Thought It Was ‘The End’, Only to Return to a Changed Genre - Chapter 48

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

Chapter 10. Happiness is a Sandcastle (3)

 

Lucian lowered his head and whispered quietly.

 

“What’s your reason for not being able to smile now?”

 

Lucian, dressed impeccably, wore a black raven mask that covered half his face. Even with only his chin, lips, and cheekbones barely visible, the fact that he was a handsome man couldn’t be hidden, as glances kept drifting his way.

 

“Why did you come here?”

 

“Dalton Viscount’s masquerade ball is famous for various reasons.”

 

“Are you listening to me…”

 

“Famous for being debauched.”

 

“Wow, I’m leaving now.”

 

“You’re going to sneak back to the Imperial Palace alone? I don’t know if you can do that, but if you’re going, there’s nothing I can do. Have a safe trip.”

 

“You bastard…”

 

“Thanks for the compliment.”

 

Lucian smiled annoyingly.

 

“Even though you have no money, you’re good at throwing these debauched and extravagant parties. If you have money for this, pay back your debts instead.”

 

“Ah, did you come to collect money?”

 

“There’s nothing more effective for pressuring an unreliable debtor than showing your face in places they never expected.”

 

Lucian giggled in a way that made him look nasty.

 

Edelaine was certain that Lucian appearing before Dalton Viscount would be at his most private moment. For example, when he was doing something that couldn’t be shown to others.

 

“Then you didn’t need me at all…”

 

“Right. I’m spiteful, you see.”

 

“…”

 

“I thought I could get revenge for being trampled by military boots, but you stopped halfway through.”

 

Lucian tapped his cheek with his index finger. His cheek was smooth without a single scar.

 

“It couldn’t be helped. It got resolved.”

 

“You just threw me away as soon as I wasn’t needed. After using me for all sorts of background investigations.”

 

Edelaine had directly asked Lucian for help as a precaution for emergencies.

 

At that time, Edelaine had decided to catch and kill the mage. But she didn’t have proper means to kill him.

 

She had to prepare for all possibilities – if she became endangered by failing to kill the mage, if she had to kill him at a crucial moment, if she was confined by Shane, and so on.

 

In such cases, the only person who could extract her from Shane was Lucian.

 

That was true then, but with the mage gone, all those assumptions became unnecessary.

 

So she was just left with debt.

 

She was fully prepared for Lucian to demand some price soon.

 

‘But I never asked to be kidnapped from the Imperial Palace…’

 

Was it a good thing that she had become accustomed to not being surprised even if someone covered her mouth as soon as she entered her room? Everything was experience, they said, but she wanted to stop having this kind of experience.

 

Lucian said to repay part of the debt, and Edelaine stopped resisting, thinking of it as paying a penalty for canceling insurance.

 

“Now is not the time for this…”

 

“When and how I collect the debt is up to me, isn’t it? Do I have to consider the debtor’s circumstances too?”

 

“Now is the time to focus on recovering trust…”

 

“Trust? Whose?”

 

“Mine.”

 

“Give up.”

 

“…”

 

“You’re hoping for the impossible.”

 

Lucian laughed bitterly. Edelaine imagined how fun it would be to strike his face with the glass in her hand. Her resentment subsided a little.

 

By the way, would she be able to return before Shane came?

 

He had been really busy with work lately, only returning at dawn, but she couldn’t guarantee it would be the same today.

 

‘He might have already found out.’

 

She could hear the sound of her already rock-bottom trust level drilling through the ground and falling further.

 

Being kidnapped wasn’t her intention, but incurring the debt was, so she couldn’t blame only Lucian.

 

Secrets, whether big or small, create distance between people. Edelaine’s secret was the same. Trust wasn’t something lenient enough to be gained while hiding something.

 

‘Let’s tell him everything when I get home.’

 

Hiding things wasn’t suited to Edelaine’s nature in the first place.

 

She had barely managed it because she had no choice.

 

On the day Edelaine realized she was liberated, she tried to tell Shane everything right away. That she actually liked him too, that she had these circumstances and couldn’t help it…

 

She had no idea where to start explaining, but she believed that once she opened the floodgates, she could somehow convey it all.

 

Even if Shane didn’t believe her, even if he criticized her for talking nonsense, Edelaine had to speak.

 

Otherwise, she wouldn’t dare speak her true feelings.

 

However, whether fortunately or unfortunately, Shane was really busy and it was hard to even see his face.

 

If she hadn’t been staying at the Imperial Palace, it would have been difficult to see his face even briefly.

