n

n

nDo I Love You?

nI laughed in vain.

nUnfortunately, that day hasn’t come, and you’ve been brainwashed.

nIf I love you, I will be miserable.

nHey.

nEven if the jewelry is beautiful and you might be fascinated by it, it was useless if it was fake.

nI won’t bother getting it if the jewels are fake.

nI’ll just look.

nOnly the real thing has meaning.

nI have no intention of playing with a fake love that will evaporate the moment I release the brainwashing.

n

n

n“No, it can’t be.”

nIt is clear that it was an impulsive declaration.

nI denied his words.

nAlastair also expected my reaction; once he doesn’t have to obey Melford anymore, his love for me will disappear as well.

nAlastair would also be at significant risk.

nOnce she knew his brainwashing was lifted, the Duke of Melford would try to get rid of Alastair before venting her anger on me.

nAlastair would be the same. He has an undeniable hatred that cannot be overshadowed by the Duke of Melford.

nThe puppet who escaped was out of the Duke’s palm, who was once the owner of the doll….

nObviously, they would try to get rid of each other.

nThis would be predictable enough; probably Alastair himself knew, but I didn’t bother saying it.

nAs I kept my mouth shut, a sigh burst out of him.

n“Let’s stop talking about this, Alastair. We’re just repeating the same things over and over, and it’s not something that can be solved right away.”

n“······.”

n“And this is just a presumption of I think things will go; if things go as you say, nothing is wrong with it.”

nYou say you’ll love me even if your brainwashing is lifted?

nThen what was the problem?

nThe brazen and shameless attitude made Alastair lose his words.

n“Now it’s your turn to answer my questions, Alastair. Why did you come to the mansion?”

n* * *

n‘Your Grace, my lady has returned to the mansion.’

nThe moment I heard that my heart went plummeted.

nIn an instant, I felt like I was pulled down from the top of a tower, falling down an endless abyss.

nWhy? I wanted to ask, but I sealed my mouth shut. There are too many unbelievable things to take in, but ‘why’… if I asked that wouldn’t it prove I didn’t have a conscience?

n-You tried to kill me. Twice.

nHer accusing voice rang in my ear like tinnitus.

nIt tormented me as if it never intended to let him go.

nHowever, I couldn’t help but think I deserved to be distressed.

nI doubted Seri’s words. But I don’t remember what happened the days she mentioned.

nI tried hard to remember what happened at that time, but I couldn’t remember anything. Other than a short story that came to mind.

nBut even that was a cloudy memory.

nIt was cloudy as if surrounded by fog.

nYou have to remember it.

nOtherwise, I couldn’t do anything right, whether it was an excuse, an explanation, or an apology.

nThen Serina left.

nShe was rattled and scared.

nMaybe she will be gone… forever.

nNow she could have grown sick of him and hated the idea of seeing him.

nHe headed for the Duke of Melford’s mansion in a hurry.

nTo the place he loathed. But he had to hold onto her.

nThe person who greeted him at the place where he ran hurriedly was not Serina.

n‘You’ve come?’

n‘………’

n‘Looks like you’re here to see Serina.’

nAlthough he left Melford, he never truly escaped. He was still stuck here.

nThe reason was directly linked to Serina.

n‘But what to do? You can’t meet her right now.’

n‘……Why?’

nCould it be that Serina refuses to meet him?

nSo what should I do?

nIf she keeps refusing, should I secretly go through her window?

n‘The child is being punished for making her wrongdoings.’

n‘Err? What does that mean?’

nDuke Melford looked at him with a piercing gaze and smiled.

n‘The child is now in the Hall of Hallucinations. She will drink the incense for a long time, so it will be difficult for her to come to her senses for a while.’

nThe words make me react sensitively.

nSerina, who is in.

nHall of Hallucinations.

nIncense.

nSerina.

nHe didn’t have a slow mind.

nNo, rather it was on the pretty good side.

nIt was natural to understand her words immediately but the Duke’s words and his trauma rattled him, tunnel visioning her meaning and observing himself from above.

n‘Thirty minutes have passed since you came. The child will come out in about two and a half hours.’

n‘How······.’

nThree hours…

n‘Stop it.’

nIt’s a difficult time for yourself too, but the fragrance…

nThere was no way she could endure it, who had no immunity to it.

nWhat if she goes crazy… No, what if she tries to commit suicide?

nIf you’re in it, you’re crazy.

nI knew it well after years of experience.

nI hate to think about it, but in the worst case… it was possible she could die.

n‘You don’t want Serina to die.’

nIf I had the heart, I could break her out by force.

nI wanted to, but it was impossible.

nBecause of the damn brainwashing!

nMy head hurts badly as if it is about to break.

