Chapter 40
To live or to die!
Why would anyone choose death? Survival should always come first.
Odette licked her lips and squeezed her eyes shut, then opened them and spoke.
“Ask any passerby on the street or even a wild beast in the forest, and they’ll all give the same answer. It’s impossible not to love Lord Caesar Maes—the Empire’s greatest hero and most handsome man.”
“…A little more.”
“Lord Caesar is not only incredibly wealthy but also has a body that’s a masterpiece….”
“So, you like my body?”
“Why even ask? It’s absolutely divine.”
Caesar’s lips curled into a smirk.
“So, you want me?”
“Of course. But not right now.”
“And why not?”
“Because… we’re in the house of our enemy.”
As soon as she said it, she realized—it was another brilliant answer.
Sure enough, the flicker of mischief in Caesar’s gaze gradually faded.
“That’s true.”
“Revenge comes first! That’s the priority!”
“Indeed.”
Caesar finally let go of her waist and turned away.
Phew, I survived.
Odette handed him the teacup and spoke.
“A-Actually, I heard that His Majesty intends to grant you a duchy.”
“And?”
“Wouldn’t it be better to receive your title before we get married? I’d like to be a duchess as soon as I wed.”
“A duchess?”
Caesar studied her intently, making her lower her gaze. Her voice grew smaller.
“Is that… too much to ask?”
His piercing gaze felt sharp as needles against her skin.
“You’re growing ambitious.”
“That’s right.”
“And you love money too. What will you do with the one billion gold you’ll get from the earl?”
“Just having it piled up somewhere will make me happy.”
“And a sapphire the size of an apple?”
“Jewels are love.”
Caesar stared at her silently for a moment, then burst into laughter.
“I placed a diamond the size of a fist beside you, and you didn’t even glance at it.”
Something had sparkled at her bedside earlier—
Was that really a diamond?
You should’ve told me! I would’ve at least pretended to be happy.
How much longer is he going to interrogate me like this?
Odette glanced up at him with a glare.
Bathed in the golden morning sunlight, Caesar stood before her, shirtless, holding her in his arms.
Honestly—
It was infuriatingly sexy.
Was her mind and body disconnected?
Because whenever he held her, her body started to betray her.
It had to be his dark magic at work.
And if her body crumbled, eventually, her heart would follow suit.
“I’m just curious. I want to know what you truly desire.”
Odette swallowed dryly before responding.
“Cash.”
“Money is everything? Then I’ll give you my entire fortune.”
Caesar reached out and set his teacup down on the table.
Then, he wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her close.
“Not just my wealth—I’ll give you all my power, everything I control.”
“…If you give me everything, won’t you be left with nothing?”
“If I take you, who took everything from me, then wouldn’t I still have everything?”
Wait. What?!
Didn’t he promise to set her free once his revenge was complete?
Hold on—this sounded oddly familiar.
Wasn’t this exactly what Caesar said to the heroine in the original story?
Odette’s face twisted into despair, but before she could react further, Caesar leaned in and whispered into her ear.
“You want me to become a duke, right? If I do that, will you love me?”
Love.
Caesar had just spoken the word “love.”
“L-Love?”
“Yes. Love.”
His blue eyes glowed intensely.
“Love me, Odette. Avenge me, fight bravely for me, and stand against the world for me. What could be more beautiful and fulfilling?”
Beautiful? For whom?
For him?
His knights worshiped him, his subordinates devoted their lives to him—
And now, he expected the same from her?
Oh my god, this dark magic is insane!
His magic wrapped around her like a thin, invisible veil, weaving its way into her soul.
If she were an ordinary person, she would have already lost herself, clinging to him, begging to be embraced.
But my divine power must be growing—because I can finally resist it.
Odette seemed to be repelling some of Caesar Maes’ dark magic—at least to some extent.
The problem was… was his magic somehow transforming as it bounced back?
Because it almost felt like it was attacking him instead.
Just like how Eric had attempted to cast a dark spell on her, only for it to backfire on him.
