THSM 02

Chapter 2

The man looking at me froze for a moment, and a flash passed through his blue eyes.

“Crash!”

At that instant, all the windows stretching up to the ceiling behind us shattered at once, and a loud explosion filled the room.

The sudden attack threw everything into chaos in the blink of an eye.

His head! I read that the Grand Duke was hit on the head with a blunt weapon!

“Don’t!”

I rushed forward and wrapped my arms around the man’s head.

Thud!

The moment I hugged the Grand Duke, a brutal удар struck the back of my head.

At the same time, a ringing sound filled my ears, and a suffocating fear rushed over me.

But… what if I made the wrong choice…?

What if I die like this?

“…Ha.”

At that moment, I felt a firm hand grab my waist.

Through my blurring vision, I saw the Grand Duke’s eyes—cold like a frozen blue glacier.

He was definitely looking at me.

“…Please save me.”

Please.

The original novel, “Emilia Loves a Villain,” was a dark, tragic story about an adult romance between a bad con artist and an innocent count’s daughter.

The playboy Clint discovers that he is the last bloodline of the Hedeigen family. To take back the huge inheritance that rightfully belongs to him, he returns to his hometown to destroy the villain who stole it.

Clint seduces the villain’s daughter, Emilie, and finds the weakness of Count Azanie. After a brutal revenge, he kills the entire Azanie family except Emilie and takes back his wealth.

Overwhelmed with guilt for falling in love with the man who killed her family, Emilie chooses to take her own life. After completing his revenge, Clint regrets her death and jumps off a cliff.

In the end, all the main characters die.

So then, who am I—Lea Azanie, the person I’ve possessed?

I am the dead younger sister of the villain, Count Dane Azanie.

And… I am the murderer who killed her husband.

Count Dane Azanie often saw hallucinations of his dead sister and would recall the past. Each time, stories about Lea were mentioned.

Lea Azanie helped the attackers kill her husband, the Grand Duke Hedeigen, then took all the blame herself and was executed on the guillotine.

In the newspapers, Lea Azanie was called “the worst villainess of all time,” and her crime was widely talked about. Her actions became the key that allowed Clint to expose Count Azanie’s sins.

“Will she wake up?”

I faintly heard people talking somewhere.

Was that… a dream?

Well… they say people sometimes experience strange worlds after accidents.

I wonder if my arms and legs are okay after the crash.

Slowly, I opened my eyes and tried moving my fingers. I was so scared they wouldn’t move.

“S-She moved!”

Someone suddenly shouted in shock.

Enduring the headache, I turned my head slightly and met the eyes of several women standing nearby.

“She’s awake!”

Am I still in that world?

“Madam has woken up!”

So this really is—

The past world from the novel, when the Grand Duke—Clint’s uncle—was still alive!

A tragic masterpiece of the imperial family.

A hero loved by the people of the empire.

A cruel war monster who mercilessly took the lives of enemies.

According to the original story, the young Grand Duke of the empire was supposed to die after being attacked with the help of his wife.

That was how the Grand Duke Hedeigen was described.

“……”

But right now, that Grand Duke was sitting there completely fine, looking calm.

With a terrifying gaze that made people shrink.

“It’s amnesia.”

The seventh doctor who examined me gave his diagnosis carefully.

From the Grand Duke’s personal physician to famous doctors and even a hypnotist—all of them said the same thing.

Memory loss caused by shock.

“You expect me to believe that?”

The Grand Duke replied coldly.

After the doctor left, he stood up and walked toward me.

As his shadow grew closer, I unconsciously shrank back and tightly clasped my hands.

“……”

Get it together.

I have to deceive this man to survive.

In the original story, it’s true that “I” tried to kill him—but not the real me.

So I have to act like a patient and fool him.

I widened my eyes as much as I could. His polished shoes stopped right in front of me.

He bent down slightly and examined my face closely—my eyes, nose, and lips.

I knew I shouldn’t avoid his gaze, but it was hard, so I looked at the space between his eyebrows instead.

“Amnesia…”

He stared at me expressionlessly.

