She lost everything to a staggering lie. Blinded by false emotions, she had no choice but to love him.
If only she could peel back a single layer, she would see so clearly how the man’s cruelty and ugliness had wounded her.
She hadn’t even liked Calion in the first place. The emotions that hadn’t existed from the start had been fabricated and used against her.
It was already unbearable that her sister had used her, but now an even worse man was trying to kill her.
“A sacrifice for my sister, is that it?”
As death loomed closer, suffocating her like a tightening noose, fear, confusion, and regret over the past years swirled together in a tangled mass.
But as that mass slowly melted into tears, a surge of resentment began to rise in her hollow heart.
With gentle, rhythmic pats, Milena gradually calmed down. Clutching onto the last tear hanging from her lashes, she bit her lower lip again. Her teeth clenched, but before she could break the skin, a firm hand stopped her—it was Lexion’s.
“Calion Luxen. That fool doesn’t even know the coffin is empty.”
She had intended to leave quietly, but not like this. The logical choice was to escape from the mad duke as quickly as possible, but that wouldn’t do. It was too unfair. She had suffered far too long.
“Sister, I don’t know what you’re planning, but I won’t move according to your will anymore.”
Neither Lariette nor Calion would get what they wanted. She would survive, just to prove to them that their schemes had failed. She would laugh in their faces.
“You’re really angry, huh? You’re going to hurt your lips.”
As she finally seemed to settle, Lexion gently lifted her chin and pressed a finger against her bitten lip.
Beneath his soft silver hair, his red eyes glowed faintly. His usual indifferent gaze flickered with a dangerous emotion. Milena’s lips parted slightly on their own.
“That’s dangerous.”
She remained still despite his fingers playing with her lips.
“What is?” she asked.
“You’re too beautiful.”
Her sniffle broke the moment, and Lexion let out a quiet laugh.
“As if you aren’t even prettier,” she thought.
His fresh smile, rising above his unrealistically handsome features, created an illusion that brightened the entire space.
“I think I might fall for you.”
“You must like crying women, then.”
“No. I don’t like women who cry.”
Yet he was wiping away her tears so tenderly.
Only then did she take a closer look at him. Could someone who had been unconscious wake up this quickly?
“Are you okay?”
“As you can see.”
Their bodies were in rough shape on the outside, but thanks to her, he had healed much faster. He caressed her cheek and smiled as if to reassure her.
Milena stared at Lexion, unable to guess what he was thinking.
He was different from ordinary spies. A remarkably skilled infiltrator. If he could evade the duke’s eyes, then surely—
“The enemy of my enemy is my ally,” she thought.
Perhaps, with him, she could take proper revenge on Calion and escape.
“Do you know who that man was, the one with the duke?”
“……”
Lexion silently gazed down at her.
He seemed to assume she expected him to know, given that he had infiltrated this place to gather information.
Though, in truth, he hadn’t come here for that reason at all. Should he tell her?
In his deep red eyes, filled with calculations, he saw the fire of determination in hers. He found himself speaking the truth before he could stop himself.
“A con artist.”
“What?”
The word was so out of place that Milena frowned.
“Five years ago, from the day the duchess died, Duke Calion began moving in secret, searching for a way to bring her back.”
He gently smoothed the wrinkle between her brows as he continued.
“Priests, shamans, mages—every kind of fraud imaginable sought him out, claiming they could resurrect the duchess. Every single one of them died on the spot.”
Lexion tilted his head slightly.
“And yet, for some reason, he blindly trusts this particular fraudster.”
That was what his gathered intelligence suggested.
“And that thing—it was a doll.”
His gaze darkened.
“The con artist must be quite skilled, then,” she mused.
“Well, who knows.”
From what Lexion had seen, this one seemed the most unconvincing of them all.
And yet… his skills were undeniable. Even when the doll was destroyed, life was breathed into it again.
“Someone highly capable must be pulling the strings behind the scenes.”
“Is it even possible to bring back a soul?” she asked.
“If such forbidden magic existed, the streets would be overflowing with the resurrected dead.”
Her sister had never even died in the first place. There wasn’t even a body. And yet, they were claiming to bring Lariette back?
Calion was being thoroughly deceived. And because of that, she was about to die.
She had to leave this place alive. But before that, she needed to land a proper blow against Calion.
She would never forgive them.
She couldn’t just leave like this—it would eat her up inside. And for that, she needed him.
She had to use whatever means necessary.
“Did you come here for personal reasons? Or are you here on assignment?” she asked.
Lexion, lost in thought, raised a brow at the abrupt question. A smirk tugged at the corner of his lips, though it didn’t reach his eyes.
“Why do you ask?” His voice had a sharp edge.
Milena met his gaze without backing down.
Just because they had spoken a few words didn’t mean they had formed some deep connection.
“If you infiltrated the duke’s domain out of personal vengeance, I think I can help you.”
“You? Help me?”
Lexion scoffed.
Had she not grasped the severity of her situation?
Her wedding—one that would determine her life or death—was just around the corner. He had expected her to beg him for help.
He had already planned to secretly extract her before the ceremony, partly due to his deal with a certain young master.
But things were taking an unexpected turn.
Their kiss hadn’t been part of his plans.
Or rather, the magical power within her had been beyond his expectations.
What was going on in her head?
“And what do you think I want?” he asked.
“If not, then…” Milena hesitated before continuing, “Consider it the price for my lips.”
He had already intended to negotiate by trading the stolen marriage contract for whatever information she had.
But if she was going to offer it up herself, there was no need to bring that out.
“Alright, let’s hear it,” he said with a nod.
“Marry me.”
“…What?”
“Marry me.”
“……”
Her anger had clearly reached its peak, making her delirious enough to say such ridiculous things so boldly.
But it was the safest way.
Escaping this situation while dealing a fatal blow to Duke Calion—that was the priority.
Ruining his plans was the first step.
And, conveniently, it would also lift the curse on her.
Though, admittedly, this man would be on the losing end of the deal.
“So, all I need is your signature on the marriage contract. You just have to be my husband for a year—”
“Wait. Hold on.”
Lexion, who had taken a few steps back the moment she mentioned marriage, raised a hand to stop her.
Covering his face with his large palm, he trembled slightly.
‘What’s wrong with him?’
Was he that shocked by the proposal?
“Are you okay? Don’t tell me… you’re already married?”
That would be bad.
Had she just suggested something absurd to a married man?
She couldn’t let herself become the villain who stole another woman’s husband.
That would be playing right into Lariette’s idea of a wretched life.
As worry flashed across her stunning features, Lexion burst into laughter.
“Haha! Hahaha!”
Clutching his stomach, he laughed so hard that Milena quickly glanced around.
Thankfully, no one else was around.
Still, her unease didn’t seem to concern him as he continued laughing.
A marriage proposal from someone this serious?
And she was worried about whether he was married?
That was just too adorable.
As his laughter faded, he wiped away the tears that had formed at the corners of his sharp eyes.
“Ah, sorry. That was just too funny.”
“Funny?”
“Yeah. It’s been a long time since I laughed like this. And I’ve never had such an unromantic proposal before.”
Milena frowned.
He was still smiling.
“Try again.”
“What?”
“Propose properly.”
Lexion lifted a strand of her golden hair to his lips.
“I’ll give you a real answer. Hmm?”
