You Can't Catch the Wind - Chapter 6

The puppy, much smaller than its littermates and unable to follow even simple commands well, was sold off cheaply by the baron to someone else.

And from that day on, Elize pointedly called Ael “Rida.”

With a face that seemed to say, “What difference is there between you and that dog?”

“Enough of that, just bring some water and fruit.”

Elize brushed past Ael, waving her hand as if bothered. Ael was puzzled by Elize’s attitude.

Normally, Elize would have been irritated, saying her sleep was disturbed because of Ael. But to just pass by like that. Ael could tell.

That Elize was in an exceptionally good mood right now.

Ael entered the living room carrying a tray. Elize was lying on the long sofa, looking at the invitation Jena had brought.

When Ael placed the plate of nicely cut fruit on the table, Elize finally sat up.

She, unusually, even hummed a tune as she put the fruit Ael had brought into her mouth.

Like the baroness, Elize typically frowned for several hours after waking up.

At those times, just being in her sight would invite all sorts of complaints, but today there were no words. She was even humming instead of yelling, despite Ael being right in front of her.

Then Elize spoke.

“Do you know what happened at the party yesterday?”

Seemingly eager to boast, Elize spoke before Ael could even ask.

“What… happened?”

When Ael asked, Elize smiled coyly, as if deliberately building suspense. It was a fresh smile that would make anyone want to smile along.

But Ael couldn’t. Because mixed in Elize’s face was blatant contempt and mockery directed at her.

“Yesterday, Lord Rakeas danced the first dance with me at the party.”

“…!”

Ael’s eyes widened in surprise at those words. Elize smiled even more deeply, as if she had expected such a reaction.

“Lord Rakeas, you mean…”

“Yes. The king’s brother who received the title of Grand Duke two years ago. He politely asked my partner’s permission and then asked if I would dance the first dance with him.”

Elize clutched her hands tightly, her expression overwhelmed as if recalling that moment.

Rakeas was currently the most popular figure in the Kingdom of Denertum, with everyone trying to exchange even one more word with him.

First of all, he was born of noble birth, and his dazzling appearance inherited from the late queen mother attracted the attention of women in social circles.

That alone was enough for him to look down on everyone from the pinnacle of society. But a year ago, his betrothed, who was still in the womb when they were engaged, fell ill just before her coming-of-age ceremony and passed away.

One person’s tragedy often becomes another’s joy.

When he returned to society after three months of mourning the loss of his fiancée, women cast even deeper glances at him than before.

Most men in high society marry before the age of 25. The Grand Duke, due to the age difference with his fiancée, had waited for her to come of age and was now 27 years old. This meant he needed to hurry with marriage.

Naturally, all the nobles with unmarried daughters began to imagine a future where their daughter would become the Grand Duchess.

The Baron and Baroness Aradis were no exception.

When her father’s voice, full of love and pride, was heard from beyond the door, Ael had nodded.

Elize, who had inherited her stepmother’s beauty, was the most beautiful person in the world even to Ael’s eyes.

Golden hair that shimmered as if carefully gathered strands of sunlight mixed with honey and gold. Eyes as blue as the clearest autumn sky.

Small and delicate features with slender arms and legs. And a body with voluptuous yet delicate curves. A beautiful voice and gentle way of speaking. And above all, what people praised was something else.

Whenever she heard such praise, Elize would put on a surprised expression as if she had never even imagined such impudent behavior.

Standing next to such an Elize, Ael could not raise her face. For all those young women people spoke of were referring to her.

People would look back and forth between Ael and Elize with ambiguous smiles. Even without words, their thoughts could be read. How could half-sisters be so different? And why is one side so…

Recalling the cold gazes directed at her, Ael felt a chill and rubbed her arms.

She wanted to return to her room immediately, but she couldn’t leave until Elize told her to go.

Ael had to continue listening to what happened at yesterday’s party.

That the Grand Duke continued to talk with Elize even after the first dance, that he was introduced to Elize’s friends, that they had agreed on which party to attend next.

After speaking joyfully for quite some time, Elize’s eyes suddenly sharpened.

“So, Rida. Are you making any effort for marriage?”

“…Huh?”

“Mother said yesterday. Now that I need to get married, it’s embarrassing to have you still in the house, and she was worried.”

“…”

At Elize’s words, Ael hung her head low. In the end, it meant that her unmarried presence in the house was becoming a blemish.

