Contract Marriage with the Villain Who Will Kill Me

Chapter 21

“What are you talking about?”

Bardi shouted, catching up quickly. Kaiden stopped a few steps away.

“What am I talking about? Exactly what you heard. Though Lady Rohana has not given her permission yet…”

“When did you fall for Aurelia, and how can your heart change so easily?”

Bardi’s blue eyes sparkled in the chandelier light spilling from the ballroom. Kaiden raised one eyebrow.

“I’m not sure what you mean, but take it as you heard it. Excuse me.”

Heath followed closely behind Kaiden as they exited to the garden. Bardi, struggling with his anger, wanted to call out again but held back, aware of the many eyes around.

Seeing the commander of the guards in distress, Bardi turned back to Rohana.

Heath, looking around, spoke in a cold voice.

“What is this about marrying the Duke of Hanover’s family?”

“Remember when I asked why you sent them during Aurelia’s kidnapping?”

After a brief silence, Heath’s eyes gleamed.

Grabbing the Duke of Hanover by the throat—a threat as effective as having his daughter. Heath felt embarrassed for not predicting this sooner.

But recalling the nearly shocked look in the lady’s violet eyes didn’t sit well with him.

“I’d be truly fed up with your family if I were the lady,” Heath said candidly. Kaiden looked outside, unable to ease his brow. It was true.

“What’s going on?”

“An accident in the eastern outskirts. They say it’s a landslide, but it looks suspicious to anyone.”

Heath placed a report on the table.

“It’s the work of monsters.”

Kaiden quickly flipped through the report.

“We need to return immediately.”

“I was planning to.”

“Are you getting married?”

“…Let’s talk tonight.”

Kaiden couldn’t leave Rohana alone for too long after dropping such a bombshell. He handed the report back to Heath and hurried back to the ballroom.

All eyes turned towards him. People, intimidated by his presence, refrained from asking questions, which was a relief for him.

But Rohana was nowhere to be seen upon his return. Only a flushed Vivian remained seated.

“Lady Vivian, where is Lady Rohana?”

“My lord! Ah, yes, Lady Rohana went out saying she would follow you shortly… Didn’t you see her?”

A foreboding feeling crossed Kaiden’s mind. He quickly left the ballroom. Seeing Kaiden move, Heath followed closely behind.

“Take the other side.”

Kaiden commanded shortly. Heath began running in the opposite direction. Kaiden headed towards the Hanover annex almost at a run.

It was quite a distance from the grand ballroom. The chilly early winter night air stung. Hanover’s guards blocked his way but stepped aside at Kaiden’s command. His long strides were swift.

The door to Rohana’s private chambers was closed.

“Lady Rohana!”

No answer. Usually, at least one maid would be guarding the room, but there was no sign of anyone.

Knowing he shouldn’t, he roughly pushed open the thick door, revealing a dimly lit reception room. It had been a while since he had been here.

Through the darkness, he could see the door to the bedroom wide open.

As he walked along the wall, a dressing room appeared.

Neatly prepared outdoor boots remained untouched. She must have left wearing her shoes.

Sure enough, a small door leading to the ducal garden was open.

Kaiden’s face tightened. He quickened his pace. Passing through the small door into the maze-like garden, the tall garden trees still stood like walls.

Kaiden focused. If his memory was correct…

The direction was this way!

After winding through the maze-like garden, he finally found it. What seemed like a dead end was actually a passage. Passing through it, he arrived at the entrance to the forest.

And there, in the distance, he saw her moving away quickly.

***

“Rohana!”

Her heart dropped with a thud. Her feet froze as if glued to the spot.

“Lady Rohana, let me explain.”

Her grip on her bag tightened.

How long had she planned, decided, and prepared for this day…

Rohana was astounded to be caught so easily. Even if she ran now, Kaiden would catch her before she met the broker.

Nevertheless, she started to run. But her desperate sprint didn’t last long before she was grabbed by the wrist and shoulder, spun around, and brought to a halt.

Rohana struck Kaiden’s arm with all her might as if burnt by fire. A brief silence followed.

“Forgive me if I was rude. But there’s no need for this.”

“No need for this?”

Rohana struggled to control her agitated voice.

“How did you know about this place?”

It was a passage known to no one. That’s why she had used it during Aurelia’s kidnapping.

How?

“Rohana…”

“You may be trying to use me to gain something from Gregory or the emperor… But that won’t happen.”

In the original story, he was portrayed as a father who painfully sacrificed his beloved daughter for patriotism. However, having lived with him, Rohana was certain: he wouldn’t have even hesitated.

Hearing the full truth, which might sound crazy, Rohana felt choked up. Kaiden’s lips, ready to move again, were stopped by Rohana’s sudden words.

“Trust me. If you want to grasp Gregory Hanover’s weakness, my younger brother is still around.”

Kaiden’s brows furrowed, and his eyes darkened beneath them.

“So, just let me go,”

Rohana’s voice trembled greatly. It felt as if something was stuck in her throat, making it hard to swallow.

This shouldn’t be causing her so much agitation. She should be acting nonchalant, trying to cover it up. She needed to think of some ploy. But her uncontrolled honesty was pouring out.

It wasn’t like her. It had never happened before.

“Please, just let me go.”

The veins in Rohana’s purple eyes stood out. The years flashed before her eyes like a lantern slide. She didn’t want to fail clumsily like this again.

Meeting Kaiden’s eyes, Rohana eventually lowered her head.

‘Maybe I always…’

Tears, stubborn and messy, fell to the dirt. Kaiden watched Rohana staring at the ground, then lowered his gaze.

He saw her glittering dress hem getting wet with tears in the dirt. He closed his eyes quietly.

“Does it hurt, a lot?”

Her voice from childhood echoed in his head.

Back then, it was his own blood flowing from his body, soaking the dirt and clumping it. Fresh blood dripped onto the already bloody soil.

That night, too, the moon was bright.

“Lady Rohana.”

Kaiden’s large shoes slowly came into her view.

One step, another step. Closer, until he was nearly within reach. He smelled like a snowstorm, just as he did the day they first met.

When she slowly raised her head, his nose cast a shadow in the moonlight. His deep, long eyes looked down at her intently.

How long had they been staring at each other? A large hand very gently wrapped around Rohana’s arm.

She flinched, but he softly held her arm, carefully pulling her cloak over her bare shoulders and chest.

“I will let you go.”

His dark eyes glinted with multiple hues. The hand that hesitated on the cloak naturally moved to her chin.

The tears she thought she had hidden clung to her neck. His long fingers, surprisingly warm, gently wiped them away.

“But…”

The words that followed were even more unexpected. His narrowed eyes glimmered in the moonlight.

“Please let me be the one to send you off

***

“I will let you go.”

Rohana’s tear-soaked violet eyes widened.

“But… please let me be the one to send you off.”

Rohana frowned at the incomprehensible words. Her large eyes blinked, and tears streamed down her cheeks.

After a moment, she quickly averted her gaze. As she took a step back, Kaiden cautiously released her hand and stepped back as well. Rohana took a deep breath.

Kaiden, looking down at her, slowly began to speak.

“This wasn’t how I intended to say it.”

His black eyes were fixated on her.

“Make a deal with me, Lady Rohana.”

“A deal?”

Her voice cracked.

“Just for a short while…”

Rohana looked up at him.

“Stay with me as my wife.”

Her eyebrows twitched.

“After that, I will let you go.”

“Let me go…”