The Heroine in The Novel Died

ive.

I was so resentful of the past at this point.

I didn’t have much time to spend with my family because I was so preoccupied with work.
Simply because I didn’t have time for them.

Why do people have to go through it before they realize something is wrong?

I’m a complete moron.

It’s fine.
It’s not yet over.

I tried to console myself by imagining a way to live like the heroine of another possessed novel I’d read.
However, tears welled up as a result of the upheaval.

Why was I crying after saying it with relish?

It was pointless to yell at the Duke if I was being like this.

“Do you remember the people who were there on the day I first met you?”

“How am I going to remember all of those people? It was a holiday, and the street was packed.”

Sponsored Content

“Everyone there would have died if I hadn’t met you that day.
Simply because of me.”

As he spoke those words, the Duke of Cassiar’s eyes looked forlorn, like a tree with only branches left in the winter.

His eyes were out of focus and seemed to have a heavy feeling of guilt that could not be easily erased, as if reminiscing about something.
When I examined his face, it didn’t seem he was lying.

“It’s been a week since I’ve been unable to sleep.
I was exhausted and taking sleeping pills didn’t have any effect, so I tried to drink excessively, but the more I drank, the more insane I became.
I almost lost my rationality.”

Duke Cassiar shifted his gaze to me.

“Then you showed up, as if it were a planned meeting.”

Duke Cassiar was on the verge of a mana explosion the day I met him?

This was a story that wasn’t even told in the original.

I just found out for the first time.
It dawned on me that the stories in the novel might not be representative of the entire world.
Despite the fact that I was a character who didn’t not appear in the novel, there was a possibility.

Milter wasn’t even interested in Duke Cassiar, now that I think about it.

Maybe that was why the story about the Duke was based solely on surface rumors and sporadic encounters.

I might even be able to cure Duke Cassar if I get to know him well enough.

While I was organizing my thoughts, the Duke of Cassiar, who had been silent for a moment, spoke in a low voice.

“I don’t want any more innocent people to be sacrificed as a result of my actions.
But that doesn’t mean I’m wasting your time.
I am well aware that my proposal requires you to make a sacrifice.”

Duke Cassiar’s large hand grabbed my cheek as he strode over to me on his long legs.

As if to console me, his hand caressed my tears.

Was Duke Cassiar the kind of man who could comfort me?

Even now, Duke Cassiar did not resemble the villain I remembered from the novel.

Milter’s lover might have become Duke Cassiar if he had ever comforted her with this face.

Who wasn’t going to fall for it?

Tears welled up in my eyes as I stared at him, who shone like a cartoon character.

“So I’d like to make amends in some way.
It doesn’t matter if it’s about money, fame, or preference.
Will you give me your power so that I can do whatever you want?”

I was well aware that the Duke of Cassiar was a vicious villain who haunted the main characters in the novel.
But, at least for now, I felt like he was genuinely treating me.

“What I want is to avoid getting involved with the Duke as much as possible.”

“Do you want me to go to the Marquis’s mansion every day?”

Duke Cassiar’s brow was distorted by my straightforward remarks.

The villain was once again right in this case.

The romantic atmosphere of roses in full bloom had vanished as a result of this.

I had no intention of setting up a romance between Duke Cassiar and myself.

This was a survival game in which my life is on the line, so I must survive first.

Sponsored Content

Now I had to make a decision.
Leaving Duke Cassiar alone in a yard without Milter was certainly risky.

And besides, it was a big deal if I turned down the Duke’s offer for nothing and let the Marquis go back and forth to the palace and run into a runaway.

“As you said, the marriage will be over if the Duke can sleep without me, right?”

“Yes.
I’m not sure if there is such a method.”

The Duke of Cassiar’s concerns did not catch my ears.

If I thought about it, it was a situation where it was preferable to run into it rather than avoid it.
Why did I always imagine myself being terrified and avoiding it?

“All right, I accept it.
As the Duke said, there should be something to gain as much as what I sacrifice.”

For the time being, simply marrying the Duke of Cassar gives me a lot of benefits, such as elevating my status to that of a marquise and expanding the company’s market.

I’d lose my first marriage, but I’d never die as unjustly as Milter did if I married the Duke of Cassiar.

Of course, innocent people would not have to be harmed,

“Instead.”

As I clasped Duke Cassiar’s hand on my cheek, I smiled. 

If Duke Cassar can find a way to sleep alone, that is.

“There are conditions.”

I would be set free with wealth and honor.

 

──・・✧・・──

 

The following day, I went to the Duke of Cassiar’s.
I arrived at Duke Cassiar’s mansion in the early afternoon.

“Do I really have to do this?”

The Duke of Cassiar, who appeared anxious, sat in a chair surrounded by a small gold decoration and stood in front of me, suspiciously looking at me.

“Duke, you must trust me completely.
You made a promise to me.
You will comply with all of my suggestions.”

At a glance, I could tell.

The Duke of Cassiar expressed regret for promising to fulfill my ‘condition’ within a day.

“I mean, isn’t this a little early? We haven’t even set a date for the wedding yet……”

I put my hand on Duke Cassiar’s chin and covered his mouth just as he was about to say something else.

“What’s so important about formality? The sooner the results, the better.”

I raised my lips and smiled at the Duke after subduing him with my gaze.

“So now it’s handed over to me.
The entire Duke.”

Notes:

Speak with a forked tongue means speak in a dishonest way that is meant to deceive people.