‘Even though the original story hasn’t truly begun yet, I assumed Maxton wouldn’t have such strong feelings for Caroline right now, but…….’
This is a disaster. I miscalculated.
In the original story, Maxton had prepared hunting attire for Caroline that was identical to the custom outfits worn by the villainess, Periose, and the Crown Prince. This was done on the eve of the hunting festival after the coming-of-age ceremony, specifically for Caroline, who had her partner, the Crown Prince, stolen by Periose.
The custom-made outfit was a white hunting suit embroidered with gold and red threads. Maxton had kept the design and shape exactly the same but changed the color of the embroidery to a combination of silver and purple.
Unable to replicate the specific motifs—the bird of wind symbolizing the Crown Prince and the red flowers symbolizing Periose—he had changed the design to a combination of trees, the symbol of the Viscounty of Solindev, and light, Caroline’s symbol.
And yet, here I was, seeing it with my own eyes.
The hunting attire was designed with only the embroidery patterns changed, just like in the original story.
Those who had been praising Periose’s and the Crown Prince’s custom-made outfits until their throats were dry began to sneer as they saw Maxton and Caroline, who had shown up wearing outfits strikingly similar to them.
“Who do they think they are, trying to copy us? Are they insane?”
Periose, too, began to seethe with rage upon seeing the two people who had arrived wearing outfits that closely resembled the custom pieces that Endiewon had gone to such great lengths to create for her and Lloyd.
I tried my best to soothe Periose.
“Sister, please, calm down. You cannot go over there and lose your temper right now.”
“What are you talking about? You want me to just stand by and watch them copy the couple’s hunting attire that the Crown Prince and I are wearing?”
“If you just leave them be, they will only become the laughingstock. Please, trust me and let it go for now, Sister.”
I prayed inwardly, desperately hoping that Periose would not grab Caroline by the hair and throw a tantrum as she did in the original story.
Besides, this was merely Maxton’s doing, as he harbored a one-sided crush on Caroline, and she was completely unaware of it.
Viscount Maxton, who held an inferiority complex toward the Crown Prince, had intentionally had the hunting outfits made to look similar so he could prove to Lloyd that he and Caroline were a couple. He had secretly found out the design of the custom hunting outfits for him and Periose and placed an identical order.
In any case, while Maxton should have been the one condemned for this, in the original story, it was Periose who ended up being criticized instead.
Periose’s nasty temper had flared up when she realized that Caroline’s hunting outfit was the same as her own—a custom outfit she had painstakingly designed to make herself shine. She had hit Caroline and pulled her hair, behaving so outrageously that she looked terrible to others.
She was already on edge due to the humiliation of having become the hunting festival partner of Lloyd only thanks to the Emperor, and this was like pouring oil on a fire.
Because of that, public opinion turned against Periose instead of the rightfully deserving Maxton, and her notoriety grew even greater.
I cannot let that repeat.
I fought to keep Periose from throwing a tantrum, ensuring she wouldn’t face the unjust criticism she received in the original story.
“The ones who will become the laughingstock when the Crown Prince arrives will be them, not you, Sister.”
“But……!”
“And look at Caroline’s expression. She didn’t know either—that the custom outfit Maxton gifted her had the same design as yours.”
I pointed to Caroline, whose face was bright red with shame as she argued with Maxton, and whispered.
“Right now, Caroline probably wishes she were dead more than anyone else.”
Since she, too, cared about the Duchess more than anyone, the fact that she and Maxton were caught wearing outfits that copied the Crown Prince and the Duchess must have felt like absolute hell.
“If you really can’t get over your anger, I will give Maxton a stern talking-to for causing this mess. So please, Sister, don’t step in. This is all for your reputation, so please trust me and calm down.”
At my desperate request, Periose relented and told me to do as I saw fit.
Though she was still clearly furious, it seemed she decided to suppress her anger because I had pleaded with her this much.
I let out a sigh of relief inwardly and headed toward where Maxton was standing.
Upon spotting me, Caroline’s face turned even redder, and she whipped her head away.
“Why don’t you understand that I did this for you?!”
Maxton shouted at Caroline. At that moment, I quietly called out to him.
