CH 21

“The day when the empress dowager put her wonderful son, Matan, on the chair of the opposition.”

The emperor tapped the golden throne on which he was leaning.

“Is she going to make the adopted daughter the empress?”

“In doing so, the imperial family must be perfectly within the empress dowager’s grasp.”

“Not only that, since Matan is the master of the Tower, the demonkins and humans will probably be able to reconcile.”

“Then he’s going to be a great saint.”

The Khajans brothers were calm while exchanging eerie jokes.

“The late emperor has left some very interesting things.”

The emperor smiled self-consciously.

His memory suddenly brought that day.

The day when the unhealed tragedy began again…

— It is a token of the affection His Majesty had given that night.

An unnamed demon woman stepped on the land of the empire.

She carried a golden coat of arms that only the master of Parillas could have.

— What would become of the Khajans’ name after if people find out that you abandoned the empire and loved the demon princess!

— …

— As smart as you are, don’t you remember, Father?

— …

— Because of that, Mother is still struggling with death.

— Fven.

— How can you bring that race back into this land?

— Trust me, I really…

— Before you force me to believe—!

— I really…

— You must explain why the witch has the emperor’s gold medallion in the first place.

The golden coat of arms the unknown demon woman was holding was real.

No one could doubt that she was blessed by the emperor.

Even the emperor himself.

So time passed.

The 1st Prince died in the hands of the demon princess, the late emperor in the hands of the late empress, and the late empress in the hands of her son.

“Your Majesty will be living like a dead man, until you come down from that place.”

[T/N: I’m pretty sure Davan meant until the emperor is not the emperor anymore]

“What the. you basta—”

It was Davan who broke the emperor’s thoughts.

He didn’t even give him time to think.

“Sir sounds like an old man who wants to make me live alone.”

Davan shrugged as if the emperor’s grumbling wasn’t wrong.

“Have you not seen for yourself how ugly humans can be with useless emotions?”

“Yes. Thanks to that, I am still alone.”

Facing Davan’s dull eyes, the emperor acted even more daringly.

“It is so for me, but why the hell are you doing this?”

The emperor, no, Davan’s older brother, Fven, wished with all his heart.

May Davan live like a young man of his age even for a moment.

“This older brother wants you to be crazy about love, throw away your work, the imperial family, and go out for a date. Please stop bothering me.”

“…”

“Are you sure you don’t want to?”

“No.”

Davan just chuckled. He thought it didn’t even seem worth thinking about.

“In this hell,”

He has never believed in anyone or anything.

“I won’t let anybody in.”

And nothing would change in the future.

***

“I’ll pretend I didn’t hear you from the bottom of my heart.”

I said firmly.

I’ve already expected that it would be a purposeful trick.

But I didn’t expect him to be so aggressive from the beginning.

‘How strange, I’d say.’

Once again, I was a terrible fool. Of course playing fire with such a face would be dangerous.

I was worried that I’d be mesmerized…

But my mind was strangely calm.

Is it because Leah’s scream comes to mind every time I look at him, or is it because I know that the things hidden behind that smile are unusual?

“I didn’t expect that.”

“…”

“I didn’t expect you to ignore my true feelings like this.”

“A man’s heart is sometimes true and sometimes false.”

“My lady.”

Cadel’s voice became very serious.

“Are you playing with me?”

“What?”

What? What nonsense is this?

My expression turned dark by itself.

“I have shown all my heart to my lady.”

Cadel’s expression was calm as always. Except that his usual smile had disappeared.

‘Your heart.’

Without realizing it, I almost burst out laughing because it was so ridiculous.

People would think we broke up in a relationship.

“Duke.”

I called Cadel as kindly as I could.

I wanted to ignore it, but this guy was the male protagonist who would be the ultimate winner.

I didn’t mean to change routes, but I didn’t have to turn them into enemies.

“If you want me to be sincere.”

“…”

“First of all, please be sincere.”

I said it in a circle, but Cadel must have understood, in a word, I had no intention of playing with his lies.

“Those words.”

Cadel frowned for a moment.

“Are you saying that you don’t think I’m sincere?”

