If I Don’t Get Married I’ll Die

Chapter 5

Andrea visited the next morning.

“Chloe!”

Andrea burst through the door and entered my quarters without my permission.

‘He’s much later than I expected. I thought he’d come as soon as the party was over.’

Andrea was the first person I met after I came back from the dead.

I was a little shocked to see him approaching me nervously, like a mix of tension and anger.

‘Huh?’

There was a sense of incongruity.

‘He always looked glamorous and sophisticated, so I had always been intimidated in front of Andrea, but now he just….. looks weird..’

In my memory, Andrea was an adult, tall and amazing.

But when I returned to the past and met Andrea again, he didn’t seem as great as I remembered.

Andrea’s dirty blonde hair was brushed back, and he was wearing a colorful outfit with the collar puffed out covering his neck.

He was over-dressed from head to toe. He looked rather ridiculous.

‘Like a clown.’

I’ve always thought that if I were to face Andrea again, my anger would boil over and I wouldn’t be able to keep my composure.

I was afraid to see Andrea, the one who had killed my mother and tricked me into living a life filled with despair.

However, despite my worries, I became calmer when I faced Andrea.

‘How could I have been afraid of this person?’

He had looked so big and cool that it felt like the world would end if I became hated by him.

That the only fence protecting me would disappear.

But he wasn’t really a fence that protected me, but instead was the one who drove me to my death. Now I know that no matter how hard I try, he won’t truly love me.

So I was no longer afraid.

I didn’t have to look good to him or be intimidated by him, he was just another person. What’s worse, he was a ridiculous clown.

‘Besides, if we compare Andrea to Kalius, he’s… quite ugly.’

He was a small and insignificant man.

I still remember my surprise upon meeting Kalius the night before.

‘He was huge. He looked like a man made of steel.’

And what about those eyes? I felt like I was meeting a wild wolf.

I couldn’t forget the tingling in my spine.

I don’t know if it was a psychological effect or because of Kalius, but Andrea didn’t look that extraordinary anymore.

But just as I’ve always done, so that it won’t look strange to Andrea, I shrunk my shoulders and looked up at him.

“Brother…..”

“What were you doing yesterday? You showed up to the party in a nightgown? Are you insane? What’s wrong with you these days? What the hell were you thinking? Has your head become as crazy as your mother’s?”

Hearing Andrea brazenly mention my mother, I was appalled.

I unwittingly revealed what I truly felt in my expression, Andrea deeply exhaled.

“Hyu, you look upset. Look here. Your older brother is saying this because I’m concerned about you, so you shouldn’t be upset, okay? You already know this. The doctor said your mother had a mental illness.”

I tried to pretend to be my usual submissive self, but I couldn’t keep myself from laughing when Andrea said, ‘Your older brother is saying this because I’m concerned about you’.

“Haha, hahaha!”

“…..?”

“Ahahaha!”

“What? Why?”

This person is so ridiculous that he’s making me laugh so hard.

Andrea looked hurt. Seeing that made me laugh even more.

“Concerned. Yes, older brother is concerned about me.”

He’s concerned that I’d sprinkle ashes on his royal road.

[T/N: The term commonly used is ‘sprinkle ashes on cooked rice’ which means spoiling one’s plans. They replaced it with ‘royal road’ because he’s a prince.]

‘You’re so desperate to beat me and take over the throne that you came running here trembling, all because I attended a party.’

That’s why you manipulated me with the word ‘concern’ and even damaged my mother’s reputation.

“Ah…..”

Looking at Andrea’s distorted expression, that’s when I realized.

‘It was me that Andrea was afraid of.’

Kuku, I couldn’t stop giggling.

Andrea got nervous.

“Why are you doing that! Have you truly gone mad?”

“Yes. Perhaps.”

“What? Really?”

Andrea’s eyes went round, clearly not expecting that I would agree.

“Tell me more, Chloe. You know you can tell brother everything, right?”

Andrea suddenly became friendly and looked at me warmly.

Now I know that this kindness was a lie he used to trick me so many times.

I wanted to take off that mask.

I tried to think of a grand way to do it, but I just calmly said.

“Yesterday, I really wanted to go to the party like crazy. That’s why I went.”

“Is that all?”

“Yes. I know I was being crazy by not following brother’s orders, but I wanted to do something crazy.”

Andrea sighed as if he was at a loss.

“Why all of a sudden? Chloe, you’re not like that.”

“Because I had this sudden thought. If I want to go to a party, I should be able to, right? Brother doesn’t ask me for my permission, so why should I ask brother’s permission for everything? Isn’t that pathetic?”

