Chapter 4: An Annoying Person

“Speak quickly. Don’t test my patience.”

Swallowing what seemed like familiar words, Clea ignored Grit’s fierce glare.

At first, she would have seizures from that gaze.

Inside, against her will, she kept repeating phrases like ‘must not be troublesome,’ ‘must not be hated.’

But before long, Clea eliminated all those disturbing thoughts from within.

From the beginning, she had never sought their affection or recognition as a family member.

A heart without even expectations naturally overcame the pressure that poured in.

Now she no longer felt tense even when seeing them.

‘Rather, they’re annoying.’

When Clea remained silent, Grit slightly raised his voice.

“If you keep acting this way, I’ll have no choice. I’ll tell the Persi family to nullify your engagement with the young lord.”

Grit always emphasized to Clea.

How much he had sacrificed to arrange her engagement to Lloyd Persi.

He claimed he had offered their family’s enormous wealth as a precondition for marriage.

And he brainwashed Clea, saying she must become the mistress of the Persi family no matter what.

The naive original Clea was always grateful to Grit and thought she must unconditionally follow his words.

Obsessively trying to marry Lloyd and maintain that relationship.

However, since she knew the truth now, Clea felt like sneering.

‘Actually, the Grand Duke and his wife never set any conditions for the Odoi family.’

Rather, they welcomed the marriage proposal from a duke’s family because they were displeased with Lloyd associating with lower-ranking ladies.

It wasn’t that they liked Clea, but rather they liked her family, the Odoi duchy.

Until the previous duke was alive, the Odoi duchy’s status was only one or two steps below the Persi grand duchy.

The only ones who were reluctant about this marriage were Grit here and her fiancé, Lloyd.

The Grand Duke and his wife wanted to marry Clea and Lloyd right away as soon as the marriage talks began.

But Grit, who was displeased at his daughter suddenly rising to a higher position than himself, and Lloyd, who didn’t want to be tied down by an unexpected marriage, made an agreement.

To use Clea Odoi’s existence.

While delaying the marriage as much as possible, one side would pick up the scraps falling from the grand duchy.

The other side would persuade their family to somehow change plans to marry Aria instead.

When Clea remained silent without answering his question, Duke Odoi ordered with an irritated expression.

“Go write an apology letter right now.”

It was always like this when she mentioned breaking off the engagement.

Having to write a letter filled with empty apologies, detailing how she was wrong.

Until now, Clea had done as he wished.

Because there were countless things she could gain from doing that much.

Though no one looked at her kindly, she could sleep peacefully with peace of mind, and though she couldn’t taste it, she could still eat every meal.

When she was sick, a doctor would come examine her, and necessary daily necessities were provided.

Even if they were low quality, she was quite willing since it meant she didn’t have to worry about those things.

But now things were different.

“Why should I do that?”

“Are you defying me now?”

“Yes, if that’s what you call defiance.”

“How dare you speak to your father that way, Clea!”

She was waiting for death anyway.

If she wasn’t loved, the curse would manifest and bring death.

Clea first learned this fact because of the mark that appeared on the back of her hand.

A mark that looked like a clock appeared, and its second hand kept moving without stopping.

As if it would kill her without hesitation the moment it stopped.

It was a moment she was very grateful for, as it made her realize even her family before her eyes didn’t love her.

Clea laughed emptily for a moment.

‘Even if I wanted to fix it, only those cursed can see it.’

Even if she appealed to others right now, they wouldn’t believe her at all.

It would be fortunate if they didn’t just say Clea Odoi, who had been desperately seeking her fiancé’s affection, had finally gone mad.

Even if the curse could be lifted, Clea, who had grown tired of her life here, rather welcomed it.

Rather than thinking she needed to break the curse, she thought this was finally her chance to disappear from this place.

There was no reason to write forced reflection letters anymore thinking about what she could gain.

She recalled her thoughts from the imperial palace banquet.

That it’s better to face someone you want to meet than to see someone you don’t want to.

Clea raised her head to look at Grit and Steve.

Steve looked at her with an expression close to shock, while Grit furrowed his brow even more and raised his voice at Clea.

“Go write an apology letter right now! If you don’t, you’ll be thrown out of the Odoi family!”

Hearing those words about being thrown out of the Odoi family, Clea’s body trembled slightly.

She clicked her tongue and thought.

Did she still have such feelings left in her?

Her mood immediately soured at the thought that some of the original Clea’s feelings, which she had beaten to death with iron and hammer, still remained.

Meanwhile, Grit, pleased thinking Clea had become scared, smiled and urged her.

“If you go up now and write an apology letter by tomorrow morning, I’ll give you a light punishment. The young lord said he would forgive you if you apologize, so if you go apologize, everything will be handled well.”

