After Linking the Villainess and Male Lead (5 Chapters Left to Complete) - Chapter 37
“You said you knew about it too, right?”
“Huh? Yeah.”
While I was still confused, Adelia mentioned Kaern.
“And after clashing with you, Lucas hasn’t come looking for me anymore, has he?”
“Yes. He must have gotten suddenly busy—since then, he hasn’t come even once.”
“Hmm, is that so?”
Adelia fell quiet for a moment, seemingly lost in thought.
Then, in a barely audible whisper, she muttered to herself,
“This time, I did it right.”
“What was that?”
“Nothing, it’s nothing. Helena, shall we drop this topic? It’s cold—let’s go inside.”
“Oh, right. Let’s go in.”
After wrapping up our conversation about Lucas Aiker, we went back into the mansion.
After having breakfast together, we prepared to go out.
It was because Adelia had promised to show me around Crayton Castle and its surroundings today.
“Helena, are you all ready?”
“Yes, I’m ready.”
“Then let’s go.”
I rode in a carriage with Adelia, touring every corner of the castle, and enjoyed myself thoroughly for the first time in a long while.
We tried delicious foods sold only in this territory and even bought local clothing as souvenirs.
The next day and the day after that, I continued exploring the territory with Adelia.
Before I knew it, a whole week had already passed since I arrived in Lushatra.
‘It’s about time I say it.’
After another fulfilling and happy day, when I was left alone in my room, I reminded myself once again of my true purpose for coming here.
Of course, I had also come because I missed Adelia—but my most important goal was to resolve my engagement to Kaern.
“I’ll definitely say it tomorrow.”
With that resolve, I fell asleep while thinking about how to bring it up with Adelia.
The next morning, after breakfast, we sat down on the terrace for tea.
“The sunshine is warm and lovely today—maybe because you’re here with me, Helena.”
I simply offered her a faint smile in response to Adelia’s words.
“How about you stay here instead of going back to the capital, Helena?”
“What?”
“I mean, if you’re willing, of course. Though I’m sure someone won’t be too pleased.”
Adelia said it with a playful tone.
“Well… I can’t say I haven’t thought about it myself.”
Although I quickly reminded myself that I couldn’t possibly interfere with my friend’s newlywed life.
“Really?”
Adelia beamed and asked me again, delighted by my words.
“Yes. When you got married and left the capital, I really missed you—I missed you so much.”
“I did too. After coming here, there were times I felt so sad just thinking about you. I knew we’d feel the same way.”
“Because we’re friends.”
“Exactly. Because we’re friends.”
I could see the corners of Adelia’s eyes growing slightly damp with emotion.
Seeing that, I realized it wasn’t quite the right moment to bring up what I wanted to say—but I had no choice.
I’d already decided to say it today, so I had to go through with it somehow.
“But, Adelia.”
“Yes?”
“I… I didn’t mean to. Because now you have Calix by your side.”
“Oh…”
Understanding what I was trying to say, Adelia fell completely silent.
“But just because I have Calix doesn’t mean you’re any less important to me.”
Overcome with emotion, she suddenly grabbed my hands and spoke firmly.
“I know. I feel the same way. No matter where we are or who we’re with, we’ll always be each other’s most precious friend. Right?”
Adelia nodded at my words.
“Well, of course my brother wouldn’t just let it go.”
“What?”
“You’re his fiancée, Helena. There’s no way he’d let you stay here.”
As she said this, Adelia pouted slightly.
“Kaern is…”
“Kaern? Helena, since when did you start calling my brother by his first name?”
“Oh? That’s not… it’s not like that…”
Having kept calling him by his first name, I’d finally slipped up.
I tried to recover somehow, but Adelia spoke first.
“Huh? Since when did you two get so close?”
“Well… His Grace told me to address him casually…”
“Why are you suddenly calling him ‘His Grace’ again? You can be relaxed in front of me.”
“No, it’s just…”
Adelia pressed me without pause.
But I was so flustered my mind went blank, and I couldn’t get the words out properly.
“You and my brother—nothing happened, right?”
“…What do you mean?”
“Right—I just remembered. You two should get married soon, right? Have you talked about marriage yet?”
“Marriage? No, we haven’t gotten to marriage yet…”
“Really?”
“…Yeah.”
“Hmm… I wonder what my brother is thinking.”
Adelia tilted her head, wearing a puzzled expression.
This was it.
Earlier, the timing had seemed off—but now it felt perfectly right.
“Um, Adelia… there’s actually something I really need to tell you.”
“Something to tell me? What is it?”
“I… I’m planning to go study abroad.”
“Study abroad?”
“Yes. A great opportunity came up, so I really want to go.”
“Wow, study abroad! That’s wonderful!”
Adelia clapped her hands with genuine excitement.
“What will you study? Plants, of course, right?”
