The Puppet Villainess’s Splendid Rebellion - Chapter 92

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 92

I stared at Sion in silence for a while.

After a moment of silence, I asked.

“If you help me, what’s in it for you, Sion?”

That was the truth.

The Jeongjesa research was ultimately a deal I had offered to Sion. Jeongjesa for me, satisfaction of curiosity for Sion. But I couldn’t understand what he was hoping for with his current proposal.

Sion stared at me intently. His brilliant violet eyes blinked slowly.

“Well.”

Sion murmured and raised the corners of his mouth.

“Because I don’t want Lorea to get hurt?”

“…What?”

“You were too busy worrying about the Grand Duke to notice, I guess.”

Sion leaned forward and peered into my face.

“I was also stuck right by your side until Lorea woke up. I was really worried.”

“…”

“You didn’t know?”

Sion folded his gentle eyes and smiled brightly. Though his expression was playful, the words he spoke didn’t seem like a joke. His tone was light, but somehow I felt weight behind it.

“I told you, I like Lorea.”

He’s talking like this again.

‘Making the listener feel strange.’

Not knowing what to say, I kept my mouth tightly shut.

‘This is actually good for me.’

Even thinking rationally, there was no reason to refuse. If Sion was offering to help, what reason would I have to decline? If I could handle the power of purification, I could heal Carlos, care for sick people, and remove demonic energy. Everything I wanted would become possible. I would gain the power to perfectly oppose the Imperial Family without using tools like Jeongjesa.

“…Please help me.”

In the end, I spoke with a slightly trembling voice and nodded obediently.

“I’ll definitely repay this favor.”

At my whispered words, Sion smiled brightly again. His eyes curved like crescents.

“If you want to repay the favor, don’t get hurt. I was really upset when Lorea got hurt. It felt like this was dropping.”

Sion pointed at his chest area with his finger. I stared blankly at that finger and then nodded.

“…Yes. I’ll try.”

“I said don’t get hurt, not to try.”

“I’ll do my best.”

“Lorea doesn’t listen.”

“You shouldn’t make promises you don’t know if you can keep.”

“Lorea is just good with words.”

Sion stuck out his lips and answered sulkily.

But this is my best.

With so much to do ahead, I can’t make rash promises.

Sion, who had been looking me over with narrow eyes, suddenly stretched.

“Ah, that was tiring. I’m tired, so let’s sleep now.”

“What?”

Without giving me time to respond, Sion hugged me tightly. Then he rolled onto the bed just like that. My vision spun from the sudden movement.

“S-Sion?”

What are you doing all of a sudden!

Whether I was flustered or not, Sion closed his eyes tightly while holding me in his arms.

“Don’t kick me out. I worked really hard to find this.”

“No, that’s not the point…”

“I stayed up for days searching through old books to find records of Purifiers. My eyes hurt. My back hurts too.”

He spoke as if complaining, then hugged me even tighter with his small body.

It was warm.

“Lorea should sleep again too. There’s no one to disturb us now.”

By disturber, does he mean Demian?

After saying that, Sion soon became quiet. His breathing settled into an even rhythm as if he had really fallen asleep. I couldn’t tell if he was pretending to sleep or actually sleeping.

I looked up at the ceiling while being held in Sion’s arms. I couldn’t fall asleep right away.

‘Purifier.’

A being that appeared after 500 years.

Could I really be such an amazing existence?

Even knowing that Sion’s words couldn’t be wrong, I couldn’t be confident hastily. It was more accurate to say I didn’t trust myself.

My thoughts led to more thoughts. I felt both excited and anxious.

‘It’ll be okay.’

I quickly shook my head and clenched my fists.

Because Sion said it would be okay.

The body temperature of the small boy holding me was warm. I could hear his heartbeat. A regular, steady rhythm. Strangely, listening to that sound calmed my heart a little.

‘I can do it.’

I closed my eyes tightly.

And Sion and I really slept the entire time until Demian came back a few hours later, kicked down the door, and separated us with his shouting.

* * *

Right now, I was standing in front of Carlos’s study.

I kept raising and lowering my hand. I had already been pacing in front of the door for several minutes.

‘Should I just go back?’

That thought crossed my mind. But I didn’t want to continue this awkward situation. I gathered my courage and knocked.

Knock, knock.

“…Come in.”

It was a voice I hadn’t heard in days.

Even after hearing his response, I hesitated for a long time before taking a deep breath and opening the door to go inside.

Carlos was sitting at his desk looking at documents. When he saw me, he stopped what he was doing.

“….”

“….”

An awkward silence flowed as neither of us spoke first.

In the end, I was the one who opened my mouth first.

“…I’m sorry for making you worry.”

I raised my head to look at Carlos. His expression was strangely stiff. He stared at me blankly, then ran a hand over his face.

‘I apologized, so why does he have that expression again?’

I didn’t want Carlos to be angry with me anymore.

Of course, I didn’t expect him to treat me kindly, but at some point, receiving Carlos’s cold gaze began to hurt like my heart was being stabbed.

Not knowing what to say, I just watched his mood while fidgeting with my fingers, when Carlos let out a deep sigh.

“…I’m not angry with you, Princess.”

“…What?”

It was an unexpected statement.

“I’m not angry, but….”

Carlos trailed off. He exhaled a sigh.

“I was worried.”

Carlos looked out the window. He spoke without looking at me.

“When you would wake up, if you would wake up at all.”

While his low voice continued, I couldn’t think of anything.

I thought he was angry. I thought that’s why he was avoiding me.

But it was worry?

Carlos was worried about me.

Those words sounded truly strange to me.

He turned his head to look at me again.

“So don’t act recklessly next time. When reports come in, wait. Don’t run off alone.”

The moment I saw his red eyes looking straight at me, I snapped back to reality as if waking from a dream.

“But… you tried to protect me too, Duke. When we were returning from the Eastern Temple.”

Suddenly, memories of that day came flooding back. Carlos had definitely risked his life trying to protect me against dozens of assassins. If I hadn’t called Sion, he surely would have died.

“It’s the same for me.”

I gripped the hem of my dress tightly.

“I just wanted to protect the Duke and the things precious to you too.”

The Dukedom. Demian. The people here. The things I wanted to protect. The things I had destroyed with my own hands in my previous life.

Carlos had an indescribable expression. Complex and unknowable emotions flickered in his eyes. After staring at me like that for a long time, he opened his mouth.

“Then protect yourself, Princess.”

“…What?”

Carlos looked straight at me.

“That’s what you need to do, Princess.”

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