Noevian's laughter, which was staring at me as if I was looking at a painting on the wall, filled the bedroom.
“Have you ever stolen a letter from somewhere?”
“...”
“How many times have you had to deal with a butler or a maid?”
“...”
“Or did you see Adrienne’s ghost through some damn witchcraft or something?”
Noevian rushed at me terribly, grabbed my shoulder, and shook me. The murderous intent. The murderous intent to kill me by twisting my neck at all costs was radiating from his bloodshot eyes.
"...incantation?"
“Yeah, damn it. You were a sorcerer. A savage sorcerer from a savage country. You brought Adrienne’s ghost, too, didn’t you? You brought it and drove me crazy. You whispered to me to really like a disgusting liar like you?”
“What nonsense are you talking about?”
Noevian's eyebrows furrowed at the word 'nonsense'. He seemed to feel insulted. Even as I laughed at him, my heart pounded. Noevian, who looked no different from a drugged person, was shocked by every word he uttered. Still, it seemed like he was finally revealing the things I had been so curious about.
“Did you summon Adrienne’s spirit? So, so, Noah. Noah...”
Ah. It wasn't the painful word nonsense, but 'Noah'. I twisted my shoulder to get away from the insane Noevian, but his hand wouldn't budge.
“...So Blie was a sorcerer.”
“Stop it, stop it! Stop acting! How long are you going to...!”
“Did you love me, Noah?”
"Stop!"
It was a force that seemed like it would crush me. I felt like my shoulders were going to break, but I didn't back down.
“Why did you lie to me and say ‘An’ when you knew that the person I had been in love with since I was little was Rhodnes? How could such a coincidence happen? Since the ‘An’ in Rhodnes’ nickname, Roan, is also in your name, I could have been fooled without even seeing his face. That’s why you stopped using the nickname ‘An’?”
Noevian's face, which had been red with rage, turned pale.
“Why did you marry me when you didn’t even love me? Oh, for the Crown Prince? Because you wanted to give the power of the East to the Crown Prince?”
I was instantly out of his grasp, as Noevian pushed me away with a face as if he had been struck by lightning.
“What are you?”
“But why did you say you loved me? You could have just fooled me and treated me well. But why did you do that? Even if I didn’t love you, our marriage was enough for you. Why did you do something so useless?”
“What the hell? What the hell are you!”
“Adrienne.”
The sneer from earlier had long since disappeared from the corners of Noevian's lips, which were as hard as stone. He stared at me blankly as if he were looking at the corpse of Adrienne, whom he had just buried.
“I am Adrienne.”
“That’s ridiculous.”
Noevian shook his head as if denying reality.
“Adrienne is dead.”
"Yes."
“But how are you, Adrienne?”
“Why did you kill me?”
Noevian's breathing, which had been driving hard, suddenly stopped. Why did he deceive me, why did he bring Blie into the government? I was full of questions, but today, as I pushed my body underground, I couldn't stand it because I was most curious about this at that moment.
“Pretending to be Rhodnes, you lured me into marriage. You whispered useless sweet nothings to me. You shared your heart and kissed me...”
I took a step closer to Noevian. And Noevian took a step back just the same amount. Noevian, who had been staring at me with his eyes shaking without mercy, slowly closed and opened his eyes. Even if I didn’t want to admit it, I had no choice. Because facts that no one, not even Adrienne, could know were pouring out of his mouth.
“After doing that... why on earth did you kill me?”
And with that one word, Noevian Trovica collapsed. Noevian, who fell to his knees on the floor, writhed and cried like someone vomiting. Sometimes he would scratch the floor and mutter. It was because of the drug. The side effects of the drug were so severe. It seemed like he was muttering because he was hallucinating even when he was conscious.
“You have to answer.”
He looked up with his eyes as bleary as the countless nights he had come to me after taking his medicine.
“Why on earth are you doing this to me? I gave you everything you wanted. I said I would give you the position of Grand Duchess.”
I didn't answer.
“I just want you to be my haven, a place where I can rest and relax. Is that really that hard?”
“You took everything from me first.”
“...Me? What did I take away? They’re going to take you, a lowly person, and make you an Grand Duchess, and what the heck...”
Noevian crawled towards me, crushing my hands against the floor as if he were going to crush them.
