Chapter 19

“I have told the emperor in advance, but I will use this opportunity to say it once again.”

What is he talking about?

I turned my head in anxiety and looked to see where my dad was. I couldn’t read my dad’s expression easily.

I didn’t know the villain’s thoughts, but I couldn’t read my dad’s thoughts either.

“If I win the war, please make the princess my wife.”

Startled by that statement, I got up from my chair.

How could my ominous premonition never go wrong?

I looked at my dad urgently, but it seemed that he already knew.

Maybe the reason dad and the villain came together earlier was because they discussed making an announcement at an official event. “Yulia. If you don’t want that request, I can say no.”

Since he had already finished speaking before, there were no words of denial.

And maybe it was like an opportunity.

A chance to be safe from the death by the villain.

Hence, there was no reason to hesitate.  There is no way that the main frame of the original will change.

Because I know this war will never be won.

I just had to accept it.

But why is my mouth not moving?

Only after I bit my lower lip did I be able to speak.

“…… I will accept your request.”

Wasn’t it already said before?

So, please don’t make me regret my choice.

If the flow of the original story is followed, the villain won’t win and returns from the war with defeat.

Actually, dying on the battlefield is the best ending for me, but I knew the villain wouldn’t be that easy to die.

So I had to be content with him just losing and coming back.

“The princess has accepted the request, so there is no reason to object.”

Why do I have another ominous feeling?  Why do I feel so anxious?

“Let’s all enjoy the party.”

After dad’s words, the quiet party hall began to become noisy.

As expected, it was uncomfortable because there were so many people.

“I’ll come get some air. I can go alone!”

“Okay.”

I thought it would calm down if I went to a place where there were no people, so I moved.

At first, I tried to go outside, but because of my identity, I moved to the terrace instead of outside.

It felt like I could breathe a little bit as I felt the cold air from the terrace. At that moment, a hand touched my shoulders.

“Who is it?”

“Yulia.”

It was the villain.

“Duke?”

“What are you doing when you come here looking so pretty?”

“……”

“To think that people who are not me have seen you… I’m very upset.”

“Don’t forget that the duke is not yet qualified to say such a thing.”

“I’m glad that you say yourself as mine from the beginning.”

He had a very sad expression on his face.

At the same time, jealousy, longing, and possessiveness were evident in his blood-red eyes.

“At least the flies won’t get caught by you when I’m away.”

“…… I want to be alone, so go out now.”

“I won’t see you for a while…… I’m sorry.  I want to have you in my eyes, even for a little while.”

He said that so smoothly.

So smooth that I can’t tell if it’s sincere or fake.

No, rather, they were words that shook people’s hearts enough to hope that they were sincere.

My heart kept on beating due to anxiety. But I reassure myself that it would be ok. Maybe the original story may be twisted.

It may have been that me and the imperial family had already escaped from the threat of being killed by the villain.

I had such a hope.

“Duke.”

There was only one way to confirm that hope.

Perhaps, the fate of me and my family may have shifted along with the flow of the original.

Still, I can’t help being scared, but I can’t keep feeling it.

“Please answer me sincerely.”

“What are you curious about?”

“……”

“…… I promise to answer you sincerely.”

He took my hand and put it on his cheek. Then, he rubbed his cheek against my palm.

While smiling softly, he answered.

“If it’s your question, I’ll be happy to answer it.”

He kissed my wrist and looked at me with enticing eyes.

It was only me in his red eyes.

“Does the duke love me?”

I also stared at him.

I made eye contact with him to determine if he was lying or if he was sincere.

“Of course I love you.”

Can I trust you?

“Did you think I wouldn’t love you?”

“…… I still can’t believe it.”

“Yulia. How can I give you confidence?”

His hands wrapped around my waist.

He bent down and pushed his face closer to me.

The distance between our faces was too close. Even our breaths collided.

“I don’t think I can ever give you that trust.”

“But it won’t be like that forever, is it?”

I hurriedly covered his mouth with my hand.

I roughly predicted what would happen, so I blocked his mouth in advance.

With that in mind, I shut his mouth, and his tongue began to run through my knuckles.

“What are you doing now……!”

I hurriedly tried to get my hand out, but he grabbed my wrist and wouldn’t let me go.

His eyes looked at me as he kissed every tip of my fingertips and seemed to radiate a gloomy energy.

“I’m giving you trust.”

“What kind of trust is this?”

“Then I will say that I am giving you faith.”

No, that’s bullshit!

“Yulia, is this not enough?”

“…… What?”

If I didn’t know the original story, I would assume that nothing is wrong.

I really had no idea what’s going on behind that languid smile.

“I will assure you if your doubts about my affection have not gone away.”

He let go of my wrist and grabbed my chin.

When I was so close to the villain, in order to meet his gaze, or to even see his face, I had to lift my head.

It was evident that he was smiling, but his eyes were blatant and full of longing.

“In the surest way.”

I couldn’t say anything after that.

His lips were placed over mine.

Taking a step back, he took one step forward.

He couldn’t help but grab my waist with one hand and the back of my neck with the other.

I felt like I was suffocating.

His overlapping lips did not fall off, so it was not strange if I suffocated and died.

He ran through every corner of my mouth.  To the point where it’s hard to come to my senses.

When I couldn’t hold my breath any longer, I pushed his shoulder and fresh air entered my mouth.

“Ha, ha…”

I slapped his lips with my hand.

I didn’t like his recklessness.

I’m worried about whether my lips will swell or not.

“Yulia. I hope my sincerity has been conveyed.”

It was me who asked the question first, and even if he convinced me, I couldn’t believe it easily.

How could he think he can give me faith this way? In such a vulgar way?

No, I’m not the female lead, so he’s acting recklessly like this. Because he didn’t really love me.

If I were the female lead, no, if I were the person he’s looking for, would he have acted like this? Why am I miserable?

“Yulia. Do I look like someone trying to marry someone I don’t even love?”

“I wonder if you love me or my body. I don’t know that.”

He took a step closer to me and wiped my lower lip with his thumb.

No, it was like wiping something away.

“Your lipstick is smudged.”

“It doesn’t matter!”

“Isn’t this important? I thought it was important……”

He had a languid smile that seemed to be in a good mood.

“You have to go back to your father and brother, but if you go with your lips smeared…”

“It’s okay if you don’t touch it in the first place!”

“….. I can’t help it. It’s a face I want to touch too much.”

“……”

“It’s because Yulia is so pretty. It makes me want to eat you right away.”

Isn’t it a foul to look so handsome in the dark?

It was a face that was likely to make people fall in love.

Of course, the face I like is my brother, but that doesn’t mean that the villain is inferior to my brother.

No, maybe it could be said that he’s the most handsome man in the world.

It’s obvious that the male lead will be with the female lead. Should I keep the villain?

However, he was too risky.

It wasn’t easy for me to accept it because of his role and behaviour.

I was really worried about which choice would be right.

“Yulia.”

“What?”

“It is true that I love you.”

If my relationship with the villain really twisted the content of the original, wouldn’t it be possible to change the content of the original when my family died?

I really couldn’t believe him at all, judging from his behaviour up until now.

Then, I had to kill the villain somehow.

Because that was the way for me and my family to live, me and my family are more precious than him.

“Can I really believe you?”

“Yes. When I go to war, I will miss you. I’m not afraid of war. But I am very afraid that I will not be able to see you for a moment.”