Chapter 37
‘Why is he holding me?’
Staring at him, Mina lowered her gaze. Leonhardt’s red lips looked swollen and thick, slightly wet and glistening. When Mina put together the sight of Leonhardt’s lips and their current position, the conclusion came instantly.
“W-What is this? Why are we…!”
Startled, Mina sprang up as if bouncing away. She pushed against Leonhardt’s chest and leaned her upper body far back, instantly widening the distance between them. Her shocked heart pounded wildly.
‘What? It wasn’t a dream? Then what just happened…?’
I had rushed in thinking it was a dream! As that thought struck her, the events from just moments ago began replaying backward in her mind like a film being rewound. Flustered, Mina stammered as she spoke.
“Wait, I mean, I, it’s just…!”
“The young court physician said earlier in the audience chamber that exchanging saliva, like kissing, could somewhat relieve the symptoms. Judging by your condition just now, it seems he was right.”
She wanted to protest that he shouldn’t take advantage of someone who was unconscious, but his calm statement that it was nothing more than treatment made Mina clamp her mouth shut again. In any case, Leonhardt had ultimately helped her, had he not? And complaining after that made Mina feel somewhat guilty.
“Uh… th-thank you.”
In the awkward silence, the carriage sped toward the Wittgen residence. Mina fidgeted with her fingers helplessly the entire way. Only after they arrived at the estate, when Leonhardt extended his hand to help her down, did she finally mumble.
“I-I’ll see you tomorrow at the hunting tournament.”
Leonhardt simply gave a short nod without speaking. Mina barely even acknowledged it as she quickly turned and hurried into the estate. Once she reached her room in a daze, Mina flopped down onto the bed.
‘Haa…!’
This damned world setting! She had hoped it might not be true, but judging by how the painful symptoms had slightly improved, it seemed the rule that she would die if she didn’t receive treatment from her imprinting pair was real.
Just as Mina sighed heavily in frustration, realizing there was no way to rely on luck.
BAM!
The door burst open with a loud crash. The force was so strong that the door swung back like a roly poly toy, slammed into the wall, and bounced back again. Startled, Mina turned her head and saw Rose standing there.
Rose strode into the room with her face flushed red with anger. Her heavy footsteps echoed loudly with fury.
“Are you insane? Leo? Are you in your right mind? You broke off the engagement ages ago, so why are you still shamelessly clinging to my man? And where did you even fabricate that cheap fake Name from!”
Standing with both hands planted on her hips, Rose fired off her words like rapid gunfire. Her already dark complexion looked even darker from her agitation.
Mina had already been suffering from the Name’s symptoms, and on top of that she had endured a terrible day of mental torture from Tilda and the others. Now Rose had come storming in to create another scene, and sudden exhaustion overwhelmed her.
“Could you leave? I’m tired.”
Mina barely forced out the words, lacking the strength to respond further. But Rose only started shouting even louder.
“What? You’re tired? What did you even do to be tired? Don’t tell me you actually went around acting like a courtesan? I thought at least you knew your place…!”
Mina frowned. Rose’s loud barking only made her already throbbing head hurt more. Pretending not to hear Rose’s insults, Mina slowly crawled under the blanket and closed her eyes.
“Wilhelmina! Have you lost your mind? Are you seriously ignoring me right now? Answer me!”
Rose continued raging in a fluster, but Mina didn’t move at all.
“If you even try to approach my fiancé one more time, I swear I won’t let you get away with it!”
After yelling alone for about ten minutes, Rose finally stormed out and slammed the door when Mina continued to ignore her completely. The silence that finally returned felt like a blessing.
It seemed that not only was she doomed to die, she was also fated to be used and tossed around by everyone as a political tool or sacrifice. Realizing she had no power and would only be used, Mina let out a long sigh.
Having lost even the strength to move a finger, Mina skipped dinner and soon fell asleep just like that.
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