Chapter 15

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Translator: Harry Potta

Chapter Title: Chapter 5. The Female Lead is in Danger (3)

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엔딩인 줄 알고 돌아왔더니 장르가 바뀜

23화

The drinking party that replaced the wedding reception dragged on late into the night.

"Do you know how much! I suffered for you!"

"Yeah, yeah, sorry."

Even an angel's drunken ramblings were hard to handle.

"Why are you like this... why..."

"......"

"Just say you'll help me..."

"......"

"I'd do anything..."

I never wanted to see you again for the rest of my life.

That's the only way I can survive.

I'm still scared right now. I don't know when the nightmare will start again.

'I hate it too...'

I didn't want to create any secrets between us.

If Shane ever betrayed me someday, I wanted to slap him and send him off with a clean break.

Until then, I wanted to live well without scarring my heart unnecessarily.

I wanted to cheer on Genevieve, who worked so hard on her own without her family.

How nice it would be if I could smile and chat about the past, saying, "Remember when you and I were engaged?" while watching the two of them happy together.

But above all those wishes, my desire to live was stronger.

'Ah, this is booze.'

No wonder I was feeling all sentimental...

Edelaine, who had been clutching Genevieve's glass instead of the tea cup Shane had offered, slowly closed and opened her eyes. This was why she shouldn't drink when she was feeling down.

"If you're this harsh on me..."

"Sorry, Genevieve."

"It's not because you made me drink or anything..."

Genevieve's forehead finally hit the table with a thud. Edelaine couldn't resist the wave of sleep crashing over her either.

She wasn't weak with alcohol, but she must have been exhausted.

'Fair enough. It was chaos since dawn.'

Even though they'd swapped the wedding night for a drinking session, Edelaine was still a newlywed bride today.

As Shane had said, she hadn't slept much and had been tense the whole time. She must have reached her physical limits far sooner than she'd realized.

She hadn't even washed up yet. She wanted to brush her teeth, and falling asleep slumped over like this would leave her face puffy. Her shoulders and back would ache tomorrow, and she'd regret it...

'Ah, whatever.'

Edelaine closed her eyes.

But she woke soon after falling asleep, feeling her body being shaken as if someone had loaded her onto a small boat. Then it settled softly onto fluffy clouds. Damn, this mattress is insanely luxurious...

'Mattress? A bed?'

It wasn't Lloyd. If he'd found her asleep, he would have covered her with a blanket instead of carrying her somewhere.

As if noticing she was awake, Shane's voice came from a short distance away.

"Just sleep."

Warm lips touched her forehead and pulled away. It was a gentle kiss.

Edelaine wanted to say she'd get up and go to her own bedroom, but her limbs felt heavy as if weighted with lead. A low chuckle fell over her furrowed brow.

Keep getting mad at me, call me a bitch.

Why act so sweet?

Even after kidnapping me, all you do is press gently on my earlobe without hurting it.

The mattress dipped beside her as weight settled in. Edelaine squirmed, sensing a firm arm sliding under her limp neck.

"Let me go..."

"I won't do anything."

"......"

"I'll just hold you while we sleep."

Shane kissed her cheek once more. Edelaine struggled to open her eyes.

She had to crane her neck just to see his jaw. But even that was pressed down by a large hand on the back of her head, mashing her face into his chest.

Sleep she hadn't fully shaken off weighed down her eyelids. It was natural to feel safe when embraced by something warm and solid in her drowsy state.

"You can't escape anyway, Edelaine."

"Ugh..."

"Just give up and sleep. If you don't, you'll run a fever tomorrow."

It already felt like she had a fever. With the booze and the heat, it wasn't her fault she couldn't fight the sleepiness.

Truth be told, she was a little worn out.

Emma had cried a lot. She'd teared up often over the ten days, but from dawn today, she'd really sobbed. "Seeing you get married feels like a dream."

Gregory's eyes had been red too, and Patrick had repeatedly told her to ask for anything she needed without hesitation.

Jeff had said through Lloyd that he'd keep in touch often and repeated several times, "You look so beautiful."

Edelaine found all of it overwhelming.

It was all because of Shane.

She knew it wasn't his fault, but she couldn't help resenting him.

"I hate you so much, Shane..."

"I know."

"I hate you..."

The last words were swallowed deep in her throat. Edelaine felt the arm around her head tighten as she closed her eyes.

I hate you. You.

So don't let me go. Even if I cry.

A soft whisper scattered by her ear.

She didn't have any nightmares.

Edelaine wasn't the type to black out from drinking.

True to form, she snapped awake as if someone had slapped her cheeks and pieced together her memories.

