About Your Pride and My Prejudice

Chapter 26: The Heroine of My Novel

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“The Leopold family…….”

Sitting on an old balloon white chair, my mother, who was embroidering, asked with a bewildered expression.

“They bought a coffee shop downtown?”

It was a reaction that I had seen for the first time, but I wasn’t particularly surprised.
My mother is not social either, and after my father left the capital, she didn’t even go out.

“Yes, mom.
Antress.
I heard they took over last month.”

I and Mrs.
Kerney were sitting at the feet of my mother and folding the dried laundry.

“Hmm, why? They already have a few businesses.
It’s fascinating that they have spare hands left.”

Mumbling in a low voice, Mrs Kerney folded the white tablecloth.
It was the last of the laundry.

Originally, my mother, who would have poured out criticism close to accusations over Leopold’s enormous wealth and honor, spoke with a finite voice.

“I guess it’s like a change of mood.”

“…….”

It’s so unrealistic that I often forget it, but every time I see my mother’s change of attitude, it makes me realize that Alan saved my life.

Then, without fail, my heart pounds.
But I’m folding the laundry like nothing happened.
I was afraid it might burst out like this.

“Mel, you’re not having a fever again, are you?”

Seeing my mother look worried, I guess I blushed like a ripe tomato again.

As the cold wave continued day after day, my mother became more worried.
What if I get sick again?

Mrs.
Kerney also talked to me with worried eyes.

“Melissa, you’re done now, so go up and rest.
Thank you.”

“Oh, yes.”

I raised myself awkwardly.
Anyway, within March, I have to write the novel halfway through and send it to the academy, so I felt urgency.

So, there is no need to reject this favor.  I’m actually getting a fever on my face right now—because of Alan Leopold—and……

“Oh, Melissa.
Do you happen to.”

At that time, my mother stopped me as I was going up stairs.

“The money left in the cupboard…….”

What money all of a sudden?

“…..money?”

I knew that when my mother had to buy groceries and necessities, she would keep her money in the inner corner of the cupboard.
Usually, Mrs.
Kerney or Julia went to the market with the money.

“Do you have any errands to run?”

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“No… No.”

Soon after, my mother, who sighed slightly, dropped her gaze on the embroidery frame.
I had some doubt about her expression

At that moment, Mrs.
Kerney looked at my mother and opened her mouth slightly.

“There’s a lot to buy this time, so the amount was quite a lot.”

“But?”

“So I opened the cupboard to go out tomorrow, and it was empty…….”

I felt my mouth open automatically.

“…..Are you saying that the money disappeared?”

“Mrs.
Kerney.”

At that time, my mother’s quiet voice rang in my ears.

“You know Melissa doesn’t say anything even with a small allowance.”

“Oh! Of course, of course.
I didn’t mean that Melissa took the money, Mrs.
Collins.”

“…….”

I was lost in thought for a moment.

Someone who came to my house—Mr.
Greg who came to bring me meat, a thief who suddenly came in, a stalker…… Anyway—it’s hard to think that he would have opened the door, entered the kitchen, opened the cupboard, and took out the money.

Then who could it be? Of course it’s Julia.

In fact, it is true that it is difficult to easily understand that Julia would have done something like that.
She’s not a child with bad hand habits or a bad child.
We all know that fact.

I don’t know what happened, but I thought it was necessary to listen to the story.

“…….”

My mother and Mrs.
Kerney must be thinking the same thing as me.
And they must be silent for exactly the same reason.

In the heavy air, I quickly stepped towards my floor.

“But why did Julia…….”

“Let me talk to her, Mrs.
Collins.”

There was a conversation between the two ladies behind my back, but I tried hard to ignore it.

* * *

Tuk, when I put down my pen and clasped my chin while supporting both cheeks.

“Or else?”

It was a scene where Troy told the heroine who did not realize her love—to stop running away, but I couldn’t think of a strong line.

What words could adequately express Troy’s passionate love and obsession for the female protagonist?

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“Hmm…”

Even if it was difficult, it could not be this difficult.
I tried to imagine it even by substituting Tobias and myself, but failed fiercely.
Seriously, even if I became Toby’s lover tomorrow right away, my love for him wouldn’t be as desperate as this, so it’s only natural.

“……No, it would be hard to find a sad love anywhere else in the world.”

I couldn’t think of a clear line even after thinking for a long time, so I eventually fell into different thoughts.

In fact, there was a voice that has been circling in my head all day from last evening without a break.
The  words from Antris’ server that makes me unable to even focus on my novel that I couldn’t write.

‘Mr.
Leopold, he has taken over this place.’

“Really….”

Mr.
Leopold is now single after three divorces.
This was a fact that everyone in the kingdom knew.
But does that mean he’s a stalker?

