Chapter 4 - That’s Your Role, Not Mine

Chapter 4 – That’s Your Role, Not Mine

“…”

Silence.

It was only natural. The party host said she was interested in the Crown Prince, but a crazy woman immediately interrupted and said the same thing afterwards. Dorothea somehow managed to uncomfortably remain in the center of attention. Remaining confident regardless of any awkwardness was a talent.

I sighed deeply inside. Our good Maristella kindly defended Dorothea whenever the latter made these absurd remarks. That was the role the author wanted Maristella to have—to stay by the heroine’s side to cover up her mistakes and help her achieve her desire.

But I was Oh Mari, not Maristella. I didn’t have the slightest desire of helping Dorothea.

“Oh…” A bewildered sound emerged from Odeletta’s lips, then she replied with a polite smile. “I see.”

“Yes, Lady Odeletta,” Dorothea said proudly, without any intention of retreat. “I also fell in love with him at first sight…but it turns out Lady Odeletta does too. You have good taste as well.”

Dorothea gave a playful chuckle. But no one else but her laughed. nevermind that they were even at a party. However, Dorothea did not seem to mind much.

“Yes, Lady Dorothea,” Lady Odeletta said. “His Highness the Crown Prince is a well-rounded and handsome man. So how can I be the only one who has a crush on him? What you said was only reasonable.”

Odeletta didn’t look offended, but she was only wearing a mask. In truth, it was written later in the novel that she was quite displeased by Dorothea. Odeletta already knew that Dorothea didn’t look at her favorably; likewise, she didn’t like Dorothea either. However, Odeletta’s role as villainess made her hate the other woman more. A villainess was necessary in the story, so it was an inevitable.

“As you know, the Crown Prince is at an age where he cannot delay marriage. He’s getting older.” Odeletta ended the conversation with an elegant smile. “It is my wish that he will marry a good partner, whoever it is.”

“So do I, Lady Odeletta. Isn’t that the wish of all the nobles?” Dorothea said with another tinkling laugh, and I wanted to yell at her ‘Are you crazy, Rothe? Please stop it!’ But if I did that, she would probably say, “Why, Marie. This is entertaining.” There was no dealing with her.

Odeletta gave a light bow and politely excused herself. “I should go to another table. I hope you will continue to enjoy the party, everyone.”

She maintained her composed elegance until the end, then, after she left, the chatter at the table continued. I looked at Dorothea, who was actively participating in the conversation. However, I noticed she was glaring sulkily at Odeletta, who was talking to a table with another group.

I sighed once again. Although the events did not go as described in the novel, the author had written the confrontation between Dorothea and Odeletta as a triumph for the heroine. The author seemed to like it when Dorothea confessed her love to the Crown Prince and humiliated Odeletta.

*

*

*

“Why did you do that?” Dorothea asked when we were back in the carriage.

“What?” I responded.

“The situation earlier,” Dorothea complained as she rubbed her lips. “Why didn’t you take my side?”

“You mean when you mentioned the Crown Prince?”

“Yes, then!”

“Rothe, what do you think I should have said?” I was genuinely curious about her answer, which was not described in the book.

She replied without hesitation. “There are many things. For example, ‘His Royal Highness seemed very interested in Lady Dorothea’ or ‘Actually, Lady Dorothea’s hair looks better than yours’ or ‘His Royal Highness said he likes rich women.’ Those kinds of things.”

“…”

What was this fool talking about?

“Are you serious, Rothe?” I asked in stunned amazement.

Dorothea nodded. Wow, crazy.

“If I had said that, we would have both been buried. Are you insane?” I snapped.

“What are you talking about? It’s not wrong.”

“Then if it wasn’t wrong, why didn’t you speak up?”

“What?” she said dumbfoundedly.

“I might not have thought that in that situation. Why didn’t you say it yourself?”

“That’s your role, not mine, Marie.”

“…What?” Her words were like a blow to my face.

“I need someone to help me,” she explained. “If I say it by myself, then my image would…not be good.”

“…”

How could this person exist? I mutely blinked my eyes at her. Even if Maristella wasn’t executed, she would have died early from stress. I was sure of it. No, would Maristella even recognize this situation as stressful in the first place?

