🔊 TTS Settings
Chapter 08
“Yevgenia, you’re weird. Ever since your Name manifested, you’ve become even more…!”
Smack!
This time, the fan struck Raymond’s lips, which had been spewing nonsense.
“Can’t you shut up? How dare you block my way.”
At Yevgenia’s low growl, Raymond’s expression crumbled further.
“……Why are you really like this? How can a person change so much? You said you loved me. That you longed for even a single glance from me enough to die for it!”
It was a repertoire of love confessions Yevgenia had once recited incessantly.
One could wonder whether it was more impressive that Yevgenia had boldly proclaimed such things or that Raymond had memorized them all.
Of course, either way, it was the worst possible topic for the current Yevgenia.
Her face twisted sharply, and she let out a hollow laugh.
“Right, I did say that. But I’m not foolish enough to hand over my family to some nobody I know nothing about. Thanks to that, that so-called love was neatly cleared away too.”
“……What? Over something so trivial, your love faded?”
“I can’t believe this. Anyone would think we were passionate lovers, huh? What if my love hadn’t faded? Should I go slap Miss Aer’s cheek right now?”
Her voice was dripping with incredulity.
Even as the words left her mouth, she found them absurd, and it was only natural she couldn’t hide that feeling.
She even began to feel a pang of pity for Stella, who stood nearby gazing at Raymond like a rain-soaked puppy.
‘Really, how can I be so kind-hearted. They’re both cheaters, yet…’
She shook her head at Raymond, who couldn’t easily form a reply.
Just as she was about to order the servants with a slight jerk of her chin to throw him out, an unbelievable answer came back.
“……Fine.”
“No, you really are one seriously messed-up bastard.”
“……What?”
“It was just ten minutes ago you were proclaiming to the world with your whole body that she was your beloved lover, you lunatic. As someone who’s known you since you were five, here’s some advice: you need to become human first.”
“…….”
“You bastard, worse than a beast.”
Once she spat out those final words, she felt completely relieved.
With a short nod from her, the servants’ courteous hands led Raymond away.
Perhaps because he was a well-bred young master, or perhaps because the one who had hurled those insults was Yevgenia.
Raymond was led out quietly for someone who had just been spouting insane words.
Stella’s retreating back, as she glanced hesitantly between the dazzling banquet hall and Raymond before shuffling out, looked far too pitiful for a heroine.
“Tsk…….”
Yevgenia, who had slightly furrowed her brows, let out an inadvertent, loud click of her tongue.
Instantly, the atmosphere turned cold, and not even the faintest sound of footsteps could be heard.
Noticing the change, Yevgenia turned back towards the nobles with an artificial smile.
“Now, everyone. Since we’ve expelled the drunkard, let’s resume the banquet. First of all… we should have some music.”
A small glance and a single word.
That was all it took for Yevgenia to fill the banquet hall with music.
Until now, she had been the one who grew endlessly small before the name of love.
But having shattered that trivial illusion, such a clear reality unfolded before her.
Everyone here couldn’t even lift their gaze before her, lacking the courage to even dare speak to her.
This was the position held by the sole Princess of the Artrux Empire.
Smiling sweetly, Yevgenia curved her eyes beautifully.
“Shall we dance, everyone?”
After the enjoyable(?) banquet ended, Yevgenia leaned her slightly flushed cheek against the carriage window and closed her eyes.
As she slowly replayed the events of the day in her mind, her gently relaxed expression suddenly twisted.
‘Raymond, that piece of trash. If I married a bastard like that, Mother would definitely be weeping in heaven.’
For heaven’s sake, that guy who used to curse her love as disgusting and creepy when she expressed it, now saying things like “how could your love fade?”
She couldn’t comprehend what kind of thought process could lead someone to suggest she should rather slap her own lover’s cheek while that lover brazenly declared they would commit adultery.
‘……No, of course I can’t understand. He’s a mad bastard, and I’m not insane.’
If she had to latch onto someone, wouldn’t a madman be better than a mad bastard?
Although he was a madman who demanded her body without reason, as long as he had a weakness, rational conversation should be possible.
“He’ll think we’ve seen each other’s true colors, so pretending to be sincere might work even better.”
Perhaps because she had already visited Nox’s office once within a short period.
It now seemed taken for granted that Yevgenia could come and go here.
Otherwise, they wouldn’t have let her into a room without its owner present.
“Isn’t the security too lax? What if important documents get stolen…”
“Why, are you going to steal them?”
“Ah, you startled me!”
