NMRJKM Chapter 114

 

His trembling fingertips stretched out.

“Please, come down. I beg you.”

She thought with eyes that reflected nothing.

‘There is something more precious than my pain, my life, and thus, your pain.’

Carlothian’s lips quivered. He constantly thought about how to get Ariadeline to come down from there.

But no answers came. What she loved was no longer in this world.

So Carlothian decided to resort to desperation. If that didn’t work, he would plead. If pleading failed, he would think about getting angry.

“Can’t you live for me…?”

He slowly knelt down. She carefully took in his appearance.

The man who had been more arrogant than ever knelt down.

“Can’t you live because of me…?”

Tears streamed from his eyes.

‘Ah, you are crying for me now.’

It was enough to make one choke up, yet she still felt nothing.

“I will do anything. I will do whatever it takes. Please…”

The man who had once boldly declared he would make her love him was now kneeling before her, begging.

‘What should I feel here? Your sincerity, or perhaps your joy? I don’t know. I don’t know.’

She felt nothing at all now.

‘Carlothian.’

She suddenly had a thought and her lips quivered.

“-”

No sound came out, but seeing her mouth move made his eyes widen. Then, another tear dropped from his eyes.

“Yes…”

He spoke to her, his face wet with tears.

“I was arrogant.”

Gripping his collar as if to tear at his shirt, he pleaded. His voice cracked deeply as he trembled.

“I… love you…”

Countless old sayings flashed through Carlothian’s mind.

‘I’m tired of women like you.’

Words that had deeply wounded her.

‘The only thing you can leave behind is your name.’

The cold gaze. Those foolish days when he never felt he could truly love her.

Carlothian chewed on his past self and finally uttered those words.

As if a knife were being held to his throat. As if he were someone who would twist and die from thirst at any moment.

“I love you…”

His two hands covered his face.

“I love you, please.”

But nothing came to Ariadeline’s expression. That fervent confession did not resonate with her.

Carlothian looked at her face in despair. To you, my love is nothing but dust.

It is like a lump of lead that you do not need. He trembled his lips.

Yet, he did not stop speaking.

Now, he must not stop speaking. Otherwise, she might throw herself down again.

Carlothian pleaded with her.

“It’s okay if you don’t love me.”

He wished that even a single syllable of his voice would reach her. Please, Ariadeline.

I was foolish. I will never be like that again. If I could, I would tear my past self apart and destroy my arrogant self. So, Ariadeline. Please. Please.

“Give me…”

I was obsessed with you loving me. I forgot that I should love you. I only believed that you had to love me.

But in that moment when you were falling. In the moments when I repeated that act over and over again, I realized.

I can no longer imagine a world without you.

The blood splattering on my face is vivid. Your broken form has not left my mind.

Give me a chance.

You might be able to live without me.

Carlothian realized far too late that he could not live without Ariadeline.

“Give me a chance to love you…”

Ariadeline smiled faintly.

Carlothian froze at that smile. He felt he understood too well what that smile meant.

“Ariadeline—!”

In an instant, he lunged forward. But once again.

She fell from the terrace below. Only the hem of her dress brushed against his fingertips as she fell.

Ah, ah—!

His scream echoed. At that moment, another scream erupted from somewhere.

From below, a strange man’s voice was heard.

“Adeline!”

Her body, which had jumped from the terrace, floated. Ariadeline turned her head towards that mysterious force.

She saw someone, a few people, running towards her. In the distance, a carriage was visible.

‘Ah, what kind of carriage is that?’

“Adeline, our baby!”

A woman’s voice, on the verge of tears, reached her ears.

The force that had supported her fall gently set Ariadeline down on the ground.

Her legs gave way, and she collapsed right there.

‘What is happening…?’

Approaching her were a young man and a middle-aged couple. As soon as Ariadeline saw their faces, she recognized them. Ah, these people are…

“What are you doing, Adeline?”

The young man, who had used an unknown force, approached her with a distorted face. Without hesitation, he knelt on the garden floor and hugged her tightly.

“We, we were so… so…!”

His inner arms trembled. The moment Ariadeline saw him, she understood.