“Adrienne Piretta loved you. Very much. Cursing her body that grew weaker by the day. Shuddering at how she could barely swallow a sip of water.”
“I loved you too.”
He chewed and spat out with great force as if his throat was being choked. Big tears fell down his sunken cheeks.
“Do you think I’m lying now?”
“...It was all a lie?”
All my pent-up emotions came pouring out.
“You didn’t fall in love with me at first sight, nor did you marry me because you really wanted me.”
Noevian, who had been listening to me with a trembling body, laughed as if crying.
"...That's right."
I suddenly lost all my strength. There's a difference between guessing and hearing it directly. I was about to burst into tears, but he burst into laughter and continued.
“It was like that at first.”
He walked up to me on his knees and looked up at me. I clenched my jaw so I wouldn't cry.
“At first, yes. I didn’t love Adrienne.”
He was looking at me from the past exactly through Blie's face.
“And while I was with her, I fell completely in love.”
It was a face that seemed to be dreaming.
“My wife has colored my world more and more. Brighter and brighter. More and more beautifully.”
“...”
“The world has never looked so beautiful.”
He grabbed my hand tightly. I stared at his mouth without even thinking about pulling it away. His mouth, which had been smiling like a madman, was distorted.
“Why did you kill me?”
“No. No, I. How could I kill Adrienne?”
He kept repeating the same words like a madman. Tears kept falling from his eyes as his mouth showed no intention of stopping.
“I did everything to save Adrienne. To keep her by my side just a little longer!”
He hugged my legs tightly and shouted.
“But you died. You just left this world. Without even being able to hold on to you. Like that... Like that...”
Then he buried his head in my voluminous dress and muttered like a madman.
“You didn’t even give me that short time...”
And then he started telling the stories I always heard.
“It’s like you were mocking me from the start. You left me behind like that.”
“..."
“What can I do? After all, there is nothing in this world that is mine. It is not mine anyway, so I cannot blame anyone.”
It was boring. Tiresome excuses. Whether he was on medication or not, there seemed to be nothing left to hear from him.
“You, you... dare...”
“I said I would die with you if I died, but I hope I didn’t mean it...”
Noevian, who had been shaking his head continuously, began to cry loudly. It was a rough and wet sound as if blood was coming out of his throat.
“Put your sick and withered wife on the back burner and be happy with a healthy new wife.”
Boom! Boom!
“Have you ever stolen a letter from somewhere?”
“...”
“How many times have you had to deal with a butler or a maid?”
“...”
“Or did you see Adrienne’s ghost through some damn witchcraft or something?”
Noevian rushed at me terribly, grabbed my shoulder, and shook me. The murderous intent. The murderous intent to kill me by twisting my neck at all costs was radiating from his bloodshot eyes.
"...incantation?"
“Yeah, damn it. You were a sorcerer. A savage sorcerer from a savage country. You brought Adrienne’s ghost, too, didn’t you? You brought it and drove me crazy. You whispered to me to really like a disgusting liar like you?”
“What nonsense are you talking about?”
Noevian's eyebrows furrowed at the word 'nonsense'. He seemed to feel insulted. Even as I laughed at him, my heart pounded. Noevian, who looked no different from a drugged person, was shocked by every word he uttered. Still, it seemed like he was finally revealing the things I had been so curious about.
“Did you summon Adrienne’s spirit? So, so, Noah. Noah...”
Ah. It wasn't the painful word nonsense, but 'Noah'. I twisted my shoulder to get away from the insane Noevian, but his hand wouldn't budge.
“...So Blie was a sorcerer.”
“Stop it, stop it! Stop acting! How long are you going to...!”
“Did you love me, Noah?”
"Stop!"
It was a force that seemed like it would crush me. I felt like my shoulders were going to break, but I didn't back down.
“Why did you lie to me and say ‘An’ when you knew that the person I had been in love with since I was little was Rhodnes? How could such a coincidence happen? Since the ‘An’ in Rhodnes’ nickname, Roan, is also in your name, I could have been fooled without even seeing his face. That’s why you stopped using the nickname ‘An’?”
Noevian's face, which had been red with rage, turned pale.
