Chapter 1: Erase You
"What trick did you pull off?"
It was the last day of the victory celebration. Sharp words were poured out on Olivia without any filter. Facing her, the Duke of Madelaine spoke coldly as if he could freeze everything.
"Why did the Duke of Bicaneder propose to you, who is the Crown Prince's fiancée?"
Contempt was visible in the amethyst eyes that looked down on Olivia.
"Just one thing. Are you such a mess that you can't even keep the one thing that tells you to become the Crown Princess without any noise?"
As always.
Olivia burst into laughter right then and there, listening to the sharp criticism silently, as always.
The Duke will never know.
How I felt when I followed the Duke at the party.
What was my shattered expectation at this moment.
"I can't answer right away?"
"If I tell you, will you believe me now?"
"What?"
The sharp gaze pierced Olivia as if to read her thoughts.
I always endured that gaze.
Someday, someday those eyes will look kindly at me, acknowledge me as the Duke's daughter, I never doubted it.
There were times when I was happy just to share the characteristic of the Madelaine Duke's silver hair, the same color as my hair.
Not anymore. My effort ends here.
Olivia smiled brightly. "Then I'll tell you. I never whispered to the Duke to propose to me, and the person who ignored me as a fiancée for several years and caused noise by living with Esella is the Crown Prince."
"That mouth. Shut up."
"The person who brought me to the mansion to become the Crown Prince's fiancée instead of Esella was you, Duke."
"Shut up!"
Fierce anger shook the night. The sound of birds flying away in surprise was noisy.
The Duke of Madelaine finally lost his mind and glared at Olivia. The blood vessels in his eyes turned red as if they were about to burst.
"It's because of you. You. If you didn't come to my house, nothing would have happened! You made me unhappy. All because of you. You."
With every syllable, the suppressed anger boiled over. The duke breathed heavily. He even doubted himself whether the hatred was so deep that it was not his fault.
"Even now, even back then."
"….."
"I really didn't do anything."
"….."
"I didn't make you unhappy, Duke."
"Olivia Madelaine! How dare you!"
Despite the Duke's rough anger, Olivia did not bow her head anymore. It was strange. The Duke, who had felt so big, was no longer scary. It seemed like it was time to end it now.
"….Do you want to erase me?"
"If I can, I want to erase you from my life."
Even though it was a memory from a few days ago, the Duke's voice was clear as if he was speaking anew. The painful words that had made her heart tremble were now just a sharp ache after only a few days.
"I feel the same way. Now, I also have Madelaine attached to me."
Madelaine.
The castle she had always longed for.
The family that had held on with all their might, the family she had loved with all her heart, and the family that had ultimately not looked back at her, including her own love interests.
Olivia laughed happily at all those unrequited loves.
"I will erase all of Madelaine."
The relationship that had only held onto her suddenly fell apart.
"Olivia!!"
The Duke's scream brought a sudden surge of energy that ran through her body. Despite the ominous feeling that took away her breath, Olivia stood tall. It was the final moment she had wished for.
"That's enough."
In that moment, a single sound of footsteps interrupted them.
"If you continue to threaten my precious lady, the entire Bicaneder family will turn against you, Duke."
The voice that sounded clear and firm wrapped around Olivia with warmth. The Duke grumbled lowly, swayed by the weight of the voice.
"…The Duke of Bicaneder…your highness."
Olivia turned around.
A man with stunningly handsome features that were almost too unbelievable to be filled with nicknames like vampire and demon, with ruby red eyes that shone like black raven feathers. The unbreakable poker face that seemed like it would never falter suddenly broke into a sweet smile when he met Olivia's gaze.
It was a strange thing. None of the family, fiancé, or anyone had ever looked at Olivia like that before.
"If everything is settled, may I have the opportunity to escort my lady home now?"
So tenderly.
So sweetly.
With the gaze Olivia had always wished for.
***
Early morning at the Madelaine Mansion, a voice was heard on the stairs. It was the sound of the Duke of Madelaine's arrival.
"Good morning."
Taking advantage of the break in conversation with his subordinate, Olivia greeted him. The Duke furrowed his brow.
It was a look that Olivia had seen for fourteen years since she was six years old, but the pain that hit her heart never became familiar.
Eyes that were worse than not looking at others.
Olivia smiled as usual, offering a tray. As usual, there was a vegetable juice.
"I made it with vegetables that are good for the veins."
Before she could finish her sentence, the Duke moved on again. The officer following the Duke, Huxley, awkwardly lowered his head and followed him.
Olivia looked at his back and whispered the words she hadn't said.
"Have a good day, father."
Today, too, she failed to call him "father" or hand him the vegetable juice that she had been making for years. But perhaps someday she would succeed. That one hope had moved Olivia for fourteen years.
Her mother had said so. If you do your best, your wish will come true someday.
Olivia shrugged her shoulders, then looked up. She saw a large portrait in the center of the first-floor hall.
Her father was sitting in a chair, and her eldest brother Conrad was standing firmly on his right side, while her second brother Jade was standing beside him. Her youngest sister Esella was standing next to Jade with a bright smile on her face.
Olivia glanced at the awkward figure of herself in the portrait on the left, then burst out laughing. It wasn't just because of the distance from her position in the portrait to the others, that she looked awkward.
Her long, cool silver hair and sparkling purple eyes. Unlike the characteristics of the Madeleine family, her eyes were green.