Married to a Man who Wants to Kill me

 

 

After another storm, the sea is calm again. They would soon reach Schubert. 

 

The sailors were already exhausted from the hard voyage. The sea was calm, as if the dire situation a moment ago had been a dream.

 

The ferocious waves that threatened to swallow up all that was alive were gone, and the ship, which had been rocking like it was about to tip over, regained stability.

 

Theo had been thinking about Lethenia for a long time, listening to the irregular sound of waves on the deck.

 

A wry smile crept across his face as he realized that he had thought about her quite often.

 

The questions about Lethenia hadn’t gone away. There were too many things about her that didn’t add up to a simple case of memory problems after she collapsed.

 

Her nails, which had always been unkempt due to her habit of biting them whenever she was anxious, were neatly manicured, and she often sought out sugary desserts that she hadn’t touched before.

 

Her sensitive constitution, which used to make her feel sick just by smelling the meat on the table, has also changed.

 

Her tone of voice had softened, her facial expressions had changed, and there was something else about her that was hard to put into words. He couldn’t imagine what had happened to Lethenia. But as time went on, Theo realized that the Lethenia he knew now was better than before.

 

He was glad that she had the will to live, to create the future she wanted for herself. Without her love for Ianhardt, Lethenia seemed calm and stable.

 

‘Siana Delfkaiser.’ 

 

He once had the vain hope that Lethenia, or Siana Delfkaiser, might be the hope of Xenos.

 

Some Xenosians still clung to false hope, waiting for the successor of Delphkaizer to appear somewhere.

 

But when he came to Asha, the only Delfkaiser he saw was a foolish, pitiful girl. Blindly in love and unable to take care of herself.

 

There was no sign of the magic that should have been present in Xenosian royalty. The reincarnation of a great wizard.

 

He had long ago realized that all such archaic prophecies were false. All he could do was help Lethenia live out her days in peace.

 

Even if his father, the emperor’s knight, were still alive, he would not have thought any differently.

 

It pleased him that she had changed her mind just when he thought it was all over, and so his conversations with Lethenia had never felt so comfortable.

 

He was glad that he no longer had to watch her become consumed by sadness and resentment.

 

While he was always suspicious of her changed behavior, he hoped she would never revert back to her old self.

 

When he returned to his cabin, he heard the call of his magic notebook. It was Lethenia.

 

He felt a faint, unspoken joy at the sound. A faint smile crept across his face.

 

It was a lighthearted prank at first. Theo had vaguely expected Lethenia to recognize his handwriting the moment it appeared on the note. There was no way she wouldn’t recognize his handwriting.

 

But she didn’t seem to have any idea who it belonged to. The more he talked to her, the more convinced he became that she was different.

 

Her ideas are not like hers. Those thoughts were not at all like her and sometimes brought a fresh shock.

 

‘Is there any chance the Xenosians will ever be freed?’

 

Lethenia had always said she didn’t care what happened to the Xenosians. She didn’t even want to bother thinking about such matters.

 

She seemed overwhelmed by her current situation. Perhaps even if she knew that she was half Xenosian, her cynical thoughts wouldn’t change.

 

It was somewhat bittersweet, but Theo considered it a natural reaction for Lethenia. However, she had changed so much that he couldn’t even find traces of her past.

 

He thought he knew everything about Lethenia, but he felt like he was getting to know her from scratch, and that made him even more interested.

 

Whenever they spoke through the magic notes instead of face to face, he felt like he was dealing with someone other than Lethenia.

 

Well, it was kind of fun being a spirit. 

 

[Tell Theo to take care of himself.]

 

[You’re worried about him?]

 

[Of course I am. He’s on such a dangerous path.]

 

[No one’s ever cared about him that much.]

 

[He has me.]

 

It was a little surprising that she was secretly worried about him, despite telling her that he could survive no matter where he was placed. It’s been a while since he heard that kind of concern.

 

He enjoyed the time he spent chatting with her in this way. After he finished writing, he couldn’t stop thinking about her.

 

His thoughts led to memories of things she liked. She liked the sea, she mentioned wanting to raise a puppy, and she had a liking for a dessert called macarons.

 

None of these things seemed to fit Lethenia, but without realizing it, he was making a distinction between her past and present self.

