Seduce With The Body Of An Enemy - Chapter 102

Vivian’s eyes were filled with murderous intent as she glared at her.

“You will regret not taking the last chance I gave you.”

Regret….. A relaxed smile spread across Vivian’s face.

‘Why do all these shameless individuals have such consistent patterns?’

Diarob also acted as if he was giving opportunities whenever he did something.

Ah, would Diarob get very angry if I said this?

Who cares. To me, they’re all the same.

Vivian, leaning languidly on the couch, flicked her fingernail and said,

“Keep struggling to the end. It’s quite entertaining to watch.”

*

Time passed uneventfully after Iblina visited the Empress’s palace.

Over the course of several days, Casius was regaining his composure in his own way, and Iblina’s acting skills were improving.

As time went on, Iblina became a little bolder.

Today, Casius guided her around in response to Iblina’s request to show her the imperial palace.

“We used to spend time together at this pond.”

Casius looked down at Iblina with calm eyes.

While Iblina thought the pond was terrible, she thoroughly concealed it outwardly.

Her eyes, lowered sorrowfully, were the spitting image of Rachel’s from long ago.

Of course, this was her public demeanor.

“I’m sorry. I still can’t remember…”

“I told you, didn’t I? That I would definitely help you find your memories.”

Help her find them? Iblina was going crazy.

Of course, it was clear he would love her even if she had no memories, but… the problem was Hilter.

That damned royal physician kept coming to see her.

It was clear the Emperor was sending him to help her regain her memories.

That wasn’t all. The Emperor had not yet revealed her as Rachel in front of the nobles.

Meanwhile, Bashubir kept expressing expectations and urging Iblina.

To quickly persuade the Emperor to raise her to the position of Empress.

However, the Emperor showed no signs of doing anything about the Empress.

Iblina swallowed a sigh and changed the topic as usual.

“I prefer the sea to ponds. And fireworks to torches.”

“……”

“I want to start anew with Your Majesty in a new place. Without being bound by the past.”

Casius stared at Iblina with an indecipherable expression.

As he watched Iblina look up at the sky, unaware of anything strange, Casius continued speaking.

“…I see.”

After that, Casius, having returned to his original spot after circling Wolf Door Lake, saw Iblina off.

Iblina deliberately said she wanted to go to the Emperor’s palace and headed there with him.

Upon reaching the interior of the Emperor’s palace, she picked up a wooden doll neatly placed on the table.

Looking at the worn-out object, Iblina put down the music box she had brought in its place.

“Your Majesty, they say such old things are not good for one’s well-being. How about keeping this in the room from now on?”

A clear melody flowed from the neatly shaped music box Iblina had set down.

Casius, alternately looking at the old wooden doll Rachel had made long ago and Iblina’s music box, made an ambiguous expression and said,

“Let’s… do that.”

Iblina, with a bright smile spread across her face, kissed him on one cheek.

Casius saw her off with a stiff face and then sat down.

After that, only a deep silence settled in the interior of the Emperor’s palace.

Casius held the wooden doll Rachel had made preciously in one hand and stared at it quietly.

Tikan watched Casius, who remained silent for a long time.

There was something strange about his lord.

He was oddly postponing everything.

Announcing publicly that his sister had appeared, declaring that Iblina was his sister, and also…

“My lord, when should we inform father?”

Casius stared blankly into space without a word.

Seeing this, Tikan added in a low voice.

“Father is still looking for a way to use the magic mirror.”

Casius quietly gazed at the stars in the night sky.

In reality, the reason for delaying even informing Sir Siron was simple.

If there was even a slightly unsettling aspect despite believing everything, it needed to be thoroughly confirmed before moving forward.

No, in fact, it also stemmed from an anxiety that had grown in his subconscious without him even realizing it.

Anyway, at first, he had planned to announce all the facts when Sir Hilter restored Iblina’s erased memories.

However, despite Sir Hilter’s painstaking efforts, Iblina did not regain her memories.

Of course, there are occasional cases where patients with memory loss do not easily recover their memories.

There are always exceptions.

‘If it had stopped there, I would have thought so…’

Casius recalled the report he had heard today.

“Your Majesty, the flow of Lady Iblina’s energy is smooth.”

