Chapter 27
It was a relief to have avoided Adrian’s suspicions, but whether Alperen could actually win Rodelia’s heart was still uncertain.
No matter. I’ll have plenty of chances. From now on, I just need to show her my feelings.
Adjusting his cravat, Alperen called out to her.
“Rodelia.”
Her green eyes, which had been fixed only on the cake, lifted toward him.
“Oh? Ren oppa? What brings you here?”
Her innocent eyes shone with genuine delight at the sight of him.
How long had it taken to finally chip away her guard?
Alperen offered his usual polite smile and extended his hand.
“I came to pick you up for Adrian. He said his stomach suddenly hurt.”
Already, from the moment Alperen had walked into the café, every gaze had turned toward them.
This was the first time he had ever shown such public closeness with Rodelia.
And with rumors of his broken engagement still fresh, people would surely speculate.
Perhaps aware of this, Rodelia quickly rose to leave.
Once they were seated in the carriage, she suddenly asked something unexpected.
“By the way… Ren oppa, do you have someone you like?”
His heart lurched—had she guessed his feelings?
But when she explained she’d only heard rumors, Alperen breathed a quiet sigh of relief. At the same time, inspiration struck.
By chance, the pink diamond ring crafted by Master Digri was tucked safely inside his coat pocket.
“Whoever it is, you’ll need my permission to date them, you know. Especially for someone as handsome as you—it’s too easy for the wrong sort of woman to come crawling around.”
Since childhood, Rodelia had always pestered him about breaking off his engagement—yet she never once included herself as a potential match.
Alperen sensed instinctively: this was the moment to make his move.
If he let it slip by, she would only drift further away.
“You’re right. I do need someone to confirm that for me—and that person is you.”
His decision made, Alperen drew out the small ring box and held it out to her.
“What do you think? Do you like it?”
“It’s beautiful. Whoever gets it will love it.”
Hearing her innocent answer, he pressed, smiling faintly.
“Then you should take it.”
“…What?”
“This is yours now.”
“…Huh?”
Whether it marked an engagement didn’t matter. What mattered was placing it on her hand.
“Rodelia Ferris.”
With rumors swirling already, he delivered his boldest gamble.
“Would you act as my lover for a while? Just until I find the right person—like you said.”
Like a predator hiding its claws before the strike, he put on a sorrowful face, as though he were asking out of helplessness.
For a while, I couldn’t say anything.
From the moment he pulled out the ring, I’d known something was going very wrong.
Did he just ask me to… pretend to be his girlfriend?
No way, right? Surely I misheard?
I searched his eyes, begging him to deny it.
But instead, he looked at me steadily and nodded.
“That’s right.”
“Th-that’s impossible! I can’t do that!”
I backed against the carriage wall, babbling in panic.
This was nonsense.
All I’d ever done was play the role of the friend’s younger sister—desperately working to avoid the prison ending.
Yes, I had spent eight years badgering him about breaking his engagement…
But my job ended with securing his annulment!
And soon the heroine will arrive. If I play his lover now, Summer will give up on him instantly!
I could almost hear the sound of my carefully built “stock” crashing into ruin.
As I scrambled for words to reject him, Alperen spoke in a low, dejected tone.
“I see. If you feel that way… I suppose I’ll have to cancel the annulment.”
“Eeeek! You can’t just say that! Take it back, right now!”
I shrieked, shaking him by the shoulders frantically.
After all the work I’d done to secure that annulment, there was no way I’d let him undo it.
What to do? What was I supposed to do with this man?
He smiled faintly, as if he had expected me to panic all along.
When his eyes met mine again, he tilted his lashes down, softening his gaze in a way that struck right at my guilty heart.
“Why not, Deli? Why can’t it be you?”
“You know why! You said yourself—Nanael saw what happened in the Mage Tower!”
“…And what exactly did she see?”
‘Doesn’t this look like a secret tryst to you, Lady Ferris?’
Nanael’s sharp voice echoed in my mind.
‘Deli, please don’t do this…’
Alperen’s embarrassed, pleading tone followed, ringing in my ears.
Wait… what? Why am I remembering this?
Confused by the sudden flash of memory, I blinked as Alperen leaned closer, narrowing the space between us.
“You still don’t remember, do you?”
“O-opp—oppa?”
“I thought by now you would.”
His gaze pierced me, making my conscience squirm.
Especially with such a pure, gentle expression—it made me feel like the guilty one.
“…W-what did I do?”
I wanted to know, but I also didn’t.
The memory I already had was more than enough to roast me alive.
Alperen gave a quiet laugh, then brushed his fingertips across my cheek.
In the enclosed carriage, the touch made my heart pound wildly.
“You said I was your type.”
“…”
“That you liked me because I was handsome.”
His eyes dropped to my lips. My breath caught as his finger lightly tapped them.
“That night, you pressed right up against me and even tried to kiss me. Are you still going to deny it?”
My lips parted wordlessly.
And then—like a switch flipping—everything came rushing back.
‘Oppa, you’re not human, are you? Where did you hide your wings?’
‘If kissing a prince can break a curse, then if I kiss you, will your wings appear?’
My own voice, sugary sweet and coaxing, like some shameless seductress.
And then—the memory of me tugging at my own clothes, while Alperen desperately tried to stop me.
Worst of all—it had all happened in front of Nanael.
Boom!
It felt like a judge’s gavel was slamming down in my skull.
*For the crime of seducing the second male lead in front of the villainess!
For the crime of trying to steal a kiss from the innocent sub male!
I hereby deliver the final verdict…
Rodelia Ferris—Guilty! Sentence: Death by Poison!*
Bang! Bang! Bang!
No…!
I buried my burning face in my palms, trembling with shame.
I can’t believe I did that. What was I thinking?
And of all places—in front of Nanael!
I’d been so proud to escape the prison ending, but now I was practically walking straight into the poisoning ending.
Alperen’s annulment was nothing to celebrate.
Shuddering, I bit back a scream.
Then Alperen’s arm wrapped gently around my shoulders.
“Deli?”
I clutched his hand like a lifeline, muttering in despair.
“W-what if… what if Princess Nanael tries to kill me?”
Yes. That was exactly what this was.
I had openly tried to seduce her fiancé in front of her.
Now that she’d lost him for good, she would surely blame me.
From avoiding prison… to becoming the villainess’s next target.
It sounded just like the title of some cruel webnovel.
