Chapter 28

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Translator: Harry Potta

Chapter Title: Chapter 125

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When I came to again, I found myself in pitch-black darkness, without so much as a sliver of light.

Where the hell am I now?

I'd clearly collapsed in some unfamiliar room...

As I tried to sit up and look around, my head smacked right into something hard.

"Ow..."

When I raised my hand to clutch my head, my wrist banged into something this time—the space was even narrower than I'd thought.

"Ack!"

What the hell is this?

I cautiously lifted my hand and felt along the hard surface.

When I pushed with all my strength, a heavy weight pressed down on my palm, but it slowly gave way.

Thud!

Something slid aside and crashed to the floor.

With the barrier gone, I could suddenly breathe easier. I carefully sat up.

I was timid about it, wary of another dull thud of pain.

As I escaped the cramped space, a streak of blue light sliced across the side of my face.

Moonlight reflecting off the night sky filtered through a thick brick window, like something out of an ancient cathedral.

I stared blankly at the window for a moment before turning my head to see what the massive obstruction had been.

A coffin lid?

Why...?

What the hell kind of situation is this?

I had no idea how any of this was unfolding.

I gripped the edge of the coffin and pushed myself up fully, but strangely, my body felt utterly drained of energy.

As I shakily rose to my feet, the door on the right burst open with a bang.

I whipped my head around in surprise.

The room was so dark that the silhouette of the person stepping through the door was just a black shadow. From the build, it looked like a man.

I squinted at him, and his facial features started to come into fuzzy view.

"What is it?"

But before I could respond, a familiar voice pierced my ears.

Arjen. My body went rigid at the sound.

It was the same eerie feeling I'd gotten from the window.

It resembled the windows of cathedrals with histories stretching back centuries—something you wouldn't find in Korea.

Seeing it had made me suspect this wasn't Korea anymore.

But Arjen being here meant I'd come back...

"You're not actually dead?"

His slow mutter carried disbelief at the absurdity of it all.

He'd been standing in the doorway without entering, but now he stepped forward.

My mouth went dry from the sudden tension. Arjen stopped right in front of me.

"You were definitely dead. Or did everyone band together to fool me and make a joke of it?"

He tilted his head with a sardonic smile.

I wanted to deny it, but I had no clue what was going on, so there were no words to offer.

"Why so quiet?"

Because even I don't know what to say right now.

I want to ask—what the hell is happening here?

"...Looks like there was some kind of mix-up."

"Mix-up?"

"I came to and here I was. I have no idea what's going on either..."

I trailed off, gauging Arjen's expression.

In the end, the only card I had to play here was 'I know nothing.'

What can you do when it's the truth?

"You don't know?"

"Yes."

Arjen's lips pressed into a thin line, his displeasure plain as day.

"So you didn't fake your death because you didn't want to marry me?"

"..."

"It's not like this is the first or second time. When you were Sabrina, you set fire to the prison, faked your death, and tried to escape."

It wasn't exactly unreasonable for Arjen to suspect me.

Our relationship had been forged in blackmail, not trust, from the start.

"It's really not that. I didn't orchestrate anything to run away..."

"Then what? Does it even make sense that you died and came back to life? You must have plotted it with the count."

There was no way to clear this up, and it was frustrating as hell.

His damn mouth only spouted truths that left me even more speechless.

In that moment, I desperately missed one man.

Dillon. The only one who knew my situation.

"Ah."

I was racking my brain when Arjen smirked, like he had plenty more to say.

"Come to think of it, the Holy Knight Captain was a monster who'd fled my manor long ago."

"..."

"You knew about that too, didn't you?"

His voice gained weight, laced with quiet fury.

How the hell did Rihart get caught?

I inwardly cursed Rihart, who wasn't even here.

"Heard he found you. Is he in on it with you?"

Rihart found me?

"You know what rumors flew after you died?"

Unlike his usual self, Arjen was unloading a torrent of words on me.

"They say the monster was pretty torn up about your death. Led to all sorts of disgusting rumors about you two having secret trysts."

"..."

"The Evantes name keeps coming up, and my reputation's in tatters."

That one line choked the air from my lungs.

I turned from avoiding his gaze to look straight at Arjen.

You're more worried about your reputation than the fact that someone died.

Yeah, that's just like you.

Arrogant nobility personified, caring only for your family honor.

No way you'd have even a shred of empathy.

"...Three years ago, when that monster vanished from the manor, you disappeared too."

Why bring that up out of nowhere?

"Was that all part of the plan?"

"Who knows."

I had helped Rihart escape, but things hadn't gone as planned in the end.

He'd fled alone, so could I really call it my scheme?

"Rozhi."

He called my name in clear dissatisfaction.

"How much more leniency do I have to show you?"

He whispered it like he was swallowing his anger.

"You're the first to deceive me like this, and you're also the first I've let get away with it for so long."

He wasn't wrong. Up to now, I hadn't exactly toed the line to avoid offending him.

Maybe I'd grown bold relying on his mercy so far, or maybe I knew it was mercy born of necessity.

"How much longer do you plan to keep pushing your luck?"

His jaw clenched, betraying his unease.

When I was a maid in the Evantes household, that look alone would make me bow my head automatically. But now, I stared him down.

As if finding it ridiculous, Arjen let out a scoff.

"Even if you don't want to be my fiancée, it doesn't matter."

"..."

"Not sure if you heard, but that monster who was supposed to save you is in critical condition."

He'd looked fine the last time I'd seen him—why the sudden critical state?

"What does that mean?"

"What, worried?"

A stiff smile tugged at Arjen's lips, striking quite the impression.

He was itching to mock me.

"Guess my resurrection rubs you the wrong way."

Even now, yapping about his reputation and fiancée this and that.

"Rozhi..."

"Marquis! Where are you?"

A voice calling for Arjen echoed from beyond the door.

"You slipped away without a word, didn't you?"

Arjen scowled deeply and glanced toward the door, narrowing his eyes.

"Strange... I swear I saw you head this way..."

The knight's muttering came again.

"No time for this, Rozhi. I'll be right back, so get back in the coffin."

"Pretend to be dead again?"

Arjen sighed lowly.

"If what you say is true—if you didn't conspire with everyone to trick me..."

Arjen scanned me over.

"Then you, who died and came back, will be branded a witch."

"..."

Now that he mentioned it, yeah.

"Just stay put. Don't move from here."

With that, Arjen left through the door.

Given his fury moments ago, I'd thought he'd cause a scene with the others, but now it didn't seem likely.

'He suspected me all this time.'

Yet his actions suggested he was willing to test my words.

Left alone, I sank into thought.

'Why did I come back here?'

Of all places, to deal with Arjen's idiotic suspicions—the situation couldn't be worse.

'No. Even if I went back to Korea, I'd just end up in chains again.'

Why, though?

I recalled the picture frame on the vanity before I'd collapsed there.

My vision had been blurry, so I couldn't see it clearly, but it was probably a photo of the room's owner.

'If I could go back and look at that picture...'

Maybe I'd find some clue.

Should I just die again?

Would dying send me back?

I shook my head at the thought.

What if I died and still didn't return?

Besides...

'Dying scares me.'

Ironically, I had the guts to defy Arjen but not to face death.

Lost in those thoughts, I heard footsteps approaching from outside.

Thud, thud.

Someone was coming this way.

Arjen?

Just in case, I climbed back into the coffin.

Lifting the lid to close it was no easy task—it was heavy.

Then the door burst open.

In my panic, I turned to look—and there stood a familiar face.

"Rozhi..."

"Dillon?"

Why are you here...?

"You really came back to life."