CH 22.4

Meanwhile, Theobald was also riding through the snow, with numerous knights following him on horseback, clad in heavy armor and thick cloaks.

Inside the cozy carriage, Theobald buried himself deep in the couch.

He was furious with the news of their marriage. Despite all his efforts, their relationship had remained strong.

“Why the hell…….”

Why is the future changing into a different one from the one that has already disappeared.

He couldn’t figure out where things had gone wrong. Theobald shook his dizzy head futilely, as if it would clear his mind, and then looked out the window.

The relentless snowfall felt like Lucas. Theobald gritted his teeth and looked out, thinking of Lila. When he thought of her, all sorts of emotions floated through his mind.

Love, wanting to possess her, and…….

Hate.

He hated the future Lila who had left him, and he hated the present Lila who didn’t recognize his feelings.

The pride that had been his lifeblood was already tattered and abandoned to the ground.

Still, he couldn’t give up on Lila. In fact, he couldn’t stop himself from wanting her even more.

Theobald kept his eyes focused, watching the trees and snow as they passed.

“You are mine, Lila.”

At the same time, Lila was being scolded by Lucas.

“Even if it’s a garden, didn’t I always tell you to be careful? If it weren’t for Michael, you would have almost burned your beautiful skin before the wedding.”

Lucas gently stroked the back of Lila’s hand. Despite the resentment in his voice, there was always concern in his words, so she let out a small sigh.

“I mean, nothing’s really happened lately.”

“That doesn’t mean we should let our guard down. On the contrary, don’t you realize that it’s times like these that we shouldn’t let our guard down?”

The cold words slipped from his lips, which were pressed firmly against the back of her hand.

Pouting her lips, Lila snapped back.

“Okay, I’ll be more careful. Seriously, I’ve had enough of your nagging.”

Despite the stinging words, Lucas smiled broadly.

“If that’s what it takes to be a nag, then so be it. But I hope even a single hair on my wife’s head isn’t harmed.”

Lila pursed her lips as she stared at the man who could say the ugliest things with such a pleasant tone.

She wanted to taste his lips, red as they were today, and the sensation of their breath and body heat together seemed more ecstatic than any elixir.

The mere thought of it changed her scent into something erotic. Lucas, quick to recognize it, stretched his lips into a long smile.

“Hmm.”

He breathed out, swallowing hard at the saliva that was quickly beginning to pool in his mouth.

Since the imprinting, his feelings for her had grown uncontrollably. Not only that, but his lust for her was insatiable.

There was no way Lucas was going to let Lila seduce him first. He reached out and stroked the soft nape of her neck.

He could feel the heat from the slow, light strokes. Lila lifted a thin, trembling hand and pressed her lips to his.

The sensuality of his face as he slowly drew closer. Her ears rang with the growing pounding of his heartbeat.

Knock knock.

“Madam, your guests are coming in.”

At the sound of Jessie’s voice from the doorway, their lips stopped just short of meeting.

Darting, moving, pink lips parted in an instant, and Lucas, his face crumpled in the wind, cried out fiercely.

“Tell them to wait!”

As he grabbed Lila’s wrist as she hurriedly rose from the couch, Jessie delivered in a voice filled with panic.

“Pri-The Crown Prince and Duke Frederick is here!”

At her exclamation, both Lucas and Lila came to a screeching halt at the same time.

Lucas cursed and Lila swallowed hard at the news that the people they had hoped and prayed would never come were the first to arrive.

“Ha…….”

Lucas chuckled and swept his hair back. One corner of his raised lips looked particularly mischievous.

“I’d better get downstairs.”

After all, they were guests, so it was only fitting that the host should greet them. Lila smoothed out her dress and took Lucas’s hand.

He was still sitting on the couch with a smirk on his face, and he rose to his feet at her helpless touch.

Smoothing out his unpleasant kravat, Lila said.

“It’s okay.”

Knowing full well what he was worried about, she added.

“I only have you.”

Placing a light peck on her cheek, Lucas tilted his head to the side as Lila’s arms tightened around his waist.

“Me too.”

