TTMKC 2

Chapter: 2

Dorothy had words she had long engraved in her heart.

Karma.

What one gives will eventually return someday.

And conversely, if you hurt others for selfish gain, that pain will ultimately come back to you as well.

That was why, rather than hurting people, she hoped to become someone of value to others.

After the annulment, Dorothy planned to find a new place to settle down, one where she could completely erase Charles from her life.

However, during her short stay, she came to know many of her neighbors.

Thanks to her kind and friendly nature, they had grown close enough to greet one another and ask after each other’s well-being.

Yet there was one neighbor whose situation she didn’t know at all—not even their name.

“I hear only one or two maids ever go in and out, and the homeowner hardly ever shows herself.”

It was the neighbor next door.

“And supposedly, she’s cruel and cold-hearted.”

Listening to the chatter of Mrs. Horton, the housemaid, Dorothy was reminded of the person she had seen not long ago.

“Apparently, anyone who’s met her says she’s extremely aloof. People say she treats human lives as lightly as passing insects.”

“What’s her name?” Dorothy asked.

“They say it’s Rose.”

The face of the person Dorothy had seen that day was like a single blooming flower.

Her eyes shimmered in many colors, like stained glass.

“That name really suits her,” Dorothy said softly.

She had never seen anyone so beautiful in her life.

Mrs. Horton looked startled and asked again,
“You mean you’ve seen the neighbor next door, miss?”

“Yes, I have.”

Dorothy nodded lightly as she explained.

“She was blonde, with truly beautiful eyes.”

“Oh—blonde and beautiful… wait, what?”

Mrs. Horton cleared her throat and corrected her.

“Our neighbor is a woman.”

“Ah.”

Then who had the man she’d seen before been?

Dorothy wondered.

“Anyway, please be careful as well, miss. There are even rumors she’s a noble. I heard she has a personal physician. You never know—getting involved with someone like that could bring trouble, so be cautious.”

Mrs. Horton warned her earnestly.

* *

Despite expectations, Dorothy met Rose sooner than she thought.

Early one morning, as Dorothy opened the balcony doors after waking up, their eyes met.

The person known as Rose looked similar to the one Dorothy had seen before.

However, her hair looked lifeless and disheveled, and her eyes were bloodshot, as though she hadn’t slept properly.

“Good morning.”

Now that their eyes had met, she couldn’t very well ignore her.

Dorothy greeted her politely and courteously.

“What’s so ‘good’ about it?”

Just as the rumors said, Rose snapped back sharply.

“Are you bragging about your good morning? Or are you wishing me one?”

Despite the sarcastic reply, Dorothy’s expression didn’t change as she responded brightly.

“The latter, of course. I was asking if you were doing well.”

“I’m not doing very well at all.”

“Then I hope you start feeling better from now on!”

In contrast to Rose’s barbed words, Dorothy’s greeting was gentle and sincere.

“…What nonsense.”

Rose muttered, seemingly flustered by the unexpected reaction.

“Stop loitering in front of me and get lost.”

“Then, have a nice day.”

When Dorothy continued to be polite to the very end, Rose slammed the balcony door shut.

Still, the sharpness in her eyes had softened, just a little.

“Miss!”

Hearing their exchange from downstairs, Mrs. Horton hurried up to the bedroom.

“Were you just talking to the neighbor next door?”

“Yes.”

“Are you all right?”

Mrs. Horton, who secretly thought of Dorothy like a daughter, asked worriedly.

“I’m perfectly fine.”

“Did that woman do anything nasty to you?”

“No, Mrs. Horton. I’m really okay.”

Dorothy tried to calm her.

“Nothing worth worrying about happened. Ms. Rose didn’t really say much either.”

“Even so, you should be careful. For your safety, it wouldn’t hurt to keep your distance.”

Mrs. Horton warned her once again.

“What if the rumors are true and she really is cruel?”

“…But.”

To Dorothy, Rose didn’t seem like a cruel person at all.

* * *

After that, Dorothy continued to hear rumors about her neighbor, Rose.

Mrs. Horton busied herself speculating about just how heartless Rose must be.

