"No problem at all!"
The most suspicious phrase in the world, "No problem at all."
Although it was probably the truth, my sister's frown deepened.
"Yes, sure."
"..."
"Your jaw is all clenched, and you're telling me there's no problem? Huh?"
"Wait, sis! Don't pull my chin! I'll tell you the truth!"
My sister stopped her hand.
In that brief moment, I racked my brain.
Should I tell her honestly?
'My fiancé sets up a nice atmosphere with me, but he says he has no feelings at all.'
…Wouldn't she just laugh at me if I said that?
But the longer I hesitated, the more firmly my sister's hand pressed against my chin.
"Aren't you going to answer?"
"Well, well, um…!"
Do I have the right to remain silent?
Maybe in 21st century Korea, but not here, especially not in front of Natalie, my sister.
So, I ended up cutting out the part about the hunting competition and spoke appropriately.
I was excited when the atmosphere was nice the night before, but even when our hands touched, he had no feelings.
"The next day, when he sent me the beast he hunted, I got my hopes up again… but during this visit, he treated me like a stranger, only showing the bare minimum of courtesy. That left me feeling confused."
"..."
"After saying all that, I really look like a fool. I've accepted the engagement knowing full well there are no feelings involved."
Now that I said it, I felt embarrassed.
I knew his only good trait was his looks, and that he had someone else he liked. What was I expecting?
"Well, that's all! It's really no big deal, right?"
I tried to cover up the situation with a slightly flushed face.
Natalie would probably laugh at me.
She's the type of person who gets a dopamine rush from a man's face, money, or attitude. It must be ridiculous that I want someone who has emotions.
As expected, my sister bowed her head deeply and placed her hands on her forehead.
…But when she slowly lifted her head, her expression didn't look like she was laughing; it seemed like she was angry instead?
Why?
A long sigh escaped from my sister. It felt like watching a volcano releasing steam before an eruption.
"Dory. So, you… you…"
"Yes?"
"So… you like… that guy, don't you?"
"..."
No! Absolutely not!
There's no way I could like him!
The sentence rose to my throat, but I managed to swallow it down.
I'm Dorys Redfield. A woman who is completely devoted to her fiancé. That's the character I need to be.
"I… I…"
I only needed to say one sentence.
'I have feelings for Prince Tristan.'
…But this lie couldn't escape my throat in any other way.
Feelings? Every time I see him, I want to start a rebellion, not have feelings for him.
In the end, I chose to word it differently.
"You know, you don't need me to say it, right? I've always been consistent in what I say."
"..."
"If you really need an answer—"
"No, no, no!"
My sister jumped back in surprise like a cat seeing a cucumber.
"I don't want to hear anything that'll ruin my appetite. You don't need to say any more."
"Okay, sis."
I was relieved. I avoided an awkward confession.
I really don't like him. I was just a little upset and disappointed.
The conversation went back to the beginning. My sister tilted her head and said,
"I've known for a while, but that guy is really annoying."
"Call him however you want. I won't correct you."
"He was already bad at the hunting competition, but his attitude during your visit was really too much, treating you like a stranger."
"How many times do you have to say it?"
"Don't you think so too? Even enemies greet visitors with a smile. But treating your fiancée like a stranger is too much."
I didn't respond. My silence was agreement.
"The past few months, he visited you and gave you gifts, and I thought he was starting to be a decent person, but then suddenly he acts cold… Ah!"
My sister came to an unexpected conclusion as she thought it over.
"He must be upset."
"Upset? I didn't do anything wrong."
"You got that sky-blue dress from him, right? Have you ever worn it?"
"No. Never."
"If you get a gift from a lover, it's considered polite to at least show yourself wearing it once. But you didn't wear that dress either at the hunting competition or when you went to visit, right? The prince might have thought you were ignoring his gift."
My sister made a logical point…!
If that's the reason, then I can somewhat understand Tristan's attitude. Even a normal person would feel hurt in this situation, and he's a prince with a sky-high ego, after all.
But—
"I'm not purposely not wearing the dress…"
"I know it didn't fit, but do you think you can explain that to Tristan?"
"…No."
Gaining weight isn't the problem. I know that in my head. But whether that's accepted in society is a whole different story.
And hearing the whole story, would Tristan say something nice?
There's no way! Considering his taste, which only seeks after women with willow-like figures, he might say something truly awful to me.
