Because She Had A Time Limit, She Became The Villain’s Daughter-in-law - Chapter 139

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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I opened my eyes at the sensation of someone trying to move me.
“Ah, Laria.”
Evan spoke with an awkward tone.
“You looked uncomfortable, so I was trying to lay you down properly, but you’ve woken up.”
Looking around, the sky had already grown dim. I had definitely fallen asleep at Evan’s bedside.
“I’m such an idiot for falling asleep like that.”
Evan swept his hair back and sighed.
“No, I heard everything from Nathan. He said you’ve barely been sleeping.”
“Yeah.”
Evan lifted me up effortlessly and laid me down on the bed with care before lying down beside me.
Now that I thought about it, it had been a very long time since we lay side by side like this—not since we were very young.
“Let me confirm one more time.”
Evan answered my words half-heartedly and changed the subject entirely.
“I’m not dreaming, am I? You… you do like me too, right?”
I answered while looking at his reddened eyes.
“No, I didn’t just start liking you.”
The moment despair began to settle in Evan’s eyes, I quickly added:
“I’ve already liked you.”
“Huh?”
“I told you I like you. It’s been that way for a very long time.”
“…”
“I even gave you Jerdi Viscount Yeong’s promissory note in such a pathetic way—you really didn’t notice?”
I grasped Evan’s hand first and smiled softly.
“I came running away to revive Matilda and give you a happy childhood…”
Evan took a deep breath while looking at me for a moment, then slapped his own cheek again.
“Evan!”
“…This isn’t a dream.”
“Why would this be a dream!”
“Then tell me one more time.”
He pleaded with a trembling voice.
“Just once more.”
“I like you, Evan. I really do like you. Perhaps I have for a very long time.”
“Please… just one more time.”
“Will you have me repeat it all night?”
“No, your throat will hurt. But just one more thing. Serena said you absolutely cannot get pregnant, but that’s a lie too, right?”
“She said that?”
I had no recollection of hearing such words from Serena—it seemed like something from a very long time ago, or perhaps she herself didn’t remember.
‘Or maybe she said it while drunk and forgot because her memory cut out.’
I thought I should ask her about it later.
“I have no idea. Could it be something Serena said while drunk?”
“She did seem intoxicated.”
I could vaguely sense what had happened. As I fell into thought, Evan ran his fingers through my hair and spoke again.
“It was difficult.”
My body froze at his low whisper, laden with heat.
“If you like someone… if you love them, it’s only natural to want them.”
My heart pricked with guilt—guilt over deceiving Evan about my suffering while he had shown me such consideration.
“But, Evan. You understand, don’t you? I’m somewhat different from the person you’ve watched for seven years.”
I wanted to tell him that the woman he loved so deeply was another version of me, but he shook his head.
“I didn’t like you because you were weak and kind. Rather…”
He added shyly.
“I was thrilled when you commanded me at the banquet.”
With his fierce features flushed with embarrassment, the image was somewhat amusing.
“Command me again.”
I briefly fell silent, imagining a ferocious dog wagging its tail.
“My past self spoke correctly.”
―Well, there’s no knowing how that girl will behave once she recovers.
“Regardless, I think I’ll come to love her anyway.”
But I understood what that feeling meant. If time had been reversed for me too and I retained my memories, I would want to meet Evan again, no matter how he had grown.
While I was thinking such things, Evan spoke dejectedly.
“I suffered so much.”
“…What?”
“I liked you but couldn’t express it, wanted to hold you but was afraid I couldn’t control myself, so I couldn’t even hold your hand carelessly.”
“…”
“It was so difficult, Laria.”
“Really…?”
“Won’t you take pity on me?”
“What?”
“Laria.”
And he grasped my hand firmly.
“…If you pity me, please come back to Icard.”
I answered without a moment’s hesitation.
“It’s not because I pity you—I’ve already decided to return.”
“Then… will you continue to live as my wife, just as you have been?”
“Yes.”
As I answered once more, he smiled softly. And suddenly, the pitiful puppy-like atmosphere shifted entirely.
“Now you can’t break your promise.”
Gone was the pathetic whimpering from before; now his expression held something sinister and precarious as he slowly traced my cheek.
“Laria… then there are so many things I want to do right now… and I’ve held back for far too long…”
“…?”
