Seduce With The Body Of An Enemy (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 16
It was the first time facing him this closely since becoming Vivian, so my breath caught in my throat.
His gaunt face and lifeless eyes pierced straight through my chest.
Before, I’d been so preoccupied with diverting Diarobe’s attention that I’d never properly looked at Father…
Now that we were face to face, tears suddenly spilled over.
Trying not to let him see, I tensed my entire body—but the magic unraveled, and books tumbled down around me.
Startled, Father immediately checked if I was alright.
As I bowed my head, pretending to pick up the books to hide my tears, I heard Father’s voice.
“Your Highness, are you unharmed?”
Hearing his worried tone brought back a sudden memory.
There had been a time long ago, just like this.
Minor mishaps like this often happened when practicing magic.
The warmth of Father’s embrace as he shielded me back then remained vivid in my mind.
Back then, even after injuring himself protecting me with his whole body, he’d only cared about me.
All I could do now for Father was to disappear from here as quickly as possible.
‘I’m sorry, Father.’
Suppressing that thought deep within, I barely wiped away my tears and lifted my head.
“I’m… I’m fine.”
I’d meant to sound calm, but my voice trembled involuntarily.
Hastily gathering the ancient tome, I fled outside—only to be met by thick snow blanketing the ground.
Snow that once felt comforting now felt unusually cold today.
‘Father must feel even colder than I do.’
Thinking of Father breathing alone in sorrow made my chest collapse inward.
Though I was the one who left, the pain fell entirely upon those left behind.
Confronting that truth weighed heavily on my heart.
Each step I took along the path through the deep snow left heavy imprints on its pristine white surface.
*
Even after returning to my room, I couldn’t shake those thoughts for a long while.
‘Since he saw me use magic, what must Father be thinking?’
Vivian wasn’t publicly known as a mage.
If Diarobe had learned Vivian could use magic, he’d surely have exaggerated it to every noble—he wasn’t the type to keep such things hidden.
Father, of all people, would certainly understand that well.
‘How could I make such a foolish mistake?’
I was furious at myself for committing such an error.
The only silver lining was that it had been a weak spell—one Father would likely recognize.
‘It’s practically useless magic anyway, so Father will probably just let it pass.’
Of course, I didn’t believe Father would suspect or realize I was Rachel from this one incident.
But caution was always necessary.
‘Because of my entanglement with the contract.’
Still, the thought that Father might be caught up in complicated thoughts because of this incident only deepened my guilt.
‘He probably can’t even stand the sight of my face already…’
Pushing aside those tangled thoughts, I opened the ancient tome—its archaic script flowed effortlessly before my eyes.
I’d worried I might have forgotten it after so long without use… but thankfully, every word was instantly readable and interpretable.
Though the tome held many intriguing facts about relics, most were things I already knew.
Then, a peculiar page caught my eye.
This page appeared distinctly aged, yet for some reason, most of its writing had vanished without a trace.
‘Could Duke Diarobe have meddled with it again?’
The thought that this page might relate to the life-detecting artifact made my hair stand on end.
But the only decipherable words right now were these:
[Red Dragon……]It was a slightly disappointing result.
If it was about dragons, it wouldn’t contain anything about the artifact, would it?
Though it was strange, there was no need to dig deeper right now.
What I sought was an artifact capable of revealing human life or death—not secrets about dragons.
I placed the page into my collection, then resumed flipping through the tome.
After how long, I couldn’t say.
Just as I was growing weary from hundreds of pages, a phrase finally stood out.
[Magic Mirror— An artifact forged with dragon’s breath, bearing a thousand-year history… (omitted)
Place an old personal belonging of a human into it, and it reveals whether that person lives or has perished.]
‘So something like this really exists.’
Reading to the end, I found the current location of the Magic Mirror.
[Presently kept within the Leonhartie Kingdom and designated as a national treasure.]According to this tome, if my belonging fell into Diarobe’s hands, my true identity might be exposed.
Of course, I couldn’t directly obtain a national treasure.
But typically, such treasures could be used by paying a substantial sum.
Since it enriched the national coffers, the state had no reason to refuse.
In short, if Diarobe paid an enormous amount, he could request Leonhartie to test my relic in the Magic Mirror.
Contrary to my worries, the Magic Mirror didn’t claim to fully reveal one’s true identity—but it did disclose life or death…!
‘If he puts in my relic, he’ll learn I’m still alive. I can’t fall apart here.’
Countless thoughts flooded my mind.
‘Should I pretend to be unwell and skip the Wolfdor Hunt?’
Seemingly simple, yet utterly absurd.
Defying his orders would only raise unnecessary suspicion.
Moreover, if it were Diarobe, he could easily create another opportunity like this anytime.
There was no way I could avoid it forever.
More importantly, I had my own reason to enter that place.
‘Mana Enhancement Stones.’
This was the perfect chance to recover my magic power by finding them.
Though the risks were great, I had no other choice for now.
*
The day of the Wolfdor Hunt was brighter than usual.
As a grand imperial event, major nobles had gathered—not merely to greet each other, but to subtly flex their influence.
Then, among them strode the Empress Consort, standing tall and dignified.
Her cloak and hat lined with the noble wolf fur reserved solely for the imperial family, along with her massive clavie insignia, radiated overwhelming authority by themselves.
Beneath that, her pristine white riding attire accentuated her snow-pale face, brazenly showcasing her beauty.
At this moment, Vivian’s appearance was so regal and elegant that no one could ignore her.
