My Will Did Not Mean This

‘Where am I…’

 

When Vivian came to her senses, she was lying in a bedroom she had never seen before. It was an eye-poppingly gorgeous bedroom. The room she used in her ducal residence was spacious and nice, but this was so extravagant that she couldn’t even compare it to back then.

 

‘Is this really the afterlife? Did she receive an award for being good while she was alive?!’

 

She would be lying if she said I wasn’t dazed. But as she looked at the furniture and decorations that appealed with her whole body, ‘It’s expensive,’ she became so excited that she couldn’t keep still. That’s all mine! It was just as Vivian hurriedly stepped out of her bed. Her bedroom door burst open, and she was startled to hear a whisper.

 

“Ugh, croak!”

 

“Ma’am, are you okay? You barely woke up after a week, but if you overdo it…!”

 

“Cough!”

 

Her mind was spinning. The maid, not knowing who the ‘madam’ she was crying out to be, cried bitterly inwardly even though it was just a matter of asking for some water. Aslan, who had noticed the commotion in the bedroom and rushed over, scolded the desperate workers and told them to bring a doctor immediately. Thanks to this, the room became even more noisy, and it was only when the doctor hurriedly arrived that it finally calmed down.

 

“The lung disease has already progressed considerably. Your body has become very weak.”

 

“I guess we can fix it.”

 

“I’m sorry. I think it would be difficult for you to last longer than a year, no matter how long it is.”

 

The doctor who carefully examined Vivian’s condition several times while keeping an eye on Aslan expressed the same opinion as the Eleonora family doctor.

 

“It is not a difficult disease to diagnose, and if it had been discovered early, it would have been better than it is now, but I don’t know why the Eleonora family didn’t notice this.”

 

“…”

 

“To ease your pain, I will write a prescription to slightly alleviate the symptoms of your lung disease. However, since there is no treatment to fundamentally cure the disease, I will do my best to ensure that you can spend the rest of your life comfortably…”

 

The doctor’s voice, which had been speaking calmly, gradually became quieter. The mahogany table Aslan was sitting on cracked in two with a loud sound. Aslan was not Vivian. He sighed deeply, as if he had been sentenced to death. His thick, muscular shoulders hung down and he repeatedly washed his face, as if he didn’t know what to do. He, who was stroking his hair as if to suppress his rising anger, spoke again.

 

“So, there is no cure?”

 

“Yes, yes.”

 

“You disappointed me a lot. I heard you had the best medical skills in the South, but the answer I get is nothing like that.”

 

Aslan casually sat down on the bedside of Vivian, who was lying down, as if it were still in place. Thanks to his muscular and heavy body that was trained to the limit, the mattress of his bed sank deeply to one side. All Vivien could see was an inverted triangle that looked like it was about to burst. However, she could clearly feel that the doctors and employees standing across from him were sweating profusely.

 

“…”

 

Even the sound of breathing was cautious. Since no one made a sound, the spacious bedroom was filled with dead silence.

 

‘Is it okay for a human with the power of Astaroth to be like this? It’s a complete massacre of civilians?’

 

Her heart became heavy because she felt like she had suddenly become the seed of conflict. It was at that moment when Vivian, overwhelmed by the silence, rolled her eyes in embarrassment.

 

“Then tell me who can treat you.”

 

“Ma’am, there is no cure for your disease…”

 

“That’s not the answer I want.”

 

A black energy slowly rose from Aslan’s body. Vivian rubbed her eyes to see if she was hallucinating, but nothing changed. She didn’t know why, but considering he was under the curse of Astaroth, it didn’t seem like a very good sign. Besides, there were too many people watching here.

 

‘If he turns into a black lion in a place like this… I have to cover his mouth, so he won’t kill them all. I am probably no exception. Maybe he’ll kill me first just to make an example.’

 

Vivian, who had been fidgeting nervously with his fingers, couldn’t wait any longer and grabbed his arm.

 

“Your Highness…”

 

It was a small, fragile call that seemed like it would break. Nevertheless, Aslan’s gaze, which was glaring at his doctor as if he were going to kill him, quickly turned to Vivian. In the blink of an eye, the glow in his eyes, which was like the harsh Siberian wind in the middle of winter, melted like a warm breeze on a spring day. The doctors and employees who witnessed the master’s quick change of attitude were all shocked, but Vivian, who did not know this, bowed her head.

 

‘I called you, but I don’t know what to say!’

