When You Turned Your Back On Me, We Became Strangers [EN]: Chapter 74

If You Turn Away, You Are a Stranger (73)

“You seem quite busy these days.”

“C, Countess.”

Lirita, thoroughly flustered, couldn’t hide her expression. Judging by the items in her hands, it seemed she had been running errands for Princess Adel.

Countess Roanna had been frequently going out lately, avoiding the increasingly sensitive Princess Adel. However, she never neglected her duties at the Duke’s residence.

‘She’s been sneaking out and about, hasn’t she?’

She glanced towards the room where Princess Adel was staying.

“Come to think of it, I haven’t received any reports lately.”

At Roanna’s words, Lirita swallowed hard and nodded.

“It seems the Princess is away, so stop by for a moment.”

If she were summoned separately when Princess Adel was present, she would surely ask the reason.

“Yes, yes, then I’ll just leave these here.”

Lirita quickly showed what she was holding in her hands.

It was a bouquet full of red roses that Princess Adel would love. Countess Roanna, no longer suspicious of the items, headed towards her room instead of replying.

‘Phew, that was close.’

Lirita sighed in relief, looking at the bouquet in her arms.

Habahn had given her a bunch of roses, telling her to prepare for any possible situation, which made it possible.

She quickly went to Princess Adel’s room, trimmed the roses, and put them in a vase. The Princess always liked red flowers, so she wouldn’t say anything different this time either.

Countess Roanna wouldn’t ask any questions either, so there was a high chance that her trip to the Imperial Palace wouldn’t be discovered by anyone.

Knock, knock, knock.

“Come in.”

Lirita, who had entered Countess Roanna’s room after a long time, looked very nervous.

She was more perceptive and intelligent than she thought.

“I think I haven’t been paying enough attention to you because I’ve been helping my father with his work lately.”

“No, it’s not like that.”

Lirita shook her head, vehemently denying it.

“Rather, I should make sure not to create any work for you to worry about, Countess.”

The Countess wore a satisfied expression at Lirita’s words.

‘She won’t starve anywhere.’

That was why she liked her and had placed her by Princess Adel’s side, but it was true that the reports had become infrequent lately.

“The Princess wouldn’t have told you where she was going, so I won’t ask about that. Has anything happened in the meantime?”

Countess Roanna slowly examined Lirita’s expression.

She tapped the fan in her hand against her palm, subtly urging Lirita to answer.

“It seems she meets with His Highness the Crown Prince often, and she’s always in a bad mood when she comes back.”

“Hmm, really? What do you think it’s like?”

“I don’t think things are going the way the Princess wants them to.”

“What do you think is the reason?”

Lirita’s lips felt parched from Countess Roanna’s continued questions.

“Someone like me can’t dare to fathom the Princess’s plans or feelings, so I don’t know.”

“You’re the one who’s been watching her the closest.”

“The Princess… doesn’t tell me anything in detail.”

Lirita narrowed her brows as if she was in trouble.

In fact, it was true. If it hadn’t been for the stories she overheard by chance, she wouldn’t even have known what the Princess was planning.

“She asked me about Lady Leyla Sharltea last time, so I told her.”

“And?”

“I told her what everyone knows. That she’s His Highness the Crown Prince’s first love, that sort of thing.”

Lirita began to tell the Countess appropriately, based on facts.

Since she had made a promise with the Crown Prince, she couldn’t let the Countess or Princess Adel know whose side she had taken.

Countess Roanna had promised to side with Leyla, but you could never know what she was really thinking.

‘How did I end up like this…!’

It must have gone wrong from the moment she decided to play the role of a double agent. She could only blame herself for being greedy.

“I think she’s going to give me another task this time.”

“What kind?”

“There haven’t been any other instructions yet.”

Countess Roanna didn’t lose her smile while listening to Lirita’s words.

‘She’s hiding something, isn’t she?’

Nevertheless, the fact that she can’t tell me means that it’s either not certain yet, or she’s in a situation where she can’t speak.

Lirita was a child who had worked as her maid for quite a long time.

She knew that she was greedy, but she didn’t have the guts to betray her.

“I don’t trust you.”

Lirita’s body flinched at Countess Roanna’s words.

“But I know one thing.”

She stood up and approached Lirita.

Roanna raised Lirita’s chin with the end of her fan.

“No matter what you do, it won’t harm me.”

“C, Countess.”

“If it did, you wouldn’t be here already.”

Lirita’s lips trembled at Roanna’s smiling face.

As she said, the Crown Prince would handle things in a way that wouldn’t harm the Serhin Duchy. Because she had promised to be a strength to Leyla and him.