Everyone inwardly wondered how the Crown Prince could possibly remain unmoved by such beauty, nearly sighing aloud.
As if mocking their thoughts, Cassius walked straight ahead without even glancing at Vivian.
Tikan hurried after him, stealing quick, wary glances at Vivian.
When Tikan, standing idly before the carriage, gave a subtle nod, a knight stepped forward to escort her.
It was a duty Cassius should’ve performed himself—but the clear dismissal spoke volumes.
The door clicked shut, and silence lingered inside the carriage for quite some time.
The quiet was finally broken as the carriage crossed into Rosemary territory.
“What’s your scheme this time?”
“Excuse me?”
Vivian, who had been staring intently at Siron trailing behind, slowly turned her head.
Above her eyes loomed Cassius’s indifferent face.
Though his expression held nothing, Vivian felt her breath quicken.
The pressure, the accusing stares that made even breathing feel like a crime—it was all becoming a little too much.
Unaware of her inner turmoil, Cassius pressed her again.
“What’s your intention in choosing Rosemary territory as the hunting grounds?”
Cassius’s gaze as he looked down at Vivian was as fierce as a predator on the hunt.
*
‘The report about Rosemary territory being chosen as the hunting grounds must’ve already reached him.’
Only now did he decide to question it.
‘All this time, was my face so unbearable that he couldn’t even be bothered to ask until now?’
Well, perhaps that was understandable. By now, suppressing such emotions was second nature.
Anyway, I’d anticipated Cassius would ask this.
Even I found it strange when Diarobe claimed he’d picked Rosemary territory as the hunting grounds.
Naturally, I’d prepared a response in advance.
“I thought His Highness had decided it—was I mistaken?”
Until now, I’d never involved myself in state affairs. It wouldn’t be odd for me not to know.
Yet his sarcastic tone pierced my ears as sharply as ever.
“Do you think I’m a fool?”
Just as expected. I hadn’t hoped he’d simply accept my answer.
“How could you say such a thing? Someone like me, who never attends court matters, how would I know such details?”
My words carried a hint of resentment—why hadn’t he ever once invited me to court?
Cassius seemed to catch the implication; his expression darkened briefly before twisting into a mocking smile.
“Do you really think I wouldn’t know the Duke visited the Crown Princess’s quarters several days ago?”
There were no secrets in this imperial palace.
Diarobe learned the Emperor’s words before a day passed—and Cassius knew every move Diarobe made.
Were they all secretly meeting behind my back?
Swallowing a sigh, I offered a flimsy excuse.
“He merely came to inquire after my well-being.”
Cassius laughed openly, not even bothering to hide his scorn.
“Of course he did.”
His biting words dripped with venom, his gaze filled with contempt—as if looking at a repulsive larva.
At this rate, not only would seduction prove impossible, but I might never even get to see Cassius’s face again.
‘If a mistress entered the picture in this situation, it’d be over.’
As that faint glimmer of hope flickered out, my resolve sharpened.
There was only one move left.
“Duke Diarobe and I are not the father-daughter pair His Highness imagines.”
It was admittedly a rash statement.
According to my original plan, I’d intended to draw Cassius closer first, then deliver this line to seal the matter…
But given I’d previously handed over the Benedict Trade Route, couldn’t I reasonably hope for some change in him?
The die was already cast.
“To the Duke, I am merely a tool.”
Calling him “Duke Diarobe” instead of “Father” caused Cassius’s eyes to flicker faintly.
‘Does he believe me?’
Seizing the moment, I moved to press further—when the carriage abruptly halted.
Cassius flung the door open with a loud bang and stepped outside.
His cloak fluttered behind him as he leapt down.
He must’ve taken offense at the thought that he’d shown even a sliver of disturbance at my words.
Yet in that fleeting instant, I saw it clearly.
‘He definitely… wavered, just a little.’
His blue eyes, trembling ever so slightly, betrayed that faint quiver.
Though it was frustrating he’d left so abruptly… if even the tiniest crack had formed in Cassius’s heart, today’s objective was accomplished.
‘After all, I still have time.’
As I rose, I saw Tikan fidgeting anxiously.
Just as Tikan, gauging my mood, reached out his hand—Cassius’s sharp voice cut through the air.
“What are you dawdling about over there?”
Caught mid-motion, Tikan sheepishly bowed his head and hurried toward Cassius.
Yet I noticed him signaling another knight with his eyes.
‘Well, that actually works out better for me.’
Diarobe’s earlier plan flashed through my mind.
For it to succeed, having a slower knight escort me would be far more advantageous than Tikan.
Having finished my preparations, I turned my gaze—and found Diarobe’s eyes piercing into me, silently urging me forward.
Male lead reborn without memories — but he still falls for her.
The person he finds displeasing in this life turns out to be his cherished wife-master in previous life…
Xie Zhi and Fang Xianxing who had known each other for less than three days through a blind date sat in the same car in front of the civil affairs bureau. They had a disagreement and failed to get married.
Xie Zhi immediately took out his phone, slid through his contacts, and randomly selected the next marriage candidate.
The woman snatched his phone and hung up. Looking at his phone wallpaper, she awkwardly changed the subject: “An ancient painting, eh? It looks pretty good, it’s just that the person in the painting looks a bit like me.”
When he heard this, he sarcastically mocked her for being so delusional, completely unaware that, the person in front of him was the reincarnation of Wen Ru, the famous prime minister of Yuan Shun whom he most admired…
The female CEO who doesn’t want to get married with a divorce agreement in hand × The male archaeological researcher who will only get married if he’s sure he can get divorced
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