Chapter 54
Because he had moved so close, Juliana ended up trapped against the wall between his arms.
Under the crushing pressure of his presence, Juliana’s gaze wavered as she faced him.
A dangerous light surged in his dark eyes.
His breath, rough with anger, brushed against the edge of her lips, which had gone rigid with tension.
Looking down at her, Kallion growled in a badly cracked voice.
“Go on. Say more.”
Juliana met his seething gaze head-on and glared at him through clenched teeth.
“I told you before that I don’t like you anymore.”
She could feel his short breaths against her forehead.
Facing the naked hostility in his eyes, as though he might tear her apart at any moment, she spat out the rest through clenched teeth.
“No. I hate you. Just as you despise me, I loathe and hate you with everything I have.”
For an instant, Kallion’s eyes shook.
It was such a fleeting reaction that she wondered if she’d imagined it.
Soon, his expression returned to its usual coldness, and he looked down at her arrogantly.
“Impossible. Then why would a woman like that agree to marry me?”
Trapped beneath his massive arms, she stared directly into Kallion’s eyes.
Their rough breathing made the air between them unbearably hot.
He seemed to be waiting for her answer.
She gave him one indifferent sentence.
“Because you have something I’m looking for.”
Kallion frowned as though trying to understand what she meant.
“So just endure it until then. After that, we won’t have any reason to get on each other’s nerves anymore.”
“What?”
He stared at her blankly, unable to understand.
Juliana drove in the final point.
“I’m saying that until then, neither of us should interfere or meddle in the other’s affairs. Just as we originally agreed.”
With that, she placed her hand on his broad chest.
Perhaps because he was so tense, she could feel the muscles beneath her palm tightly contracted.
He had been dazed, trying to understand her words, but suddenly looked flustered.
Juliana steadily pushed against his chest.
The man who had seemed like an enormous wall yielded more easily than she’d expected.
After slipping out from beneath his solid arms, she left the room without hesitation, leaving his stunned expression behind.
Layla was standing outside the room with a stiff expression.
Apparently, she had heard their argument and had been waiting outside.
Seeing how Kallion had kept harping on about Lloyd, Juliana could roughly guess what had happened.
As Juliana passed Layla, she spoke quietly.
“It seems you’ve been investigating me.”
Layla’s shoulders stiffened at her low words.
Glaring at Layla’s profile, Juliana calmly continued.
“If you’re going to do it, do it properly.”
“……”
With that, Juliana walked past the frozen Layla and continued down the corridor without hesitation.
* * *
After that, no more letters came from Lloyd.
It seemed he had understood what I meant that day.
The words he’d spoken when I met him kept circling in my ears.
‘To me, it looked like you were crying out for someone to save you.’
‘If you ever need help, come to me anytime, Juliana.’
I didn’t know why his words were coming back to me now, but I shook my head hard.
This was the right thing to do.
I couldn’t become entangled with Lloyd again and cause him harm.
His life would be far happier and more peaceful if I weren’t involved in it.
Because the life he’d lived after becoming involved with me in my previous life had been far too unhappy.
As I sat blankly staring down at my teacup, Kate’s lively voice reached me.
“Madam, you’re attending House Schultz’s upcoming banquet, right?”
Only then did I come to my senses and look at Kate blankly.
“Hm?”
“The head butler told me in advance. He said House Schultz is holding a banquet soon.”
“Ah…”
Only then did I remember the invitation to House Schultz’s banquet that the head butler had given me not long ago.
It was an invitation Kallion had ordered the head butler to deliver.
Ever since our argument, Kallion and I had been subtly avoiding each other.
That suited me just fine.
There was still about a week until our next designated night together, so until then, I wanted to live quietly without seeing him.
Of course, I would have to accompany him to the banquet of House Schultz, one of Baldomer’s vassal houses.
Remembering the miserable experience of the last banquet, I pressed my lips together.
“How about this gold dress? It looks as though it was made to match your hair, Madam. If you wear red jewelry to match your beautiful eyes with it, you’ll look absolutely dazzling.”
“Sure.”
Anything was fine.
Truthfully, I didn’t want to attend the banquet, but I had no choice if I wanted to maintain my position as the lady of Baldomer.
Right.
Once Denion was conceived, I would leave this wretched estate.
Once I had my child, I could leave his side without a shred of regret.
All eleven of my regressions and deaths had been for that alone.
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