Duke Pferren exhaled forcefully, and a scornful smirk accompanied his words.
“Now you know. I underestimated you too much. I knew how to distinguish when it was time to take care of yourself, but that wasn’t it.”
“…”
“Don’t step forward again. I won’t tolerate this happening again.”
“But…”
“Since you want to die, there’s no need to show it. Even if you don’t, I have enough…”
Duke Pferren paused and rubbed his forehead. His chest, struggling to catch a breath, rose and fell rapidly for a moment.
“I have no idea what I’m doing right now. It doesn’t change anything no matter what I do.”
“…”
“It’s painfully the same every time. Nothing changes no matter what I do.”
Although it was brief, I felt a resentful gaze directed at me. At this moment, I couldn’t dare to guess how he might be feeling.
His firm hand grasped my shoulder. Due to bowing my head, his face, looking down at me, was cast in deep shadows.
“They’ve already descended from the mountain. Now it’s just you.”
“…”
“Let’s go. Now that they’ve realized the signal was a bait, we need to move quickly.”
Duke Pferren, who stepped forward, grabbed my wrist. I looked up at him in surprise. His unusually black eyes showed no hesitation, just looking down at me.
Why isn’t he saying anything? That’s not what you should be saying.
Although those words lingered on the tip of my tongue, any further conversation was impossible due to the hand that held me. The man, who noticed my awkward steps, embraced me without hesitation.
I instinctively struggled but had to suppress any reaction at the hushed voice added to my ear. Even if I didn’t contribute, the man was already enduring a lot.
“Would you like some tea?”
“…”
“Why are you like this? Did something stain my face?”
As if to ask when I had lowered my voice, the man, who used formal language every time, went beyond being modest and even looked impudent. I tried to refuse the offered cup, but cautiously accepted it. The tempting steam rising from the warm tea was too alluring to turn away.
As the warmth entered, my tense body relaxed. Holding the teacup in both hands, I glanced sidelong at Duke Pferren.
It was still hard to believe that he was here, even though I saw him with my own eyes. He wasn’t supposed to be here.
“…How did you get here?”
This was already the second time. While the first could be considered a coincidence, the second raised some suspicions. He appeared suddenly in moments of crisis. Was it really a coincidence?
Duke Pferren, not paying attention to my gaze, tilted his head sharply.
“I rode a horse.”
“Pff.”
“If you won’t leave, Pavel.”
Duke Pferren sent a warning gaze to Pavel, the man holding the teapot. Pavel, called by that name, shook the teapot he held with an unjust look on his face.
“Your request was, my lord, no, it wasn’t. I’ll leave so you can spend some time alone.”
Pavel made a playful gesture by placing his hand on his chest before leaving. Of course, even while leaving, he didn’t forget to wink at me.
It was hard to believe that he was a man of Duke Pferren, as he was so audacious.
“Unlikely circumstances, but the skills are certain. For the time being, he will protect your brother.”
“…”
“They are secretly infiltrated into the capital. Being from outside, it was easy for them to deceive their identities.”
“…”
“Why? Can’t you trust a barbarian?”
“It’s not that. It’s just…”
Is it okay like this?
The question that came to mind spun around in my mouth, but I couldn’t bring myself to ask. I was afraid that discussing my brother’s issue unnecessarily might offend Duke Pferren.
How much silence passed like that? Duke Pferren put down the teacup. Despite requesting tea, he hadn’t taken a sip.
“If there are no complaints, rest now. I’ll leave.”
“You’re leaving?”
“I need to take measures to pass on the problem to the missing prince.”
“Ah…”
“Stay low for a while. You won’t be noticed here. And about your daughter…”
“As you say.”
“Now?”
The black eyes stared at me intensely. The tip of my hand holding the teacup turned pale.
“I decided to believe you.”
“Now that the opportunity has come, you look ready to run.”
“I won’t.”
I lowered my head weakly. I hadn’t known that I would give up on finding Merial. To be more honest, even now, I wanted to rush out and search for Merial.
“Fortunately, having a hostage seems to be effective.”
“…”
How repulsive must I look now, saying such things at this point? Even though I knew that, I turned away, pretending not to notice. Apologies and thanks came to mind, but I couldn’t bring myself to say them.
I was always prepared for the end. Therefore, I was more cautious and refrained from speaking. Putting aside guilt, I intended to use everything at my disposal, living selfishly and leaving.
When everything was over, when I left for Merial, I didn’t want the people left behind to miss me. I wanted to settle all relationships with resentment rather than affection, wanting to erase everything with hatred.
That was the best option I had come up with. I knew better than anyone how difficult it was to remember and miss good people who could no longer be met.
However, when I looked into those eyes, doubts arose. The eyes filled with various emotions, like how mixing all colors eventually results in black, resented me deeply. Yet, those eyes also followed me.
No matter how terrible things I did or even if I did good deeds, it seemed that he wouldn’t forget me for the rest of his life. I didn’t find this fact comforting.
I no longer resented him. The reason I couldn’t go to find Merial wasn’t just because of my brother.
Of course, I couldn’t tell the person involved such a story.
I still wanted him to resent me. I didn’t want any room for us. I hoped that the person filling the seat next to him would be another woman, not me.
I wasn’t qualified to start over.
“Just suspecting them of kidnapping me is not enough to split them up. You know that, right?”
“So?”
“I have something in mind.”
With thoughts filling my mind, I stood up straight while keeping the thoughts pushed aside.
As Duke Pferren said, nothing had changed. I just had to finish what I hadn’t completed yet.
We ended a long time ago. I never forgot that fact.
Male lead is a Love-Obsessed Merman
When he discovers she has gone, he risks everything to pursue her on land, enduring agonizing pain to transform his tail into human legs…
One-line summary: Male lead chases female lead. The male lead’s love is a bit sick, an invincible love brain.
Synopsis
During a voyage at sea, Jiang Yang accidentally captures a merman.
Servant: I heard that mermen are fierce and brutal.
Jiang Yang looks at the merman obediently rubbing her palm like a puppy: “You call this fierce and brutal?”
Servant: I heard that mermen have no human nature.
Jiang Yang looks at the merman with wet puppy eyes, obsessively calling her ‘A Yang’ like a childish infant: “You call this having no human nature?”
With great difficulty, she releases the merman back into the sea and returns to shore.
Who would have thought that in less than half a month, the merman, who should have been freely wandering in the South China Sea, would shed his scales, endure the pain of losing his tail, transform into human legs, and come ashore to find her?
He kneels at her feet, rubbing her palm, with merman tears rolling down: “A Yang, don’t abandon me.”
_____
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