Zen, who had promised to return soon, managed to come back only after 30 minutes.
30 minutes. It was a vague duration to describe as ‘soon’, but considering the vastness of the mansion, it was understandable. It would easily take 5 minutes just to walk from the interview room to the main entrance.
“I apologize. It took longer than I thought…”
Zen hurried back into the room like someone being chased. His hair and attire, which had been disheveled, were now neatly and elegantly arranged.
Deborah responded with a thin smile.
“It’s alright.”
Deborah didn’t expect Zen to respond to her smile, but she thought he would explain why he asked her to wait.
However, Zen simply stood still, gazing at Deborah with a tranquil expression as if in a dream.
‘How burdensome.’
Maintaining her faint smile, Deborah waited for him to speak. It wouldn’t be appropriate for her to rush him.
Then, Zen, almost turning his back completely, said,
“Let’s continue our conversation elsewhere. Please, follow me.”
Deborah didn’t particularly want to change locations. It seemed like it would only prolong the conversation. But it wasn’t feasible to suggest talking amidst the debris of broken cups.
“Understood.”
After hearing Deborah’s response, Zen took a deep breath and opened the door. Stepping into the hallway, Deborah noticed the empty waiting seats and thought,
‘Did he really send everyone away?’
Sending away so many people would have been a task. There would have been complaints, and explaining the subsequent schedule must have been a hassle. Deborah suddenly felt uneasy. What could Zen possibly want to talk about that he even postponed the interviews?
‘I’ve reviewed the conversation over and over, but there was nothing wrong with my responses.’
Deborah didn’t say anything unpleasant to either the arrogant male protagonist or the interviewer.
The only thing that came to mind was a possible connection between Zen and the ‘Heather couple’.
‘Zen reacted to the mention of the Heather couple. Were they acquainted?’
As far as Deborah knew, the Heather couple didn’t appear in the story.
‘Well, not every acquaintance has to be written in a story.’
The description of Zen in the novel was too sparse, revealing only that he was abandoned by his father, lived as a vagrant, and then was helped by a noble to start a business.
‘Not much explanation was given. Even though Zen is the male lead.’
In the story, Zen seemed to be born to harbor hatred, a flame that could scorch mountains yet trembled at a breath. This volatile flame was loathed beyond the pages.
Deborah seemed to recall not liking Zen at the time.
‘Probably.’
So, when she realized the new world she was assigned to was one where Zen and Dia were the protagonists, she was shocked. To live in a world where such terrible things happen.
‘But so far, just like before, I’ve lived a life unrelated to the protagonists. And I thought it would continue that way.’
In fact, the current Deborah didn’t hate Zen, regardless of her desire to keep him at a distance. These two feelings had to be distinctly separated.
‘Zen hasn’t done anything wrong to me directly. Nor has he been cruel to Dia, at least not yet.’
Of course, he might have chosen Dia as one would a commodity and spoken arrogantly. And if left alone, the events Deborah remembered might unfold.
‘But as of now, those sins do not exist.’
Thus, she couldn’t hate or judge him.
“…….”
The heavier set of footsteps among the echoing click-clacks in the hallway came to a halt.
When Zen, who was leading, stopped, Deborah also halted abruptly.
“What’s the matter?” Deborah asked, glancing at Zen.
“……Just checking if you were following well.”
Zen quickly turned his head forward again as he responded.
Deborah smiled faintly. It was unexpected that he would worry about such a thing.
‘Well, considering his long strides, it might be hard to keep up.’
However, Zen was walking leisurely with short steps. How could she lose sight of such a back? Even a child could keep up with him.
“I am following well.”
Hearing Deborah’s response, Zen resumed walking slowly, and Deborah began moving again as well.
Deborah, looking at Zen’s back, which seemed close enough to touch if she extended her arm, briefly entertained a hypothetical scenario.
‘What if I suddenly turned around and ran wildly? Would this man catch me quickly?’
Probably. Even if she ran with breath searing her throat, she would likely be caught.
Of course, whether Zen had the intention to catch her was another matter. He might just send a letter filled with complaints to Lady Saint later.
‘Ah, I really want to run away.’
If it weren’t for Lady Saint, Deborah would have recklessly fled from this persistent male protagonist.
If there’s one thing she realized from her 28 years of life here and her previous hazy life, it’s that even a life pursued quietly can be caught in a storm at any time.
‘Just a moment ago, a person smiling peacefully can suddenly become otherworldly.’
When scheming men desperately battle for her favor in the male harem
This one’s also on my reread list! The rivalry, scheming between the men in the imperial harem are just as intense and thrilling as in classic palace drama novels, where concubines fight to the death. Give it a read, girls! I promise you won’t be disappointed.
Synopsis:
“I am not worthy of her… but I still want to be by her side, even if only as a loyal dog…”
Those were the painful whispers of Yue Guanyi – the proud Crown Prince of the Great Qi, who was torn between deep love and a guilty conscience. Despite holding the supreme power of the Imperial Guard, he still could not forget the dark past when he was sold into a brothel.
Fate played a cruel twist when Qiu Shuzhi – a young female official who had just passed the imperial examinations with top honors – stepped into his life. She did not know that she was the one who had saved him from a tragic fate many years ago. And now, her heart was the target of pursuit for both Yue Guanyi and the powerful Empress Dowager Qin Qing.
While Yue Guanyi only dared to silently care for and protect the one he loved from afar, the Empress Dowager Qin Qing openly expressed his feelings and did not hesitate to take advantage of his power to approach Qiu Shuzhi. The covert struggle between the two most powerful forces in the imperial court began…
Trigger warning: All men in this novel are yandere style.
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