It seemed that the opponent was not satisfied with Irel's unfocused attitude. Noticing that, Irel lowered her eyes and obediently apologized.
“Sorry, I have something to think about. Anyway, thank you for coming, Beatrice.”
She must avoid being discovered by the other person that anything unusual is happening. Beatrice, as Irel's best friend, can spot any suspicious spots.
“Hey, what's the point of apologizing to friends?”
Fortunately, Beatrice seemed satisfied with her lifeless answer. Irel awkwardly looked into her amethyst eyes.
‘They said they were childhood friends?’
Thanks to that, Beatrice has the right to visit the Elorance mansion at any time. Irel was shocked when she received the unexpected notice about her visit.
‘What to do?’
Even though she wanted to avoid her, she couldn't tell Beatrice, who had come, to go back. Doing so will make her feel even more strange.
Irel worries whether she can fully play the role of ‘Irel Elorance’ in front of Beatrice. But since there was no other way but to face her, Irel made up her mind and welcomed her.
"Hello Rel? How are you?"
However, all these worries disappeared as soon as she saw Beatrice's face. Exactly after checking her sympathetic status.
[Beatrice Russell: Current favorability level is 19.]
…Aren't we best friends? Chellos, Varkan's subordinate, whom she had just met yesterday, was even more sympathetic than 40.
Irel secretly observed Beatrice's beautiful face and thought. But no matter how many times I look at it, the shocking number "Sympathy 19" remains unchanged.
"I missed you so much, hey. How long has it been?"
But Beatrice's bright smile for Irel was not the least bit forced. She naturally walked past Irel and sat at the tea table prepared on the balcony. Then she put a mint macaron in her mouth and asked:
"Did you come back okay from the Lord God Temple? Did you come with your family?"
"YES."
Irel tried to hide her embarrassment and smiled. Whether Beatrice likes her or not, it's important not to reveal her identity.
Luckily, Beatrice didn't mind much even though she didn't talk much. In any case, the 'real Irel' is not a lively person. After a while of gossiping about this and that, Beatrice suddenly remembered something and naturally switched to a new topic.
"Hey, have you heard the news? Poor you, Rel."
"Um... Huh? What news?"
Irel nodded by inertia and then asked again in bewilderment. Beatrice glanced at her wide eyes, pouted and said:
“Hey! You don't need to hide it from me. You are
Receiver
, right?”
Oh my God. Irel felt like he was suddenly punched in the heart. Surely rumors about her had spread throughout the Royal Capital.
That's right. Varkan used up to ten flower boxes to promote the event. The person that a Masaka who only knows about himself sends flowers to propose to, can only be the Receiver.
‘Completely caught in a trap.’
Irel was both trembling and extremely disgusted by Varkan's arrogance. Dare to publicly declare ownership, despite knowing how rare a Receiver is. He certainly believes that, even if other Masaka covet it, in the end Irel will still belong to him.
"Oh my god, it's Varkan Ha Marsh again! What should I do?"
Beatrice sighed in a slightly exaggerated tone.
"He is famous for being cruel and immoral, isn't he? There are even rumors that even His Majesty had to give in to him. So does he treat his Receiver well?"
Beatrice's words tend to cleverly inflame Irel's insecurities. But because it wasn't completely wrong, Irel had to bite her lip. Even though she saw that Irel's face was paler than before, Beatrice still did not stop.
"Well, who dares to stand in Ha Mash's way? A Receiver can't refuse a great Masaka. You're really in trouble, aren't you?"
Beatrice paused, looking at Irel with pity on her face. But her purple eyes looked like she was smiling. Thanks to that, Irel can confirm.
‘As expected she hates Irel.’
The initial sympathy index she found was not wrong. To Beatrice, Irel is not a friend. She's just someone more familiar than others, but never liked or cherished.
But what she said was not without reason. Just as Beatrice said, Receivers are rare, but not noble. This is in stark contrast to the Masaka, who are worshiped as children of the Master God simply by their existence.
If Masaka is light then Receiver is darkness. Even though they are children of the Lord God, Receivers are not given a sacred title like 'Ha Mash'.
Furthermore, their fate was tragic. They bear Masaka's pain and stabilize their strength, a process that often causes great damage to the body. Therefore, middle-class and higher families absolutely never send their children and grandchildren to work as receivers.
The Receivers in Masaka's hands are all people from poor and lowly backgrounds. They were sold for money, or forced to become Masaka's property.
'That's why the perception of Receiver is so bad.'
Raeyeon, who has played this game, understands very well. The female lead of "Salvation" is also a Receiver. Therefore, she is often pitied by the people in the village with a 'so pitiful' attitude, and is often hunted by groups who want to possess Receiver.
Consumable item for the great Masaka. Reluctant sacrifice for humanity. That is the general perception of Receiver.
Beatrice in front of her couldn't help but know this, but she looked extremely amused.
"Who knew that would happen to you? The Lord God really likes to tease."
At this point, Irel felt ridiculous. She stared at Beatrice's smiling face and thought:
'Did she come here to see how desperate I am for being discovered as a Receiver?'
If that was true, she didn't want to show any signs of flinching. Irel pretended not to hear anything, calmly looked into the teacup, and Beatrice's purple eyes flashed with disappointment.
'Why is this turtleneck so quiet today? I should be crying loudly right now.'
Strictly speaking, Beatrice does not hate Irel. Irel Elorance is a good girl. Her gentle and people-pleasing personality is very suitable for people with arbitrary personalities like Beatrice.
But sometimes Irel makes her feel uncomfortable. Exactly, she was jealous and annoyed because Irel had never had to suffer like her.
Even though she is the daughter of the Duke family, Irel grew up in a harmonious family and never had to face trouble. Because having a family is like a solid wall, not letting a single drop of water splash on her.
‘While my family only thinks about selling me for the highest price.’
Beatrice feels disgusted every time she thinks of her family. The mother who quarreled with the concubines every day was often irritable, and the brothers who grew up under that upbringing only thought of themselves. Especially his younger brother... well, no more talking.
Regardless, no one cares about Beatrice.
‘So it's okay if I look a little annoyed.’
Beatrice slowly tightened her handkerchief under the table. She had just heard the absurd proposal to be a concubine for a Duke who was over 50 years old, so she was in an extremely bad mood.
But what about Irel, who has a happy fate?
."Beatrice. You came to see Irel, right?"
She walked into the lobby and came face to face with a gorgeous blonde young man. In contrast to the noble face like an ancient sculpture, the rippling muscles underneath make women's hearts flutter.
“Oh, Michael. How are you?”
Beatrice tried to smile elegantly, suppressing her pounding heart. However, even though she behaved perfectly with her best efforts, Michael's attention was completely directed elsewhere.
"I'm telling you this because it's you, Beatrice. Irel hasn't been the same lately. Probably because of what happened recently... she's very insecure."
Michael avoided saying the word Receiver. Because, he is also denying the fact that his precious sister has been discovered to be Receiver.
"Anyway, if you come today, Irel will definitely be happy. Let's have a good time, you two."
Michael's worried face when he asked Beatrice to take care of Irel looked extremely masculine. In the moment Beatrice was fascinated, Michael seemed to suddenly remember something and added.
"Ah. And don't go outside the mansion. Just got a report that Keytan was seen in a busy neighborhood."