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Chapter 71
The Male Lead is Obsessed with Proposing
65.It Started That Day
Senelia suddenly found herself holding her breath without realizing it.
Senelia had been nothing more than a leash to prevent Venerucia from slipping from Clifred’s grasp.
As Lucalina had said, if Venerucia wanted to fully break free from Clifred, it made sense that Senelia had to be cut off first.
“Clifred said it himself. That Miss Daphnen is Ben’s weakness.”
Senelia’s expression darkened.
Wasn’t Clifred’s goal from the start to completely separate Lucalina and Venerucia?
Then why was he pushing things to this point? Senelia couldn’t understand it.
No—she didn’t want to understand it.
Senelia had spent eight years trying to sever the fate of Venerucia and Lucalina.
Clifred’s actions now threatened to render all of those eight years meaningless.
How could anyone make sense of that?
Her chest tightened.
Senelia didn’t know what to do to escape from Clifred’s grip.
In fact… she didn’t want to think about anything at all.
“If Miss Daphnen becomes a means to trap Ben…”
Lucalina’s voice faltered for a moment, then she continued with a firmer tone than before.
“I will take Ben back from Miss Daphnen.”
Clang.
The moment Senelia met Lucalina’s determined blue eyes again, she dropped the teacup she had been holding.
Senelia stared at the shattered pieces scattered across the floor.
In an instant, she thought that the teacup was like herself.
If Lucalina deliberately tried to make Venerucia fall in love with her, poor minor character Senelia Daphnen would be utterly discarded.
“Are you alright?”
Lucalina rose from her seat on the other side, concerned about the loud noise.
Senelia had warned her servants not to enter, no matter what sounds came from inside, so the door to the parlor remained shut despite the crash.
“I’m fine! Just… continue talking from there.”
Senelia blocked Lucalina, who tried to approach, worried she might be hurt.
Lucalina paused, hesitating at the firmness, then awkwardly returned to her seat.
“…Miss Daphnen, you don’t seem well.”
Senelia tried to hide it, but Lucalina was a swordmaster.
Eventually, Lucalina noticed Senelia’s uneven breathing and studied her once again.
But once more, Senelia refused her concern.
“You came here to speak, didn’t you? Please continue.”
It was the most delicate way of telling her not to involve herself.
“…You must be wondering why I came to Miss Daphnen today to explain everything.”
Lucalina, who had moved her lips a few times, now spoke with an expression far more uncomfortable than before.
“I didn’t want to cowardly stab you in the back behind your back.”
At that moment, Senelia, who had been bending her head slightly to catch her breath, snapped it up.
Screech—
Her ears rang loudly from her inability to breathe properly.
In that instant, she blurted out in frustration, almost accusingly.
“First, it’s strange to say you’ll ‘take him back’ when the Grand Duke isn’t anyone’s property!”
But Senelia immediately regretted saying it.
“Second, isn’t it strange to claim it’s fair to covet a man about to be married? Isn’t it?”
After all, she had been the one who took Venerucia from Lucalina.
“That is…”
Lucalina seemed genuinely shocked by Senelia’s words, her face turning pale.
Senelia herself did not look well.
Wasn’t Senelia the one indebted to Lucalina?
She felt uncomfortable knowing that her actions had caused such a reaction.
It was frustrating.
Nothing improved.
Of course it wouldn’t.
The cause—Clifred—still existed openly.
“…Alright, my words about not wanting to be cowardly were wrong.”
Yet, surprisingly, Lucalina soon regained her composure.
As if nothing could shake her love for Venerucia.
“I’m sorry to Miss Daphnen. But, whether you understand it or not… Venerucia and I are destined.”
Lucalina spoke calmly, as if explaining gently.
It seemed Clifred hadn’t revealed that he knew they were destined for each other.
Senelia bit the inside of her cheek.
Ah, if Lucalina knew this, she wouldn’t treat her the same way.
Lucalina had gone back in time to save Venerucia.
