How To Survive As a Villain on the Verge of Death

“…”

 

The moment those words were uttered, embarrassment surged like a wave into Eve’s blue eyes. A look of embarrassment was evident even on her innocent-looking face. Eve moved her lips as if to say something, but then froze in a daze. Terrence, looking at Eve who froze in shock, later deeply regretted saying those words. It’s not something he should say in a place like this after an argument like this.

 

‘I said something useless again today.’

 

Was it because his nervousness disappeared after the wedding? He had been acting strangely emotional since yesterday. There was a reason he couldn’t help it today.  The moment he saw Mikhail kissing the back of Eve’s hand, he became angry. It always bothered him whenever he saw Mikhail with Eve, but that wasn’t the case today. He would have been equally upset if there had been another man in Mikhail’s place. Because he just didn’t like seeing Eve being so friendly with another man.

 

He was realizing that it was his own ugly jealousy. So when Eve pointed this out to him, he reacted even more emotionally. Eve asked as she stuttered because she was so embarrassed.

 

“That… What do you mean by that?”

 

It’s not that she really didn’t understand, she did, but she seemed to ask again because she couldn’t believe it.

 

“It means I no longer think of the princess that way.”

 

Eve was no longer like an annoying dust. Terence remembered the anxiety he felt when Eve told him she would stay at the temple where the fire accident was scheduled. How surprised he was when he heard that Eve had fallen into the pond. All of his emotions were directed toward one answer from the beginning.

 

Eve seemed to understand what he was talking about now. But her gaze was still full of doubt and absurdity.

 

“Uh, since when did you change your mind?”

 

“…”

 

He didn’t know when it started. Until the wedding day, Terence himself was unaware of his own feelings.

 

“I don’t know exactly when it started. It seems like my mind changed little by little while staying with the princess.”

 

At first, he thought it was just a pity that the immature princess was struggling to survive. As he pretended to be her lover and went through several incidents together, he seemed to be gradually becoming attracted to her. Watching Eve in her dress on the wedding day, he realized that he was beginning to feel something really special for this unusual princess. It may not be passionate love, but it was the first time he had ever felt this way for someone. The moment he held Eve and shared their first, brief kiss, Terence realized that he did not want to let her go like this. Those vague thoughts were shattered a few hours later when Eve brought up the topic of divorce. Last night he wanted to grab Eve’s arm and ask her again before leaving her bedroom.

 

‘If I say I want to continue this marriage, what answer will the princess give me?’

 

But he couldn’t grab Eve and ask her that. Even if he didn’t ask, Eve’s answer would have been decided. It was clear from the fact that she kicked him to the curb on the first night.

 

“I have no desire to divorce.”

 

So Terence decided to pour out his feelings instead of asking Eve.

 

“It’s a lot late, but I want to become a real lover with the princess from now on.”

 

* * *

 

“…”

 

He wanted to be lovers? Did this mean he wanted to date her now? She stared blankly at Terence for a long time. They got married yesterday… Today she was receiving confessions to apply for fellowship. What kind of situation was this? Was this marriage going backwards? 

For a moment, she was so confused that her mind became jumbled.

 

She didn’t even know what answer she should give to something like that. She read the original work so intently, which was a beautiful romance novel. She really had no idea how to respond to this confession that wasn’t really a confession.

 

‘If I hadn’t seen the vision, I would have ignored whatever this man said, thinking it was a light whim.’

 

Or maybe she would have thought it was a ploy to keep her around. He must have suspected that her precognitive abilities were more effective than expected and that he was trying to tie her to his side. But she saw a future Terence suffering from her death. In the future she saw with her foresight, Terence was truly liking her. In that future, would she have liked this guy too?

 

‘Seeing as we have a child, does that mean I ended up liking Terence?’

 

She didn’t know what her future self was thinking. Of course, 90% of your liking is satisfied just by looking at the appearance. In fact, even in her past life, she had never even thought about dating. It got worse after she came here. There was no time to think about those feelings because her life was at stake right now.

 

“Can you give me some time to think about it?”

 

She held off on answering, clearing her confused head.

 

“It was so sudden that I don’t know what to answer.”

 

According to prognosis, she had about two years left to live. There was still a year left until something happened to her and she became terminally ill. In the first place, they didn’t decide when they would divorce. She guessed she could give him an answer after thinking about it a bit. Fortunately, Terence seemed to understand her feelings.

 

“Of course. You don’t have to decide right now.”

