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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 9
Chapter Title: Will I Pretend Not to See You Being Horrifically and Cruelly Killed?
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In the original story, the female lead and Grand Duke Arteum never even brushed shoulders... Not only did they meet at the auction house, but now he's even inviting her to a banquet? Roje was flustered. Especially since the invitation was addressed to her, 'Countess Wence,' not 'Count Wence.'
There was no reason left for the Grand Duke to see her. He had declared war on Roje with wide, glaring eyes, saying, 'If that's genuine, I won't let it go,' but Luna's Tear had ultimately been revealed as a fake. In the original, Eric sent it as a gift to the Empress, and it was revealed to be a fake. This time, too, some noble had sent it to the Empress, and it was exposed. That's why Roje had thought she would never meet Grand Duke Arteum. Until she received this invitation, that is.
'…What should I do?'
Roje was deeply troubled. While it was proper to attend out of courtesy, having been invited by the Grand Duke, the thought crossed her mind that since he was going to die soon anyway, maybe she didn't *have* to go.
'Ah... What am I thinking? Even if he's a character in a novel, to think such things about someone who's about to die...'
As soon as the thought occurred, Roje shook her head, scolding herself.
"I suppose I have to go."
Roje let out a low sigh, her face gloomy. But soon, she tried to think positively. She told herself that it wouldn't be bad to use this opportunity to step into high society and get a feel for the atmosphere.
While Roje was distracted, thinking about the Grand Duke, Doana was rummaging through Roje's wardrobe and accessory box as if they were her own. She ran her fingers over the hem of Roje's dress, her eyes gleaming with avarice.
'Once I become the Countess, I'll have this wardrobe filled with new dresses.'
Without even asking Roje, she pulled out a lavish red dress and held it against herself.
"See... It suits me so much better."
She gazed at her reflection in the mirror, a slight smirk playing on her lips.
Doana hung the dress back in the wardrobe and then reached for the accessory box. She had expected a Countess to have many beautiful jewels, but when she opened the box, Doana tilted her head in confusion.
"What? There's nothing much here?"
The accessory box only contained a diamond-set necklace, earrings, and a tiara. Doana placed the tiara on her head and smiled with satisfaction.
'Yes, this is me. Why did I ever get involved with that pathetic guy?'
After marrying Lee Dohyeon, she had always been short on 'money.' Even though he came from a large company, Lee Dohyeon, who grew up in an ordinary household, couldn't satisfy her. He would occasionally buy her luxury bags, but it wasn't enough. Traveling abroad quarterly and adorning herself with luxury brands was her daily life. She had, after all, been born with a 'silver spoon' in her mouth.
As Doana rummaged through the box, wondering if there was anything else, her eyes widened at an unexpected item she found in a drawer.
"Baby shoes?"
What came out of the box was a tiny pair of baby shoes. The pure white shoes looked very well-preserved. And, of course, there were no signs of them ever being used.
"Hmm, why keep something so useless? She had a miscarriage anyway."
Doana, with a remark that seemed utterly devoid of empathy, tossed the baby shoes back into the box. Seeing the baby shoes, Doana suddenly remembered her own child, whom she had forgotten. While others would dote endlessly on their children, she felt no maternal love for hers.
Maintaining her figure was more important than caring for her child, and sleeping for her skin was paramount. She had so little love for her child that whenever it cried or fussed, she'd think she shouldn't have given birth at all.
Doana, who had briefly recalled her child, tidied her hair in the mirror and mumbled.
"Well, here, if you have a child, the nanny raises them, so I guess I won't have to worry about it."
Her words and actions showed not an ounce of a mother's love or maternal instinct.
Having decided to accept the Grand Duke's invitation, Roje finally realized how unusually quiet Doana was. Normally, she'd be chattering away beside her, prying into this and that. Wondering what on earth Doana was doing, Roje looked at her and saw her rummaging through her accessory box without a word. And she was even wearing Roje's tiara on her head.
Roje walked towards Doana, her steps echoing *click-clack, click-clack*.
"What are you doing?"
"Just looking around. This is really pretty. Doesn't it suit me?"
Far from being surprised by Roje's arrival, Doana smiled, pointing to the tiara on her head. What Doana was wearing was likely a gift from Eric. It was the first and last gift Roje, the female lead in the novel, received from him. Roje remembered reading that she treasured it dearly.
"Not this one."
Roje took the tiara off Doana's head and smiled playfully.
"Is it because Roje cherished it so much as a wedding gift from Eric? It made me want to cherish it too."
