Margareta’s pupils slowly dilated within her upturned, cat-like eyes. They were as intense as the eyes of a predator that had just discovered its prey.
“I never do things like refunds.”
“What?”
She suddenly snatched my hand. Her hand was so hot that I felt a flash of heat rush through my entire body.
“And I don’t throw things away just because I don’t like them. Once something enters my hands, it belongs to me and the Torrent family.”
“Margareta? Excuse me? I’m a person, not an object…”
“Hahaha! Let’s go see my grandfather next time. That old man will be so happy! His Majesty might dislike the ducal families interacting, but what could he possibly say about a mere gathering of women?”
“Mar, Margareta…?”
‘Am I… did I push some kind of button?’
She brought her face close to mine and spoke without pause.
‘I’m scared!’
Margareta’s breath brushed against the bridge of my nose.
“He might prefer us to be at odds rather than being friendly, but he’d surely prefer a social gathering over us trying to tear each other’s throats out! That’s how politics works, isn’t it?”
“Margareta…! We’re just becoming friends, you don’t have to go that far…”
“Anyway, I’ll be in your care, Liana. Hahahaha!”
“…Yes, Margareta…”
Margareta pulled me into a sudden hug before releasing me with a bright smile.
A hint of regret welled up inside me, but I forced a smile along with her, recalling her remark about there being no “refunds.” Will I end up begging her to please discard me later?
“Hehehehe.”
Laughing lowly like a villain, Margareta stood up with a much more refreshed expression.
“Oh! Let’s finish what we were talking about. Anyway, Liana, you really need to learn how to doubt people. That servant, Harkins, said those things on purpose. I can’t stand seeing a friend get taken advantage of, so keep your guard up from now on.”
‘Harkins did leak those words on purpose.’
I nodded.
“Once you’ve been targeted, it’s too late.”
Margareta’s words sounded significant.
“So, Liana, you’re saying I should apologize to that rude man right now?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
‘Because I kicked his shins.’
I was about to speak honestly but then checked Margareta’s expression. She wasn’t the kind of lady who would listen if I were completely blunt.
Margareta still looked a bit displeased, but she was surprisingly generous. I offered a plausible excuse.
“Because he is close to His Highness.”
What Margareta wanted was the position right next to Evan. Therefore, Evan’s dignity was also important.
“In other words, you want me to do it so things won’t be awkward with Evan?”
“Yes. It’s also better for your reputation later on.”
Before my regression, Margareta was always plagued by rumors. They ranged from stories of her bullying classmates and having a quick temper to messy, unverified claims about her buying friends with money.
Margareta’s anger had bordered on villainy starting in her third year, when the rumors grew worse.
“Margareta.”
Even if you aren’t afraid of rumors, you need to manage your image, okay? I can’t just leave someone I’ve decided to be friends with alone!
I squeezed her hand as if pleading.
“Fine! There’s a limit to being a good person. Stop worrying about others. No matter what anyone says, I am a Torrent. I can just crush those piddling rumors!”
“Margareta…”
Despite shouting that she wouldn’t go, Margareta picked up her shawl.
“Aren’t you going?”
“I’m going!”
I wondered if I was partly responsible for the rumors that had grown so monstrous.
The Margareta who held titles like “The Power-Tripping Lady,” “The Villainess,” “The Obsessive Woman,” and “The Greatest Jealous Woman of All Time” was so different from the Margareta in front of me now.
“Wear this.”
Margareta, who was about to drape the shawl over her own shoulders, noticed my bare shoulders and held it out to me.
“I’m fine.”
See? She has a kind side.
“Ha! Surely a lady who has never done physical training knows she’ll catch a cold walking around like that?”
Margareta clicked her tongue and draped the shawl over my shoulders.
Fiddling with the shawl she gave me, I headed toward the infirmary where Cecilia would be. The tips of Margareta’s ears, walking ahead of me, were red.
***
“Actually, I thought deeply about what Liana said the other day.”
Margareta, who had been walking in silence, spoke up as we climbed the stairs to the infirmary.
Walking up with confident strides, Margareta gripped the railing and turned her head. I, following a step behind, naturally stopped as well.
“Liana was the first person to speak to me like that. Well, even if someone else had said it, I’m not the type to listen.”
I stared at her blankly. What had I said to her?
Only mundane things came to mind. The kind of words one forgets quickly.
Margareta laughed slowly. It was a smile that commanded the atmosphere.
The hair ornament Margareta wore swayed in the wind blowing through the large window. The jewels clinked together, making a clear sound.
Margareta, seemingly lost in thought, shrugged her shoulders.
“It’s fine if you don’t know.”
“Let’s hurry.”
Thinking she would bring it up again later if it was important, I decided to focus on handling today’s matters first.
If Evan’s feelings for Cecilia were as solid as they were “before the regression,” there would be nothing I could do, but if they weren’t…
I found myself wishing things would go well between Evan and Margareta. Then the engagement would proceed as planned.
‘Margareta, please hold your temper just a little! Just treat them smoothly. Okay?’
*Rattle.*
Margareta threw the door open without hesitation.
‘Margareta, you certainly are bold…’
Admiring Margareta’s hesitance-free personality with a hint of envy, I followed her inside, only to find her standing frozen.
“…”
“Margareta, go in…”
Calling out to her as she stood still, I took a step forward and immediately regretted suggesting we come here. I sincerely, truly regretted persuading her to come by using Evan’s name and mentioning an “apology.”