“So from the next party, they’re going to bring you along too. It seems Mother has made up her mind to marry you off within this year, no matter what.”

“But the gratitude money…”

“Ah, the gratitude money. They said they’re going to give up on that. If you can just save face minimally, they’ll approve your marriage as soon as a proposal comes in.”

“…”

Ael could not say anything.

In Denertum, when a woman marries, the groom’s side pays a large sum of money called “gratitude money” to the bride’s family.

This money, also called a gratuity, was said to honor the efforts of the bride’s parents in raising her.

Of course, if the amount was not satisfactory, the bride’s parents could refuse the marriage.

After Ael came of age, the Baron and Baroness immediately tried to marry her off. Naturally, the purpose was the gratuity.

Although the Aradis barony was said to be a noble family in name only, men from lower families would still want to marry into it.

Baron Aradis had no intention of passing the title to Ael’s side, so it would just be a marriage to “the baron’s daughter,” but Baron Aradis thought that alone would be an honor for the other party.

‘Moreover, shouldn’t I recover some of the money I spent when I brought in her mother?’

To the baron, Ael was the investment that had incurred the biggest loss. To make up for that loss, he had to recover the past damages from the man who would take Ael.

Moreover, he planned to use the ample money received to prepare the best things for Elize’s debut in society.

Perhaps Ael’s inexperienced appearance when she first came out to society seemed acceptable to some men, as marriage proposals did come in for Ael at first.

Baron Aradis immediately sent replies to them. Writing down the amount of gratitude money he wanted.

Not long after, whenever people in society saw Ael, they would whisper and give incredulous sneers.

They spoke as if for Ael to hear, mentioning the amount of gratitude money Baron Aradis had notified the suitors.

When Ael heard that amount, she was so shocked she dropped the fan she was holding.

It was an absurd amount.

What madman would pay such money, which rarely comes out even in marriages of high nobility, to welcome the daughter of a powerless noble family?

Especially when they weren’t even passing on the title.

In the end, no more marriage proposals came, and Ael became the laughingstock of society.

When Baron Aradis was thinking he should lower the gratitude money a bit, another incident occurred. A dispute arose between Ael and an elderly noble who had been a professor at the Academy.

It couldn’t even be called a dispute. It was a one-sided barrage of abusive language and intimidation from that elderly noble towards Ael.

The cause was trivial. Next to Ael, that elderly noble and a few other nobles began talking loudly about matters related to the empire.

The elderly noble was explaining to the other nobles about trade between the empire and other countries when Ael, listening nearby, soon realized there was a major error in his explanation.

So when there was a brief pause in their conversation, she carefully and politely asked the elderly noble if there might be some parts that were a bit different from what she remembered.

At that moment, the elderly noble threw the wine glass he was holding right next to Ael and shouted angrily.

It was only later that Ael learned this elderly noble was famous for his nasty temperament even at the Academy.

He was a person who believed he was always right and took it as an attack on himself if anyone showed even the slightest doubt about him.

With the glass tumbler rolling beside her and the incessant shouting, there was nothing Ael, who had just debuted in society, could do.

When yandere male lead believes she loves him — but she never did

“How dare you!”

“How dare you make me love you, only to cast me aside as nothing more than a friend?!?

“I will never accept that.”

“I will never let you return to him.”

“Even if I have to burn myself to ashes.”

“Even if I must shatter my purity, my dignity, my very soul.”

“I will never let you escape me!”

This was the first novel that introduced me to the matriarchal genre. I’ve read it three times already!

At first, the male lead despised the female lead. Later, he misunderstood that she liked him, so he condescendingly and reluctantly reciprocated her feelings.

Then, he suddenly discovered that she was kind to everyone in the same way, and there was already someone she cherished in her heart, and that person was not him.

The male lead couldn’t believe it, he became angry and crazy. He was determined to capture her body and heart by any means necessary.

Synopsis:

Want to see how a green tea bitch male lead falls in love with the female lead?

Want to see how he flirtatiously pursues the female lead?

Want to see how he gets slapped in the face repeatedly?

The male lead is a green tea bitch, a poisonous lotus, jealous, ruthless, unscrupulous, with a venomous heart, and he’s also a delusional maniac.

The female lead is righteous, positive energy-filled, kind, a holy mother.

Let’s see how two people with extreme personalities come together~

_____

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