n

n

nSierra was still nervous, sitting in the drawing-room.

nRosenia felt sorry for her, so she offered her some refreshment and told her to relax, but Sierra refused.

nThough her eyes shone weakly with sadness and fear, there was a strong resolve and determination in them.

n‘Was this why?’

nIt was surprising, but Rosenia could see why, in the original story, Llewellyn fell in love with Sierra.

nShe had a delicate aura surrounding her as if she was about to collapse any moment, but she was as strong as a small wildflower standing upright facing strong winds.

nBesides, she was also incredibly beautiful, so who wouldn’t be enamoured with her…

nBut ‘her’ Llewellyn did not fall for her.

nIt was so wonderful that Rosenia couldn’t help but keep on glancing at Llewellyn over and over again.

n“What’s wrong?”

n

n

n“Oh, it’s nothing! Anyway, Miss Oscar, I have a rough understanding of your situation. So you’re saying you need help from the duke?”

nLlewellyn looked at her suspiciously, but she kept her focus only on Sierra.

nSierra looked at her as if she were her saviour and nodded desperately.

nPerhaps because Llewellyn didn’t pay her any attention, the whole time she was talking, Sierra seemed to be expecting more from Rosenia than from Llewellyn.

nBecause Rosenia had quietly listened to her whole story.

n“I…. got to know about the Duke’s mana congestion from my father. So I thought if I can cure his mana congestion, he might be able to help me…… I came here with that hope……”

nSierra’s voice became smaller and smaller as she spoke the words slowly. She glanced alternately at Llewellyn and Rosenia and then burst into tears. Rosenia could see that she was holding back her tears all this time, and she somehow felt sorry for her.

n“Miss Oscar, the Duke’s mana cong—”

n“I don’t need it.”

nRosenia’s words were abruptly cut off by Llewellyn’s sudden interjection. She looked at him with surprised rabbit-like eyes. Llewellyn had a cold face, giving out a very menacing aura.

n“I don’t need your ‘cure’, Miss Sierra Oscar.”

n“……!”

nTears welled up in Sierra’s eyes as if she was about to burst into tears at any moment. But Llewellyn, completely unfazed by this, didn’t stop talking.

n“I don’t need your divine power.”

n“Ah …”

n“Your situation is pitiful, but I don’t think I can do business with you. So—”

n“Wai-wait a minute, Duke! Please listen to me!!”

nSierra cried out sadly, interrupting Llewellyn at the risk of coming off as disrespectful. At this point, Llewellyn was like a villain and Sierra– very pitiful. That was because Llewellyn’s attitude when he refused her was especially sharp.

n“My, my abilities are not just limited to being able to use divine power. I can really cure the Duke’s mana congestion. I really can, please believe me……”

n“……”

nRosenia was a little frustrated. So, she thought it would be better to explain to Llewellyn exactly what Sierra’s abilities were.

n‘In my impatience, it seems I didn’t think things through enough.’

nLlewellyn tried to open his mouth again. But before another cold word of refusal could come out, Rosenia covered his mouth with her hands and interrupted the conversation.

n“Miss Oscar, can you explain exactly what your abilities are? Even though the duke says he doesn’t need your cure, if he needs your power for something else, you can ‘trade’ with him in any other form as you wish.”

n“Ah …”

nSierra then let out a faint sigh, as if she had realized her mistake.

nActually, the reason why Rosenia told Sierra about another form of “business” was because…… she didn’t want her to have the same relationship with Llewellyn as in the original story.

nShe didn’t want….. Llewellyn to have a physical relationship with Sierra for the sake of his “treatment.”

nEven if it was just a relationship where they’d just be intimate with each other for the sake of healing, the feeling of Llewellyn being snatched away by someone else was intolerable.

nShe wished his body and heart all to only belong to her. From some time onwards, she started to harbor this wish.

n‘Is this obsession? Is obsession a bad thing? But … I don’t want to lose Llewellyn.’

nWithout realizing it, Rosenia grabbed Llewellyn’s hand. As soon as she came back to her senses, she tried to pull her hand away, but Llewellyn held her hand strongly.

n“…..”

nWhen she lifted her head blankly, his serious face came into her view.

nEmerald eyes gleamed sharply. Rosenia felt as if all her inner thoughts and feelings had been pried open by the piercing gaze.

n‘Did he notice it by any chance? My anxiety, jealousy, and obsession.’

