Chapter Thirty-three: Turning the Tables
“My, what a shabby-looking girl you found, Lyos.”
“Karen has always looked like this.”
“And you’ve been standing next to her? You’ve had it tough, haven’t you?”
“Don’t worry. I never stood next to her.”
The pair approaching Karen were Lyos and Marian. Lyos was wearing casual clothes with a simple shirt, while Marian was dressed in a stylish dress.
Karen was stunned to see what was clearly a couple on a date. Lyos had never once gone on a date with Karen, even though she had asked many times during their engagement.
Why did she have to witness this?
“Do you need something from me?”
“Hmph. Still as charmless as ever. Why don’t you try flattering me a bit?”
“What?”
“You should be grateful—I’ve brought you a good offer.”
Lyos was fairly handsome, and Marian was known around town as a beauty. To Karen’s eyes, which had seen true beauty at the Ehlertt estate, they looked rather plain, but here in the shopping district, they stood out considerably.
“Oh, isn’t that Karen over there?”
“Finally came out of your house, did you?”
“I thought you were away for work?”
In this world, there was no such thing as privacy. Before she knew it, Karen was surrounded by neighbors, and she could not escape from hearing this "good offer" in which she had no interest.
“Karen, I’ll make you one of my lesser wives.”
At Lyos’s words, Karen’s ears began to ring.
“Since my mother-in-law was worried about you, I decided to allow it, Karen. But don’t get too familiar with Lyos, understand?”
Marian smiled sweetly.
Lyos put his arm around her shoulder and sneered.
“Don’t get greedy asking to be the second or third wife. Originally, I was planning to hire you as a mere servant.”
“Karen, you do occasionally come up with good ideas, so you might be useful for something. I told Lyos it would be fine to make you a lesser wife. You should thank me, Karen.”
Just like when Marian stole her soap recipe, it seemed she thought she might be able to take something else from Karen. That’s why Marian had recommended Karen as Lyos’s lesser wife.
Karen’s head started to ache, not understanding why they were even talking about hiring her as a servant.
“As if I’d accept something like that.”
“What are you saying?! Karen dear!”
The one who let out that shriek-like voice was a neighborhood aunt standing right next to Karen.
“Don’t be stupid! You should accept such a generous offer immediately! Even your brother abandoned you—you have no other options!”
The aunt grabbed Karen’s shoulders and shook her. Her eyes were filled with nothing but concern.
But her brother hadn’t abandoned her—he was just often away working as an adventurer, though she hadn’t seen him for half a year.
“That’s right, Karen! Why are you being so stubborn?”
“Even as a lesser wife, you’d be married to a knight! I’d love to take your place!”
“Don’t be so picky! Who raised you to be such a selfish girl?!”
“An F-rank like you has no right to defy a knight!”
Mixed in with the voices of people who genuinely cared for Karen were those who looked down on her F-rank status.
“Refusing marriage to a knight—you must have something to hide! Have you been running some kind of scam?!”
When Karen flinched at this particularly offensive accusation, the auntie shouted:
“That’s not true!”
“Karen’s just doing her best in her own way! She made me a compress for my back pain! When Karen applies it, it feels more effective than any potion!”
“It’s our fault for saying it seemed effective—that made Karen believe in it! You shouldn’t say such things!”
They were defending her while simultaneously putting her down. They seemed to think Karen had misunderstood her original potion’s effectiveness because they had praised it too much. Even the old man Karen had given the compress to didn’t seem to believe it worked. He appeared to think it was just a placebo effect.
“Ugh…! Just because I’m so popular with everyone…!”
Perhaps Karen really was everyone’s idol after all. Because of that, it seemed the true effectiveness of her medicine wasn’t being conveyed. As Karen anguished over this, a shadow suddenly fell over her.
“Are you receiving a proposal, Karen?”
“Ah—”
When she turned toward the cool, beautiful voice, there stood a tall man with dazzling golden hair and golden eyes.
Karen’s light blue eyes went wide.
She suddenly realized that the crowd around them had fallen silent, leaving an empty space around just Karen and Julius.
“Master Julius…!”
“While I’ve been courting you, you’ve been cold to me—surely you wouldn’t accept a proposal from your former fiancé?”
Saying this, Julius took Karen’s hand and kissed her fingertips. Though his words about courting and being cold were confusing, it was probably a strategic move to handle the situation. Karen managed to keep her composure by focusing on this reasoning. She had to think to keep herself together, or her brain might melt.
“You wouldn’t say he’s better than me, would you?”
“Of course not!”
Karen nodded firmly.
By any measure, Julius was superior to Lyos in every way.
It was self-evident.
Yet at Karen’s declaration, she saw Lyos’s face twist in displeasure at the edge of her vision. Karen had only stated the obvious, so she couldn’t understand how he could make such a face. If he thought he had any qualities superior to Julius, he was being far too presumptuous.
“What’s going on, Karen!? Could this person be—!?”
It was the first time she’d seen Marian so flustered.
Karen felt a sense of relief and moved a little closer to Julius, who had been maintaining a respectful distance. She wanted to show off to Marian.
As if understanding Karen’s intention, Julius wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close.
This was exceptional service.
Though it was hard on her heart, it had the desired effect on Marian, who stood there trembling.
It was the first time in her life that Karen had won against Marian.
Karen achieved victory at the cost of her heart’s stability.
“I am Julius Ehlertt, brother of Earl Ehlertt. I met Karen through work and found myself drawn to her. I’ve been taking my time, working to win her heart. Even if you were once engaged to her, I’d appreciate it if someone who abandoned her would refrain from interfering now.”
This was a titanium-grade rescue.
So this was what it felt like to have powerful backing.
“What—”
Though Lyos started to say something, the words died in his mouth.
The gazes that had been piercing Karen earlier were now directed at Lyos.
They silently condemned him—did he dare to defy the words of a hero who had won the swordsmanship tournament and conquered the Ehlertt territory’s dungeon?
Though Lyos was usually arrogant and Karen thought he might say something regardless of others’ opinions, he ended up keeping his mouth shut.
“Shall we go, Karen?”
“Yes!”
Julius offered his arm.
Karen triumphantly accepted his escort.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteOh nahhhhh, these neighbors attitudes are making me nauseous. They pretend to defend Karen while putting her down and suddenly berate the other party when they realized Julius and Karen are in a favorable relationship. Karen surviving in that place with that Lyos is a testament to her mental strength.
ReplyDeleteI wish Karen would leave that village.
The problem here is the culture, Karen's rank places her as an almost outcast, someone who is not needed by society; thus, to the neighbors, the concubine offer is like manna from heaven; we see it from a different lens however.
Delete