Thought It Was 'The End', Only to Return to a Changed Genre - Chapter 84
Reflecting on her past, her brow furrowed deeply. Shane removed her fingers from her forehead and kissed the spot.
“I can’t help if you’re angry… but you feel better when you’re not angry, right?”
“….”
What is this sweet nonsense?
Shane had become quite the scoundrel himself.
Imprisoning, restraining, and stalking her without shame, then sweetly comforting her even if she got angry…
The problem was that she didn’t hate it.
Adeline let out a hollow laugh, and Shane smiled back at her.
Lloyd watched them with a look of pity.
***
The outings continued for several more days.
Adeline would leave the mansion in the morning and spend the afternoon at a café terrace.
Sometimes, she had lunch with Shane or Jeff.
Then she would return home for dinner with her family. Gregory, Emma, and Patrick all pretended not to know about her outings. Adeline stopped taking the fever-inducing medicine.
Today’s lunch was with Jeff.
“There’s a story about a sorcerer controlling monsters in the eastern border region of the Kingdom of Brubewein.”
“Where is Brubewein?”
“It’s a kingdom at the far western edge of the Empire, at the end of the Miphan Mountain Range. Seventy percent of its land is mountainous, so they’re not very prosperous.”
“I guess you haven’t been there, then.”
“Why would you say that?”
“You don’t care about poor countries.”
“That’s arrogant. Understanding me so well.”
Jeff flicked Adeline’s forehead. It made a loud sound but didn’t hurt.
“I found the story, but it’s just a legend. The land is harsh and full of monsters, so it’s likely a tale reflecting people’s wishes.”
“Is controlling monsters such a great ability?”
“Of course. Monsters are numerous. Think of all of them as an army. There are very few mages or knights of high rank.”
“Horrifying…”
“Indeed.”
Because of that danger, it could be the reason the real villain in the novel could exist.
Genevieve decided to treasure this moment even more.
Shane’s investigation team was focusing on the summoning circle at the hall.
Shane casually shared internal details with her whenever they had lunch together.
When she asked if Genevieve was being properly protected, he said that she was enjoying a stroll with her husband by a secluded lakeside or taking a vacation in a forest cabin. She was apparently very happy.
‘I want to see her husband’s face even just once….’
Strangely, the opportunity never came.
The café terrace was also very quiet. Even though Adeline waited alone, there was no sign of anyone approaching her. None of the customers looked suspicious.
Despite knowing it was unlikely, she investigated all the customers who visited the café on the first day.
Nothing came up. There were a couple of mages, but they were all mages who wielded light magic, and more importantly, they were women.
It would be great if there really was no mage.
Just as the female lead married a knight of the imperial guard and the male lead married the villainess, if the sorcerer had not reached any significant heights like in the novel and had already been defeated by someone, how wonderful would that be.
“Haah…”
“You’re chasing away your luck, Adeline.”
Adeline merely looked up at Jeff.
“If my luck can be chased away by sighing, it would leave even if I did nothing…”
“Still, you shouldn’t chase it away.”
He looked like someone who would never believe in superstitions.
‘Maybe because the author is Korean, there are some Korean-like superstitions in this world too.’
Such elements reminded her that this world was a creation of the author.
Jeff, observing Adeline’s gloomy expression, glanced over her shoulder. From the playful glint in her second brother’s eyes, Adeline knew who he had seen.
“Adeline.”
A large hand grasped her neck as if cradling it, tilting her chin upwards. As Adeline leaned her head back, her gaze met Shane’s blue eyes. Adeline closed her eyes just as his lips met hers.
With a soft sound, their lips touched and parted.
Shane smiled. He looked at Adeline as if expecting praise, like an animal that had brought back prey.
“We caught the culprit.”
