Thought It Was ‘The End’, Only to Return to a Changed Genre - Chapter 59

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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 11. The Villainess Has Grit (8)

 

To be honest, she hadn’t intended to save him.

 

The man leaning back on the sofa as if lying down, running his fingers through his blonde hair, reeked of trash.

 

His shirt was unbuttoned so low his navel was almost visible, red lipstick marks stamped on his neck and collarbone, and his tired expression was decadent.

 

Prince Edwin was one of the men who loved the female protagonist Saint Genevieve. The playboy sub-male lead would reform his ways after falling in love with the female protagonist and enter into devoted one-sided love, but generally such love bore no fruit.

 

‘It’s the right ending.’

 

Who would immediately believe a playboy’s heart when he claims to be sincere?

 

He had to suffer heartache watching the female lead date the male lead, cry while reflecting on his mistakes, and sometimes become a fool who gave without expecting anything in return when the female lead was struggling, and only then!

 

Would he earn the right to love again. Not the right to be paired with the female lead.

 

Edelaine thought that playboy sub-male leads were just trash, despite being called sub-male leads.

 

Whether the female lead was dating, in love with, or even married to the male lead, the sub-male lead would silently express his love regardless. Of course, there were many exceptions. There were far more pure and self-sacrificing sub-male leads, which is why many people supported them.

 

But personally, she thought playboy sub-male leads were a bit much.

 

After thoroughly toying with women’s hearts, now you’re being faithful?

 

‘Isn’t that just as shameless as a female lead dating a male lead who has a fiancée?’

 

As long as you’re on the female lead’s side, you can be hypocritical…

 

Because of such feelings, she had no favorable impression of Edwin from the start.

 

Seeing him meet with this woman and that woman, claiming there would be no consequences, she thought he’d get stabbed to death eventually, so she gave him a word or two of advice…

 

Now Saint Genevieve had become a female lead without a male lead, but he couldn’t even date her, let alone marry her. Since he wasn’t even involved with Saint Genevieve, what relationship could there be anymore?

 

Edelaine had no interest whatsoever in how many lovers Edwin had or how much he fooled around. What more would come of meddling in other people’s romantic affairs than getting kicked by a horse’s hoof?

 

Edwin was someone who took good care of his own path, and even without being told, he wasn’t the type to live at a loss, so she had planned to leave him alone.

 

According to the dream, today he was scheduled to be stabbed by a longtime lover and lose consciousness, but she hadn’t intended to worry about that either.

 

Though he wouldn’t open his eyes for about ten days, there was no danger to his life and thanks to Saint Genevieve, his wounds would heal safely.

 

She even thought it was light punishment for karma.

 

If she hadn’t seen Edwin sneaking out on her way to the bathroom, she would have left him alone.

 

If only she hadn’t seen him standing side by side with Viola.

 

‘Though I nearly died of exhaustion chasing after them.’

 

Her stamina was so depleted that she considered giving up dozens of times along the way.

 

Still, she wanted to praise herself for somehow enduring through sheer grit.

 

‘If I put him in my debt, I might be able to ask for help in the future. It also lowers the possibility of him falling for some unknown woman and trying to kill me.’

 

Originally, you needed grit to be a villainess.

 

The persistence to continuously commit evil acts for love even when the whole world hated and opposed you was, in some ways, no less than that of a sports manga protagonist.

 

“How did you know to come here? Edelaine.”

 

“Did you forget already? You told me before.”

 

“Did I…?”

 

She had never told him.

 

“That’s why I said you’d get stabbed someday. This is what happens when you go around meeting this woman and that woman.”

 

“Are you worried about me?”

 

“I’m being pathetic toward you.”

 

“I may look like this, but I’m confident I’d be devoted if I truly loved someone.”

 

Edelaine unconsciously snorted.

 

“Then try catching anyone. There are plenty around.”

 

“It’s no fun if they come to hand easily.”

 

“You mean you can only love if it’s not easy?”

 

“I’m not Shane or Saint Genevieve.”

 

“…”

 

“I don’t know what I need to do or how to love someone…”

 

What’s with this sentimental worry…

 

‘Is it pre-marriage blues?’

 

His marriage partner wasn’t even decided yet, but he was digging himself into an emotional hole alone. It was a rarely seen dejected appearance.

 

“Hating is easy though.”

 

While thinking he looked pathetic, for the first time Edwin seemed human to her.

 

Like a big middle schooler.

 

She had thought of him as a sadist who liked tormenting people, a playboy trash with no sense of chastity, and a schemer who would use any means for his goals, but he had cute aspects too.

 

“What kind of not-easy person do you like? Couldn’t you start from there?”

 

“A friend’s wife would be not easy enough.”

 

“…”

 

“Your eyes look insolent, Edelaine.”

 

“I shouldn’t have saved you. I should have just let you get stabbed.”

 

She was so relieved that Saint Genevieve hadn’t picked up this kind of trash.

 

“Love that starts like this could exist too.”

 

“No such thing.”

 

“Seeing how Shane and Saint Genevieve love you, I feel like I could do it too. Those two people who love you looked happy.”

