Even Strangers Hate You
Translated by Wook
Edited by Wook
Rena was carefully examining the ballroom, like a scout spying on the enemy camp.
One by one, the nobles stopped laughing at her alert appearance. Everyone was puzzled and thought that it was time to figure out Rena’s intentions.
Rena stopped looking around and set her gaze on a man. It was the gentleman who had held back the most side-splitting laughter until just a moment before.
The gentleman was startled when their eyes met so suddenly, but then calmly looked at Rena. But even so, curiosity and ridicule still lingered on his lips.
Rena glanced at his face, then slowly scanned his features. From his head to his toes, from his collar to his sleeves.
Rena, who had finished looking at his face after quite some time, spread the fan to cover her face and burst into laughter.
The gentleman was stunned. But soon, his face only grew redder and redder.
Others did not yet know what had happened. But both parties who were involved knew that he had just been blatantly insulted.
When their eyes met, Rena said with her eyes:
‘How do you go around looking like that?’
It was neither an illusion nor a mere delusion. Because Rena’s eyes were full of ridicule and contempt.
And laughed upon seeing someone looking like that.
The gentleman who had been enjoying the ball lost his mood in an instant.
While the man still stood foolishly, Rena made eye contact with another woman. She was a lady who kept glancing at Rena and had been whispering nonstop to the person next to her.
Again, Rena carefully observed the lady’s appearance. Then she raised her eyebrows, as if pitying her, and gave a light glance to the lady.
‘Oh?’
It wasn’t a sophisticated act, but the lady let out a gasp without realizing it.
What is this? Is that girl looking down on me right now?
‘For the most part, I feel sorry for you.’
Rena looked at her with sympathy in her eyes, and that meaningful gaze pierced the lady’s chest. The regretful smile sent by the beautiful woman was enough to arouse her shame.
Rena had made two people angry in an instant.
But that was only the beginning.
Rena looked back at the nobles as if searching for prey. Then, whenever her eyes met someone else’s, she always roused her opponent. She ridiculed, sympathized, provoked, blatantly struck them with her gaze, and sometimes ignored them.
It was then that the nobles realized what Rena was doing.
‘Is she looking down on us?’
Rena was standing high like an emperor, appraising the nobles under her feet.
The nobles, who believed that they were superior, realized this belatedly and lost their minds. And Clavis, who was watching, quietly burst into laughter.
‘Don’t tell me it will really end like this.’
He wondered what it was like to appear all by oneself without feeling fear, and it seemed like the other person did not even have the intention to get along with others.
‘You are bold, Rena Ruber.’
Clavis looked at Rena with a distinctive look in his eyes. The way she looked down on the nobles under the light of the chandelier was both arrogant and beautiful.
Rena had taken the position of a conqueror so naturally, making the nobles look up at her with a bewildered look.
This was different from their plan. Talking to someone you do not know is rude. So, the bad-tempered nobles had decided to leave Rena alone and had planned to ridicule her by evaluating her from one to ten.
However, they had overlooked one thing.
‘What you can do, I can do too.’
Rena laughed at the nobles who did not even know this simple fact.
And Clavis, who watched the scene, silently asked.
‘But will you be okay by yourself?’
Under the same conditions, you are all alone, while on the other hand, there are hundreds of nobles gathered here. Thus, this is not a one-on-one fight. These people are not easygoing either, can you really handle it?
At the moment Clavis asked inwardly, the eyes of Rena and a noble young miss collided.
The young girl, who was famous for her influence, was as cocky as Rena.
‘How bold of you to stand here!’
The young miss looked at the uninvited guest with angry eyes.
At that outright hostility, Rena smiled and waved her fan.
‘What do you mean ‘here’?’
Then she folded the fan fiercely and looked at the young miss.
The two ladies’ eyes were blazing hot. But after a while, it was the young miss who avoided her gaze first.
The ending was obvious. From the start, it was almost impossible for a pampered young miss, who grew up well, to face someone who had crossed the threshold of death.
‘Is that it?’
Clavis withdrew his concerns with joy, while Rena determinedly continued to subdue the nobles who looked at her one by one.
Not all of them were malicious, though. There were many people in the ballroom who did not harbor any malice towards Rena. This was the case for those who were young and kind, or who hated troublesome things.
A blushing lady was one of them. The little girl had a bewildered look on her face, not knowing why her seniors in the social worlds were making a fuss.
Rena’s gaze reached the girl softly. The eyes of the nobles who were watching her naturally followed her gaze. The little girl wasn’t even aware that people were watching her and responded to Rena’s gaze in surprise.
