Chapter 177 – Between The Usual Male And Female Lead

Between the usual male and female lead

Love. At that sound, my hand stopped on its own. It seemed to contain it as lightly as possible, but it couldn’t hide what was contained in it.

Without realizing it, my eyes turned towards the door. It was because I was curious about what my ears had picked up.

Ricdorian’s eyes were staring at me as if he had waited.

No, he seemed to have only stared at me. He looked at me and his cheeks were slightly colored, but he didn’t avert my gaze.

“Wow, this is the first time I’ve seen someone talking so openly like that.”

Parting the atmosphere that was as if there were only the two of us, Francia intervened.

“Are you confessing? What kind of confession did you just make like that?”

Francia crossed her legs. A twisted silhouette rose above her white skirt. Francia smiled.

“Not cool at all.”

…Huh?

For a moment I thought I had heard it wrong. When I looked at Francia’s face, she had an innocent face.

Her smile was bright, and her voice was so gentle, as if it was on a picnic. It was a sacred, mysterious, and warm appearance that was so well-suited to the position of a saint.

“If it were me, I would have run away. Run away.”

The words that came out were completely different.

There was not a single point of disturbance in her expression, even though it contained crooked words in the thin and pretty voice.

“Isn’t that right, Sister?”

When she asked for my affirmation, I could neither affirm nor deny it, but vaguely clouded my expression.

How am I supposed to react to this?

Clearly, I thought that Ricdorian and Francia had something to do with each other. Looking at Ricdorian, I thought it wouldn’t be the same relationship as in the book.

At least it wouldn’t be love.

But yes….

‘I didn’t think of the sight of them glaring at each other like this.’

There was nothing to say.

Ricdorian narrowed his eyes and stared coldly at Francia.

“I’ve told you once. You’d better watch your mouth.”

“Oh my goodness.”

Francia laughed softly.

“You better correct those words. Grand Duke. To be careful about what you say is… a precaution for those who do not have the power to take responsibility for it.”

Her head tilted gracefully. It was a lively face, but I could feel the dignity was overlaid on it vividly.

“Not me.”

One of Francia’s hands pointed to her own chest.

“I live with what I have to say.”

Francia had a round necklace hanging from her chest, and inside the flat plate were the same temple markings as seen from the carriage. It was a much simpler form.

“I came all the way up here for that. That’s what it is.”

I don’t know, but I seemed like a high-ranking person. Seeing how she held onto me like this.

“You allowed it, too, Grand Duke?”

Francia’s words returned to normal respectfully, but her expression was angry as if saying, ‘Why are you changing your words now?’.

Although it soon disappeared between smiles.

“How long are you going to be there?”

At Francia’s next words, Ricdorian’s frown lines overlapped one more.

“It’s my room?”

Behind these two, somehow, a huge cat, and a wild bear seem to howling ‘woowoo’.

I blinked my eyes slowly.

… Why the hell are you guys growling like you can’t eat each other?

It was very strange to see the male and female protagonists staring at each other.

“You have to say it correctly. Isn’t this Sister’s room?”

“The floor you are standing on is Hernim’s mansion.”

No. I thought at least they wouldn’t be in love like in the book. Why are they burning each other?

Somehow, I felt like a lone acorn that fell. How does it feel when you come to attend a quiz show and watch a bokbulbok* survival show?

“Are you aware that you are childish?”

“You would be the only one in the world to give me a term like that. I think you lack judgment.”

“Wow. Are you whining now?”

Whining? I tilted my head at the words that did not suit Ricdorian at all. For a brief moment, annoyance flashed across Ricdorian’s face.

“Will you stop saying words that Iana might misunderstand?”

“What is it? It’s just the answer. You didn’t talk about the Blue Rose because you thought you found her because she is the Blue Rose, didn’t you?”

“…..”

Ricdorian touched his face. It was like taking a small breath.

“… I really forgot.”

He said with a sigh.

“Because I didn’t even have time to think about it.”

Looking back, there was something passing by.

Even while Jaire was talking about the Blue Rose diligently, his eyes were fixed on me no matter what he said. Not long after that, he ran up to me and cried, saying he was sorry. Sorry for kidnapping me.

I haven’t had time to ask since then. He seemed very uncomfortable, so I didn’t ask.

“Hnng, I knew it well, but you’re amazing.”

Francia’s expression softened slightly. It wasn’t a tender face though.

