AWWEWNR Chapter 3

Despite her best efforts, Hanaella clenched her fists.

 

Rosaryn fanned herself, trying to think of anything that would make Hanaella take an interest in Tharrott.

 

“That’s a pity, Tharo seemed to take a liking to Miss Hanaella.”

 

At Rosaryn’s words, anger boiled up in Hanaella’s veins, and she could barely control her expression.

 

‘What do you mean, he has a crush on me? If he harbors feelings for me, they belong to my house and the Knights, not me.’

 

Hanaella struggled to keep her simmering anger from boiling over, and Rosaryn, who knew nothing of Hanaella’s feelings, gestured for Branz to help her, causing Hanaella’s brow to furrow.

 

“My goodness, is it true, that the great Count Tharrott really has a crush on Miss Hanaella?”

 

“Yes. The first time he saw her was last year at the Duke of Deliofe’s banquet, and he asked me about Miss Hanaella.”

 

‘I didn’t even know Tharrott was there then, so you’ve been trying to use me as some sort of shield for yourselves ever since.’

“That’s disappointing.”

 

At Hanaella’s words, both Rosaryn’s and Branz’s gazes turned to her at the same time, one corner of her mouth quirking up in a wry expression.

 

“For such a great and gentle Count, prying into his sister about someone he is rumored to have a crush on, that’s not exactly gentlemanly behavior. I can see that the rumors were exaggerated, after all.”

 

Rosalyn’s expression turned pensive at Hanaella’s words. 

 

Flustered, Branz stammered that it was not the case, and Rosaryn, quickly regaining her composure, covered her mouth with her fan and smirked.

 

“He’s a fool when it comes to love, my brother.”

 

“And it seems, unfortunately, as though I was that foolish love.”

 

“…!”

 

“Miss Rosaryn is the object of your dear brother’s affection, so I’m afraid my words may sound harsh.”

 

Flinch—

 

Rosaryn’s shoulders stiffened as the words ‘dear brother’ came out. Hanaella glared at her, driving a wedge between them.

 

“I’m afraid, I have absolutely no desire to be associated with a mere Count.”

 

Of course, he wasn’t a ‘mere Count’. The Thearine, who had produced generations of Saints and Paladins, were the only family with a connection to the Cathedral. 

 

Even now, the Count of Thearine held a prestige that rivaled that of a Duke, and in terms of wealth and honor, it did not fall short of her family, House Ariel. 

 

The reason Hanaella’s father had given his only daughter in marriage to the eldest son of Thearine, a Paladin, was because Count Thearine was powerful.

 

The use of the word ‘mere’ in reference to such a Count would make her stomach turn in more ways than one. 

 

Deciding that staying any longer would only make things worse, Hanaella left the dressing room with her maid, Belle.

 

💫

 

Branz said to Rosaryn, worried, “What can we do, Miss Hanaella doesn’t seem to be interested in Count Tharrott at all.”

 

It was Rosaryn who had asked Branz, in need of money, to play the part of a matchmaker. 

 

She had promised to give Branz a building in her name if things went well enough to bring Tharott and Hanaella together. 

 

But when she realized that Hanaella wasn’t interested in Tharrott at all, Branz began to panic that she wouldn’t get the building.

 

Rosaryn clicked her tongue in disbelief as she watched Branz fuss about the situation.

 

‘If only this idiot was an Ariel, then I could have given Tharo the House of Ariel background much more easily.’ 

 

Rosaryn swallowed hard, fanning the irritation that was creeping up on her.

 

Tharrott had long since planned to use Hanaella as their shield, and that plan sprang from Rosaryn’s idea. 

 

No ordinary Marquis or Count would do. If their relationship were to be discovered, it would have to be with the Duchess of Ariel, a member of the House of Hayden’s Darkness, so that the Cathedral would be unable to intervene.

 

The Imperial Palace and the Cathedral would have nothing to say against Duchess Ariel, who bore the surname of Thearine, but whose blood was not in the least bit saintly, as the High Priestess would have frowned upon Rosaryn. 

 

She had a father who loved his only child, and she was naïve and foolish enough to fall for Tharrott’s tricks and trust him completely without knowing any better. 

