Chapter 22
“What did you say? Can you say it louder?”
Elisabeth gathered her remaining patience and asked. She had been mumbling while staring only at the floor, making it impossible to understand what was said.
From the Countess’s flustered expression, it seemed she had said something unpleasant…
The fact that a woman she already disliked was being rude made her even more determined to hear what had been said.
“What did you just say?”
“It’s enough to just give a casual greeting; why are you dragging this out so much…”
This time, her voice was almost a whisper. Frustrated, Elisabeth grabbed the hem of her dress and walked towards the table.
As Hermia’s shoulders rose and fell with each step, she became increasingly fidgety as the distance closed between them.
Finally, when Elisabeth stood right in front of her, her expression twisted in clear disgust. Hermia stumbled and fell to the floor.
“Oh my! You!”
The Countess exclaimed in alarm as she shook her stepdaughter violently. However, despite the rough handling, Hermia’s stubbornly closed eyes refused to open.
“There’s someone collapsed here!”
As someone shouted, people quickly gathered around them. Elisabeth dropped her fan in shock.
‘What? It looks like she collapsed because of me.’
Ignoring the fainted girl, she focused on the strange looks directed at her—something she had been trained to do all her life.
This was already the second time she experienced something like this today. Her eyes darted around, searching for someone who could help resolve the situation.
“Who are you bothering now, Liz?”
Suddenly, a familiar voice cut through the crowd. Elisabeth’s expression brightened instantly.
“Gerald!”
“Oh, it’s a familiar face.”
Her excitement at seeing her fourth brother quickly turned into tension as Gerald stepped through the crowd and ignored her entirely, heading straight for the collapsed villainess.
After observing Hermia for a moment, he let out an exasperated sigh and picked her up effortlessly.
“Excuse me for a moment. I need to take her to a doctor.”
Without delay, he began walking away. The onlookers stepped aside in confusion as he confidently walked toward the villa.
The attendant who had hurriedly followed him found himself awkwardly turning back at Gerald’s instruction to return to his duties. The fourth prince carried the fainted girl with an oddly cheerful expression on his face.
—
Once inside, Gerald entered the nearest bedroom, using his foot to push open the door before closing it in the same manner. He gently laid Hermia down on the ornate bedding and sat at the edge of the bed.
Hermia’s eyelashes fluttered slightly.
“Do you know what the common trait of young ladies who faint at parties is?”
“……”
“Nine out of ten are all experiencing breathing difficulties. They tighten their corsets to their limits. The solution is surprisingly simple.”
Gerald looked down at Hermia with an enigmatic gaze as he spoke.
“The answer is to remove all their clothing.”
“I’m fine!”
She shot up abruptly. Gerald feigned surprise with an exaggerated “Oh!” but showed no real shock.
Earlier, she had fainted from embarrassment; now that they were in a private space, it felt fortunate.
Once confirming that no one else was present except for Gerald, Hermia let out a sigh of relief and expressed her gratitude.
“I almost thought I wouldn’t see sunlight again; thank you for helping…”
Her words trailed off without concluding.
What is this? That bright blonde hair and facial features seem familiar… His voice also sounds oddly recognizable…
As she pondered this blankly, she suddenly noticed Gerald’s crimson eyes resembling Elisabeth’s and quickly bowed her head.
‘Wait a minute… didn’t the Princess call him ‘Gerald’ earlier?’
Gerald Müller. A name that felt both familiar and unfamiliar. He was also one of the main characters alongside Walter and Mel in The Stolen Noble Lady.
More precisely, he was one of the protagonists involved in a love triangle where Walter and he had been close friends while vying for Mel’s affection.
At the same time, it felt strange because this was her first time meeting him in person…
‘Wait… is this really my first time?’
She squinted her eyes trying to gauge him before suddenly snapping back to reality.
“Thank you for your help, Your Highness.”
“I’ve risen from being a beggar to a prince now; how glorious indeed.”
That word ‘glorious’ made Hermia pause before tilting her head slightly in confusion.
“…A beggar?”
When she glanced at him again, he made a circular gesture with his fingers and held them up to his eyes like glasses. Hermia felt like she had seen this somewhere before.
Gerald scrunched his nose playfully while teasingly speaking.
“Fortunately today I’m not a beggar! So how about we share a cup of coffee?”
“Wait a minute, you’re the perverted beggar from the bookstore, right?”
Hermia clamped her mouth shut in shock at her own blunt words and flinched back in horror.
Saying such things to royalty could easily lead to dire consequences!
It was ridiculous for her to shake her head as if denying what she just said after having blurted it out herself—but she did everything possible to refute it internally!
What should I do? Should I hit him? Would hitting him on the head make him forget everything? What if I accidentally killed him?
