Thought It Was ‘The End’, Only to Return to a Changed Genre - Chapter 35

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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 7. Villains Are Originally (6)

“If the door doesn’t open within 10 minutes, I’m carrying you away.”

“….”

She was on the verge of dying from embarrassment.

“What am I, some kind of object?”

“It would’ve been better if you were an object.”

“….”

“At least if I locked you in a warehouse, you wouldn’t do dangerous things.”

“You’re really scary….”

Shane grinned wickedly. Edelaine couldn’t bring herself to laugh because she could feel he was serious.

Edwin said with his arms crossed.

“That’s what I told you. She’s locked herself in tight. She wouldn’t even open the door for me, so why would she come running out just because you call for her, Edelaine?”

“…You must be quite close with Genevieve, Your Highness.”

“We see each other often.”

Edwin shrugged his shoulders.

Edelaine studied Edwin’s face carefully. However, it was difficult to figure out the inner thoughts of a raccoon skilled at managing his expressions just by looking at him for a few seconds.

If he had romantic feelings for Genevieve, she thought he wouldn’t have let her marry a Knight Guard, but as always, you can never know what’s in someone’s heart.

As Edwin had confidently said, they probably were close.

Running over immediately upon hearing that Genevieve had been attacked was quite a significant sacrifice considering Edwin’s murderous schedule.

Thinking that he seemed to care for her quite attentively, Edelaine said.

“I’ll try calling one more time. If she still doesn’t open up, I’ll come again tomorrow.”

She spoke loudly on purpose so Genevieve could hear.

Edwin chuckled.

“You’re good at threatening, Edelaine. Who taught you that?”

“I learned from the person next to Your Highness.”

“How long have you been married? You must have had natural talent for it.”

“Bad habits are picked up quickly.”

Edelaine took a deep breath. Then she knocked on the door and shouted with force from her diaphragm.

“Genevieve, I know you’re in there!”

Somehow it came out sounding like a threat.

“I understand you don’t want to come out! But we’re not going to avoid each other for the rest of our lives!”

It sounded even more threatening.

“If you don’t open the door, I won’t eat! I’ll starve!”

Adding a threat that would only work on Shane, Edelaine gave up. Actually, it probably wouldn’t be very effective on Shane either. She’d be lucky if he didn’t lock her up and force a spoon into her mouth like on the day they reunited.

‘What am I even doing….’

She felt remorseful, realizing she was only bothering and tormenting a troubled child unnecessarily.

Genevieve had places to open her heart to besides Edelaine. She had her husband and Edwin too. Just because Genevieve was hurt by her didn’t mean she had to confide in her specifically.

That was a good thing.

Just as Edelaine was about to tell Shane they should head back for today, the door opened slightly. And through the crack, Genevieve’s small voice flowed out.

“That’s unfair, Lady Edelaine….”

“Can I come in? Genevieve.”

“…Yes.”

Edelaine grinned and firmly grasped Genevieve’s hand.

Edwin’s face full of betrayal was quite amusing.

***

Genevieve was in her nightgown.

This was the first time she’d seen Genevieve not wearing her religious robes since their reunion.

It was a voluminous dress-style that came down to her ankles, and it suited her disheveled platinum hair quite well.

Platinum hair similar to her own but with a much more brilliant luster.

Unlike ordinary green eyes, rare violet gem-like eyes.

In every aspect, Genevieve was Edelaine’s superior version.

After all, the villainess’s role was originally to make the protagonist stand out.

Comparisons were more effective when similar things were placed side by side rather than completely different ones.

Unlike the ‘Edelaine’ who had craved Shane’s love, Edelaine didn’t need to compete with Genevieve, so she didn’t dislike their similarities, but if she had been in a position to be compared, jealousy would have inevitably surged.

That was the structure that had been created.

Similar yet different, a counterpoint that stimulated inferiority complex.

“I… I just wasn’t feeling well.”

Genevieve said quietly.

“The accumulated fatigue just exploded. I didn’t want to say anything to anyone…. It wasn’t because I disliked you.”

“It wasn’t because you were disappointed in me?”

“….”

“Right, you were disappointed.”

Judging by how she pressed her lips together and lowered her head, that was the correct answer.

“Did I do something wrong?”

“….”

“Because I did it again after you told me never to do such things?”

“….”

“This time I wasn’t thinking of dying,”

“I told you not to!”

It was a surprisingly loud voice.

Edelaine stared at Genevieve with eyes wide as saucers. Genevieve glared at Edelaine with tears brimming in her violet eyes.

