1. A Crazy Man

“Sister Chloe, I really hope you remarry.”

“I also hope you don’t dwell on the past that has already gone by.”

Where is a dog barking? Spouting nonsense and collapsing.

Chloe thought as she looked at the pair of man and woman sitting affectionately in front of her with their fingers interlaced.

She had come to the hotel after a long time for some rest. The hotel lobby was luxurious, the rooms were spacious, and the bedding was clean. She had planned to rest at this luxury hotel and blow away the fatigue accumulated from fighting with her thesis for months.

That was before she encountered a pair of cockroach couples.

She swore that if she had known she would face these cockroach-like couples, she would never have left her house.

If she had known these cockroaches would hand her a wedding invitation, and especially if she had known they would talk about her remarriage.

“Dur, it’s you after all. How can you think exactly the same as me?”

“That’s because we’re destined for each other.”

The man making an expression that he was going crazy with love for his bride-to-be was once Chloe’s husband. The woman sitting next to him, giggling, was the man’s new lover who would become his wife and Chloe’s half-sister, Melvin Garrett.

Ah, now she’ll become Duncan instead of Garrett.

The woman who was once Duncan watched the romantic antics of the two with tired eyes.

The time of crying and raging over her husband and half-sister’s betrayal had ended long ago.

‘This hotel…… costs 120 gold per night.’

Even while listening to their comedy act, the precious time she had bought for 120 gold was being wasted moment by moment.

Chloe was just tired and felt sorry for the money. She only wanted to quickly kick out these uninvited guests and then soak her body in the hot springs on the top floor of the hotel.

“In that sense, I hope you too, Chloe, find your destiny as soon as possible.”

“That’s right. It’s been almost two years since you became single…… Oh my.”

Melvin, who had been babbling as if she had a verbal diarrhea, exaggeratedly covered her mouth.

“Don’t tell me…… you still can’t forget Dur?”

“This is troubling, Chloe.”

Following Melvin’s words, Dur furrowed his eyebrows and opened his mouth. He was being quite kind, making an expression of pity for Chloe.

“No, what kind of bullshit is that?”

Even nonsense has its limits. Chloe refuted for the first time at Melvin’s ridiculous speculation. However, Melvin raised her voice without caring.

“It’s been almost two years since the divorce. During that time, sister hasn’t met a single decent man.”

“Don’t you know I was busy writing my thesis? Where would I have time for dating?”

“Then what about you rejecting all the introductions that came in?”

“That’s……”

For the first time, she was at a loss for words. It wasn’t that she couldn’t forget her ex-husband as they said.

Chloe and Dur’s married life ended in less than a year. Considering their engagement period of six whole years, it was an absurdly short time.

Even though it was a marriage they had prepared for six years, it couldn’t last a year. Then how quickly would a marriage with someone she met for an even shorter time end?

Chloe lacked confidence. She lacked confidence in meeting new people, in giving her heart, and in not getting hurt by sudden farewells.

“I knew it!”

Melvin, who misunderstood Chloe’s intention, jumped up from her seat.

“Sister, even though Dur was once your husband, he’s now the person who will become my husband. He’s my man!”

“I understand, so sit down. Don’t you have any manners?”

“You’re talking about manners when you’re coveting another woman’s man?”

“Speak properly, Melvin. You were the one who coveted someone else’s things first.”

The illegitimate child that father suddenly brought home one day coveted everything of Chloe’s and took it away. In the end, even her husband.

“Ugh……!”

When Chloe hit the mark, Melvin’s face turned bright red. Eventually, she couldn’t control her anger and stormed out.

“Melvin, wait!”

The comedy came to an end with Dur chasing after Melvin. The bonus was that all eyes in the cafe focused on Chloe, who was left alone.

“Haah……”

Chloe sank deeply into the sofa. However, no matter how many times she changed her position, the seat remained uncomfortable.

“Damn bastards.”

The fact that the luxury sofa of a five-star hotel felt this hard was probably all because of those bastards.

Chloe looked at the expensive alcohol that was more than half remaining with regretful eyes and got up from her seat. She planned to leave the cafe before Melvin and Dur returned.

“Leaving already?”

What stopped her was a voice heard from behind.

“It was entertaining. What a pity.”

A voice tinged with a strange amusement. Chloe couldn’t fail to notice that the laughter was close to mockery. And she wasn’t the type to stay quiet after being mocked by someone she was seeing for the first time.

