CH 7

I remembered the superficial look of that man I saw the day we first met. He was like a puppet with no emotions.

It creeped me out, knowing what he was really like. What if Lethenia had a child with him?

Perhaps the child would be brutally killed, saying that they had witch blood in their veins. I imagined Ianhart, the male lead, to be that cold-hearted.

Stella let out a small laugh at the sight of me waving my hands in disgust. Seeing her smile reminded me of the first time I met the maid after possessing this body.

The Empress had a variety of maids at her side. Some combed her hair, some served her tea, some bathed her, each with a specific role.

But with the exception of Stella, none of them would make eye contact with me, much less engage in conversation. Not only the maids, but all the courtiers seemed to avoid Empress Lethenia.

I glanced at Stella and asked, “Aren’t you afraid of me, Stella?”

“Of course not.”

“People here seem to freak out at the mere sight of me.”

“That’s because…… well, you have such a prestigious position, and besides, you exude an air of grace and dignity that most people can’t approach…….”

“You don’t have to sugarcoat it like that.”

Stella trailed off, seemingly stunned by my words. I had a vague idea of Lethenia’s reputation in the palace.

In the original story, she was so sensitive and snotty that no one stayed with her. I think it was a self-defense mechanism.

Even though I tried to make the courtiers who were tense around me feel less stressed by smiling slightly whenever our eyes met, it seemed to have the opposite effect.

Whatever I do, the bad things Lethenia did won’t go away, so I decided it was better not to worry about it.

Instead, I find myself alone more often with Stella, who is gentle with me.

After living here for some time, I realize that Stella is the only one who seems to genuinely care about Lethenia and give her advice, as she often does in the novels.

Theo isn’t the only one who reaches out to the thorny rose. Stella, though she had very little screen time in the original story, was also a trusted confidante of Lethenia’s.

She explained every detail of my life to me, even when it seemed like a hassle, and answered all of my strange questions about this world. Stella’s dark gray eyes were always filled with goodwill toward me. As a reader, she’s been a supportive friend to Lethenia that I didn’t realize.

She spoke in a warm voice.

“But I like Her Majesty.”

“You have an unusual way of looking at people. Stella is the only one in the palace who can say that.”

“Of course, you have to experience it yourself. I’m so upset when I hear everyone talking about her majesty without knowing anything.”

I found Stella’s sulking to be adorable. It’s been a long time since I talked openly with a girl my age, as I had always been alone in reality.

My ex-boyfriend, who was less than scum, didn’t want me to meet anyone from the beginning of our relationship, whether it was a girl or a guy. He said he loved me so much that if I met my friends and couldn’t contact me, he would go crazy.

He told me that it’s natural to distance yourself from friends when you’re in a relationship, and that’s being considerate of your lover. But that only applies to me.

He was annoyed, saying he was forced to go and meet someone to make friends and build connections. 

“You should go for a walk once in a while. It’s good for your health. Oh well, it’s a beautiful day.”

Stella suggested going for a walk together in the afternoon. She seemed to be really eager to go outside today.

I firmly refused to go to the rose garden, where the Emperor often passed by. Surprisingly, she led me to the fountain with the lion statue, not the rose garden.

I felt a little odd, but I followed her anyway.

However, it didn’t take long for me to realize why she was so obedient. There was someone there whom I really didn’t want to see.

Emperor Ianhart. It was our second meeting.

As soon as I recognized his figure in the distance, my heart began to beat faster. I sent Stella a resentful glance, and she flinched. It was obvious that she had a bigger picture in mind.

“Stella, why is the Emperor here?”

I whispered softly to Stella, but she pretends not to hear. When I was about to urgently turn around and leave…

“Did you come to see me?”

His words echoed behind me, and I stopped in my tracks. I had been avoiding him as much as possible since our first meeting. It was because it was hard to handle the intense emotion of the body owner.

As his footsteps grew closer, I felt more nervous. I hesitated for a moment.

Would it look so weird if I left without looking back? But I soon changed my mind.

Yeah, it’s not like I’m going to be able to live here and not see them for the rest of my life, I quickly organized my thoughts in my head.

I looked back on the memory of the day when I just woke up from my dream. At that time, the moment I met his eyes very close, the size of my emotions doubled.

Let’s not make eye contact. I took a gentle deep breath and turned my back slowly.

“…….”

The appearance of the male protagonist, whom I hadn’t seen since my possession, was like a lion from hell. He smiled like a doll again at me.

Even the angle at which he raised the corners of his mouth was calculated, but funnily enough, I thought it was quite beautiful. As soon as I realized he was near, another wave of intense emotion washed over me. I thought it would be hilarious if I suddenly burst into tears, like I did on the first day of my possession.

I tried to calm it down by imagining something pleasant. The smell of the ocean, colorful macaroons, a cute puppy chasing me with its tail wagging…….

And my own paradise where all this is possible. Yes, if I overcome this well, you can be happy forever.

I’ve endured even the worst things in my life. In my heart I thought hard about my original purpose. Fortunately, it worked a little, perhaps because of the intense desire for paradise.

“I didn’t realize you were here.”

“I’m sure there aren’t any courtiers who don’t know that I’m here at this time every day”

He continued, giving a cold look to Stella next to me.

“Even the Empress’s maid.”

Stella avoided the cold glares of the Emperor and me. He scanned me slowly from head to toe and smiled slightly.

Like the work of a genius painter, his face was perfect, but his cold eyes remained.

“You look good. For someone who’s been sick.”

“I’m fine now.”

“I was going to ask you to go to the sanatorium. If you’re far away, I won’t have useless thoughts.”

He meant that he wanted to get Lethenia out of his sight. I have seen it in the original story.

Often, whenever Lethenia did something that got on his nerves, he would suggest that she leave the palace. And that had a significant impact on Lethenia.

Ian’s voice was still soft and low, but he seemed to be hiding a needle that penetrated the heart. He spoke perfunctory in a dry tone.

“Anyway, I’m glad you’re okay.”

I couldn’t take his words at face value. It probably meant that he didn’t think it was fortunate that I had recovered.

He would have preferred that Lethenia never wake up. They may have been inseparable when they were young, but he was now treating Lethenia with hatred for the Bledel family.

I remembered the end of Lethenia, who had to die miserably. This man was someone who would someday stab me with a smile on his face.

It was strange to see him smiling falsely in front of me when we both knew what he was thinking. Intense emotions flickered within me like flames.

Emperor Ianhardt may have been the male protagonist, but for Lethenia, he was the villain.

Stupid Lethenia turned a blind eye to the truth and pushed herself into a corner because her judgment was blurred by the friendly words and pretentious smiles he occasionally threw her. Like Kim Sejin in the past.

“I’m sorry.”

“What for?”

“As you said, I should have been sick enough to go to the sanatorium.”

“I never wanted that.”

“You wanted me to die.”

I knew I had to stop, but the venomous words spilled out of my mouth. As I slowly lost my composure, another surge of anger tugged at my mind.

Ian’s smile deepened, but his eyes were still not smiling.

It felt like he was laughing, yet there was no trace of amusement in his eyes. An invisible chill rapidly cooled down the atmosphere.

“You really think so?”

“Of course I do. I’m sorry, but you need to realize something: you’re only alive because you’re tied to the Bledel family you despise so much. It’s all thanks to Lethenia Bledel, the woman you are married too.”

Stella, who was standing beside me, gasped at my aggressive words. For a moment, a glimpse of his true feelings flickered in his abyss-like eyes.