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by rosalieNevertheless, Nelisa decided to maintain her humble posture. Until she knew why Adelaide was angry, she needed to endure anyway.
Adelaide, looking very displeased, tapped her fingers before finally speaking.
“If you truly repent your past malice, who do you think should have the initiative to make or break the relationship between us?”
“……?”
Nelisa became instantly confused. Initiative? What did that have to do with her begging for forgiveness?
Seeing her expression, Adelaide clicked her tongue.
“Look at this. You still don’t understand. If you’re not stupid, then you’re extremely selfish. And I might as well say you’re shameless and impudent too.”
“……”
The personal attacks poured out. Nelisa tried hard to suppress the anger that was welling up inside her.
Adelaide’s cold voice was heard again.
“How dare you announce our friendship is over first? It’s not even funny.”
Finally, Nelisa realized the point of Adelaide’s anger. In short, before the victim Adelaide could redefine their relationship, the perpetrator Nelisa had already defined the relationship between them.
According to Adelaide’s logic, Nelisa, as the perpetrator, should have waited for and accepted Adelaide’s decision about whether their relationship would continue or end. Nelisa shouldn’t have hastily concluded, “You won’t be able to forgive me anyway, so we’re no longer friends.”
A truly complex and subtle emotional issue. Nevertheless, Nelisa felt relieved to know why Adelaide was angry. Knowing the cause made a solution possible.
At least she had achieved the purpose of visiting this room.
Nelisa took a deep breath and carefully began to speak.
“Adele, I understand what you’re saying now. I certainly didn’t consider your feelings carefully enough. I should have been more considerate of you, but I just said what I wanted to say. I think that’s why you misunderstood me.”
“……”
Adelaide made no particular response.
But this was a very good sign for Nelisa. It meant Adelaide was listening to her words.
“When I said I would set up a workshop and go my own way, I didn’t mean I was going to settle everything and wash my hands of all connections by myself. I was trying to express my determination to stop following you and cut off my habit of coveting what’s yours.”
Nelisa couldn’t believe how different her mindset was when apologizing for the original villainess’s wrongs versus clarifying a misunderstanding she herself had created.
In fact, Adelaide’s anger toward Nelisa stemmed precisely from this. In apologizing for sins she hadn’t directly committed, Nelisa had adopted typical language and attitudes, making the mistake of not carefully considering the other person’s position.
Even with the same words, someone who had suffered a deep emotional wound would feel much more sensitive and delicate than in normal circumstances.
Nelisa learned a great lesson from this incident. Having chosen to bear the karma of the original villainess, she needed to consider Adelaide’s wounded heart as well. That was the true mindset of a perpetrator sincerely apologizing to a victim.
She continued to speak sincerely and carefully.
“And when I said we wouldn’t be friends anymore, it was because I didn’t have the audacity to ask for your friendship again. Honestly, I thought it would be shameless to even ask for your forgiveness.”
As she spoke, Nelisa carefully observed Adelaide’s expression. It was still rigid and cold, but much more relaxed than when they first faced each other.
“Anyway, there’s no excuse for my inconsiderate words. I’m sorry, Adele.”
Nelisa slightly bowed her head to Adelaide, then quietly turned around.
Click.
After closing the door and stepping into the corridor, Nelisa exhaled a long breath.
“Haah……”
She had done all she could. The conclusion was entirely up to Adelaide.
Nelisa walked with somewhat lighter steps. Having completed a difficult task, it was now time to go see the workshop.
⁕⁕⁕
After Nelisa left the room, Adelaide also let out a sigh filled with complicated emotions.
“Phew……”
This time it was real. Nelisa had sincerely apologized for her mistake.
Adelaide had to admit it. The regressed Nelisa had truly changed. As if she had become a completely different person.
Adelaide muttered irritably.
“What am I supposed to do now……”
Nelisa had apologized sincerely. She had let go of the rope they had both been pulling tightly from opposite sides. And not with an impudent and shameless attitude, but while trying her best to understand Adelaide’s feelings.
In the face of a genuine apology, was it really appropriate to harbor anger and vengeance? Adelaide couldn’t help but seriously consider this.
Of course, this uncomfortable feeling wouldn’t disappear with just one verbal apology. However, whether continuing to be angry at someone who had sincerely apologized was justified when weighed on the scale of good and evil, regardless of emotions, was another matter.