 

Aslan’s black energy seemed to disappear as if melting into the air. It was fortunate that he came to his senses, but this time they were in danger. Aslan in the original story hated Vivian. He hated her more than insects, so much so that he broke off the engagement while Vivian was dying of lung disease and immediately became engaged to her half-sister, the original heroine. Vivian’s reputation in the social circles suffered, but this incident left Vivian with such a humiliating memory that she died.

 

‘Even though he knew he would be excommunicated from the family, he tried to kill his half-brother.’

 

She couldn’t understand why Aslan had put her in such a luxurious bedroom. If he had left her to die in the forest, the process of breaking off the engagement would have been much easier.

 

‘Of course, I’m grateful that they saved my life, and I’m really grateful that they washed and clothed me so well and even called a doctor, but…’

 

While fear and gratitude alternately asserted themselves, Vivian ultimately chose to raise her hand in gratitude and smile brightly. Instead, she decided to keep her eyes downcast and forlorn, making it clear that she had no intention of challenging Aslan’s authority.

 

“I’m fine. It’s nothing.”

 

“Nothing’s wrong?”

 

“I’m already familiar with the pain. I know my body best. Cluck!”

 

She was not used to expressing two emotions at the same time, so she started to cry again. Vivian shook her shoulders and took a deep breath. The room fell into heavy silence again. In particular, Aslan’s face was distorted horribly, as if he were about to cut a person into pieces.

 

‘Why isn’t there anything to say? Maybe my intention wasn’t conveyed clearly…’

 

Meanwhile, Vivian, who had her head down, became nervous at the unexpected silence. The only sound that came to her ears was the sound of her breathing being held dangerously by the occupants.

 

‘I’m dying of frustration. Is it illegal to make two facial expressions at the same time in this country?’

 

She was afraid that if this continued, everyone’s well-being would be in jeopardy. Vivian, unable to bear it any longer, looked up cautiously and soon became as hard as stone. She had just grabbed Aslan’s forearm to stop him from doing his magic, and she was still in the same position. So it was natural for him to be displeased. There’s no way it would be pleasant to come into contact with a woman he hated more than a bug.

 

“Ah.”

 

It was at this moment that a surprised Vivian suddenly removed her hand. This time Aslan grabbed her slender wrist. The skin that touched him burned because of the heat he gave off.

 

“Why do you keep avoiding my eyes?”

 

“That…”

 

“Look straight at me.”

 

Aslan’s eyes darkened as he looked down at Vivian. Like a wild animal about to be hunted, the emotion in his eyes is clearly possessive. But the standoff between the two did not last long. It was because she lowered her gaze and stared at her held wrist. A weak, thin wrist held in a large, strong palm. Aslan held her as if he were handling her easily breakable glass doll, but to the eyes of a third party who did not know the situation, it was clear that he was pressing Vivian.

 

Tsk, Aslan clicked her tongue and slowly lowered her hand as if stroking the back of her hand. Then he tried to calm his stern expression and continued speaking.

 

“I think I pushed you too far. You must have been surprised because you didn’t hear the true circumstances.”

 

Vivian, relieved, nodded her head eagerly. Of course, she didn’t express it outwardly, it was just in her heart.

 

“This is a country house I own in the South.”

 

“What?”

 

Vivian asked back without realizing it. Aslan’s territory was located in the northern part of the empire. The forces supporting him were also concentrated there. In other words, he was a person who had no ties to the South at all.

 

‘The south is actually the crown prince’s territory, but isn’t it dangerous?’

 

Aslan also seemed to have noticed Vivian’s question, but he didn’t seem to have any intention of answering. He touched the back of his neck as if he was embarrassed for some reason and quickly changed the subject.

 

“You are the first lady to join the family, and I feel sorry for forcing you to stay in such a shabby place. As soon as your body recovers, we will move you to a townhouse in the capital.”

 

Vivian blinked blankly. There was a part of Aslan’s statement just now that she didn’t understand. No matter how much she thought about it, there were some parts she didn’t understand!

 

“Wife, what is that…”

 

“Once we arrive in the capital, we will have a ceremony right away. You will be the most beautiful bride in the world.”

 

Ceremony? What way? Who would become a bride? Vivian was so busy being shocked that she didn’t notice how Aslan was looking down at her. He didn’t care about the palms that were clenched and opened in the air as if he wanted to hug them right away.

 

“But I want to announce that you are my wife as quickly as possible, so please sign here first.”

 

What Aslan presented was a marriage certificate. Moreover, her name in the documents had naturally changed to ‘Vivian Eleonora Astaroth’.

 

‘This human?!’

 

Vivian’s brain finally went on strike amid the colorful feast of nonsense.

 

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Translator Note: