“Finding Zigrid’s heart…?”
“Yes. After analyzing the heart until late recently, the scope of its location has gradually narrowed down.”
No wonder… lately, it seemed the lights in the Duke’s room didn’t go out until late at night. He must have been investigating Zigrid’s heart.
“We should look for artifacts related to Zigrid. It is said that Zigrid’s subordinates are asleep there.”
It was quite a close deduction.
The Duke was a smart person and had extraordinary abilities. Through getting to know each other like this, they might eventually meet Reunite.
“Well, it’s challenging at the moment…”
Reunite had already been found by Nellia.
“I promise you, Nellia. I will definitely find Zigrid’s heart within a year.”
Listening to the Duke’s words, Nellia was worried.
“But, Duke, your original form may not be human…”
The reason the Duke tried to find Zigrid’s heart was to lift the curse that turned him into a snake. However, if the heads of the Hart family, as depicted in the basement book, were originally snakes and temporarily transformed into human forms…
“Whether my true form was originally a snake or a person doesn’t matter. If I find the heart, grant me the wish to become a complete person.”
In the end, his wish remained unchanged.
The reason he initially wanted to break the curse was that he wanted to remain a complete human.
“…I also want to be by Nellia’s side in a human form.”
Closing his eyes, the Duke whispered softly and slowly opened them.
“So, Nellia.”
“Yes? Yes.”
Nellia, who was silently thinking about her wish, snapped out of it at the Duke’s call.
“I hope Nellia doesn’t deceive me.”
“…”
“Of course, if there’s a reason for Nellia to deceive me, I’ll understand. But if Nellia ever faces danger, like what happened with Carlos… I won’t be able to forgive myself.”
Nellia’s heart wavered for a moment, but she quickly regained her composure.
In any other situation, she would have confessed everything to the Duke, just like with Reunite. However, it wasn’t possible with Reunite.
Hiding his existence was a matter for the Duke.
“…”
The hesitant gaze of Nellia moved slowly through the air, as if scanning the space.
She couldn’t talk about Reunite’s existence, but she could probably share this much.
“To be honest, it’s not about hiding from you, Duke. There’s something I can’t say.”
“Something you can’t say?”
“Yes. But it’s not something dangerous, so I hope you trust me and wait.”
The Duke stared at Nellia without a response.
“…Duke?”
As if having a different thought for a moment, his eyes glanced elsewhere, but soon he nodded as if accepting her words.
“Understood.”
He lightly kissed the back of her hand.
“I’ll trust Nellia.”
Phew, luckily.
Nellia regretted not telling the Duke about Reunite’s matter sooner.
He wasn’t someone who immediately revealed the truth about hiding from what he knew as the Duke.
Sitting on the bed, the Duke looked at Nellia.
“But, Nellia.”
“Yes?”
“If I propose, will Nellia accept?”
Once again, at the unexpected proposal topic, Nellia bit her lip.
“Why…? If I say I won’t accept, won’t you stop?”
The Duke grabbed Nellia’s wrist, pulling her towards the bed. Thanks to that, the two ended up lying comfortably on the bed, facing each other.
The Duke, now in close proximity, opened his mouth.
“Of course not.”
“…Really?”
“I’ll keep proposing until you accept.”
Saying that, the Duke raised the corners of his mouth.
The Duke’s leisurely smiling face was unexpectedly cool, and Nellia found herself momentarily captivated by that sight.
At the same time, her heart began to beat rapidly.
“What if I say I like another man?”
“Then I’ll have to get rid of that man.”
“…How do you plan to get rid of him?”
“That’s a secret.”
The Duke still had a lovely smile, but unlike a little while ago, his eyes seemed somewhat sharp.
“Even if Nellia doesn’t like me, I don’t have any other choice. So, I’ll try to make you like me until I die.”
The Duke gently stroked Nellia’s cheek.
“But… don’t assume I like someone else. Just the thought of it is quite painful.”
In a whispering low voice, his gaze sank.
In truth, even though Nellia felt uneasy about asking such a question, she wasn’t feeling good about it.
She asked out of curiosity about how Duke Hart, who was desperately pleading for her, would react in such a situation. Still, to him, it must have been a heartbreaking question.
Nellia covered the hand that was caressing her cheek with her own.
“…I won’t have feelings for anyone other than you, Duke.”
The Duke’s lips curved gently.
“Does it sound like Nellia likes me that much?”
The Duke’s warm and affectionate voice resonated in Nellia’s ears.
‘As if I like him…?’
The monotonous tone was firmly embedded in her mind, and for a moment, Nellia was stunned.
But even that was brief. Like a messy space suddenly becoming neat, her confused thoughts and emotions gradually surfaced.
‘Ah…’
Why did I realize it only now?
I liked the Duke.
An Indifferent Woman is the One Men Desire the Most
One-line summary: The female lead is actually cold-hearted and extremely rational. She has stage-by-stage relationships and won’t two-time, but there will always be someone who secretly likes her.
This novel has the following triggers, so if you’re sensitive to these, please don’t read:
1. The female lead has had many relationships, but she treated each one seriously and broke up properly.
It’s just that the men unilaterally pestered her incessantly. For the female lead, when she doesn’t like someone anymore, she simply doesn’t like them.
(This applies to her relationships with Male Lead 1, 2, 3, and 4 as well, but she’s loyal in each 1-on-1 relationship!)
2. In this novel, Male Lead 2 and the female lead kiss in a car, and Male Lead 1 sees it and beats up Male Lead 2.
The female lead calls the police and sends both Male Lead 1 and 2 to the police station! Male Lead 1 begs the female lead not to break up with him.
3. Male Lead 1 has a gentle appearance but an obsessive personality.
Male Lead 2 has a delicate and soft appearance, slightly green tea-like (two-faced).
Male Lead 3 is a youthful college student and a smart person who has secretly liked the female lead for a long time.
Male Lead 4 is the female lead’s father’s special assistant, a business elite with deep, hidden thoughts.
4. At the beginning of this novel, the female lead has already broken up with Male Lead 1 (Chapter 4) and gotten back together with Male Lead 2 (ex-boyfriend).
5. Enter with caution if you have triggers!!!