If she knew Senelia had interfered with their fate, how could she forgive her?
Senelia feared the protagonist’s wrath.
She was already overwhelmed with just Venerucia and Clifred.
“Although… even though I said that, Ben said he loves Miss Daphnen.”
Yet, Senelia’s fear dissipated with Lucalina’s following words.
Her eyes widened in surprise.
Senelia didn’t remember every detail from the original novel, so she didn’t know every subtle part of the conversations between Venerucia and Lucalina.
But she could never imagine that Venerucia would reject Lucalina, no matter how firmly Lucalina spoke.
To Senelia, Venerucia and Lucalina were protagonists who had to be together, one way or another.
“I’m adding this because I hope my words won’t drive a wedge between the two. Wanting to take back Venerucia is purely my selfish desire.”
Lucalina’s words were curious.
Even while saying she would take Venerucia from Senelia, she confirmed that Venerucia’s love for Senelia was genuine.
Through this, Senelia could see Lucalina’s love for Venerucia.
Lucalina wanted Senelia to see that she wasn’t someone who would weigh them against each other.
Even if it worked against her in some way.
Ah… so you love the heroine.
Lucalina was willing to endure even this for Venerucia.
Senelia, regretfully, understood why Venerucia loved Lucalina.
And so, Senelia lost her words.
The few bold words she had thrown at Lucalina earlier easily faltered.
Senelia’s love was neither as steadfast nor as firm as Lucalina’s.
‘Being with someone like Lucalina would make Ben happier.’
Senelia forced down the bitter taste rising in her throat.
Clearly, Lucalina loved Venerucia more than she did.
She felt like an obstacle.
No—perhaps that was the truth.
Yet still… Senelia had to have Venerucia.
“…I’m sorry, I’m sorry, Sir Elihan.”
So Senelia could no longer face Lucalina.
She painfully realized once again what she had done to Lucalina and Venerucia.
Ah, she was truly horrid.
“…Miss Daphnen?”
Senelia wanted to run anywhere.
There was no place for her here.
Thinking this, her breath became unsteady, and Lucalina called out in concern.
But Senelia, who had been struggling to breathe for some time, couldn’t hear her.
“…Miss Daphnen!”
Lucalina leapt from her seat and crossed the table.
Her hands caught Senelia’s tilting upper body.
But at the same time, Senelia managed to break free.
She ran toward the one place she hated most: where even she didn’t exist.
Darkness closed in on Senelia.
Senelia always fell ill when May came, the brightest month of the year.
It had started eight years ago, after nearly being slain by Clifred’s sword.
Every May, Senelia smelled her own blood along with the scent of blooming flowers.
The memory of cold marble pressing against her knees and forehead in the audience hall, the first time she became less than human—
All of it suffocated her, so perhaps it was natural.
Around that time, Clifred discovered Senelia’s condition.
That day had been chaotic from the morning.
Senelia had hidden her condition for three years after becoming Ben’s lover, not wanting to be a burden to Venerucia.
Having concealed it for five years, it was easy to act as if nothing was wrong that day.
“Your Grace…! Sir Elihan was injured in battle!”
Suddenly, a messenger appeared during a meal with Venerucia.
Since Venerucia had told him to bypass procedures and deliver news about Lucalina directly to her, Senelia often heard updates about Lucalina when they were together.
And she could say with certainty that that day, she had never seen Venerucia so flustered.
“What do you mean? Speak clearly…!”
Venerucia, who always maintained a perfect royal composure, sprang from his seat.
Clang.
In rising, he misjudged his strength, causing glassware and dishes to fall to the floor.
Until that moment, Senelia had always thought of Venerucia as rational.
But when it came to matters involving Lucalina, he was not the Venerucia she knew.
It was no wonder the meal ended in chaos.
“Sir Elihan was ambushed while crossing the canyon. How the enemy knew our path through that vast canyon…”
The messenger trailed off.
Senelia found Venerucia’s extreme agitation surreal.
Caw.
Until the crow at the window cried.