 

After hearing that answer, she had nothing to say. There was another awkward silence between them. Fortunately, at that moment, cold raindrops fell on her forehead. She raised her head in surprise.

 

Light rain was falling from the sky. It was a cold winter rain mixed half with snow.

 

“It’s raining.”

 

Just as he said, raindrops were falling between clouds. It’s been full of dark clouds since dawn, and it’s starting to rain. Terence took off his coat and placed it over her head.

 

“I have to go to the mansion quickly.”

 

Before she could answer, he wrapped his arms around her shoulders and led her toward the greenhouse. She put on Terence’s coat and walked silently through the greenhouse and down the corridor leading to the main building. Beyond the stone pillars of the corridor, she could see a garden soaking with rainwater. The rain that fell one or two drops quickly turned into thick raindrops and poured down on the garden. Every time a raindrop fell on the frozen soil, the white snow melted wetly. Like a garden with raindrops, her mind was flowing complexly. Terence, who was next to him, said nothing more.

 

She glanced back at his neat profile. She felt like her relationship with Terence had changed tremendously because of the confession he had just made. Before she could even pass through the corridor, a butler and a servant holding an umbrella appeared from the main building. When she returned to the mansion, she took off her rain-soaked clothes and washed her body in warm water. When she came out after washing her body with hot water, Terence had already returned to the government office.

 

‘Well, I guess he went back because it would be uncomfortable to meet him now.’

 

It was already lunch time, but her appetite had disappeared and she wasn’t even hungry.

 

“I don’t really think about it.”

 

Despite saying that, the maids here prepared a sumptuous lunch for the table.

 

“They said they didn’t have an appetite, so they prepared it simply.”

 

She looked at the numerous foods on the table while listening to Nell’s explanation. Was this simple…? Originally, she wondered if the Grand Duchess lived more luxuriously than the Princess in this world.

 

‘Well, the imperial palace has a set budget to give to the princess, but here I can spend all the money in the mansion.’

 

But even though she looked at the mouth-watering food, she still didn’t feel any appetite. She looked out the window and sipped her tea in a daze.

 

Bayan appeared from somewhere and crawled up onto the chair.

 

“Bajan, what’s wrong?”

 

[…It was difficult because the little boy was chasing me around.]

 

Now that she thought about it, she left Lot and Bayan in the inner room. Lot said he wanted to play with Bayan, so she told him to do so.

 

“I’m sorry, it must have been very difficult. Do you want to eat some of this?”

 

She took a small portion of the meatloaf on the plate and pushed it to Bayan. Fortunately, Bayan seemed to have not lost his appetite and began to eat small portions of the food she gave him. Bayan looked at her face while eating meat and asked.

 

[Why did you look worse than before when you came back from the garden?]

 

“…I just had a chat with Terence.”

 

She mumbled without thinking. She had complicated feelings and needed someone to discuss things with, but there was no one she could share these stories with. In the first place, they kept it a secret from others that they were pretending to be lovers. The only person she could confide in was Bayan. She blankly told Bayan the confession she heard in the garden.

 

An incomprehensible expression appeared on Bayan’s small face.

 

[I hear that originally the saint liked the Grand Duke.]

 

“What… It was like that in the old days.”

 

[The saint liked the Grand Duke, and now the Grand Duke also likes the saint, and the two are married. What part is the problem?]

 

“…”

 

She knew. Now that he said that, she really didn’t know what the problem was. But the problem was that she was not that Eve.

 

“I’m not sure if I like him right now?”

 

Bayan lifted his paw and wiped the sauce off his beard, then looked at her with a more serious expression.

 

[According to the prediction you gave me a little while ago, didn’t you say that you eventually fell in love and had a child?]

 

“…Yes, we did.”

 

Bayan said that shewas worrying about useless things in the world.

 

[Then, in the end, there’s no need to worry because things will work out well for the two of you in the future, right?]

 

“…After hearing it, it seems so.”

 

But now she was worried. She stopped complaining and tipped her teacup. Watching Bayan somehow made her feel like she was consulting a cat about her concerns. In the first place, seeing Bayan’s pitiful look, she didn’t feel like talking anymore. At that time, a cautious knock was heard.

 

The manor’s maid opened the door and came in. She spoke politely.

 

“Princess. I was trying to wash your dress and this flower came out of the pocket so I brought it.”

 

“Oh yeah. Thank you.”

 

What the maid brought was the pink flower she had received from Mikhail. He said it was a talisman to wish happiness. She forgot she put it in her pocket.

 

She looked at the flowers the maid brought her.

 

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Translator Note: