The Double Life of a Wicked Woman

“And now, I hope you won’t say, ‘It’s fine, it happens often,’ anymore.”

Ah, so the suggestion wasn’t made out of concern for her own image being ruined by the strange rumors, but rather for me, the so-called ‘villain’ or ‘witch,’ who would suffer more and get hurt. It was a suggestion made for my sake.

In the novel, Arahan was as kind as Ozburn. Of course, his kindness was more of a manner than anything, and unlike Ozburn’s excessive kindness, it was never too much. Because she was a young lady. Because she was a woman, he adhered to the basic manners expected of him. Keeping those, he built his image without any trouble.

The reason I never had much affection for Arahan in the book was the same. A meeting between two kind people. How boring it was. One was too kind, and the other overflowed with consideration and manners. The emperor caught between them acted like a tyrant, seeking Ozburn’s love, and even that emperor, who loved Ozburn, tried to kill her, and it was Elisabeth who did that.

Now I think I understand why Ozburn loved Arahan.

***

“Lady…? Are you alright? You don’t look well. Your cheek…”

“No, I’m fine. It’s just that it’s been a long time since someone worried about me.”

Back when I was Isehwa, who worried about me? The only one who ever worried about me was my mother, but after she passed away, my father left with his mistress and the insurance money, and I was left all alone.

The excessive attention Elisabeth received felt strange to me, as I had never received such care from anyone. Maybe that’s why Arahan’s words stabbed at my heart even more.

“I don’t think that’s true. Count Arhelcia and Lady Anais care about you and love you too.”

“Right. You’re right. Haha, well then, let’s hurry to the dessert shop!”

The love and worry I should have received, not the one Elisabeth should have. It was so clearly not mine. When I return, I might miss this, but—wasn’t I supposed to not get attached? And yet, after just two days, here I am, attaching myself.

I took the first step and looked up at the clear sky. No matter what, I wasn’t from this world. The harsh reality of the original world, even though this world was peaceful, it would make no difference. So, I decided to stay under an appropriate line.

Once we stepped away from the street, the area filled with dessert shops was crowded with couples and young ladies enjoying tea. And many of the young ladies’ gazes weren’t directed at the cakes and cookies displayed in the shops, but at the man beside me, Aratan. If I hadn’t dressed as a man, hadn’t worn the servant’s clothes…

Ah, just thinking about it is terrifying. Of course, Elisabeth would have liked those gazes, but…

Aratan, too, headed towards the largest shop in the dessert street, where the longest line was. Countless gazes followed every step he took. Among them, some approached him to get his attention, while others observed from afar. Of course, I stood beside him, fulfilling my role as a servant.

“Lady… Hmm. I’m not sure what to call you.”

“Well, just call me ‘El,’ it’s simple.”

“Is that your alias?”

“It’s not, but it just seems like a simple, easily deceivable name.”

“Indeed, it is. El. Is there anything you’d like to eat?”

I turned my gaze to the many cakes displayed in the showcase. The cakes, which looked so delicious, were on a different level from the descriptions in the book. The author wasn’t weak in description, but these visuals far exceeded it. I couldn’t help but lick my lips, looking at each dessert through the glass window, trying to decide what to have.

“They’re so beautiful…!”

As I gazed at the cakes with bright eyes, I noticed Aratan’s shoulder flinch slightly, but I was so absorbed in the cakes that I didn’t pay much attention, continuing to choose.

“Oh my~ isn’t that Lord Aratan?”

A voice, like the one often found in shoujo manga, of a woman trying to show off and act important, made me unconsciously look up at its owner. Her red hair was dry and curly, unlike Elisabeth’s, and her eyes were a deep green, giving off a very different impression from Ozburn’s bright green. Her gaze had no sparkle, just a dull green. She looked like one of those nameless extras.

“Oh, Lady Charlotte, is it? How nice to see you.”

Aratan, who had been smiling kindly, tilted his head, as though wondering what this was about. How could he recognize everyone by their faces and know their names? He seemed to remember the names of all the nobles.

