Chapter 14

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Translator: Harry Potta

Chapter Title: Villainess Got Imprinted with the Male Lead Chapter 22

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“Rut or no rut, I should’ve just ignored him outright.”

Even if she had, she wouldn’t have escaped unscathed herself, but she needed to spit out words like these to ease the frustration boiling inside her.

“Being the protagonist doesn’t give you a free pass? Hope you go bald someday!”

Luciana snatched up the chemise strewn on the floor and slipped it on, unleashing curses that weren’t quite curses.

Pondering Richt’s words over and over, Luciana grew more furious with each passing thought, spewing every insult she could muster.

Shouldn’t he have at least apologized for last night’s events, even if just for appearances’ sake?

His shameless attitude had her fever rising from dawn, so she’d stormed back to the marquise’s estate without a backward glance. Thanks to packing quickly without dawdling, she’d made it home undetected.

“First time I’ve ever desperately wished for Pastis.”

Her body, unaccustomed to even a single jog in her life as a noble lady, screamed in agony after a night of relentless motion, every muscle begging for mercy.

Today of all days, she longed to lie comfortably in bed and rest without a thought in her head.

Unfortunately, the lingering traces from last night nagged at her, forcing her to ask Mary for a bath early in the morning.

“……”

Every time she scrubbed her body with vanilla-scented foam, the blotchy red marks on her skin caught her eye.

The silver lining was that they were all in places clothes could cover, minimizing the risk of discovery. Still, until the red marks fully faded, she’d have to make excuses and refuse Mary’s help with bathing.

If it were summer, I could’ve blamed it on bug bites.

One, two… five.

Twisting her head this way and that to count them, Luciana let out a long, weary sigh.

“Even bite marks?”

Just like one would expect from a werewolf’s descendant.

Unbidden, Luciana recalled Richt hugging her fiercely that night, gnawing at her relentlessly.

Whenever he bit into her skin in his excessive excitement, her breath would catch with each thrusting motion.

“……Should’ve had some alcohol before leaving.”

Gazing at the marks left like brands, memories etched into her like a tattoo wound through her mind like clockwork.

Memories of skin-melting stickiness, lips that bit like toffee and wouldn’t let go, fangs grazing her flesh ever so lightly—everything.

“Guess I’ll have to hope time heals it.”

She tried to chide herself into brushing it all away cleanly for her own sake, but far from forgetting, it only backfired.

“Time to get up. Feeling a bit dizzy.”

Had she lingered too long in the tub? Breathing in the steam filling the bathroom felt burdensome now.

She hurriedly finished her bath and stepped out into the bedroom.

“Ah! Miss, perfect timing—breakfast just arrived! Come eat before it gets cold!”

Mary, who had been setting the table right as Luciana emerged, placed a steaming bowl of soup down.

“You should leave all this to me.”

Taking the towel, Mary deftly squeezed out Luciana’s waterlogged hair while launching into morning chatter.

“Just dry it roughly by the fireplace later.”

“Nonsense! What if you catch a cold?”

Mary was already worried enough about Luciana, who’d grown even thinner from holing up in the lab.

“Lately you’ve been skipping meals saying you’re busy, but you’re eating well today—what’s up?”

“Just… extra hungry today.”

In truth, it was because she’d exhausted every ounce of strength overnight, but she couldn’t say that outright, so she played along vaguely.

“Eat plenty. You’re already so slim—you need to eat more!”

Mary kept up her nitpicking nagging until Luciana finished her meal.

To Luciana, she seemed only slightly worn, but apparently not in Mary’s eyes.

“Huh? Hold on! You’ve got a slight fever—Miss, are you feeling ill?!”

“Oh… really?”

As Mary wiped away the moisture and accidentally brushed her skin, she startled and immediately pressed her hand to Luciana’s forehead.

“Did you get cold last night? I put plenty of logs on the fire…”

“I-it’s probably from overdoing it lately. It’s not bad, really.”

“Miss, you’re making me so worried! Get back to bed right now! I’ll clear this and bring some tea good for colds!”

“Got it. Thanks.”

Her body did feel heavy anyway, so Luciana quietly followed Mary’s lead.

Guess I overdid it physically.

Unable to withstand Mary’s fussing, Luciana underwent an examination and lay in bed like a patient requiring absolute rest, despite the mild cold diagnosis.

Her sleep schedule was a mess from poring over documents and experiments, and the stress from the rut hadn’t helped her condition.

Father’s been looking worried. If this keeps me from late-night research, that’ll be trouble…

This is all that male lead’s fault.

As various thoughts swirled, Luciana suddenly pictured a certain black-haired, red-eyed man and scowled, cheeks puffing out.

“Luci, look at me.”

“Is this spot good?”

“Driving me mad. Sweet scents waft from every part of you.”

Richt, spending the night like a steamy scene from an intense erotic novel.

His red eyes, delighted and reluctant to part even for a second, lingered in her retinas, shimmering even when she closed them.

“……The more I think, the more ridiculous it gets.”

Her chest tightened as if she’d swallowed something wrong.

The gentle man with entirely different eyes from the duke she’d seen this morning kept resurfacing, pricking at her thorny heart like a chestnut burr.

“Did I tell you to do that? Why take it out on me?”

Being shoved away the moment she woke, and everything else—it was all so unfair.

“If you were going to act like this, don’t pretend to be sweet from the start. Why wear that mask and fool people…”

Murmuring weakly to herself, Luciana covered her eyes with one arm and ruthlessly banished the memories tumbling in her head.

Annoying. I don’t like it.

The imprint that forced her to love her partner against her will. The male lead she’d spent the night with.

Everything Richt showed during his rut stemmed from that, no doubt.

Yeah, it must be devastating to suddenly become someone else in the blink of an eye.

She’d known for a while that the male lead wanted to sever the imprint.

Besides, Richt was hardly a paragon of kindness.

Though her feelings were hurt, she could brush off today’s rudeness as stepping on a maggot—ignore it somehow.

“……”

But every time conflicting images of Richt surfaced, Luciana felt an unsettling stir.

Realizing that, she bit her lip hard for no reason.

She’d felt something ticklish in his soft whispers from last night and the way he caressed her like fragile artwork.

Even if it was a speck small and light as a feather, her heart had wavered.

Maybe that’s why she couldn’t shake the feeling of being toyed with whenever she recalled the Richt who’d showered her with cold indifference.

“If I hadn’t drunk so much that day, none of this would’ve happened.”

But who was to blame? No one but herself for chugging away so eagerly.

How had a simple mistake led her to this mess?

“……His rut won’t come again, right?”

Going through this draining, mood-ruining ordeal twice was a hard pass.

“Gotta stay sharper from now on.”

Come hell or high water, she’d sever the imprint before the year was out.

Luciana made the vow like a general staking her life on battle, then plunged into deep sleep.

“……Already the third day?”

A weary voice leaked out listlessly.

Richt, reviewing documents in his office, set down the stack of papers.

Instead of the important text, Luciana’s lingering afterimage kept flickering, making work impossible.

She’d pop up abruptly during meals, before sleep.

Tormented by Luciana invading without regard for time or place—it had been three days now. It all started right after the rut ended.