The girl froze, like a rabbit upon seeing a lion. Rena stared at her, then narrowed her eyes and smiled. After that, she bowed politely and moved her gaze again.
‘Ah…’
The girl’s heart sank at the unexpected glance, and her peach-colored cheeks turned rosy.
Rena made enemies in this way. She made people hate her, aroused their curiosity, and even gained respect. The more she did this, the more attention was focused on her.
‘She’s driving me crazy.’
Clavis covered the smile on his lips with his hand.
How did such an exhilarating lady appear?
Clavis waited for Rena to turn her gaze to himself. He waited, expected, eagerly waited.
As he wished, after a while, Rena’s limpid gaze captured Clavis. Clavis hid his annoyance and looked at Rena gently. The two stared at each other for quite some time.
Just before they stopped, Rena smiled at Clavis.
‘She’s smiling?’
At Rena’s bright smile, Clavis felt an indescribable thrill.
He wanted to approach Rena right away. She wanted to get closer and see her again from a distance where he could see the color of emotion in Rena’s eyes.
As Clavis struggled to swallow his breath, several disgruntled nobles murmured.
“There are still guests who do not fit the standard.”
“I know, really. It’s so inconvenient to have those people in a place like this.”
“Shouldn’t we get them out before the excitement is gone?”
Angry at Rena’s arrogance, the nobles summoned an official who was guarding the ballroom out of desperation.
They urged the official to make that lady go. At the unusual order, the court official hesitatingly approached Rena.
However, he couldn’t kick Rena out. It was because she pulled out her invitation as if she had already expected it.
As someone who kept the rules of the Imperial Palace, it was impossible to make the guests leave without a reason. Thus, the poor official eventually turned a blind eye to both sides.
Then one of the ladies who were watching got annoyed.
“How could she do this. Don’t look down on us!”
The gentleman next to the lady came out reluctantly. He smiled and approached Rena, planning to take Rena down from the throne she had freely ascended by talking to her directly.
But before he could have a lucky break, Rena widened her eyes and blocked her face with a fan. She meant not to talk recklessly since the beginning.
The gentleman was speechless at the outspoken treatment from the newcomer and had no choice but to withdraw in shame.
As more servants and gentlemen surrendered one after another, the nobles who watched became more temperamental.
Then someone laughed.
“Pfft.”
The nobles frowned at the abrupt sound that was like cold water.
The one who laughed was none other than Clavis. He chuckled, saying that he was going to die of laughter, and then turned to the sofa.
“Did you invite that lady to do this?”
There, a young man with fierce eyes was sitting with a grim face.
“Huh? Young Rubid.”
At Clavis’ ridicule, the young man, Rubid, drank from the glass he was holding, then got up fiercely.
.
.
.
‘That would be enough.’
Rena contemplated while observing the turbulent atmosphere. She had shown everything she could. If she kept doing this, she might feel tired.
In fact, Rena couldn’t stand it any longer.
‘Everyone seems to be pissed off.’
Not just one or two, but dozens of nobles have axes in their eyes.
The reason this ridiculous showdown was possible was because Rena obstructed them from getting their way.
They had been looking forward to a sloppy peasant, thus they felt helpless by Rena, who appeared willful. But from this moment forward, they would not sulk anymore, as they have understood Rena to some extent.
‘Should I leave soon?’
She didn’t know who had set up this trap, but thanks to that, the niceties ended well. It would be perfect to finish it like this.
Rena folded the fan she was gently shaking to step back. She then sighed as if she was bored. She felt some discontent from the nobles, but ignored it, and turned slowly, as if no longer interested.
It was then.
“Lady.”
A voice called out to Rena.
Rena pretended to be surprised and wanted to defeat him with her gaze, but this time, it ended before it could even begin.
“Thank you for accepting the invitation.”
Rena turned her head to the unexpected greeting. A bright young man with long blonde hair tied down was smiling at Rena.
It was Rena’s first time to see this person, but she could roughly guess who he was.
‘Was it him?’
The person who sent the invitation.
Rena smiled softly without letting go of the tension. She claimed that she had been formally invited, so she could not ignore the person who had invited her.
Because of this, Rena couldn’t push him away as the young man calmly kissed the back of Rena’s hand.
“So it’s you. Thank you for inviting me.”
Rena didn’t like the kiss but still greeted him formally. She then read the mood again. The nobles who stood around with a sense of defeat were showing new curiosity.
‘It’s almost over.’
Rena smiled sadly at the opponent in front of her.
