Saving My Bias from Mishaps (1)
I knew that in most fiction, the main character and his companions always monopolize the most potent powers.
Still….
‘What am I, and the many other nameless characters who never appeared in the novel, supposed to live on, author!?’
A tiny drop of resentment toward the author of <Persona>, whom I’d stanned as much as Abel, bubbled up in my heart for the first time in my life.
Had I not experienced life as a supporting cast, I probably would never have thought of blaming the person who created Abel.
‘No, wait.
I’m not even considered a supporting cast in this story, am I?’
I mean, I have to appear in the book first to be classified as a main cast or a supporting cast, no?
Then why did I just become a ‘nameless character 1 that might or might not have appeared somewhere’?
‘If I was supposed to reincarnate into a character with zero presence like this, at least give me a background similar to a rock on the side of the road so that I wouldn’t have any hopes in the first place!’
A mysterious family that chose to preserve their purity of the light element throughout their lineage to maintain the pure bloodline, and the sole daughter that seemed… somewhat incompetent, to say the least.
And what was more, I was the only woman in the entire Crescenta Empire — Hades was confident about this — who was unable to hide her core jewel.
My backstory was oddly unique for a character that never even showed up.
Perhaps that was why I had some small hopes.
Like, maybe, I would be able to awaken something special the moment I completely adapt to this world.
However, it seemed like….
“Hnngh!”
“I’m telling you, it’s not about tensing up!”
Yeah… that wasn’t happening.
“I’m sorry that I’m such a useless person.
I’m sure you must be frustrated with me, right?” I couldn’t hide my disappointment with myself.
Hades sighed at my words.
“Why do you think so?
I always tell Abel this, but I’ll say it to you as well.
You don’t have to try and achieve something amazing.
Because I’m here.”
“So what you’re saying is that you’re perfectly capable and can protect yourself as well as us, so stop worrying about useless things, right?”
“More or less,” said the father fated to die in a year, with a smile on his face.
“But you never know what could happen to you in the future.
You are always exposed to danger, after all….
If something awful were to happen to you, I would end up becoming a widow at such a young age.”
Right.
I was destined to become a single mother and raise Abel all by myself in a year from now.
Yet, despite my rational and prophetic concern, Hades only snorted.
“Is that what you’re worried about?”
“A little….”
“Then don’t.”
Gripping my hand tightly under the table, Hades suddenly leaned his gorgeous face close to mine.
Like Abel, he moved without warning and caught me off guard.
I was a bit flustered by this sudden proximity.
Hades continued with a playful grin, “I’m not the type of man who would die irresponsibly while leaving behind my wife.”
* * *
My first training with Hades ended without much progress.
All that fruitless endeavor left me exhausted, and I felt worn out from Hades’ frustrated voice, as well as my own sense of shame at my incompetency.
Naturally, my feet led me to Abel’s room.
Abel looked surprisingly cheerful, considering he had just got out of Countess Gasfelle’s lesson.
To be honest, I came here to check on him because I was sure that the countess mistreated Abel again.
However, it seemed that my concern was unnecessary.
I was relieved to know that nothing terrible had happened to Abel.
I didn’t completely let my guard down, though, just because he looked fine on the outside.
Abel was a mature boy who knew how to hide his wounds from others, while the countess was a woman who drove him to a corner at every opportunity she got.
Words couldn’t describe how happy I was to see that smile.
Not only was I able to see, hear, and touch my bias, now I was being loved by him, too!
Awesome!
Well….
Actually, I couldn’t really be sure about that last part… but it didn’t hurt to dream.
“Umm… Childe, are you okay?”
While we walked together from his room toward the greenhouse garden, Abel occasionally stopped in place.
There was something odd about the way he was walking.
And his expression was dark, too.
I wondered if he had something on his mind.
“Oh!
It’s nothing.”
“Could it be that you’re still quite tired?
Looks like I shouldn’t have proposed to you to take a walk.
I’m sure you must be tired from the lesson.