In truth, Roje had no interest in the tiara or any jewels Eric had given her. But if she were to give up her position as Countess without any apparent regret, Doana's personality would surely make her suspicious. Doana coveted what others held dear. That's probably why she even married Lee Dohyeon, who wasn't even on her level. The grass always looked greener on the other side to her.
"Oh, it was a wedding gift?"
"Yes. This is the first and last gift the Count gives to the Countess."
"Oh my, the first and last?"
At Roje's words, Doana's eyes widened in surprise. Then she fiddled with her ear, thinking.
'I've already gotten three.'
It was hard to hide the twitching of her lips. She had received three in less than a month, yet the Countess had only that one for over three years.
"Oh dear... That's too bad. I've already received several from my boyfriend."
Doana subtly boasted about the gifts she'd received, pretending to offer comfort. Doana, gazing at Roje with feigned sympathy, suddenly grabbed her hand.
"Should I perhaps talk to the Count? He might grant my request."
"...My husband?"
As Roje trailed off, Doana widened her eyes, feigning innocence, and waved her hand.
"Oh, you're not misunderstanding, are you? I mean, I'm the Count's personal maid, so I'm with him every day. And I spend much more time with him than you do."
Doana subtly hinted at her intimacy with the Count and then smiled at Roje.
"The Count is truly a gentle person. He's so kind, I can't even imagine how good he must be to you, his wife."
'To say this when she clearly saw how cold the Count was... She really has a knack for getting under people's skin.'
Fortunately, Roje's stomach didn't churn, as she didn't like the Count. However, Roje didn't forget to put on a dejected expression. Such minor acting was necessary for the bigger picture. Roje put on a bitter expression and hastily left.
"...I left something in the study. I'll go ahead."
In Doana's eyes, Roje would likely appear to be leaving because her feelings were hurt. As soon as Roje exited her room, her expression turned cold. It was such a drastic change that anyone who saw it might think she had a dual personality.
Roje, walking slowly, looked at the large clock hanging in the middle of the wall and mumbled to herself.
"There's still some time left until dinner."
Eric didn't roam outside as much as before, perhaps because his mistress was at the mansion. Her only complaint was that, thanks to this, she had to face him more often during meals.
Wondering what to do with the remaining time, Roje turned her steps towards the study. She hadn't really been to the study outside of her lessons, but it seemed like a good place to pass the time. Roje opened the study door and tilted her head.
"Oh?"
Disorganized documents were scattered across the desk. Roje, assuming they were Count Wence's papers, averted her gaze from the desk and looked towards the bookshelves. Just then, a gentle breeze blew through the open window. The documents on the desk instantly scattered and began to fall to the floor. It must have been because the window wasn't closed when someone left.
Roje stared blankly at the documents scattered at her feet, then slowly picked one up. She hadn't intended to read it, but an familiar name made her eyes involuntarily turn to the document.
"Th-this is...!"
Roje's hand, holding the document, trembled uncontrollably.
"Grand Duke Arteum's... execution?"
What... did I just see? Roje's mind went blank. The document showed traces of deliberation on how to deal with Grand Duke Arteum. Not only were there plans to justifiably kill the Grand Duke, but it also seemed they were involved in the deaths of the previous Emperor and Empress.
[If he were to fall ill and die slowly, as the previous Emperor did, many people might suspect poisoning. If the Grand Duke were to die in succession after the previous Emperor and Empress, suspicion would be unavoidable. If Grand Duke Arteum's reputation can be tarnished through this incident, it appears no one will object to his execution.]
Roje covered her mouth in shock, unable to utter a word. The document she held did not contain specific plans. Roje, holding the document blankly, quickly began to pick up the scattered papers from the floor.
'I... I need to find out what's going on.'
Even from these fragments, she could tell. They had killed the innocent previous Emperor and Empress, and now they intended to kill their son, the Grand Duke, too. Perhaps it was because she had already read about Grand Duke Arteum's unspeakably horrific and cruel death. Roje couldn't help but be concerned about the death of the Grand Duke, whom she had only seen once.
Roje's hands trembled as she gathered the documents from the floor. She bit her lower lip hard and mumbled with difficulty.
"Why... are there so many documents?"
Normally, she would have picked them up quickly, but acting calmly in such a dizzying situation was quite difficult. It was a long while before Roje managed to gather all the documents. She then spread them out on the desk and sighed. The order was completely jumbled, and she had no idea which document to read first. Roje, deep in thought, picked up a document. That's when it happened. *Bang.* Someone opened the study door and entered.