Every building in the academy was beautiful, built with craftsmanship from an aesthetic perspective.
Unfortunately, that included the infirmary.
Afternoon sunlight spilled through the wide windows that ran in a straight line, and dust motes drifted quietly in the air.
The warm, swaying sunlight also softly caressed the faces of those leaning against the bed. Their faces looked even warmer and softer under the touch of the light.
It was a scene that made even my face flush.
Cecilia was leaning loosely against the bed. Her slightly disheveled hair softly wrapped around her rounded shoulders.
The atmosphere was as sweet as melted sugar.
Evan was leaning over beside the bed. His hand, resting on the mattress, was at a precarious distance, almost touching Cecilia’s hand.
He was gently brushing away the sweat-dampened strands of hair from Cecilia’s face.
To call it mere kindness, his touch was far too careful.
Harkins’s expression as he watched the two was the definition of loss. His face, masked by a bitter smile, seemed to testify to the relationship between Evan and Cecilia—proving that, at least in this moment, their bond was far from ordinary.
None of the three seemed to notice that we had entered.
‘That shouldn’t be possible.’
I couldn’t be certain… but there was no way their relationship would progress this quickly…
“Margareta…”
Was it a mistake for me to step in?
I wanted something… to change for the better. I thought it could change, but was my interference wrong?
Instead, my meddling had put Margareta in a painful situation.
No, more than that… I had hurt her.
I remembered Margareta carefully embroidering with her clumsy skills. I could see the image of her stitching Evan’s name in gold thread onto a green handkerchief.
*Click, clack.*
Her high heels struck the floor, making a sharp sound.
As if that sound broke a magic spell, the shimmering atmosphere shattered.
Cecilia leaned her face into Evan’s hand. When Cecilia’s gaze turned toward us, Evan naturally shifted his eyes as well. I could feel his surprise—first when he saw Margareta, and a second time when he saw me standing behind her.
Before his hand could even pull away, Margareta marched forward and snatched Evan’s hand. When Cecilia’s head wobbled from losing her support, Harkins quickly caught her.
Margareta’s lips trembled as she gripped Evan’s arm. Evan winced, as if her grip was incredibly strong.
“What are you doing—”
Before Harkins could finish his sentence, Margareta warned him.
“Shut up.”
It was a heavy warning.
Her voice was like a nail being driven in. It wasn’t loud or sharp, but because of that, her anger felt all the more palpable.
Margareta didn’t even look at Harkins. She only glared at Evan.
Her hand shook violently. Evan’s hand turned white from the lack of circulation. Evan didn’t say a single word. With a grimace, he seemed to be accepting the silent accusation Margareta was sending his way.
“Um, Lady Margareta…”
‘Cecilia, please be quiet!’
Margareta did not react to the clear, timid voice interjecting as if testing the waters.
She only applied more force to the arm she was holding. It was as if she intended to crush Evan’s arm in her grasp.
“Margareta.”
Only then did Evan open his mouth.
“…”
But he had no excuse to offer. Having called her name in vain, Evan fell silent again.
“Um…”
Cecilia eventually reached out as if to stop Margareta, her lips quivering. But this time, Margareta did not allow Cecilia to interfere. Without even looking, she coldly struck Cecilia’s hand away with her other hand.
It was a short, concise motion, but the sound of the impact was quite heavy.
“What do you think you’re doing!”
Harkins hurriedly checked Cecilia’s arm.
“Harkins! Do not interfere.”
*Thud!* My foot hit the infirmary floor before I knew it. My voice flew out sharply, like a warning.
Everyone turned their heads so fast I could almost hear the sound.
“…”
I hadn’t intended to shout like that.
Margareta also looked at me. Her arm, still gripping Evan, trembled. Her eyes seemed to be demanding, ‘You aren’t going to tell me to apologize after seeing this, are you?’ On the other hand, they also seemed to say, ‘See? Don’t you realize they aren’t even worth an apology?’
My mouth went dry with tension.
‘I can still fix this. I can’t let it be ruined after coming all this way.’
I met the gazes of the four people one by one, finally looking at Margareta.
“We came to see if Cecilia was alright. Lady Margareta herself said she wanted to apologize.”
Right, Margareta? Just nod your head! No, actually, could you just let go of Evan’s arm? No, just staying still would be enough…
Hah. I wanted to bite my tongue for saying such things in the face of such an obvious scene.
This was wrong. Even I thought this was a mess. But I couldn’t let it fall apart after dragging Margareta all the way here.
“I don’t know how this will sound. It might be rude, but may I speak?”
Evan remained silent.
But his eyes seemed to signal his permission.
“Even to me, this looks like a misunderstanding. Since the engagement ceremony for the two of you isn’t far off…”
Even if Margareta slapped Evan’s cheek and walked out, I didn’t think Evan would chase after her to explain. If that was the case, I thought it would be better for me to try and frame the situation as best as I could.
I continued, careful not to sound accusatory. If I sounded sarcastic, the plan would fail regardless of my intentions. When saying things like this, attitude is more important than intent.
I blinked my eyes rapidly on purpose. I adopted the tone of someone mentioning an everyday occurrence that would be forgotten immediately after being said—a light, soft tone. I maintained a clear stance, sounding as light as a butterfly and giving the impression that I wasn’t taking anyone’s side.
I gave Evan and Margareta a cold smile that felt appropriately distant.
“If the intent of the engagement is clear…”
Evan’s pupils seemed to waver for a moment.