I plastered a fake smile back on my face. “If you say something confidently, then I’m sure your reputation will survive, Rothe!”

“Yes, but! Today you’ve been so cold to me,” Dorothea grumbled, blissfully ignorant of the rudeness of her entitlement. I couldn’t get used to this person. First she asked me to tie her ribbon, and now this.

“I think you’re acting a little strange today, Marie,” she chirped.

“…”

Abnormal people were the ones who saw normal people as abnormal. But it was still too early for me to say that, so I decided to save my retort for later. Instead, I said this. “I was always like this, Rothe.”

“No, Marie.” Dorothea strongly shook her head. “You weren’t like this before.”

“How was I like before?” I asked with genuine curiosity. To be exact, I wanted to hear what Dorothea thought of Maristella, though I didn’t expect anything less than pretentiousness and tactlessness.

“The old you was not like this. Up to the last time we met, you only cared about me. You were never this cold.”

“I still only think of you, Rothe,” I lied, but Dorothea didn’t seem to believe it. “I’m looking out for you using my most reasonable judgment.”

“If you really were looking out for me, then why did you just sit there like that?’

“Your view of ‘looking out for you’ is different from my view of ‘looking out for you’. I’m doing it my way. You do your way. Isn’t that fine?”

“Why can’t you do it my way?” she insisted.

I did my damndest to be patient with her. “I am not you, and I have my own thoughts. It’s perfectly natural for me to act on my own judgment, Rothe. I’m not your doll, but a living person. You can understand this, right?”

“….”

Dorothea kept her mouth shut as if she couldn’t find the words to refute me. But in actuality, I thought that she was probably thinking, ‘Can’t you live as my doll?’ She probably thought the minimum amount of respect was enough.

“Lady Dorothea, we have arrived,” the carriage driver announced.

The Bellafleur mansion was relatively close to the Trakos mansion. I smiled casually and bid Dorothea farewell.

“Goodbye, Rothe.”

“…Goodbye.”

It was amazing that she still had some sliver of manners. Given her personality, I thought I would be told to shut up and go away.

Shortly afterwards, the carriage carrying Dorothea set off for her house, and as I watched the carriage disappear, I smiled. I knew that she’d stick to me even after this break up.

Because Dorothea couldn’t do anything without Maristella.

***

“Ah, you’ve arrived, My Lady?”

As soon as I entered the house, I heard Florinda’s high voice and saw her rush towards me.

“Why are you greeting me so excitedly Florinda?” I asked with an awkward smile.

“I always greet you like this,” she replied with a shrug of her shoulders, and I decided to act as naturally as possible. In fact, the biggest challenge for me was not that ridiculous tea party I was at earlier, nor that cancer that called me her best friend.

It was this house itself. There was almost no description of Maristella’s surroundings in the book. As far as I could remember, Florinda’s name was mentioned only a few times. I should be given infinite praise for even remembering that trivial date.

In any case, that was all I knew of the situation, and I had no idea the circumstances Maristella had grown up in, what the atmosphere was like in the Bellafleur family, or even if she had siblings. The author never bothered mentioning any of it. If there was only one thing I knew, it was that she did not lose her parents early in life.

“Sister!”

A strange voice pierced my ears. With a puzzled expression, I turned my head towards the sound. A blonde-haired girl was running towards me. I took a few steps back, startled, but she didn’t slow down. Who on earth was she?

Florinda, who was standing next to me, stopped the girl. “Oh dear, Lady Martina. You’ll get hurt.”

“But I’m so glad to see her!” The girl called Martina turned towards me with a sunny expression. “Sister, you’re back now!”

“Huh? Yeah—”

“Were you with Lady Cornohen again?” she said, her voice wary.

I wanted to lie, but I decided to be honest. “Yes.”

“Ugh, you saw her again!” Martina’s expression crumpled as if she hated the idea of me seeing Dorothea. I studied this doll-like girl as she scrunched up her features. Judging by the title by which she addressed me, this must be Maristella’s little sister. Given that she hated Maristella seeing Dorothea so much, she must have grasped Dorothea’s hypocrisy early on.

Too bad Maristella didn’t notice it until it was too late.