In short, Adelaide had lost her excuse to be angry with Nelisa. Anger without justification was merely an emotion driven by spite, with no legitimacy to it.
So what should she do now?
“Haah……”
Adelaide shook her head vigorously, trying to shake off all the confusion filling her mind.
⁕⁕⁕
Nelisa finally set foot in the neatly cleaned workshop.
“Wow……”
There was no trace of the dilapidated empty house she had first seen. Not only were the walls and floors clean and well-polished, but the damaged corners had also been meticulously repaired.
The workshop was a two-story building. The first floor could be opened wide by opening the door facing the yard. It was perfect for use as a workspace.
On the second floor, there were three or four rooms. Nelisa designated one of them as her exclusive workroom and the rest as break rooms and pantries for the people who would work with her. From her experience as an office worker, these two were absolutely essential for workplace welfare.
Nelisa walked around with the interior sketches she had drawn in advance, diligently noting down the list of furniture and supplies she needed to purchase. Large, sturdy workbenches and chairs, various tools, and so on.
“I should also buy snacks to fill the pantry……”
Nelisa hummed a cheerful tune.
Once she safely returned to her original life and retired from her company, she would definitely set up an office like this. Although she had just started her job, what did it matter? The earlier you set your dreams, the better.
After finishing the inspection of the workshop, Nelisa took a carriage to the bustling district.
“Ugh……”
For her, who was used to cars, the ride quality of the carriage was truly awful. Her body was constantly shaking, along with unfiltered vibrations. Plus, there wasn’t even proper cushioning to absorb the impact.
Although it wasn’t the top-tier carriage that Adelaide and her father frequently used, the carriage Nelisa was riding in was far more luxurious than what ordinary commoners rode. Yet it was still this bad, so what would a regular carriage be like?
The carriage arrived at its destination just before Nelisa could collapse from motion sickness.
The bustling district had not only shops selling various furniture and supplies but also the carpentry guild, which was the most important reason for Nelisa’s visit today.
She entered the guild office, clutching her trembling heart. A young woman who appeared to be around Nelisa’s age sat at the reception desk.
“What brings you here?”
“I’m looking for a skilled carpenter. I want to hire them exclusively.”
“Hmm, first leave the employer’s name and address. Also, skilled craftsmen may present their desired salary in advance. How would you like to handle that?”
“I don’t mind if they state their salary first. Skill is the most important thing.”
Nelisa answered the questions while providing her name along with the workshop address.
The woman at the reception informed her in a businesslike tone that the job request had been received.
“You’ll be contacted at your address soon.”
“Yes, I understand.”
Nelisa had completed her most important task.
The rest was minor shopping. She stopped by a woodworking shop to order large workbenches used by professional craftsmen, and visited a furniture store to purchase various items for the workshop. She didn’t forget to buy plenty of pastries from a bakery.
On the way back, she barely endured the same terrible ride quality as on the way there.
“Uuugh……”
After getting off the carriage, her buttocks were so sore that she newly appreciated just how expensive the Wiesbaden exclusive carriage that Adelaide rode must be.
Nelisa limped toward her room. At the same time, she made a resolution. Somehow, she would design a better means of transportation than this carriage!
⁕⁕⁕
From the next day, Nelisa began commuting straight to the workshop.
Early in the morning, as soon as she opened her eyes, she changed into comfortable clothes that she could wear carelessly, grabbed a large notebook and writing tools, and left the mansion barely having eaten breakfast.
It took about 10 minutes on foot from the Wiesbaden mansion to the workshop. Still, because the mansion was so much larger and taller than other nearby houses, Nelisa’s workshop could be seen directly from the windows on the third floor of the mansion.
Not long after Nelisa arrived at the workshop, the various furniture she had purchased the day before was delivered from the furniture store. As the workers carried desks and chairs, Nelisa precisely designated where each piece of furniture should be placed.
“Please take that desk to the innermost room on the second floor. I’ve marked the floor with chalk in advance. Place it there.”
“Please put the chairs down roughly over here. I’ll organize them later.”
With the furniture in place, the empty house began to look somewhat like a proper workshop.
Nelisa proudly looked at the organized interior of the workshop. Now it would be perfect once the workbenches arrived.
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