“I didn’t think you have that much time”

It wasn’t a sarcastic or sharp tone.

“Francia Orr Rozenia.”

“Yes yes.”

Francia shrugged her slender shoulders. I want you to figure this out on your own, she seemed to be muttering so.

Ricdorian, who had a great sense, must have heard this sound without missing it.

There seemed to be no tension between the two. Like a long-time colleague, no. It only feels like a subtle atmosphere, like seeing coworkers who don’t get along well.

“Well, can I say it to you?”

Francia reached out her hand and gently held my hand.

“Our promise is different.”

She then grabbed it and swung her hand to Ricdorian.

“Isn’t that right, Red Rose?”

Ricdorian also frowned at the seemingly intimidating act, but he didn’t say anything.

“Don’t hold it tight.”

“Why?”

“Iana’s wrist is going to break.”

“Aha.”

Francia nodded and she really released the powers from her hands.

…. What are they talking about now?

“…Hey, it doesn’t break that much?”

Did she agree with what he said? She smiled and didn’t give strength to her hands.

“Your Excellency.”

Then she turned to Ricdorian.

“I’ll tell you one more time. Our promises are different. How long are you going to be there?”

The two stared at each other again. It reminded me of a cat and a small mouse in an animation, the more they look at each other, the less friendly they are.

“You said that if I meet Sister, we’ll be alone.”

At last, the identity of the contract that I was curious about was revealed. The two people’s eyes met tightly without making any concessions.

“…. I’ll be at the door front.”

In the end, it was Ricdorian who took a step back.

“No doubt?”

Francia bowed her chest and pretended to greeted. Of course, it was a greeting that did not feel sincere at all.

Ricdorian left the room. Apparently, the expression ‘in the door front’ really meant waiting at the door.

“If he’s in front of the door, he can hear everything.”

As it was only me and Francia left, she bent her lips when I said this.

“Hernim’s castle has soundproofing magic on the doors of every room, Sister.”

I looked at her for a moment at the explanation, and then she replied with a slight smile.

“Take it easy.”

“Oh, is that okay?”

“Of course. There’s nothing that can’t be done.”

Now, she is a much higher person. No. So so much higher?

‘Even if I’m the second child of Domulit. First of all, all the power in Domulit is owned by Chaser.’

While thinking about it, Francia smiled broadly. This smile was no different from when I was with her.

“So nice!”

Francia’s body hugged me tightly. Perhaps she was meant to be held in my arms, but now that she is a little bigger, it looks like I am in her arms.

“Perhaps if it’s the ability of the Red Rose, he can ignore the magic and hear the conversation… but it doesn’t matter.”

She rested her head on my shoulder. It was the same thing she did when she was a child, no, when she was staying at the Domulit mansion for a while.

“Because I wanted to be alone with you.”

I was taken aback for a moment, but then I patted her.

She’s a little bit older now, but I didn’t hate that I had raised her when she was in Domulit for a short time. When I think about it, I think I laughed a lot when Francia was there. You really needed a friend.

I thought so. Because Pudding feels like a pet.

Weeong?

Pudding cried once at my feet as if he felt what I was thinking.

“Ugh, it’s hard to get rid of him.”

Meanwhile, Francia, who had buried her head in my shoulder, raised her head with a pu-ha sound.

“Oh my gosh, I knew he was full of regrets. It’s fascinating to see it like this.”

The mumbled words seemed to refer to Ricdorian.

“Ricdorian?”

Francia nodded her head.

“Yes, no. Hmm.”

She turned towards the door for a moment, then wrinkled her nose once.

“I thought he really wouldn’t have time, when he had been longing for it for so long.”

As she shook her head and wondered if she should take out the hammer if she wanted too, she added.

“By the way, I know you’re happy, but it wouldn’t be the time for you to be like that.”

“Not the time?”

As if she had been talking to herself up to that point, Francia blinked her eyes. Then she smiled brightly. The sight of her scratching her cheek seemed to hesitate for a moment, but then she shrugged her shoulders once.

“Red Rose, the Grand Duke. There’s not much lifespan left.”

It was a light word, but the content was never light.

—

*bokbulbok: lit translates as luck-no-luck. It’s mostly used in game show varieties for a game where you play to decide the winner and the winner gets something in the end. Mostly seen in Korean variety ‘2 Days 1 Night’, for example they play a game where the winner gets dinner, while the others don’t. So on~

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