The Vengeful Kidnapping Drama’s Transmigrated Female Lead - Chapter 53

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“But I’m not stupid enough to make such a request to someone like you who shows not a hint of sincerity.”

“Ahaha!”

“Suddenly, Helios burst into loud laughter. In contrast, her face hardened stiffly. Helios now choked as if he would lose his breath. By the time he stopped laughing, her eyes were blazing fiercely with disgust.

“Haah.”

He let out a sigh like a groan while wiping his eyes. After a brief snicker, Helios looked down at her obliquely with an expressionless gaze.

As the silence became suffocating, he reached out his hand. Playing with her hair that had fallen forward by wrapping it around his finger then releasing it, he stroked it slowly.

Psyche wanted to shake off his touch immediately, but as if bound by something invisible, she couldn’t move and could only glare at him.

“The same goes for you.”

“…What do you mean by that?”

Though her body wouldn’t move, her voice came out. The man, wearing a smile that almost seemed cheerful, answered.

“Exactly what I said – you don’t show your true self either.”

“There’s truth in the saying that kindred spirits recognize each other – you’re cut from that same cloth.”

Puhah-! Once again, a mocking laugh burst from between his lips. When Psyche pressed her lips together, fixing him with a venomous stare, Helios threaded his fingers through her hair at the nape of her neck. The tender gesture, reminiscent of one soothing a small pet, shifted as he leaned in close, his words a conspiratorial whisper against her ear.

“Phrena, aren’t you curious about what my ability is?”

For a moment, Psyche felt her heart sink.

Could it be…

Surely he doesn’t have an ability related to mind reading. No, it can’t be. If such an ability existed, it would surely have been described in the original work.

‘…What if I missed it?’

What if it was described in the original work, but she doesn’t remember it?

If that’s the case, it would mean Helios has known all along that she’s been acting. That couldn’t be the case.

But how could it not be? That gaze that seems to see through everything… Was this possible without a psychic ability?

“Oh my, you’re scared.”

Having straightened up at some point, Helios was looking down at her with an amused smile.

“How pitiful.”

“……”

“Don’t worry. I don’t have any ability to read minds.”

He added while removing his hand from her head.

“Though I can’t say I have none at all.”

Psyche’s complexion turned white as paper. Though she quickly lowered her head, thinking she shouldn’t show her current expression, Helios had already seen her true face laid bare. The terrified expression, afraid that the true feelings hidden behind her thick mask would be discovered.

“Your reaction is really interesting. More like the you I used to know.”

Her lips trembled. It felt like her mind was shattering into pieces. Helios said he didn’t have the ability to read minds, but then said he couldn’t say he had none at all. This was as good as saying he had some kind of psychic ability. Or perhaps he was reading her mind even now while pretending not to.

“You were just an innocent, naive young lady.”

In front of such a man, what should she do?

“After being kidnapped, something changed.”

He lowered his eyes. His long eyelashes cast dark shadows around his eyes.

“As if you became a different person.”

Psyche exhaled a rough breath.

“You speak…”

She had to close her mouth for a moment to steady her pathetically trembling voice.

“…as if you know me well.”

Even though she spoke after a slight pause, the trembling hadn’t subsided at all. She bit the inside of her mouth until it hurt. She couldn’t lose any more composure here. She knew this, but it wasn’t easy. She felt confused and ashamed, as if everything about her had been exposed to him. And that gaze, that persistent gaze fixed on her… was frightening.

As if he would discover what was genuine and what was an act.

Or perhaps he already knew everything.

“…When you’ve never even had a proper conversation with me.”

Psyche glared at him sharply. Though it would be obvious she was pretending to be strong, she wanted to hide her frightened heart even if only like this.

“There’s a lot one can know without having to talk.”

Unlike Psyche, Helios remained infuriatingly composed. He smiled gently and leaned his body even closer to her.

“Unfortunately, as you said, we’ve never had a proper conversation.”

Then he took her hand and guided it inside his top. As the thin fabric rustled up, her palm touched the man’s bare skin. Psyche tried to quickly withdraw her hand from inside his clothes, but she was still bound by something and couldn’t move even slightly.