COARV Chapter 23

I held my glass and glared at him, issuing a clear warning.

Come closer and die.

Despite being my fiancé just days ago, Kallis seemed to understand my look perfectly. I didn't want to meet his gaze any longer, so I quickly turned my head and moved away. Until now, I'd been the one watching Kallis's mood—how ironic that the positions had reversed so completely.

I shifted my gaze toward the enormous clock on the wall. If I stayed here, I'd likely end up in a staring contest with Kallis, but honestly, I wanted to be alone. Besides, not dancing with Kallis was a distinctly unfamiliar experience.

'Just days ago, I thought I'd become the Marchioness of Haneton.'

Life truly is unpredictable.

If I'd married Kallis and spent my days peacefully with him, I would surely have lived out my years happily. Some futures are predictable, aren't they?

But now, only betrayal remained. He'd been sincere with me, yet sincere with the female lead as well. If I hadn't healed Kallis's arm first, we would've continued hating each other just like in the original story, wouldn't we?

Maybe that would've been better.

I never imagined we'd end up like this.

No matter how desperately I struggle to avoid the original plot, is it all useless? I'd believed Kallis loved me. I believed it, yet he couldn't shake off Lina according to the original's fate. The thought slowly spread through my mind—perhaps everything else would flow according to the original too.

I really didn't want to think this way.

To survive. To stay alive. The fear I'd worked so hard to ignore and bury felt like mud leaving tracks. I shook my head lightly, shaking off the clinging emotion.

Kallis's desperate cry as he grabbed me suddenly surfaced in my memory. Begging me to divorce Lina and marry him again.

I'd been too angry at the time to properly digest it, but recalling it now, a different question filled my mind completely.

What's the point of marrying like that? If Lina desperately wants something again, won't you just go to her? If it happens once more, can you go to the temple and vow to transfer all of Haneton's territory and title to me? I should have raged at Kallis like that.

Really. I should've thrown that at him then.

Why don't these thoughts come during the fight, only surfacing too late? Should I go slap Kallis's cheek now and scream this at him? Then Berke Castle would flip upside down, and within days rumors would spread throughout the entire empire's social circles, wouldn't they?

After letting out an empty laugh at my absurd imagination, my sinking mood improved slightly. Having emptied my champagne glass, I called over a passing servant.

"Here."

"Shall I bring you another glass of champagne?"

"I'm fine. Thank you."

I handed over the empty glass and moved toward the stairs. Continuing to stand by the wall wasn't a good choice either, so I planned to briefly leave.

Of course, leaving the grand ballroom entirely would be a stupid choice. Anyone would see it as fleeing from the crushing weight of gossip.

So my chosen best refuge was the 'Grand Duchess's Terrace'—famous throughout Berke Castle.

Just as imperial banquets had lounges reserved exclusively for royalty, this terrace could only be used by Berke's Grand Duchess and her invited guests, generation after generation. Because it required climbing more stairs than other terraces, it carried strong symbolic meaning, and rumors claimed the moonlight fell particularly beautifully there.

Since Lesche was unmarried, the Grand Duchess's terrace also lacked an owner.

It had remained closed all this time, but Linon insisted it should be opened according to custom. When I declined, saying it was too burdensome, Linon persuaded me that after being carried around all day because of Lesche, I deserved at least that much to feel less wronged.

Honestly, I was completely swayed by that. Right. I worked so hard decorating everything and preparing the banquet. I even barely managed to coordinate the High Priest's schedule for the next day.

Besides, deep down, I'd wanted to enter that mysterious space even the Gleick Empire's royalty couldn't request first. When would I get another chance?

As I approached, a well-dressed servant skillfully drew back the thick green velvet curtain. The vest he wore had Berke's crest embroidered large in blue—signifying temporary permission to enter the terrace for service purposes.

The servant asked.

"Would you like to wear a cloak outside? It's extremely cold."

Before stepping onto the terrace, I looked down the stairs. Several nobles glanced at me before hurriedly averting their gazes.

Lesche, exceptionally tall, was visible even surrounded by other nobles. Chandelier light reflected off his silver hair, making it sparkle. Lesche Berke truly was a man who drew attention just by standing there.

For such an impressive man, his expression looked rather annoyed upon closer inspection.

'Really terrible at managing his expressions.'

Such is the life of the powerful. I was thinking that and smiling when my gaze happened to lock with Lesche's. I immediately erased my smile and bowed my head lightly. I felt the surrounding nobles' gazes shift toward me, responding keenly to Lesche's look.

Turning away, I whispered a small request to the servant still holding the curtain. His eyes seemed to widen slightly, then he nodded immediately.