No more words were spoken.
He approached without hesitation and pressed his lips to mine. We had kissed before, so it wasn’t our first time, yet my heart began racing again and strength gathered in my toes.
His hand moved slowly across my cheek, earlobe, and neck, tracing each curve deliberately—as if he were capturing with his fingertips everything he had only taken in with his eyes until now. His movements inside my mouth were rough and demanding, yet his touch along my collarbone was so tender and careful that the contrast was stark.
I found myself thinking, ‘He’s cautious the first time but uninhibited the second, so next time he’ll probably….’
“Mmph, mm….”
Unable to bear any more, I gripped his arm tightly, and his lips parted with what seemed like reluctance. But instead, his fingers grew more suggestive, slowly tracing circles across my shoulder as he whispered in a languid tone.
“You said you’d allow it.”
His voice had a whining quality to it, but I had already noticed something artificial about it.
“When it gets dark, you said you’d allow even more.”
“Yes…. It’s embarrassing, but… then, I’ll go first….”
I answered hesitantly, and at my words, Evan’s eyes nearly lost focus.
“F-first?”
“Yes. I’ve made you wait long enough.”
It felt like I was training a beast that had already lost its mind.
I smiled slightly, then took Evan’s hand, which seemed to be spinning out of control.
“It’s dark outside, and if we sleep holding hands like this, the baby will….”
That night, I learned firsthand just how much trouble one receives for teasing a mindless beast.
* * *
The next morning, we had breakfast together for the first time in ages. Sleeping in the same room and having breakfast together felt strangely new, almost like childhood.
‘Of course, it was worlds apart from childhood….’
Though Evan was clearly the one who hadn’t slept well all this time, his face had become refreshed in just one day, while mine had grown slightly weary.
“I’m not dreaming right now, am I?”
Evan spoke slowly, facing his breakfast.
“One of those strange dreams with demons and talking cats.”
I could only sigh deeply.
“Evan, my lips are swollen….”
Whenever I showed signs of being overwhelmed yesterday, he would use that dream excuse to extract one more kiss from me.
“Then I’ll do it.”
In the end, I only managed to have breakfast after receiving a barrage of small kisses on my forehead, cheeks, and the tip of my nose.
I began a proper conversation.
“I heard you used a truth serum on the servant at Labonis Manor.”
Honestly, when I heard the name ‘Audrey,’ I worried whether harsh torture had been inflicted.
However, after hearing about the truth serum from Nathan, I felt relieved yet also exasperated. I had thought that when Medor used it, it was leaked externally, but I never expected Evan to leak it in the same way. It was clearly illegal and grounds for punishment.
“It couldn’t be helped. I lost my mind.”
I had heard that truth only emerges before someone with strong dark magic influence, and Evan, possessing equally strong power, had clearly been spouting truths without restraint.
I bit my lower lip and rolled my eyes for a moment before asking the most important question.
“How much did you give?”
“What?”
“How much did you give? I caught on that you could buy it with money from when that mage mentioned the mansion garden and all, but….”
“Ah… I didn’t give much.”
“You know you’re in charge of the budget, don’t you? How much did you spend on that insane drug? Tell me now.”
“I-I’ll cover it from my own pocket.”
Evan must have sensed my killing intent, for he swiftly changed the subject.
“Anyway, that’s how the servant was able to avoid getting hurt.”
Of course, I’d heard from Nathan that this servant named Paul was currently confined to the Public Hospital but was perfectly fine. He was even receiving top-tier treatment, resting in a private room no less.
‘Good heavens, then how much is a single day’s hospital bill…’
“A private room, you said? Have him discharged immediately. That servant needs freedom more than anything right now.”
“Yes.”
Evan answered at once.
“If you have any other orders, just say them.”
His eyes curved seductively.
“It excites me.”
“….”
I finally understood why I’d felt something off about Evan all this time.
He’d been hiding these things, so naturally I could only interpret it as some strange tenderness. My instincts were sharp, but the problem was that I’d believed his lie about not wanting me as a woman.
“Rather than an order… there’s one more thing I’d like to say.”
I pushed a cake toward him and smiled brightly. I’d done this every year until now, but I needed to say what the old Laria had so desperately wanted to say.
“I want to tell you happy birthday on your twenty-first.”
“Happy birthday.”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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