The Princess is Going on Strike - Chapter 25
Chapter 25
“You’re not denying it. Does that mean what I saw yesterday was true?”
Oledin mumbled to himself then smirked. He looked at me once more then spoke as he pointed to my face.
“Take it off. I’ll believe it once I see it with my own eyes.”
“No, thank you.”
Oledin raised an eyebrow at my cold voice. He glared at me and spoke.
“Well, we can talk about that later. That’s not the point, right now. Rather, how did you make all those monstrous spots disappear?”
“I guess a fairy godmother gave me a gift for living with kindness.”
Oledin rubbed the edge of the table lightly with his thumb. His looked down then back up with a crumpled expression.
“You expect me to believe that?”
“I didn’t say it so you’d believe it. It won’t matter what I say since you won’t believe me anyway. All you believe in is money.”
“What?”
“No matter what kind of proposal I bring you, you first doubt, insult, and become angry at me. When the returning results satisfy you, you give me a small compliment, but when they don’t you humiliate me with painful curses. I believe you never once believed in me.”
Oledin listened to me with a blank expression, lowered his head, then lifted it once more to stare at me. It was as if he was trying to peek at my face through my mask.
“…..different. You’re definitely not the same as before.”
To think that you’d finally notice that now. How dumb can a person be to not know until now? Ah, perhaps this is because he wasn’t interested in me.
“I wonder what caused you to have a change of heart. Where did the Aerylle who obeyed me and never talked back go, leaving behind an arrogant witch who looks straight at me?”
I gave out a sarcastic chuckle, leaned back in my seat and slightly raised my chin.
“The monster princess, the devil, and the illegitimate child. There were countless other names I’ve been called, but none of them were affectionate expressions. Despite having the name ‘Aerylle’, it seems that even now my father has decided to give me yet another nickname.”
Witch, huh. You’d think that I was an existence that was trying to destroy the world. I wonder how many people in this world would own so many nicknames when they haven’t done a single thing to deserve them.
I slowly relaxed my posture and calmed my emotions like the sunken sands of the sea.
Let’s not get emotional or give him any kind of reaction. It’s not worth wasting my emotions and expectations on a man who will be nothing but a disappointment. Besides, there’s only one thing that I want… the downfall of this man.
“Didn’t you say you had something to say?”
Oledin came to his senses when he heard my question. I spoke to him in a straightforward manner, looking right into his eyes.
“Go ahead. Speak. I do not care whether it be an apology, a rebuke, or anything that’s related to what happened yesterday.”
I crossed my arms and lightly tapped my finger on my arm. It felt that I had somehow become Oledin’s equal and caused me to feel satisfied. He hesitated without showing any emotions before speaking.
“I have nothing to say about yesterday, since it was my fault.”
“…..”
You’re admitting your mistake now?
I frowned. I couldn’t believe what Oledin just said with that unfamiliar expression of his.
What is he scheming?
I knew that he had something on his mind since he was such a simple, shallow man. I stared at him, puzzled, when he spoke again.
“It’s better that we don’t talk about yesterday anymore, but move onto talking about something else.”
A soft voice and his choice of words…
“Move onto talking about what?”
“After what happened yesterday, it seemed that you were very close to the Young Master of the Berlstein family.”
“…..?”
“It looked like he was interested in you.”
What is it that you want to say?
I glared at him as I frowned.
“Well, who cares about what happened to the spots on your face? The important thing is that your face is normal now.”
I can feel the lips of greed from Oledin and his eyes sparkling full of impure thoughts. I felt embarrassed, even when wearing a mask.
I can’t believe you’re trying to use someone who has been kind to me for your ugly desires…..
“Marry Young Master Berlstein. I’m sure that even he will accept you once he finds out that you don’t look like a monster. Have you told him yet?”
In the end, I ended up glaring at Oledin who spoke words that shouldn’t have been said, and answered him immediately after smirking at him.
“I don’t want to.”
“…..No?”
Oledin’s expression which he had while he spoke with confidence as he believed it to be such a great plan for himself, collapsed for a moment. I looked straight into his eyes and continued.
“That’s right. I don’t want to.”
“Hah, did you just…..?”
He placed his elbows on his knees with a dissatisfied expression and leaned forward
“You don’t want to, huh? Did you really think you had the right to refuse to marry the Young Master Berlstein just because you don’t look like a monster anymore? As an illegitimate child, you dare to refuse this opportunity to contribute to the Brixia family? And you still call yourself a member of the family?”
It wasn’t enough to treat me as a monster, but Oledin treated me as if I were his possession. Someone who’d kneel down and tremble in fear with a single gesture. Oledin never once thought of me as “myself, as an individual”. I clenched my fists.
“People don’t change at one time, Aerylle. When they do, it’s done over a period of time. So don’t be too upset about your current appearance. You are amazing the way you are.”
Sebeth Ludin. What you said may neither be true nor the law of the world, but they seem fitting as one spoken by a sage.
I lifted my hand and took off my mask. It was still awkward feeling my hair on my face. Oledin looked at me with a surprised look while I sighed, gave him a sincere look of pity, and opened my mouth to speak.
“Father.”
People don’t change at one time, but…
“Are you ill?”
I had already changed.
Regalius Tome: Hi, this is the two-man team of Jewlz and Eclise. We do all the translations and proofreading ourselves, and will do our best to stick to our schedule. Any amount of donations or words of encouragement are welcome! It also helps to motivate us!