"Then I'm counting on you?"

"How could I refuse, Lady Stern?"

I put on the light cloak the servant brought and stepped onto the mysterious terrace.

"……."

It was a terrace beautiful enough to overwhelm instinctively. Moonlight pouring down fantastically, as if gathered and reflected by mirrors. The white marble balustrade looked exactly like a work of art. The elegant chair placed just slightly off-center on the terrace, the wool carpet on the floor.

I could see why Linon had been so confident. The rumors weren't exaggerated at all.

I slowly looked around the terrace. The Grand Duchess's terrace was about half a floor higher than even the highest terrace attached to the grand ballroom. Glancing down, I could already see quite a few lovers who'd come out to other terraces enjoying their trysts.

'Really a VIP seat. I could see every rumor with my own eyes from here.'

Somehow this terrace seemed to have been used not just for rest, but quite actively for both social and political purposes.

I leaned against the sturdy balustrade and looked up at the sky. In the sky with a full moon, countless stars were embedded, and the full moon was unusually large. It was an enchanting view, though as the servant had said, it was quite cold, forcing me to shrink my body slightly. On the other hand, my head felt refreshingly cool.

How long had I been like that?

Ding-a-ling.

The sound of a small bell reached my ears along with the sound of a door opening. I opened my closed eyes. Turning around, I saw a half-expected figure standing there.

"How did you get in here again?"

"…Seria."

"Didn't the servant block you, saying absolutely no one could enter without my permission?"

"I know, I know, but I earnestly asked in the saint's name."

"What good does asking do? I didn't give permission. You do know that Berke Castle's traditions are so strict that even a duke who intrudes here without permission must serve as the Grand Duchess of Berke's slave for a week, don't you?"

"What? That's…."

Lina, who'd been looking at me with shocked eyes, continued with difficulty.

"But Seria, I… I told Kallis I want a divorce."

Clasping her trembling hands together, Lina dropped those bombshell words. I blinked and answered.

"I see."

"…Seria?"

Lina looked flustered, as if my reaction was too calm. She must have expected me to ask back with a surprised face.

"Go ahead and do that. Lina, is that all you had to say?"

Lina urgently stopped me as I tried to call the servant.

"Seria! I heard from the priests that a Stern's divorce is as complicated as marriage, so I can't divorce immediately… But I will divorce him! So… I'll return what I took from you…!"

…Return what you took from me? Did I hear correctly? I was momentarily speechless at her patronizing attitude. I spoke to Lina in a cold voice.

"Lina, you seem to be misunderstanding something, but whether you divorce Kallis or he dies, I have no lingering feelings for him anymore. So if that's all you have to say, please leave."

"Seria!"

Lina's voice grew louder, making me frown. Terrace protocol at banquets serves the purpose of trysts. So those secretly out on terraces conventionally speak quietly in soft voices, but Lina's voice just now was loud enough to break convention.

All the nobles out on terraces were surely looking up this way. My head began to ache.

"What do you want, Lina?"

"Want? I don't want anything! I just, I just…."

A moment later, the small bell from the door—ding-a-ling. Lina cried out tearfully.

"I just know I'm not the protagonist, I'm more like foreign matter caught between two people…!"

Protagonist? Foreign matter?

"I just feel like foreign matter caught between two people."

Those were definitely words I'd said to Lesche before our first dance. Lina had been close enough to overhear them.

I stared at Lina, gripped by a strange feeling.

Yoo Lina. This world's female lead. Having read the original, I knew Lina's personality well.

As befitting a female lead, Lina was fundamentally good-natured, but she wasn't the type to frustrate readers. In the original, she defeated villains who tormented her because of the sub-male leads with her characteristic wit.

I raised my hand and quietly placed it on my cheek. Still faintly swollen.

This was evidence of my desperate effort to protect the female lead. Even though Seria's anger was difficult to control, I'd somehow scraped together enough patience to slap my own cheek instead of Lina's. I'd never once tormented the female lead. Not yet… meaning I wasn't a villainess.

So why was Lina repeating words I'd said, at this particular timing?

I told the servant to ring the bell if anyone tries to enter.

Before coming in, I'd made a request of the servant. If Lina or Kallis tried to enter, ring the bell conspicuously.

Anyone with eyes and ears would know. When someone tries to enter here, the servant rings the bell.

The person bold enough to climb to the Grand Duchess's terrace… even I thought it could only be Lina or Kallis.

So others concentrating their attention here would think similarly. Lina was already on the terrace, and the bell just rang again, so they could easily deduce Kallis had arrived at the door.

How much had Kallis heard?