Even if the stalker wasn’t Ian Leopold, I couldn’t understand why anyone would be a stalker, but still— Mr.
Leopold?

“It doesn’t make sense.”

Of course, even a reputable, rich person should be a suspect of crimes.
This is my old theory.

But Leopold, the kingdom’s top businessman and wealthy man, secretly follows Melissa Collins…….

“It’s a story that would make even that sad Viola laugh.”

Objectively, I am not such a great person to be followed by a busy business tycoon.
Although it is a subjective matter.

It’s not pleasant for me to think like this either.
But this is a very obvious fact.
To the point where it’s funny to think about it

The conclusion I came to was that it was such a nonsensical hypothesis that it was only a waste of time to think about it.

It’s a completely different story that Mr.
Leopold appeared at the coffee shop wearing a red wig.… but even with my great imagination I cannot think of why.

Melissa, let’s stop wandering in a maze without an exit, you have a lot to write.

Blinking hard, I clenched my pen with a stiff look and forced myself to focus.

It was just that moment.

“… Oh, I thought of something good.”

Like a miracle, Troy’s line came to mind.
A line that captures the relationship between the two in a very desperate yet dramatic way.

“Stop running away from me.
Or else…….”

I wrote down what would follow with a light heart.

“I’m going to lock you up.”

* * *

We met at the Libre coffee shop, not at Antris, where we usually meet.
It’s not as comfortable as Antris and there’s no kind service, but—

“What? That means, that red-haired man…….”

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At least it wasn’t taken over by the Leopolds.
Yet.

“The head of Leopold, Ian Leopold?”

Toby, who heard my story, narrowed his forehead.

“That doesn’t make sense, Miss Melissa.”

“Right? It’s not someone else.
What’s wrong with him—”

“No, that’s not what I meant.”

“…….”

“I understand that Mr.
Leopold is well over fifty.
But the man I saw…….”

Tobias ruffled good soft light brown hair.
He looked puzzled and confused.

“……He was very young.
I couldn’t see the face well, but I’m sure.”

“But he definitely said Mr.
Leopold.”

“That… he must have meant his son.”

“…….”

At those words, I held my breath.

Obviously I was almost certain that Ian Leopold couldn’t be a stalker, and that some sort of coincidence or misunderstanding must have been there.

“Sir Alan?”

Alan Leopold wasn’t even on the list of suspects at all.

Mr.
Alan?

I’m not speculating now that he’s not my stalker.
Exactly, there is no need to guess.
There’s no chance that Alan is my stalker.

“Yes.
I think it’s close to that…… body or height…….”

“…….”

Tobias slightly scratched his temple with his index finger and added awkwardly.

“…Of course, that man couldn’t possibly be Sir Alan.”

“Yes, I agree.”

Of course, I think so.
If he’s really a stalker, it means that he bought the coffee shop after seeing I’ve been going to Antris a lot lately.

No matter how easily I fall into daydreaming, that kind of…….

I quickly captured my expression and continued.

“Actually, there’s one more person to check.”

“Who is that?”

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“It’s Mr.
Longhorn, who sent me a dress.”

At my words, Tobias’s black eyes trembled slightly, then sank slowly.
He quietly turned his gaze down as if he was studying the grain of wood on the table, when finally he looked at me.

“Miss Melissa, why don’t you take me when you visit him?”

I pondered for a moment because I did not know Toby’s intentions.
He must be worried that I’m going to meet a man who might be the stalker.

“No, Toby.”

But I decided to politely express my rejection.
Because we’re not yet officially together, there’s not enough reason for him to be present when I go to meet someone.

“Thank you.
But I’ll go alone.”

“…….”

Tobias, who must have understood what I meant, silently nodded his head.
However, his eyes were still engulfed in worries, as if they were about to overflow.

“I’ll think about a safe place and time.
And I’ll tell you right after I meet him, Toby.”

“….
alright, Miss Melissa.”

We paused for a while, looking at each other like people who forgot what to say.
After a short silence, he opened his mouth.

“When will you meet Longhorn?”

“Well, I have to send a letter, so wouldn’t it take a week?”

“Within a week.”

Toby, who muttered quietly, lowered his interlocked hand under the table and sat straight.

“Then meet him and then meet me.”

“…..Yes, I will.”

“At that time, there’s something I really want to say.”

His eyes were more serious than ever.

***

Comments from Korean readers:

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It’s going to happen like the scenes she’s writing in the novel.

The comments are so funny.

After seeing what’s trapped in the novel, he’ll lock you up because I think you want it.

Will he lock up the female character after reading the story? Male lead….I don’t know

It’s the female lead, whose dream is to be raised by a handsome, rich husband… Writing is a small hobby, and it’s a life of living with love.
It’s perfect for a timid female character.