🔊 TTS Settings
Chapter 16
“Huh?”
Docef… Bloody Mary?
What did I just hear?
Docef.
That name belonged to the scoundrel of a famous swordsmanship family!
The male lead of this novel, and Halara’s last man!
[What is that funny look on your face! You look like you’re about to faint from shock!]
Junel burst into laughter, clutching her stomach and spinning around.
This wasn’t just faint‑level shock.
It was the moment my once‑peaceful world turned into a battlefield.
With my vision gradually blurring, I stared straight at Docef. As if moonlight were pouring down from the darkened sky, a reddish sheen glimmered through his hair.
And because Junel’s wing‑flapping blew aside his bangs, I saw his eye color for the first time.
Pitch‑black eyes, like the abyss….
Unlike his other siblings, he had been born with black eyes, and after awakening as a Nine‑Star, band‑shaped golden radiance would appear in them.
‘I should’ve at least asked his name when I first met him!’
I stuck my nose into everything, yet somehow forgot to ask the most important thing. I was an idiot.
I was an idiot for trying to brush it off when he said he knew me.
“Both of you, come in.”
Francesca said that curtly and turned around.
Docef followed her naturally.
“Um, I—I think I’ll head back now.”
I took a hesitant step backward. I had a really bad feeling about this.
A feeling that if I went in now, I’d never escape again.
Then Docef, who had already gone inside, turned to look at me.
“You said you came to see me. Come in.”
At last, the mercenary revealed his true identity. His dangerously curved eyes stared straight at me.
In that instant, the safest person on my list became the most dangerous.
“That’s—!”
I wanted to demand why he hadn’t said anything, but Francesca’s gaze struck me like a blow, forcing me to shut my mouth.
Even if I ran now, I wouldn’t get far before being caught.
Hah….
“I’m coming. I’ll go.”
With no choice, I accompanied him.
My legs felt heavy, as if sandbags were hanging from them.
Francesca walked endlessly down the corridor and entered the drawing room located at the very back of the mansion—the place where I’d first opened my eyes after possessing this body.
‘Why are we back here again?’
I thought I’d strayed from the original story.
‘No. Even if the mercenary is Docef, nothing really changes. We’ve only met a few times. There’s nothing between us.’
I forcibly suppressed my rising anxiety.
The power of the original story was strong.
There was no way Docef would make a different choice from the original.
Just like in the novel, he wouldn’t want to marry me—and all I had to do was agree.
“Sit.”
Steeling my resolve, I sat in the same spot where I’d first faced Francesca and looked straight at her. Docef naturally took the seat beside me.
Francesca’s eyes swept over the two of us in turn.
“You came in together. That’s unexpected.”
I couldn’t even bring up excuses like having lost my memory or not knowing he was Docef.
Just days ago, I’d claimed I admired her son because he was handsome.
If I said something like, “I didn’t know this was the same person,” all credibility would collapse.
Let’s just cleanly avoid the marriage.
“So. You said you didn’t want to live here. Have you changed your mind?”
“No.”
I immediately rejected her question.
“The reason I came here with the young master is to make it clear that neither I nor the young master has any intention of marrying.”
“I will marry.”
What kind of nonsense was that?!
[Huge news! Marriage?! This calls for a feast!]
I hurriedly covered Junel’s mouth and turned to Docef.
“Hey—mercenary. No, Young Master. What are you talking about right now?”
It was a slip of the tongue, right? You misspoke, didn’t you?
But without even looking at me, he continued.
“I will live together with Halara Seheb.”
Docef, are you crazy?
“Why would you do that? I think you’re mistaken!”
My voice cracked as I finally shouted.
Only then did Docef turn to look at me.
“No. I’ve never been more clear‑headed.”
“What? Then you’re supposed to refuse.”
I lowered my voice, watching Francesca’s reaction. Docef tilted his head slightly.
“Why are you so certain I would refuse?”
“Well, that’s because…!”
Because that’s what happened in the original story!
Even while being beaten half to death by the duke, you shouted that it was absolutely not true!
That you’d only spent one night with that woman! That the child wasn’t yours! That you even doubted whether she was really pregnant at all!
“We’re not anything special!”
“Not anything special? We spent a deep, intense night together.”
Oh my god.
I couldn’t believe Docef would say something so shameless.
My mouth hung open in shock.
“Docef, mind your dignity.”
I wasn’t the only one startled by his remark.
Francesca, seated across from us, also lost her poker face.
