Since When Were You The Villain?

Chapter 88   

   

Killian cannot make Sophia happy.  

The only emotions she could get from him were fear, anxiety, confusion, and disbelief.  

And he would never be able to confess the truth to Sophia in the future.   

The moment she knows the truth, she will become an accomplice in this dangerous affair.    

To hide the black moon, she will have to lie to the world.   

And with each lie, she’ll put herself in danger.   

Even if he doesn’t tell Sophia the truth, she will eventually become entangled in unwanted events.   

She will feel frustration, anxiety, and fear towards him for hiding the truth, just like now.   

A destructive relationship that destroys each other and shakes the foundation.   

Is this right?   

Is it okay to continue our relationship?   

The answer to that question was already determined.   

The life he chose would become a knife to pierce Sophia.   

Whether he wanted it or not.   

“Sophia.”   

Having sorted out all his emotions, Killian gently removed Sophia’s hand that held onto him.   

“It’s better if we stop.”   

And he stepped away from her.   

Sophia’s pupils shook at the sudden distance.   

“Stop. what do you mean by it?”   

“We should break off our engagement.”   

He forced himself to build a wall around his crumbling heart and wore a numb expression.   

He cut her off with words as cold as ice.   

Fortunately, he had grown accustomed to pretending not to be hurt, to the point where it no longer hurt like a knife to the heart.   

‘Your Grace, our engagement… um, perhaps a… breaking up…?’   

Yes, there had been a day when she brought up the idea of breaking off their engagement.   

That day, he knew that Sophia wanted to end this engagement. But he had pretended not to hear her proposal to break up.   

He was afraid that she might reveal his secret to the Empress if she guessed his true identity.   

He couldn’t let her go after seeing his secret.   

‘We should have ended it back then.’  

Sophia must have already sensed his danger at that time.   

And she had wanted to escape that danger.   

Very wisely.   

And Killian hoped she was still wise.   

But…    

“Is that what you truly want?”    

Her questioning, as if she were about to cry, was painfully beautiful.   

It felt like his heart was being crushed and was about to burst.   

I loved you this much.   

I was this crazy about you.   

So, I should let you go… 

Killian finally realized the depth of his emotions.   

“For the sake of our reputations, you may send the break-up announcement.”    

He wore a callous expression as he considered practical matters.   

He could see Sophia’s small hand clutching tightly.   

He understood.   

He knew how heartless it was to inform her of their breakup after she had cared for him all night.   

He would accept it even if she slapped him, cursed him, threw things at him, or screamed to draw people attention.   

And, as if angrily, Sophia, with her lips pressed together, took a step closer to him.   

Killian was prepared to endure all of her anger.   

“Selfish jerk.”   

With a voice mixed with resentment, her two hands grabbed his white collar.   

That was it.   

That was what he had expected.   

But what happened next completely exceeded his expectations.   

The firm hand clutching his collar pulled him towards her.   

As he was helplessly drawn closer to her, he felt a soft touch on his lips, and the warmth that touched his lips instantly ignited him like a blaze.   

His feeble body temperature rose so much that it could set his rationality and judgement on fire as the warmth entered through his breath.   

Her lips were rough, as if criticizing him.   

His heart pounded.   

This makes him dizzy. 

His mind was muddled, as if he were anaesthetized, and he couldn’t even feel the pain in his thigh.   

Only Sophia was stealing and exploring all of his senses.   

And through the slender gap between them, she whispered softly.   

“There is no breakup, Killian.”    

She warned him in a low voice.    

‘There is no breakup, Sophia.’  

Just like he had said to her once.   

“Didn’t you say I made you endure.”  

Sophia recalled the words he had said to her last night.   

“Then make sure you can hold on to me too.”   

Sophia’s pale green eyes warned him not to run away cowardly.   

Killian couldn’t escape from those eyes that intensely penetrated deep inside him.   

Who could dare escape before those eyes?    

Sophia Fraus was never weak.   

She might feel fear, anxiety, and occasionally even tremble, but she was not a coward who would run away from him.   

Instead of giving in to her fear, she faced her insecurities.  

