Isekai: Princess Marquess Becomes Entrepreneur of Tempe

Chapters 1. Heart Story

"It's not appropriate that you do that to Kiara!”

Tara blinked both eyes. Sunlight entered through the window, and his hands reflexively covered his face. But he felt something was wrong. His hands were fatter than before. When he saw his vision began to improve, he was in the middle of a conflict.

Tara heard a screaming voice. The girl was confused, frowning. Previously, Tara thought that he must be lying in the hospital because of the accident that had just happened, with a bandage wrapped all over the body.

But, apparently not. Tara is wearing a school uniform, just like the students who look at her hate and disgust at the moment. Tara also felt that her body was heavier than usual. It feels uncomfortable because it is always sweating, even though the actual air temperature is not stinging.

Then, the girl looked at the person who had just shouted at her. Black-haired man with red eyes. Behind the man's back, there was a bright blue-haired and green-eyed girl looking at Tara timidly.

Okay, black hair is common. But... red eyes? The blue haired woman…? What's the matter? The cosplay?

“My jawab! Elona!”

Elona…? My name is ‘kan Tara?

Both of Tara's eyes suddenly widened from remembering something. No, those in front of him were not cosplay. But those are the people that Tara knows, At least, Tara knows them, but not in the real world.

They are characters from the Heart Story webtoon.

And then, Elona is…

Tara recalled the conversation of friends on campus, whom she had only heard at a glance.

“Hey, have you read the Heart Story webtoon?”

“It's over dong! Good yes, the story?”

“Yes, but I feel sorry for her fiance Mr. Louis.”

“Ah that fat one?! What's name?”

“If not wrong..”.

“Elona Locke! I'm talking to you!”

Huh...! I am Elona Locke...?!!

***

An hour earlier.

"Nearby..."

"Yes, Young Master Louis?"

"As long as we're together, I feel something's changed. The old me who could only mourn my mother's departure and face the world in darkness, all that changed since you were there.

You have given me something meaningful since I came into my life. I don't know what will happen in the future, but obviously, I know that the current me won't be able to be here without you accompanying me...

Kiara, will you be my wife?"

"Yahoo!!"

Tara put a big smile on her face. The girl was reading a webtoon titled "Heart Story" on a smartphone screen, while lying on her bed. His body rolled around in a daze with sweet words said by the male protagonist, a young master of the Marquess' son Louis Vandyke, against Kiara Perez, the female protagonist of a Baron princess.

Tara can't stem the overabundance of pleasure, as in the end the female protagonist she loves finds happiness with the handsome man she loves.

This webtoon love story is so sweet! tara shrieked inwardly, until unknowingly her swaying legs hit and nudged something.

“Aduh!” he screamed, then grimaced in pain. Tara checked if there was blood on her leg. There were no injuries there, except pain.

Tara peeked on the floor because she believed that one thing had fallen. An old picture frame with three people inside. A man who is not yet 40 years old. Next to her was a woman who was embraced with great love. Then, in the middle, narrowed with mischievous eyes and a cheerful smile, a little girl with long hair pinched in two.

“Eh, forgive me, Dad, Mom!” said Tara while taking the photo from the floor and wiping the glass frame.

Fortunately, it did not break its glass.

Tara smiled faintly reminiscing about the past. The little girl with the mischievous look in her eyes was herself, and the man and woman on her left right were her long-lost father and mother.

Tara put the old photo back on the table. His eyes spread a look around. Room three times three with a dim light is a space for him to unwind, after a day of jibbling with activities on campus and followed by a part-time job at a bookstore.

The pile of books in the corner of the room that was a little dusty, a silent witness that Tara spent more time in this rented room than walking around like girls of her age.

Reading is Tara's hobby, and the girl can devour any book with very high interest. Starting from textbooks at school, novels, webtoons, to used newspapers as food wrappers that he often bought in warteg.

Tara is a smart girl even though she does not want to highlight it. His loneliness since the death of his father and mother, and the parenting patterns of relatives who turned him around because he considered it a burden, made Tara a quiet person.

Since being left dead by her parents in an accident, Tara was taken care of by her uncles and aunts. They move Tara from one family to another, because they just want to get a share of Tara's parentage. In his parents' will, it is said that the relatives will get a part if the care of Tara until the release of High School.

The family of his uncle and aunt were not sincerely nurturing Tara, because her parents had eloped and did not get blessing. Since then, Tara's life has changed. Her cheer is gone, even more so when they all treat Tara as a servant, both by her uncle and aunt and her cousins.

But now Tara can find her own happiness, because two years passed since she stopped being cared for by her relatives. Now Tara has graduated high school, and lives alone in a rented room. Capitalizing on her parents' remaining estate, Tara becomes a student at a prestigious campus, while working part-time at a bookstore.

Although her life at school is sad, Tara can take the wisdom of all of it. Tara became an independent girl thanks to everything she experienced.

