Chapter 30
Edwin Range—the illegitimate son of the Range Marquis.
As a child, he was abused by the marquis himself.
When his magical talent was discovered, the marquis forced him into any work that could make money.
Unfortunately, Edwin’s gift lay in manufacturing magic for soldiers—an ability far too valuable for him to escape exploitation.
His only salvation came in the form of the heroine, Summer.
When he ran away one night, battered and bloodied, she found him and treated him with such care that he never forgot.
Years later, the Range family perished in a sudden “accident.”
Edwin, still young, inherited the marquisate.
But in truth… he had poisoned them all himself.
The only reason no suspicion fell on him was because the Empress stood behind him. For her sake, he committed unspeakable acts without hesitation.
But then Summer reappeared in his life—and everything unraveled.
Her presence triggered his twisted obsession.
The moment she didn’t even remember him, it broke something inside.
From then on, he both tormented and protected her, his warped affection tearing him apart.
He was the kind of villain you couldn’t completely hate.
Especially with his edgy, chuunibyou-style speeches, his constant talk about loyalty, his bumbling “main self” that always needed cleaning up after, and his other self—the Empress’s cold, ruthless assassin.
That stark duality made him wildly popular in the original novel.
Maybe… he was the one who brewed the poison that killed Alperen.
Ordinary poison wouldn’t have been enough to escape Alperen’s skill with antidotes.
And Edwin was described as surpassing even Alperen when it came to cursed potions.
Poison and antidote were two sides of the same coin.
Unfortunately, I’d only half-read the latter parts of the original story, skimming through the updates as they released.
Which meant I couldn’t remember who the true final villain was.
Still… one thing was certain. Edwin cared deeply for the Mazia “family.”
That was the opening I planned to use.
If I could tie myself to him through the club, maybe I could secure a safety net against the poisoning ending.
Friend of a friend = my friend.
For someone who lived and died by loyalty like Edwin, this was the best shield I could ask for.
And hey, if I get to raise cute magical plants and animals along the way, even better~
With a bright smile, I introduced myself.
“I’m Rodelia. Just call me Deli.”
“Good. Any longer than four letters and I wouldn’t remember. Nice to meet you, Jelly.”
“…It’s Deli.”
“Right, Selly.”
Yeah, he never intended to remember in the first place.
But whatever. As long as he didn’t forget my face, I’d call it a win.
After introductions, Sierra immediately raised her hand to smack the back of his head.
Edwin dodged and ducked behind poor Lottie.
“Your hands wander too much, Vieira.”
“It’s Sierra! And idiots like you deserve a beating!”
Her grinding teeth made the timid Lottie look like she wanted to sink through the floor.
Still… seeing Lottie here was unexpected.
Had she followed me? No, that was too narcissistic, even for me.
As if to confirm my thoughts, Lottie met my eyes and flushed.
“N-nice to meet you. I’m Lottie Beige.”
Her shy, girlish greeting was instantly ruined by Edwin’s careless reply.
“Got it, Jetty.”
…This guy really had no intention of learning names.
The Edwin standing before me was somehow even worse than the one in the novel. If I was going to survive Mazia, this wouldn’t be easy.
But survival first. Strategy later.
I held up my purse with a grin.
“So… what should we do with this?”
Every eye locked onto me.
I smirked.
“First, let’s do something about this filthy clubhouse.”
The Day of the Rowing Tournament
The long-awaited competition had arrived.
I hadn’t slept a wink the night before, turning over the decision in my head.
Now I was pressing a chilled crystal orb against my swollen eyes.
“Morning, Deli! Don’t forget you promised to cheer for me today!”
Adrian breezed in, fresh from his morning jog and shower, soap still clinging to his skin.
Meanwhile, I just groaned and set aside the lukewarm orb.
“Like it matters. Your team’s going to win anyway.”
“Ha! That’s the spirit! Don’t worry, your amazing brother will bring home the trophy. Tonight’s victory feast is on me!”
Even my half-hearted support pumped him up. He laughed, scooped me up, and spun me like a dumbbell.
“Ahhh! Put me down! I’m heavy!”
“Ha! Heavy? You’re as light as a feather—see? I can spin you with one hand!”
By the time he twirled me around, I was ready to vomit.
“Urghh.”
“If you keep that up, young master, the lady will faint,” Liam, our butler, said dryly as he passed by.
Saved by Liam, I glared daggers at Adrian.
“I’ll punch a hole in your boat.”
“So cruel.”
Adrian pouted dramatically, then stretched out his hand.
“But my sweet sister, surely you’ve prepared my badge of victory?”
So shameless.
I lifted my chin proudly.
“Nope.”
“What? Impossible! How can I win without my goddess of victory?”
“The goddess isn’t here for you. She’s only making one for Ren oppa.”
I turned sharply, and Adrian muttered darkly,
“I’m her real brother… If that’s how it is, I’ll just steal Alperen’s.”
Good luck with that.
As I stuck my tongue out at him, I didn’t see where I was going—
Thunk.
I crashed into something—or rather, someone—so solid I bounced back.
Before I could fall, a strong arm caught my waist.
A familiar scent reached me—clean, woody, like a forest breeze—mixed with a subtle masculine cologne.
Alperen smiled down at me.
“Full of energy this morning, aren’t you?”
He steadied me with ease, then let go slowly, almost reluctantly.
This was the first time I’d seen him since he proposed our fake relationship.
The very man who had robbed me of sleep for days.
For a moment, my mind went blank.
He tapped under my eye lightly.
“You didn’t sleep well, did you?”
His tone implied he knew exactly why.
Then, as his gaze flicked to my hand, he murmured with faint disappointment,
“I thought it would be me.”
The delayed words made my face ignite.
He’d been checking for the ring.
I instinctively touched my chest—thankfully, the necklace hid it under my clothes.
Relieved, I almost gasped.
Why is my heart beating so fast?
It thudded wildly, as if broken.
It’s just because I wasn’t ready to see him after that. That’s all!
And yet—he’d even put on cologne, something he never usually wore. His outfit, too—was he competing in rowing or modeling in a fashion show?
As I fumbled for words, Adrian swooped in and snatched the badge from my hand.
“Ah!”
“Thanks, Deli. For my victory goddess!”
He kissed my cheek gallantly and darted away.
Normally I would’ve smacked him immediately.
Instead—
“Deli. Don’t I get one too?”
Alperen smiled, palm outstretched.
Of course I had one.
I’d prepared his badge before he even gave me that ring.
I’d carried it in my pocket, wavering until the very last minute.
Now, his gaze was full of expectation—as if the idea I hadn’t made one never even crossed his mind.
I clutched the badge in my pocket, panic rising.
Should I give it to him? Or not?
Under the weight of his steady eyes, I cracked.
“I… I had one, but it’s gone!”
At the same time, I flung the badge onto the ground.
