When the Cruel Dark Lord Tenderly Seduces (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 16
Where Nellia’s gaze landed, there lay a white snake coiled up.
The snake was quietly closing its eyes as if asleep.
Where had Duke Hart gone, and why was a snake lying on the bed?
Nellia glanced around the room and then noticed some clothing beneath the blanket.
The clothes resembled what the Duke had been wearing. To confirm, she would need to lift them.
Before that, Nellia cautiously peeked at the snake.
‘Since it’s still asleep……’
Besides, the snake’s face looked rather blunt, not seeming like a venomous type.
From what little she recalled, venomous snakes like vipers had triangular-shaped heads.
Carefully avoiding the sleeping snake, Nellia slowly reached out and picked up the clothing.
Indeed, it was what Duke Hart had been wearing—and this was his undergarment…..
“Oh my!”
Startled, Nellia dropped the garment she’d been holding. She quickly covered her mouth and glanced at the snake.
As if awakened by the commotion, the snake blinked and stared at her.
‘Darn it, this is ruined.’
This was the first time she’d seen a snake so up close. In her previous life, she’d never even visited a zoo.
Not just a zoo—even the TV at home used to cut out mid-program, so she’d rarely seen animals even on video.
Still, she could tell this snake looked slightly unusual compared to ordinary ones. Rather than thin and long, its body appeared plump and short.
‘……The more I look, the oddly cute it seems.’
It looked even more so because its attempt to coil itself appeared clumsy.
The snake’s eyes gradually became clearer. Then, seemingly startled, it hastily uncoiled itself—its flustered movements appearing almost panicked.
She wasn’t sure if it was her imagination, but the snake kept glancing at her furtively, as if gauging her reaction.
Watching this, Nellia slowly leaned backward without taking her eyes off the snake.
‘It looks cute, but it might still bite me.’
She had to avoid provoking it as much as possible.
But just then, she accidentally dropped the medicine bottle she’d been holding onto the bed.
‘Darn it.’
She reversed her step backward immediately. She had to retrieve the medicine bottle she’d dropped on the bed.
Keeping a wary eye in case the snake might bite, Nellia carefully reached out her hand again.
“Be good.”
Of course, the snake couldn’t understand her words, but luckily, it stayed docile and calm.
Finally, her fingers touched the medicine bottle.
The moment she swiftly picked it up, the snake’s gaze followed the bottle. Then, as if suddenly stimulated by something, it jerked its body.
Nellia quickly extended her palm to calm the snake.
“Whoa, whoa…! Be good…? Don’t move.”
She didn’t know what had startled it, but the snake now seemed highly agitated.
It had reacted the moment she picked up the bottle—could the snake somehow recognize this medicine?
‘……That can’t be.’
Lately, encountering so many dramatic events must be making her imagination run wild.
‘But seriously, where on earth did Duke Hart go…?’
And what exactly was this snake…..
As she gazed down quietly, Nellia thought the snake’s gentle demeanor suggested it might belong to Duke Hart. After all, some people did keep reptiles like snakes as pets.
Although citizens of the Andrian Empire generally disliked snakes, the Duke was such an eccentric man that anything was possible.
Still puzzled, Nellia placed the medicine bottle on the desk. The snake raised its body but, fortunately, didn’t lunge at her.
“…….”
Suddenly, Nellia felt the snake seemed oddly familiar. Though she’d never seen a snake in her life, this strange sense of déjà vu stirred her curiosity.
‘It doesn’t seem aggressive, so……’
When Nellia turned on the nearby lamp, the bed was bathed in light, allowing her to see the snake more clearly.
‘It wasn’t actually white.’
Its scales were closer to silver.
Moreover, its eyes—she’d thought them strangely luminous—were not the usual black of ordinary snakes but gleaming silver orbs like glass beads.
That’s why the snake didn’t feel creepy at all.
Instead, it evoked a sense of sacredness and awe, making her feel strangely unsettled.
Nellia forgot all about leaving the room and just kept staring at the snake.
The snake lowered its raised body and slithered smoothly across the blanket, swiftly arriving right before Nellia.
Surprised, Nellia flinched momentarily—but as expected, the snake didn’t attack.
Cautiously, Nellia extended her hand. The snake slowly approached and gently bumped its head against her hand.
It was just like an affectionate stray cat greeting a human.
Nellia offered a fingertip and gently stroked the snake’s smooth head.
In response, the snake rubbed its head against her hand.
‘This snake acts just like a puppy.’
Nellia felt utterly unreal in this very moment.
She’d come to deliver a medicine bottle to Duke Hart, but he wasn’t on the bed—only this snake was there.
And now, this snake’s appearance and demeanor were unlike any ordinary snake.
‘Could it be a mythical creature…?’
Given that it was Duke Hart, it made sense he might keep such a creature.
“I should be going now.”
She’d planned to warn him in case he might be bitten by the snake, but its gentle nature suggested it wouldn’t recklessly bite anyone.
Nellia stood up from her seat.
But as she tried to walk away, something snagged her foot. She’d forgotten about Duke Hart’s clothes on the floor and slipped after stepping on them.
“Eeek—!”
With a sharp scream, Nellia fell backward. She saw the snake swiftly slither toward her and leap in her direction.
Then—thud—!
A loud sound echoed as her body hit the floor.
‘Huh…?’
But it didn’t hurt. And why did it feel so soft underneath…?
It was as if she’d landed on a person…..
“Aaaah!”
There really was someone underneath her! And her vision was filled with a sea of peach-colored skin—meaning the person beneath her was clearly unclothed.
Panicking, Nellia scrambled off the person.
“W-who are you?!”
She was certain she’d been alone in this room…!
Soon, a familiar voice reached her ears.
“It’s me, Nellia.”
Huh? That voice…?
