Chapter 57 I Don’t Want To (4)

Her tongue stiffened as he drew closer almost menacingly.

“I, I…”

“He is a felon who has violated the most severe criminal law of my estate. On what basis, as my wife and mistress of this great estate, must you kneel so recklessly?”

Red flashed from beneath the helmet.

Criminal law… a felon… What do you mean?

Even thinking felt difficult.

“Go back to your room. It’s not going to be a nice sight to see. It is the greatest tolerance I can offer you not to behead your friend in the square.”

I have to stop him. I have to end this situation.

Lily couldn’t think of anything else other than that.

How…

Suddenly, she looked up at him with a sudden bout of courage. “I-I don’t want to.”

His body stiffened so much that it could be seen from a distance. The red eyes began to wander.

“I hate it. I hate all of this.” Tears clouded her eyes.

The words were unfamiliar but they stuck in his heart. A hot sensation like a ball of fire erupted from within her.

From then, the emotions she had held on a tight rein began to run wild like horses on the battlefield.

“Even if I hate Tristan, I don’t want him to die because of me… Ugh.”

“…!”

The tears poured out.

Her mouth started muttering thoughts that she didn’t even know existed. She felt the gauntlets holding her start to tremble.

“Everyone is dead. The people around me, one by one… If even my one and only friend, if he dies, I… Nothing. Really nothing…”

Her watery eyes made it difficult to even distinguish the figure in front of her. But she still could tell for sure that he wasn’t averting his gaze.

Oddly enough, that made her even sadder.

Her sobbing intensified. “A c-cursed woman that sits still and kills people around her… I don’t want to hear that anymore…”

Her pronunciation was so muffled by crying that she could no longer understand what she herself was saying.

“Which wife is locked up in a tower and waiting all night for her husband, but doesn’t even know what her husband looks like…?” She collapsed into his arms, vomiting raw emotions like a broken dam, regardless of whether he was listening.

Lily held onto him desperately. “I hate everyone who thinks that I’m cursed, I just want to die… Ah!”

Vlad leaned toward her and the ice-cold armor touched her cheek. She realized later that he had pulled her tight and held her in his arms.

His armor was so hard and cold. He gently wrapped his wide hands around her head.

Oh.

Her jaw was tense and her entire body shook.

And he looked like he was desperately straining his arms, holding her up as if she was about to fall.

Vlad was afraid that he would break her with his own strength. His hand gently stroked her hair.

It was only then that she realized that the hand stroking her hair was trembling too.

“I waited. Lily.”

Lily’s breath hitched.

He hugged her so sweetly and kindly, even sympathizing.

I waited. What does that…?

Her thoughts were mixed up and nothing came to mind. He gently pushed her in his arms.

The action that followed was unbelievable even with her own eyes.

He looked down at her and tried to take off his helmet. The image of him raising his hand and lifting the helmet was slowly engraved into her eyes.

Thump.

Her heart was beating so hard that it hurt. Her ribs felt too small to contain her heaving breath.

As expected. It was him.

The sunlight cast a white border on him, an alluring man who made everything else fade away.

He also deceived her.

But why now?

“Vlad… Why…?”

Dark eyebrows were slightly furrowed under messy black hair. Beneath the gray eyes, his face was completely darkened. It was a sad expression.

It was strange.

He seemed shocked. Guilty. It was almost as if Lily had inflicted a fatal wound on him.

Pale lips twitched several times, unable to find the proper words.

He even took off his gauntlets.

The body that had never been exposed to her revealed itself. His cold hand gently brushed her tear-stained cheek. It was a gentle and careful touch.

“Trinket… I’ve never, never for a moment, thought of you that way.”

Is it because it’s hard to breathe?

It’s too hard to think.

Oh right.

However, one thing was certain. He deliberately deceived me.

Since when…?

It felt like her heart was disappearing piece by piece with each thought.

Even though the tears had stopped, she couldn’t see well. Her head was spinning.

Breathe, how do I breathe?

She squeaked.

“Breathe…”

Oh, I’m out of breath… My chest is tight and…

Her vision flickered.