Thought It Was 'The End', Only to Return to a Changed Genre - Chapter 66
Adeline had already found Shane Blanchard endearing for a long time.
Someone who didn’t open up to just anyone, who was cold to everyone else but sweet as sugar to her, telling her she was special to him. There was no way she could resist melting.
I wanted you to be happy, so I willingly let you go and chose to watch over you from afar.
Once I realized my feelings, desire began to creep in.
But, you say you like me….
Even after I pushed you away and said cruel things, even after I deceived you and ran away, you still say you like me.
You smile as if you own the world just by marrying a woman who was captured and threatened as a hostage. Watching you like that, I told myself to get angry, but I felt weak several times.
You cling to a woman who pushes you away, begging to be let go, saying you can’t sleep without her because you’re anxious….
‘How can I not like this foolish person…?’
As a villainess, is it wrong to desire the male lead?
Maybe it’s an instinct born with the role.
Like ‘Adeline,’ perhaps I was destined to fall in love with the male lead.
The only difference between Adeline and ‘her’ was that she genuinely wished for Shane’s happiness.
If it’s not a world where she had to die, can’t she make him happy herself?
‘No, no. Get a grip, Adeline. Nothing is certain yet. You must protect Genevieve first.’
Adeline made up her mind.
First, she would catch and kill the sorcerer.
***
It would take some time for Lloyd to conduct a background check.
In the meantime, Adeline planned to stay close to Genevieve as much as possible.
The Empress had sent a message through Emma, wanting to meet. Adeline planned to enter the palace, see Emma after a long time, and naturally stay close to Genevieve.
“You aren’t here to meet me, are you Adeline?”
“Pardon?”
Edwin said teasingly,
“Oh, you know. She locked herself in her room, saying she only wants to let her husband in, and doesn’t want to meet me, the Empress, or anyone else. She said she doesn’t want to see anyone. I gave her a vacation, and this is what I get…”
“No way, Genevieve…?”
Adeline was deeply shocked.
“Genevieve doesn’t want to see me?”
“She said she especially doesn’t want to see you.”
“Well… no, it’s possible, sure, it’s possible. But isn’t it strange?”
“There must be something wrong….”
Adeline had never imagined Genevieve would reject her. The realization that she had never considered this possibility hit her hard.
‘Was Genevieve also angry like Shane?’
When they reunited, Adeline was more worried about being mistaken for a mistress than about deceiving Genevieve. She felt less guilty because it was necessary to awaken the saintess’ powers.
But it might be different from Genevieve’s perspective.
Maybe she was just worried because she was kind. It would have been hard to blame someone already kidnapped and imprisoned.
“Would it be creepy to wait in front of her door…?”
“She’ll come out if she feels suffocated.”
Shane answered indifferently.
“Or if we stop feeding her. Hunger will bring her out.”
“Genevieve is not a wild animal.”
“She’ll be dragged out when her vacation ends anyway.”
“That’s even more pitiful!”
If Genevieve was hurt, Adeline wanted to comfort her. She asked Edwin,
“Was she very shocked? It must have been horrible to see someone’s wrist get cut off right in front of her….”
“Would she be shocked by that? On expeditions, she often sees corpses rotting and disintegrating. She frequently encounters injured people covered in blood, with flesh crushed and parts falling off. She wouldn’t be shocked by just seeing a wrist get cut off.”
“……”
Our dear female lead has lived a hard-boiled life….
“I don’t know why she’s suddenly pretending to be fragile, but there must have been some change of heart. I’ll let her know you’re here, so go see the Empress first.”
“Okay….”
Is this how parents feel standing in front of a teenager’s locked door? Adeline swallowed her tears.
