“…What?”
A man who should never have been born?
Was he implying that Ian was of illegitimate birth or something?
The absurdity of the statement made me instinctively furrow my brow, to which Duke Roger responded with a slanted smile.
“Could it be you’re shaken by this revelation?”
“Well…”
I let out a soundless scoff.
“Because it’s utter nonsense.”
‘At least make sense.’
As ridiculous as it felt to bring up the original novel, Ian Cloud wasn’t the type of character for the author to secretly add some kind of personal twist to his origin. If they had, they’d have spent over ten chapters unraveling the mystery surrounding Ian Cloud’s birth.
“How about trying a more believable story? This one’s a bit cliché.”
“Hmm, I was hoping this might rattle you a bit, but I guess not.”
Despite my cold reaction, Duke Roger merely tilted his head indifferently, as if he hadn’t really expected much to begin with. Then, with a faint chuckle, he continued.
“Still, it’s no lie that his existence is a mistake. You already know it too, don’t you? How his mere presence has brought misfortune to so many people.”
This time, his words made me freeze for a different reason.
Noticing my hesitation, Roger lowered his gaze slightly, his voice softening as if he’d struck a chord.
“The former Empress, the real Eloise Cloud, Countess Diana Lawrence… and even my sun.”
Hayden Roger tilted his head nonchalantly, as though reminiscing, his eyes swirling with memories.
“You might not know this, but the Emperor of Levant must be perfect—a ruler who shoulders the responsibility of an entire continent. The Roger family has always served beside that sun, supporting them. It’s our family’s mission and pride. Just as my grandfather and father did, I believed without doubt that I would serve a perfect sun from the closest proximity. But then…”
Roger ran a hand through his hair, a gesture of frustration, and cast a cold glare at me.
“What happened after Ian Cloud was born? My sun, who should always remain steadfast, began to lose focus.”
“So, what you’re saying is… Ian made the Emperor soft? Is that it?”
“No, no. My sun, who should remain impeccable and untouchable, was swept away by pitiful compassion. She took upon herself sacrifices and burdens to shield an insignificant, lowly-born creature—someone who’s little more than an outsider and nothing but a hindrance to her future.”
‘What is this lunatic even talking about…?’
Suddenly, fragments of an earlier conversation with Roger flashed through my mind.
“When I was young, the three of us went boating on this lake. The Grand Duke, curious about the sight, leaned too far and fell into the water.”
“……”
“Her Majesty, then a princess, dove in without hesitation to save him, even though no one had time to stop her.”
“……”
“Despite dozens of knights standing ready.”
Roger’s face had been unusually cold as he spoke about the Emperor’s sacrifice back then.
It became clear—this man had always seen the Emperor’s affection for Ian as a thorn in his side.
“My sun is far too human. While that trait makes her all the more lovable, it also breaks my heart.”
“……”
“To see her get hurt, shielding a lowly-born rival who could become her enemy… it’s unbearable.”
Grinding his teeth, he grabbed my chin roughly again, his grip biting into my jaw.
“I was the one who swore loyalty to her first. Not Ian Cloud, who only shares a half-blood connection with her!”
He muttered as if possessed, his words filled with venom and madness.
The sharp pain in my jaw made me wince, but I kept my eyes fixed on him, frowning.
“The Emperor is my sun. She was flawless, without a single flaw.”
“Bull…shit.”
“If Ian Cloud hadn’t been born, I could’ve been the perfect confidant to the perfect Emperor. She would have trusted me more than anyone, instead of looking at me with such cold eyes!”
At this point, I couldn’t decide whether to laugh or be amazed.
‘He’s completely insane.’
I already knew he was unhinged, but this was a whole new level.
I’d seen this before—the kind of person who loves someone so obsessively that their love turns into madness.
Back in my old world, there were people like this. Fans who worshipped idols like cult leaders, their love twisting into delusions.
They’d stalk their idols’ social media, leaving comments like, “Stay away from our star,” or, “You’re corrupting them with your bad influence.” And then, they’d escalate to full-blown harassment campaigns.
‘Wow…’
The problem here was that this guy wasn’t just harassing someone online. He’d taken his delusions and turned them into actual crimes.
‘This isn’t someone you can reason with. I’ve dealt with this kind before—I know.’
At this point, it was clear—he was utterly deranged.
Once I realized it, I could see the madness glinting in his dark green eyes, something I hadn’t noticed before. As his grip on my chin tightened, a dull pain began to spread.
“Succession rights don’t matter anymore. As long as Ian Cloud isn’t cast into the abyss, my kind, compassionate sun will continue to look after that useless creature, over and over again, not realizing how much it’s destroying her.”
He chuckled to himself, the sound low and twisted, but then his face hardened as he swept me with a cold, piercing gaze.
“So I figured if I made the Grand Duchess lose her mind and die, that would make Ian Cloud look guilty, leaving Her Majesty no choice but to abandon him and finally recognize my loyalty. But….”
Suddenly, he let go of my chin and yanked my hair, forcing my head back roughly.
“Agh!”
“Do you know who’s ruined everything? Do you?”
Pain shot through my scalp, and I couldn’t suppress the scream that escaped.
“If it weren’t for you, Eloise Cloud would have met a miserable end by now. Ian Cloud would’ve been abandoned and destroyed himself. And my sun would’ve returned to her rightful place.”
His words made something click.
He claimed to despise Ian Cloud, but everything he did seemed aimed at Eloise. Even his plan wasn’t about Ian’s death—it was about his downfall.
“Hah, but now what? No matter what you do to me, it’s going to be hard to pin this on Ian, don’t you think?”
“Still so defiant, I see.”
He scoffed and let go of my hair as if tossing away trash, brushing his hand against his wrist in irritation.
“It doesn’t matter. I’ve changed the plan.”
The shift in his demeanor—from a calm, polite nobleman to a full-blown lunatic—made me shudder.
“Your relationship with him seems… closer than I thought. If you die, Ian Cloud won’t function properly, will he?”
“…What are you…”
“Listen carefully. This is my way of making a bold statement to my exalted sun. That this complacent affection of hers will ruin everything. In the process, sadly, you’ll die.”
“……”
“See? You should’ve listened when I told you to stay out of the way, outsider.”
The moment he burst into laughter, filled with manic glee, the faint red warning light blinking in my mind turned into blaring sirens.
‘Holy crap, this psycho’s completely gone!’
If I stayed here any longer, I’d really die.
I quickly scanned the room out of the corner of my eye.
Luckily—or unluckily—there were only two people here: me and Roger. The door was slightly ajar, probably from when he entered earlier.
‘My hands are tied, but I can still run if I try.’
The problem was his earlier mention of hiring a mage. Whether or not that was true would only become clear once I got through that door.
It was a gamble, one that sounded absurd and reckless, but it was the only option I had.
‘First, survive.’
Having finished calculating my chances, I lowered my head abruptly.
Roger let out a curious hum, clearly intrigued by the sudden change in my demeanor.
“…So, you’ve finally come to understand.”
Raising an eyebrow, he smiled warmly, though it was laced with mockery.
“It seems you’ve finally assessed the situation.”
“You’re right. I should’ve listened to your advice.”
As I mumbled like someone defeated, Roger’s smile deepened with amusement.
“Ah, such a naïve, foolish outsider. It’s a pity you’ve only just realized this. But the opportunity has already passed.”
“……”
“It’s nothing personal, but you ignored my warning. So now, you’ll just have to die—”
“Think again.”
I saw an opening.
The moment he let his guard down, I brought my knee up and slammed it into his stomach with all my strength.
“Argh!”
Bullseye.
• • •
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