“I won’t ask you anything more about the Princess.”

“Yes?”

“However, whatever it is, you have to end it on your own. And don’t forget to keep appeasing her as you do now.”

Countess Roanna withdrew her fan and looked down at Lirita.

It was quite difficult to please Princess Adel, but wasn’t it a good thing?

She just had to lend the place and reap the benefits. Just the fact that the Princess was staying in the Serhin Duchy was beneficial to the Duchy.

‘I got involved with the Imperial Family because of Leyla, but looking at the current situation, it’s not bad.’

If things go wrong, she can just cut off the tail.

So whatever Lirita did was irrelevant to her.

Lirita, who came out of Countess Roanna’s room, collapsed on the floor, her strength gone.

She realized from Countess Roanna’s eyes that she was a disposable pawn at any time. That she was meant to be used that way from the beginning.

* * *

“You don’t seem to be in a good mood.”

Kaver, who was processing documents, asked Leyla.

Even though Leyla had the same expression, he could guess what she was thinking.

“Does it show that much?”

It was Leyla who asked back instead.

“It seems like you can’t concentrate on your work.”

Kaver put aside the document he was signing and stared at Leyla.

“Or are you bored?”

“No, I’m not.”

Leyla gazed straight at Kaver and blinked slowly. Her hair, reflecting the sunlight streaming through the window, shone even more golden.

‘Like sunlight.’

That was the thought that lingered in his mind the moment he saw Kaver.

He always felt the warmth of the midday sun in his voice towards her. For some reason, his golden eyes, which reminded him of the sun, were always like that too.

“Your Highness feels like midday.”

“I think I know what you mean.”

Leyla was saying that he was kind to her right now.

“But it feels different from how you treat others and me.”

This was what she was always curious about.

It was a reason everyone knew, but only Leyla didn’t.

“I am only like midday to you.”

“Why?”

“Is it okay for me to be like that to everyone?”

Leyla pondered for a moment at Kaver’s words.

She didn’t know why, but she didn’t like that. If you asked her why, she wouldn’t be able to answer.

He didn’t miss the subtle change in her expression.

“Even if you say it’s okay, I won’t do that, so don’t worry.”

“You don’t need to get my permission for everything.”

“I know. I want to do that.”

Kaver clicked his tongue with a somewhat disappointed expression.

If it were the old her, it would probably be completely obvious on her face.

‘Well, her current appearance is also one of her parts.’

He didn’t care what she looked like or how she treated him.

The fact that there was a small change meant that there was hope for him. And that hope also meant that he still remained in one side of Leyla’s heart.

“Come over here for a moment.”

Kaver gestured for Leyla to come closer. At his call, Leyla slowly approached the desk. Kaver’s face, seen from a fairly close distance, was wearing an even more unreadable expression.

‘Why does he keep making that expression whenever he looks at me?’

What is this pain in my heart that keeps throbbing?

Leyla couldn’t find the answer even after worrying about it all night. But one thing she knew was that the pain doubled when she was by Kaver’s side.

“Then let me ask you one thing too.”

At Kaver’s casual remark, she tensed up and closed her lips tightly.

Slowly, but not too leisurely, Kaver parted his lips.

“That ring.”

At Kaver’s words, Leyla’s gaze turned to her finger.

The ring on her left hand sparkled as if answering.

“Why don’t you take it off?”

Leyla stared blankly at the ring.

She hadn’t noticed it until he told her.

She seemed to have been wearing it like a part of her body, without taking it off, without even knowing when she had been wearing it.

‘Who gave me this ring? And why am I wearing it?’

Her mind was confused.

“Remember it.”

Kaver looked at Leyla with a complicated expression and flicked her ring with his finger.

“I won’t tell you this either.”

“…Why won’t you tell me?”

“That’s.”

He paused for a moment, then smiled.

“That way, you’ll think of me at least a little.”

When You Turned Your Back On Me, We Became Strangers [EN]

When You Turned Your Back On Me, We Became Strangers [EN]

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Status: Completed Author: Native Language: Korean
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[English Translation] Betrayal cuts deeper than any blade. When a woman loses her child due to her husband's infidelity, the pain is unbearable. His excuses and protection of the other woman are the final straw. Haunted by the ghost of her lost child and consumed by hatred for the man she sacrificed everything for, she makes a life-altering decision. She vows to become a stranger to him forever. A poignant tale of love, loss, and the strength to walk away, 'When You Turned Your Back On Me, We Became Strangers' explores the devastating consequences of betrayal and the journey to reclaim one's life.

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