The Villainess Has Proposed a Contract Marriage

78 – Obsession

Five o’clock in the afternoon.

The time had come for Harute to return from the temple to the mansion.

Elpisia canceled all the orders she had given to Glen and suggested he take a break. Glen hesitated, looking at Elpisia’s expression, but her intentions were unclear.

After Glen left,

Elpisia waited for Harute in her office, her footsteps heavy with anxiety. She needed him right now. She wanted to see the one person who could smile warmly at the sinful Elpisia.

Finally, at the appointed hour, a message arrived from the mansion’s main gate. She would have normally gone out to greet him herself, but she couldn’t afford to do so now. If she rushed out of the office, her current state of mind would be exposed to everyone.

Someone had died. At the hands of Elpisia’s subordinate.

Rumors would spread quickly. The scandal of the woman at the pinnacle of the empire would be the perfect gossip material.

In fact, Elpisia wasn’t afraid of rumors ruining her reputation. Her reputation had always been at rock bottom, and that’s why she had ironically earned the admiration of many people.

However, if Harute were to hear the rumors, it would be troublesome.

The temple and the mansion – he was the only one who frequently traveled between these two closed-off places. Perhaps it was possible to keep it hidden forever. If she controlled the information and stayed within the mansion, she could…

When her thoughts reached that point, Elpisia felt like she was at a loss. She was afraid of his gaze, which seemed to see through her, and could only think of wrong solutions. She had forgotten how to walk the righteous path.

Just then, Elpisia was in a state of panic.

Knock, knock.

A gentle knock sounded, followed by a refined voice. The man who had asked for permission to enter opened the door and stepped inside.

“Did you have a good day, Elpisia?”

“Harute…”

She wasn’t having a good day; she was trembling with fear. She was worried that his warm, gentle gaze would turn cold.

“You… didn’t hear anything, did you? Nothing at all?”

“What’s wrong, Elpisia? Why are you like this?”

“Harute…”

Elpisia herself couldn’t believe it.

When she faced Harute, her heart became even more anxious. She hoped he hadn’t heard even a hint of the rumors…

‘I… I…’

She didn’t know she would fall for him like this.

She had thought she controlled the reins of their relationship. Harute, who was faithful and obedient, would never leave her…

With that judgment, she relaxed her mind.

After all, men were unnecessary in life.

If she was going to get married, she had decided on a man like Harute, who was obedient and kind. That was all.

Yes, that was all…

“Do you… like me?”

“Of course.”

“… how much.”

“I like you the most in the world, Elpisia.”

For some reason,

Without hesitation, he blurted out childish words, and she found herself liking him even more. It was as if her heart was bound by an unbreakable chain.

“What’s going on? You’re saying things you don’t usually say.”

“… I wanted to confirm it.”

“Is that really all?”

“Is there anything else I need to do?”

Elpisia’s nerves were on edge, and she asked him aggressively. Yet, Harute’s smile remained bright and warm.

“I’m worried, so I’ll ask. If you want to confirm, I’ll confirm it for you. I’ll like Elpisia even more than necessary, so there’s no need for confirmation.”

“…”

Thud.

Elpisia almost fell over, but luckily, there was a sofa behind her, and she collapsed onto it, looking like she had thrown herself into its softness. So, Harute sat down beside her without any suspicion.

After that, in the quiet office, Harute was the first to break the silence.

“Elpisia, I’ve been worried about you. Your face doesn’t look good. Are you sick somewhere?”

“Why, would you use your divine power if I’m sick?”

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“If Elpisia wants me to.”

“…”

Elpisia didn’t speak carelessly.

Harute had always seen how Elpisia detested the use of her divine power. Therefore, receiving love in this way was evil. For a moment, Elpisia felt self-loathing in her heart.

While she was struggling, Harute’s mind was also racing.

‘Why is Elpisia like this?’

It was as if he had seen something he couldn’t bear to look at, and his consciousness was severely disturbed. However, he didn’t want to press her. If it was a serious matter, Elpisia would tell him herself someday.

So, Harute, who was at a loss, simply hugged Elpisia tightly. It was an embrace that meant he trusted her unconditionally. However, his action had the opposite effect, and instead of comforting her, it made her worse.

“Ah…”

Elpisia trembled and wept.

Harute was taken aback by the sensation of her tears wetting his chest. The person who was always strong and confident was now crying. When she finally looked up, her eyes were like a blooming hongmaehwa flower.

