The Kind Older Sister Is No More

47 - I Can't Live Without Noel

"Don't ever come back to me like this. I'll never go back home."

"Do you really think that man won't abandon you, Sister?"

Irene paused in her footsteps. She turned back for a moment.

"As soon as it's expired and no longer useful, I would throw it away. No?"

"If a better woman appeared, wouldn't Older sister become the thorn?"

"It's obvious," Riel said confidently, towards Irene's back. Riel was certain that Irene was slowly falling apart.

If these words could spur anxiety and doubt, she thought it would be worth it.*

*metaphorically, she means a good harvest

However,

"That's not for you to judge. Moreover..."

Irene, who spoke with a wry smirk, smiled broadly at Riel and ran her fingers through the tips of her hair.

"That is not going to happen. I'm much more loved than you think. I feel rather sorry for you, Riel. I'm not clear as to what the situation at Chase house is. Maybe it's enough to stimulate you to see me. But if you covet what's mine again, then I won't stand still. I won't relent to you." Leaving behind her chill warning, Irene left without mercy.

Riel trembled as she watched Irene's back. Irene left without saying a word. Riel's shoulders trembled. Spots of blood appeared in the palm of her hands as she dug her nails into the flesh of her palm.

♔♔♔

Irene stopped walking only when she was completely out of Riel's sight. She was so nervous that she felt like her legs had become gelatine. They almost did not support her weight, leaving her to flounder about!

"As soon as it's no longer useful, I would throw it away. No?"

"If a better woman appeared, wouldn't older sister not become the thorn? It's obvious."

Riel's words ran through her mind. She pretended to be fine, but really... She was not fine. It had always been lingering at the back of Irene's mind. The more comfortable and warmer she felt with him, the more she realised that her time was fleeting; her position was temporary, and so was the happiness.

Every time she felt uneasy as if she were walking on centimetre thick ice that could crack at any given moment, but not knowing when and where it would break.

I can't live without Noel.

But she did not have the confidence to. If a woman who received the recognition of the Grand Duke of Kristen appeared and wanted to marry Noel, what would happen to herself?

"Still...even so...."

Arriving in front of the tea party, Irene searched for Noel in the vicinity.

It was not difficult to locate him. All the eyes in the hall were focused on one place.

"Is that not the Duke, Noel Kristen?"

"I have only heard of him, but it's my first time seeing him in person."

"What brought him here? Does he have so much free time to spend here?"

"I heard he isn't able to inherit the title of Grand Duke unless he gets married. Is there really a woman who desires to get married so desperately, despite her suffering?"

"He's handsome. What a pity."

Even though Irene did not want to listen, she still heard the people. Of course, Noel, too, must be able to hear that gossip. He was more sensitive than most.

"You should choose a man with a solid future rather than such a man with an uncertain future." standing under the shade of the trees outside. Noel stood indifferently. It was as if the spiteful words had lost their moment mid-air and never reached him.

It was as if he was left all alone in the world, lonely. He seemed even more so because no one approached him. Irene stood for a moment from afar and stared at Noel silently.

When the time comes, think about it then.

Right now,

"...Noel!"

The priority was to get near him, whose surroundings were deserted. Irene deliberately raised her voice. Not only Noel but everyone around him looked back at Irene. It was because of the intimacy of the name she had just called him.

"...Irene?"

Noel was taken aback. He did not realise that Irene would call his name so loudly in the open like this. His eyes widened, and Irene vivaciously took a step forward.

She raised her head proudly and did not shy away from the gaze. She wanted to show Noel to those who gossiped and ignored him. His future was not as bleak as they might think.

"Sorry, you have been waiting long, haven't you?"

"It's alright. Is Irene alright? Do you have a fever?"

Noel raised his hand and placed it on Irene's forehead. He was stunned by the sudden touch and body temperature, but immediately Irene nodded.

"I'm alright. It's just a little hot...."

The truth was, for Irene, the day became hotter because of how focused his eyes were on her. However, since the weather was hot, Noel had little doubt.

"Who is that woman? I don't think I've ever met her before."

"I know. Count Chase's daughter."

"Isn't Count Chase's daughter blonde?"

"No, it's the second daughter that the young miss knows. She's the eldest daughter."

"Oh, the eldest daughter of the concealed Chase family. What an odd combination. The eldest daughter of Chase and the heir of the Kristen family. By the way, did she call his name earlier? I don't believe they're in a normal relationship...."

"They seem to be lovers..."

"Wait, a minute, wouldn't that mean he would succeed the Grand Duke?"

"Ridiculous. Isn't the next Grand Duke Count Ascardo?"

Surrounding them, conversations flowed endlessly, trying to infer the relationship between Irene and Noel. Somehow, it managed to go in the direction that Irene wanted. Hearing the people's conversations, she suddenly raised her head and felt Noel's gaze on her. Noel looked at Irene with mysterious eyes. Seeing this, Irene tilted her head.

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