“Yes. It’s the field I’m most passionate about, so I want to study it more deeply.”
“That’s really great. Have you decided where you’ll go?”
“I think I’ll go to the Yuspheiron Empire.”
“The Yuspheiron Empire—that’s the country in the east, right? That’s incredibly far from here.”
“Yes.”
“I see. Is there anything I can help with? If you need anything, just let me know anytime, okay?”
“Thank you, Adelia. Actually… I really need your help with the engagement issue.”
“The engagement issue?”
“Yes. Before I leave for my studies… I want to break off the engagement with His Grace.”
“…What? Break it off?”
Adelia looked utterly shocked as she repeated my words.
“Yes. I don’t know how long my studies will take… I want to finish them properly once I go. But I don’t want to inconvenience His Grace because of my own selfishness.”
“Wait, wait just a moment, Helena.”
Adelia, who had been silently listening, interrupted me with a stern expression.
“Inconvenience? What inconvenience are you talking about?”
“As you know, nobles usually marry in their early twenties once they reach adulthood, unless something unusual happens. But His Grace couldn’t marry then—because I was too young.”
“That couldn’t be helped. There are many restrictions on marrying minors.”
“Right. But because of that, His Grace has long passed the ideal age for marriage. And if I go study abroad now, a few more years will pass. I can’t keep him waiting until then. You understand what I mean, right?”
I did my best to convince Adelia.
And I desperately hoped she’d agree to help me end this engagement.
“What does my brother say? Have you talked to him?”
“Yes, I have…”
“And what did he say?”
“He told me to go study.”
“To go study?”
“Yes. He said he’d wait for me.”
“Ah. Of course.”
At my reply, Adelia’s rigid expression instantly softened.
“Helena.”
“Yes?”
“If my brother says he’ll wait, then there’s nothing I can really do to help.”
“What?”
“I understand your worries. But if my brother says it’s fine, then it really is fine. So don’t trouble yourself over it.”
“But, Adelia—Kaern, no, His Grace, deserves a better woman as his duchess.”
“Why?”
“Why? He needs a duchess who can help his house prosper.”
“Did you tell him that too?”
“Huh? Yeah…”
“Of course he said no, right?”
“Yes. That’s exactly why I came to you—I was hoping you could convince His Grace.”
“Helena.”
Adelia called my name in a calm voice.
“What do you truly want?”
“Huh?”
“Do you really want to break off the engagement with my brother?”
“…Huh?”
For a brief moment, I hesitated without even realizing it.
“Well… yes. I think that would be best…”
But I quickly collected myself and reaffirmed my resolve.
“Really?”
“Yes…”
Yet as I said it, I couldn’t bring myself to look directly into Adelia’s eyes.
“Sigh.”
I heard Adelia let out a deep sigh.
“If that’s truly what you want, Helena, I’d do anything to help—but honestly, even I can’t break my brother’s stubbornness. He’s the kind of person who always sees things through once he’s made up his mind. There might be only one person who can sway that stubbornness of his—but it seems that won’t happen this time.”
As she spoke, I could feel Adelia’s steady gaze fixed firmly on me.
Male lead fell into her trap — and shattered when she walked away
This is also on my reread list!
This one is a slow burn, but when it burns, it burns hard.
Definitely worth a read, y’all!
The story follows a thousand-year-old seductive spirit who, on a bet, sets out to charm the male lead—a once-promising but unfortunate cultivator.
But just when she succeeds in making him fall for her, she heartlessly leaves, driving him to madness.
Determined to find her at all costs, he captures her, keeping her by his side no matter what, even if she hates him.
I love this kind of trope—I enjoy watching the male lead suffer in agony.
The ending drags a bit with unnecessary filler, but that’s fine.
As long as I enjoy the beginning, I’m good.
Intro
As an enchantress, Su Heng possesses captivating eyes and charming beauty, easily manipulating the joys and sorrows of living beings at her fingertips.
But to enchant a god, making him taste the bitterness of love’s separation, long-lasting resentment, unattainable desires, and inability to let go…
Do you dare?
Su Heng assists a divine lord in his cultivation, aiming to make him experience all the sufferings of love, so that he can attain the Great Dao.
Only after being chased down from the heavens by the divine lord, confined and completely possessed by him, does she realize how successful she has been.
The once gentle and polite youth has transformed into someone she no longer recognizes.
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If there is a person checking these comments. Can you please add a word/letter count to the bottom. Also sometimes the comments don’t stay within the chapter you read but throughout the whole book, please fix that glitch. Another, per book- hour limited to how many comments can earn cookies – it’s better you write that somewhere or give a notification to the commenter about that. The notification about the 3/3 free reads glitch too, sometimes it says 3/1,1/3,1/1 or not work. The cookies glitch sometimes too, id have 10 but when I try to unlock chapter it keeps saying I have none. Love yalls work!
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