Harute was torn, looking at the scenery of the falling, crimson petals.

“Elpisia…”

Was Harute, as a human, unable to stop her tears? A sense of powerlessness swept over him, something he hadn’t felt in a long time.

It was right after that Elpisia whispered.

“… Harute.”

“Yes, I’m here.”

Elpisia said to Harute, who was gently etching his presence into her heart.

“Hold me. Hold me tighter.”

“Like this?”

“Tighter.”

“But I might break. You’re so fragile, Elpisia…”

“… It’s okay. Hurry.”

“Mm…”

Harute eventually hugged Elpisia tightly, feeling like it was okay to do so. During that time, Elpisia calmed down in Harute’s arms.

‘Fragile… Ha, Harute really doesn’t know anything about me.’

Although she wasn’t as talented as Glen, who had honed her martial arts skills desperately, Elpisia was far stronger than any ordinary knight. Of course, compared to Harute, anyone would be ordinary, but at least he seemed to think of her as a normal village girl.

‘… Ah, since he doesn’t know, he can like me so innocently.’

If he saw her true form, he would surely despise her.

You’re the one who believes in people until the end, and you’re holding a betrayer who has betrayed that trust like this.

It’s difficult.

Harute must not harbor suspicions.

So, I’ll use it. Your kind heart.

“Harte, can you grant my request?”

“I’ll do my best if you ask for anything.”

“… Alright.”

My worries have ended. All that’s left is to play with words.

“I am a noble.”

As a noble, there is a sentence that I must uphold with dignity.

Even if what I have is like a fleeting spark, or like a cherry blossom that falls in a single season.

As a noble, I must make everything in my hands last forever, like an endless ocean.

Therefore, I convince myself that this love, too, and Harte, my lover, will surely last forever.

Elpisia wished for his world to remain pure and white, like a blank sheet of paper, and prayed for the wind to blow.

“Stay by my side.”

“I will.”

Harte replied without hesitation.

“Don’t take a different path after your duties at the temple are over, but come straight here.”

“That’s what I’ve been doing.”

“… Rumors from the streets are nothing but noise.”

“I’ve never been interested in worldly tales since old times.”

“Yes… You did well.”

“If I did well, can I have a gift?”

Harte, who had never been greedy, made a strange request. Elpisia was taken aback, her face pale and bewildered.

“What’s the gift you want…?”

Harte, who always preferred giving over receiving, smiled warmly.

“Don’t cry, Elpisia.”

As Elpisia listened to Harte’s wish, she buried her face deep in his chest.

‘… Ah.’

I suddenly thought of that.

If someone fell deeply into the abyss of evil, wouldn’t anyone be able to love them… and eventually, be consumed by their sacred, comforting light?

And wouldn’t they be trapped in the rusty, worn-out gear of fate…

◇

Nobles worship eternity.

The glory of the family. The accumulated wealth. The power that rules the world. They all pray for eternity and live on to the next day.

While knowing that there is no true eternity, they pretend not to know.

“Ah… Ah…”

The sound of breathing into one’s hands is heard. The warmth that vanishes into the cold wind denies eternity.

Today is a day when snow falls gently from the sky.

December.

The end of the year, when the city’s lights shine brightly.

The eternal winter that cuts off eternity has arrived.

“Whew… it’s cold.”

Tina, who was walking on the street, shivered.

Her passionate red hair fluttered, and her inhuman blue eyes caught attention.

Her beautiful appearance, which resembled her hated biological father, had become a hot topic among the nobles.

“It’s like I used to roll around in the snow…”

When she lived as a wild child, avoiding humans, there was nothing to see. Living like a beast, she had grown fond of the soft, piled-up snow, which felt like a bed.

As she reminisced about her unforgettable past, she accidentally bumped into a passerby and stumbled.

“Ouch, I’m sorry! Are you okay… uh?”

Tina was startled. It was only later that she realized she was the one who had been pushed.

As a half-dragon, Tina had never been pushed around by anyone, technically speaking.

Not until she bumped into the man just now.

“Ah, I’m sorry.”

He apologized readily.

The man had an impressive, sleek white hair and a neat, white uniform that represented his status.

Above all, Tina had been gazing at the world’s injustice for a long time.

After that, the two of them briefly exchanged glances and went their separate ways. Tina couldn’t help but wonder about the man’s identity.

“Who is he?”

Although it was their first meeting, she wanted to have a conversation with him someday.

It was now the end of the year.

The end of the year that put a period to eternity.