 

Edelaine spent most of her days with Genevieve, Emma who had entered the palace, or Empress Viola. Wherever she was with them, Shane would suddenly appear twice a day.

 

Each time, he hugged her as promised.

 

When he hugged her in front of Emma, she felt like she would die of embarrassment, but she somehow overcame it.

 

Since Emma had been happy about the marriage, she thought she would be pleased, but surprisingly, she chased Shane away with a disapproving expression.

 

On the other hand, Empress Viola was very surprised and firmly resolved to see a daughter-in-law before winter ended.

 

But even that was brief. He really just showed his face and left.

 

It seemed like he returned to the bedroom every day, but she had never actually seen his face. Only scattered memories remained of him stroking her hair or embracing her in her sleep.

 

She needed to see his face to confess everything.

 

‘This is why he said he didn’t want to work…’

 

Edwin didn’t let Shane escape alone.

 

The incident of the attempted assassination of the Saint wasn’t something that could be settled in just a few days.

 

It would have been better if the culprit had been from another country, but since it was a citizen of their own country, and moreover a key figure in the Church, far from being resolved, the matter was growing bigger day by day.

 

Fortunately, it wasn’t made public so the media was quiet, but everyone who needed to know knew about it.

 

The Pope, whether he really didn’t have much time left, couldn’t get out of bed at all, and other countries were also making fierce protests again, saying the Empire wasn’t properly protecting the Saint.

 

Shane Blancarde was the guardian who discovered and was protecting the Saint, so he inevitably became busy.

 

Since she was the one who convinced someone who didn’t want to do it, she couldn’t complain about why he was so busy.

 

Edelaine had no choice but to wait, postponing the day to confess the truth. Still, wanting to show it through actions, instead of pushing him away against her heart, she increased physical contact like hugging him first.

 

She hoped he would understand even a little from that, but somehow Shane’s expression grew darker the more she did this.

 

Far from being happy, he looked uncomfortable.

 

Finally, yesterday he didn’t even come to see her face.

 

How should she handle this situation where she had ended up running away from him again, just a few days after deciding to show it through actions…

 

“No matter what you do, that man will never trust you.”

 

“Don’t speak with such unnecessary confidence, it’s discouraging.”

 

When she spoke dejectedly, Lucian chuckled.

 

“If worst comes to worst, put it on credit. I’ll give you special consideration.”

 

“…You have such a talent for making curses sound sweet…”

 

He meant to tell him if she wanted to run away because things went wrong with Shane.

 

“Thanks to you, the Crown Prince is persistently clinging to me, so I’m thinking of gradually moving my base of operations.”

 

“Oh my…”

 

Edelaine looked at Lucian with sympathy.

 

“Since he can’t kill us all, he’s trying to swallow us whole. When that happens, I’ll take you and run too.”

 

Without going that far, it would be impossible to extract Edelaine from Shane and escape.

 

Edelaine realized that Lucian had prepared himself to some extent when he granted her request. It was fortunate it didn’t come to that, and it was also fortunate that the penalty ended at this level of spite.

 

“Then wait for me.”

 

“Come back quickly.”

 

She had to return as quickly as possible to have any hope.

 

As Lucian said, sneaking back to the Imperial Palace alone was impossible. She didn’t have a single penny.

 

‘Would it be better to say I was kidnapped and then escaped…’

 

That would be less troublesome for her, but it would be wrong to do to Lucian. This spite was repaying the debt she owed him, not being harmed by him.

 

The best option was to quietly return without being caught by anyone, and confess all her circumstances and secrets, including the fact that this outing was not of her own will.

 

Their past lives and the novel, their roles and the predetermined future.

 

Even the nightmares that had persistently haunted them.

 

What comes after is Shane’s responsibility.

 

She had steeled herself to accept it even if Shane grew tired of her.

 

Edelaine headed toward the table. Simple finger foods that could be easily eaten were prepared, but the area was quiet as no one seemed interested in the food. She thought she’d fill her stomach while waiting for Lucian.

 

The crow half-mask prepared as a pair with Lucian had an opening at the mouth, making it convenient for eating.

 

The black dress that revealed her shoulders would probably show everything if her belly protruded, but whatever. There was no one special to look good for anyway.

 

As she was clearing plates like someone at a buffet, she heard people murmuring.

 

‘Did Lucian cause some trouble?’

 

He should just quietly collect money… Edelaine chewed on a shrimp canapé while looking toward where people had gathered. And there she spotted someone who shouldn’t be there.

 

Edelaine swallowed her breath and quickly hid under the table.

 

‘Why is he here?!’

 

He was wearing a mask, but it was definitely Shane.

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