MWMT 08

Chapter : 08

The decision of Aslan to accept Vivian as his wife was too sudden for the attendants to process.

He chased the princess, who had attempted suicide, into the forest. Then, he didn’t appear for three days.

When the attendants and knights were pacing anxiously, Aslan finally returned, holding the unconscious Vivian Eleonora in his arms.

> “He said he couldn’t have her stay in a hotel and immediately ordered the purchase of a mansion.”

There was no room for objection. For the attendants, Aslan’s request was like a command from God.

They did their best to meet their lord’s expectations.

The already luxurious mansion was made even more splendid. Experienced staff from the capital, summoned for Vivian’s care, were expected to arrive soon.

Aslan nodded, seemingly satisfied, after hearing the attendants’ explanation.

> “Well done.”

“When do you plan to go north?”

“For now, it’s impossible. I’ll stay in the south until Vivian’s condition recovers.”

“Excuse me?”

The man walking beside Aslan froze, as if he had heard something he shouldn’t.

“Do you have a problem?”

“No, it’s just a bit surprising. I thought you would act separately from the lady…”

> “So it seems to your eyes as well.”

Aslan slowly brushed his hair back. From his firm mouth came a faint bitter venom.

He knew why Vivian had rejected marriage with him.

For the past three years of their engagement, he had ignored her existence. Their relationship was entangled with political interests, and he had no choice at the time.

Instead of protecting her as a fiancé, he humiliated her in front of others and mocked her as a heartless woman.

> “I didn’t even know she was dying.”

Looking back, he realized ignoring Vivian had been his final desperate act.

He hurt her to scold himself for secretly watching her from behind, pretending not to care.

> “It’s natural she doesn’t trust me. I can’t tell her anything. Nothing at all.”

A secret that couldn’t be shared with anyone. A fragile, lovely fiancée trapped deep inside a castle built on lies and hypocrisy.

He couldn’t speak so casually.

After despising her so much, he had dared to put her in his heart. This monstrous hand had committed an unforgivable act.

> “But I have no intention of letting her go.”

“Eh?!”

“No, that was a mutter to myself. You have work to do.”

Aslan stopped walking. His eyes flashed frighteningly.

> “Investigate the Eleonora family from the beginning again. This time, dig into their private lives.”

“Yes, sir.”

The current Duke Eleonora was a son-in-law by adoption, distant from the main line. The previous duke had an eligible daughter but took an adopted son-in-law.

The daughter was talented but too frail for important responsibilities.

However, the previous duke’s decision led the family to ruin. The current Duke Eleonora was incompetent and greedy.

The inheritance skipped the current duke and went straight to Vivian and her brother.

> “The duke won’t just let that happen,” Aslan thought.

Why was Vivian’s extraordinary swordsmanship hidden? Why did the family take no action while her honor in the noble society fell? Why did no one notice until she was near death?

> “If I’m right, then back then…”

—

Night had fallen, and stars filled the sky. Everyone was asleep, but Vivian couldn’t.

She sent the maid away and sat by the window, reflecting on her situation.

> “My biggest problem right now is still my lung disease.”

She had a terminal illness. Her condition was severe, and she sometimes fainted. The doctor said one year, but it wasn’t absolute. She could die at any moment if pushed.

> “But I’m still alive.”

She thought back on surviving the forest, getting wet, facing wind, and even the assassin’s blade. She had expected to die—but hadn’t.

> “I’m alive, and that’s amazing. I hope I can live a long time.”

The treatment for her lung disease had been developed in the original story *Astaroth’s Curse*. But there was a big problem.

> “The one who developed the medicine is Aslan’s colleague. He wouldn’t give it to me.”

So she had basically given up. She knew Aslan hated her.

> “But now things are different. Maybe Aslan asking me to marry him isn’t so bad.”

If she stayed close to him for a year until the medicine could be obtained, she might secretly contact his colleague. This could be her path to escaping her disease.

> “Poor Vivian… what did she do to get her body in this state?”

She ran her hands through her hair, shaking her head.

> “There are so many stars in the sky. They’re beautiful.”

“I didn’t know you enjoyed the night view.”

Suddenly, a voice came from the garden. She saw Aslan standing below her window.

His black hair, wet from training, hung like a lion’s mane. His bare chest, broad shoulders, and strong arms were intimidating, and his golden eyes shone like a predator in the dark.

> “If I knew, I would have come out with you.”

“No, I was just thinking.”

> “I can’t take my eyes off you even for a moment. The night air is chilly…”

“I’m fine. *cough*!”

Aslan’s expression twisted. He threw his sword aside and leapt up to the balcony in one bound.

Vivian stepped back, but Aslan grabbed her shoulder faster.

> “See, you’re not okay.”

“Just a moment, I couldn’t sleep…”

“Where’s the maid guarding the room?”

He scanned the room sharply, ready to scold.

> “Don’t. She was following my order.”

“What order?”

> “I don’t like anyone around when I’m resting, so I sent her away first.”

Aslan’s brows furrowed, then he suddenly picked her up. Vivian struggled, but he carried her inside and gently placed her on the bed.

> “What else is there?”

“All?”

> “Tell me everything, Vivian. There’s so much I don’t know about you.”

“No… Your Highness?”

That was impossible. In the novel, Aslan had spies in the Eleonora family and knew everything about them before even the family noticed.

But he said something slightly different:

> “Even today, I thought you would accept marriage with me happily.”

In the original story, Vivian surely had tried everything to marry Aslan. Her reputation as a villainess came from that effort.

> “But now it’s different. Your proposal is a double-edged sword for me.”

Aslan’s curse, which turned him into a black lion, was top secret. Even the crown prince would send an assassin if it was discovered. Vivian was likely the witness.

> “I’ve thought a lot since you rejected me. I’ve always gotten what I wanted by force. Maybe I’ll do it again.”

Aslan muttered, his eyes shining fiercely.

> “My plan is still valid. I want to make you my wife as soon as possible. My real wife, without caring who notices us staying up all night.”

“W-who would notice staying up at night…?”

Their eyes met, and Aslan’s gaze twisted mesmerizingly.