The Time-Limited Villain Supports My Breakup

Chapter 27

｡･:*:･ﾟ★ Translated by Sienna ｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

Though he expressed his sadness with his entire being, his voice seemed momentarily cheerful, as if he would quickly recover if comforted a bit.

Listening to him, I felt like I was the one who had made him feel so bad.

As I stood dumbfounded by this unexpected turn of events, Luciel gently grabbed the hem of my robe.

“…Let’s go, Milady.”

I want to be alone with you.

He whispered softly into my ear.

‘Ah.’

At that moment, I understood why he had shown such an attitude.

I realized that the only way to get rid of this persistent Roderick was to make him an unwelcome guest instead.

Daphne, who has spent her entire life trailing after him, was now showing a warm and affectionate side to someone far more handsome and beautiful than him.

Moreover, that person is the Grand Duke himself. Roderick is nothing compared to him.

So, if the proud Roderick is to retreat, he will never disclose today’s events.

Even if he does, people would find it odd. They might think the Grand Duke went crazy and met Daphne.

I quietly admired Luciel’s swift judgment.

If I stumble here, it would be a nuisance to Luciel as well.

Having made my decision, I looked up at Luciel with an apologetic expression. Then, in the kindest voice possible, I whispered,

“I met an unwelcome guest. I’m sorry to keep you waiting. Shall we go?”

“Sure.”

Blushing, Luciel answered gently.

I turned to Roderick, who was still in a daze, and smiled.

“Well then, I hope we never meet again, Milord.”

With that, I turned on my heel and strode away.

*ੈ✩‧₊˚༺☆༻*ੈ✩‧₊˚

Roderick stared blankly at Daphne’s retreating figure as she turned her back on him. He couldn’t easily believe what he had seen and heard.

Daphne wants to break the engagement.

‘No way.’

Roderick snorted inwardly.

‘She’s been obsessed with me for a long, long time.’

Roderick was the sole heir to the Evans Duchy. Even if he played mischievous pranks, everyone treated him with leniency. He was allowed to be that way.

Already having everything in his grasp, he could obtain whatever he wanted if he set his mind to it.

The young Roderick naturally developed a tinge of arrogance.

One day, Roderick accompanied his parents to a temple ceremony. It was a historic day when the temple developed a powerful new painkiller.

Everyone in the empire rejoiced; even the emperor praised the temple’s development of the new medicine.

It was a joyous occasion, and all the nobles of the empire joined in the celebration.

But not Roderick. He, as a descendant of a heroic lineage, couldn’t understand why he had to participate and show his face at the temple event.

‘It’s not fun.’

Disgruntled, Roderick sneaked away without his parents knowing.

At the center of the temple was the goddess’ fountain. It was the place where the goddess herself gave her blessings, and it was strictly off-limits to outsiders.

Today, however, everyone was away for the event, making it the perfect place for Roderick to hide.

In the center of the temple stood the statue of the goddess, and below was a wide and deep spring.

‘…It’s very deep, and you could drown if you fall in, so don’t go in,’

Roderick pondered over the vague stories he had heard.

‘…What’s this?’

The area around the spring, which should always be neatly arranged without any signs of disturbance, was soaked, as if someone had been there.

Curious, Roderick approached.

“…!”

Soon, he spotted a small girl lying on the ground.

‘What’s this? Is she dead? Damn, why did I have to be the one to find her…!’

Should I run? The last thing he needed was to get tangled up in a mess.

Then it happened.

Cough!

The girl started to cough faintly.

‘She’s alive!’

Now that it had come to this, he needed some confirmation that he wasn’t just imagining things.

Quickly, Roderick supported the girl.

“Are you okay?”

“Cough, cough!”

As he tidied up her disheveled hair, her face became visible.

Roderick recognized the face well.

Daphne Peregrine.

The daughter of the deceased Lady of Peregrine and the unacknowledged only granddaughter of the Duke of Peregrine, with commoner blood in her veins. He had heard that she was a timid person who was often judged by others.