“You seem to laugh quite freely. Seeing how you find amusement in trivial things.”

“I originally like farces, you see.”

Chuckle chuckle. Veins bulged on Chloe’s forehead at the man who was shaking his shoulders while laughing.

What would happen if you shouted “What are you looking at? Enjoying the show?!” to an ordinary person? They would surely tuck their tail and move away quickly. They would turn their head and pretend not to know, acting like they had no interest in that direction.

However, the man didn’t do that. Far from apologizing, he even replied nonchalantly that he originally liked farces. The bonus was him laughing like Chloe’s reaction was entertaining.

So Chloe thought the man must be drunk. Surely his hair would be disheveled and his face would be red like an apple. After all, drunk people can’t distinguish between appropriate and inappropriate situations.

However, the man was perfectly fine. He was so neat that saying he was fine wasn’t enough. So she closed the mouth she had opened to scold him loudly.

Hair neatly swept back like it couldn’t tolerate even the slightest dishevelment, shirt collar and tie boasting perfect angles, straight posture and arrogantly crossed legs. No matter how much she looked, she couldn’t find any trace of drunkenness in the man.

So Chloe became even more creeped out. From years of experience, men who said such things while completely sober were not normal. Most of them had a few screws loose.

Above all, look at those pitch-black pupils. Gleaming and shiny, don’t they look exactly like a crazy bastard?

Chloe, who had quickly turned her head, came to the conclusion that nothing good would come from getting involved with that man. Suppressing her anger in front of a crazy bastard was an easy task.

“Unfortunately, the farce ends here. The actor ran off, you see.”

If she played along this much, he wouldn’t cause any trouble. Chloe thought this and got up from her seat. She didn’t want to see Dur and Melvin’s faces again.

“It seems like they’ll be back soon. You’re just going to leave?”

However, the man didn’t easily allow Chloe’s escape.

“This is the first farce where I’m this excited for the second act.”

“……Sorry, but I’m not.”

Endure it, Chloe Garrett. The other party is a crazy bastard.

“Ah, well, from your position, it wouldn’t be particularly entertaining content.”

This bastard?

A crack appeared on Chloe’s face, which had been smiling thinly. She was ready to let out a lion’s roar if the nonsense continued.

However, the man was different. The man’s eyes lit up with delight at Chloe’s change in expression.

Click-clack, the sound of shoes was heard then. Having succeeded in soothing his wife, Dur was walking over with Melvin wrapped in his arms.

“Just in time, here come the actors. The second act will be possible.”

“Ha……”

Too late. It was finally too late. Chloe eventually made eye contact with Melvin and had no choice but to face her walking over with big strides like an angry bull.

“How nice for you. Getting to see the farce you wanted so badly again.”

What’s so entertaining about this kind of thing.

Chloe muttered as she plopped down in her seat. The man gazed at Chloe’s hunched shoulders and opened his mouth quietly.

“Then shall I make it entertaining for you?”

“What?”

“It’s not fun because you’re not the lead actor.”

“What do you mean……”

The question couldn’t continue. Melvin, who had moved her long legs quickly, had already approached right up to Chloe.

“That’s right, sister. I’ve decided to understand.”

“What?”

“Your feelings, sister. Our Dur is so wonderful after all. I fully understand that you have lingering feelings.”

“Sorry, but I don’t have even a speck of interest in Dur.”

To Chloe, Dur was just a talking squid.

“How can I believe those words?”

When did she say she understood. Melvin’s face instantly became vicious.

“If you don’t want to believe it, then don’t.”

“See, you do have lingering feelings!”

Chloe wanted to avoid wasting energy on useless things. However, the most terrible thing in this situation was being misunderstood as unable to forget Dur, who looked like dried squid.

That was why she impulsively opened her mouth.

“Sorry, Melvin. I’m seeing someone.”

“Wh-what?”

It was Dur who opened his mouth instead of Melvin.

The subject who hadn’t opened his mouth once while his wife was making a fuss immediately reacted to the news that Chloe had a lover, which was pathetic.

So Chloe did something that didn’t suit her. She added flesh to the lie.

“He’s handsome and capable. He’s even younger than me.”

“Really?”

“Yes.”

Now, if you’ve done this much, stop and disappear quickly. Chloe nodded with that meaning. However, the soon-to-be newlyweds didn’t let her go easily.

“That’s a lie.”

Dur said, arrogantly lifting his chin.

“You’re stuck in the research lab all day long, how could you possibly date?”