“Of all times.”

“……”

“If you have no memory, I can’t even question you. Right?”

I really wanted to agree, but this wasn’t the time, so I quietly nodded seriously.

They said I woke up after four days.

Everyone wanted to question me about that day, but I had nothing to say.

Armed attackers breaking into the Grand Duke’s tea room meant someone had leaked his exact location.

Of course, that someone was Lea Azanie.

The Grand Duke placed his arm behind me on the chair, closing the distance between us. I instinctively leaned back.

“If you confess now, I might overlook your crime.”

“……”

“Tell me who ordered you.”

…Really?

“It’s true.”

As if reading my thoughts, he added,

“Otherwise, I can make you remember.”

He didn’t look like someone who had any intention of sparing me.

His emotionless blue eyes were chilling.

That attack wasn’t done by Lea alone.

Her family was behind it.

Even if I told the truth, would he forgive me?

He had no reason to.

This was just a tactic.

I took a deep breath and looked straight at him.

“…Did I do something bad?”

“……”

“Is that why… you’re angry?”

“…What?”

“They say you’re my husband… what kind of relationship did we have?”

He frowned, clearly displeased.

“It’ll be faster to make you remember.”

“Who told me to do it?”

“Where should I start? Torture?”

“Your Highness.”

A middle-aged man stepped in carefully.

He was the same person who had smiled gently at me before, saying he saw Ramberu Tea for the first time thanks to me.

“The sun is setting. Perhaps it would be better to continue tomorrow.”

“Why?”

“All diagnoses are the same… and if she collapses again, you won’t be able to question her.”

“……”

“And Madam hasn’t had even a glass of water since she woke up.”

…That’s right.

This cruel Grand Duke made me go through examinations all day after waking up from four days unconscious.

Without even giving me water.

Still… I stopped you from drinking poison, didn’t I?!

And I got hit on the head instead!

I helped you survive!

Ugh… why did that woman do this?

It wasn’t me!

My lips were dry, and my throat felt like it was burning.

I lowered my head weakly.

“I… I’m fine.”

I spoke in a hoarse voice, trying to look pitiful.

“Of course you are.”

Wow. No heart at all.

The Grand Duke stood up without even blinking.

“I’ll call the doctor again tomorrow.”

I felt slightly relieved.

Even if I had to deal with doctors all day, it was better than torture.

I hope I at least get some water tomorrow.

As my head dropped from exhaustion, a glass of water was placed in front of me.

“Drink.”

“…What?”

“It’ll be troublesome if you die already.”

Even though his cold gaze made me shrink, I grabbed the cup.

Knock knock—

As I gulped down the water, a servant entered.

“Countess Azanie and Lady Lily have arrived.”

What?

“They came quickly after hearing Madam was injured.”

That’s impossible!

I lifted my head sharply.

The Azanie family caring about Lea?

That was the most impossible thing.

They abused her terribly since childhood.

Only her brother, Dane Azanie, was different.

The Grand Duke glanced at me and turned away.

“Let them in.”

“W-Wait, where are you going?”

Without thinking, I grabbed his hand.

Startled by his large, rough hand, my grip loosened and I ended up clinging to his finger.

“What are you doing?”

“You’re leaving me here alone?”

He paused, as if hearing something ridiculous.

I looked up at him desperately, still holding his finger.

In the original story, Countess Azanie was extremely abusive—beating, locking up, and even brainwashing Lea.

Facing her alone was far worse than facing this man.

“Leaving me… alone like this?”

I looked up at him with teary eyes, begging.

Lea Azanie was said to be the most beautiful woman in history.

Even when she was executed, people cried despite hating her.

So… even he might be affected, right?

“Please…?”

I tightened my grip and looked at him with watery eyes.

“I don’t remember anything… even if they’re my family, I won’t recognize them. I’ll be scared…”

He quietly looked down at me.

I widened my eyes even more, trying to gain his sympathy.

But I didn’t realize—

I hadn’t washed for four days and looked terrible.

And this man had never been swayed by beauty in his life.

“Take her.”