Thought It Was ‘The End’, Only to Return to a Changed Genre - Chapter 90

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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 16. A Blade at the Throat (6)

Could it be that she was already dead and dreaming?

It took only a few seconds for Edelaine, who had been blinking blankly for a moment, to understand the situation.

The sword that would have taken Edelaine’s life if it had been even a little later fell to the wooden plank floor, followed by a heavy body collapsing at her feet.

Edelaine gasped for breath as she watched the blood flowing from the man’s body seep between the planks. If Shane hadn’t appeared just in time, it would have been her lying there instead of that man.

Like so many nightmares.

The man was still breathing. Though it wasn’t right to say this when he had nearly killed her, she hoped the person caught up with the mage wouldn’t die.

Edelaine barely managed to clear her throat and make a sound.

Contrary to her hope of sounding composed, her voice came out quite wet with emotion.

“Is it really… Shane?”

“Then who else would I look like?”

His flat voice still seemed angry.

At any other time, he would have immediately embraced her.

But Shane kept his distance and didn’t even extend his hand to her.

Still, he came. Edelaine pressed down hard to hold back the tears that threatened to come. At least she had avoided dying here and never seeing him again after fighting like dogs, so that alone was fortunate.

Just his coming was enough; nothing else mattered.

Genevieve had said Shane would naturally come, but she didn’t know that she and he had fought.

Edelaine thought he had finally grown tired of her and his patience had run out.

“Shane, ugh!”

As she tried to run to him, someone grabbed her arm. At the same time, a sharp blade touched her neck.

It was Harrison’s sword.

“Don’t move.”

Using formal speech now won’t help… Edelaine only rolled her eyes to look behind her. She could see half of Harrison’s face, rigid with tension.

“I’ll cut you if you make a wrong move.”

You’re planning to cut me even if I don’t make a wrong move…

“I also know, Your Grace, that I cannot face you. I know I don’t have the skill to dare challenge you as an opponent.”

It was a difference of mere seconds.

Shane had discovered Harrison immediately after bringing down the man who tried to kill Edelaine, and tried to kill him right away.

Harrison was only able to get behind her because he was very close to Edelaine, but if he had been even a little late, his throat would have already been pierced by Shane’s sword. That was why he hadn’t extended his hand to Edelaine.

“But I can kill your wife before you kill me.”

“Don’t be insolent, Harrison.”

“Don’t move! Right now…”

Harrison’s breath against her ear was rough. The grip holding both her arms twisted behind her back was also tight with force, showing how tense he was.

Damn, his breath is disgusting.

Filthy adulterous bastard.

She tried to turn her head, but even the slightest movement would make the blade dig into the skin of her neck. Harrison shouted loudly.

“Release Kaitlyn immediately!”

“So that woman’s name was Kaitlyn.”

Shane laughed coldly.

“I thought I killed her. Who would have thought she was fake. Quite a cute little trick.”

“Damn it, I said get away from her right now!”

Harrison’s excited arm trembled, making the blade touch and leave her neck repeatedly. The pain of cut flesh couldn’t even be called painful compared to being beaten like a dog, but the sensation that she might die if something went wrong tightened inside her throat.

Then Harrison adjusted his position, almost lifting Edelaine halfway up. Only then could Edelaine see the situation beyond Shane’s shoulder.

The first person to catch her eye was Genevieve.

Genevieve was sitting collapsed on the floor, with Edwin supporting her shoulders.

Both were looking toward Edelaine with expressions full of tension.

And a little distance away from them, Kaitlyn was kneeling. A blade was touching her neck just like Edelaine’s. It was a blackened dagger.

The moment she saw the face of the person holding the dagger, Edelaine unconsciously leaned forward.

The knife touched her neck and dug into her flesh, but she couldn’t bear it. Edelaine burst into tears and cried out.

“Lloyd!”

The person aiming at Kaitlyn’s neck was Lloyd.

Lloyd only rolled his eyes to look at Edelaine. Their eyes met. Tears burst forth so she couldn’t see properly, but she could tell he was safe. He looked fine, just a bit pale. Edelaine sobbed.

“I thought you were al-alive…”

“Don’t move unnecessarily.”

Even his cold and composed voice was welcome. She had been afraid she might never hear Lloyd’s voice again.

“You’re getting a wound on your neck. Stay still.”

“O-okay.”

His voice coldly advised, cutting off any overwhelming emotion.

And then he pressed the blade firmly against the neck of the woman he was holding, wounding her too. As Kaitlyn gritted her teeth, Lloyd said.

“If my master gets hurt, this woman will be hurt the same way. So stay quiet.”

Am I the one being threatened? She was naturally impressed by his threat. Even though she didn’t care about the mage’s welfare after fighting hand-to-hand just moments ago, Lloyd spoke as if she would care about the mage’s life.

“If you kill Kaitlyn, your precious master dies too!”

Harrison growled.

Even Kaitlyn seemed to be looking at him with surprised eyes.

Harrison had known from the beginning that what Kaitlyn was trying to do was no different from hitting a rock with an egg.

The difference in power was so great they couldn’t compete, like an empire versus a kingdom.

If Harrison hadn’t been able to hide his identity to the end, if he hadn’t been able to perfectly deceive Genevieve, Kaitlyn wouldn’t have even gotten this opportunity. They wouldn’t have been able to kidnap Edelaine, whom they were protecting.

He knew.

Harrison’s original purpose was to trade the lives of the Blancarde Duchess and Genevieve to save Kaitlyn. If possible, he also wanted to secure a promise of safety for the Kingdom of Brubewinn.

But now he wasn’t sure if he could even save Kaitlyn’s life.

He couldn’t let even Kaitlyn die.

That would be a betrayal of Keith.

Harrison had sworn never to betray him. He had resolved not to become a vile person like his father. He had promised to dedicate his entire life to Keith.

But in order not to betray Keith, he had to commit an even more terrible betrayal.

Genevieve. Jenny.

Harrison gasped for breath as he looked for Genevieve, who had been leaning on him just hours ago.

The Saint he felt too guilty even to touch.

A person who seemed to be made by gathering all the sparkling things in the world.

Being careful with even a single word, Harrison always stammered in front of her.

Because when he tried to carefully choose only the prettiest words to say to her, his speech naturally became clumsy.

Even if it couldn’t be called love, that feeling alone was true.

Just as his loyalty to Keith and his sympathy for Kaitlyn were true.

He simply couldn’t betray Keith. Keith came first. Keith was his master, friend, brother, and at the same time, his innocence. Betraying him would prove that he was of traitor’s blood.

Genevieve was looking at Harrison without even blinking.

Like a god judging sin.

As if her stubborn refusal to look at him had been a lie, she glared at him while being held by Prince Edwin.

Harrison hoped there would be emotion left in those violet eyes looking at him, and also hoped there wouldn’t be. He didn’t have the courage to face them.

He could no longer look at Genevieve and squeezed his eyes shut then opened them.

Everything was already ruined beyond repair.

If he escaped alive with Kaitlyn, after safely taking her to a safe place…

‘After that, I will.’

Pay for my sins.

Harrison, having steeled his resolve, grabbed Edelaine’s hair and pulled it back, pressing his sword close against her exposed neck.

“Order that boy to release Kaitlyn immediately, Your Grace. If you don’t, I’ll kill your wife. If you release Kaitlyn and let us go, I promise to let your wife live.”

Shane, who had been quiet all along, suddenly smiled brightly.

“Kill her, then.”

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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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