It might be better for you to take a rest.
Shall we go back and….”
“Lady Heathcliff!” Abel cried out desperately.
Startled, I stared at Abel as he fervently shook his head.
“No….
I want to go on a walk with you.
I like spending time with you.
I… I’m not tired at all, so you don’t need to worry about me, okay?”
Abel quickly closed the distance between us and took my hand in his.
He seemed worried that I might ask him to go back inside again.
He held onto me desperately and looked at me the way a lost child looked at his mother.
My heart ached for him.
I felt bad for Abel, but at the same time, I found him quite adorable.
Indeed, he was an ironic ball of charm….
It seemed Abel figured he had to say something, as though he didn’t think he did enough.
He quickly pointed to the flowers and shrubs in the garden.
“Did you know?
When I told Father that you liked flowers, he ordered the gardeners to plant more of them for you.”
“Oh, really?”
It was already late afternoon, but the gardeners still had their hands full with work.
I was wondering all along why they looked so busy.
And to think Hades was the reason….
He was a lot different from how I imagined him, that was for sure.
Every time we talked to each other, I had to reconsider my biased opinion towards him.
Wasn’t the duke of the North supposed to be cold and detached?
I never knew he was a romanticist who would plant flowers for women.
Or could it be that he was one of those that’s only affectionate towards his chosen woman?
No, there was no ‘his woman.’ Strictly speaking, wasn’t the relationship between me and Hades a contractual one, even though neither of us said it loud?
We each had something to gain from it: I, the right to stan Abel from up close; and Hades, a woman to be his wife in name only.
But Abel didn’t need to know that.
He would want his father and his soon-to-be mother to look happy together, so I decided to pretend I was overcome with joy for now. Enjoying the story? Read on at g.com.
“Oh my, I didn’t know that.
I’ll have to thank His Grace when I see him again.”
Though I wasn’t particularly fond of flowers….
“Hehe….
Father really is a nice and gentle person.
A-and you are, too.” Abel glanced up at me shyly before dropping his gaze to the ground.
His cheeks were flushed, and he kept fidgeting with his feet in embarrassment.
It was so adorable that I almost pulled him into my arms and rubbed my cheeks all over his chubby cheeks.
Calm down, Aisha!
It’s… it’s still too early!
“Yes, he’s much more affectionate than I thought.”
I did manage to calm myself down, but I suddenly felt down when I recalled Hades’ face.
He was affectionate, indeed.
Hades was destined to die for Abel.
I didn’t think much of it at first, but that was changing.
Because I knew how much guilt Abel would feel in the future, I couldn’t help but worry.
Up until the last moments before his death, Hades most likely meant the world to him.
If Abel died in my place, what would I think, staring at Abel’s corpse?
‘That sounds dreadful.’
Every day, it was becoming harder and harder for me to accept Hades’ death as a destined fact.
After Hades is gone, this little boy would have to endure an overwhelming amount of grief and guilt all by himself.
“Lady Heathcliff, is something the matter?
Just now… you looked saddened.
Umm… have I offended you in any way?” Abel saw my darkened expression and asked nervously.
“Oh!
No, not at all,” I said immediately.
However, Abel seemed unconvinced.
After a moment of silence, I decided I should at least say something.
“Umm… really, it’s nothing.
It’s just something personal I’m a little worried about.”
“What is it?
Is it something you can share with me?
I may be able to help you if you tell me.”
Suddenly Abel’s eyes lit up with determination.
I wondered if it was all right for me to tell him.
Because while it was an excuse to cover up the more significant concern, this was a genuine concern.
Finally, I made up my mind.
I stopped and crouched down beside Abel.
He tilted his head in confusion when I showed him my left wrist, which was still wrapped in Hades’ handkerchief.
“You must keep this a secret, okay?”
I carefully untied the handkerchief around my left wrist.
The white jewel embedded in my skin was glowing faintly.
Abel immediately recognized it and let out a soft gasp.
“L-Lady Heathcliff!
This is…!”