16. With Doubts and Truths
Philip, upon entering the room, called out from a great distance.
“I’m sorry to have kept you waiting. Let’s go home. I shall escort you.”
I said goodbye to Jamie and went towards him. But Philip, whom was near the door, quickly left the room without waiting for me.
He came all the way to that room, so I thought he was going to accompany me to the carriage, but the distance between us was gradually increasing. At the end of the long corridor, he was about the size of a bean. However, he seemed to look back at me many times. I didn’t know what I was supposed to do.
I wondered if he was still angry. But by the time we arrived at the carriage, he escorted me. We boarded the carriage together.
“…”
“…”
Again, silence ensued. I wasn’t sure why, but if he was so angry he didn’t want to talk to me, why wait for me and escort me home?
When I was thinking about that, the word, ‘…te.’ suddenly leaked from Philip’s mouth.
“…‘te’?”
When I asked him back, Philip raised his face. Anxiety was spread deep across his beautiful eyes.
“Do you, hate…?”
His expression was as if the world was going to end.
I was sick of his unexpected questions.
“Hate what?”
“Me?”
“I, towards Phil?”
“Yes.”
Why would he ask such a thing with such a face?
“…I’m really sorry. I didn’t mean to say or do that. I made a terrible mistake.”
Certainly, it was as he said. Philip indeed had made a lot of mistakes. What he was saying was also strange. The lies he had set up regarding our past had been naturally broken by him.
“…It’s not like I hate you or anything.”
“…Really?”
“Yes, but why would you lie to me?”
When I answered, Philip exhaled as if he was relieved. After some hesitation, he opened his mouth.
“I didn’t want you to come to the reunion.”
“Huh?”
“I don’t want you to meet with other men, or with Cyril.”
Why would that be?
I didn’t understand what he was trying to say.
“…Why?”
“Because I love you.”
Here comes another lie.
Look at him, lying nonchalantly.
However, because of his expression, which was dead serious, my heart bounced greatly.
“The moment I saw you silently attending the reunion, and then leave together with Cyril—I, blood rushed to my head. It lead to me doing something like the previous…”
“U, uh…”
“The jealousy made me crazy. I’m honestly begging you. Please, don’t meet him anymore.”
“…Phil…?”
He turned his gaze towards me.
“I will do anything for you. I will treasure you above all. So, I want you to love me once again.”
He said that. His feverish, almost meeting honey-colored eyes left me speechless.
…Even now, he still lied.
‘Again’, he said.
As I thought, Philip was a liar. Therefore, that too, should be a lie.
Still, I had one question.
As bad of a liar as he was, that expression just now, it was as if he was truly appealing for my affection.
“…Viola?”
“I, I will make an effort.”
“I understand.”
His face, as he laughed, looked terribly happy. He thanked me for the words I spoke out of shock.
I was no longer able to comprehend anything that day.
◇◇◇
“Eeh, did Philip really say that?”
Rex, who came to our house without prior arrangement, was relaxing in my room. He was laying on the couch reading my favorite book with a ridiculous expression.
Meanwhile, I was made to report on recent events.
“He’s always doing his best. I’m honestly a little impressed.”
“Why would he lie like that?”
“Lie, …listen—”
He got up from the couch and stared at me.
“—do you truly think he’s lying, even now?”
As I thought, he was going to poke where it hurt.
“…Because Philip keeps lying.”
“He may have lied a lot, but not everything that comes out of his mouth is a lie.”
“Uh, then, are you saying that he’s telling the truth?”
“Who knows? I don’t have a clue.”
Rex laughed and answered in an ambiguous manner.
“Well, it’s not a good idea to just brand everything he said as a lie. Because that way, you’ll fail to see the truth.”
“…”
“You have pairs of eyes and ears, right? Then you know what to do.”
Rex approached me, “You’re still a kid.” Then he patted my head.
***T/N: God, Viola is so dense, it’s annoying. Like, there’s cute-dense, and there’s GOD NO PLEASE NO-dense. Or maybe, she’s in denial? Like, all the answers lie right before her very eyes, it’s her who refuses to see them.
I really love the translation! Thank you for your hard work.
But honestly, I don’t think she’s dense at all. Like if for 17 years my fiance and I had just cold and short conversations and nothing else, I would need a whole explanation from him about how he could possibly love me. Hell, I feel gaslit as heck by this man and I’m just reading the story
I don’t think she is the annoyingly in denial dense. She is thinks he is lying because the first thing he did was lie to her about her relationship and continues to create fake memories together so makes sense that these confessions feel like lies plus it may also be due to guilt about her own lies.
Plus as much as I like Phil I wanna give benefit of the doubt but Antoinette this just the second translations I’ve read of yours (first being Push and Pull not actual title) why are both the MLs butts who try to isolate the FLs from social events. At least doesn’t have to give her permission to talk to her female friends as well (Phew can’t believe that is my bar for prefering a ML).
P.S. still enjoy reading them and thanks for your hard work.
When its this author, that trope is very common… Its from the same author
Ch 17 isn’t working
fixed, thank you+
Has me thinking… Is Phil lying? Why are we assuming he is? Because Viola said so? How do we know that she hasn’t lost her memories to some degree after having an argument and forgot she loved him or something, I dunno. But Phil seems pretty adamant that it was a mutual love at some point
Hmmm; but honestly…would you trust a liar? It IS said that to sound convincing, you need to mix your lies with a bit of truth. So I seriously would just view him completely as a conman who tries to manipulate me with his fake story XDD I’d say: “Run girl, that man is no good” XD But since this is a fluffy story, our head is telling us to just trust this cute guy; because just look how nice he is 🙂 Rather than dense; in her eyes he never showed her any signs of affection before; so she’s being careful in fear of getting deceived by some sweet lies XDD In another story; the lies would be red flags ? Just my two cents. Thanks for the translation! I really enjoy reading this ?❤️
Well, she can freely call him a liar, but she’s one too. Like when she has a motive when lying, why don’t she think that there might be some motives behind his lies too? Only she can lie to others with motive, is it?
I agree with Lizzie, he didn’t exactly treat her well before this even if it was out of nervousness or whatever if it’s not externally it verbally portrayed then it’s not believable to the other party. I don’t think she can even comprehend he might love her because he spent all this time since childhood acting distant
I see.
I think I’m getting impatient because from the perspective of a readers, we already know it’s a misunderstanding. Ugh wish they could just get over it quick.
Totally with you there, reminding myself of the back story is the only way I’m not screaming at the screen every chapter
I really don’t like the way Rex is. He should just be Frank with her!
I mean, the moment Phil lied about their whole relationship, everything that comes out of his mouth is in doubt. Considering that Viola thinks that he hates her (it’s referred to occasionally), it’s not surprising to think that something’s afoot, rather than the fact that Phil’s was secretly in love with her all their lives but was too much of a dunce to even hint at it.
I think it is not because of in denial, before this whole amnesia ordeal, Philip doesn’t act like he is in love with Viola at all. Add also the numerous lie that ML said here and there. If I am put in the same position, I will also doubt his sincerity. It could be just act especially my betrothed one and I aren’t even close to begin with.