nI can’t even stand straight.

nIt was a phenomenon that appeared when his heart wanted to attack the Duke and was overwhelmed with animosity towards her.

nI had no chance of defeating her in this state.

n‘She is not immune. Her life could be in danger.’

nAll I can do is beg.

n***

n‘Hmm. I guess since I’ve seen and heard Seri, that child is indeed not immune.’

nShe didn’t have the eyes of a mother towards a child. It was said she gave birth to her but she was indifferent.

nFor some reason, the fragrance of the perfumed candles did not work on the Duke.

nPerhaps because of that, she could not feel the power of her incense herself.

nShe could only see when people were in pain.

n‘Oh, then how about this?’

nShe suggested as if she had an interesting idea.

nThe whole situation seemed to her nothing but entertainment.

n‘You go in there, too.’

n‘…..…’

n‘ You’re her dog, aren’t you? Dogs should be with their owners. If you enter the room, I’ll give you two less time—an hour less. How about it?’

nAlastair gritted his teeth.

nIf you express your hatred for her, the more you’ll feel the pain of your head and body crushing.

n‘That’s not a bad suggestion. I’m not going to die for two hours. Even if one of us goes crazy.’

nYou need to reduce the time!

nHe was about to open his mouth with the intention of negotiating.

nBut the Duke was faster than him.

n‘Don’t open your mouth. I have no intention of negotiating with you.’

n‘……’

n‘I’m scolding my child, don’t try to take advantage of it.’

nIt was just a play of control, showing off that they were all in her palm.

nAlastair stared into her gray eyes.

nThe Duke’s strong steel eyes were unlikely to change no matter what Alastair suggested.

n‘…… I promise,’ he headed for the Hall of Hallucinations without hesitation.

nAnd there, I watched helplessly as she gasped in pain.

nShe was in agony.

nThere’s nothing I can do for you.

nI can’t help you.

nHe also suffered from seeing various nightmares, but it was even more painful that nothing could be done for her.

nFinally, the agonizing time is over.

nHe hugged her fainted, delicate body and left the mansion with a determination that he would never give up.

nDuke Melford simply laughed and didn’t stop him.

nHe had a hard time understanding what went through her mind.

nIn his carriage, he waited and waited for Serina to wake up.

nHe was afraid that she wouldn’t be able to come to her senses after being drunk with the incense.

nI watched her with fear.

nOnly the gentle sound of her breath stabilized him.

nWhen she finally woke up, he was happy

nHowever, in no time, the joy was replaced with the opposite emotion.

nWhen she said, she went through all this trouble to clear his brainwashing. Her life was in danger because of what she was up to.

nIt was extremely lovely to see her trying to unravel his brainwashing. He doesn’t know how happy he is when she says ‘it’s for you’ with those red lips.

nBut he hated that she put herself in danger.

nThe more she tried to release his brainwashing, the more she was in danger.

nSo Alastair wanted to stop her.

nHe said,

n‘What are you going to do after I’m healed? With your mother’s personality, she won’t leave you alone…… If I do what you think I’ll do, I won’t be able to help you….’

n‘I’ll handle my affairs on my own. You don’t have to worry.’

nShe said, don’t worry.

nOne phase.

nAt that phase, he was angry.

nHow can I not worry?

nI love you.

nShe sometimes— no, she always seemed to forget that.

nThe future he drew is designed for her.

nI can’t even think about life without her.

nShe seemed to have a contradiction between knowing and not knowing.

n“Why are you doing such a reckless thing when you can’t fully anticipate what’s going to happen?”

nI always wondered.

nAlastair knows how Serina feels about him.

nAffection and guilt.

nThat’s why she does this—at least that’s what she says.

nBut that wasn’t the Serina I knew. Seri never did anything out of guilt—more so, and she’s never guilty.

nIndeed, she’s a woman who values

nherself above others, even more in dangerous moments.

nSo why?

nWhy are you doing it for me?

n‘Serina.’

nA wild thought runs through my head.

nLove.

nAlastair’s love and Serina’s love were different.

nWhen he loves, he would never let the other person go.

nHe sticks to the end.

nBut Serina was different.

n‘Do you happen to love me?’

nOh My God.

nWhat did I just say?

n

n

nI was surprised even though I spit it out myself.

nWhat ridiculous nonsense is that?

nThere’s no way that Serina would love me.

nIt was simply wishful thinking. It will never come true.

n‘No. I can’t love you.’

nThe answer returned was quick and decisive.

nEven though I already knew it, it tasted bitter.

nWas it so difficult to pretend to calm and casually reject loving me?

nEverything becomes difficult in front of her.

nIndeed, if I didn’t love you, everything would be easy.

n