The young man had a fairly, no, very handsome appearance. It was enough for Rena to say that he was the most beautiful man she had ever seen.
His skin was as clear as marble, and the shape of his features was as clear as a sculpture. His shoulder-length blonde hair was bright and his eyes were jewel-like purple.
That dazzlingly handsome man, Rubid, said with a sweet smile.
“Are you going already?”
“I couldn’t get a single dance request. What a pity, but I’m afraid we’ll have to enjoy ourselves next time. I’ll have to excuse myself for now.”
To Ruby’s question, Rena lowered her eyelashes and answered. She then turned around arrogantly, implying that she would not delay her departure any further.
At that moment, Rubid grabbed Rena’s shoulder and turned her around. His hand was so rough that it shook her body.
Rena, who was forced to face him, became pretty flustered. However, she swallowed her agitation and looked at Rubid. He was still smiling even after touching a lady’s body without consent.
“I’m sorry, but I still have more things to say. Why don’t you dance with me?”
Rubid said while holding Rena’s shoulder. The action was frivolous beyond rude.
Rena was busy thinking about her appearance and his attitude.
‘What is this person doing?’
Those who are not educated are likely to be ignored in the social world. However, the nobles did not disdain the young man, but rather looked at him with joy.
‘Why is that?’
Is it because he’s handsome?
‘That’s unlikely.’
Does it not matter if it is a frivolous act or not, as long as it’s fun?
‘No, even that is impossible.’
She felt the gaze of the nobles from the moment she entered. If the person who had sent the invitation had no influence, the noble would not be able to do so.
After contemplating for quite some time, Rena came to an uncomfortable conclusion.
‘This person… .’
It was when Rena looked at Rubid’s rude hand. He suddenly beckoned to a servant, gesturing to bring him a drink.
At Rubid’s order, the servant brought champagne from the lake.
“Shall we toast before we dance? Clavis has prepared so much champagne.”
Rubid called out the cardinal’s name without hesitation and offered Rena a glass of champagne.
Rena refused by spreading her fan. It was a signal that the gentleman should step down on his own, however, Rubid did not care, but rather laughed mischievously.
“How about this if you don’t like toast?”
Rubid lifted Rena’s chin with his fingertips.
Then poured the champagne on her face.
The author’s words:
Splash!
Even Strangers Hate You
Translated by Wook
Edited by Wook
Rena was carefully examining the ballroom, like a scout spying on the enemy camp.
One by one, the nobles stopped laughing at her alert appearance. Everyone was puzzled and thought that it was time to figure out Rena’s intentions.
Rena stopped looking around and set her gaze on a man. It was the gentleman who had held back the most side-splitting laughter until just a moment before.
The gentleman was startled when their eyes met so suddenly, but then calmly looked at Rena. But even so, curiosity and ridicule still lingered on his lips.
Rena glanced at his face, then slowly scanned his features. From his head to his toes, from his collar to his sleeves.
Rena, who had finished looking at his face after quite some time, spread the fan to cover her face and burst into laughter.
The gentleman was stunned. But soon, his face only grew redder and redder.
Others did not yet know what had happened. But both parties who were involved knew that he had just been blatantly insulted.
When their eyes met, Rena said with her eyes:
‘How do you go around looking like that?’
It was neither an illusion nor a mere delusion. Because Rena’s eyes were full of ridicule and contempt.
And laughed upon seeing someone looking like that.
The gentleman who had been enjoying the ball lost his mood in an instant.
While the man still stood foolishly, Rena made eye contact with another woman. She was a lady who kept glancing at Rena and had been whispering nonstop to the person next to her.
Again, Rena carefully observed the lady’s appearance. Then she raised her eyebrows, as if pitying her, and gave a light glance to the lady.
‘Oh?’
It wasn’t a sophisticated act, but the lady let out a gasp without realizing it.
What is this? Is that girl looking down on me right now?
‘For the most part, I feel sorry for you.’
Rena looked at her with sympathy in her eyes, and that meaningful gaze pierced the lady’s chest. The regretful smile sent by the beautiful woman was enough to arouse her shame.
Rena had made two people angry in an instant.
But that was only the beginning.
Rena looked back at the nobles as if searching for prey. Then, whenever her eyes met someone else’s, she always roused her opponent. She ridiculed, sympathized, provoked, blatantly struck them with her gaze, and sometimes ignored them.
It was then that the nobles realized what Rena was doing.
‘Is she looking down on us?’
Rena was standing high like an emperor, appraising the nobles under her feet.