The man’s impression changed according to the expression he made. He looked very cold now.

“No, that’s not what I meant.”

I waved my hand lightly.

It was difficult to control my expression when I said it was because you kept saying you were telling the truth (of being sincere) while you were barely introducing yourself. He was a male lead that could not be ignored.

“But I don’t believe in the truth.”

He smiled more broadly.

“…”

As if repeating the meaning of my words, Cadel’s eyes sank.

“The truth remains the same.”

“…”

“On the other hand, people’s hearts change all the time.”

Suddenly, I remembered my ex-boyfriend.

“Even if that moment was sincere, it can become a lie if you look back.”

I did not consider the feelings he had shown me for eight years to be false.

It was true then, but now it’s just a lie.

It was the human heart that could break even the oath of eternity in a single moment.

“I don’t think the sincerity you showed me is a lie.”

[T/N: ‘Truth’ can also mean ‘Sincerity’, they use the same character. So I just alternate between the two where I think it’s right]

“…”

“I just don’t believe in things that can change at any time.”

Ironically, I uttered those words, reminding myself of my resolve to survive.

I don’t trust anyone, I love no one, I don’t depend on anyone, I’ll have to survive on my own.

It wasn’t for revenge on Leah, for pity’s sake, or for changing the ending.

It was only for me.

Now I was Leah.

I wasn’t fighting for Leah, I was fighting for myself.

“… I don’t think so.”

Without realizing it, my shoulders shuddered.

Cadel’s voice suddenly sounded unfamiliar.

“I didn’t know you’d be so different from the rumors.”

Cadel frowned as if annoyed. His facial expressions, which had been like a mask, had completely disappeared.

“I felt it from the first time we met.”

Cadel looked down at me.

‘You look like a completely different person.’

Those green eyes that I thought were pretty are now creepy like a snake’s.

“It’s as if you already know everything.”

“…”

“Who are you?”

He grinned. His eyes, which had been sly all this time, were cold.

‘Well, of course I know everything.’

I know how you pretended to be a beggar before you officially appeared, that you used the pseudonym Adam Orion, that you were a janitor by day and a waiter by night.

I was scared because this Cadel, who suddenly changed his expression, was unfamiliar to me, but on the other hand, I felt rather good.

I feel like I’ve become a high-level strategist who can see through people’s minds. Ho.

“I know what Duke wants, and why you are doing this to me.”

“…”

“I’m sorry, but that’s not going to happen.”

The wind whistled, blew.

Long, messy hair fluttered in the night breeze.

‘Oh, how annoying.’

The moment I swept through my fluttering hair with my hand, my eyes met with Cadel’s. His eyes darkened for an instant.

‘Why are you looking at me like that?’

Either way, I continued on with my words.

“I have no intention of having anything to do with Duke. We will only hurt each other.”

“…”

“Besides, Duke will soon hate me.”

“How are you sure?”

Cadel asked.

Somehow, I felt that the man was becoming more and more persistent.

“Contrary to what my lady said, we met again like this.”

“It’s just a coincidence.”

A coincidence so light that it cannot even interfere with the story of the original work.

‘The female lead will appear soon, so it’s useless for you to do this.’

Those words came all the way to the end of my throat, but I swallowed them.

“Just wait and you’ll see that I’m right.”

Cadel’s eyes hardened. Seen this way, he had a very cold impression.

“Just a coincidence…”

Cadel murmured towards the air.

“Well, let’s say so.”

Cadel took one step closer to me.

“However.”

“…!”

As our gap narrowed, my heart skipped a beat.

‘Wait a minute, why are things becoming more complicated?’

Why the hell is this tenacious man getting more fussy as I draw a line?

“It is said that when three coincidences come together, it becomes fate.”

Cadel met my gaze and folded one of the three fingers.

“First, a coincidence in the garden.”

This time, his second finger was folded.

“This time… Oh my, it’s the second coincidence already.”

Cadel turned and looked over my shoulder.

“Remember that.”

“…”

“There is only one left.”

At the same time, an unexpected smile appeared on his lips.

I followed Cadel’s gaze and turned my back involuntarily.

“… Davan?”