CHAPTER 13

At the table, Cliff was already seated, followed by Killian, who looked cool on his face. Lizzy, the hostess of the tea time, poured tea into each guest's cup and gave a brief explanation of the day's refreshments. I sipped my tea with Cliff and Killian as they raised their glasses.

'I miss coffee, but it's not bad either.'

The tea Lizzy served was fragrant and somewhat sweet, with a clean aftertaste, just like the tea served at the Duke's estate. As I was admiring the flavor of the tea, Cliff, sitting across from me, made eye contact. He was the second most handsome man I had ever seen, so my heart beats so fast without even realizing it.

"You seem to be adjusting well to your life here."

I smiled nonchalantly, wondering where on earth he was coming from and what he was talking about.

"It's because everyone in the Duke's family has been so considerate of me, you know."

"But isn't it too soon to be helping my mother with her work already? You newlywed. . . . . Why don't you go on a trip with Killian?"

At those words, Killian's eyes suddenly became ferocious.

'Aha! Are you trying to use me to get rid of Killian?'

I was able to see the brother's love fight around Lizzy right in front of me. it's like a whale fight with a shrimp back.

"Well, I don't know. Killian seems to be so busy. . . . . ."

"Killian is busy? He hasn't been doing anything lately."

Then Killian snorted and fought back.

"Don't you think it's time for my brother to go out and inspect the estate? winter is over."

"Hmm. . . . . Well, that's right. Lizzy, would you like to visit the estate together? You said you wanted to go on a trip before."

Gosh, the male lead is one step ahead of the sub male lead. In the meantime, Lizzy was the only one who was embarrassed.

"Oh, me, I'm. . . . ."

"Why do you put Lizzy in trouble? Lizzy, you don't have to mind what my brother says."

"But if I'm not here. . . . . I think Lizzy would be in more trouble because of you."

Lizzy's eyes turned at me for a moment, then turned away. It could be said that Killian's love for Lizzy was nothing more than a pompous speculation. It's a little unreasonable, but you can argue because we are just like a brother and sister with good friendship. Now that Cliff is fooling around with Lizzy and Killian, what if Killian doesn't leave Lizzy's side after Cliff goes to the tour estate. Even under the same circumstances, they would be seen as a man and a woman in a relationship. It is true that Killian loves Lizzy, and even if he are married man, he had not made up his mind yet, so rumors will quickly spread that Edith being cold hearted in the Ludwig family and there will be worse rumors about Lizzy.

'As expected, even though he was born only a year earlier, he's like an older brother. His level of thinking is. . . . . different.'

I felt like a bit of a spectator. In the meantime, the refreshments Lizzy had prepared were delicious. I ate an eclair instead of popcorn and watched the brothers fight. Cliff smiled softly and handed the ball over to me as if he didn't like my nonchalant attitude.

"What do you think, Miss Edith?"

"Yes? What are you thinking?"

"About me being the only one away from this mansion. In other words, the situation where Lizzy, Killian, and you will remain."

Unlike Cliff, who was smiling from ear to ear, Killian and Lizzy's expressions were pitifully stony. However, rather than feeling sorry for Killian, I'm a little annoyed by Cliff's behavior of bringing me into this fight. I know that Killian loves Lizzy, I know that he was forced to marry me, I know that I'm in a position where i'll never be loved by Killian, it's just like playing around with someone on the palm of hand. . . . . so, without realizing it, I replied in a slightly pointed tone.

"I don't care."

". . . . .Yes?"

"Well, it's Cliff duty as a heir to inspect the estate, so if you want to go, then just go, who am I to tell you what you must do with that?"

"That's not what I mean. . . . ."

"But to be honest about taking Miss Lizzy with you, I think that's a bit too much. Long carriage trips are pretty strenuous, and I don't think it would be fair to ask Lizzy to do such a thing since Lizzy is not Cliff's wife."

Perhaps it was an unexpected answer, Cliff and Killian's expressions changed at once. Cliff was still smiling, but somehow, he looked cold, and Killian looked a little surprised. And Lizzy. . . . .

'Huh. . . . .?'

I thought she would be embarrassed by the sibling fight, but instead, Lizzy put her head down and smiled lightly.

'Something. . . . . It's weird.'

