Chapter 73
It was almost time for her to finish getting ready to head out when Mars came to find Chloe.
“Sister, Jeremy…….”
Mars’s eyes went wide as he saw his sister, whom Dorothy and the other maids had painstakingly adorned. Before him stood a pink flower, as if vividly embroidering a spring street. By the time he almost felt the illusion of a sweet floral scent whenever the hem of her pink dress fluttered, a voice broke the fantasy.
“What’s with that look? Am I that pretty?”
Her pouting lips were irritatingly cute. Only then did Mars snap out of it, wrinkling his nose as he replied gruffly.
“Not pretty at all. Drawing lines on a pumpkin doesn’t make it a watermelon.”
“That means she’s pretty.”
“Men are just never honest, are they?”
The maids burst into giggles as they exchanged jokes. Chloe also let out a devious, witch-like laugh, asking if that was really the case.
At this, Mars’s lips twitched in dissatisfaction, but he couldn’t say a word. It was a fact that Chloe was beautiful.
“Anyway, you sure put a lot of effort into your first date.”
He just didn’t want to admit it. Since denying it further would only lead to more teasing, Mars changed the subject. As he touched upon the most sensitive topic, Chloe’s face instantly crumpled.
“You mustn’t scowl, My Lady! You’ll ruin your makeup!”
As Dorothy cried out in horror, the wrinkles on her brow vanished. Instead, Chloe let out an annoyed sigh and spoke clearly and deliberately.
“It’s not a date, so don’t have any strange misunderstandings.”
“You dressed up with this much care and say it’s not? Even a passing dog wouldn’t believe that.”
Mars shrugged as if she were talking nonsense. Since she had guessed from the start that he wouldn’t believe her, Chloe merely waved her hand instead of saying more.
“If you’re just going to say weird things, just get lost.”
“Then I’ll just take Jeremy’s letter with me…….”
Before Mars could even finish his sentence, Chloe snatched the envelope away.
At the bottom of the pure white envelope, the word ‘Blessing’ was written in the Holy Tongue. It was a characteristic of envelopes used only in the Temple. After confirming Jeremy’s seal stamped in red wax, Chloe tore the envelope and read the letter.
[To my beloved Sister Chloe. I was quite surprised to hear that the High Priest was visiting the Count’s mansion, but I’m glad to hear it was resolved well.]
It was a reply to the letter she had sent in a hurry yesterday. It felt a bit strange to receive a letter from Jeremy immediately, when she couldn’t get one even after waiting days as Bianca.
As Chloe read the letter, Mars peeked over her shoulder, prompting her to scowl and push his face away with her entire palm.
“Where did you learn the bad habit of peeking at other people’s letters?”
“Hey, are we strangers? We’re family.”
Chloe glared at her brother’s slick reply.
“Oh, really? Then since we’re family, I can peek at all your love letters too, right?”
At the fierce momentum that looked as if she might storm into his room at any moment, Mars whistled and pretended to be preoccupied. The numerous love letters sleeping in his drawer were a source of pride and a dark history at the same time. Especially since Chloe would surely tease him for ages if she saw them, he could never show them.
“Why no answer? Did you put glue on the mouth that was teasing me just now?”
“I was wrong, so calm down.”
“Then why do things you’ll have to apologize for?”
Usually, she would let it go quickly if he apologized, but seeing how she kept hounding him, it seemed he had touched a serious nerve.
Just as Mars was looking for a way to escape the grave he had dug for himself, a knock was heard.
“Lady Chloe, the Young Duke of MacMilden has arrived.”
“Oh, the protagonist is here.”
The face of Mars, who had found a good way to escape, brightened up instantly.
“You’re not quite ready yet, right? I’ll keep the Young Duke MacMilden company, so don’t worry and take your time coming out.”
As if afraid Chloe might catch him, Mars said his piece and quickly slipped out of the bedroom.
He’s only fast when he’s running away. Clicking her tongue as she watched her pathetic brother’s departing shadow, Chloe read the rest of the letter.
The maids nagged that there was no time and they had to finish up, but she ignored them cleanly. The letter was more important than that.