My sister sighed.
"Dory, I really don't want to say this to you, but… How about dieting?"
"..."
I didn't answer immediately.
After my soul transfer, one of the few pleasures in life had been eating desserts without worrying about money.
I had really enjoyed it for months.
Looks like it's time to put an end to my reckless eating habits.
"...I'll do it. My mother has been giving me disapproving looks, and I guess I should wear the dress at least once since I got it as a gift."
"Alright, Dory. I'll help you as best I can, so trust me."
My sister pulled me into a hug and patted my back. Then, I heard her muttering angrily in my ear.
"How dare he make my sister starve… Tristan will pay for this someday…"
I didn't say I was starving, though.
There were a lot of things I wanted to refute, but instinctively I sensed that something more important than refuting was happening, so I silently reached for the snacks on the table and stuffed my mouth with them.
July is peaceful compared to June, which had sucked all the adrenaline and dopamine out of the aristocrats with the hunting competition.
People gather in the shade, sharing a cup of tea or a drink with friends or lovers. Those who miss the loud events can easily choose to attend a summer festival, a charity concert, or enjoy the usual things like theater or horse racing.
If it were me, I would naturally! Read a book in the shade overlooking a beautiful garden, enjoying a European hotel vacation that I could never have experienced in reality!
…That's what I should have been doing.
But here we are, in the royal palace. In a music room overlooking a beautiful garden.
The invited music instructor doesn't get tired and raises his voice.
"Everyone, just once more! Hold your note for exactly four beats!"
It sounds easy.
But for ladies like me who have lived without any connection to singing, the only note we can hold is the first one. After that, strange intermediate notes fill the air instead of 'mi' or 'sol,' which pierce the ears.
The song wandered around the mountain before it ended.
This must be the third failure. The middle-aged instructor, with his hair twisted like soft-serve ice cream, wiped his forehead.
"Everyone… you've all learned the piano, right?"
Everyone nodded. Playing the piano is a basic skill for a lady.
"Singing isn't hard either. You're just using yourself as the instrument instead of the piano."
Just because we learned the piano doesn't mean playing it is easy.
Everyone's expression darkened.
The instructor looked genuinely puzzled, as if he were thinking, "They've learned 1+1, so why can't they do calculus?"
"Alright, really, just one more time!"
This is the third lie I've heard.
Thankfully, the palace is kept cool by marble, or there might have been a violent incident due to excessive practice in the summer heat.
After several ladies collapsed from exhaustion, the instructor finished the practice and shook his head.
"Only three weeks until the charity concert. I hope none of you disgrace your family's reputation… though I know you didn't come here voluntarily."
Right. We're all just reluctant subordinates forced to attend. As aristocrats, we can't escape this duty.
A few days ago, a letter from Percival arrived at every aristocratic household. He wanted to hold a charity concert and asked for the ladies who would participate.
Usually, such events are organized by the crown princess, but the second prince sending the letter was enough to raise a red flag in the minds of high society. This event seemed to be of lower importance.
But we couldn't ignore the prince's request.
So, each family sent their most obedient daughter. Mostly the youngest.
When they first came, they had eyes as pure as a Shih Tzu. But after the instructor left, they leaned against the wall with tired eyes.
"It's so hard. My older sisters said the charity concert pieces would be easy…"
"Yes… The lyrics are complicated. Why are we singing opera-like songs…"
I felt sorry for their panting voices.
I slipped out into the hallway and called over a passing maid.
"Is there no drink prepared in front of the music room?"
If you call someone over, you should at least offer them water. Even in a common household, it's basic etiquette, and especially in the royal palace, it should be a given.
But it seems Percival didn't have such common sense.
The maid answered, her face reddened.
"No, there isn't…"
You don't need to be embarrassed.
After muttering curses about Percival a hundred times in my head, I handed the maid a silver coin and said,
"There's no next session for the music room, right? Then could you prepare simple drinks for the number of people?"
"Ah, understood! Thank you!"
The maid's eyes sparkled as she accepted the coin.
Soon, a trolley with refreshments entered the music room.
The ladies gasped when they saw the lemonade glasses with dew on them.
"Oh my, it must be from Prince Percival!"
It's fine if they misunderstand.
But the maid gave me a look, as if she desperately didn't want to credit that bastard.