Contrary to her worries, Gerald responded nonchalantly to her harsh words without taking offense whatsoever.
“Next time, I’ll put my wallet in my underwear. Being a pervert is fine, but being a beggar is a hit to my reputation.”
“Wha—what?!”
This is bad! She intended to apologize!
Rather than escaping abroad, it seemed like she might die tonight instead! She had planned on hiding quietly until everything blew over—but how did things spiral out of control like this?
Gerald looked equally surprised by what she said last but didn’t seem bothered by it at all.
Hermia, feeling hopeless, hugged her knees and murmured, “I still can’t shake off the villainess label, and every time I open my mouth, nonsense comes out. Why is life like this…”
“…Nonsense?”
Gerald’s expression changed sharply at her complaint, which he had taken lightly before. With a serious look on his face, he asked, “What do you mean by that?”
Hermia, not noticing his shift in demeanor and feeling defeated, began to spill her thoughts. “What do you mean? I’m saying it’s all over for me. Even if the author gets caught and tries to explain, if I say just one word, I’ll be resurrected as the villainess. That’s what I’m saying.”
“Tell me more. Be more specific.”
“What more is there to say? I don’t know either. My tongue just suddenly stopped working overnight; how would I know?”
Instead of showing confusion at her words, Gerald moved a little closer and listened intently.
Why is he acting like this all of a sudden? Hermia thought as she cautiously continued speaking. However, she didn’t have enough information to provide a grand explanation, so she kept it simple.
“It started yesterday; I just can’t tell lies anymore. If you ask me now, I might even blurt out my weight.”
“Seriously…”
“Please don’t ask me. It’s annoying. Oh! See? I told you my point! This is the state I’m in.”
Having spoken honestly, she hoped he wouldn’t retaliate. Trying to think positively, she watched as Gerald stood up and began pacing near the bed while stroking his chin thoughtfully.
Watching him lost in his thoughts, Hermia glanced around for a clock. She planned to linger until the tea party was winding down and then sneak out, hoping that pretending to be unwell would prevent any unnecessary conversations.
“Um, could you please think about it outside? I appreciate you bringing me here, but it feels like you’re staying too long.”
Although she was engaged to Walter, she still bore the surname of her family, so technically she was still unmarried. The serious prince standing there also wasn’t married as far as she knew.
Unless she planned to add rumors about seducing both Walter and Gerald to her list of troubles, it was clear that Hermia needed to avoid this situation.
Having shared her secret with a death wish mentality, she boldly asked Gerald to leave.
“Sorry, but you’re closer to the door than I am…”
“Hermia, I’d like you to promise that what I’m about to say won’t go beyond this room.”
Instead of leaving, he returned closer to the bed than before. While trying to distance herself physically, Hermia blurted out what came to mind.
“You’re as handsome as the Duke.”
“…Thank you for that.”
“That wasn’t my intention! Well, I did think it… but…”
“Wait a moment. Let me speak first.”
He raised his hand to silence her and spoke heavily.
—
Hermia trudged over to the table where the Countess was sitting and plopped down into a chair.
The Countess had been sipping tea alone but perked up and leaned in closer when Hermia arrived.
“Hey! What was that earlier? Were you pretending to faint? I thought you were spouting nonsense even in front of the Princess! What on earth were you thinking?”
“…”
Hermia sat there blankly without answering until the Countess leaned in even closer and whispered.
“Where have you been until now? That prince—Gerald Müller—right? The fourth prince! You’re not telling me you know him?”
“…Yes.”
At her casual reply, the Countess’s eyes widened with surprise. Her thin hands trembled with excitement.
“How did you… Oh my goodness! Did you charm him too? That’s amazing! Wait… Which is better: being with a Duke or a Prince? The Duke has more money, right?”
“What are you talking about? Can you please be quiet for a moment so I can think?”
Even though Hermia spoke with a scowl, the Countess was already lost in her own world. Hermia watched her in disbelief before pouring cold tea from the teapot into her cup.
After sipping the now-cold black tea, she calmly reflected on what she had just heard. The sense of reality still hadn’t fully returned.
‘The symptoms Hermia is experiencing seem similar to what I’ve been going through.’
‘What do you mean? Did the prince also have his mouth stuffed with a cloth?’
‘No, no. Mine is different. It seems like each person has been given a different curse.’
A curse? Hermia couldn’t help but laugh at that thought.
That word belonged in fairy tales set in times when Dukes were referred to as lords long before their ancestors existed.
Feeling both incredulous and slightly condescending toward Gerald, she noticed him crossing his arms as if he understood her feelings.
‘Of course, I know it sounds ridiculous. But if it’s not the curse mentioned by the author, then nothing else explains what I’ve experienced.’