“I told you not to! I begged you not to!”

“Uh….”

Anyone watching would think she had really almost died.

Following Shane, then Emma, and now Genevieve. They were all acting as if Edelaine had narrowly escaped death, making her feel utterly embarrassed.

This must be karma.

“I can heal you without a single scar, but there’s always that one chance!”

“….”

“If His Excellency hadn’t been there, if we had been late, if that man hadn’t given up even with his wrist cut off, if there had been more people! You could have died!”

“Shane was right there with me, and I noticed first. It would have just been you instead of me.”

“I’m fine! I’m not being a Saint for show! I’ve already experienced attacks like that several times!”

“What?!”

“Do you know how amazing the goddess’s protection is? Even if I’m strangled or beaten up! I heal right away! I don’t even get hungry if I don’t eat for three or four days!”

“Are you calling that an argument?! By that logic, I’d heal quickly too if you treated me!”

“Are Lady Edelaine and I the same?!”

“What’s different!”

Edelaine huffed angrily.

“I told you I wasn’t thinking of dying! You’re there to heal me if I get hurt, Shane’s there to save me! I thought of everything even in that situation! Even if I hadn’t thought about it, my body would have moved!”

“Are you bragging about that right now?”

“What am I supposed to do about my body moving first!”

“….”

“I won’t throw my body away thinking it’s okay to die. I can promise I won’t do that, but I can’t promise anything else. I’ll probably do it again.”

“….”

“I’ll do the same thing.”

Edelaine lifted her chin and declared. Genevieve looked completely deflated. She couldn’t even remember why she had been crying.

“Shameless….”

“That’s just how I am.”

Having a thick face was one of Edelaine’s strengths.

How could one pull off fraudulent schemes without being quite shameless?

Without acting skills to back her up, surviving as a villainess would have been unthinkable.

Genevieve had the look of someone with much to say. However, she opened her mouth, then closed it wordlessly and let out a deep sigh.

“…Actually, I was angry at you too, Lady Edelaine. But I was much angrier at myself.”

“Really? Why?”

“That man must have been controlled by dark magic.”

“Oh… Dark, dark magic? Wow, I see…”

“You knew, didn’t you.”

“…”

Edelaine was the type who displayed her acting skills when she had a script.

She was quite vulnerable to surprise attacks.

“Even that morning, his eyes were kind. He wasn’t that type of person. If he had harbored even the slightest murderous intent, he wouldn’t have been able to hide it from His Grace’s eyes any better than I could. Then it would be obvious…”

“I… see…”

“Actually, I should have been able to dispel the dark magic too.”

“…”

“I should have been able to heal without even touching… The previous Saint could do it. But I can’t.”

“You will be able to, though?”

The answer that slipped out unconsciously sounded lighter than expected, surprising even Edelaine herself.

‘Even if I know the truth, this lacks too much gravity.’

She would seem like someone who couldn’t empathize with her concerns. Even if it was because she knew the fact that Genevieve was far more amazing.

Edelaine put all her effort into fabricating evidence.

“They said people controlled by dark magic can’t feel pain. But that guy screamed as soon as his wrist was cut off. He even tried to claim his innocence.”

“…Ah…”

“He might have been controlled during the attack, but he quickly came to his senses.”

“Then, then maybe it wasn’t dark magic after all.”

“What are you saying after you’re the one who said it was probably dark magic?”

“I could be wrong.”

“You’re probably right. I believe what you say.”

To be precise, she believed it because she knew the truth.

While she did trust Genevieve, the female lead Genevieve was an overpowered character with all sorts of buffs packed into one body.

Edelaine smiled broadly. She felt like a fraud, but she pushed her conscience aside for the moment.

Genevieve began to tear up.

“Lady Edelaine…”

“Yes?”

“How, how can you believe in me like that… When I can’t even believe in myself… When no one believes in me…”

Genevieve burst into tears and threw herself into Edelaine’s arms.

“Well, it’s because I know that our Genevieve is amazing.”

“Waahhh…”

“Oh my, your runny nose.”

Edelaine patted Genevieve’s shoulder to comfort her.

‘If this were a romance simulation game and Genevieve was a target character, this would have been an easy victory…’

She thought this must be how the valedictorian who got perfect scores by copying the answer key felt.

***

Genevieve cried in Edelaine’s arms while recalling old memories.

‘How can this person be exactly the same?’

Back then, and now too.

How can she possibly be this strong?

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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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