Thought It Was ‘The End’, Only to Return to a Changed Genre - Chapter 23

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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 5. The Female Lead is Dangerous (3)

The drinking session that replaced the reception continued late into the night.

“Do you know how! Sorry I am!”

“Uh, yeah, I’m sorry.”

Drunken rambling was difficult even when done by an angel.

“Why are you like this, why….”

“….”

“Please help me, if you just say the word….”

“….”

“I’ll do anything….”

I tried never to see you two again for the rest of my life.

That’s the only way I can survive.

Actually, I’m still anxious even now. Not knowing when the nightmare will start again.

‘I hate this too….’

I didn’t want to create secrets or anything like that.

I wanted to be the kind of person who could punch Shane once and send him off refreshingly if he ever betrayed me.

Until then, I wanted to get along well without unnecessarily wounding my heart.

I wanted to support Saint Genevieve from the side as she worked hard alone without family.

How wonderful it would have been if I could watch the two of them laugh happily while saying, “Oh right, you and I were once engaged,” and laugh and chat about it.

But more than all those wishes, my desire to live was greater.

‘Ah, this is alcohol.’

No wonder I was feeling sentimental….

Edelaine, who was holding Saint Genevieve’s wine glass instead of the teacup Shane had brewed for her, slowly closed and opened her eyes. This is why you shouldn’t drink when you’re depressed.

“If you’re having a hard time, come here….”

“Sorry, Saint Genevieve.”

“I’m not trying to seduce you….”

Saint Genevieve’s forehead eventually fell onto the table with a thud. Edelaine couldn’t resist the drowsiness that washed over her either.

She wasn’t particularly weak with alcohol, but she must have been tired.

‘That makes sense. It’s been chaos since dawn.’

Though they had a drinking session instead of a wedding night, Edelaine was a bride who had gotten married today.

As Shane said, she had barely slept and had been tense the entire time. She seemed to have reached her physical limits much more than she had thought.

She hadn’t even washed yet. She wanted to brush her teeth too, and if she slept sitting up like this, she’d be all swollen. Tomorrow she’d regret it when her shoulders and back hurt….

‘Ah, I don’t know.’

Edelaine closed her eyes.

However, not long after falling asleep, she woke up to the sensation of her body swaying. Her body, which had been swaying as if someone had put her on a small boat, settled onto a soft cloud. Damn, this mattress must be really high-quality….

‘Mattress? Bed?’

It wasn’t Lloyd. If he had found Edelaine asleep, he would have covered her with a blanket instead of carrying her.

As if noticing that Edelaine had woken up, Shane’s voice came from a little distance away.

“Just sleep.”

Warm lips touched her forehead and then withdrew. It was a tender kiss.

Edelaine wanted to get up and say she would go to her own bedroom, but her arms and legs were as heavy as if lead weights were attached to them. A low chuckle fell over Edelaine’s head as she frowned.

Keep getting angry, keep cursing me as a bad woman.

Why are you being so gentle?

Even after kidnapping me, barely pressing my earlobe just enough not to hurt.

The spot next to her sank under someone’s weight. Edelaine noticed a firm arm sliding under her weakened neck and squirmed.

“Go away….”

“I won’t do anything.”

“….”

“I’ll just hold you while we sleep.”

Shane kissed Edelaine’s cheek once more. Edelaine opened her eyes with difficulty.

She had to lift her head to barely see his chin. But even that was pressed against his chest as a large palm firmly pressed the back of her head.

The sleep she hadn’t fully shaken off pressed heavily on her eyelids. When you’re drowsy and embrace something warm and solid, it naturally brings a sense of security.

“You can’t escape anyway, Edelaine.”

“Ugh….”

“Just give up and sleep. If you don’t sleep now, you’ll have a fever tomorrow.”

She already seemed to have a fever. With both alcohol and fever, it wasn’t her fault that she couldn’t overcome the drowsiness.

Actually, she was a little tired.

Emma had cried a lot. Though she had cried often for ten days, she had really cried a lot since this morning. Saying, “It’s like a dream to see you getting married.”

Gregory’s eyes were also red, and Patrick repeatedly urged her to speak up without hesitation if she needed anything.

Jeff said he would contact her often through Lloyd and repeated “You’re really beautiful” several times.

Edelaine found it hard to endure all of this.

This was all because of Shane.

Even knowing it wasn’t Shane’s fault, she couldn’t help but resent him.

“I really, hate you, Shane….”

“I know.”

“I hate you….”

The last words were almost swallowed into her throat. Edelaine felt the arm holding her head tighten as she closed her eyes.

I hate you. You.

That’s why I can’t let you go. Even if you cry.

A softly whispering voice scattered by her ear.

She didn’t have nightmares.

***

Edelaine was the type who didn’t have memory gaps.

As usual when waking up from being drunk, Edelaine woke up instantly as if someone had slapped her cheek and traced her memories.

She was ashamed that she had shown her vulnerable side in front of Shane of all people. She groaned and pressed her eyes firmly with both hands.

“That’s why I told you not to drink.”

