Chapter three

Chapter 3

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“Ah… so someone was already here.”

He ran a hand through his hair when it fell over his right eye, then smiled at me.

“I wanted some fresh air, so I came to the balcony. I’m sorry—did I disturb you? I didn’t know someone else was here.”

My eyes remained fixed on him.

I couldn’t believe he was standing right in front of me.

I didn’t move, afraid that if I did, he would disappear like an illusion I had created in my mind.

“A-ahem… miss?”

I snapped out of my thoughts and quickly looked away.

I had been staring at him for far too long.

“O-oh, please excuse my rudeness. I was thinking about something else.”

I gripped my dress when he stepped forward.

“Would you mind sharing this balcony with me? I’m just tired of being inside and wanted some air,” he said softly, his voice piercing my ears.

“I-… you can. Do as you like. I’ve already had enough air—you can enjoy it here.”

Even though I wanted to stay with him a little longer, I shouldn’t.

The family whose body I now possessed was the one he would eventually destroy.

As much as I wanted to support his revenge, I also had to survive in this world. I didn’t know what would happen if I died here… or if it would affect my life outside this world.

If I could even go back at all.

I bowed slightly to signal that I was leaving.

But as I walked past him, he suddenly grabbed my wrist.

I flinched when our skin touched and instinctively tried to pull my hand away. His hand was colder than mine.

“Oh—I’m sorry for touching you without permission,” he said quickly. “I only wanted to ask… could you stay a little longer? I don’t like being alone, and I would feel guilty if you left when you had the balcony first.”

The word alone caught in my throat.

I knew too well what kind of life he had lived.

Hearing him say that hurt more than it should have.

Before I realized it, tears were already falling from my eyes.

The longing and sadness returned once again.

“Oh… why are you suddenly—”

Arzhel stopped when he saw the tears on my face.

“Why are you crying? Did I make you cry?”

His voice turned colder, the corner of his lips twisting slightly.

I took two steps back and quickly wiped my tears.

“N-no. Something just got in my eyes. I’m not crying.”

How embarrassing.

It was our first time meeting, and I was already acting like this.

I might know him from the novel… but he didn’t know me.

His hand hung in the air before he slowly withdrew it and slipped it into his pocket.

“Everyone has secrets they don’t want to share,” he said quietly. “Whatever it is… those tears don’t suit you.”

He leaned closer and gently touched the place where my tears had fallen.

I flinched again at the contact, my face turning red at his sudden action.

He held my hand carefully, as if it were something precious.

“Your hands are cold.”

Then he smiled faintly.

“My mother had cold hands too, so I used to warm them with mine.”

His words struck me like thunder.

Something was wrong.

He was lying.

He had never met his mother.

She had died while giving birth to him.

So why was he lying?

“I remember her whenever I do this she always pats my head,” he continued softly. “But she passed away long ago.”

A strange feeling ran through my body.

Then suddenly, another thought hit me.

Why was he here?

He was supposed to meet the female lead tonight.

That was how their story began.

There was no scene in the novel where he came to the balcony for fresh air.

My mind began to panic as I realized something.

“My mother also liked balconies,” he continued. “You can see the view from here.”

He glanced toward the garden.

“Those roses… they’re my favorite flowers.”

Then he looked back at me.

“Now that I think about it… your hair looks like a rose.”

His hand slowly brushed against my hair while the other still held my hand, keeping me close.

I could feel his breath against my face as he spoke.

“You look like a rose, my lady… Elyndra Windmere.”

My heart pounded.

No.

This didn’t make sense.

He hated flowers—especially roses.

And this balcony…

This was the place where his sister had died.

Even though he hadn’t witnessed it himself, he knew she had fallen from one of the balconies in the marquis’s mansion.

So why was he saying these things?

Was he trying to…

…seduce me?

Slowly, I looked into his eyes.

Even though his voice was soft and his expression gentle, something about those ocean-blue eyes made a chill run down my spine.

I could clearly see the darkness hidden within them.

Dangerous.

He was dangerous.

“By the way,” he said calmly, “my name is Arzhel Ravendish.”

Hearing his name snapped me back to reality.

Yes.

He was Arzhel Ravendish.

The man who would kill anyone who stood in his way.

The man who hid behind an innocent facade to manipulate people… to use them… and destroy them.

I quickly pulled my hand away from him.

“My lady Elyndra?”

He flinched slightly at my sudden rejection.

For a brief moment, I saw annoyance flash across his eyes before he quickly hid it.

“I’m sorry,” I said quickly. “My family is waiting for me. I must excuse myself, sir.”

Without waiting for his response, I turned and walked away.

Away from him.

This was crazy.

What did he want from me?

Then I remembered something.

In the novel, Arzhel had originally planned to use the real Elyndra for his revenge.

But unlike me real Elyndra didn’t go to the balcony before anyone approached her because she suddenly felt unwell andd get back to her room.

So Arzhel had changed his target and approached the female lead instead, since she was Elyndra’s cousin.

⸻

Arzhel Ravendish

Bothersome.

People with fake laughter, greedy eyes, and endless chatter.

I hated parties.

Not only because of these people… but because of the events that had happened here long ago.

Yet everyone acted as if nothing had happened.

“Your Grace, it’s a pleasure to see you here! This is my daughter, Grisly Elowen.”

Greedy nobles.

They only cared about power, reputation, and status.

“Your Grace,” the young lady said as she bowed, looking at me with seductive eyes before raising her hand toward me.

I swallowed my disgust and irritation, forcing a smile as I kissed the back of her hand.

Her perfume suffocated me even more than her presence.

I wanted to erase her existence entirely.

“Lovely evening, my lady.”

Before she could continue speaking, the grand doors opened.

Three people entered the banquet hall.

Marquis Johnson Windmere and his family.

My eyes followed them and caught a glimpse of the young lady standing between them.

She was the center of this celebration.

As I watched her enter with her parents, a smirk formed on my lips.

This girl would be my way in.

My prey.

Soon, I saw her excuse herself from the crowd and walk toward the balcony.

My lips curled into a smile.

It would be easy to get close to her.

I pretended I didn’t know she was already there.

When she saw me, she froze in shock—like a deer caught by a lion.

But when I held her hand…

Something unexpected happened.

Her cold hand warmed instantly in mine.

It felt… strangely good.

Her presence was warm, almost like sunlight.

And her scent…

It was pleasant.

The thought irritated me.

But at the same time, it made things easier.

It wouldn’t be difficult to pretend I wanted to get close to her.

Then suddenly—

She cried.

My heart turned colder.

I didn’t know why she was crying.

But I didn’t want to see it.

It felt as if she were looking straight into the darkness inside me.

Then she pulled away from my grasp.

I hated that feeling.

She had rejected me.

No one had ever rejected my touch before.

People usually craved it.

My hand tightened into a fist.

Before I could ask anything, she ran away.

“Ha…”

Amusement and madness danced in my eyes.

“Should I just break her neck?”

There were many options.

But she was the best one.

And strangely…

A part of me didn’t want to do that.

It would have been easy to slit her throat and end her life.

And I wouldn’t have felt guilty about it.

Yet something stopped me.

I remembered the way she had flinched when I touched her.

I laughed softly at the memory.

Then I looked toward the path where she had disappeared and smiled darkly.

“Elyndra…”

The way her name rolled off my tongue felt strangely satisfying.

Yes.

She was exactly what I needed.

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