Light Novels

Do you think I'm scared? Or is she trying to assess me after observing my reaction? "Curiosity kills the cat. Tell me, how far is the line that Valentina knows?" For a few brief yet intense seconds, Valentina's sharp gaze locked my eyes. It was like the look of a cat about to pounce on its prey. "… To be honest, I still don't know. What I do know is that Sasha is somehow involved in all of it. Knowing that I accepted such a request, I must be crazy." "You don't need to worry, Valentina. I'm just as good at taking care of my friends as Benya." “… friend?” “Friend, indeed.” When I smiled brightly, the sharp rigidity in her eyes loosened, and she looked confused. "D-didn't you know exactly what kind of person I am?" "I know you well, my Queen of the Underworld. That's why it's better." Valentina said nothing more, instead, she began eating macaroons at random from her table, with a pensive look on her face. ...

"Come on, let's go. There are people I can introduce you to." "That makes me feel like a real aristocrat." "Just pass out anytime. Then I'll treat it as if you had just gone through the welcoming ceremony**, remember?" I guess I forgot about it. (**If u need to remember the context of these words, please refer to this chapter . Meanwhile, read the excerpt at the end of this chapter if you want to know the context without rereading another whole chapter, which I very much recommend) "I couldn't believe it, but it's as rumored." I took a half bite of the tart and turned my head. Then, in an instant, I closed my eyes tightly, and then quickly opened them again. Oh, Estelle...! It was because the young lady in front of me was quite similar to my milk sister. Her detailed features and turquoise eyes were different, but her wavy, aqua-colored hair and her slender, delicate aura made me think of Estelle inevitably. To be precise, the ver...

"It is an honor to meet you, Princess." "I heard that you are a talented individual. I heard you are in charge of designing a hotel that will open soon... The Duke of Serpente must be pleased." "I just have a laughable talent. But who are you looking for?" "Well, my friend is waiting, but I got distracted by the dance for a while… It's been a while since I've been in a place like this, so I got excited." "If you say it's been a while..." "Well, you know, my mother is very ill. So…" As her clear voice faded, tears welled up in her beautiful eyes. I knew that Princess Parke's mother – or more precisely, her stepmother – had been bedridden for several months before I returned home. That she didn't have long to live. It's just that, from what I knew, she was never a good mother to her stepdaughter, and she was such a notorious figure that rumors even circulated about her poisoning her husband. Of course, ru...

Ugh, poor Chief Aide. Not only does he have to deal with the threat of early hair loss, but he also has to cope with his shattered love life, so the Duke of Flame and Fury should give him plenty of bonuses. While Mr. Chaplin and Valentina tried to hold back their laughter by covering their mouths, our poor Mr. Pavel looked disapprovingly at the two but then cleared his throat and composed himself. "Well, Miss Sasha, you look very beautiful... And Valentina, you too." "Oh my, it seems you added that reluctantly?" "Does that even matter? The center of attention today is not you." "Because you speak so hatefully, even if you write just one love letter with..." "C-can't you stop?!" Seeing this, they seem quite friendly. In any case, neither Mr. Chaplin nor Mr. Pavel seemed surprised that Valentina accompanied me. It would be expected. Escorted by the Chief Aide, we descended the stairs designated for the bodyguards and reached the hall,...

Valentina, who had looked admiringly at the dresses and shoes that were enough to make a boutique of their own, paused and looked back at me. A subtle smile bloomed in her cat-like green eyes. "Well… Wouldn’t it be better to ask a Lady, who owns a salon specializing in aristocracy, rather than me?” “I am not an aristocrat. I hate old-fashioned tastes either.” “Certainly, there are no crinolines here.” It was natural that there weren’t. Benya was the one who couldn't bear to see me uncomfortable in those steel cage-like clothes. Fortunately, crinolines are slowly going out of fashion in the social world these days. A dress that falls naturally with shoulders exposed, as well as naturally hanging hair and light makeup, is becoming the new fashion. And I am the one who will actively lead that trend. To be exact, the original Sasha. The original Sasha had a miserable end, but that doesn't mean I have to give up her strengths. All I have to do is teach her another lesson. And t...

Valentina was also giving me a searching gaze as I observed her. No, maybe she was more blatant than I was. Apart from her polite tone, her eyes flashing with curiosity were quite provocative and interesting. “Just call me Sasha. I've said this so many times since I returned home.” “You're an elite international student, so why not enjoy it to the fullest? If I were you, I think I'd enjoy it to the fullest.” “Because there is only one young lady of Serpente whom I know.” My voice was a little subdued. The color was different, but when I looked at Valentina's curly hair, I naturally thought of someone else's hair. It was my lady who left before reaching the age of fourteen. Although I had the heart to live the whole life she did not enjoy, on the other hand, I could never take Estelle's place. I didn't want to and couldn't. Valentina seemed to exchange subtle glances with the aide who stood behind me for a moment, and then she smiled kindly and put her ha...

"Sasha, what's the matter? Are you hurt?" No. But why are you suddenly so rough? I can't get used to this. While I shook my head, Lethias seemed to hold my hand and looked at me, then suddenly cast a reproachful glance at the kind butler. At this, the kindly Mr. Chaplin looked up at the head maid. And the boisterous head maid looked at the person who dropped the bucket. The poor maid, who had missed the bucket while glancing at me while cleaning, was stunned. "I'm sorry. I accidentally..." "Chaplin." "Your Excellency?" "Get that person out of my house." It was only natural that I doubted my ears for a moment. It seemed like it wasn't just the bucket, but don't tell me... "People can make mistakes. Why do you want to fire them for that?" Lethias asked in an astounding tone, showing that he, too, was astounded. "Mistake? How do you know if it was on purpose?" "Why would someone pick on someone ...

"No. Now that you're back, we should all have it together. After all, our new chef... No, but do you like the room?" "Yes. I couldn't have imagined it. Thank you so much." When I answered sincerely, Lethias's face brightened, and he smiled widely. Ugh, how adorable. Why did your younger brother forget how to smile like that? * * * The central church of Avalon, the capital of Cherkesha, is a temple that claims to be open to all. It was based on the creed that 'all the people of the empire are the children of the Lord.' Still, as if there were preferences among parents, there was a separate area for listening to sermons for each social class. Nevertheless, the claim that it was open to all held true. Everyone could come and go, from the highest royalty to the lowest poor—even criminals. Criminals often sought refuge in the church, either to evade arrest or simply to survive, shouting for the temple's protection. No form of violence or bloodshed...

“By the way, my name is Chaplin.” “Nice to meet you, Mr. Chaplin. Can I call you Uncle Chaplin?” “You can just call me an old man. Hoho." After a relatively warm greeting like that, Mr. Chaplin, who was still too young to be called an old man, left. I looked around the bathroom and other places before returning to the dressing room. The room was spacious enough to be shared by two maids. Whoa, I don't think most aristocratic ladies' dressing rooms are like this... As I wandered around, my fingers came across something that caught my attention – an odd-looking object placed on a shelf between a shoe rack and hat racks filled with shiny shoes. “… Mr. Wendy?” Yes, it was Mr. Wendy. Not the crude imitations I made countless times in that bell tower, but the original Mr. Wendy. A stuffed rabbit with real rabbit fur and real sapphires for eyes – the one the duke bought for Estelle on her 5th birthday. As if I was possessed by something, I reached out to pick up the doll. The tex...