 

And even if she did find out that Tharrott’s mistress was his step-sister, she would never tell anyone for fear of judgment.

 

For all of this, Hanaella Liv Ariel was a perfect fit.

 

To expose Rosaryn publicly as Tharrott’s mistress, Ariel needed the power to do so, and to accomplish that, marrying Hanaella was a priority. 

 

Little did the current Hanaella know that Rosaryn, who had met her long before at a tea party, had chosen her for her background and naivety as a suitable target for their love.

 

💫

 

‘Where the hell does that woman get off selling potions?’ 

 

Belle stared at her in fright as Hanaella climbed into the carriage, exasperated by her unabated anger. 

 

Seeing the terrified look on her face, Hanaella quickly softened her expression and spoke to her in her usual sweet voice.

 

“Get in, let’s go back.”

 

“…Yes, my lady.”

 

Belle clambered in and closed the door, and the carriage began to move.

 

Belle said anxiously, “What about the dress…?”

 

“Call the dressmaker to the mansion tomorrow. Since I don’t see anything appealing, I think it would be better to design a dress of my own.”

 

“Yes, my lady.”

 

‘…Eh? …You’re going to design it yourself, my lady?’ 

 

Belle nodded, but something was amiss, and she glanced at Hanaella. Hanaella pretended not to notice Belle’s stare, clenching her jaw and looking out the window. 

 

A long sigh escaped her.

 

It seemed the Thearine had long since made her their target. Otherwise, there was no reason for Lady Branz to push the issue.

 

‘It was. If I didn’t know, I would have let it slide, but now that I do, I won’t stand for it. Wait, and I’ll make you realize the cost of protecting your love at my expense.’ 

 

Hanaella recalled how she had met Rosaryn before her regression. 

 

She still couldn’t forget the way Rosaryn had looked at her, her eyes haughtily downcast and pathetic, when she had asked her to persuade Tharrott to grant the divorce.

 

‘How dare you, a child of the Count’s mistress, view me in such a way,’ I thought at the time. 

 

Surely she’s being conceited by the love of my husband, Tharrott, but no, this young Rosaryn, whom I have just met, has shown no sign of bending before me, the Duke’s beloved. 

 

‘Where does such confidence come from, that she believes she has the power to bend men to her will, and not only Tharrott?’

 

She certainly had that ability.

 

Her official lover was Edward Ethan Delioffe, the eldest son of the powerful Duke of Deliofe.

 

He was known as the Ice Prince because he was a man of few words and no expression despite his impeccable appearance.

 

Whether he knew of the affair between Rosaryn and Tharrott never came to light.

 

‘Probably not, he was still Rosaryn’s official betrothed at the time of my death.’

 

How she managed to get her hands on the blunt, cold man remains a mystery, but her relationship with him was the catalyst for Tharrott’s expansion into the North. 

 

Not only that, but she also befriended the Crown Prince’s sister, Princess Leige Jude de Arthur Hayden, who would later play a large role in establishing Tharott’s influence in the Cathedral. 

 

Whatever else she may have been, it was clear that Rosaryn was a very manipulative woman, skilled in both slander and manipulation.

 

‘That doesn’t mean I’m going to let them have their way with me. I already know what they are… what she’s up to, and that she needs me to succeed. I can use that to my advantage.’

 

They might endeavor to bring her to marry him at any cost, but neither heaven nor hell would ever allow her to take him as her husband. 

 

And if they persist in their attempt to use her, she must take her revenge.

 

With her current self, she might be able to sway Tharrott, albeit temporarily. She knows what type of man Tharrott tends to be and what he finds endearing about Rosaryn.

 

‘So you’d better think carefully, Thearine siblings.’ 

 

I could seduce Tharrott and shatter your unbreakable faith, or I could pretend to be innocent and leave you both heartbroken on the threshold of a successful marriage. 

 

Which would they prefer? 

 

Of course, you wouldn’t like either, so you’d better stay out of my way.

 

A wry smile tugged at the corners of Hanaella’s lips as she clenched her jaw and stared out the window.