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CHAPTER 53…..
: Not Even Real Lovers
Bang!
A loud explosion echoed.
Selya closed and opened her eyes against the piercing ringing in her ears.
What she saw next was Dietrich blocking Arthur’s attack head-on with his sword.
The mist-like blade sprouting from Arthur’s hand tried to strangle Dietrich’s neck.
But just a step ahead, Dietrich swung his sword aiming to cleave Arthur in half, forcing Arthur to stop his attack and retreat a good distance.
Thanks to that, the hood covering Arthur’s face slipped off from the recoil, revealing his bare face clearly.
Pale skin that looked like it had never seen sunlight and sharp golden eyes appeared.
“…Duke Cervantes.”
Dietrich frowned as he recognized him.
“You’re the one who killed a royal.”
Instead of denying Dietrich’s words, Arthur just grinned.
“So the Swordmaster title was real, huh.”
Arthur’s golden eyes expanded and contracted repeatedly like a snake’s.
“Duke Calypso!”
Anderson drew his sword to support Dietrich.
Arthur gave him a disdainful glare.
“…I really hate men.”
Arthur muttered quietly, turning his head to look at Selya.
Her long silver hair, reaching down to her waist, fluttered in the gentle breeze.
Arthur’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he looked at Selya.
He felt a strong urge to imprison Selya forever in a secret room.
To tie her fragile wrists and make her sing only for him.
Arthur’s eyes gazing at Selya were sticky like a swamp.
Feeling his persistent gaze, Selya also looked at Arthur.
Just their eyes meeting made Arthur shudder.
“Arthur Cervantes, you will stand trial for three days on charges of killing a royal. During this time, the imperial ministers and two other dukes will also attend the trial, which will be conducted fairly.”
Dietrich’s words seemed to not even register as Arthur’s gaze remained fixed on Selya.
He didn’t even blink, staring at her with bloodshot eyes.
Selya turned her eyes away from Arthur.
Only then did Arthur roll his eyes back and look at Dietrich.
“You’re going to put me on trial? On what grounds?”
“By the authority of the commander of the royal knights.”
“Hey.”
Arthur stretched his neck out towards Dietrich.
His gaze scanned Dietrich’s black hair, red eyes, and high nose bridge in sequence.
After observing Dietrich for a while, Arthur smirked.
“You’re not from Avalon, are you?”
“…”
“What exactly are you? If you’re not from Avalon, then why are you the commander of Avalon’s royal knights?”
Dietrich looked at Arthur with an indifferent gaze and answered.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about. Are you just spouting nonsense because you don’t want to stand trial?”
“No one has the right to try me. Not even a god can judge me.”
“Anderson, take Duke Cervantes away. Send him to the court.”
Anderson nodded.
The moment Anderson grabbed Arthur’s wrist, Arthur’s body melted as if he were liquid.
“What the hell…?”
Anderson, unable to believe what he saw, muttered in disbelief.
Dietrich pinched his forehead.
“We’ve been completely fooled.”
“Fooled?”
Anderson looked at his lord with a puzzled expression.
Dietrich glared at the remaining liquid residue and said,
“The duke never actually came here. This is a clone of the duke.”
“A clone?”
At Anderson’s question, Dietrich murmured lowly.
“Yes. I sent a clone to check his power.”
Arthur, fiddling with a black earring, frowned.
“…You’re surprisingly smart.”
When he stopped fiddling with the earring, the vivid scene before him disappeared without a trace.
At the same time, Balt, wearing a frightening expression, was sitting in front of him.
“Hey, what are you doing sneaking into my palace? Get out quickly.”
Balt jerked toward the door with an annoyed face.
“Let’s help each other out as fellow third dukes. Balt, unlike Ileon, you’re kind, right?”
Arthur smiled brightly with his hands under his chin, but Balt frowned deeply.
“Get lost. Damn it. You and that bastard are the same to me. You were shut away in a secret room for years without coming out.”
“What do you know! Do you, a musclehead, understand my passion for beauty?”
