Olivia nodded.

A fact known to everyone. At the same time, a fact known to no one but me.

“Dean knows about ‘Olivia Madellene’s’ rumors better than anyone.”

“Is that so?”

Olivia smiled a little. It wasn’t a big surprise. It was a perfect reason to hate me.

“I guess it’s not as surprising as I thought.”

I thought you’d be more surprised. Edwin disappointingly pouted his red lips.

“Because I guessed it.”

“What about this?”

The lazily spreading voice was mysteriously secretive. When the red eyes enchantingly twinkled.

“What if that Dean, here in Vicander, was the one who heatedly denied those rumors?”

That couldn’t be.

Olivia immediately denied it. Edwin shrugged.

“It’s true. He even went to taverns where the newspapers of the principality were received? I once banned him from that tavern because he was ranting that Olivia’s rumors were fabricated.”

Her eyes, wide in surprise, blinked slowly. Many thoughts crossed over the serene face. Those traces built up, and a resolute mind shone through.

Edwin knew very well.

How strong my little mistress was. Strong enough to cut off the family that had clung for fourteen years.

So when Olivia lifted her head.

“I need to see Lord Stellin now.”

Edwin smiled and nodded.

As if he knew it would be so.

(This is a time divider.)

The training room left alone.

Clash[Dash]. With a sharp metallic sound, Dean slumped in his seat.

A strong shock spread through the hand that had been holding the sword. The legs wobbled, and sweat poured like rain over his body. It was enough to collapse right there.

But.

“……My Lord, are you wearing the lens?”

No matter how hard I trained, I couldn’t erase the mistress’s voice asking towards me.

“……I should have listened when Beserni offered to cast the spell.”

With the regret that flowed out in an instant, Dean closed his eyes tightly.

Damn it. Damn, damn!

Everyone knew that my eyes were lime green, but I didn’t want to reveal that to the noble mistress!

Putting down the sword, Dean scratched his head hard. If he could, he wanted to turn back time. Why did he refuse Beserni’s magic for that last remaining regret!

“I don’t know much about training, but.”

Suddenly hearing a familiar voice, Dean was startled and looked up.
I thought it was a hallucination. It couldn’t be otherwise, for I would have sensed something approaching from this close distance.

But what was approaching was unmistakably Olivia Madelleine. The same purple dress I had seen earlier, her fine silver hair shimmering palely in the moonlight, her elegant face. And,

“If you train like that, it will be hard for you to escort me tomorrow, Sir Sjellin.”

Those upright green eyes looking at Dian.

“……I am honored to see you, Miss.”

“I want to take a walk for a while. Is it okay if I ask for your escort?”

“……I just finished training and there must be an unpleasant smell. If you wait a moment, I will bring another knight soon.”

“I’m fine with it. Shall we go?”

Dian finally bowed his head. Olivia nodded and took a step.

.

.

.

The night of Vicander was dyed pitch black. The chirring sound of grasshoppers was similar to what I had heard in the Duke’s palace.

Olivia looked around the garden with a mischievous smile and glanced at the Duke’s castle, then asked Dian,

“I think it was around here. Is that right?”

“……What are you referring to?”

I answered with a voice that seemed to hate the question. Olivia responded with an affectionate smile as if she didn’t care,

“The place where Sir Sjellin glared at me.”

“……!”

At Olivia’s words, Dian finally looked back at where I was standing.

It was true. The place where I had glared at Olivia Madelleine from the balcony of the Duke’s castle on the day when the Duke and the young lady had returned.

“……Why did you come here?”

“I thought if I came here, I could understand why you glared at me.”

Olivia looked at the Duke’s castle and shook her head. Then she turned around and faced Dian,

“……I don’t really understand. So please tell me directly. Why do you hate me so much?”

“……Why do you want to know?”

Dian replied a beat late. Even after the training had ended, my heart was beating abnormally fast.

Whether I wanted to hear her answer or didn’t want to, I couldn’t distinguish at that moment.

“I love all of Vicander’s people, and I want them to love me back.”

The warm emotion welled up from my stomach at the sound of her voice, as gentle as spring sunlight.

I had to endure it. Dian clenched his fist tightly and closed his mouth. But those upright eyes looking at me pulled me in.

The green eyes I had so desperately wanted to avoid slowly blinked and rounded.

“Of course, the people of Yenib and Sir Sjellin, too.”

“Well, you’re impressive.”

I couldn’t bear it any longer. The mocking voice came out unknowingly. Dian looked down at Olivia with narrowed, jaundiced eyes.

I would have preferred if she had been shocked or hurt by my words. But this noble young lady just closed her mouth and met my eyes with a quiet face.

The moment I saw her face, I couldn’t control myself.

“Why on earth did you behave that way, when you want to love and be loved by everyone?”

I shot back fiercely, as if a dam had burst.

“Why did you covet others’ things, make a scene at the tea party? Why……!”

Half of the negative articles about me in the Duchy’s newspapers were about Princess Madelleine.

The greeneyed, onesided princess coveted someone else’s things here, made a scene there, used low means to torment others.

At first, I defended myself, thinking those rumors were slander, but eventually, the gossip poured out too much.

Each time, I wanted to ask just once,

“What were you lacking, Miss, who proudly carries green eyes and is so dearly loved?”

“……”

“Why, if you have the breadth of mind to think of Yenib people now. Couldn’t you have restrained yourself a little and thought of the people with green eyes?”

“……”

“……Aren’t you the only one who isn’t persecuted by people just because you have green eyes, Miss.”
The deep emotion that couldn’t be filtered out flowed out as it was. Even feeling that, Dian couldn’t shut his mouth.

“……Of course, even though a lowly person like me says this, your Highness the Princess probably won’t care about how other greeneyed people live.”

In the end, Dian muttered like a sigh.

“Whether I had to wear lenses to cover my eyes to avoid being harassed, or had to cast permanent magic. I wish I could walk around with green eyes without any problems.”

Under the quiet night sky, a voice mixed with resignation resonated clearly.

“……Because it has nothing to do with the young lady who has always been loved.”