Meanwhile, Dorothy would occasionally spot Rose beyond the balcony.

She spent most of her time in bed, and sometimes traces of tears remained on her face.

“Mrs. Horton, are you all right?”

One day, Mrs. Horton—who had complained of cold symptoms since the afternoon—suddenly worsened.

But by then, it was already late at night.

Dorothy rushed out to find a doctor, only to discover that every clinic in town was away on house calls.

What should I do?

As she hesitated, Dorothy suddenly recalled something Mrs. Horton had once mentioned.

There were rumors that the neighbor next door had a personal physician.

Unable to simply wait until Mrs. Horton recovered on her own, Dorothy finally knocked on the neighboring door late that night.

“Excuse me. Is anyone home?”

It seemed a maid lived there as well; one opened the door slightly and peeked out.

“What is it?”

Because of the unsettling rumors surrounding Rose’s house, visitors were rare.

The maid’s expression was cautious.

But Dorothy didn’t have the luxury to worry about that.

“I’m urgently looking for a doctor! I heard you have a personal physician—could I possibly contact them?”

“What’s all this commotion?”

Noticing the disturbance at the entrance, Rose appeared.

“Showing up in the middle of the night—how rude can you be?”

“Please help!”

As Dorothy cried out desperately, Rose asked indifferently,

“Help with what?”

“Mrs. Horton is very sick. Could you help us find a doctor?”

“…And why should I?”

“Please!”

At her desperate plea—someone’s life on the line—Rose’s expression hardened. Then she sighed and gave an order.

“Send for them.”

No sooner had the words left her mouth than a doctor arrived shortly afterward.

Just who is she, to summon a doctor this quickly?

Judging by the sounds outside, it seemed she had even arranged a carriage.

“It’s fortunate you called when you did. Without proper treatment, her condition could have become severe.”

The skilled doctor prescribed treatment, and before long, Mrs. Horton’s condition improved.

Relieved, Dorothy said to Rose,

“Thank you so much!”

“If you know what’s good for you, there better never be a disturbance like this again.”

In other words—don’t ever appear before me again.

Rose replied as coldly as ever and slammed the door shut.

But Dorothy was deeply moved by the kindness hidden beneath the rumors.

Rose’s harsh words didn’t reach her ears at all.

“Hehe… the more I look, the cuter she seems somehow…”

Dorothy smiled dreamily.

* * *

Rose knew she was a bit strange.

She had a fiery temper.

She chose honesty over pretense and always spoke bluntly.

Unable to tolerate injustice, she would involve herself in strangers’ affairs without hesitation.

Such a disposition was completely incompatible with intrigue or high society.

She was the laughingstock of the social world.

To make matters worse, she had missed her prime marriageable years—no gentleman proposed to her anymore.

This life was a lost cause.

Who could ever like someone like me?

She was beyond saving.

The first button had been fastened wrong, and it was too late to undo it now.

Rose abandoned life in the capital and secluded herself in a quiet outskirts city.

She ignored letters that occasionally arrived from the capital and withdrew from the world entirely.

“Honestly, this is better. I should’ve done this from the start.”

She was exhausted.

Tired of pretending in front of people she didn’t even get along with.

Lying in bed, Rose wasted her days chewing over careless words others had thrown at her.

She believed that if she allowed no one close, she wouldn’t be hurt.

“…Again?”

But that woman came again.

The day before yesterday. Yesterday. Today, too.

“Good morning! Did you sleep well? I was thinking maybe we could go for a walk together.”

“……”

“Or would you like to share some snacks instead?”

Rose’s neighbor was unbearably persistent.

Why was she always smiling so brightly every time they met? It irritated her.

She was getting to the point where she wanted to grab that pink hair and yank it.

What angered her most was that no matter how much she tried to ignore her, the woman kept coming back.

“Hey.”

“Yes!”

“We saw each other yesterday too.”

“We did!”

Dorothy replied with a bright smile.

“What did I say to you last yesterday? Try to remember.”

“Uh, you definitely told me…”

Dorothy blinked as she searched her memory.

“‘Go away’?”

BANG!

The door slammed shut right in front of Dorothy’s eyes.