I Lied to the Male Lead with My Pinky Finger on the Line

 

I honestly hadn’t thought about it. I didn’t have the luxury, and there was no other choice from the beginning.

 

It wasn’t that I didn’t know what Raphir meant, and I felt grateful and saddened by how deeply he thought about my situation.

 

But I had no choice. When the lives of all the people in the Palma Empire were at stake, there was no need to weigh the options.

 

Moreover, I was the one who had made Clyde like this; no one else

 

I couldn’t make him go through that again alone.

 

“…Whatever happens, it has nothing to do with His Highness.”

 

“Eila.”

 

“Why do you keep doing this? How many times do I have to repeat the same words? Is it because I kept rejecting His Highness’s proposal? Is that why you’re doing this?”

 

I spoke with frustration.

 

“Of course, if you’re a person of His Highness’s caliber, you might not want to admit that there’s a woman who keeps rejecting your advances. But what can I do? It’s the truth. I’m sick and tired of it. So please, just give up and let me go.”

 

“…….”

 

Raphir’s mouth fell open, but he said nothing. His eyes, which had always sparkled mischievously, had now darkened.

 

I turned and walked past Raphir. This time, he didn’t stand in my way again. I approached Clyde and stood by his side.

 

His expression was unreadable. His eyes, radiating a crimson glow, seemed at first devoid of any emotion, yet, on the contrary, appeared to be filled with a mixture of various feelings.

 

My father and brothers all seemed overwhelmed by the reality, their heads hanging low in despair.

 

Clyde suddenly raised his hand, and from it, a surge of magic extended, binding everyone in the room just as he had done two years ago in the artifact chamber.

 

“Sakaya!”

 

In response to Clyde’s command, a demon appeared in the room.

 

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

 

“Take them all and confine them.”

 

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

 

Sakaya placed one hand on his chest and bowed his head.

 

“…Clyde.”

 

“Don’t worry. I’ll release them later, as promised, along with the other prisoners.”

 

“…….”

 

For a moment, I locked eyes with my father. He still wore a look of betrayal and shock that was too profound for words. I squeezed my eyes shut and turned my head away.

 

The demon soldiers who had entered soon led my family and Raphir out of the tent.

 

“Where are they keeping them, and are they treating the prisoners well?”

 

Once we were alone in the tent, I grabbed Clyde’s arm urgently.

 

“Don’t treat them harshly. Father is getting old now. Besides, he must have been exhausted from chasing after me all this way.”

 

“Don’t worry. I won’t mistreat them. I wouldn’t be rough with your family.”

 

“Can’t you just let them go?”

 

“That’s not possible.”

 

“Clyde. Please.”

 

“If I release them, do you think your father and brothers will just go back quietly? They will do anything to get you back. Can’t you see that?”

 

“…….”

 

I bit my lip slightly. Clyde remained silent for a moment, then asked in a low voice,

 

“About what you said earlier, was it true?”

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“You said you loved me.”

 

“…….”

 

Unintentionally, I averted my gaze from Clyde. He gently cupped my cheek with his hand, making me look into his eyes again.

 

“Answer me, Ruby. Did you really mean what you said? Did you really… love me?”

 

“Clyde, that’s….”

 

I trailed off, and as I did, the fervor in Clyde’s eyes disappeared as if a spark had been extinguished. Like a puppet with its strings cut, his hand fell away from my face.

 

“…It wasn’t true.”

 

“…Clyde.”

 

“Your father was right. You lied to make them give up on you.”

 

“…….”

 

It was true that I had said it on purpose to make them give up on me. However, it doesn’t mean they weren’t completely genuine. My decision to stay by Clyde’s side was not solely to save the empire from its impending doom.

 

He had already become more special to me than anyone else in the world. Since reuniting with him, I have come to realize this fact clearly.

 

Even if Clyde had threatened to destroy the empire if I left him, sealed my powers with the necklace, or even forcibly kissed me, I couldn’t bring myself to hate him.