“Your Grace…?”
Instinctively, Nellia turned her head. The man with silver hair and chiseled features was unmistakably Duke Hart.
Her gaze suddenly dropped—it landed on his broad, firm chest.
“I-I’m so sorry!”
“It’s fine. You may look all you want, Nellia.”
“W-what are you saying?!”
Her mind must be going haywire today—blurting out such nonsense.
“P-please get dressed quickly!”
Flustered, Nellia stammered out the words.
“I don’t mind, but since Nellia seems uncomfortable, I’ll do just that.”
How could he not mind! Any civilized person ought to wear clothes!
Soon, Duke Hart’s voice came again.
“I’m fully dressed now.”
Nellia turned her head cautiously. He was clad in the same shirt and trousers she’d seen him in that morning.
“But where did you come from just now…?”
Especially in that natural state…..
Remembering the unfamiliar peach-toned spectacle, Nellia felt her cheeks grow hot.
‘Come to think of it, the snake leaped toward me earlier—what happened to it?’
Nellia glanced around. The snake had vanished as if it were a mirage.
“Your Grace… There was a snake on the bed—was it yours?”
Receiving no answer, Nellia looked at Duke Hart.
“It was a cute snake, covered in silver scales just like your hair.”
He wore an awkward expression.
“……Nellia.”
Suddenly, Nellia sensed a strange familiarity in Duke Hart’s expression.
‘……Am I imagining things?’
The resemblance between the snake’s face and Duke Hart’s—
Those glassy silver eyes and his flustered look.
Most of all, Duke Hart’s appearance coinciding exactly with the snake’s disappearance.
‘……What an incredible coincidence.’
Nellia stared straight at Duke Hart and asked.
“It couldn’t be… right?”
“…….”
“That snake earlier—could it possibly have been…?”
She knew how foolish the question sounded.
But she desperately needed to hear him deny it.
The Duke lowered his gaze.
“Yes.”
“……What?”
“That snake earlier was me.”
Nellia’s mouth fell open helplessly.
‘Does that even make sense?’
No matter how fantastical this world was, how could a human turn into a snake?
“……I know it’s hard to believe.”
His voice trembled slightly—an expression she’d never seen from him before.
She read sincerity in his eyes. Besides, he had no reason to joke about something like this.
“But truly, that snake was another form of mine.”
Nellia’s mouth remained agape. It felt as though she’d stumbled upon a secret she was never meant to know.
“The medicine you brought suppresses my transformation into a snake.”
“Then why did you leave such an important medicine behind…?!”
“I forgot it in the rain… And after transforming mid-way, I couldn’t go back to retrieve it.”
So that’s why… he’d been so consistent about taking it.
“Then your low body temperature…?”
Duke Hart slowly nodded.
“Because a snake’s body temperature is lower than a human’s….”
Each of her previous suspicions about the Duke now made perfect sense. She never imagined this was the reason.
“Did your recent dismissal of all the maids also relate to your transformation into a snake?”
“Yes. Lately, the medicine hasn’t been working well, so I felt uneasy keeping people in the mansion.”
“But why keep the housemaids and butlers as they were…?”
“They were sent from my main house and already know the secret, so it’s fine. They’re also loyal servants who’ve served my family for generations.”
That explained it… They’d always seemed far more disciplined than ordinary maids—clearly elite staff sent from Hart territory.
Now Nellia understood a little better why Thorne had been so reserved whenever speaking of the Duke.
“So everyone in the Duke’s household already knows your secret….”
Duke Hart’s gaze drifted toward the window.
“Yes. It’s an ancient curse upon the Hart family.”
Nellia blinked.
“A curse…?”
Though turning into a snake certainly wasn’t a good thing, the word itself carried heavier weight than she’d expected.
“The Hart Dukedom has been afflicted for generations by a curse that turns its heirs into snakes.”
The Duke gave a weary smile.
“This time, I’m the one bearing that curse.”
“That’s so….”
Even considering his role as a villain, Duke Hart’s story was tragic. Everyone had their reasons—but to turn into a snake?
Fortunately, it seemed he’d managed to live in human form for a long time thanks to the medicine…
Nellia’s gaze settled on Duke Hart’s face.
“Even with the medicine, is it no longer possible to prevent reverting to a snake…?”
The Duke bowed his head, his silver hair falling limply to cover his eyes.
“It’s not that bad yet… but soon….”
Although it wasn’t her own problem, Nellia’s palms grew sweaty.
Then, suddenly, she remembered how Duke Hart had abruptly turned back into a human earlier.
“Then how did you return to human form just now…?”
She clearly still held the medicine bottle.
Meaning he’d transformed back without taking the medicine.
“I’m not entirely sure myself.”
The Duke lifted his head.
“I just saw you about to fall and thought I had to help you….”
Was that really all it took?
‘It’s almost as if I helped him return to human form.’
Frowning, Nellia met the Duke’s eyes.
“…….”
“…….”
What was this uneasy feeling…?
“Nellia.”
The Duke called her name in a low voice.
His eyes held a strange excitement. Sensing why, Nellia instinctively took a step back.
“No, Your Grace.”
“Yes. It’s thanks to you that I returned to human form.”
Why was the conversation turning out like this!
Nellia felt extremely uncomfortable with the situation.
“Normally, returning to human form without the medicine takes a full day. But this time, I changed back within just a few hours.”
“……It could’ve been coincidence.”
“No. I know my own body well.”
His certainty left her without a reply.
“Ah….”
While Nellia’s eyes darted around nervously, Duke Hart’s voice came, sounding utterly deflated.
“……I’m sorry. I must’ve made you uncomfortable.”
His expression looked strangely despondent.
“A human who turns into a snake… Of course you’d find it unpleasant and repulsive.”
Why was he being so hard on himself…?
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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