“Why did you marry me when you didn’t even love me? Oh, for the Crown Prince? Because you wanted to give the power of the East to the Crown Prince?”
I was instantly out of his grasp, as Noevian pushed me away with a face as if he had been struck by lightning.
“What are you?”
“But why did you say you loved me? You could have just fooled me and treated me well. But why did you do that? Even if I didn’t love you, our marriage was enough for you. Why did you do something so useless?”
“What the hell? What the hell are you!”
“Adrienne.”
The sneer from earlier had long since disappeared from the corners of Noevian's lips, which were as hard as stone. He stared at me blankly as if he were looking at the corpse of Adrienne, whom he had just buried.
“I am Adrienne.”
“That’s ridiculous.”
Noevian shook his head as if denying reality.
“Adrienne is dead.”
"Yes."
“But how are you, Adrienne?”
“Why did you kill me?”
Noevian's breathing, which had been driving hard, suddenly stopped. Why did he deceive me, why did he bring Blie into the government? I was full of questions, but today, as I pushed my body underground, I couldn't stand it because I was most curious about this at that moment.
“Pretending to be Rhodnes, you lured me into marriage. You whispered useless sweet nothings to me. You shared your heart and kissed me...”
I took a step closer to Noevian. And Noevian took a step back just the same amount. Noevian, who had been staring at me with his eyes shaking without mercy, slowly closed and opened his eyes. Even if I didn’t want to admit it, I had no choice. Because facts that no one, not even Adrienne, could know were pouring out of his mouth.
“After doing that... why on earth did you kill me?”
And with that one word, Noevian Trovica collapsed. Noevian, who fell to his knees on the floor, writhed and cried like someone vomiting. Sometimes he would scratch the floor and mutter. It was because of the drug. The side effects of the drug were so severe. It seemed like he was muttering because he was hallucinating even when he was conscious.
“You have to answer.”
He looked up with his eyes as bleary as the countless nights he had come to me after taking his medicine.
“Why on earth are you doing this to me? I gave you everything you wanted. I said I would give you the position of Grand Duchess.”
I didn't answer.
“I just want you to be my haven, a place where I can rest and relax. Is that really that hard?”
“You took everything from me first.”
“...Me? What did I take away? They’re going to take you, a lowly person, and make you an Grand Duchess, and what the heck...”
Noevian crawled towards me, crushing my hands against the floor as if he were going to crush them.
“Adrienne Piretta loved you. Very much. Cursing her body that grew weaker by the day. Shuddering at how she could barely swallow a sip of water.”
“I loved you too.”
He chewed and spat out with great force as if his throat was being choked. Big tears fell down his sunken cheeks.
“Do you think I’m lying now?”
“...It was all a lie?”
All my pent-up emotions came pouring out.
“You didn’t fall in love with me at first sight, nor did you marry me because you really wanted me.”
Noevian, who had been listening to me with a trembling body, laughed as if crying.
"...That's right."
I suddenly lost all my strength. There's a difference between guessing and hearing it directly. I was about to burst into tears, but he burst into laughter and continued.
“It was like that at first.”
He walked up to me on his knees and looked up at me. I clenched my jaw so I wouldn't cry.
“At first, yes. I didn’t love Adrienne.”
He was looking at me from the past exactly through Blie's face.
“And while I was with her, I fell completely in love.”
It was a face that seemed to be dreaming.
“My wife has colored my world more and more. Brighter and brighter. More and more beautifully.”
“...”
“The world has never looked so beautiful.”
He grabbed my hand tightly. I stared at his mouth without even thinking about pulling it away. His mouth, which had been smiling like a madman, was distorted.
“Why did you kill me?”
“No. No, I. How could I kill Adrienne?”
He kept repeating the same words like a madman. Tears kept falling from his eyes as his mouth showed no intention of stopping.
“I did everything to save Adrienne. To keep her by my side just a little longer!”
He hugged my legs tightly and shouted.
“But you died. You just left this world. Without even being able to hold on to you. Like that... Like that...”
Then he buried his head in my voluminous dress and muttered like a madman.
“You didn’t even give me that short time...”
And then he started telling the stories I always heard.
“It’s like you were mocking me from the start. You left me behind like that.”
“..."