 

And so his feelings for her were taking him in unexpected directions, but he didn’t even realize it.

 

××××××××××××××××××××××

 

Her words about wanting to explore outside the palace lingered in his mind.

 

He thought of one place after another that he thought she might like as soon as he entered Asha after his mission.

 

Then he remembered a place with purple flowers that resembled her eyes, a quiet forest covered entirely with thornbushes, and it was a place where people rarely set foot.

 

He had originally considered using it to test magical weapons, like the cursed forest. 

 

But the moment he saw the Bonneflower in it, all those thoughts vanished without a trace.

 

Even he, who tends to be insensitive to things that are pretty or cute, remembered that scene for a long time. Somehow, he didn’t want to ruin this forest.

 

Theo imagined her standing in that picturesque grove. He couldn’t think of a better place to be.

 

“What do you think?”

 

“It’s so beautiful.”

 

Fortunately, she seemed to genuinely enjoy it, which finally relieved the subtle tension. Only now did the faint sense of nervousness completely dissipate.

 

He had been concerned that perhaps she wouldn’t like it as much as he thought she would, and the fear of potential disappointment had been lurking in the back of his mind. But she smiled when she saw it.

 

Standing in this incredibly beautiful forest, she was even more enchanting than he had imagined. It was the first time he had ever seen Lethenia smile as brightly as she did now.

 

He stopped breathing for a moment, dizzy with excitement.

 

The words of the mage he’d met in Schubert flashed through his mind. Black mage Demonio, the only being capable of performing the dark magic of soul possession.

 

He found it nearly impossible to connect such thoughts with the pure joy radiating from the woman before him. It was almost embarrassing to even entertain such thoughts for a moment.

 

If not that, then there was no explanation for Lethenia’s peculiar transformation. However, at this moment, he didn’t want to dwell on such peculiarities.

 

There must be some kind of magic in Bonneflower. His eyes locked with hers, moving alone in the midst of it all.

 

In the midst of it, he locked eyes with her as she moved alone through this surreal scene. He was once again captivated by a strange and unfamiliar emotion.

 

She hesitated for a moment, then spoke.

 

“Actually, I….”

 

“…….”

 

“So the truth is, you’re…….”

 

He wondered if Lethenia was thinking the same thing as he was. He had a vague idea of what she was going to say.

 

But he didn’t have the courage to hear the rest. The reality of his situation was an insurmountable barrier.

 

Black mages called servants of the devil gain their power through murder. The price is the surrender of their souls.

 

Those reborn from the dark pact are drained of all life force. It is common for them to die without fulfilling their original lifespan.

 

Those fortunate enough to have a strong life force might live quite a long time, but they could never have children.

 

He knew intuitively that his days were numbered. He had never once regretted becoming an Apomenon to take revenge.

 

But now, for the first time, he felt it. If he could have lived as a normal person, would he have been happy to accept her heart now?

 

His mind went blank at the thought of such a futile fantasy. His presence would be an obstacle to her happiness.

 

The thought of it shattered all his illusions.

 

Even though he knew he shouldn’t, he hesitated for a brief moment. Would she understand if he told her his secret?

 

A black mage who committed murder and signed a deal with the devil. He’s tied up with Xenos and never knows when he’s going to die. He couldn’t bring himself to tell her that.

 

A secret that would torture her to no end. Ever since he’d returned from the Forest of Bonneflower, everything had felt so wrong.

 

Unable to change his situation, there was only one conclusion. Not going any further.

 

All he had to do was be nice to her for the time he had left, and then hope she would forget him forever.

 

To live happily ever after and never look back. With that, he went to find Lethenia.

 

He might regret today’s decision someday, but he had no choice.

 

He composed himself and spoke in an unwavering tone.

 

“I would give my life to protect Her Majesty the Empress. I can sacrifice everything for Her Majesty, but I cannot be a part of Her Majesty’s future. This is my answer.”

 

TL/N: Oh no Theooo!! ༼☯﹏☯༽

 

 

 

 

𝑺𝒖𝒑𝒑𝒐𝒓𝒕 𝒎𝒆 𝒐𝒏 𝑲𝒐-𝒇𝒊