The nobles, who believed that they were superior, realized this belatedly and lost their minds. And Clavis, who was watching, quietly burst into laughter.
‘Don’t tell me it will really end like this.’
He wondered what it was like to appear all by oneself without feeling fear, and it seemed like the other person did not even have the intention to get along with others.
‘You are bold, Rena Ruber.’
Clavis looked at Rena with a distinctive look in his eyes. The way she looked down on the nobles under the light of the chandelier was both arrogant and beautiful.
Rena had taken the position of a conqueror so naturally, making the nobles look up at her with a bewildered look.
This was different from their plan. Talking to someone you do not know is rude. So, the bad-tempered nobles had decided to leave Rena alone and had planned to ridicule her by evaluating her from one to ten.
However, they had overlooked one thing.
‘What you can do, I can do too.’
Rena laughed at the nobles who did not even know this simple fact.
And Clavis, who watched the scene, silently asked.
‘But will you be okay by yourself?’
Under the same conditions, you are all alone, while on the other hand, there are hundreds of nobles gathered here. Thus, this is not a one-on-one fight. These people are not easygoing either, can you really handle it?
At the moment Clavis asked inwardly, the eyes of Rena and a noble young miss collided.
The young girl, who was famous for her influence, was as cocky as Rena.
‘How bold of you to stand here!’
The young miss looked at the uninvited guest with angry eyes.
At that outright hostility, Rena smiled and waved her fan.
‘What do you mean ‘here’?’
Then she folded the fan fiercely and looked at the young miss.
The two ladies’ eyes were blazing hot. But after a while, it was the young miss who avoided her gaze first.
The ending was obvious. From the start, it was almost impossible for a pampered young miss, who grew up well, to face someone who had crossed the threshold of death.
‘Is that it?’
Clavis withdrew his concerns with joy, while Rena determinedly continued to subdue the nobles who looked at her one by one.
Not all of them were malicious, though. There were many people in the ballroom who did not harbor any malice towards Rena. This was the case for those who were young and kind, or who hated troublesome things.
A blushing lady was one of them. The little girl had a bewildered look on her face, not knowing why her seniors in the social worlds were making a fuss.
Rena’s gaze reached the girl softly. The eyes of the nobles who were watching her naturally followed her gaze. The little girl wasn’t even aware that people were watching her and responded to Rena’s gaze in surprise.
The girl froze, like a rabbit upon seeing a lion. Rena stared at her, then narrowed her eyes and smiled. After that, she bowed politely and moved her gaze again.
‘Ah…’
The girl’s heart sank at the unexpected glance, and her peach-colored cheeks turned rosy.
Rena made enemies in this way. She made people hate her, aroused their curiosity, and even gained respect. The more she did this, the more attention was focused on her.
‘She’s driving me crazy.’
Clavis covered the smile on his lips with his hand.
How did such an exhilarating lady appear?
Clavis waited for Rena to turn her gaze to himself. He waited, expected, eagerly waited.
As he wished, after a while, Rena’s limpid gaze captured Clavis. Clavis hid his annoyance and looked at Rena gently. The two stared at each other for quite some time.
Just before they stopped, Rena smiled at Clavis.
‘She’s smiling?’
At Rena’s bright smile, Clavis felt an indescribable thrill.
He wanted to approach Rena right away. She wanted to get closer and see her again from a distance where he could see the color of emotion in Rena’s eyes.
As Clavis struggled to swallow his breath, several disgruntled nobles murmured.
“There are still guests who do not fit the standard.”
“I know, really. It’s so inconvenient to have those people in a place like this.”
“Shouldn’t we get them out before the excitement is gone?”
Angry at Rena’s arrogance, the nobles summoned an official who was guarding the ballroom out of desperation.
They urged the official to make that lady go. At the unusual order, the court official hesitatingly approached Rena.
However, he couldn’t kick Rena out. It was because she pulled out her invitation as if she had already expected it.
As someone who kept the rules of the Imperial Palace, it was impossible to make the guests leave without a reason. Thus, the poor official eventually turned a blind eye to both sides.
Then one of the ladies who were watching got annoyed.
“How could she do this. Don’t look down on us!”
The gentleman next to the lady came out reluctantly. He smiled and approached Rena, planning to take Rena down from the throne she had freely ascended by talking to her directly.
But before he could have a lucky break, Rena widened her eyes and blocked her face with a fan. She meant not to talk recklessly since the beginning.
The gentleman was speechless at the outspoken treatment from the newcomer and had no choice but to withdraw in shame.
As more servants and gentlemen surrendered one after another, the nobles who watched became more temperamental.