‘But why would Lady Peregrine be at the goddess’s spring…?’

“Ugh…”

At that moment, Daphne slowly opened her eyes.

Her blurry vision slowly returned. After blinking a few times, she muttered absentmindedly.

“…It’s you… the one who called me.”

“Yes?”

“It’s you…”

Although her eyes seemed to belong to someone of his age, the gaze she fixed on him felt chilling. Roderick stood there, puzzled by the cryptic words.

“Oh my, Daphne!”

“Milady! You were here!”

Just then, people rushed in.

Duke Peregrine, looking like he had been searching for his granddaughter for a while, embraced her with a relieved expression. The young lord Peregrine and his brother also looked surprised.

Following them, Duke Evans berated him, questioning what he had done.

“Father, I was just…”

“Never mind. I’m sure you’re just as surprised as I am, so let’s get back.”

“But the event is still…”

“The event has been canceled.”

“What? Why?”

“They said the demon they locked up for the purification has gone missing. It could be dangerous, so we’d better get back.”

With that, his father took him away.

The temple was too busy with the missing demon to question Roderick about what had happened. In any case, it was a good thing.

A few days later, Roderick encountered Daphne again.

“Hello, Lord Roderick.”

Daphne was truly beautiful. To the extent that one might inadvertently think it would have been better if her father wasn’t a commoner.

“Did you rescue me from the lake, Milord?”

“Yes…?”

“Thank you so much. Lord Roderick, you are my hero.”

The words the child said aroused his sense of pride.

It wasn’t entirely untrue. After all, he was the one who saved the noble lady in distress. So, Roderick didn’t deny it. Saving someone in danger made his parents proud, too.

Daphne was quite different from the timid girl rumor in the neighborhood. She actively followed him around and even insisted on getting married.

His father, pretending to be not interested, said, “It’s a good thing for us, Roderick. Although she has a commoner father, Peregrine’s honor cannot be bought with money.”

With these words, Roderick accepted the engagement.

Initially, Roderick tried to see it in a positive light. However, Daphne’s obsession grew more intense as she got older.

Even when he harshly told her he found her irritating, she clung to him, professing her love.

“There’s nothing I can’t have!”

It was a kind of madness and obsession. Therefore, he thought Daphne would never let him go, no matter what happened.

However.

“Well then, I hope we never meet again, Milord.”

With that, Daphne coldly turned her back on him.

It was ridiculous.

Roderick’s lips twitched involuntarily. An inexplicable sense of indignation surged within him.

The noble facade he held in such high regard was swiftly torn away.

“Daphne, wait…!”

Roderick reached out to grab Daphne.

“…!”

Luciel quickly blocked his path. He wore a smile on his lips, as if finding this situation amusing.

His head tilted slightly, and his demeanor relaxed, like that of a predator waiting to see how far his prey could go.

‘Since when has she been on such terms with the Grand Duke?’

Realizing that the person he believed was his had slipped away to someone else was truly unpleasant.

“…Step aside, Your Highness.”

Roderick spoke with a somewhat disrespectful tone.

It was clear from the way he flirted with Daphne that he was easy to deal with. So he thought he would back off soon.

“Haha, I don’t want to do that.”

However, Luciel didn’t bat an eye.

“…Yes?”

Roderick said as if he had misheard it. Luciel, still wearing a smiling face, responded cheerfully.

“I said no.”

“What…?”

“Lord Evans, though it seems you’re not aware of it, let me give you a piece of advice.”

Luciel slowly lowered his upper body towards Roderick.

‘Was the Grand Duke always this tall?’

By the time he realized it, Luciel’s face had moved closer to his.

Facing away from the sun, Luciel’s face was shaded.

In the shadows, he thought he saw a flash of malice in his eyes.

At that moment, Luciel raised the corners of his mouth and whispered with a gentle voice.

“You’ve been dumped.”