Only then did Magine realize the meaningless reason behind my resistance, and he hurriedly tried to block my hand, but it was already too late.

Sizzle.

A hot flame erupted from my fingertips. It was made with the remaining energy and was quite feeble, but I managed to release it.

“Ha.”

Facing the flame that completely evaded him, Magine snorted.

“Even if you were hit by such a pathetic flame directly, it would only sting. You couldn’t aim properly. Being stupid to the end.”

“No.”

Blood gushed up through my throat, but I forced myself to continue.

“I aimed properly.”

A faint smile tainted with blood appeared. In my trembling fingertips, there was the magic book that had turned into a pile of ashes.

Magine let out a string of vulgar curses.

“You, don’t think of dying so easily.”

Withdrawing the knife, Magine stabbed into my thigh again. I reflexively writhed in pain, but laughter continued to escape.
“Hehehe…….”

Even if I were to burn the magic book, Hiss would never be permanently freed. Madeline will face execution.

However, at least Marquis Magine won’t use my potion to harm the duke. Understanding the solutions already written and solving new problems are entirely different.

I was genuinely sorry for others who might die because of me, but strangely, just knowing that fact brought comfort to my heart. Enough to be okay with dying like this.

The vision, filled with sporadic black spots like ink stains, had suddenly flickered to complete darkness.

“Milord, a guest has arrived.”

The faint sound of a servant whispering from outside the door reached my ears. Marquis Magine stuck out his tongue and nudged me with his foot.

“Treat the wounds enough so that he won’t die and confine him in the basement.”

The voice of Marquis Magine giving orders to Hiss, which was once distant, now came close to my ears. It seems that Marquis Magine has taken out the magic book he originally used, judging by the rustling sound of paper.

“I will cast a surveillance spell on you. If the lives of your fiancée or subordinates are precious to you, it’s better not to do anything foolish.”

I didn’t know how much time had passed. At some point, a doctor seemed to come, stitching up the wounds or applying some medicine to stop the bleeding, but everything was blurred by fever.

I repeated the cycle of drifting in and out of consciousness, and then I fully woke up to the sensation of my body swaying softly.

My mind was still hazy, but I could recognize Hiss carrying me somewhere by the sound of his steps. Probably to the basement.

Although the bandage around my abdomen was tightly wrapped and the bloodstains were vivid, Hiss’s stiff side profile, devoid of any trace of emotion, was even harder to look at.

“Hiss……. Can’t you hear my voice?”

Hiss didn’t respond.

Instead, a familiar voice reached my ears.

“I can hear.”

“Esmeralda.”
The figure was thinner than the last time I saw her, but it only heightened the protective instinct toward her, originally innocent and pitiful.

“There’s no point in responding even if you hear.”

Hiss, who did not respond no matter how much I called, couldn’t take his eyes off Esmeralda as soon as she appeared.

“Don’t come too close, Esmeralda. The smell of blood is strong.”

I was dumbfounded for a moment and could only mumble.

“Wow…….”

Suppressing the urge to cry, thinking it was due to the spell, as I watched Hiss meticulously examining Esmeralda with a serious gaze, I was confused whether it was magic or genuine.

“Do you still think of yourself as the devoted fiancée that Prince Hiss used to look at?”

Esmeralda chuckled.

“You are nothing to Hiss now.”

And as if declaring her victory in our competition, she sneered at me.

The Esmeralda I knew was completely different. Even though not as innocent as when she was young, I never thought her heart was so weak when it came to harming someone. I was wrong in my judgment.

“You have changed a lot.”

Whispering quietly, Esmeralda rubbed her face as she looked at me.

“What nonsense. It’s you who has changed.”

Esmeralda glanced at me disdainfully.

“Don’t be delusional. You are no longer the lady admired in the palace. You thought you were in your own world, right? You were lucky enough to secure a place among commoners, and everyone liked you for being ugly.”

I scratched my nose. I might look like a potato, but I thought I looked like a well-grown potato, soaking up plenty of sunlight. However, Esmeralda continued to pour out words without a break.

“You are excessively ordinary and good at nothing. Did you really think all of that was yours?”

Esmeralda pointed at me, or more precisely, at my dusty hoodie, loose and worn-out shoes, and messy hair.

“This appearance suits you. A mere commoner with no name. A lowly fate that cannot escape the back alleys of the city.”

Esmeralda spat out her words as if chewing them.

“So, discard the preachings. It’s just a matter of reclaiming what should have been mine from the beginning.”

Finally, taking a deep breath, Esmeralda added in a low voice.

“Everything has returned to its original state.”

I couldn’t deny it. Esmeralda was originally the female protagonist of this novel, and I was just a quickly eliminated foreign substance, playing the role of a villain.

But even if that’s the case.

“Hiss treated you well.”

Esmeralda froze for a moment. Her face, stained with anger towards me, awkwardly stiffened.

“Even if I deserve to be punished for taking what’s yours, what did Hiss do wrong?”

“Nonsense.”

Esmeralda sneered, but the tip of the fingers clutching the edge of the cloak was faintly trembling. Then, she gestured to Hiss with a holy sign.
“Take that away quickly. The smell is giving me a headache.”

Hiss, still expressionless, silently followed her instructions.

At that moment, Marquis Magine was facing Kyrion, who was sitting comfortably with his legs crossed in the reception room.

“Lord Kyrion. What brings you here so suddenly…?”