Chapter 5
The moment our eyes met…
I forgot how to breathe.
My mind went completely blank as I became captivated by those clear, transparent emerald eyes.
Just as the thought unconsciously crossed my mindā
It feels like I’m about to be pulled into those eyes…
āthe man’s fingertips lightly brushed the small bone protruding between my shoulder blades.
“…!”
A strange sensation shot down my spine.
Startled, I hurriedly tried to climb off him.
But as I nearly tumbled off the bed, he firmly caught my waist with one large hand.
With a gentle pull, he drew me even closer.
A faint smile curved his lips.
His emerald eyes shimmered softly as he gazed at me.
Then he quietly spoke.
“You were the one who saved me.”
“Huh? Ah… yes…”
“You collapsed in the garden of our villa.”
“I couldn’t just leave you there…”
Still dazed, I awkwardly shifted my body.
I desperately wanted to get off him.
But for some reason, the hand around my waist only tightened.
“With a storm like that raging outside…”
“If I’d remained there…”
“I certainly would’ve died.”
“…I’m not in very good condition right now.”
At his words, I looked at him more carefully.
Sure enough…
Although he was awake…
He still looked terribly ill.
His cheeks were flushed from the fever.
Cold sweat covered his forehead.
Whether it was a cold or some local illness…
He was obviously sick.
Even so…
His breathtaking beauty hadn’t faded in the slightest.
Seriously…
Did someone really have to be this handsome?
Even if he was the male protagonist!
“I’d like to know the name of the person who saved my life.”
“If you don’t mind…”
“Would you tell me your name?”
“Ah…”
I hesitated.
Should I tell him…
That I was Rosenia Hill?
Or not?
Actually…
Even if I didn’t tell him…
He’d probably already guessed.
My vivid rose-pink hair and eyesāresembling summer rosesāwere famous characteristics of Rosenia Hill.
Besides…
This was House Hill’s private estate.
Unless Llewellyn Lasiane was an idiot…
There was no way he wouldn’t connect my appearance with this place.
‘Maybe it’s better to be honest.’
I may be Rosenia Hill…
But I also saved your life.
Maybe I could earn a little goodwill from that.
Someone as honorable as him would undoubtedly try to repay the favor.
Perhaps…
He might even hate our family a little less.
Besides…
Adrian had already become much gentler than in the original story.
Maybe…
Just maybe…
We could avoid our tragic ending.
Thinking that…
I forced an awkward smile that resembled a salesperson trying to close a deal.
“My name is…”
“Rosenia.”
“Rosenia Hill.”
“I thought so.”
Suddenly…
The man sat upright and leaned much closer.
As the distance between us disappeared…
I instinctively sucked in a breath.
My hands rested against his chest.
Even through the thin tunic…
I could clearly feel the firmness of his muscles.
His large hand supported my lower back securely.
Ever since earlier…
He hadn’t shown the slightest intention of letting go.
“So it really was you.”
“Y-You know me?”
It was a foolish question.
Yet I couldn’t stop myself from asking.
The corners of his beautiful lips lifted into a playful smile.
For some reason…
That smile made him look much younger.
“How could I possibly not know you…”
“Rosenia Hill.”
His sleepy voice whispered those words from unbelievably close.
It was sweet enough to make my head spin.
A man so breathtakingly handsome…
Was smiling at me so gently.
“The only younger sister of Adrian Hill…”
“The Princess of the Magic Tower.”
“Ah…”
“Y-Yes…”
Whether or not he’d recognized my identity was no longer the issue.
My heart was trembling simply because of how attractive he was.
Unable to meet his eyes…
I awkwardly looked away.
“Rosenia.”
“Do you know who I am?”
He called my name so naturally.
Normally…
People addressed me as Lady Rosenia.
This was the first man I’d ever met who called me by my first name the very first time we met.
It almost felt…
As though he’d called me that countless times before.
Strangely…
That was exactly how it felt.
After hesitating…
I answered honestly.
“You’re Duke Llewellyn Lasiane.”
The moment I answered…
Llewellyn smiled as brightly as though he’d received the greatest gift imaginable.
He was already handsome.
But when he smiled…
It felt as though flowers bloomed all around him.
I stared blankly.
I had no idea why he looked so happy…
But…
He was unbelievably beautiful.
Even the loveliest flower in the world would probably wilt in comparison.
“So…”
“You know who I am.”
“Well…”
“You’re extremely famous…”
“I may be famous.”
“But we’ve only met once.”
“Ah…”
“W-Well…”
“Your appearance is so unforgettable…”
“I couldn’t possibly forget you after seeing you once…”
Flustered…
I rambled whatever came to mind.
Llewellyn smiled again.
Like an angel.
Why did he keep smiling at me like that?
It almost felt…
As though he were deliberately trying to seduce me.
Feeling strangely uncomfortable…
I wriggled, trying to escape his embrace.
Llewellyn let out a heavy sigh…
Then suddenly rested his head on my shoulder.
“…!”
My whole body stiffened.
Leaning his cheek against my shoulder…
He breathed heavily.
“W-What…”
“Why are you doing this…?”
Panicking…
I gently tried to push him away.
But he let out a deep groan.
“…Ugh…”
“D-Duke?”
“Rose.”
“…?!”
I froze.
He had just called me…
By a nickname.
More than being shocked by a stranger calling me that…
What felt truly strange…
Was how naturally he’d said it.
