Chapter 21:

Chapter 21:

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Several hours later, Juliet woke up on a soft bed.

Her fever had subsided completely. As her body felt better than expected, she hoped that maybe all of it had just been a dream.

(Youre awake. Look here.)

(Contractor.)

Of course, it was just her imagination.

(Human. Man. Not here.)

(I dont like it.)

(Leave. Quickly.)

But the butterflies approaching Juliet were much quieter and more muffled than yesterday.

And it was as if they were simply listing words, like a creature that had just learned to speak.

Thats strange. They were talking so fluently, almost to the point of confusion.

When Juliet tried to stand up, her body was pierced by such intense pain that for a second she even closed her eyes.

It hurts

Nevertheless, she was in a better condition than she thought.

Apart from her lips that she had bitten and torn in pain, swollen eyes, and injured hands, she was surprisingly fine.

Considering how her body was aching, it meant that she was doing relatively well. Her ankle was sore from the injury yesterday, but she could still walk, albeit with a slight limp.

Ignoring the pain, Juliet made her way out of the bedroom.

Oh!

Creak.

Startled by the sudden opening of the bedroom door, the young man who had been sitting leaning against a chair in front of the door hurriedly stood up.

Youre awake?

He was a handsome young man with curly red hair.

Jude Hayon.

Juliet knew this persons name.

Jude, who was the youngest son of the Hayon family and loyal to the northern duchy despite being a member of the royal family, was quite well-known in the capital.

It seemed that Jude also knew Juliet.

Well, Miss Monad. I was going to offer you food first, or perhaps a doctor

No.

Oh, you can speak?

Jude chuckled. But Juliet didnt smile and asked directly.

Where?

Oh, the Duke is currently away.

Not him.

Not him?

Jude stopped laughing for a moment, trying to figure out what she was asking him.

And in the next moment, he regretted a hundred times that he laughed.

My parents.

The smile disappeared from Judes face.

Show me.

Miss, its better if you dont see.

Please. I want to see with my own eyes.

No one could break Juliets persistence as she repeated the same words with a pale face like a doll.

People with various titles, from the Dukes personal physician to the head of the knights, came forward to resist, but it was in vain.

In the end, vice-captain Milan sighed deeply and gave instructions.

I hate you.

As their faces met, emotions resurfaced as if in a lie. A complex mixture of resentment and affection.

Although Juliet knew in her head that the Lennox Carlyle from back then and the man before her were completely different, she spent the whole day sitting in front of her parents coffin, pondering what she should do next.

I dont want to experience something like that again.

If things continued like this, the same cycle would repeat again and again.

If Dahlia appeared, she would be discarded, just like in her first life.

Juliet had done whatever it took for him, but she was merely a tool to Lennox.

In the end, Ill end up in the same situation.

But Juliet needed Lennox at the moment.

You said you had something to say, didnt you?

Yes.

Juliet recalled what Lennox had said last night, Closing off the magic, and its meaning.

The same thing had happened when Dahlia first encountered him in her previous life. It was during the time when Dahlia was still a guest at the Dukes residence. Juliet had overheard a conversation among the maidservants about Dahlias arrival.

Silly girl. Dont you know what it means to control magic? It means theyve shared a bed!

When a person awakened their magic for the first time, the flow of magic within their body became unstable.

To the mages, magic was something they could handle naturally, as easily as breathing.

But for novices who didnt even know what magic was or fully sense its existence, it was quite dangerous.

In some cases, it took five or six years to learn how to control magic.

If one panicked, they might not be able to close off their magic, leading to their death. Thats why it was crucial to have someone who could skillfully handle magic and engage in continuous physical contact.

By touching her skin, he would absorb an excessive amount of mana, allowing her to remain in a stable state. Because the closer the partners are and the more trust between them, the more effective the result was.

That was the reason Lennox had kissed her last night in the woods.

However, the fastest and most effective way to achieve this result is if you become lovers.

Your Highness, I know what you have been looking for for so long.

Even in the darkness, she could see the sharp glint of his red eyes.

In her past life, there were some powerful people, including Duke Carlyle, who sought out certain types of relics.

Although at first glance these items appeared to be common, they were actually very rare items, and could give the people who possessed them incredible strength even if they couldnt use mana or divine power.

And what Lennox had been looking for for a long time was a long-lost heirloom of his family.

The artifact with an unimaginable power would be necessary for future adversity, but what was even more important was the person who disappeared with that object.

Dahlia Fran, from her lovely name to her presence as beautiful as a flower, she was Lennoxs childhood friend and felt like a sister.

However, when Lennoxs father died and a dispute arose over the inheritance, Dahlias parents, who were servants of the Duke, ran away with their daughter.

Taking the treasure with them.

After working hard on the battlefield, Lennox returned and immediately began searching for the whereabouts of the treasure after reclaiming his position as the duke.

He might still be searching for Dahlia. However, Juliet knew.

The moment Lennox regained possession of the treasure would be when he reunited with Dahlia, whom he thought was dead, seven years later.

But I cant talk about Dahlia here.

There was no way for her to explain how she knew about the story, even to the closest associates of the Duke.

So?

Yes?

What do you want to say?

Lennox Carlyles eyes glimmered calmly.

Are you planning to use that as leverage to threaten me?

Threaten him, huh.

I I

Juliet carefully chose her words.

I want to make a deal with Your Highness.