“I didn’t know it was alcohol either….”

This old man’s voice is my voice. Edelaine was amazed. I’ve transcended not just age but gender too.

“Here, water.”

She struggled to sit up and took the water glass Shane offered.

Having slept without even washing her face, she must look terrible. Her hair, which had been full of pins, was disheveled and messy, and the house dress she had changed into as soon as they returned to the manor was wrinkled.

In contrast, Shane had already changed into clean clothes and his face was clean. The male lead’s beauty remains steadfast today too.

Though she had no desire to look pretty, she couldn’t help but be bothered by his persistent staring.

“What are you looking at like that?”

“Because you’re pretty.”

“…You really have weird taste….”

“I know. It’s not just my taste that’s weird.”

It felt strange that he readily agreed that he was weird.

Right. A person who marries for revenge isn’t normal. Edelaine convinced herself. It was surprising that he knew that about himself.

“What about Saint Genevieve? Prince Edwin went back, right?”

“Prince Edwin left at dawn before you got drunk. Saint Genevieve is… probably still sleeping.”

“Don’t tell me you left her in the dining room like that?!”

“I haven’t checked, so I don’t know.”

“How could you! It was cold at dawn, what if she catches a cold! Ah, really. I need to go wake her up.”

“Wash your face first.”

Edelaine hesitated. Wiping the corner of her mouth with her wrist was an instinctive action. Shane smiled prettily and said.

“You’re pretty even when you drool.”

“….”

Should I hit him.

***

I washed my face and changed my clothes. Just as I was tidying up my appearance after barely managing to chase Shane away, Genevieve knocked.

“I think I need to leave before breakfast, so I came to say goodbye.”

Fortunately, she looked well-rested. She said she didn’t just sleep where she was, but someone woke her up and she slept in the guest room.

Genevieve must also be the type who doesn’t black out, as she awkwardly avoided eye contact.

‘It’s like the day after a company dinner…’

My colleague who acted like we were lifelong friends during every company dinner would look at me with exactly that face, gauging the mood once the alcohol wore off.

“Ha, haha, Lady Edelaine. Did, did you sleep well…?”

“Yeah. Did you sleep well? Does your head hurt?”

“Oh, I don’t have a hangover.”

Our female lead has become a drinker…

“I drink with my husband often too.”

And she’s become a married woman too…

Edelaine felt like she was watching the married life of an idol she used to fan over in school. That feeling when you hear news that an idol who seemed like a complete stranger but felt like someone you raised had gotten married and even had children.

“Congratulations on your marriage. I’m sorry I couldn’t stop it.”

“What’s that supposed to mean, which part?”

Edelaine burst into laughter.

Genevieve, who had been gauging the mood, grinned and laughed along.

Edelaine, who roughly knew about Genevieve’s upbringing, really hated seeing her read the room. No matter how much she told her that she was the protagonist of this world so she didn’t need to worry about others’ moods anymore, Genevieve had a habit of gauging the other person’s feelings before speaking.

“I mean both sincerely. I’m sorry because Lady Edelaine hated marriage, but I’m happy that Lady Edelaine returned to Delmez.”

“I’m also happy to see you again, Genevieve.”

Meeting Shane again was obviously not happy. Genevieve said.

“Please accept this, Lady Edelaine. It’s a bracelet. I blessed it myself.”

“You didn’t have to get me something like this…”

Edelaine thought of health bracelets sold at tourist spots as she received the bracelet Genevieve handed her. It was a bracelet made of gold thread as thin as string.

The price would be incomparable to those health bracelets… The bracelet with almost no weight felt burdensome.

Genevieve lowered her voice and whispered.

“I really don’t want to imagine it, but if something dangerous happens, you can call me by breaking this bracelet. Somehow… I’ll definitely save you at least once.”

Genevieve was quite solemn.

The role of ‘Edelaine’ in the novel was to awaken the female protagonist through death. For that purpose, the world wanted Edelaine to die, and even though she didn’t die, she thought they let her go because she had fulfilled that role to some extent.

Moving far away from the protagonists’ side was probably also a reason for her liberation. Because they were in a relationship that couldn’t be together.

It was unavoidable if she wanted to extend her life.

But because of that, she ended up burdening Genevieve with guilt.

If things had flowed according to the novel, she would have definitely died, so she wouldn’t have had to witness the guilt of those left behind.

“No matter what happens. No matter how scary His Excellency is, definitely.”

“Mm-hmm. Okay… Thank you.”

Probably 90% of the dangerous situations Genevieve imagined would be related to Shane.

She couldn’t bring herself to say that crazy man was originally yours and changed the subject.

“Still, you’ll have some free time now. At least until the winter founding festival.”

“That’s right. Several business trips have already been canceled. I’m so excited!”

Genevieve’s face brightened considerably. Behind her face, I could see the house elf from a certain movie who said “Dobby is free!”

“I’m going to sleep all day! Even if my husband tries to wake me up, I won’t get up! I’ll cry if he wakes me up.”

“….”

The wish she spoke of with hope was too modest. Tears blurred my vision.

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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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