Thought It Was 'The End', Only to Return to a Changed Genre - Chapter 140
What had initially started as a simple connection had blossomed into something more with each passing day. Shane found himself liking her more and falling in love all over again.
The way she glanced at him while talking, the habit of holding his hand when she cared for him, the comforting air they shared when together, the mischievous smile she wore as if she couldn’t help it, and the bright grin that spread across her face—all of these things.
The feelings of affection, admiration, and love that Shane harbored for Adeline had grown and settled deep within him, becoming the very essence of who Shane Blanchard was. This love defined him.
Adeline blushed and leaned into him.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Because you’re beautiful.”
Her pale platinum hair, the graceful curve of her long neck, the sharp, upward slant of her eyes, her elegant nose, and her small, red lips—all perfectly composed into a stunningly beautiful face.
Her refined eyebrows, her cheekbones, and the delicate shape of her jaw were so harmoniously balanced.
And then there were her sparkling green eyes, filled with vitality, mystery, and charm.
Shane could have told her all this and more, but Adeline didn’t like hearing it. So, instead, he just gazed at her, much like she often did with him.
When he stayed silent, Adeline would always argue, “What I do is admiring; what you do is complimenting. It’s different.” Her odd way of making even nonsensical statements sound logical was another thing Shane found endearing.
In truth, finding something to dislike about her would be much harder…
If someone else had said such things aloud, Shane might have laughed at how foolish they sounded.
But when it came to Adeline, it wasn’t foolish at all—it was simply the truth.
‘This makes me seem like a fool too.’
Maybe that was the essence of it all. The essence of loving someone.
It made you a fool, and you didn’t mind it.
“Shane, I have something for you.”
“What is it?”
Love makes a person want to be kind. When you love someone, you want them to be happy, and you’re willing to endure discomfort or pain just to see them smile.
Without Adeline, Shane would have likely become someone incapable of showing even the smallest act of kindness.
Adeline had always praised Shane for saving others in danger and for keeping his aide close, but in truth, he had only done so because of something she had once said, “Of course, you have to help.”
It was her voice that rang in his ears. He wanted to please her and avoid disappointing her.
Because Adeline was the kind of person who would be saddened by such a small thing.
“The Empress gave me some cookies. I tried one, and it was so delicious I thought of you.”
“Really?”
“Yes. Do you want to try it?”
“Feed me.”
Shane smiled as he opened his mouth with an expectant “Ah.”
Adeline smiled sweetly, taking a cookie and gently placing it in his mouth. She watched with anticipation as he chewed and swallowed.
After finishing it, Shane wiped the crumbs from his lips with his thumb, smiling his usual smile, one that made Adeline lose herself. It was a face she adored beyond words.
Adeline blinked.
Shane, too, was captivated by her long, fan-shaped lashes, the mix of green and light brown in her eyes, and the delicate sheen of moisture in them.
He could lose himself in her gaze, and because of that, he had the leisure to be generous.
“Anything you give me is wonderful, Adeline.”
“Mmh…”
“Even if it kills me.”
Adeline gasped, startled by his words, and stepped back.
Shane, in an instant, grabbed her by her delicate neck and pressed her against the wall.
Her small frame dangled helplessly in the air as she tried to pry his hand off her throat. Her struggles were insignificant against his grip.
“But you’re not the real Adeline.”
“P-Please, s-spare me….”
“It was fun while it lasted.”
Shane picked up the fountain pen from the desk and swiftly plunged it into the hollow of the imposter’s throat.
The creature, wearing Adeline’s skin, gurgled its last breath as its head lolled backward.
The bright platinum hair darkened, transforming into something completely different.
Shane pulled out a handkerchief and wiped the blood from his hands, pausing as a foreboding feeling washed over him.
Without a second thought, he rushed out.
***
Adeline knew the moment she took a sip.
She set her teacup down and grabbed Edwin’s wrist as he was about to lift his cup to his lips.
Despite only drinking a single sip, she was already beginning to break out in a cold sweat.
“Don’t drink it….”
Edwin, puzzled at first, then widened his eyes in shock. His body began to tilt slowly.
The sensation, starting with a numbness on the tongue—it was poison.