Despite her outwardly fragile appearance, inside she had a stronger spirit than any knight or warrior. And Killian loved her for that.    

“When you find out what kind of person I am, you won’t hold on to me.”    

“I’ll be the judge of that.”   

Killian fell silent for a moment as he looked at her, the trembling having disappeared.   

Could he share with Sophia the secret that he has buried all his life? Would he not regret involving her completely in this matter?  

‘What if I lose you….I..’   

“… You may be in danger.” Killian confessed his fear, and Sophia, with a slight furrow between her brows, smiled.   

“I think it’s dangerous enough now.”  

She had hidden the Black Moon, treated him, and created false aliases to protect him. She was already his accomplice.   

“I don’t want to be a fool, waiting and getting hit from behind by danger.”    

Sophia said that even though it is dangerous, she wanted to know why.    

Without knowing anything, she don’t want to be swept away by the fate of others like an extra.   

In front of her bold eyes, Killian couldn’t deny it.   

It was true Sophia has already become involved with him in too many ways.  

As she asked, “So, tell me”, he felt that it was time to reveal the horrific and rotten past that he had kept hidden in his heart, an untold story that no one could reveal to him. 

He sensed that he couldn’t build a pillar on false ground.   

To become Sophia’s support, he had to reveal his deeply corrupted and rotten roots.    

Even when she saw those pitch-black and decayed roots, if Sophia could still hold his hand, then at that moment, she could become his support.   

* * *   

Nicholas, who had been unable to sleep deeply due to pain, was awakened from his shallow sleep by the sound of the door being opened.   

In the dark infirmary room, a lantern was pushed through the opening in the door.   

Tack, tack.   

He could hear slow but steady footsteps approaching, and from the sound of the steps alone, Nicholas knew who the late-night visitor was.   

“Your majesty…!”  

He quickly tried to get up, despite his aching body, to urgently greet the guest. 

“No need to get up, Sir Nicholas.”   

A soft and gentle voice reassured the patient, and as she raised the lantern, her white and delicate face shone in the darkness.   

Looking out the window, Nicholas realized that the royal ball had ended earlier than scheduled. 

Normally, such events would continue until sunrise, and guests would gradually return home in the early morning.   

However, due to the Black Moon incident, it was not feasible to continue the ball.   

“Have you found the Black Moon…?”   

“No, not at all.”   

The Empress lowered the lantern onto a small table and shook her head.   

“Just as you said, I investigated if anyone had a severely injured leg, but there was no one.”   

The Empress deliberately conducted an alibi investigation on the second floor, as Nicholas had mentioned.   

If someone had suffered a severe leg injury, as he had described, they would surely limp or have visible signs of bleeding.   

Although a few people had ascended the stairs, they were eventually proven innocent.   

‘There is still one person who bothers me.’ 

The Empress thought of Killian. 

He had confidently climbed the stairs without limping or uttering a single sound of pain.   

It was impossible to believe that he had a leg injury, especially with Mikhail providing an alibi. He was innocent.   

‘But my heart keeps leaning towards that child.’    

For nearly twenty years, the forces seeking to uncover the truth behind the death of the former Grand Duke, Black Moon, have been lurking. (T/L: Oh, so now that text makes sense.)   

Among them was Killian, a formidable individual capable of outsmarting the military police.   

Although there was no direct evidence, suspicions had lingered around Killian for a long time. 

From a young age, Killian had never acted as his heart pleased.   

Even when offered things that would entertain him, he followed Mikhail’s lead and focused on his studies.   

He showed no interest in gambling, women, or alcohol.   

He obeyed the will of the royal family, but he was not one to be manipulated according to his own desires.   

Obedient yet not obedient—that was Killian.   

Beatrice couldn’t help but feel anxious whenever she observed this behaviour.   

Could it be that the boy knew the truth? On that day, should she have killed the boy as well?   

While raising the young Mikhail, driven by maternal instincts, she made the mistake of sparing him, fearing that killing him would be a sin.   

In order to cover up her mistakes, she always kept a close eye on the remnants of the past and was on guard.  

(T/L: This novel is soo good, the twists and turn are on the point. The connections between characters and everything is just soo…. *chef kiss*.)