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Chapter 24
At the sudden image of someone’s face flashing through her mind, Leriel jerked her head up.
At the same time, the contents of the original novel once again swept through her thoughts.
Between Peric Trian’s ribs, red flowers bloomed layer upon layer.
A monster’s bodily fluids were no different from a lethal poison to humans.
No matter how much pressure they applied, the bleeding wouldn’t stop, and eventually they ran out of bandages.
Around then, Peric sensed his end.
He could no longer feel anything at the tips of his bloodless fingers.
…At least it’s a relief that it ends with just me.
But he had no regrets.
If he hadn’t blocked the monster, the number of victims would have reached hundreds—perhaps even thousands.
So if sacrificing his own life meant saving that many others, it wasn’t a bad trade.
There was only one thing he couldn’t quite let go of.
“….”
In his blurring vision, Peric recalled her—on a full moon night he had once seen.
She had reached out her hand, inviting him to dance by the lakeside, a pure smile on her lips.
Her aurora-colored hair shimmered like sunlight dancing on the sea with every step she took.
When those clear, sky-blue eyes—transparent like glass marbles—had reflected him, he had thought for the first time that perhaps there was still somewhere in this world he could lean on.
I wanted to see her just once more.
His dry lips twitched, unable to form another word, then closed.
His long eyelashes fluttered briefly before finally settling shut.
Wails erupted around him like rolling thunder.
The sky, heavy with dark clouds, turned gray, stealing away even the faint rays of sunlight that had filtered through.
It was a moment steeped in deep despair.
“Your Highness!!!”
Then, from afar, someone’s voice rang out.
Pushing through the murmuring crowd, a barefoot girl ran straight to Trian and placed her hand over his wound.
Brilliant light flickered between her small, delicate fingers.
Anilla looked down at Peric with eyes brimming with tears.
She couldn’t let him go like this.
She hadn’t even spent a single night with this handsome face yet. Letting go of a man she had marked was unacceptable, if only for the sake of her pride.
Even if the god of death himself stands in my way, I’ll have him!
“Ghk, the wound is deep…!”
Perhaps because his life force was already so faint, Anilla’s divine power refused to seep into the wound.
At this point, she had no choice but to inject her divine power directly inside his body rather than from the outside.
Gathering her divine power into a bead-like form, she held it in her mouth and bent down.
Her hair fell softly like a silk curtain, shielding the two of them from view.
For a moment, it was as if time had stopped and all sound faded away.
And so, their lips…
Let’s stop thinking about that…
Leriel shook her head, forcefully pushing away the next line as she had been deeply immersed in recalling the original story.
It had been fun to read as a reader, but viewing it from the perspective of the villainess—and the current fiancée—only left her feeling uncomfortable.
In any case, what happened to those two afterward didn’t matter.
The important thing was just one fact: Peric had participated in the expedition service.
Yes. That’s right. Peric definitely joined the expedition service!
To recover its lost public support, the royal family had apparently pressured Peric—almost by force—into participating in volunteer service.
She couldn’t remember the exact reason, but she was certain that he would be joining the service three days from now.
So somehow, she had to ask for his cooperation and make him take her along.
Having found a way to survive, Leriel immediately sat down at her desk and picked up her pen.
She pushed aside the letter Julian had sent and placed a fresh sheet of paper in the center, writing her plea.
There was no need for formal greetings.
Pouring her sincerity—that he alone was the only person who could help her—Leriel filled the blank page.
Your Highness Peric, I desperately need your help. For my banishment, and for the dissolution of our engagement. Would you be willing to help me? I heard that you will be leaving for expedition service, and I…
“…‘Therefore, if you would take me with you, I believe we can reach the ending we both desire. I look forward to your reply. From your fiancée, Leriel Tenebris…’”
“……”
“Are you joking right now?”
The next morning.
The letter Leriel had written through the night was flung to the floor by Peric, who burst into the reception room.
Behind him, warm sunlight streamed gently through the windowpanes.
The chirping of birds somewhere nearby gave a rough sense of the time.
That’s right.
Early that morning, the moment Peric received the letter, he rushed to the ducal residence, demanding an explanation from Leriel.
“I’m already being forced into this expedition service against my will, and now you want me to drag you along too? Why should I commit such a horrible act?”
Explain yourself, if you have a mouth at all!
Unable to contain himself, he raised his voice and slammed his fist onto the desk. Bang! The sound echoed through the room.
But Leriel wasn’t frightened at all. She calmly took a sip of her tea.
Haebel had brewed it after being woken up, but the taste was still excellent.
It was time to admit it.
Haebel had a real talent for making tea.
“Please calm down, Your Highness. I didn’t want to make such a request either. But last night, my father threatened me, saying I shouldn’t even dream of leaving the house for the next month.”
“…So?”
“What choice do I have? I’ll just have to sneak out. I can’t miss such a good opportunity like expedition service just because I’m confined.”
Setting her teacup down with a soft clink, Leriel wiped the smile from her face and looked at Peric seriously.
“Please. Take me with you. I promise I won’t be a burden. If this succeeds, not even my parents will be able to keep me confined to the title of junior duchess.”
Peric stared at Leriel, momentarily at a loss for words.
That infamous villainess—the arrogant woman who knew only how to command others—was asking him for a favor.
It had been hard enough to believe when he read the letter, but hearing it directly from her lips felt so unreal it was like a dream.
The people of House Tenebris did not ask favors of others.
More accurately, they had never needed to.
There was no need to bow their heads and beg when they could simply order others using their power and wealth.
—
“Marry me.”
“And if I refuse?”
“That won’t be possible. You need our cooperation to quell the angry public, don’t you?”
“…”
“Unless you have another way. Having nothing yet postponing the obvious answer out of sheer pride—it’s not a good look.”
—
If there was something they still couldn’t obtain that way?
They would lure the target into a scheme, seize a weakness, and threaten them. That was how they got everything they wanted.
And now she was politely asking for help? Did that make any sense?
Peric couldn’t easily accept this change. A clear sneer crept along his tightly closed lips.
Finally, he opened his mouth.
“Fine. I’ll take you with me.”
“R-really…?”
Contrary to the grim atmosphere, the positive answer made Leriel’s face bloom with joy.
Of course, it didn’t last long.
Peric suddenly stood up and reached out, grabbing her by the chin.
“But there’s a condition.”
“…A condition?”
“If I grant your request, then next time, you grant mine. I could use at least one person who’ll step up to help when I’m in trouble.”
Just like the day Leriel had pushed the engagement on him, he tightened his grip and tilted her chin at various angles, scanning her face.
The touch was so blatant it was obvious he was deliberately reenacting that moment.
The crooked curve of his lips sharpened as he continued.
“So? What do you say?”
For something said so casually, it was a condition not easily accepted.
What if he used the word “request” to ask for something outrageous?
Whether you refuse or accept, it benefits me either way.
That, too, had been calculated.
Watching Leriel stare up at him with wide, speechless eyes, Peric smiled in satisfaction.
Yes—now that the positions were reversed, did she finally understand? The feeling of being threatened.
So show your true colors now. Drop this ridiculous act of being a good girl.
Just as he calmly waited for her answer, expecting to finally see the real Leriel—
“I… can’t accept that.”
The answer he had expected came back.
