The Bad Ending of an Otome

“You!”

“Did you pay for this dressing room? I am not an invader who has entered another person’s area without permission or civility. I’m not sure why you’re looking at me for no cause.”

“That, now, to me…”

“It appears that your companion is agitated.”

A glimmer of sanity returned to the man’s eyes, which had been heated to the point of exploding at that minute. The man hastily approached the woman next him, who was in a state of disorder, with an ashamed expression.

“Uh… Elodie, were you taken aback? Are you alright? Are you hurt?”

“I, I’m fine,” she says, “but…”

The woman cast a peek in this direction. Her bright, translucent green eyes fluttered continuously as she continued to stare at me. Even though she had been afraid for a time, her face was small with wonder as she stared at me. Following her glance, the man stared at me, his expression filled with wrath for a brief time before turning his head swiftly and focusing exclusively on Elodie. The reason why he did it was beyond my comprehension, but his juvenile conduct was really entertaining.

Yes. This was a hilarious situation. My mood was imprisoned in the winter sea, like a balloon. It was filled with air and wandered towards the surface, but it could only float near the surface, which was too frozen to fracture. It couldn’t burst or shrivel, and it couldn’t break through the surface; it merely floated in the blue sea water.

“Are you alright?”

It was a kind voice. It took me a second to realize she was speaking to me. Had she seen me with familiarity previously, when I was rummaging about the carriage’s front like a thief? It’s difficult to say. She had a lovely face, as if she had never heard harsh words in her life. Like when she looked at me from Raretis’ side.

A lovely lady, like the lilies Gloucester had brought with him. Her naturally flowing silver hair glistened like moonlight, and her green eyes met mine with an odd kindness. I was periodically curious as to where such benevolence came from.

I’m terrified of rushing to open my heart to people for fear of getting rejected. How can that woman offer her hand so lovingly even to someone who is disrespectful to her? Is she from another dimension, or is she a helpless victim who knows nothing? I am now dressed nicely, if not lavishly, and am not to be looked down upon. It’s quite lucky that I’m thinking about it now. I even brought maids with me. Yes, even if the reason and circumstances were unknown, apologizing if my company had created difficulties would be natural.

“It’s none of your business.”

Both the man’s and the woman’s expressions altered at the same time. It never would have occurred with Ophelia. Edmund’s cheeks flushed, as if he couldn’t get enough of me, and the woman’s eyes widened.

Yes, I thought Edmund Gloucester was entertaining. Perhaps it would be more accurate to say he irritated me. In fact, I’m not sure I’m the only one who finds him irritating. In the future, I could end up disliking a lot of people. Everyone who resembles Ophelia. Unfortunately, she, who was greatly loved by the goddess, passed away too soon, but this woman will be with us for a long time.

Wouldn’t that be wonderful?

She would take presents that Ophelia would never accept, say things Ophelia would never say, and behave in ways Ophelia would never do. 

As much as he felt rejected back then, imagine how pleased and overwhelmed he must have been.

I burst out laughing. My face was reflected in the shop’s busy mirrors. My face was frozen with a chilly, expressionless grin.

“I don’t know what happened to you, but…”

The woman opened her mouth with caution.

“If you don’t know, don’t speak.”

“Huh…?”

“Neither apologies nor laughter will resolve or bypass the issue.”

“You!”

Finally, Edmund blew up. Employees and maids rushed to stop him as he tried to seize my collar. When it came to Ophelia, he was a lunatic, but he was a guy who regarded the time and place. He appeared to be madly in love with her. Yes, that’s why he did such insane stuff in the game. It was unclear what type of bad sentiments he would hold against me in the future if I disrespected his refuge in front of him, but for the time being, I wanted to disregard everything. Kitty clenched her teeth and took a position in front of me.

“Don’t come anywhere near our lady!”

“Kitty.”

“What are you saying to Lady Elodie…!”

“And, Edmund Gloucester, what gives you the right to be angry?”

I rose from my seat and straightened my back. I stared up at the man’s face even if I was only tall enough to reach his chest. As our gazes connected, the man appeared surprised. His wavering blue eyes resembled those of a terrified kid.

It was entertaining. He was the one who became enraged, agitated, and surged in rage, and yet he flinched back merely from looking at me. Is he feeling guilty? Who is responsible for his guilt? In the direction of Ophelia? Or does he mean towards me? Something cold and dark was bubbling inside of me. Whenever this happened, I was made aware of the type of person I am.

“If you’re going to woo a lady like a gentleman, at the very least don’t be rude to others in front of her.”

It was amusing that he couldn’t even utter my name, simply ‘you’. The Edmund Gloucester I knew wasn’t a man who couldn’t express himself in this way.

