Bang!
The open door slammed against the wall, creating a loud noise.
Durante’s eyes narrowed when he saw Mukali standing there as if he was blocking the doorway.
Mukali slammed the door shut again.
“Brother Mukali!”
Dionna’s voice was filled with disappointment, sadness, and bitterness.
Mukali quickly walked up to her.
“It’s alright, Dionna. I’m here.”
Mukali’s sturdy hand patted Dionna’s shoulder.** He immediately spun around and rebuked Durante.
“Durante, why are you acting like this to Dionna!”
“…I am simply stating my opinion.”
Durante looked at Mukali with annoyance and irritation in his eyes. His gaze was saying ‘don’t butt in when you don’t know what happened’.
Mukali flinched.
Certainly, he didn’t know what was going on. But still—.
“Regardless, you are in the wrong!”
Mukali yelled, putting his arms around Dionna.
“You know what kind of child Dionna is!”
Durante looked at his actions with cold eyes and sighed.
“Sometimes I envy you.”
“What?”
“The part of you that can be so simple. You only see what is in front of you.”
Durante spoke as if he was mumbling, then he took a step towards the door.
Just before he walked past Dionna, he stopped and uttered in a low voice.
“Dionna, don’t forget what I said.”
Durante’s face was cold without the slightest warmth as he looked at her.
“I do not care what you do with the Princess.” (Durante)
Mukali furrowed his brows.
‘Princess? Does this have something to do with the Princess?’
The face of the small and miniature thumb princess appeared in his mind. While Mukali was hesitating, Durante took a step closer.
“But if it happens to disturb my lord…”
Durante did not finish his sentence.
Only his indifferent dark-blue eyes swept over Dionna’s face.
Durante brushed past the two of them and walked out of the room.
‘…Maybe I should’ve heard what was going on first.’
Mukali belatedly shut his mouth and looked at the already closed door.
Dionna clenched her fists tightly and lowered her head. Her eyes were blazing as she stared at where Durante was just standing.
.
《 I think the Princess misinterpreted what I said. That’s not what I meant; I want the Princess to get along with His Highness, so… 》
Dionna immediately served up the excuse she had thought of, once she and Durante were alone in the room.
She glanced at his face, but Durante’s expression was no different from before.
《 So I tried to tell her what His Highness likes. And I was only saying that I’ve been close to His Highness since I was a child, to explain why I know His Highness’ preferences.》
《 … 》
《 I didn’t even know the Princess would take it that way. I was just trying to be of help.》
She only said that out of pure goodwill to help the princess. The princess misunderstood her.
Dionna’s long trail of words was just to say that.
Seeing Durante just listening quietly, she grew more courageous and added a little more.
《 I don’t know why the Princess said it to Brother Durante that way and make you misunderstand me. She should be intelligent enough to understand my intentions, right?》
What Dionna meant was obvious.
That Aristine deliberately framed her.
She was packaging the princess as a smart person but that was the true meaning.
《 Dionna.》
《 Yes, Brother Durante.》
《 Why are you telling me this; what does it have to do with me? 》
《 Huh?》
《 You don’t need to explain to me. I believe I told you this before. 》
By before, he meant when she ran into him right after talking to Mukali. At that moment, Dionna realized.
‘He heard!’
He heard her entire conversation with Mukali back then. And with how quick-witted Durante was, he must have figured out her intentions behind saying such things.
Color receded from Dionna’s face.
《 Are, are you blaming me right now because of that? Brother Durante, you know how I feel too, I…!》
《 That feeling does not help His Highness Tarkan in any way.》
His words were cruel.
《 That’s really too much. You’re being too much, Brother Durante…》
She pretended to cry but Durante’s expression did not ease up. Even after she brought out the trump card of her dead brother.
Instead, Mukali entered the room to wrap his arms around her.
.
“Brother Mukali…”
Dionna quietly called Mukali’s name.
“Ah, Dionna. Are you okay?”
Mukali comforted her, saying:
“I really don’t know why that guy is acting like this. Even though he has a bad temper, he’s not the type to speak carelessly to people.”
At those words, Dionna clenched her fists tighter.
Indeed, Durante was the type of person that would not interfere, no matter what was happening around him.
Unless it concerned Tarkan, that is.
But why was he so angry about her matters with the Princess?
He said he didn’t care but his attitude gave a clear warning towards her.
Dionna hid her boiling anger and looked up at Mukali with a sad smile.
“It’s okay. I understand. I…I must have done something wrong. I made Brother Durante upset…”
Dionna’s sea-blue eyes glistened with tears.
“Dionna!”
Mukali didn’t know what else to do but comfort her.
“It’s not your fault. It’s all Durante’s fault. I’ll go and scold him, okay?”
At those words, Dionna wiped her eyes and chuckled.
“Haha, Brother Mukali, you’re so kind. Really…you’re like my real brother.”
“Yes, I am your brother.”
Hearing that, Dionna looked down.
“I thought of Brother Durante as a real brother but…Brother Durante must not feel the same.”
“Dionna, I’m sure Durante cares for you inside.”
“I don’t know…this never happened before, and I don’t know why he’s suddenly like this. Maybe the Princess told Brother Durante something about me…”
Dionna, who was speaking as if she was mumbling to herself, quickly shook her head.
“Ah, no. I didn’t mean to say that!”
Dionna waved her hand while trying to smile.
Mukali’s face turned serious.
“Did something happen in the bride’s waiting room?”
“What do you mean? Nothing happened.”
Despite saying that, Dionna’s expression made it obvious that something had happened.
“Um, Brother Mukali, you know that thing I told you about the princess last time.”
“Yes.”
“Please forget that.”
Normally, when you tell someone to forget something, they won’t be able to forget even more. Since she had failed, she hoped Mukali would get agitated and have an outburst at the wedding ceremony.
If that happened, Mukali would be in an awkward position but that was none of Dionna’s business.
Translator’s Corner:
**Sometimes, I don’t get the adjectives used in this story. Here, it says [Mukali’s thick hand patted Dionna’s shoulder]. Thick?? What?? Why is it thick?