It was embarrassing that she'd let loose in front of Shane of all people. She groaned and pressed her knuckles to her eyes.

"That's why I told you not to drink."

"I didn't know it was booze..."

To think this raspy voice was hers. Edelaine marveled. She was transcending age and now gender too.

"Here, water."

She struggled to sit up and took the glass Shane offered.

Having fallen asleep without washing her face, she could only imagine how she looked. Her hair, pinned full of clips, was a messy tangle, and the house dress she'd changed into upon arriving home was wrinkled.

Meanwhile, Shane was already dressed impeccably, his face clean. The male lead's beauty held strong today as well.

She didn't particularly want to look pretty, but his persistent stare got under her skin.

"What are you looking at?"

"You're beautiful."

"......You're really weird-tasting."

"I know. My tastes aren't the only weird thing."

He admitted his weirdness so readily that it felt oddly refreshing.

True. No normal person marries for revenge. Edelaine nodded to herself. It was surprising that he knew it too.

"What about Genevieve? Has Crown Prince Edwin gone back?"

"Edwin left before dawn, before you got drunk. Genevieve... is probably still asleep."

"You didn't just leave her in the dining room?!"

"I haven't checked, so I don't know."

"How could you! It was chilly at dawn—what if she catches a cold! Ah, seriously. I need to go wake her."

"Wash your face first."

Edelaine froze. Wiping the corner of her mouth with her wrist was instinctive. Shane smiled prettily.

"Drooling suits you."

"......"

Should she hit him?

She washed her face and changed clothes. Just as she'd finally shooed Shane out and was fixing her appearance, Genevieve knocked.

"I thought I should say goodbye before breakfast."

Thankfully, she looked healthy. Someone had woken her up—she hadn't slept there all night but in a guest room.

Genevieve, also not prone to blackouts, awkwardly averted her gaze.

'Feels just like the morning after a company dinner...'

Her colleagues, who acted like lifelong friends during drinks, would look exactly like that come morning, gauging her mood.

"H-Haha, Lady Edelaine. D-Did you sleep well...?"

"Yeah. You sleep okay? Head hurt?"

"Ah, no hangover for me."

Our female lead's a boozehound...

"My husband and I drink together often."

And married now too...

Edelaine felt like she was watching her school-days idol crush's married life. That feeling when you hear a total stranger, who felt like your own kid you'd raised, has gotten married and had a baby.

"Congrats on the marriage. Sorry I couldn't talk you out of it."

"What're you saying? Which side is it?"

Edelaine burst out laughing.

Genevieve, who'd been peeking cautiously, grinned widely in response.

Edelaine, knowing Genevieve's rough upbringing, hated seeing her so watchful. She'd told her countless times that as this world's protagonist, she didn't need to read moods anymore, but Genevieve habitually gauged others' feelings before speaking.

"Both are sincere. Sorry since you hated marriage, but I'm glad you came back to Delmuse, Lady Edelaine."

"I'm happy to see you again too, Genevieve."

No need to mention how thrilled she was to see Shane again. Genevieve said,

"Take this, Lady Edelaine. It's a bracelet. I blessed it myself."

"What, this..."

Thinking of cheap tourist health bracelets, Edelaine accepted the one Genevieve offered. It was a thin gold chain like a thread.

Nothing like those trinkets in price, no doubt... The weightless bracelet felt burdensome.

Genevieve lowered her voice to a whisper.

"I hate to imagine it, but if something dangerous happens, break this bracelet to call me. Somehow... I'll save you at least once."

Genevieve looked deadly serious.

In the novel, 'Edelaine's' role was to die and awaken the heroine. That's why the world wanted her dead, and even if she hadn't fully died, she'd played the part enough to be let go.

Staying away from the protagonists was probably part of that release. They couldn't be together.

It was unavoidable if she wanted to extend her life.

But it had left Genevieve with guilt.

If it'd gone by the novel, she'd have died for sure, sparing her from witnessing the survivors' remorse.

"No matter what. Even if His Excellency scares me, I will."

"Yeah... Okay... Thanks."

Probably nine out of ten dangers Genevieve imagined involved Shane.

She couldn't bring herself to say that crazy guy was originally yours, so she changed the subject.

"At least now you'll have some breathing room. Until the Winter Founding Festival, anyway."

"Right! Several trips already got canceled. I'm so excited!"

Genevieve's face lit up. Behind her, Edelaine swore she saw a house-elf from some movie declaring, "Dobby is free!"

"I'm sleeping all day! Even if my husband wakes me, I won't get up! If he tries, I'll cry."

"......"

Her wish, brimming with hope, was so modest. Tears blurred Edelaine's vision.