The breath that suddenly brushed against her ear made goosebumps rise all over her neck.
The sensation of his low voice digging into her ear was the kind she could never get used to.
Flustered, Yevgenia covered her ear and turned around.
“Nox, when did you get here?”
“A little while ago. Since I still only have one guest, I was notified immediately.”
“……Hmm?”
Something was odd.
In the original story, whenever Stella entrusted a request to Nox, there was always a scene of him grumbling about being swamped with too many clients.
So she hadn’t thought meeting him a little earlier than Stella would be a big problem…
“By any chance, am I your first client…?”
“Oh my. I’m disappointed you didn’t know that.”
Nox rounded his eyes as if he’d caught onto something, exaggeratingly raising his eyebrows.
Every single one of his trivial actions was calculated and deliberate, making it feel creepy rather than cute.
“To think I was the only one who considered our relationship special… You came the very day after I decided to consider entrusting you with a request, so I even thought we might be fate.”
“N-nonsense. It’s just a coincidence.”
“Well, whether it’s truly fate or coincidence is something we’ll find out in time…”
The green eyes visible between his gracefully curved eyelids glinted darkly.
Nox was clearly smiling, but he couldn’t hide the coldness in his gaze.
‘Hah, no wonder. I thought it was too easy meeting him from the start.’
He had already been suspicious of her since the first time she came here.
And before such a person, she had revealed her trump card—knowing his weakness…
Suppressing a sigh, Yevgenia pressed her throbbing forehead.
Then, a cold touch reached the nape of her neck.
“Eek…! W-what?!”
“You’re quite sensitive. I just tapped, barely touched you. Like a joke.”
“It’s because you touched me suddenly, not sensitivity…”
“Is that so?”
Swish—
The tip of his nail, which had lightly touched her nape, scraped painlessly from her chin to her collarbone.
Perhaps because she couldn’t see how his hand was moving.
The touch roaming around her neck felt excessively sensitive.
Unconsciously shrinking her neck, she subtly pulled her body forward.
But Nox’s hand disregarded her intention and simply followed.
“Why, do you keep, your hand…”
“Hm? Isn’t this why you came looking for me? I thought I made myself perfectly clear during our last meeting.”
“……Ugh.”
Struck squarely on her weak point, she was at a loss for words.
But she still had no clue what this kind of… behavior had to do with erasing a Name.
Perhaps it was to cover the excruciating pain said to come with erasing a Name with even greater pleasure, or perhaps this human was simply a horny madman.
In this situation where she couldn’t see an inch ahead, Yevgenia knew only one thing.
‘The lifeline that can break my engagement is Nox, no, more precisely, his ability.’
Clenching her eyes shut and steeling her resolve, she grabbed Nox’s hand.
“Nox, no, Yulan Artrux.”
“……Usually, a woman calling out a full name in this kind of atmosphere leads to a very wrong situation.”
As Nox smoothly tried to deflect, the grip of her hand tightened.
It was a level of strength he could easily shake off, but for some reason, his hand wouldn’t move easily.
Biting her lower lip and hesitating for a long moment, she spoke in a trembling voice.
“Please, help me just this once.”
“…….”
“I’ll do anything you want, so please…”
It was a word that would never come from the mouth of a proud noble, especially a high-ranking one like the Duchess of Martyr.
It meant Yevgenia was truly cornered, and it laid bare her sincerity.
Clutching Nox’s stiffened hand tightly with both of hers, Yevgenia carefully looked up at him.
“My fiancé has someone he loves.”
“…….”
“And… I can’t bear that fact anymore. So…”
“So, the Princess is giving up?”
At his skeptical tone, she nodded firmly.
“Because… I think I’d find it even more unbearable to see the person I love unhappy by my side…”
She didn’t forget to slightly tilt her angle to show her trembling eyelashes.
Then, it felt like Nox’s attitude softened just a little.
“……For the mere sentiment of caring for your fiancé, you would erase your ‘Name’?”
If that weren’t the case, such a question wouldn’t have arisen.
Struggling to pull down the corners of her mouth that threatened to curl up, Yevgenia nodded weakly.
When lying, do your absolute best.
It was one of the life lessons taught by her father, renowned as a cunning politician.
And Yevgenia was a good student who quickly internalized lessons.
“If things continue like this, I might go mad with jealousy and do something truly terrible. Not that what I’ve done so far isn’t terrible enough… But I feel like I might really become a monster. Before that happens, it’s better for me to cut it off myself.”
“…….”
“That’s the path for everyone’s sake.”