Then someone laughed.
“Pfft.”
The nobles frowned at the abrupt sound that was like cold water.
The one who laughed was none other than Clavis. He chuckled, saying that he was going to die of laughter, and then turned to the sofa.
“Did you invite that lady to do this?”
There, a young man with fierce eyes was sitting with a grim face.
“Huh? Young Rubid.”
At Clavis’ ridicule, the young man, Rubid, drank from the glass he was holding, then got up fiercely.
.
.
.
‘That would be enough.’
Rena contemplated while observing the turbulent atmosphere. She had shown everything she could. If she kept doing this, she might feel tired.
In fact, Rena couldn’t stand it any longer.
‘Everyone seems to be pissed off.’
Not just one or two, but dozens of nobles have axes in their eyes.
The reason this ridiculous showdown was possible was because Rena obstructed them from getting their way.
They had been looking forward to a sloppy peasant, thus they felt helpless by Rena, who appeared willful. But from this moment forward, they would not sulk anymore, as they have understood Rena to some extent.
‘Should I leave soon?’
She didn’t know who had set up this trap, but thanks to that, the niceties ended well. It would be perfect to finish it like this.
Rena folded the fan she was gently shaking to step back. She then sighed as if she was bored. She felt some discontent from the nobles, but ignored it, and turned slowly, as if no longer interested.
It was then.
“Lady.”
A voice called out to Rena.
Rena pretended to be surprised and wanted to defeat him with her gaze, but this time, it ended before it could even begin.
“Thank you for accepting the invitation.”
Rena turned her head to the unexpected greeting. A bright young man with long blonde hair tied down was smiling at Rena.
It was Rena’s first time to see this person, but she could roughly guess who he was.
‘Was it him?’
The person who sent the invitation.
Rena smiled softly without letting go of the tension. She claimed that she had been formally invited, so she could not ignore the person who had invited her.
Because of this, Rena couldn’t push him away as the young man calmly kissed the back of Rena’s hand.
“So it’s you. Thank you for inviting me.”
Rena didn’t like the kiss but still greeted him formally. She then read the mood again. The nobles who stood around with a sense of defeat were showing new curiosity.
‘It’s almost over.’
Rena smiled sadly at the opponent in front of her.
The young man had a fairly, no, very handsome appearance. It was enough for Rena to say that he was the most beautiful man she had ever seen.
His skin was as clear as marble, and the shape of his features was as clear as a sculpture. His shoulder-length blonde hair was bright and his eyes were jewel-like purple.
That dazzlingly handsome man, Rubid, said with a sweet smile.
“Are you going already?”
“I couldn’t get a single dance request. What a pity, but I’m afraid we’ll have to enjoy ourselves next time. I’ll have to excuse myself for now.”
To Ruby’s question, Rena lowered her eyelashes and answered. She then turned around arrogantly, implying that she would not delay her departure any further.
At that moment, Rubid grabbed Rena’s shoulder and turned her around. His hand was so rough that it shook her body.
Rena, who was forced to face him, became pretty flustered. However, she swallowed her agitation and looked at Rubid. He was still smiling even after touching a lady’s body without consent.
“I’m sorry, but I still have more things to say. Why don’t you dance with me?”
Rubid said while holding Rena’s shoulder. The action was frivolous beyond rude.
Rena was busy thinking about her appearance and his attitude.
‘What is this person doing?’
Those who are not educated are likely to be ignored in the social world. However, the nobles did not disdain the young man, but rather looked at him with joy.
‘Why is that?’
Is it because he’s handsome?
‘That’s unlikely.’
Does it not matter if it is a frivolous act or not, as long as it’s fun?
‘No, even that is impossible.’
She felt the gaze of the nobles from the moment she entered. If the person who had sent the invitation had no influence, the noble would not be able to do so.
After contemplating for quite some time, Rena came to an uncomfortable conclusion.
‘This person… .’
It was when Rena looked at Rubid’s rude hand. He suddenly beckoned to a servant, gesturing to bring him a drink.
At Rubid’s order, the servant brought champagne from the lake.
“Shall we toast before we dance? Clavis has prepared so much champagne.”
Rubid called out the cardinal’s name without hesitation and offered Rena a glass of champagne.
Rena refused by spreading her fan. It was a signal that the gentleman should step down on his own, however, Rubid did not care, but rather laughed mischievously.
“How about this if you don’t like toast?”
Rubid lifted Rena’s chin with his fingertips.
Then poured the champagne on her face.
The author’s words:
Splash!