n“……”

nSomehow she felt like wanting to run away. As she blushed and lowered her eyes, Llewellyn wrapped his other hand around her shoulder and gently slid them down. As if to press her into telling him everything without holding back.

nSierra opened her mouth when his hand touched the small recess on the inside of her elbow.

n“Today is the first time I’m telling this to someone…… because my father always asked me to hide it…… My ability is……. “

nClutching her skirt tightly, Sierra shivered and said clearly.

n“I can….. turn mana into divine power.”

nLlewellyn, who hadn’t been interested in Sierra’s affair till now, paused as if he was interested to hear what she had to say.

nSierra then spoke more firmly, hoping to somehow persuade Llewellyn.

n“That’s why I told you that I can cure the Duke’s mana congestion. With my ability, I can make the Duke into a complete divine power user……!”

n“……”

n“Bu-But if the Duke doesn’t want to, you can use my powers elsewhere as you wish. All I want is to find the man who killed my family, and…… I don’t want to die…… That’s all I want. I don’t want anything else. I really…..”

nSeeking help in a desperate voice, Sierra burst into tears.

nMaybe because she was crying so prettily, her tears streaming down her face looked like diamonds.

nHowever, the way Llewellyn looked at her was as cold as a businessman arguing for the gains and losses for his benefit.

n“Miss Oscar, I know that your abilities are very useful. It’s indeed a rare ability.”

n“Then….!”

nSierra, who raised her lowered head, looked at Llewellyn with a desperate look.

nLlewellyn continued speaking in a dry and apathetic voice.

n“However, there is a lot of risk on our end to take on your problems. What if the person who killed your family isn’t some ordinary person?”

n“Ah……”

n“I’ll have to gather my knights to catch that person, but is there any guarantee that there will be no harm?”

n“……”

n“At the very least, you should have the power to protect yourself. But….. you don’t seem to have that power.”

n‘Is she at a loss for words?’

nSierra didn’t reply and just pursed her lips. Then she dropped her gaze and clutched her skirt again tightly.

nThere was definitely a point in what Llewellyn said. Sierra also knew that, so she had nothing more to say.

nWatching the situation silently, Rosenia somehow felt strange. That was because in the original story, Llewellyn, who had been enamored by Sierra, did not care about the benefits and losses.

nMaybe that is what one calls the ‘power of love’. But the Llewellyn, who did not love Sierra, was terribly cold.

nAs the head of a great and powerful family, it was a natural attitude, but well, as far as she could recall, he had never been like that when it came to her problems….. All she could think of was that the gap between his current and former attitude was too big.

n‘Whenever it came to my concerns, this man would act irrationally to the extent of coming off as an insane person.’

nNow he was surprisingly rational to the point he seemed like a different person.

n“I..… I surely don’t have the power to protect myself right now, but.…”

nSierra, who seemed to have given up, opened her mouth again. There was a strong will in her eyes as she lifted her head and looked straight at Llewellyn.

n“I-I’ll be strong enough to at least protect myself— no, I’ll be strong enough to protect other people..… I’ll do anything, please, help me…. I beg you, Duke…..”

nHer trembling shoulders were so slender that she could only be seen as someone who needed protection, rather than someone who could protect anyone.

nAs Rosenia had read the original story, she knew very well that Sierra’s desperate cries for help were more sincere than anyone else.

nSierra was the heroine of the story, and Rosenia once..… had gone through her emotions, explored her world, cheered for her while reading the novel. She had cried and laughed with her together.

nWas this the reason why she pitied her? Oddly enough, Rosenia had a hunch. If she didn’t help her now, it would remain in her heart and torment her forever.

n‘….. I just remembered. The purpose of the original villain was….’

nJust then, Llewellyn’s pained breathing interrupted her thoughts.

nShe looked at him in surprise. Suddenly, Llewellyn clutched his chest in pain and groaned as he hunched over.

nOf all times, his mana began to run amok inside him again.

n“Llewellyn…..”

nWhen Rosenia reflexively called him by his name, Llewellyn opened his eyes wide and looked at her.

n

n

nHe opened his mouth as if to tell her something.

nBut then someone’s hand touched his shoulder.

nThe hands….. were very pale, slender, and beautiful. The owner of the hand, of course, was Sierra Oscar.

n“Du-Duke, are you all right?!”

nSeeing that Llewellyn was in pain, Sierra suddenly rushed to his side.

nBut Llewellyn’s response was cold. He frowned and wrenched her hand away, roughly.

n

n“

nThen he murmured in a cold voice.

n“… Don’t touch me.”

n