…Did you not get along with the Crown Princess?”
“We were fine, but she’s strict about personal feelings. Unlike Chris or me.”
That explains why I didn’t get thrown in prison twice more. I was lucky to have these two care about me.
“I never expected you really lost your memory. If it were an act, you wouldn’t need to hide it from me, Garnet.”
“I wish it were an act too, but it’s true. I lost my memory.”
I calmly raised my hand and firmly interrupted him.
“And I’m Lily now.”
“….”
Odin made an unreadable expression, then smiled again.
“Alright, Lily.”
The atmosphere relaxed again. Odin had a way of controlling situations almost magically.
I spoke lightly again.
“Am I going to prison?”
“No. Back when you were Garnet, you were my friend too. Deriksha would be upset without you.”
Thanks to friends again, I avoided jail. I silently thanked Deriksha, who saved me after Demian.
“Most importantly, Lu needs you.”
Odin’s next words surprised me. Since when did he care so much for Lu? He smiled softly.
“Without you, his attitude would get worse.”
Reformation my foot. I guess their bad relationship will last forever.
I quietly clicked my tongue.