“I will live with Halara. Here.”
“…You’ve thought well. Since you’ve come this far, you’ll start living here today. The preparations are more or less finished.”
Her gaze turned to me.
This was driving me insane.
“No. This makes no sense. Duchess, how could a commoner like me marry the young master? It would tarnish a prestigious family like Bloody Mary!”
“At least you know your place. I, too, agonized countless times before allowing you in. But since I’ve decided to accept it, I won’t dwell on it further.”
Francesca looked resigned.
‘Please don’t resign yourself to this! Do you really think your son is such a hopeless scoundrel that I’m the only one who could ever love him?!’
I couldn’t say that in front of Docef. I felt like I was going to suffocate.
“I’m a commoner who can’t do anything! I don’t know etiquette or noble culture!”
I desperately tried to emphasize how utterly useless I was to this family.
“She’s good at cooking.”
Docef added unhelpfully from beside me.
“If I hadn’t summoned you to the castle, it seems you were planning to settle down and run a household at that place.”
Tsk. Francesca shot me a sly, knowing look.
Just because I made a few potato pancakes, suddenly it’s ‘running a household.’
Docef didn’t refute it and stayed silent.
Honestly, it was easy to see how Francesca could misunderstand. She’d seen him, dressed like a mercenary, coming and going from my house.
‘…I was the only one who didn’t realize it.’
All the strength drained out of me.
How scheming must I have looked when she found out that, after claiming I admired her son from afar, I’d actually been meeting him privately at my house?
She must have thought I was a seductress.
A seductress who even ensnared her son.
“Could you reconsider one last time?”
It was the last thing I could say.
You’d be better off not taking a temptress as your daughter‑in‑law, and I’d be better off not coming to a family doomed to fall.
But Francesca’s hardened expression suggested she wouldn’t give me the answer I wanted.
And indeed—
“That won’t be possible.”
She spoke firmly, glanced around once, then lowered her voice.
“You carry my son’s—future heir of Bloody Mary’s—”
It felt like she was about to say something crucial to this marriage.
“A common woman entering our family?”
The door opened, and a man with long hair tied back stepped in boldly. He looked just like Docef, yet carried a colder, more composed impression.
Huh? Is that…?
“Nikolai!”
That’s right.
Docef’s older brother and the eldest son of Bloody Mary—Nikolai.
He had arrived.
Seeing him stride forward with long legs, Francesca sprang to her feet.
“I heard from Helbern. What on earth is going on? How can you decide on a marriage without even consulting me, especially when Father isn’t here?”
“…Circumstances arose.”
“What circumstances? What circumstances justify bringing a common woman into the family? Do we have to suffer again because of this bastard?”
At the harsh words, Francesca let out a deep sigh.
‘Nice one, Nikolai!’
I cheered him on internally. He might be obnoxious like in the novel, but right now, he seemed to be on my side.
Those irritating, unreasonable guys are the most reliable when they’re on your team.
“Please explain. Those circumstances had better make sense.”
They won’t.
I guarantee it.
Just as I was preparing to witness Nikolai’s victory—
“For now, you should leave.”
Francesca dismissed me.
Wanting to escape this heavy atmosphere anyway, I didn’t hesitate for a second and jumped up. In my heart, I cheered for my one and only ally, Nikolai.
‘Handsome guy, please win!’
I’ll never come near this place again!
The moment I stepped outside and the door closed, I heard loud crashing sounds from within.
“Follow me.”
Even though I’d been kicked out, I still had to move under the butler’s guidance.
I walked steadily down the long, wide corridor.
“Who is she? Didn’t they say they were hiring a new maid?”
“No. She came in earlier with the second young master. I don’t know who she is, but it looked like the madam knew her.”
“The madam? Her clothes look worse than mine. How would she know a commoner?”
The glances thrown my way were sharp.
I was keenly aware of my position—one I’d rather not know.
‘I just want to live within my means, running a small business in the village.’
Why on earth did Docef say he wanted to live with me?
If only he’d denied everything like in the original story, things wouldn’t have gotten this tangled.
And that last thing Francesca was about to say…
What was it…?
As I rummaged through my muddled thoughts—
“Wait here for the time being. You are not permitted to return home until further instructions.”
The butler led me into a small drawing room and left.
I couldn’t even go back freely—wasn’t this basically confinement?
Still, believing that escape was my only way out, I glanced out the window.
Iron bars stood tall outside, sharp enough to slice flesh at a mere touch.