“Rose.”
Had Llewellyn Lasiane and I ever been close?
Of course not.
I’d only ever seen him from afar.
Then…
Why was he acting so familiar?
Why did he keep leaning against me?
“Rose…”
“Right now…”
“U-Um…”
“I’m in so much pain.”
“I can barely breathe.”
The man burrowing weakly into my arms looked like a massive wounded beast.
…He must not be in his right mind.
Otherwise…
There was no way he’d act this intimately after learning I was Rosenia Hill.
‘Calling me by my name… even giving me a nickname…’
‘He’s definitely not thinking straight.’
I gently touched his forehead.
“Excuse me…”
“Where exactly does it hurt?”
Good heavens.
His forehead was burning.
He’d already taken fever medicine.
Yet instead of cooling down…
His fever had grown even worse.
Startled…
My hand slipped.
He caught it…
Held it gently against his cheek…
Then slowly looked up at me.
Seeing his face from this close…
So fragile…
So vulnerable…
Made my heart skip a beat.
His flushed cheeks.
His slightly parted lips.
His hazy eyes.
He looked dangerously capable of destroying anyone’s reason.
“My fever won’t go away…”
he answered in an incredibly weak voice.
“My whole body hurts…”
“It feels like I’m dying…”
As he looked at me pleadingly…
He seemed like someone desperately asking for salvation.
I blinked in confusion.
His fever wouldn’t stop…
His whole body hurt…
Like he was dying?
‘Wait…’
‘No way.’
‘It can’t be…’
Carefully…
I asked,
“Does it feel like…”
“Your whole body is aching?”
“…Yes.”
He nodded weakly.
The moment he answered…
My heart sank.
If my guess was right…
Then his symptoms were…
‘…A mana rampage!’
The reason the original novel was titled ** The Duke’s Only Companion **…
Was because the only person capable of calming the male protagonist’s out-of-control mana…
Was the heroine.
Technically…
Anyone could help suppress a mana rampage.
But Llewellyn chose Sierra.
Why?
Because he’d fallen in love with her at first sight.
Love at first sight wasn’t exactly realistic.
But it was a romance novel.
More importantly…
His devotion to Sierra was so absolute that readers accepted it without question.
Although…
The trap was that beneath his gentle exterior…
He was an obsessively possessive man.
‘And at the beginning of the story…’
‘Their relationship was purely physical.’
To be more precise…
Sierra had no romantic feelings for Llewellyn.
According to the author…
Llewellyn was someone who fell in love very easily.
The moment he saw Sierra…
It was love at first sight.
But Sierra didn’t love him.
And so…
Llewellyn began desperately pursuing her…
Trying to win her heart.
‘That was actually my favorite part of the novel…’
So…
Male Lead.
Why are you having a mana rampage in front of me instead of the heroine?
‘No…’
‘Seriously…’
‘What am I supposed to do now?’
I couldn’t have been more flustered.
Because there was only one way to calm the enormous amount of mana raging inside the male protagonist.
Physical contact.
At the simplest level…
Holding hands.
Hugging.
Going further…
Kissing.
Deep kisses.
And eventually…
Sleeping together.
Naturally…
In the original novel…
Llewellyn and Sierra went all the way.
Even before their hearts truly connected…
The attraction between them had been overwhelming.
Besides…
Sierra needed the strength of the Empire’s only Duke to take revenge against the villain who had massacred her family.
(Not my brother.)
So she entered into a contractual relationship with him…
And spent countless nights by his side.
It was…
The classic formula of a romance novel.
But…
‘Why?’
‘Why were you collapsed in front of our villa?’
‘Why are you suffering a mana rampage in front of me of all people?!’
I couldn’t even begin to understand where the story had gone wrong.
Honestly…
I couldn’t even remember exactly when Sierra and Llewellyn first met in the original novel.
I’d only vaguely assumed…
They’ll meet eventually.
But now…
What on earth was happening?
Male Lead…
If you’re going anywhere…
Shouldn’t you be going to the heroine?
Why did you come to me instead?
As I stood there completely at a loss…
Llewellyn slowly lifted his head from my shoulder.
His emerald eyes had become clouded.
“Rose…”
At that moment…
A terrible premonition struck me.
The more violent his mana rampage became…
The more he lost his reason.
His instincts would search for someone capable of saving him.
And right now…
Inside this villa…
There were only two people.
Him.
And me.
‘O-Oh no!’
‘This is bad!’
I hurriedly tried to pull away.
But Llewellyn wrapped both arms tightly around me.
“Ah…!”
Trapped within his strong embrace…
I couldn’t move at all.
In a sorrowful voice…
He whispered,
“Please don’t leave…”
“Rose…”
We were so close…
I could feel his breath against my skin.
The longing in his emerald eyes was so heartbreaking…
That I forgot I had been trying to escape.
What woman…
Could resist being looked at like that?
‘I’m doomed…’
‘Completely…’
‘Utterly doomed.’
Llewellyn slowly caressed my cheek.
His touch was unbelievably gentle.
As though he were holding something precious.
Even knowing…
That he was only acting this way because of the mana rampage…
My heart still fluttered.
“Rose…”
“I have a favor to ask.”
His lips moved closer…
Close enough that they almost touched mine.
Like a helpless prey animal caught beneath a predator’s fangs…
I couldn’t move.
“…Please.”
“Kiss me.”
