Unrequited Love is Over, Fend for Yourselves (5 Chapters Left to Complete) - Chapter 36
I didn’t even want to hide anything anymore. I was stomping my feet in frustration, wondering how we could possibly part ways, while the Crown Prince just calmly said someone who knows the future would surely tell me everything. There was simply no answer to that.
Etienne half-shouted her reply and glanced around. While she asked things like “Where even is this place?” and “How do we get out?”, Reinhart silently watched her.
Only when Etienne spun around once in place and looked back at Reinhart did he finally speak.
“It really was you.”
‘Really?’
“…Did you already know?”
Etienne asked with bewildered eyes, and Reinhart nodded.
“You knew I suspected you.”
Reinhart asked as if puzzled by her surprise. Etienne felt wronged. Yes—he’d once vaguely hinted at suspecting someone who adapted so easily during their travels. But their conversation hadn’t ended there!
“Then you shouldn’t have pretended to believe my words back then.”
“Is that so? But I never said I’d changed my mind about you being someone else.”
“Then you should’ve just told me outright that you still suspected me!”
“If I had, you would’ve avoided me.”
“Wow….”
Etienne was utterly speechless. The Crown Prince had knowingly brought her here—someone who knew the future—while pretending not to, observing her reactions casually, letting events drift along.
“Since when have you suspected me?”
“From the very beginning.”
“From the very beginning?”
When Etienne, unable to recall exactly when that was, asked again, Reinhart gave a brilliant smile. Right now, she found the Crown Prince’s smile genuinely detestable and infuriating.
“Since the day you asked for my help.”
Etienne suddenly gasped as she recalled that moment. He truly meant he’d suspected her from the absolute start.
“But why….”
Etienne was now afraid to ask further. The Crown Prince kept saying things that defied her expectations, leaving her breathless.
“Etienne.”
Warmth touched her back. When Etienne turned her head, she saw Fernando’s worried face.
“Are you alright?”
He gently stroked her back, helping her breathe more easily. Etienne closed her eyes briefly and took a deep breath.
‘Let me think. Just think….’
Etienne’s eyes snapped open.
“You’re a bad person.”
That was her conclusion. At Etienne’s blunt words, Reinhart blinked once, then slowly closed his eyes and smiled.
“Thank you.”
“I didn’t say anything thankful.”
“I’ll take it as your feelings toward me deepening.”
Etienne was so flabbergasted she couldn’t speak for a moment—until Fernando cut in.
“Your Highness.”
“What is it, Fernando?”
“Please stop troubling Etienne.”
At Fernando’s words, Reinhart frowned.
“I did tease Etienne, but your tone sounds strange. I was merely teasing her like a cute little sister.”
“Don’t you already have a cute little sister in the capital?”
“Huh? Are you saying I should only act that way toward my blood relatives?”
“Yes. Don’t do it with Etienne.”
Reinhart fell silent for a moment, then wore an intrigued expression. For some reason, Fernando disliked that look intensely and pressed on.
“Since you’re also responsible for us falling into this place, start thinking of a way out.”
“Instead of pointless banter, quickly resolve this mess, will you?”
“Yes.”
“You could handle it yourself.”
“This situation arose because of Your Highness.”
“Strictly speaking, I’m a victim too.”
“To the two of us, Your Highness is the perpetrator.”
“I didn’t pull you in.”
“But you pulled Etienne in.”
As Reinhart and Fernando locked eyes stubbornly, Etienne finally intervened, unable to watch any longer.
“Hold on. Fernando, you stop too.”
“Etienne, if we let it go now, he’ll just say something strange to you again.”
“That’s… Anyway, I was also at fault. I should’ve focused on escaping right away instead of getting lost in argument. I’m sorry, Fernando.”
“I didn’t ask for your apology, Etienne.”
Fernando took Etienne’s hand. Seeing her dirty from the soil, he pulled at his own clothes to wipe it clean.
“I don’t care where we are—as long as you’re safe.”
“Fernando?”
Etienne quietly met his gaze.
“So think of yourself before thinking of me.”
Just moments ago, he’d accused the Crown Prince of being the perpetrator and demanded he fix things—yet now he claimed it didn’t matter. Etienne couldn’t have been the only one who heard that contradiction.
“Fernando, I heard that, and honestly, it’s baffling. You said the Crown Prince didn’t pull you in himself—but then tell him Etienne doesn’t matter?”
“I lunged to catch Etienne myself.”
“So…?”
“If Your Highness hadn’t gone after Etienne alone, I wouldn’t have done that either.”
Reinhart glanced around with an incredulous look, then fixed his eyes on Fernando again.
“You’re being extremely rude to the Crown Prince.”
“If Your Highness acted in a manner befitting your station, I wouldn’t have behaved this way.”
“And that ‘unbefitting behavior’ is…?”
“Suspecting Etienne, making things difficult for her, and causing her to fall into this pit. You’ve tormented Etienne all along.”
Fernando placed Etienne behind him, his expression resolute, as if protecting her from the Crown Prince.
Seeing them face off again after she’d just mediated, Etienne let out an audible sigh.
‘This is suffocating.’
Not because it was a cave—but because of the situation itself.
