Chapter 47
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The Male and Female Leads Broke Up - Episode 47
I no longer needed to listen to Cain's words.
He would only repeat the same things he'd said before, now adding the letter into the mix—it was painfully predictable.
So when I coldly cut him off and turned to leave, Cain grabbed my wrist just as he had done at the Banquet Hall.
"My lady!"
"Don't touch me!"
I yanked my wrist away as though filth had brushed against my skin.
"I warned you not to touch me carelessly. Don't you dare lay your hands on me!"
Last time too, I had deliberately overreacted to his touch.
On the day of the broken engagement, I still remembered those eyes—so ruthlessly cold, so piercingly frigid—as he gazed down at me crumpled on the ground.
Of course, his attitude hadn't hurt my feelings or made me feel sorrowful.
Everything had been according to my design, and his coldness had only made the broken engagement easier to achieve.
But at that time, he had treated me like garbage, pure and simple.
No—he had looked at me as though I were something far filthier than garbage.
If he had regarded me as at least human rather than something to be disposed of immediately, he would not have simply stood there watching while I lay collapsed on the ground.
And now, after all this time, he dared to approach me claiming his feelings had changed—it infuriated me.
So I wanted to repay him in kind.
"I apologize."
But as if already accustomed from one prior experience, he showed no surprise whatsoever.
And his apologetic expression held not a trace of genuine remorse.
'How shameless. Utterly shameless.'
"But I must say this: I will never give up on you. Just as you once did with me, I am now prepared to do whatever it takes. By any means necessary, I will bring you back to my side."
It was a line I'd heard many times before.
It was exactly what Belita had always said to Cain.
- Duke, I love you.
- Look only at me! Don't look at any other women, just look at me!
- I can wait until you look at me, Duke. Whether it's ten years, twenty years, or fifty years.
- Duke, I heard God's word. He said we would be together forever.
- I can't give up on you, Duke. We are destined to be together.
- Duke, what don't you like about me? I'll change it. I'll become a lady worthy of you by any means necessary. So please just look at me once.
- If you would just look at me once, Duke, I would be happy to die today.
- Should I die instead? Is that what it takes for you to look at me?
- By any means necessary, I will be with you forever, Duke, even if it means making the entire world my enemy.
- Duke, Duke, Duke.
Belita's countless words filled my mind to the brim.
'Is she saying she'll repay what she received?'
In a way, it wasn't even an appropriate thing to say in this situation, yet it was perfectly fitting.
My head throbbed as though a headache was coming on.
It felt as though my mind was overloaded from recalling too many memories and thinking too many thoughts.
Just as I was about to collect my thoughts and close my eyes for a moment.
Suddenly, a voice I hadn't heard in a long time called out to me from behind.
"Belita?"
There were many people who called me Belita, but over the past month, there was only one person who kept coming to mind whenever I tried to forget them.
That unforgettable voice felt like a savior pulling me out of this place.
So I turned around with the most beautiful smile I could muster to look at that person.
And I called out his name.
Remembering the promise we had made before parting.
"Aiden."
Aiden strode toward where Cain Maxius and I were standing, closing the distance in a single breath.
"You've returned?"
"Yes, that's correct."
"Did your work finish well?"
"Yes, I finished well and have returned."
"I see. But what brings you to the Imperial Palace?"
"I came to briefly see the Crown Prince on family matters."
"I also came to see the Crown Prince briefly and was on my way back."
"I see."
We conversed as though Cain Maxius didn't exist beside us, focusing entirely on each other.
"Young Master of House Byon, it's been a while."
Then Cain Maxius gave a slight cough to announce his presence and greeted Aiden.
"It's been a while, Duke Maxius."
But that was the end of their conversation.
After greeting Cain Maxius, Aiden looked only at me again and spoke.
"Would you mind waiting a moment while I make a quick trip to see the Crown Prince?"
"What? Why?"
Aiden Byon offered me a warm smile as he spoke.
"I'll escort you to the Duke's Mansion."
Just as I was about to respond, Cain Maxius suddenly interjected.
"I shall escort the young lady, so you should hurry along. We wouldn't want to keep the Crown Prince waiting, would we?"
"Yes, go ahead. I'll wait here for you."
I ignored Cain's words entirely and turned to Aiden Byon with a smile.
"Young lady!"
Cain called out to me in a displeased tone at my declaration that I would return with Aiden Byon.
When Aiden Byon paused and looked at me, I gestured for him not to worry and to go on ahead.
With that, Aiden Byon quickly strode away from us.
"I shall escort you to the Duke's Mansion."
"No, Aiden will take me."
"You two have been calling each other by your given names—when did you become so close?"
Cain's voice dropped slightly.
As Aiden Byon and I treated each other with familiarity, Cain made no effort to hide his displeasure.
"Surely you're not suggesting that the young master of House Byon...?"
Even as he spoke, doubt seemed to consume him, and he trailed off.
But once suspicion takes root, it spreads like wildfire, growing beyond one's ability to contain it.
I could already sense what occupied his thoughts.
And as if to confirm my suspicion, shock began to color Cain's features.
'Just as with Cain and Adela—is another person truly the most effective way to make someone give up?'
I had never intended to use Aiden Byon for such purposes.
Yet seeing Cain's expression, I found myself thinking there was no need to correct his misunderstanding.
In fact, if I merely amplified his misapprehension with subtle actions, it might be enough to make him truly give up on me.
"Must I really tell the Duke about this?"
So I spoke just one sentence.
Ambiguous enough to suggest it might be true, yet uncertain enough to leave room for doubt.
"Stop overstepping your bounds. I have never given you any opening with the Duke, and I never will. If you continue to torment me like this, I won't remain silent either. You know how relentless and ruthless I can be, don't you?"
I added this without bothering to hide my displeasure at his words and behavior.
"But Duke Heitz will never permit House Byon."
Cain had already concluded that Aiden Byon and I had become something special.
Yet hearing him speak, it was almost laughable.
"Then do you think Father would permit the Maxius Family?"
What father would stand idle while the man who demanded his beloved daughter break their engagement for loving another remained unpunished?
Moreover, my father possessed a fiery temperament and harbored grudges for eternity.
According to Mother, ever since that incident, Father would wake from sleep in a fury at the mere mention of Cain's name.
"I will seek Duke Heitz's forgiveness in person. So if you would only show me your heart, I will resolve everything."
His audacity truly knew no bounds.
How could someone be so utterly self-centered?
The man standing before me was a selfish creature who believed himself the center of the universe, convinced that whatever he desired must be his at any cost.
'Is this the obsessive male lead I've only read about in stories?'
When I'd encountered the "obsessive male lead" trope in other novels, I'd clutched my chest with excitement, my heart racing as I devoured those pages.
But experiencing it firsthand was utterly horrifying and appalling.
"As expected, there's no reasoning with you. I have nothing more to say to you, Duke."
Dialogue had become meaningless between us.
We were merely hurling our own claims and opinions at each other, neither willing to yield an inch.
I turned my back to him without hesitation.
It was my way of saying I couldn't even bear to look at his face.
"My lady."
Cain Maxius called out to me from behind.
But I refused to answer him.
"My lady, please."
The pleading tone in Cain Maxius's voice was absolutely unbearable to hear.
So I decided to abandon my wait for Aiden Byon and leave first, walking toward the carriage.
Just then, I caught sight of Aiden Byon emerging from the entrance of the Crown Prince's Palace.
Brought to you by Valir Scans! To support our team and enjoy the latest releases, please read directly on our official site: valirscans.org