Due to a Mishap, I Gave the King a Love Potion to Drink and I Became Queen

2. Rebuttal

‘Eh…?' Leticia's eyes widened.

At that moment, Iris thought she had fainted. She should not have said anything, even though it was what she thought in her heart, she didn't have to say it out loud. It was superfluous now.

Reason was trying to stifle Iris' foolishness, but reason got kicked into the corner by the black emotion.

‘...because, is it really necessary, dear sister?'

The Reinfeldt title had been succeeded by Leticia's husband, and they already had an heir.

In addition, both parents left them with an enormous heritage, leaving Iris with enough assets to live independently.

And there was Iris' work as a lace maker.

Her late father surely had been conscious of the difficulties Iris would face being compared with her sister since childhood.

When she was old enough, her father had imposed practising far longer or deeper than that of a standard aristocratic daughter would need, so that she could live by her own means from the embroidery and lace.

Thanks to that, Iris received a moderate evaluation as a lace maker, and she had a growing clientèle of tailors that served the aristocracy.
So why did she need to be bound by the fence of marriage?

Once she opened her mouth, Iris could not stop. At the end, Leticia had a look of pure mercy in her green eyes.

‘Why don't you see yourself as lovely, Iris?'

‘Have you not heard what people say about me?' Iris replied.

‘I have heard it all.'

Iris was shocked. Then, why was Leticia trying to dismiss her feelings?
Leticia looked at her younger sister and said, ‘I understand how you feel…'

‘How I feel…?'

Leticia nodded at a confused Iris.
‘You're afraid you're not married yet. That's why you're saying that.'

Iris had lost comprehension of her sister's words.

Leticia scrunched up her face like she was thinking, then her eyes brightened and she held up her fist like she had thought of a good idea.

‘Right. Iris, leave it to me.'

‘Leave what to you?'

‘We would hold a ball at our home, and I will take responsibility to help you to choose a nice man. How about that?'

Choosing her husband without permission; how does she think that this was a good idea?

Even so far as to invite the gentlemen that viewed Iris as inferior.
‘Stop it, Leticia, I do not need you to do anything unnecessary.'

Please do not increase my misery, do not deepen my inferiority complex, Iris pleaded in her heart.

But Leticia was blind to the Iris' distres.

‘Why is it unnecessary?'

‘I do not need you to have a ball for me. As I said, I can live without being married. Thanks to our father, I can keep well.

‘We must do it, Iris.'

Leticia said over Iris.

‘I want Iris to be happy.'

‘Even, if you think so…'

‘Iris, a woman who is not married can never be happy.' Leticia said with conviction, and the words rang deeply in Iris' heart.

Even if Leticia was her sister, it was impossible for her to understand.
Still, Iris had hoped she would understand things from her point of view. She had thought that her older sister would understand her stance. But reality was cruel, even if she wished it, she could be crushed.

‘Why do you not understand, Iris? For women like us, it is happiness to marry a lovely man and have that man's child.'

‘Leticia…'

‘Even our mother said so.' Leticia said with an imploring yet admonishing shake of her honey-coloured hair quite like their mother.

Their mother had been the daughter of a baron but she won the heart of the former Marquis Reinfeldt at her début.

All of Leticia's gestures stimulated a desire to cosset and protect her. How many men hearts had she stolen with her expressions? How many of these same men had ridiculed Iris, who was not like that.

At that moment, the memory threatened to overflow.

‘It is not the same.'

‘Iris…'

‘I am not the same as you or mother.'

‘What are you saying? I just taught you the right thing-'

‘That is only good for you Sister. The happiness that Mother and Sister think of, and the happiness that I want, are different. Please do not measure me with the same yardstick as you measure yourself!'

Leticia was Leticia. Iris was Iris.

Even if she didn't take after their lovely mother, she had the path that her beloved father laid for her. In doing her lace work and creating many colourful designs, Iris was happy.

What would make her happy was her freedom, which was all she needed.
However, she was soon regretting it.
‘How terrible of you, Iris, why...why won't you understand?' Leticia said, her eyes welling up with tears and large drops ran down her face.
Leticia's greatest weapon: Her crying face. How many people had seen this and never asked for an explanation but blamed Iris.

In her heart, sorrow rose.

I've done it again, she sighed, she had become the bad guy again.
Iris watched Leticia cry in her lovely manner. Tears flowed abundantly, crystal clear drops down her pretty face.

Perhaps a woman who can cry at the drop of a hat had the biggest advantage.

Of course, Iris was the evil one making lovely and angelic Leticia cry.
In the eyes of many men, Leticia who cries in such a lovely manner is a weak existence that needs to be protected. For many men, Leticia was their type.

Was it that she had not experienced enough disdain? She who could not cry in public was conceited and arrogant. She was always seen as the bad person.

Why would she never learn?
Iris was upset.

‘What shall we do?'

Leticia's husband, Mattias, came over and held Leticia. He smiled at Leticia as she shuddered and cried in his arms.