Arthur shouted, and Balt scratched his ear, flipping him off.
“Leave while I’m speaking nicely, before I cut your face up.”
“I just got some good info. Want me to tell you?”
Balt frowned.
“If it’s useless, you better be prepared to die.”
“You know Dietrich, right? That guy.”
Arthur lowered his voice and continued.
“He’s not from Avalon.”
“…What?”
Balt raised one eyebrow.
“I’m a genius, you know, I can read a person’s unique wave and scent. But his wave was very strange. Black, dark. Now that I think about it, my Selya was the same.”
“?”
Balt didn’t understand why Arthur called Selya “my” but knowing Arthur was not quite right in the head, he just ignored it.
“…Tell me more.”
“Then let me stay here in return.”
“Damn it, fine.”
Arthur grinned, satisfied with the deal.
Selya looked at Dietrich.
He had been silent the whole way back to the mansion.
Though expressionless, Selya, who had been close to him almost the entire time, immediately noticed he wasn’t in a good mood.
He seemed lost in thought, forgetting even to act like a couple, probably recalling what had just happened.
Entering the mansion hallway, Selya took Dietrich’s hand.
Lost in thought, Dietrich finally turned to her.
“…Do you get answers by worrying?”
Selya placed her hand on his.
“Sorry. I was only thinking of myself.”
“We’re in this together. You don’t have to worry alone.”
Selya smiled at Dietrich.
The corners of her eyes curved thinly, a faint smile spreading across her face.
Dietrich silently watched her smile.
With the hand not holding hers, he stroked her hair.
Soft silver hair curled around his hand and then scattered.
Feeling like holding a snowflake that suddenly disappeared, Dietrich felt anxious.
He couldn’t understand why he felt so restless or where this anxiety came from.
He felt the need to clearly define what kind of person Selya was to him.
A partner.
Nothing more, nothing less.
Yet why did his stomach twist when Arthur’s clone looked at Selya with possessive eyes?
He thought it was too much for a collaborator to feel.
Even if she were an old fiancée, Selya was merely someone to be used.
Then why?
“Dietrich? What’s wrong?”
Selya’s voice brought him back to his senses.
Instead of revealing his true feelings, he changed the subject.
“We have to put Duke Arthur Cervantes on trial.”
“Do you have to do that yourself? Can’t someone else do it?”
“No one else can. And…”
Dietrich hesitated.
“The three dukes will conspire beforehand. Even if we put him on trial, he’s likely to be acquitted.”
“Then why bother with the trial?”
“Because that’s the only time all three dukes gather in one place.”
Selya nodded slightly as if she understood.
“I’ll make sure he’s put on trial somehow. Then you use your power, okay?”
“I’ll try.”
At Selya’s answer, Dietrich turned around and said,
“And from today, we’ll sleep separately.”
“…”
“We’re not even real lovers, so sleeping in the same room must be uncomfortable for you too.”
Unlike Dietrich, Selya didn’t feel uncomfortable sleeping with him.
Maybe because he had healing powers, she slept soundly without a care.
But since Dietrich seemed uncomfortable sleeping with her, Selya didn’t try to hold him back.
“Alright.”
“If you need to talk, I’ll come to your room.”
With those words, Dietrich went upstairs alone.
Left alone in the hallway, Selya realized Dietrich was putting distance between them.
‘After being together all this time, are you suddenly feeling hurt?’
Selya laughed bitterly.
From the start, Dietrich saved his own life to use her.
It was her fault for briefly believing he protected her without expecting anything in return.
Unknowingly, she had become completely dependent on him.
How he fed her with his own hands, looked at her with gentle eyes unlike how he looked at others,
and healed her wounds by placing them in his mouth without hesitation.
- …Are you okay?
His careful voice asking if she was okay.
She thought all of that was sincere.
‘I almost got fooled.’
Selya laughed silently.
Knowing better than anyone that she could only trust herself.
Because Dietrich didn’t desire her like other men, she unknowingly expected too much.
Just because their goal was the same, she thought he was the same as her.
But that wasn’t true.