[Unfortunately, I couldn’t find a single trace of mana, let alone magic, on the charred note you sent before. No matter how badly it’s burned, mana traces usually remain, so the fact that none were left means a very high-level magic was cast on it.]
I see. Since she was a layman when it came to magic, Chloe didn’t think deeply and believed Jeremy’s words as they were.
[Also, I accidentally lost the glass bottle that contained the medicine, so I couldn’t investigate it. I should have been more careful. I am truly sorry, Sister.]
The slightly slanted handwriting seemed to carry Jeremy’s sigh. To think he lost it. It would be a lie to say she wasn’t disappointed, but since she hadn’t expected much, Chloe brushed it off as no big deal.
[However, I have found a mage who can help. Someone very knowledgeable in that field. I managed to persuade them with difficulty and set an appointment, so let’s meet two days from now at 11:00 AM, in front of the blue-roofed two-story house at 23 Pesa Street.]
By ‘that field,’ he must mean dark magic. Then, did he find a dark mage? Or is it a normal mage interested in dark magic? How did Jeremy find such a person?
Chloe folded the letter neatly and tucked it deep into her drawer along with the questions that kept piling up. Worrying wasn’t going to give her an answer, and since Ian was waiting, she had to finish up and head out.
Chloe looked at her reflection in the mirror. She had dressed up elaborately many times to attend social parties, but it felt strange and awkward since she had never dressed up for just one person.
Moreover, of all things, it had to be pink. Chloe grimaced as she thought of Bianca Lloyd’s hair color.
“Is there something you don’t like, My Lady?”
Dorothy, taking it the wrong way, asked worriedly. The expressions of the other maids were also serious. Chloe smiled faintly as if she had never scowled.
“It’s fine. Good work, everyone.”
“Not at all! Rather, it was an honor to be part of My Lady’s first date!”
“That’s right! You must have a wonderful date!”
“I said it’s not a date.”
Chloe denied it firmly, but nothing changed. The maids’ eyes sparkled as if stars had been embedded in them. Seeing Countess Elena in their expressions, Chloe shook her head and left the bedroom.
As she passed through the long hallway and down to the central hall, the expressions of the servants she encountered were the same as the maids who had helped her dress. From the looks of it, the story that she was going on a date with Ian MacMilden had spread far and wide among the servants.
“Ah, she’s coming down now.”
She was getting a bit annoyed, but seeing Mars grinning mischievously with his eyes crinkled like crescents, her annoyance reached its peak. Just as Chloe was about to snap at him to stop smiling, she faltered as Ian MacMilden appeared behind her brother. Meeting those golden eyes, the annoyance that had risen to her throat sank back down to her chest.
“Hello, Ian.”
It was a greeting she had said countless times, but today it felt significantly awkward. It felt like a small fishbone was stuck in her throat. The unfamiliar and unsettling feeling of an unknown emotion made Chloe instinctively fiddle with her neck as she approached the two. Mars, stepping back with a mysterious smile, placed a hand on his chest and spoke.
“Now that today’s protagonist has arrived, the supporting actor shall take his leave.”
If you’re going to go, just get lost quietly. Why do you have to do weird things until the end?
Narrowing her eyes at Mars’s retreating back, Chloe turned her head as she felt an intense gaze. Ian, whose eyes met hers, slowly scanned her from top to bottom. His pupils paused briefly on the points of emphasis like the ribbons and brooch, before scanning down to her toes and back up again.
Normally, words like ‘you’re pretty’ or ‘how is your outfit today’ should follow, but he said nothing. Since he only stared at her piercingly with eyes that revealed nothing of his thoughts, Chloe, feeling a bit self-conscious, scratched her cheek and asked.
“Is it strange?”
“No, you’re pretty.”
At the immediate response, Chloe looked at him with dazed eyes. Ian, smiling with one corner of his mouth pulled up, held out his hand.
“Shall we go then?”
Was it because she heard she was pretty? Or was it because this outing had been draped in the fine-sounding name of a ‘date’?
Even the escort she received frequently felt unfamiliar, so Chloe hesitated before carefully placing her hand on top of his.
Discussion
0 CommentsReactions
No comments yet.