Chapter 39

Mikarin rushed toward Cleas. Then, grabbing both of his hands, she spoke with a trembling voice.

“Please don’t do this. I’m really scared…”

It was the day of Cleas and Nikaearsha’s engagement ceremony.

“Lady Mikarin Telsi?”
“Ah…!”

Mikarin was quietly crying in a corner.

“What’s going on? Did someone behave rudely toward my fiancée’s cousin?”
“No, not at all. Everyone’s been very kind…”

He had figured as much.

Nikaearsha Delosif was infamous for her terrible temper.

It was said that the only reason she could function in high society at all was thanks to Mikarin. She would smooth over icy relationships, sometimes even literally getting slapped in her place. Even in the gossip-ridden social circles, no one ever spoke ill of Mikarin.

“Then why are you crying?”
“….”

He asked her a couple more times, but she just clutched the hem of her dress, her face frozen.

Maybe there was something she couldn’t bring herself to say.

With that thought, he turned to leave.

Nikaearsha was destined to become the most powerful Awakener. That was why a loveless marriage had been arranged. For the cousin of a woman he didn’t love, he figured that level of concern was more than enough.

But just as Cleas began to walk away—

“…I like you.”

It was a voice that sounded as if the words had been wrung out.

“I like you. I’ve liked you for a really long time. I’m sorry… I’m so sorry for feeling this way…”
“…Do you even realize what you’re saying?”
“I do. I know it’s unforgivable. I know I shouldn’t be doing this to my sister…”

Mikarin’s voice trembled as big tears streamed down her face.

“I-It’s not because I want anything… I just… this is the last day I’ll let myself feel this way. That’s why…”
“….”
“I just couldn’t keep it in any longer… But—”
“….?”
“It doesn’t matter, right?! No one ever listens to me anyway! I’m not my sister, I’m just Mikarin! So you’ll probably just ignore what I said as well, won’t you, Lord Cleas?!”

And then she started sobbing loudly.

And only then did he notice the small glass in her hand, clutched along with the folds of her skirt. Just two sips of champagne before the ceremony.

That alone had gotten her drunk.

‘How amusing.’

She was completely unpredictable. Even though she said she liked him, she wasn’t like Nikaearsha, who would act like she’d die just to obey his words.

Her unexpected behavior was refreshing.

“I-I should get going now.”
“Would you like another drink?”
“…Pardon?”

Mikarin, who had started to run down the hallway like she was escaping, suddenly froze. She turned back to look at Cleas, her eyes wide like a startled rabbit.

“What…”
“In my room.”
“…That would make me a bad woman.”
“It’s okay. Bad women are captivating.”

Mikarin just stood there, staring up at him in a daze.

And when he smiled at her softly…

Tug.

She drew him down by the neck, and their lips met.

“If I’m this bad, does that make me alluring?”

It was amusing.

Nikaearsha was the kind of boring woman who looked like she believed pulling a man in for a kiss would summon lightning from the heavens. The idea of spending his whole life with someone that stiff and joyless had felt suffocating. But with Mikarin by her side, it didn’t seem quite so unbearable.

“Mikarin, I…”

Cleas held Mikarin’s hand.

“I like the best of everything. That’s why I chose you.”

“Cleas…”

“You’ve got a cute face, a nice figure. You’re sweet, obedient when I want, and when I get tired of that, you throw these cute little fits.”

He leaned in, brushing his lips along the curve of her jaw.

“Ah…”

“The best kind of woman is one who knows how to seduce a man.”

His lips had been trailing slowly up her jaw, but then, they stopped and pulled away.

“But what happens when that woman does something stupid?”

Cleas’s smile twisted.

Mikarin’s expression froze for a moment.

He placed a light grip on her neck.

“You used a wizard I raised with my own money just to play games like that?”

“I did it for you…”

“All I allowed was using the magic stone accessory to catch Zerno’s attention, not to make the late Grand Duchess’s soul stone go berserk!”

Mikarin spoke in a faint voice, tears dripping down her cheeks.

“I’m sorry. I couldn’t do things the way you taught me…”

Cleas furrowed his brows.

Even though his expression twisted into a frown, he didn’t raise his voice again. At the same time, the grip he had on her neck relaxed.

Mikarin covered her mouth with both hands, quietly sobbing.

Trying to hide the smile that had begun to curl at the edge of her lips.

‘Cleas always falls for lines like that.’

Cleas thought their meeting at the engagement ceremony was purely coincidental. However, the truth was different.

‘I was the one waiting for Cleas.’

He said what drew him to her was how unpredictable she was, unlike Nikaearsha.

‘That’s not why, Cleas.’

The moment he truly fell for her?

It was—

“If I’m this bad, does that make me alluring?”

—It was at that moment.

The moment he realized she was the kind of ‘good girl’ who listened to him completely.

‘A good girl, so obedient, she would even do truly terrible things if he asked.’

Of course, Nikaearsha was a ‘good girl’ too, in her own way. Because she was easy to take advantage of.

‘But my sister would never cross the line. She’s a boring woman.’

If Cleas asked her for money, she would hand over everything she owned without question, but if he told her to steal it, she wouldn’t be able to do it. However, he didn’t want a woman who would just play the part of a martyr, he wanted women who’d kill if he asked.

“I’m sorry. I must be stupid… You told me not to go too far, that it could cause problems. But even so…”

Mikarin murmured, holding onto the edge of Cleas’s coat.

“Do you know how special you are? People who are perfect don’t even understand how difficult what they do really is…”

She stepped back with a quiet sniffle.

And then…

“Come here.”

“…But you’re still angry.”

“Just listen to me.”

Tears welling up in her eyes, Mikarin ran straight into Cleas’s arms before she began crying out loud, wailing like a child.

“Do you even know how scared I was? Hic, please don’t be mad anymore…”

“As long as you don’t disappoint me again.”

Mikarin looked up at him, lips puckered in a sulky pout.

Cleas just gave her a teasing smile.

“Don’t tease me. You’re so mean.”

“I’m not just teasing. I really do hope you never let me down again, my sweet Mikarin.”

“Mmm.”

‘He’s not easy to please.’

He was different from the kind of men who would go melt and promise never to do it again.

Well, that just made it all the more interesting.

“By the way, Mikarin.”

“Yes?”

“Nikaearsha… Her life isn’t in danger, is it?”

Mikarin, who had been clinging to him, instantly froze.

Still, her voice stayed sweet and cheerful.

“That’s what I heard. I can’t tell you how relieved I am!”