“Stop this pointless defiance and quickly sit down and eat what you’re given. Your stubbornness will only ruin you.”

She frowned deeply at the words reaching her ears.

Then she stood up as a good idea occurred to her.

Grit and Steve thought Clea had finally come to her senses. But that was a miscalculation.

Clea smiled and asked them.

“So I just need to abandon the Odoi name?”

“Clea?”

Steve stared at her with wide eyes, as if he had heard something completely unexpected.

But Clea completely ignored Steve and turned her gaze to Grit.

Grit met her gaze with a stiff expression, like someone having trouble accepting what Clea had said.

The beautiful girl with silver hair and blue eyes showed no emotion to Grit with her frozen expression.

She wasn’t hiding anything. She truly felt nothing towards him.

“Then that’s what I’ll do.”

“What do you think you’re doing!”

Grit was stunned for a moment at Clea’s answer before coming to his senses and asking.

He clearly thought he must have heard wrong.

Because he never expected such easy words about leaving would come from her mouth when she had been so obsessed with being accepted by the family.

However, as if she didn’t want to leave any room for misunderstanding, she kindly repeated herself once more.

“I will leave this house.”

“Clea! Do you really think you’ll be safe doing this?”

Steve angrily flared up at Clea’s attitude.

Grit also furrowed his brow at her arrogant attitude.

He felt a strange displeasure at her attitude suggesting she would live well even after leaving.

These days, there were frequent incidents of rebellious children running away among the nobles.

But they would soon return after realizing the importance of home. Their temperament would be subdued by the harsh outside world.

Thinking this situation fit perfectly, Grit showed a proud smile.

“Father, we must lock that child in her room right now…!”

“Then leave this house.”

“Father?”

“Yes, I will do so.”

Steve looked at Grit with a blank expression.

Grit looked at Steve pathetically before turning to look at Clea.

That attitude that still showed no hesitation.

He thought: though she’s acting this way now, before long she’ll return to being the obedient child who listens well to them like before.

While he was imagining how she would change, Clea ignored the two of them and headed straight outside.

‘I probably won’t ever return here again.’

There was one thing different from Duke Odoi’s thoughts.

From the beginning, Clea had never felt this place as her home.

She only thought of it as a place to stay temporarily until she would eventually leave.

If Grit had known how to read her thoughts, he would have imprisoned her in the mansion right now as Steve said.

But he was still thinking about assigning dedicated personnel to her just in case, while longing for Clea’s previous self.

* * *

“You’ll need to explain why you sent her away on your own, Oberon.”

Edmund’s mood was at its lowest point.

For the first time, he expressed his dissatisfaction to his aide Oberon, who had never shown him a disappointing side before.

He searched for Clea Odoi as soon as he woke up.

Though someone with silver hair and blue eyes shouldn’t be common, she had completely vanished like snow melting in spring air.

It was only after a long while that he discovered the note left in his room.

An absurd note telling him to think of it as being bitten by a dog and forget about last night.

And not long after, Oberon proudly presented a contract in front of him.

He immediately understood the whole situation.

“Your Highness, surely that noble lady must have used some kind of trick.”

“And?”

When different words came from his mouth that had been scolding him until just now, Oberon was delighted thinking his loyalty was finally being recognized.

But that was nothing more than a huge misunderstanding.

Edmund was curious to hear just how much nonsense he would spout.

Just what he would say under the pretext of doing it being for his sake.

“Isn’t it a risk to Your Highness’s honor, all for the sake of her fiancé? After all, Your Highness currently stands in opposition to the Odoi duchy.”

“So you’re saying she tried to bring me dishonor by making it seem I coveted an engaged woman.”

“Yes, that’s right.”

It was somewhat understandable.

If the duke had ordered her to create a scandal, it could have happened.

But that was only possible to think before spending that night with Clea.

At least during that time, she was sincere.

Those blue eyes didn’t think of anyone else.

She was busy biting into his flesh, her eyes containing only Edmund.

Like someone trying to leave their mark somehow before dying.

Edmund swallowed and finished his brief reminiscence before speaking to him.

“What if I wanted it?”

“Your Highness?”

Many emotions had passed during that one night.

His heart, which was always rational and prioritized principles, moved in confusion.

“I want to get some air.”

“Your Highness! It’s getting dark!”

Edmund looked at his neck in the mirror hanging in the office, along with emotions he had never felt before.

Biting his lip slightly at the memory she left, Edmund thought,

For some reason, he felt a strong desire to see someone.

Others might say it’s simply curiosity, but Edmund was certain it wasn’t curiosity.

He thought while wiping his dry face.

If they met again, would he be able to understand what these feelings he held were?