“Oh, it’s nothing much~ By the way, I read the newspaper this morning.”

The woman, whether her name was Charlotte or something else, made the most sorrowful expression she could and continued in a mournful voice.

“Are you alright…? Oh my, because of that wicked girl from Arhelcia, Lord Aratan is suffering… I’m sure the Vincent family won’t let this slide!”

…Huh? What’s this? She’s openly calling her a wicked girl. Just as I was about to ignore it to avoid complicating things…

“It seems like a word that a noble lady wouldn’t usually use… Could you please correct yourself?”

Arahan stepped forward and spoke instead. Why was he suddenly being so kind?

“Oh, I’m sorry. I got a bit carried away. But are you alright? You haven’t been threatened… or put under any dark magic, have you?”

Lady Charlotte’s expression, as she cautiously asked, was so ridiculous that I almost ran over to say something, but Arahan, who had been smiling kindly, instead stiffened his expression and stared at Lady Charlotte. His voice, calm like when he dealt with the nobleman who had tried to hit a child earlier, now carried an unmistakable mix of irritation and anger.

“As much as you are a noble lady, I don’t think you should speak so carelessly about Lady Arhelcia.”

“…But!”

“Even though you are also a lady of an earl’s house, I’m sure you’re aware that Lady Arhelcia is the only granddaughter of the Vincent family… If there is even one person from the Vincent family on this street right now, your recent statement will cause problems for your family.”

“……”

Ah, so Elisabeth is the granddaughter of the Vincent family, that’s why.

Now that I understood the reason behind Arahan’s kindness, I nodded in agreement. Both families were founding families and staunch imperial supporters, so it was impossible for them not to have any connections. Plus, if Elisabeth’s grandfather personally came to say, “Is it you? The one who touched my granddaughter?”—I could understand why Arahan would go out of his way to protect me.

Lady Charlotte, whose shoulders had shrunk under Arahan’s slightly agitated tone, glanced around to see if anyone was on her side, but no one came to her aid. Realizing this, she quickly reddened and covered her face with her fan, but someone would definitely remember her words today. I couldn’t wait to tell someone about this. Also, now, I just wanted to eat my dessert.

“Um, Lord Duke?”

“Oh, my apologies. Have you chosen a cake?”

“…No. They all look so delicious that I can’t decide…”

“I see.”

…??? What does he mean by “I see”? I only asked for his opinion, so why is he walking toward the shop so confidently? Is he planning to ask for a recommendation from the staff? After chatting with the employee for a minute or so inside the store, Arahan returned to my side and spoke.

“Let’s go.”

“Go where? No, wait—weren’t you going to buy me a cake?”

“Yes, I bought the cakes, so now we need to eat them. You don’t want to eat them right here in the middle of the city, do you?”

Of course not. A lot of people would be watching us, and even though I was disguised, someone might recognize me. Besides, I couldn’t guarantee that there wouldn’t be someone like Lady Charlotte here, so for my own comfort, I was planning to eat somewhere else. And Arahan must have picked up on that, suggesting we go somewhere else to eat.

“Well, that’s not it…”

You should at least tell me where we’re going!!

But I didn’t say that out loud. I couldn’t, to be exact. The cakes that had been on display earlier were quickly being sold, and the signs in front of the display case now said “sold out.” Could it be…?

“Lord Duke, just to ask…”

“Be careful. When El asks, it hurts.”

“……”

“I’m joking.”

“You said it so seriously, I thought you were being serious… Anyway, you didn’t buy all the cakes in that display case, did you?”

“I did.”

“…Huh?”

“I bought them all because you couldn’t decide what to eat.”

Oh my God, this man must be crazy. Or is he planning to use them for something else? Could it be?! Wasn’t this the kind of consideration he should be showing Ozburn?! Wasn’t I supposed to be his enemy? When I made a stunned expression, Arahan just stared at me blankly, as though he didn’t understand my reaction.

This can’t be just because I’m the granddaughter of the Vincent family, right…?

It was definitely about the cheek. I had no idea why I had to take that slap for him, and why this whole thing had turned out like this.