Caesar’s grip on her tightened slightly.
“L-Lord Caesar.”
Odette firmly called his name, hoping to snap him out of it before he lost control.
“…If you become a duke and build a castle in the northern territory His Majesty is granting you, I think I might be able to love you.”
A castle would take at least ten years to complete.
Which meant she was saying there was no chance she would love him within that time.
“That would take far too long.”
“Then… give me something I want right now.”
“And what is that?”
“A magic elixir.”
“A magic elixir?”
Caesar immediately pushed her away, his wariness evident.
Odette licked her lips slightly, then lifted her gaze, her eyes clear and unwavering.
“I went to the temple recently. I saw my mother’s portrait there. She and I look quite alike when she was younger.”
“…You’re saying someone might recognize you?”
“Yes.”
Caesar fell into thought, absentmindedly brushing a lock of her hair between his fingers.
His gaze traveled over her features—from her eyes, to her nose, to her lips.
It was as if his eyes were caressing her.
After lingering on her jawline, his eyes met hers once again.
Odette didn’t look away. She held his gaze and spoke.
“You’ve met my mother before, haven’t you?”
“You do resemble her.”
“Exactly. And since you’re planning to have our wedding in the capital… there’s a chance we might have an audience with His Majesty. Even if no one else notices… the Emperor might.”
“You think the Emperor will recognize you? That is intriguing.”
“And if he does, what then?”
Caesar knitted his brows, deep in thought. Then, as if making a decision, he nodded.
“I’ll get you the magic elixir.”
“Thank you.”
“However, when you’re with me, you’ll always keep your natural eye color.”
“Of course.”
“Then… kiss me.”
It was part of their routine—every morning, Caesar absorbed the divine power that had accumulated within her overnight.
Their morning kiss.
Odette squeezed her eyes shut, stood on tiptoe, and pressed her lips to his.
She thought she could just get it over with quickly—but that was a mistake.
Because Caesar responded aggressively, releasing a surge of dark magic through their connected lips.
What the hell?! Why is he attacking like this?!
Both Caesar, who was absorbing the magic she deflected, and Odette, who was being hit by his overwhelming presence,
Found themselves powerless against the intensity of their emotions.
What is happening?! Why is this getting out of control?!
Drawn to each other by an overwhelming hunger,
Caesar and Odette continued their fervent kiss—a clash of power, dominance, and unspoken desires.
“Quickly, lay him down.”
Countess Katarina pulled back the blankets herself, ordering the servant carrying Eric to bring him inside.
The servant hurriedly set Eric down on the bed.
“Summon a physician. Quietly. I don’t want anyone to notice.”
“Yes, madam.”
As the servant left the room, Katarina tucked the blanket around Eric.
She had heard from the maids that Eric hadn’t left his quarters for days.
So she took the underground passage to his secluded west wing chamber—
Only to find him in this horrifying state.
His body was covered in burns, his flesh swollen and peeling as if it had melted.
“This isn’t from what Caesar threw at him in the greenhouse.”
The bruises from before had already begun to fade.
Had he experimented with dark magic again?
“Eric, it’s time to let go of Andrea. If you don’t, you’re going to die too.”
Whenever she had mentioned Andrea’s name, Eric would lash out violently, threatening to die with her.
But now, he wasn’t even reacting.
“If I had known you’d end up like this… I would’ve set fire to the carriage instead of causing the landslide. That way, there wouldn’t even be a body left to search for.”
Katarina sobbed, pressing her forehead against Eric’s chest.
Just then, a knock at the door interrupted her.
“Madam, it’s Nancy.”
Katarina quickly wiped her tears with a handkerchief.
“Come in.”
Nancy entered but immediately averted her eyes upon seeing Eric’s pitiful state.
Even looking at him felt like a bad omen.
He had dabbled in too many unnatural things.
“Did you check?”
“Yes, madam. It seems Lord Maes will not be able to join you for breakfast.”
“Did you go inside their room?”
“Yes.”
“Did they sleep together?”