“What does that mean?”

Hilter, though hesitant, confessed everything to Casius.

“Those who have lost their memories usually experience such an event due to shock, so the flow is broken in many places. However, strangely, Lady Iblina’s flow has no breaks at all.”

“Why are you telling me this now?”

“At first, I thought it was a mistake, but now I’m certain, so I’m reporting it.”

The moment when a crack appeared in the strangely perfect day was instantaneous.

Rachel had returned, and a question mark was thrown at the simple justice that she would have sacrificed herself for him.

Thud – As if a pebble had been thrown into a calm lake, Casius’s mind shook.

He lay down languidly and closed his eyes, lost in thought.

Only then did the strange things he had been ignoring catch his eye.

Rachel was originally a person who was proactive in everything.

She doesn’t remain passive, leaving everything to him.

Her tone is heavy and solemn like a general’s, but the content is extremely interesting.

Her expressions are not monotonous, but seem to have a million varieties.

That’s not all.

She extremely hated the unknown, which is as vast and unfathomable as the sea.

Also…

“Fireworks burn their bodies for a moment of brilliance and then disappear. I prefer torches that last longer, even if they’re gentle.”

“I made a doll once because Your Majesty resembles a lion. They say carrying a doll that resembles oneself becomes a guardian.”

That’s what she used to say.

Rachel was someone who disliked fireworks or the sea and loved calm things.

The current appearance was too unfamiliar to be Rachel.

It felt as if not only the outer appearance but also the inner core had completely changed.

Of course, those who have lost their memories can be like that.

If only that changed person was Rachel, he would love her with all his might.

But what if…

If all these dreamlike days were all lies.

If it was just a mirage.

.

.

.

If Iblina was not Rachel.

Casius felt a tightness in his chest as if a huge rock had settled there.

Soon after opening his eyes, he grabbed his head as if he had had a nightmare.

His head throbbed as if it was about to split.

“Your Majesty?”

Only upon hearing Tikan’s voice did Casius’s mind barely return.

In the end, Casius raised his hand to order Tikan to withdraw for a moment.

Tikan tilted his head for a moment but immediately carried out his lord’s order.

Only after hearing the sound of the door closing as he went out did Casius rise from his seat.

Moving aimlessly, Casius took out the magic mirror he had kept aside.

The flow that continued as if bewitched soon headed towards a corner of the secluded Emperor’s palace.

There lay the doll that Iblina had said was not good for one’s well-being and should be thrown away.

That doll, which Rachel had given him with a bright smile on some day long ago.

Soon, in his other hand was the wooden doll that Rachel had given him long ago.

*

Meanwhile, Iblina, even until the next day after visiting the Empress’s palace, couldn’t shake off her uneasiness.

‘The Empress, could it be that she noticed I’m not Rachel?’

No matter how much she thought about it, that couldn’t be possible.

The only ones who know about this are me and father.

Iblina concluded that she was being too sensitive and worrying unnecessarily, and called for Marianne.

Just as she had barely composed herself, Marianne appeared before Iblina.

She, who had been anxious and worried until just a moment ago, straightened her back upon seeing Marianne.

“How is the Empress doing?”

Marianne, recalling the instructions Vivian had given, recited the prepared answer.

“Her Majesty the Empress was very anxious after the counselor left yesterday.”

“……”

“This morning, she could barely eat anything.”

As soon as Marianne finished speaking, Iblina grabbed Marianne’s chin.

“Is that true?”

‘Has she noticed something?’

Marianne’s throat tightened at Iblina’s chilling voice.

But for the sake of Her Majesty the Empress, she was prepared to die.

She met Iblina’s eyes with resolute ones.

“Of course. How could I lie to you, counselor?”

Only then did Iblina seem to believe Marianne’s words and let go of her hand.

“You’ve done a great thing this time, Marianne.”

The soft voice was full of kindness.

Iblina, who had been biting her nails in frustration until just a moment ago, recalled the Empress’s distorted face.

‘Of course. How could she not be affected when His Majesty only looks for me?’

Thinking of what that woman had said yesterday made her exasperated.

‘Last struggle? That’s what you’re doing.’

Iblina sneered, looking into space.

‘She will surely regret not accepting my last act of mercy.’