I Thought It Was a Common Transmigration - Chapter 13
Cliff was already seated at the table, and Killian, who had followed behind me, took a seat with a grim expression on his face.
Lizé, the hostess of the event, poured tea into the guests’ cups and briefly explained the refreshments for the day.
I sipped my tea as Cliff and Killian raised their cups.
‘I miss coffee, but this isn’t bad.’
Lizé’s tea was fragrant and somewhat sweet, with a clean aftertaste, just like the tea served at the Duchy of Ludwig.
While I was admiring the flavor, Cliff, sitting across from me, made eye contact with me.
My heart skipped a beat because he was the second most handsome man I had ever seen.
“You seem to be adjusting well to life here……”
I smiled nonchalantly, though I was very curious as to why he said that out of the blue.
“It’s because everyone in the Ludwig family has been so considerate of me, I suppose.”
“But isn’t it too soon to be helping the Duchess with her work already? You’re newlyweds…… why don’t you take a trip with Killian?”
At that, Killian’s eyes immediately turned vicious.
‘Aha! You’re trying to use me to get him away from Lizé, aren’t you?’
I had just witnessed a sibling love affair over Lizé. It’s like a shrimp caught in a whale fight.
“Umm, I don’t know, Killian seems to be really busy……”
“Killian’s busy? He hasn’t been doing much lately.”
Killian snorted and shot back. “Maybe you should get out and inspect the estate, it’s almost winter.”
“Hmm…… I suppose so. Lizé, do you want to come with me on the estate inspection? You said you wanted to try traveling before.”
Gosh, it’s clear that the male lead is one step ahead of the second male lead.
Lizé was the only one who looked flustered.
“Oh, I, I……”
“Why are you putting her in such a difficult situation? Lizé, you don’t have to mind about what my brother says.”
“But I’m afraid that if I’m not here…… you’re going to put her in a more difficult situation.”
Lizé’s gaze flicked to me for a moment, then away.
I could tell that Killian’s love for Lizé was nothing more than gossipy speculation. It’s a little far-fetched, but you could argue that they’re just getting along like good siblings.
At least, that’s how it is when he and Cliff are hanging around Lizé.
But what happens if Cliff leaves to inspect the estate and Killian doesn’t leave Lizé’s side?
Even under the same circumstances, they would be seen as a pair in an instant.
Rumors will soon spread that Killian is in love with Lizé, and he hasn’t gotten over her, even as a married man.
As for Lizé, it would be even worse.
‘Wow, even though you’re only a year older, you have a different level of thinking.’
I felt like a bit of a spectator.
In the meantime, the refreshments Lizé had laid out were really good, and I ate an éclair instead of popcorn and watched the sibling fight.
Cliff laughed softly at my nonchalance and passed the ball to me. “So, what do you think, Miss Edith?”
“Yes?”
“Your opinion about me being the only one away from the mansion, that is, the situation where Lizé, Killian, and you will be the only ones to stay.”
Unlike Cliff, who was grinning from ear to ear, Killian and Lizé’s faces hardened.
However, rather than feeling sorry for Killian, I became a little annoyed with Cliff’s behavior for getting me into this fight.
I mean, I know Killian loves Lizé, I know he was forced to marry me, and I know I’m in no position to be loved by Killian, but to play around with a person on your palm is kind of……
So in spite of myself, I replied in a slightly snarky tone, “I don’t care.”
“What……?”
“Well, it’s your duty as the heir, Cliff, to inspect the estate, so if you want to go, you go. Who am I to tell you to go or not to go?”
“I don’t mean that, I mean–”
“But to give you my honest opinion about taking Miss Lizé with you, I think it would be a bit of a stretch; a long carriage trip is quite an undertaking…… and I think it would be a bit much to ask her to do it when she’s not even your wife.”
The answer was completely unexpected, and both Cliff and Killian’s expressions changed at once.
Cliff was still smiling, but he looked a little cold, and Killian looked a little surprised.
And Lizé looked like…….
‘Huh……?’
I expected Lizé to be embarrassed to be caught in the middle of a sibling fight, but she had her head down and was smiling faintly.
‘Something’s…… off.’
I don’t know why it felt weird.
I mean, she should be happy to be out of an embarrassing situation thanks to my defense…… but somehow, it didn’t seem like the kind of reaction I’d expect from a character named Lizé……
“Cliff, do you really need to go on an estate inspection now?”