“Let’s focus first on getting out of here.”
“But Etienne, the one who caused this situation is—”
“Fernando. I know what you’re about to say. But right now, escaping is the priority. We’ll talk again once we’re out. I’ve got a lot to say too.”
As Etienne spoke and turned her head, her eyes met Reinhart’s. He replied with a look that clearly said, “Go ahead anytime.”
‘Fine. Let’s settle this properly.’
Etienne turned and surveyed the cave. It was said that near the Mitri tree, there were spaces seemingly carved by humans. Only twice had such spaces actually been found, yet they were frequently spoken of among people.
She never understood why—after all, those spaces held no treasure. But now, she thought she finally grasped the reason.
“This… was made by the Mitri tree.”
Etienne gently brushed her fingers against the earthen wall. Soil clung to her fingertips. This wasn’t a stone cave. The wall, composed of earth and silvery roots, captured her full attention.
It felt mystical—so unforgettable. Perhaps others, just like her, had been deeply moved and thus spoken of it.
“The roots of the Mitri created this space.”
Clearly, over an immensely long time, the Mitri’s roots had gradually expanded their domain, slowly forming this chamber.
“Indeed. Amazing. How could roots carve out such a vast space?”
Reinhart also looked around with evident wonder. Only Fernando kept his eyes fixed on Etienne.
He seemed vigilant, wary of anything that might harm her. Watching this, Reinhart clicked his tongue.
“I’m genuinely curious now.”
Glancing between Fernando and Etienne, Reinhart muttered,
“I’m very curious about your relationship.”
Having uncovered Etienne’s secret, he now wanted to understand her connection with Fernando.
Once they escaped this place, as she’d said—
“Shall we go deeper inside?”
“We should.”
Reinhart calmly suppressed his rising tension and stepped to the front.
“Etienne, stay close behind me.”
Noting the complete darkness ahead, Reinhart spoke—and Fernando positioned himself behind Etienne.
Etienne keenly sensed both men’s intent to protect her. Yet before she could even register it, she reached into her robes and pulled something out.
“Your Highness, wait.”
She grabbed Reinhart’s sleeve just as he was about to stride forward solemnly. His balance shifted slightly backward. Straightening himself, he turned to her—and she pressed a torch into his hand.
“This…?”
“Luckily, I have one. It’s very small, so I’ve been saving it for special moments.”
Reinhart smiled fondly at the tiny torch, barely half the usual size.
“Well, I don’t know how bright it’ll be, but it’s better than nothing.”
Having said his piece, Etienne gave Reinhart’s back a light pat—clearly signaling it was time to move.
Reinhart, who’d intended both to protect Etienne and lead as the responsible party, suddenly felt oddly displaced.
“Wait… am I somehow being used as a shield? Am I?”
“Let’s go.”
Etienne had no intention of correcting his assumption. Fernando lightly patted her shoulder in silent approval.
[This is the timeline separator]Aside from the initial drop point, all passages were narrow. Thankfully, the height spared them from feeling too claustrophobic.
Yet the cave split into multiple paths. When they encountered another fork, Reinhart halted, and Etienne leaned forward to peer ahead.
“Which way shall we go?”
“We took the right tunnel last time, so perhaps again—”
“Left.”
Fernando, standing furthest back, spoke curtly. It had happened before too. Reinhart turned toward him.
“You’ve been confidently choosing directions from the start—is there a reason?”
Reinhart asked, but Fernando’s lips remained tightly shut, refusing to answer. It wasn’t that he had no reason—he simply seemed unwilling to speak with him.
“You’re awfully insolent toward the Crown Prince.”
“The Crown Prince himself knows he won’t punish me for this. Besides, I’m even helpfully providing clear directions, so there’s even less reason to punish me.”
Etienne spoke in Fernando’s stead. Truthfully, she disliked how closely Reinhart had leaned in when turning toward him, almost as if embracing him—so she quickly clarified the situation.
“Unlike the second prince, who treats people according to his mood, Your Highness is known to be most gracious. Isn’t that right? Shall we move on, then?”
Let bygones be bygones—no point fighting among ourselves; just hurry along.
“Do I really seem gracious to you?”
“Huh?”
Etienne frowned.
Male lead first thought she played hard to get, only to realize she
really disliked him
Short intro:
What she can’t stand the most is the streets full of effeminate men, especially that so-called top beauty whom she avoids at all costs.
Shen Yaoxing looks at Jiang Mingyue, who keeps approaching her with coy shyness.
Shen Yaoxing: Bro, don’t be like this, I’m really about to throw up!
She fears nothing in heaven or earth, except for him getting close to her.
*
At first he thought she was just using the trick of feigning indifference to attract his attention. Later, he learned that she truly despised him.
This dealt a heavy blow to Jiang Mingyue, and he vowed to make her, like everyone else, fall at his feet in worship!
***
Synopsis:
Before transmigrating, Shen Yaoxing only wanted to find a reliable man to spend her life with. Who knew that after transmigrating, she would become a reliable woman herself…
A forced misandrist, highly skilled, and reliable female lead
vs.
An initially aloof and arrogant, later morbid, obsessed male lead
_____
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