“What can I do? After all, there is nothing in this world that is mine. It is not mine anyway, so I cannot blame anyone.”
It was boring. Tiresome excuses. Whether he was on medication or not, there seemed to be nothing left to hear from him.
Pfft! Pfft!
It had already gotten dark outside the window. At the red light in front of my eyes, I turned my gaze outside for a moment.
“!”
In the distance, red flames were decorating the sky. I looked up at it as if I was possessed by something.
“!”
In the distance, red flames were decorating the sky. I looked up at it as if I was possessed by something.
[When red flames decorate the sky, a blue star falls.]
The signal flare signaling the end had sounded.
“Adrienne wasn’t mine, and I despaired every moment.”
The sound of my heart pounding as if it was going to burst was momentarily drowned out by Noevian's sorrowful voice.
“...Noah.”
I opened my mouth, which had been tightly shut.
“There’s something you don’t know.”
"...”
“Adrienne Piretta was yours.”
Noevian, who had suddenly stopped crying, blankly looked up at my face, which had been rubbing against the hem of my dress.
“Adrienne Piretta loved you with all her heart. Until the day before she died, she read the newspapers and searched for news of you to help you. In case you had been hurt in the outskirts, she might have sent the news to the Grand Duke for my weak heart...”
"...you..."
“So Adrienne Piretta was yours. Even if everything in this world could not be yours, until the very end. Adrienne Piretta died calling your name, thinking of herself as your wife.”
Noevian's wet face twisted into a sad look for a moment.
“I only hope that the last face I see will be yours and not those damn maids. Do you know what I was thinking in my last moments as I was gasping for breath?”
When I thought of Adrienne that foolish day, tears came to my eyes.
“If I die, what will happen to Noah...”
“Adrienne wasn’t mine, and I despaired every moment.”
The sound of my heart pounding as if it was going to burst was momentarily drowned out by Noevian's sorrowful voice.
“...Noah.”
I opened my mouth, which had been tightly shut.
“There’s something you don’t know.”
"...”
“Adrienne Piretta was yours.”
Noevian, who had suddenly stopped crying, blankly looked up at my face, which had been rubbing against the hem of my dress.
“Adrienne Piretta loved you with all her heart. Until the day before she died, she read the newspapers and searched for news of you to help you. In case you had been hurt in the outskirts, she might have sent the news to the Grand Duke for my weak heart...”
"...you..."
“So Adrienne Piretta was yours. Even if everything in this world could not be yours, until the very end. Adrienne Piretta died calling your name, thinking of herself as your wife.”
Noevian's wet face twisted into a sad look for a moment.
“I only hope that the last face I see will be yours and not those damn maids. Do you know what I was thinking in my last moments as I was gasping for breath?”
When I thought of Adrienne that foolish day, tears came to my eyes.
“If I die, what will happen to Noah...”
“You, you... dare...”
“I said I would die with you if I died, but I hope I didn’t mean it...”
Noevian, who had been shaking his head continuously, began to cry loudly. It was a rough and wet sound as if blood was coming out of his throat.
“Put your sick and withered wife on the back burner and be happy with a healthy new wife.”
Boom! Boom!
It felt like the sound of fireworks was getting closer.
“That’s what I hoped for, Adrienne Piretta.”
I scoffed, swallowing back my tears.
“If you hadn’t deceived and cheated me this much, I wouldn’t have been able to let you go. If you hadn’t killed me. If you hadn’t killed me and then shamelessly tried to take this woman.”
It was sincere. Whatever the beginning. Whatever my brilliant first love. I truly loved him for the moment I spent with him. If he had apologized to me, pleaded with me, and whispered that he loved me to me just once before I died. If he had sincerely asked for forgiveness, we wouldn't have come this far.
“If I wasn’t yours, then who was I?”
That's why it was so painful and difficult.
“Adrienne died with that thought in mind, thinking that it was someone else’s from the beginning? So you were miserable because you couldn’t have me?”
“I... I....”
“So now you can’t have anything.”
I pushed away Noevian, who was still kneeling and holding onto the hem of my skirt like a lifeline.
“You couldn’t even protect what was yours.”
He looked up at me and pushed away helplessly. His long black hair was wet and disheveled. His still, wet eyes were only looking at my lips making sounds.