But when she looked up again, the smile on her face was gone, replaced by a worried expression that only Lizé could have worn.
‘Did I see it wrong?’
Well, maybe I did. The corners of Lizé’s mouth were upturned, giving the impression that she was always smiling.
“No, I’m just saying.”
Cliff reassured Lizé with a real smile, not the fake one he’d been giving me.
Then he looked back at me and smiled brightly. “I see you have a very generous heart.”
This guy is an asshole to the core.
Compared to Killian who openly dislikes me, Cliff is more of an asshole for pretending to be mature, relaxed, and friendly.
“I’m trying to be generous, even at this moment.”
Do you think you’re the only one who can do it? I can do it too. I turned to face Cliff and smiled broadly.
Oddly enough, I was a little scared that Killian was staring at me too.
‘Killian, you see I’m on your side, so don’t kill me, even if you feel bad. Okay?’
With that selfishness, I winked at Killian.
He is a handsome man, despite his frown.
***
Returning to my room after a somewhat rambunctious tea time, I sat down at my desk and pondered the original version of this story, “I Refuse Your Obsession”.
‘I’d better get Edith’s dead flags organized.’
The rules of survival for a possessed villain in a– Ah, that’s too long. I’ll just call it the Survival Rules from now on.
Anyway, all of the possessed characters come up with a plan to organize and avoid the dead flags by remembering the original story.
So I had to organize Edith’s evil deeds in the original story and figure out how to avoid them.
I took out a piece of paper and wrote down each of Lizé and Edith’s conflicts in “I Refuse Your Obsession”.
‘So, I guess I avoided poisoning the tea and releasing the snake in Lizé’s room because I didn’t bring Sophia with me, right?’
Sophia is quick and precise when Edith gives her instructions. In that sense, Sophia is a greater villain than Edith. In a way, she’s a better villain than Edith, just as Kim Dong-il’s[1] girlfriend is a better detective than him, who can prepare everything he asks her to prepare in the shortest possible time.
[1] Kim Dong-il is the Korean name of Hajime Kindaichi, the main character of the Japanese Manga “The Kindaichi Case Files” which is also popular in Korea.
Once again, it was a good move to leave Sofia behind.
But that wasn’t the only attempt Edith made to frame or kill Lizé.
‘Edith goes to all sorts of parties and gossips about Lizé, pours hot water over her head while she’s walking in the garden, gives her poisoned embroidery needles, and even puts a little poison in the cake she sends her and eats it herself. Ugh, poisonous bitch.’
Edith tries to frame Lizé as the poisoner by eating the poison herself, but I don’t have the courage to swallow the poison myself.
I don’t want to get sick. I’ve been sick enough in my previous life.
‘I’m sure there are more, but I can’t remember.’
If more came to mind, I should write them down.
I rewrote it in words that only I would recognize, so that if it was ever found, it wouldn’t be seen as evidence of a plot to harm Lizé.
Right Living Habits
- Avoid socializing for a while (don’t go to parties and run your mouth)
- Don’t add too much sugar to your tea (don’t put poison in your tea)
- Don’t go to bed with the windows closed because bugs are coming in (don’t release poisonous snakes)
- Don’t throw trash out the window (don’t pour tea over Lizé’s head)
- Hygiene matters for me and for others (don’t eat poisoned cake, don’t give something poisoned to Lizé)
- Be grateful for what you have (never covet Killian)
‘For now, I’ll settle for this……’
No matter how much I rack my brain, I can’t remember much more than this right now.
I read over what I’d written once more, nodding my head in confirmation before stopping at the last sentence.
‘I should be grateful for what I have, do not covet Killian.’
For some reason, I remember his eyes looking at me in a subtle way. His eyes were like a cloudy day…… I don’t know what he was thinking.
How beautiful it would be if those gray eyes looked lovingly at me……
Hmm, if only they would look at me……
“Gee, I can’t even imagine.”
I could only see him looking at me with disdain, so I couldn’t imagine him looking at me with love in his eyes. It’s so frustrating that it’s kind of funny.
‘It’s a good thing. What am I supposed to do with imagining something like that?’
I chuckled to myself and circled the “Be grateful for what you have” line again and again.