“What…?”

“I wanted to lighten brother’s burden. Brother has worked so hard to take care of me, I shouldn’t make you work hard all the time.”

“Chloe, that’s…!”

I smiled at Andrea affectionately.

Just like Andrea did when he first approached me.

“I did it because I thought of older brother. You know how I feel right? How much I care for brother?”

Andrea’s eyes quivered.

He was disgusted that I, someone who always trembled in front of him, was not afraid of him and spoke of my inner thoughts.

He couldn’t maintain his composure.

“Can’t you see that your selfishness is more of a burden to me? You’ve made a mistake.”

Anger flared up in his eyes and was directed at me who did not listen and move according to what he wanted.

“Ha. I think you forgot because you’ve been living in isolation, but the imperial family has an obligation to maintain its dignity. You’ve seen how the people pointed their fingers at Her Majesty before, no? Do you want to end up like that? I’m trying to protect you. To make sure you don’t make the same mistake like yesterday!”

He never intended to listen to what I had to say in the first place and only came to harass me and get angry.

So that I wouldn’t leave without his permission again.

He didn’t really care about the reason.

“Are you in a position to worry about me now? Everyone is already worried that you will develop the same illness as Her Majesty. The Empress should be enough stain on the imperial family. Alright? You don’t know how concerned this older brother is that you might end up like that too. Your older brother is trying to protect you.”

I have heard this so many times that I was no longer hurt by the supposed words of concern and accusations against my mother.

“Chloe, everything I’m saying is for your sake. Do you understand? Do you now see how reckless your thoughts were this time?”

Andrea kept trying to get me to say that he was right and I was wrong.

“I did it for brother too.”

But regardless of what he said, I responded in a caring tone and ordered the maid that was by my side.

“My older brother must have gotten a sore throat from all the talking. Go get some hot tea and refreshments.”

“Do you think that will go down my throat right now?”

I immediately ordered again.

“Did you hear that? Serve a soft dessert for His Highness. Something like chocolate pudding that will easily go down the throat.”

Eating pudding is always appetizing.

Andrea’s face flushed red as if it was about to burst then yelled at me, forgetting the dignity he placed so much importance on.

“Chloe!!”

A face so distorted it was hideous.

‘That’s your real face.’

The gazes of the startled maids turned to Andrea.

That was the moment when the mask of a loving older brother who took good care of his half-sister and a prince with an affectionate personality was removed.

‘Ah, it’s exhilarating.’

Andrea, who treasured the mask like his life, flinched at the gazes of the maids, and became flustered in embarrassment.

I purposely teared up.

“Brother, did you yell at me just now…? I was just worried that brother might get a sore throat…”

“N-No. That’s not it.”

He hurriedly lowered his voice and spoke, making an excuse.

“This older brother was really angry when I heard that Marquis Rodrian approached you at the party. Do you know how worried I was after hearing that? How dare a man like him approach you!”

More like he only got angry because of Marquis Rodrian.

“How dare he approach my beloved sister in my absence! It’s really fitting of a person without shame and education! What the hell has he done to you?”

I was stunned at first.

“Marquis Rodrian? Who is…..”

Of course, Andrea had no intention of listening to me this time either.

“To approach a lady whose marriage has already been fixed. Without you knowing, other people will criticize you for being involved in such a promiscuous thing. ‘How could she receive a gift from another man?’, ‘What do we do with a princess that can’t behave properly?’ They will talk like this.”

It sounds like you just want to criticize me.

“What are you going to do if Viscount Perseus asks to cancel your marriage because of this?”

“Well……”

“Marquis Rodrian has a bad reputation. You shouldn’t get close to him. Brother didn’t let you go to the party because I was afraid something like this would happen.”

“……”

“Do you now see how wrong you were? Chloe, you know how much I care about your marriage. If your marriage is ruined because of someone like Marquis Rodrian, I’ll be so angry I won’t be able to stand it…”

‘This is dragging on. I’m already tired from just listening.’

As I sighed inwardly, a maid ran into the room.

Instead of reporting to me, the master of this palace, she spoke to Andrea as if it were natural.

“Your Highness! Marquis Rodrian came to visit Her Highness, he says he wants to see the Princess!”

‘Perfect!’

The timing was impeccable.

I wanted to boast to Cal who wasn’t even here.

‘I told you, Marquis Rodrian won’t reject me and will come.’

I quickly hid my satisfied expression as Andrea turned his head and glared at me.

“Marquis Rodrian? Did you invite him?”

“I didn’t.”

I pretended to be innocent and shuddered.