“Pretty fireworks, huh?”
Ignoring my face, which had already become soaking wet, I raised the corners of my lips and nodded toward the outside.
“You’d better come to your senses, Noevian.”
And then I gathered all the emotions that were scattered around and vomited them out.
“That flame is a sign that the Crown Prince has abandoned you.”
As soon as I finished speaking, the sound of a sergeant's weapon clanking outside the window broke the brief silence.
“The East won’t support you. I sent a letter to Gregory and Bianca.”
But Noevian didn't even seem to have the strength to get up and began to mutter as if he couldn't believe that I was his.
“You created a government before I died, and that woman is living in this house now.”
The clanking sound of iron armor was getting frighteningly close.
“The sinner Noevian Trovica, obey the orders of His Highness the Crown Prince!”
From outside, the thick voices of men flowed into the mansion.
“His Highness the Crown Prince, who needs the strength of the East, has finally decided to abandon you.”
The light in Noevian's eyes, which had been blinking slowly as if he had been hit in the head by the news of the Crown Prince's betrayal, disappeared. That I was Adrienne. That he had been deceived by Blie. Even that the Crown Prince he had trusted had betrayed him. I stared straight into the face of the man who had lost his mind because he could not believe any of it.
"...Why."
Noevian opened his mouth blankly. Was he talking to Blie? Was he talking to Adrienne? It didn't matter who he was talking to anymore.
“...Did you think I would be your refuge?”
I openly laughed at him.
“No way, I want to be your hell.”
Just like you did. I, who always had to laugh like Blie in front of him, was finally able to laugh like myself.
“That’s what I hoped for, Adrienne Piretta.”
I scoffed, swallowing back my tears.
“If you hadn’t deceived and cheated me this much, I wouldn’t have been able to let you go. If you hadn’t killed me. If you hadn’t killed me and then shamelessly tried to take this woman.”
It was sincere. Whatever the beginning. Whatever my brilliant first love. I truly loved him for the moment I spent with him. If he had apologized to me, pleaded with me, and whispered that he loved me to me just once before I died. If he had sincerely asked for forgiveness, we wouldn't have come this far.
“If I wasn’t yours, then who was I?”
That's why it was so painful and difficult.
“Adrienne died with that thought in mind, thinking that it was someone else’s from the beginning? So you were miserable because you couldn’t have me?”
“I... I....”
“So now you can’t have anything.”
I pushed away Noevian, who was still kneeling and holding onto the hem of my skirt like a lifeline.
“You couldn’t even protect what was yours.”
He looked up at me and pushed away helplessly. His long black hair was wet and disheveled. His still, wet eyes were only looking at my lips making sounds.
“Pretty fireworks, huh?”
Ignoring my face, which had already become soaking wet, I raised the corners of my lips and nodded toward the outside.
“You’d better come to your senses, Noevian.”
And then I gathered all the emotions that were scattered around and vomited them out.
“That flame is a sign that the Crown Prince has abandoned you.”
As soon as I finished speaking, the sound of a sergeant's weapon clanking outside the window broke the brief silence.
“The East won’t support you. I sent a letter to Gregory and Bianca.”
But Noevian didn't even seem to have the strength to get up and began to mutter as if he couldn't believe that I was his.
“You created a government before I died, and that woman is living in this house now.”
The clanking sound of iron armor was getting frighteningly close.
“The sinner Noevian Trovica, obey the orders of His Highness the Crown Prince!”
From outside, the thick voices of men flowed into the mansion.
“His Highness the Crown Prince, who needs the strength of the East, has finally decided to abandon you.”
The light in Noevian's eyes, which had been blinking slowly as if he had been hit in the head by the news of the Crown Prince's betrayal, disappeared. That I was Adrienne. That he had been deceived by Blie. Even that the Crown Prince he had trusted had betrayed him. I stared straight into the face of the man who had lost his mind because he could not believe any of it.
"...Why."
Noevian opened his mouth blankly. Was he talking to Blie? Was he talking to Adrienne? It didn't matter who he was talking to anymore.
“...Did you think I would be your refuge?”
I openly laughed at him.
“No way, I want to be your hell.”
Just like you did. I, who always had to laugh like Blie in front of him, was finally able to laugh like myself.
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