The answer was short, and Lucas swallowed her lips. It was the least he could do, the least he could do to calm the boiling heat.

* * *

Theobald watched the Duke of Montefeltra from the carriage, noting in particular the magical device that protected his eyes.

“I wonder if they have those in the north, too.”

He had expected the north to be inferior to the capital, but the condition of the castle, and especially the Duke of Montefeltra, was unexpected.

In terms of convenience, it seemed more convenient than the capital, even the imperial palace.

As Theobald inspected the mansion with a look of displeasure in his eyes, he spotted Lila coming out with Lucas.

At the sight of her, his discomfort instantly dissipated. He could smell her scent even though she was so far away.

The chamberlain opened the door. Theobald swallowed hard and stepped out of the carriage with a stern expression.

Lucas and Lila, who had come within earshot, bowed politely. As they bowed in the manner reserved for royalty, Theobald said.

“Rise.”

“We are honored to have you at our wedding, Your Highness.”

Theobald glared at Lucas for saying the word ‘wedding.’ At his side, Lila kept her eyes downcast.

They had no choice but to send an invitation since he was a guest and a member of the royal family, but they were also taken aback by the thought that he might actually come.

The two men exchanged silent glances and began a staring contest. Theobald had not come to attend the wedding.

Since all of his attempts to break them up using their families had failed, he had no choice but to take matters into his own hands.

It hurt his pride, but he couldn’t give up. He couldn’t give up. On her.

“Hmph, we’ll see.”

Theobald twisted his lips in a way that told her to keep her smirk for now.

The reason he could be so confident was because the Emperor had given his permission. He had an ally in the Emperor’s favor.

The crown prince had found many ways to stifle Lucas. The potion he needed for his estrus was enough, but for some reason, he still didn’t feel satisfied.

He began to follow Lucas’s trail, which led him to a strange place.

‘I never realized that Lucas was the top lord of Tenebris.’

In truth, it wasn’t important to Theobald that he was the top shareholder, but it was different for the Emperor.

‘Since Father is very interested in wealth…’

So the sight of the Tenebris Company ruling over the empire must have been an eyesore.

But the top shareholder is Lucas?

That’s enough to offend the emperor. Mint and red eyes glared at each other. As if unwilling to be pushed aside, Lila spoke up when she saw another carriage pass through the manor’s front door.

“Lucas, we have another visitor.”

Lucas turned his head in annoyance at her words. Recognizing the Duke of Frederick’s crest in the distance, he called out to Vincent.

“First, escort His Highness the Crown Prince to the guest room.”

“Yes, Duke.”

But Theobald looked at Lila.

“Lila.”

The low voice was unfamiliar. His demeanor was different from the last time, and she suddenly felt fear.

“You will guide me.”

The words were softly spoken, but there was a chill in them. Before Lucas could say anything, Theobald grabbed her wrist.

For an instant, fire sparked in his eyes. Lucas took a step forward, and the carriage pulled up.

Lucas turned to follow the two men who had already entered the manor in the intervening moments, but a voice behind him stopped him in his tracks.

“Long time no see, Lucas.”

Heinrich greeted politely.

“Yes, long time…….”

Turning to greet him, Lucas’ brow furrowed as he noticed Charlotte standing beside him.

“I thought you weren’t on the invitation list?”

Charlotte’s shoulders shook at the bitter tone of his voice. The piercing look in his eyes left her helpless.

As if she couldn’t remember anything she’d done, Charlotte felt guilty. Why did I deserve that look, she wondered, so full of contempt and displeasure?

“I brought her with me, I’m sorry. I should have sent a notice beforehand.”

Heinrich, who slightly shielded Charlotte with his body, spoke up. Not only the person who brought the invitation but also their companion could enter.

Lucas glared at Heinrich for pointing that out. He didn’t understand why he’d brought her along.

“I’m not sure if I understand. I don’t know if it’s appropriate to let in someone who tried to harm my wife.”

“Duke…….”

Charlotte called in a plaintive voice, but it did not reach Lucas’s ears. His mind was on Theobald and the missing Lila.

In the midst of all this, a series of carriages began to pull up.

Lucas bit his lip tightly and gestured to Vincent.