Tara glanced at the phone screen to see the clock. Time shows at ten o'clock in the night. In the notification section, no chat came, including from Geri, her boyfriend, who had not replied to her since noon.

Tara opens the chat app menu. His two fingers rolled quickly to find Geri's name, then clicked on it. Seen at 12:05 was the last time Tara sent a message to the man she loved, asking if she had lunch. But the message was only marked by two blue cheklists, without any reply.

Tara is not a girl who likes to tease her boyfriend with repeated questions when not answered. Tara believes that maybe Geri is busy. Although ten hours had passed, Tara still wanted to wait until the next day.

Tara tried to calm herself inwardly. After all, Geri is often like this. Once twice while still in early courtship, Tara was often anxious when Geri did not reply to her message quickly. But Geri always assured that all of that was only because he was busy or sleepy. A year passed since Tara dated Geri, the girl began to trust the man completely.

Tara took the purse from inside her college backpack and tidied up the sweater she was wearing. Rather than worrying about Geri, I would do better, he thought as he walked out of his room to the 24-hour minimarket that was still open.

***

“Everything so 20,500 kak!” said cashier minimarket. His fingers typed quickly on a machine in front of him to print the receipt. Tara took the money out of her sweater pocket.

Tara bought a cheap bar of ice cream and a few snacks to accompany her to watch her favorite western drama stream tonight. Tara intends to stay up all night as long as tomorrow is Sunday.

Tara was just about to step her foot out of the minimarket, when a familiar voice emerged from behind the shelf of beauty tools.

“You bought what else anyway, baby?”

“Tungguu.. happens to be my sanitary napkin again depleted..”.

Said a spoiled girl to the man in the hat next to her. His right hand was engrossed in the goods displayed on the shelf, while his left hand held the friendly hand of the man. His face was smiling as the girl found a sanitary pad with the brand he was looking for.

Ira…?

Tara stopped her footsteps. He stepped back in and bent his head, peering at the young men. True it was Ira, after Tara confirmed it confidently that the girl was her cousin.

Of all the relatives who looked at her with one eye, Ira was a light to Tara's dark life. Ira is Tara's cousin, who is the only child of Nina's aunt, her father's third sister. Although Aunt Nina often told Ira to stay away from her, the girl remained attached to Tara.

Ira often spoils Tara and asks her to do anything for her, including doing her schoolwork. Although Tara actually felt that at that time she was being used, but Tara was still happy. At least, Ira did not stay away from him like her other cousins.

Once one hundred percent sure that the girl was Ira, Tara rushed to greet her.

“Ira..!”

But just now Tara stepped foot in front of her shoulder, her eyes wide. The man in the hat turned out to be someone he knew. Even Tara is very familiar.

“... Geri?”

***

The young couple stopped their activities. In front of Tara, the man, who was none other than Geri's girlfriend, immediately released his arm with Ira. Tara could only look at the two people with a look of disbelief. His hands limp, to drop his snack groceries to the floor.

Geri and Ira…? Since when?

“Tara, I just-“

“Kak Tara!”

Geri has not yet explained, Ira has interrupted his conversation. The girl approached Tara and grabbed her hand. Ira looked spoiled at her cousin's sister, with the same gaze as when she was a child, when she wanted to ask for all the things Tara had.

“Kak, pink dress shirt that made me yes?”

“But... I would love that dress,”.

“But I like it too! Can it do me, huh?

“Kak, the chocolate cake in my sister's room, I've eaten up, can I?!”

“Sister Tara, I asked for a Mickey Mouse pencil in sister's bag, yes!”

Her clothes, her favorite cake, the pictorial stationery she likes, and now Ira uses that gaze again.

“Geri for me, can ya?”

Tara could only look at her cousin's sister in disbelief. All this time, Tara considers Ira as her own younger brother. In fact, despite not living together, Tara always tells anything about her life to Ira in chat. And Ira should know that Geri is the man she loves more than anything.

Tara also realized the bitter reality, that maybe all this time Ira knew, that all those were things that Tara liked.

… But Ira asked for it intentionally.

Tara ran out of the minimarket without caring around. If Geri is having an affair with another woman, Tara is sure she will only cry for a week and then try to move on. After all, this isn't the first time Tara has lost someone she cares about.

But Geri had an affair with Ira, her cousin whom she thought sincerely wanted to be friends with, who did not look at her one eye, which became a place for her outpouring of heart when reading a book was unable to overcome her fatigue.

I've always lived like this, where maybe I could have a sweet romance like Young Master Louis and Kiara…

Tara continued to move her legs quickly, until she did not notice any glint of light from her right side that was heading towards her quickly.

“Awas!!”

The screams of the surrounding residents arrived late in Tara's ears. The girl turned her head, and a speeding car grabbed her.

BRAKK!!

*****

((Author: Hello readers, if you like my story, do not forget like each chapter yes, leave a trail of comments as well. Coffee and flowers can also be hehe. Thank you very much :) ))

...* original writing by @author_ryby...

...* cover art by @fuheechi_...