I Abandoned the Male Lead Who Cheated with the Villainess - Chapter 128
‧₊˚ ☁️⋅♡𓂃 ࣪ ִֶָ☾.
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Before that, she had thought, ‘If I push him away, Rix will get hurt.’ Even if she could push him away, she wouldn’t have done it.
“Alright. Let’s go to our home. I have a lot to talk about. You have to be prepared to lay everything on the table, from A to Z.”
“I’m more than willing. Even if you were to completely dismantle me, I won’t hide anything from you anymore.”
As Ivonne threatened him, Herix rose to the challenge. What more was there to say?
‘I’ll have to see if you really mean that.’
Thus, Ivonne found herself returning to the Tens Mansion, the place she had once thought she would share peaceful days with Rix before being branded a fugitive.
Outside the modest home she had shared with Isaac stood the secret guards of the Sortenic Empire that Herix had brought with him, disguised as ordinary passersby. Among them was the friendly clerk from the bakery that Ivonne and Isaac had visited earlier.
“Ah… when did this happen?”
Ivonne asked Herix without even trying to hide the clinking shackles on her ankles.
“When did you first know I was in the Ortensia Republic? This is supposed to be a quiet country town!”
“I only found out recently. Johann told me your location.”
“How?”
“I… investigated our home. Johann compared the magic from there with all the registered wizards’ powers in the palace. It took some time.”
It seemed Herix wasn’t just making sweet promises when he said he wouldn’t hide anything, as he answered her without hesitation. Ivonne quickly turned her head away with a whoosh of wind.
“Hello! Hope you’ve been well!”
There was Johann, waving with a bright smile that didn’t fit the situation, looking like a host welcoming an important guest. Ivonne wanted to smack her forehead in frustration.
‘Right. The department head is the second craziest in the Empire.’
There was no way he could come up with the insane idea of comparing the magic of tens of thousands of registered wizards in the palace with the magic harvested from the Tens Mansion.
“And you let that happen?”
“Yes.”
Is something wrong? If so, I can fix it… Herix asked with a gloomy expression. Ivonne again felt the urge to smack her forehead.
She had momentarily forgotten that the man Johann served, known as the second craziest in the Empire, was Herix, the first madman.
Now without his glasses, those softly glowing purple eyes were clearer.
‘That Crown Prince’ was the one who had put a bounty on her. True to his reputation, he likely wouldn’t hesitate to use any means necessary to achieve his goals.
It wouldn’t be surprising if he worked his attendants to death a hundred times over without feeling any guilt.
On the other hand, she couldn’t help but feel a sense of admiration.
“But that’s truly impressive. You did your best to hide your identity.”
At that moment, a cold darkness began to flicker in Herix’s eyes once again. It was a warning signal, filled with suspicion. Ivonne quickly added, as if scolding a young animal,
“It’s because someone has put a bounty on me as a fugitive.”
“But, but…”
“Being cute won’t work this time. You put a bounty on me, and I’ll be sure to question you about it later, so save your excuses.”
“You think I’m cute?”
Ivonne, who had spoken so firmly, decided to keep her mouth shut at the response. In fact, the mention of ‘fugitive’ was a way to gauge whether Herix truly planned to eliminate her by framing her.
“Am I really cute? Was I cute just now?”
Seeing him lean forward with his large frame, hands clasped tightly together, and his round purple eyes lighting up in joy despite often losing their sparkle due to his squint, Ivonne thought,
‘Hmm, I’ve completely misunderstood. Isaac really built an absurd theory.’
It seemed Rix, who had led her to willingly give up her freedom, was still very much present.
“Ivonne, was I cute just now? If I keep being cute, will you not leave?”
Ignoring Herix’s persistent remarks, Ivonne walked towards the carriage. She was taking small steps, uncertain of how far the chains on her ankles would stretch. Her uncertainty was resolved when Herix opened the door of the carriage for her.
He had been glancing at her ankles like a guilty person, despite having put them on her himself.
“You don’t have to walk so uncomfortably. The chains on your feet… they won’t hinder you wherever you go, as long as it’s within the area I’ve designated.”
‘The designated area,’ she thought. As she pondered his words for a moment, she let out a hollow laugh.
“A magic suppression, right?”
She had learned about this while studying for her maid exam. This method was typically used on magical prisoners. It made sense why she felt a chill the moment the shackles were fastened. It wasn’t just her imagination.
“…”
When Herix averted his gaze instead of responding, Ivonne raised her hand to attempt a simple spell. As expected, nothing happened.
“…Ha.”
No matter how great of an ancient wizard she was, without magic, she was no different from an ordinary person. She had worried so much about whether such a magic-suppressing tool would be put on her.