“And if you’re going to act that way, don’t get hypocritically angry at me just because I’m not kind to your company.”

The stench of destroyed flowers permeated the air. Ophelia despised the fragrance. So, what did this man expect? Did he want me to treat him tenderly and appear as though we were best friends, like how they attempted to see Ophelia in Lady Elodie? She and I were both awful ladies. We were solely concerned with ourselves. But not when it came to one another. That’s why we loved each other so much.

‘Don’t make friends whom you are closer to than me.’

“How dare you say this or that in front of me.”

I raised my arms and gripped his face with both hands, my lips pushing towards his ear. Surprisingly, rather than pushing me away, the man was dragged hopelessly into my activity, like a deflated balloon. Even to my ears, the voice I whispered didn’t sound like mine. A harsh voice, like shattering a mirror and spreading the pieces on the floor.

“You shouldn’t have put on such a pitiful performance in front of a woman who isn’t her.”

The man’s body shook visibly. I know. This is an obvious spiteful behavior. This reality exists for the protagonist, regardless of whether the ending is awful, normal, or good. Ophelia is already dead, and the player is fated to experience the affection of those who loved Ophelia once more.

In any case, Edmund Gloucester is doomed to be fascinated with the player. If the world is merely pursuing its own destiny, criticizing anybody here is equally futile.

But that didn’t sit well with me. I was irritated and enraged at the sight of people groveling like stupid morons because they were envious of even me, who was close to her since they liked her so much. I wanted to throw cold water on everyone who believes that the dead should be forgotten and the living should be allowed to live.

***
Forgetting Ophelia since Elodie is here.
***

I know. The world will not end just because she died. Even fans who wrote fan letters stating that they would die without her did not commit s*icid*. Such comments were likewise mocked by Ophelia. Do you adore me enough to die for me? Do those morons who say such things in front of someone who is about to die have any reason to live? They should have trusted in their principles if they professed to love her so much.

My gut churned just thinking about the horrible finish. Those who professed to adore Ophelia were most likely smitten by her beauty. That idiot was responsible for the ending in which he imprisoned someone, believing her to be Ophelia and even overwriting her name. My eyes were reflected in the man’s shaking pupils when I took a step back. Even I thought it was a scary sight. Contempt? That’s correct. The eyes of someone who genuinely despises another. It appeared to be familiar.

That makes sense. Did Ophelia have these eyes all the time? Yes, I felt that way when she had such eyes. People must have known these feelings. That the envy and adoration she held in her fingers was a hollow shell. That it was utterly worthless to her.

“Get lost, Sir Edmund Gloucester.”

I shoved the man aside after my final remarks. Surprisingly, the man simply sank down, as if he had lost all strength. People were staring at us, perplexed. They were both intrigued by what we were discussing and considered the scenario ridiculous. It was even more plausible because the man who had come at me like an enraged bull fell after only a few sentences. As I went by, I talked to the madam without looking back.

“Madam.”

“Yes, yes, yes?”

“Keep a watchful eye on your behavior. Unless you want to turn two houses against you and ruin yourself.”

“Of course!” 

“Kitty, let’s go.”

“Yes, yes!”

Kitty was quick to follow me. Two maids, who had to have returned at some time, trailed after her softly. I noticed a carriage as I opened the door. A carriage emblazoned with the Brahamdorff family’s distinguishing symbol. A recognizable figure stood in front of it. He had well-groomed blonde hair and was dressed in a formal suit with a high collar, as if he’d just returned from an event. At the carriage door, the man discreetly extended his hand to me. I, too, meekly accepted his assistance and boarded the vehicle. Cassio motioned when he noticed another carriage behind us, and the two maids and Kitty hopped into the smaller vehicle.

Before stepping inside the carriage, Kitty peered over nervously, as if she was frightened about me. Cassio broke the stillness a long while after the carriage had left.

“…There are numerous other good dressing rooms.”

“Anywhere would be fine so long as we avoid situations like today.”

“…”

I didn’t have the energy to keep my back straight in front of this man. I leaned against the carriage’s side wall. The hairpins I’d firmly tied jingled. The man leaned out and took out the hairpin that had fallen out.

“I’m guessing you’re concerned that the Brahamdorff family’s reputation for treating guests isn’t as good as it appears.”

“To be honest, if you staged this just to see me grovel foolishly, just say so.”

“No, no, it wasn’t.”

“Don’t you think it’s not the time to make excuses?”

“It was purely coincidental. To avoid rumors, we decided to rent the full dressing room in the first place.”

“But why didn’t you come inside anyway?”

“Well, if Edmund had seen me in that predicament…”

Casio made an odd expression at me.

“It certainly wouldn’t have ended there.”