I don't know why, but i felt weird. Thanks to my defense, I got out of my embarrassing position, so I might feel good, but. . . . .somehow, my feeling tells me that this isn't the kind of reaction I'd expect from a character named Lizzy. . . . .

"Cliff, do you really need to go on the estate tour now?"

However, when she looked up again, the smile on her face was nowhere to be seen, leaving only a worried expression that only Lizzy could make.

'Did I see it wrong?'

Well, it might have been. The corners of her mouth are always raised, so she always looks like she's smiling.

"No, I'm just saying."

Cliff relieved Lizzy with a real smile, not the fake smile he used it to me. Then he looked at me again and smiled.

"My sister in law seems to have a very generous heart."

That bastard, he's was bastard until to the end. A person who pretends to be more mature, rather than an open-minded Killian, there's nothing worse than an idiot who pretends to be relaxed and then picks pumpkin seeds behind your back.

"I try to be generous. even now."

Aren't you the only one who can turn it back? I know how to do it, too? i turned to face Cliff and gave him a big smile. Oddly enough, it was a little scary to see Killian staring at me.

'Killian, did you see that I'm on your side? Even if you feel a little bad, you shouldn't kill me. Okay?'

With that selflessness, i give Killian a slight wink. Even the face that was distorted at once was also handsome.

* * *

When I came back to the room after that awkward tea time, I sat in front of my desk and carefully recalled the original story, "No Obsession."

'I need to organize Edit's dead flags.'

The rules for survival as the wicked woman's possessed romance novel. . . . . Oh, it's too long. From now on, I'll just call it the 'Rule of Survival'. Anyway, all the Romance characters of the possessed novels think back the original story and set a plan to organize and avoid the dead flags, So, i also had to organize the evil things that Edith did in the original story and figure out how to avoid them. I took out a piece of paper and wrote down the conflict between Lizzy and Edith in step by step.

'I guess I can avoid putting poison in Lizzy tea or releasing a venomous snake in Lizzy's room because I didn't bring Sophia with me?'

Sophia quickly and accurately put into action whenever Edith gave her a word. In that sense, Sophia is a bigger villain than Edith. Like, why, his girlfriend who prepares everything he asks for in a short time is more amazing than a detective man. Once again, it was a good thing I left Sophia behind. But that wasn't the only attempt Edith did to frame or kill Lizzy.

'She went to all sorts of parties, gossiped about her, poured hot water over her head as she walked through the garden and gave her poisoned embroidery needles. On top of that, the cake Lizzy sent to her was slightly poisoned, and she ate it by herself. Ugh, that bitch.'

Edith tried to eat the poison herself and frame Lizzy as the poisoner. But I didn't have the courage to swallow the poison myself. I don't want to get sick. It's enough that I was sick in my previous life.

'I think there were more than this, but I can't remember all of them.'

I thought I should write it down if it comes to mind more in the future. I substituted words that only I would recognize so that would not be seen as evidence of a plot to harm 'Lizzy.

~ Refrain from social activities for the time being (=Don't go out to the party and talk about it)

~ Don't put a lot of sugar in the tea (= don't put poison in the tea)

~ As bugs will come in, make sure to close the windows before sleep (=Don't release the poisonous snakes)

~ Don't throw trash out the window (=don't pour tea over Lizzy's head)

~ Hygiene is about you and others (=don't eat poisoned cake, don't give Lizzy something poisoned)

~ Being grateful for what you have (=never covet Killian)

'Just this for now. . . . .'

No matter how much I squeeze my head, I can only remember this now. I read what I wrote down carefully once again, nodding my head, and then stopped at the last sentence.

'You should be grateful for what you have. You shouldn't covet Killian.'

I don't know why I can't stop thinking about the subtle way he looked at me. watery eyes on a cloudy day, i don't know what he was thinking. . . . .How beautiful it would be to have love in those eyes. If those loving gray eyes look at me. hmm, and you look at. . . . .

"Ahhh, I can't even imagine it."

I could only see him looking at me with contempt, and I couldn't even imagine him looking at me with love. It's kind of funny because I'm so out of it.

'That's a good thing. What should I do by imagining something like that?'

I laughed to myself and circled the word "Be grateful for what you have" over and over again.