“Take the guests to their assigned rooms.”

“Yes, Duke.”

* * *

Lila was dragged by the wrist by Theobald. Theobald’s steps were unsteady, not knowing where the guest room was.

The place he walked out to was the courtyard. Although his eyes widened slightly at the sight of the newly formed white snow roof from the magical device, they soon returned to normal.

“Your Highness…….”

Lila called out.

“Lila.”

The mere sound of her small voice brought him joy, and the feel of her soft flesh against his palm almost brought tears to his eyes.

“Let go of me.”

He squeezed, and her wrist jerked. Theobald didn’t answer her pleas, too busy looking at her.

“I…….”

Theobald said, cutting off her words.

“Why are you doing this to me?”

“…….”

The question left her speechless, but as if he didn’t need her answer in the first place, he continued.

“Why are you trying to distance yourself from me? I told you I turned back time. I told you I’d bring you back. Then why?”

As he spoke, he released the emotions that had been simmering inside him.

“Why won’t you be mine!”

“…….”

Lila genuinely didn’t understand. It wasn’t that she didn’t understand what he was saying.

As his cobalt-colored eyes widened in surprise, a growing sense of contempt began to surface. Looking at her white face distorted with anger from his words, Theobald felt that something was off.

It was as if he had seen that expression before, somewhere in a future that had disappeared.

“…I really can’t understand. When I hear that Your Highness turned back time, am I supposed to look at you again? Did you think that I could easily forget the wounds you gave me? As if it was a wound that could simply fade away!”

Steadying her increasingly ragged breathing, Lila continued.

“In this world, there may not be hate and resentment. But I haven’t forgotten. From the moment Your Highness avoided me, to the way you looked at me… I remember it all.”

As she placed her hand on her chest and pleaded with him, he was at a loss for words.

Then, he belatedly tried to justify himself.

“That’s not it, it’s just that I couldn’t remember then…….”

But Lila didn’t want to hear it. She was sick of it. And she felt sorry for the original Lila.

“Even if you couldn’t remember, if you had seen my original face first, it would have been different. Ultimately, it’s not that you recalled the memory, or turned back time that matters, but that my face had changed.”

With that cold statement, Lila turned away. It was a rude gesture to say the least, but she couldn’t take it anymore.

If she kept looking at his face any longer, she felt like she might just lose it. She had never hated someone so much before that she didn’t know what would happen if she really let it out.

Like other nobles had done toward her before.

Just as she was about to hurry away, Theobald reached out his hand. He was about to pull out a tool he had no immediate intention of using.

That’s when a crisp voice cut across the sponsorship area.

“Auntie, what are you doing here?”

His low, sunken gaze didn’t seem childish at all. Michael glanced at Theobald with cold eyes.

He bent her waist as if to greet him and then straightened up before speaking.

“Your Highness, it’s been a long time.”

Theobald looked up into his clear pink eyes and realized that his words hurt.

“……It’s been a long time.”

“Yes, you’ve traveled a long way, you must be tired, but let me show you to your room.”

Theobald looked from the precocious child then to Lila.

She still wouldn’t make eye contact with him, but he couldn’t think of anything else to say.

“Then, please.”

He’d come all this way to see her, and he couldn’t find the words.

Theobald followed Michael out the back door. Lila dragged her wobbly legs to the corner of the sponsorship area.

She plopped down on the grass, drew her knees up and buried her head in them.

“Lila…….”

Her breath caught in her throat at the vivid image of Lila’s death, still fresh in her mind. She remembered the thin wrist flailing pitifully. For a moment, she looked up and clasped her own wrists.

A ray of sunlight broke through the snowy roof and fell on her face.

It stung her eyes like the sun’s reflection in the mirror that day. Clenching her eyes tightly shut, Lila let tears fall.

She couldn’t tell if it was because her heart was breaking or simply because the sun was stinging her eyes, but she felt sad.

She doesn’t know if it’s her own or if she’s mourning for the original Lila.

Leaving the crowds and commotion of the mansion behind, Lila curled up in a corner and buried her head again.

Hiding herself among the trees, so that no one would find her.