Thought It Was ‘The End’, Only to Return to a Changed Genre - Chapter 73

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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 14. Deceiving and Being Deceived (2)

Living as Lloyd had told her was completely comfortable.

Not only the bedroom, but no door in the single-story house was locked. The garden was spacious too. Only the unusually high iron gate was firmly locked.

Without servants, she had to do some household chores herself, but when she lived alone with Lloyd, they originally handled everything together. As Lloyd grew up, he took on most of the housework, but actually Edelaine was faster and more efficient when she did it herself.

‘He was so stubborn about it being his job that I let him handle it, but…’

This way was much more comfortable for Edelaine. She had already lived five years apart from a noble lifestyle. Having someone attend to her was convenient, but it made her heart equally uncomfortable.

However, what gave her chills was that the furniture, the material and color of the curtains, even the patterns and combinations of the wallpaper were all arranged according to Edelaine’s taste.

Whether Emma had arranged it or Shane had arranged it, if they had figured her out this thoroughly, it would be terrifying.

‘Lloyd said he hadn’t known about this place for long, so he wouldn’t have sought separate advice either.’

How on earth did he match everything without a single jarring element? He even made the furniture arrangement and color combinations similar to the single-story house where she lived with Lloyd, making it feel like the same place. Does he perhaps know? Does he know everything? Where and how I lived…

‘How much has been discovered…’

Edelaine held her head.

“Do you need anything else?”

Lloyd asked, holding a notepad. Edelaine glared at him hatefully.

“You have a good memory, so why are you carrying around a notepad all of a sudden?”

“I thought I’d try writing a guard diary.”

Lloyd answered seriously without a trace of playfulness.

“Since I’ve become both your servant and your husband’s guard, shouldn’t I show some sincerity?”

“I know you two don’t get along.”

“I never said we got along well. I just decided to cooperate with that person, so I’m showing the appropriate attitude.”

“…”

“You can call me a traitor if you want.”

“…”

Edelaine walked to the single-seat sofa placed in front of the window and slowly sat down. Even the elasticity of the cushion was chillingly to her taste.

Shane’s words about being able to tell by looking came to mind anew. What he had been ‘seeing’ wasn’t just the shallow surface. Edelaine rested her chin on the sofa’s armrest and stared intently at her servant.

“Lloyd.”

“Yes.”

“There’s one thing I want from you.”

“Not to betray you?”

“No.”

“What do you mean? You want me to stay by your side even if I betray you?”

“I promised I would never abandon you, but I never asked you not to abandon me.”

“What are you talking about? Speak so I can understand. You usually speak simply enough.”

“Don’t get angry.”

“How can I not get angry? It’s basically saying you’d keep a traitor by your side!”

“Why does it sound like that?”

“My lady.”

“I just wish you wouldn’t worry about me so much.”

“…”

“That’s all.”

Setting aside the other protagonists, when it came to Lloyd, that was everything.

Even without the nightmare reminding her “You are an impurity,” she had asked herself dozens, hundreds of times. Whether she really belonged here, whether her existence was ruining everything.

Especially with Lloyd, since she had brought him directly, she arbitrarily thought she was responsible for ensuring his life didn’t become unhappy.

Of course, she was too busy taking care of herself to consider him as much as she thought she should… but her heart was in that place.

But feelings were useless if they weren’t conveyed.

“What is that supposed to mean?”

This time too, Edelaine seemed to have failed at choosing her words. At least she had definitely mistimed it. Hearing the voice tinged with surging emotion made her vision go dark. Edelaine sighed softly and covered her eyes with her hand.

Maybe I should just cut off my tongue…

“If you’re angry, say you’re angry. Don’t pretend to be calm as if nothing happened!”

“…”

“Are you trying to cut me off because I didn’t follow your wishes? Is that what this is?!”

“I said no…”

“Then what is it?”

“Calm down, Lloyd.”

“Do I look like I can calm down right now?! You nearly died from poison, and somehow you knew someone would try to poison you but instead of being careful, you went around completely oblivious! You readily ate whatever was given to you, and left the antidote with someone else!”

“What do you mean someone else!”

She had been listening quietly since she was in the wrong, but he was going too far. Edelaine raised her voice angrily.

“How are we strangers! Why would I entrust my life to a stranger!”

“…”

“I entrusted it to you because it’s you! And it worked out well!”

Lloyd bit his lips tightly. Edelaine, who had given in to her surging emotions, finally came to her senses seeing his face.

Normally she wouldn’t have acted like this. She could have handled it more calmly, but being in an unstable state made it hard to control her emotions.

“When I said not to worry, I didn’t mean anything else… I meant that whatever you do, I would never dislike you, so don’t worry unnecessarily. I meant you could take me more for granted.”

“…”

“Lloyd, I’m sorry.”

Lloyd just glared at her silently for a long time. When he finally sighed, Edelaine knew his anger had subsided.

“…You know that’s really unfair, right?”

“I know.”

In the end, it was that smiling face that made him unable to hate her.

Lloyd was still angry that Edelaine had entrusted her life to just that one person. Most of the time he was by her side, but human affairs could never be one hundred percent certain.

At least when life was at stake, not even one percent of uncertainty should be tolerated. She should have been fully prepared. He wanted her to do that, and he was angry that she didn’t…

He couldn’t continue being angry at that relaxed face.

She really was an unfair person.

He couldn’t understand at all how she could trust someone like him with her life.

Was that what it meant to be broad-minded?

In the end, ‘being broad-minded’ and ‘being simple and trusting people easily’ were separated by a hair’s breadth. It was just a matter of whether luck was good or bad.

“If you know, then reflect on it.”

“I will. I’ll do it, so give me a hug.”

“No. Don’t take advantage of the moment to act like it’s natural.”

“I just want to hug my little brother, what’s wrong with that…”

“…”

“Ah, fine. Don’t get angry. I won’t do it.”

Lloyd sighed deeply.

“I’m in a position to serve you, and though I don’t like it, since you entrusted the antidote to me, I’ll let my anger go at this point, but you should know that other people won’t be the same.”

“It’s not easy…”

“What can you do when those people are your family?”

When she entrusted the antidote to Lloyd, she didn’t know he would be hurt.

Edelaine had experienced too many deaths in her dreams, making her numb to her own death.

If there was such a thing as death experience points, no one could match Edelaine, including her previous life.

Having died countless times to people controlled by mages, she couldn’t even feel tense over a mere assassination attempt. Honestly, her only thought was “Just this? Is this all?”

She didn’t even feel the crisis of nearly dying.

She was confident she wouldn’t die from just that much.

This situation of being caught having prepared for it in advance was more serious than the unsuccessful assassination attempt.

‘Why do they always lock me up?’

Am I some kind of beast?

Edelaine temporarily forgot that her fraud and escape, which had greatly backstabbed them, was the cause of all this trouble, and grumbled inwardly. But to capture prey trying to escape, there was no answer but capture.

The next visitor was Marchioness Bertrand, her mother Emma.

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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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