‘This person is…’

Ariadeline’s older brother.

“Adeline, what, what were you trying to do…!”

Tears streamed down Ariadeline’s mother’s face.

“What happened, Adeline? Huh…?”

Her father.

Ah, they have come.

Ariadeline’s family, who love her so dearly.

 

☪︎ ִ ࣪𖤐 𐦍 ☾𖤓 ☪︎ ִ ࣪𖤐 𐦍 ☾𖤓

 

The Atlosia Ducal Family.

A wealthy lineage that owns numerous gold and gemstone mines, possibly surpassing the wealth of the imperial palace.

Born into such a family, Ariadeline was the beloved youngest daughter.

Her older brother, who was a bit older, was kind, and although her parents had an arranged marriage, they cherished and loved each other, creating a peaceful household.

No one could have anticipated that a tumultuous event would invade their home.

Especially one related to the family’s most cherished and loved youngest daughter.

The Duke and Duchess of Atlosia knelt before the Emperor, pleading.

“Please, spare our daughter’s life.”

“We will do anything. Please…!”

The Emperor wished for Ariadeline’s brother, Erwin Atlosia, to be forcibly affiliated with the Imperial Magic Knights. He promised that he would serve for the next ten years.

“…Hmm.”

The Crown Prince agreed to spare her life in exchange for a large estate with significant mines.

However, he imposed one condition.

“In exchange for saving Ariadeline, you must not meet her while she is alive.”

They promised with tears in their eyes that they would comply. For the sake of their daughter’s life, they were willing to do anything.

From that point on, they could not know how Ariadeline lived after being exiled from the capital.

How is she living? Is she uncomfortable? Is she perhaps lonely? Is someone causing her harm? Days filled with worry and concern followed.

But one day, Ariadeline returned to the capital. Her brother Erwin said,

“Shall we consider a way to secretly see Adeleine?”

The couple shook their heads.

“What if that puts the child in danger…?”

Erwin bit his lip. If they were discovered, it would not be their problem but Ariadeline’s.

They gathered rumors about Ariadeline wandering the capital without being able to contact her even once.

The only thing they were truly worried about was one thing.

“She’s living with Duke Carlothian Denaves?”

“That bastard’s house?”

Erwin reacted harshly. To them, Carlothian Denaves was like an enemy.

No matter how much it was an arranged marriage, he was a rude and shameless man who had turned his gaze to another woman and did not treat her as a duchess.

“I should have never let her marry into that family…”

Even if Ariadeline had wanted it.

Seeing no consideration for Ariadeline made the family angry, and they often suggested she get a divorce.

But each time, the response was Ariadeline’s refusal.

“I will definitely make him see me one day.”

Though her eyes held a hint of sadness, there was also a deep venom beneath.

“I will make him see me for sure.”

Should they have stopped her then? The couple still regretted it. They had not realized how much the child would change.

They regretted that they should have done whatever it took to make Ariadeline divorce Denaves before it was too late.

But then came the shocking news.

[The true culprit of the Crown Princess’s curse incident is not Ariadeline!]

Upon hearing the news, the Duchess fainted, and the Duke clutched his head in despair. Her brother Erwin let out a hollow laugh.

“…We couldn’t even believe her ourselves.”

“How could we face her after this?”

The Duke covered his face and fell silent. But Erwin shook his head.

Now, they had to apologize for not believing her, even at this late hour.

With the revelation that the incident was not Ariadeline’s doing, there was nothing holding them back.

“Let’s go see Adeline.”

Erwin’s eyes sparkled.

“We must bring her back. She cannot be under that man.”

As soon as the Duchess regained consciousness, the Atlosia family headed straight for the Denaves residence.

They were visiting without prior notice, but they had no time to care about that. Ariadeline, that child, was what mattered.

They wanted to embrace the lonely and sorrowful child who had not been believed until now.

When they finally reached the Denaves mansion, Erwin noticed something among the flustered servants rushing to greet them.

“That’s…!”

She was standing on the terrace railing. And then she began to fall—.

“Adeline—!”

In an instant, Erwin summoned his magical power. Within the blink of an eye, he drew a magic circle with his power.