 

Edwin grabbed Edelaine’s wrist. It was hard to find any playfulness in Edwin, who wore an expression she’d never seen before.

 

‘This bastard has lost his mind!’

 

Could it be that playboy sub-male leads have some kind of fate where they can only have unhappy romances?

 

Do they lose their appetite when they see someone who seems like they’d be unhappy if loved?

 

Edelaine tried to stay calm.

 

She had just managed to calm down the male lead who had become an obsessive villain, and in this situation where she needed to find the real hidden villain, she had to prevent even the sub-male lead from charging at her with his unhappiness button pressed.

 

“Listen carefully, Your Highness Edwin. You must be confused right now.”

 

“I’m perfectly normal.”

 

Edwin looked like a living nightmare. It was clearly reality, but why did it feel like dreaming?

 

“First, let go of my hand.”

 

“I don’t want to.”

 

I shouldn’t have saved him! I shouldn’t have come! It wasn’t meddling!

 

“Even if married, there’s no law against having affairs.”

 

Edelaine said nothing. What kind of polite curse should she pour on this trash?

 

“Crudely speaking, wives won’t say anything about an affair or two.”

 

Someone’s voice cut through between them.

 

Edwin and Edelaine met eyes and fell silent.

 

“…”

 

“…”

 

The voice came from outside the door.

 

***

 

Shane looked down at the woman blocking his path.

 

She was a woman he’d never seen before.

 

Even without interest, he never forgot faces he’d seen once, so she probably wasn’t a noble from Greenwinsor. She seemed to be one of the invited guests who arrived today.

 

He had followed Edelaine, who said she was going to the bathroom but never returned no matter how long he waited.

 

Though the path Edelaine had taken led to no bathroom, as if she had turned down a different route along the way.

 

He had come to fetch her, thinking she might have gotten lost.

 

“Just one night is all I need, okay?”

 

“…”

 

“As long as we don’t get caught.”

 

Shane just listened quietly.

 

Not because what the woman was saying made sense, but because he knew Edelaine was beyond the wall. He was worried that causing a commotion might interfere with whatever Edelaine was trying to do.

 

Perhaps gaining hope from his reaction, the woman stepped closer and placed her hand on Shane’s chest.

 

“I fell for you the moment I first saw you. You’re really so handsome, kyaa!”

 

“Where do you think you’re touching?”

 

“What, what….”

 

“Disgusting.”

 

Shane struck the woman’s hand with a sharp slap and pulled out a handkerchief to wipe his own hand.

 

It was as if he had touched filthy waste.

 

The woman’s face turned bright red with humiliation as she shouted.

 

“Did you just hit a woman?!”

 

“Is there some problem with that?”

 

Shane let out a sigh.

 

“There was no need to hit me! You, you act so tenderly toward your wife!”

 

“You’re not my Edelaine.”

 

“….”

 

“Moreover, we don’t even know each other. There’s no reason I should forgive unpleasant behavior just because you’re a woman.”

 

“What kind of person are you…?!”

 

Shane didn’t even bat an eye at the shocked woman’s accusations.

 

What words could possibly get through to a woman who came here as a crown princess candidate yet demanded a night with a married man as if she were about to strip?

 

“You picked the wrong target, miss. This one’s a famous mad dog.”

 

Edwin, who had come outside at some point, wrapped his arm around the woman’s shoulder and pulled her toward himself as he spoke.

 

“Shane, the violence was excessive.”

 

“I merely pushed her away. It was self-defense.”

 

“Edelaine wouldn’t get angry just because someone barely touched her hand. Right, Edelaine?”

 

“…Well, that’s right….”

 

Edelaine, who had come out with them, felt confused about what expression to make toward the woman who was gaping at her.

 

She already looked too pitiful to be angry at.

 

Had she looked like that five years ago too?

 

Whenever I said ‘Shane is kind,’ I couldn’t understand why the people around me would sneer so coldly. Now I think I understand their reaction.

 

Edelaine had actually thought to some extent that Shane had turned dark after her death.

 

In the past, I thought he was really kind but people misunderstood him, which made me feel sorry. After all, no matter what Edelaine did, Shane never got angry and always just smiled prettily at her.

 

‘But if he didn’t change and originally treated everyone like that.’

 

My words about Shane being kind would have inevitably sounded like nonsense.

 

“That man bites everyone who isn’t his master, so it’s better not to approach him.”

 

“Don’t treat someone else’s husband like a dog, Your Highness….”

 

Shane, who had been expressionless, smiled brightly like a blooming flower toward Edelaine standing next to Edwin.

 

See, look at that. He’s telling you with his whole body that you’re special.

 

Edelaine covered her mouth with her hand to hide the twitching corners of her lips.

 

“Are you done with your business? Edelaine.”

 

“Yeah….”

 

“I waited obediently. You can praise me for it.”

 

Shane lowered his head and leaned his face close, acting spoiled.

 

‘If I find this cute, then I’m done for too….’

 

She was already done for.

 

So I mustn’t lose. No matter how much the nightmares torment me, I must overcome them, find and kill the mage, and seize a future where I can live by your side….

 

Edelaine made this resolution.

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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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