 

Clyde was simply pitiful, tender, and, at the same time, endearing. The intensity in his gaze made it a struggle to withhold the tears.

 

Nevertheless, at this moment, I couldn’t readily answer whether I loved him or not. It had just been moments since I had abandoned my family. They had come all this way, risking their lives, with the sole purpose of saving me.

 

No matter how much I said there was no other way, I couldn’t deny the fact that I had betrayed them and caused them irreversible pain. The gaze my father and brothers gave me as they looked at me for the last time still haunts my mind. It was a gaze that I wouldn’t be able to forget for the rest of my life.

 

But how could I, knowing that my family was being taken to prison right now…

 

Tears streamed down my cheeks uncontrollably. Clyde’s expression hardened dramatically. He must have misunderstood the meaning of my tears.

 

“Clyde, no, I…” I desperately grabbed his hand, but Clyde forcefully pulled his hand away.

 

My chest sank in an instant, and tears burst out again. I shook my head, covered my mouth, and sobbed. But Clyde turned away from me and left the tent.

 

━━━━⊱⋆⊰━━━━

 

Raphir and the men of the Rojasis family were locked inside a large cell by the demon soldiers. Their arms and legs were tightly bound, and their mouths were gagged to prevent them from casting spells.

 

The atmosphere inside the cell was incredibly heavy. Everyone hung their heads in despair. The only one maintaining a relatively composed demeanor was Raphir.

 

“…I can’t believe it.”

 

Nita murmured in a voice that sounded like a whimper.

 

“Actually, what if she wasn’t the real Eila? I don’t know for sure, but some demon could have used a trick to disguise themselves. Maybe Peridot kept the real Eila hidden somewhere and brought a fake to deceive us. Right, Father? Am I right, Brother Heufeln? Aslan…!”

 

“…….”

 

No one answered Nita’s question. In fact, even if they had tried to answer, it would have been impossible. And no one even looked in Nita’s direction.

 

“Probably not.”

 

Raphir spoke quietly.

 

“The Demon King’s presence was real. If Eila was fake, she wouldn’t have been so desperate to protect us.”

 

“Then, perhaps, as Father said, it could be an enchantment spell? The necklace was just bait. That’s why she handed it over so easily for inspection. It makes sense.”

 

“…….”

 

Raphir believed that it wasn’t an enchantment spell. The fact that Nita’s brothers and father, all highly regarded mages in the Empire, showed no reaction was the most significant evidence.

 

Eila was too composed, and her eyes were too clear to think she was under an enchantment spell. Julion was the one who first brought up the idea that she might be, but in reality, he knew the possibility was extremely low. Of course, Heufeln and Aslan were the same.

 

They said it because they couldn’t believe it or accept it, even though they knew it.

 

“…I also think Eila did this on purpose to save us.”

 

Nita looked at him in surprise.

 

“Don’t you remember, Sir Nita? Eila said it herself in the end. She said she was tired of me and wanted me to stop. Eila knows how much I care for her.

 

“…….”

 

“Even so, she deliberately chose words that would hurt me. If she were her usual self, she would never say such things. She knows how much Nita and the others care for her and how we came here risking our lives to save her.” Raphir spoke quietly, his eyes lowering.

 

“That’s why she had to act so resolutely. She knew we’d never give up.”

 

“…….”

 

Gradually, everyone except Nita was looking at Raphir in disbelief.

 

“If that’s true, we can’t leave her like this. Even if the lives of all the Empire’s citizens are at stake, we can’t let Eila sacrifice herself alone!” Nita spoke with a deeply saddened expression.

 

Raphir lowered his eyes in silence.

 

‘Sacrifice.’

 

No, Eila would not consider her choice a sacrifice.

 

When Eila said she loved the Demon King, it wasn’t a lie.

 

Raphir could tell, having observed Eila for a long time. The way she looked at the Demon King was certainly not an act. It couldn’t be anything other than love.

 

 

 

𝑺𝒖𝒑𝒑𝒐𝒓𝒕 𝒎𝒆 𝒐𝒏 𝑲𝒐-𝒇𝒊