“Viscount Maxton.”
His gaze, which had been fixed on Caroline, snapped toward me.
I spoke to him in a firm and serious tone.
“It’s pathetic.”
Maxton’s face hardened instantly.
“It’s pathetic enough that a mere Viscount’s heir would reveal his inferiority complex toward the Crown Prince, but it’s even more pathetic that you’d force Caroline to wear the same clothes as the Duchess just to show off your own misplaced sense of superiority.”
“What?!”
“Just because you wear the same thing as the Crown Prince and the Duchess, it doesn’t mean you’ll become like them. And it’s not as if you’ve managed to surpass the Crown Prince to become something special to Caroline, so how dare you humiliate her like this? How can you be so foolish?”
“Have you said your piece?! How dare you, a commoner……!”
“I haven’t finished yet, so shut up and listen, you pauper who happens to be a Viscount just like me.”
Because he kept bringing up the fact that I was a commoner and cut me off, I lost my cool slightly, and the words that tumbled out were far from polite.
I felt a surge of irritation for calling him a ‘pauper’ in a fit of rage, but I tried to regain my composure and speak with the elegance befitting a noble once more.
“Because of what you did, Viscount Maxton, Caroline has become a laughingstock at the hunting festival, and she was almost about to get an earful from our angry sister…….”
*Slap.*
It happened in an instant.
My vision flashed, and my face turned to the side.
Maxton had slapped me.
“How dare a commoner lecture a noble? Just because you bought your Viscount title with money, you must think you’re something, but you—you could never become a noble even if you died…….”
“You craaaaazy son of a biiiiiiitch!!!!!!!!!”
It was right at that moment. Just as I thought I heard a thunderous roar from behind me, Periose sprinted with speed faster than light and slammed her fist into the face of Maxton, who had just slapped me.
“Argh!”
Maxton screamed and collapsed after being hit by Periose’s fist, which packed quite a punch.
“How dare you lay a finger on my dear friend, whom I myself am afraid to even touch?! Do you truly wish to die by my hand?!”
“Argh! Ah! It hurts! Argh!”
Periose, having completely lost it, began to stomp on the fallen Maxton with her sharp heels, and she was dragged away by the knights who rushed over to mediate the situation.
“I won’t let you get away with this! I will make you pay dearly for the sin of hitting our girl, you son of a bitch!”
Periose shrieked at Maxton while being dragged away.
Staring blankly at the scene, I felt my face, which was swollen from Maxton’s slap, break into a giggle.
My cheek throbbed with pain, but I felt a rush of satisfaction knowing that Periose had been angry on my behalf, had stomped Maxton into the ground, and had threatened not to let him get away with it.
*‘I won’t let you get away with this! I will make you pay dearly for the sin of hitting our girl, you son of a bitch!’*
I heard it clearly.
*Our*…… *Our girl*.
Damn it, I’m so happy.
Feeling an odd mix of joy and a lump forming in my throat, I cupped my bruised cheek with my hand and pressed my lips together tightly.
“Ellie, are you alright?”
Caroline asked, looking at me with a worried expression.
Ah, that expression looks truly worried.
The Caroline before me was tearing up, genuinely concerned for me after I had been struck by Maxton.
“Yes, I’m alr…….”
“Ellinea?”
In that instant, I turned my head automatically at the pleasant, low-pitched voice from behind me.
“Theor.”
The moment I saw Theor, a sense of relief washed over me, and simultaneously, the suppressed sadness came rushing out.
Without even realizing it, I shed tears as I looked at him.
Theor then…
He strode toward me, grabbed the wrist that was cupping my cheek, and pulled it away carefully.
The black eyes gazing at my cheek—which I could feel swelling even without seeing it—sank with a terrifying, icy coldness.
His gaze, which had been fixed on my cheek, soon shifted to the side, toward Maxton, who was picking himself up with the help of the knights.
“Maxton Solindev.”
Maxton’s body flinched at the full name that left Theor’s lips.
It was just him saying his name, yet it gave me such a chilling sensation that even I, standing by his side, felt a cold shiver run down my spine.
That was how chillingly low and cold Theor’s voice was as he called out to Maxton.