Thought It Was 'The End', Only to Return to a Changed Genre - Chapter 79
Lucian walked in nonchalantly.
His confident and comfortable demeanor, as if he owned the place, had never been so irritating.
“You didn’t come when I called before.”
“You had a demon clinging to you.”
“…Not exactly a demon.”
Lucian raised an eyebrow and smirked.
“Still saying that?”
He sat on the sofa, crossed his legs, and looked at her mockingly.
“Even after seeing the true nature of your ‘kind fiancé’?”
“Well, riiight, I saw it….”
“It cracked me up every time you called him kind.”
He’s always been like this. Adeline took a deep breath and shook her head.
‘At least he still comes when I call….’
Honestly, Adeline thought Lucian wouldn’t come.
She believed her connection with Lucian had ended five years ago.
Lucian was a man who kept clear accounts of his debts.
Adeline had made him owe her by using information from the novel.
Information she could never have known otherwise.
‘It was the same with finding Lloyd.’
If she hadn’t known in advance when, how, and where something would happen to Lucian, she would never have met him.
Adeline guessed that Lucian found this suspicious. But she had nothing to tell him, so she just glossed over it. Lucian, in turn, didn’t press her for answers. They called each other friends but had a shallow relationship.
It was more like being colleagues on a big project. More precisely, it was like a client and a subcontractor.
That’s why she thought she would never see him again after their business was done five years ago. When they reunited, she half-listened to his complaints for the same reason.
She never thought their connection would last long.
There was no reason to contact him, and he had no reason to wait for her contact, so why should she sincerely apologize for going silent?
Despite that, Lucian came.
If he came despite Shane, whom he likened to a demon, there was still hope. Regardless of what he thought of her, at least he still saw her as a profitable client.
‘If I want to move secretly, even when Shane isn’t around, I need Lucian’s help. If I keep getting confined every time something happens, I won’t be able to find the sorcerer, let alone do anything. I thought about asking Jeff for help, but it turns out he’s on Shane’s side….’
Of course, asking Lucian for cooperation was scary.
She no longer had any leverage over him and had no idea what he might demand in return.
But even if she assumed the worst, what could he do? Sell her into slavery? Even if he sold her organs, which weren’t very healthy, he wouldn’t get much.
“Lucian, help me.”
“No.”
“……”
Her hopeful thoughts shattered instantly.
“Why! You came all the way here! If you weren’t going to help, why did you come?”
Lloyd looked at her as if she were the most shameless person in the world. Regardless, Adeline decided to be bold. Boldness and shamelessness are only a hair’s breadth apart.
But Lucian didn’t even bat an eye.
“I came to see the face of the idiot who didn’t know what she was raising and ran away.”
“You’ve seen my face before.”
“That was when you didn’t know anything. I wondered if you’d be more miserable knowing everything.”
“Everyone, whether it’s him or you, just wants me to be unhappy.”
Should I put on a crying show sometime, damn it.
“In that sense, I’m disappointed. You seem in better shape than I expected.”
“Sorry to disappoint you.”
“No need to apologize.”
Lucian rested his arm on the armrest and propped his chin on his hand. His light auburn hair partially covered his pale face, making his ambiguous expression unreadable. When Adeline looked at him askance, he smirked.
“I don’t want to help, but I could hang out with you a little.”
“How much?”
“You were the one asking for help, and now you’re stingy with money?”
“Hanging out with you is more expensive than getting your help. What if Brother Jeff goes bankrupt because of me….”
Lucian, looking at her as if she worried about the strangest things, burst into laughter.
‘This sly fox.’
