Chapter 4
Iana thought she must have misheard. As if to dispel her doubt, Diabel continued calmly.
“If a book is boring, you can just close it and pick up another one… But…”
Diabel was still smiling.
“I thought it would be a shame to end the book that is you like this.”
“…….”
“So I decided to give you an opportunity.”
“……Then.”
Iana’s voice dropped low.
“You stayed by my side because you enjoyed watching me?”
“That is correct.”
At those words, Iana’s reason finally snapped.
Smack!
The sharp sound of a slap echoed. Diabel’s head tilted to the left.
Iana could be heard breathing raggedly. Her fair, slender palm stung.
Diabel’s cheek had reddened slightly too, but not as much as Iana’s hand. He chuckled softly and looked at her.
“Shall I offer you the other cheek as well?”
Before he finished speaking, Iana struck his other cheek.
Her face was twisted mercilessly with anger and despair. Tears welled up in her eyes—tears she hadn’t even shown in front of Erez.
In a way, Diabel was her savior. He had saved her when she was about to die, granted her wish. It was Diabel who had given her back a life where no one died.
But her sense of betrayal was stronger than her gratitude. Thirteen years with him. The fact that he had fooled her so completely for thirteen years enraged her.
It was an unbearable pain. It felt as if the world she had believed in was crumbling.
She had endured that hellish first night for him. She had risked her life to bear a child she did not want. And yet, to him, it had all been nothing but a form of amusement.
Her heart was not just torn to shreds—it felt reduced to ashes. She might have hurt less if Rosel had killed her.
“You bastard, you bastard! I… how much I…”
Loved you.
The last words would not leave her mouth. She slapped him again. Her palm ached, but her anger did not subside in the least.
“You saw me suffering! When I walked into that rapist’s bedroom, when I risked my life to give birth! When I wailed, missing my family!
Was all of it just an entertaining story to you? Did you enjoy watching me cry? Go on, say something with that silver tongue of yours!”
As she lashed out like a madwoman, Diabel raised an arm and gently caught her wrist. He used only the minimum force needed, careful not to break it.
A scratch appeared on Diabel’s face. Blood trickled down his cheek—perhaps from a fingernail. He held Iana’s right hand carefully in both hands and spoke.
“You’re hurting your hand.”
“……!”
Her face flushed with anger. She tried to yank her hand away roughly, but Diabel did not let go.
“If slapping my face eases your anger, you may strike me as much as you like. However, I suggest you use something other than your hand.”
“Why? Isn’t this kind of thing fun for you?”
Iana’s voice was sharp and spiteful. Her face was drenched in tears, though she did not realize it.
Diabel slowly released her hand. Iana was still breathing raggedly.
“Are you wondering why I made my offer only now?”
Iana did not answer; she simply glared at Diabel. He said quietly:
“Because I believed that, without my help, you would be fully capable of achieving your revenge.”
Then he smiled faintly.
“Besides, it wouldn’t be fun if an extra stepped in.”
In the end, this man had helped her and deceived her all because it was ‘interesting’.
Tears kept streaming down Iana’s face. Her throat burned as if melting.
“I loved you.”
Her voice sounded like a confession of defeat. Diabel only blinked.
“And now?”
“I want to kill you.”
Her clenched fist trembled violently. Diabel silently reached out and wiped her tears.
“That would be a problem. Because I intend to watch your story until the very end.”
The hand touching her cheek was warm. That made it all the more sorrowful. It would have been better if it were cold as iron.
“I am on your side, Iana.”
“How can I trust you after you lied to me?”
Diabel did not waver at her words.
“I want to see an interesting ending. For that, I will help you with all my might.”
Then Diabel smiled innocently, as if truly devoted to her.
Iana said nothing. Instead, she forcefully pushed his hand away from her cheek.
“Get out of my sight this instant.”
Her eyes had grown deep and cold. A chilling sharpness flowed within them.
“Leave this estate and never appear before me again.”
Diabel slowly turned his body to face Iana. He tilted his head slightly.
“I think you’re misunderstanding one thing.”
His tone was light. He spoke as if stating an important fact.
“The head of this household is not you, Iana, but your father.”
Until yesterday, Iana had been the regent and ruler of House Pasito. But now she was just an ordinary noble daughter. She had no authority to fire Diabel.
Yet Iana remained unshaken. She only slowly raised her hand, her eyes filled with hatred.
Without hesitation, Iana grabbed the front of her dress and tore it apart. The thin silk fabric instantly became rags.
Her ivory-white body was exposed. Diabel looked briefly startled. Iana spoke in a flat voice.
“If I say my daughter was nearly raped, my father won’t stay still. Even if I’m no longer regent, I have plenty of ways to drive you out.”
Diabel stared at her blankly for a moment. Then he slowly approached her.
Even though she was half-naked, Iana felt no shame. Even when Diabel stopped right before her.
After a moment, an outer garment was draped over Iana’s shoulders. It was Diabel’s. He looked down at her silently, then spoke.
“I’ll back down for now. I don’t want to hear such things, even as a joke.”
Diabel smiled wryly. He bowed slightly, then brushed past Iana.
Click. The sound of the doorknob turning was heard. Diabel faced forward and said softly:
“I will never leave your side. No matter what.”
“…….”
Clack. Soon, the sound of the door closing followed.
Silence filled the room. After a long while, Iana slowly moved her feet.
She collapsed onto the bed. She felt like an empty shell. Somehow, everything felt hollow.
Thirteen years of pain felt utterly trivial. She wanted to forget it all. She wished she could hibernate forever, but there was no time to rest.
The faces of her family came to mind. Her laughing older sister, older brother, younger sibling, and her father.
There was no time to dwell in despair. In one month, House Rosel would attack.
‘One month… How am I supposed to stop the attack?’
She recalled Diabel’s words from earlier. She was no longer the head of the house. She had neither the authority to declare war on House Rosel nor the power to increase the guards.
She was just an ordinary noble daughter. That alone meant she could do nothing.
‘If I tell Father that House Rosel will attack… If I tell him I came back from the future…’
Iana sighed softly. There was no way he would believe her. She would be treated like a madwoman.
‘I have to stop them somehow.’
Thinking that, Iana sat up. The outer garment draped over her fell silently to the floor.
Iana threw the garment away as if she couldn’t stand the sight of it. The dress she had torn in anger was in tatters.
‘First, I need to change clothes.’
She approached the wardrobe. As she looked for something to wear, she caught sight of her naked body in the mirror.
‘What is that?’
The full-length mirror reflected Iana’s beautiful, bare body. Flawless, smooth skin. A body cared for with milk and honey, like a small porcelain doll.
On that white flesh, one dark spot sat. Around her left chest.
Looking closely, it appeared to be a tattoo or a brand. It also resembled some kind of magic circle.
Startled by the unfamiliar mark, Iana suddenly thought of Diabel.
“Surely not…”
Iana slowly traced the ominous mark. She seemed to vaguely recall the intense pain that had run through her entire body when Diabel had kissed the back of her hand.
2. Invitation from House Rosel
A faint floral scent lingered in the bathroom. Several maids bustled about, preparing the bath. Dried violet petals floated in the tub filled with hot water.
Iana watched the scene as she had her hair brushed. She wasn’t particularly in the mood to bathe, but since they had prepared it, she didn’t want to refuse.
‘This isn’t the time to be so relaxed…’
About two days had passed since she returned to the past. In that time, she had tried to think of a way, but no good plan had come to mind.
She hadn’t seen Diabel during that time. Diabel hadn’t appeared before Iana either.
‘It’s annoying when I see him, and annoying when I don’t.’
Iana wore a sullen expression. The maid brushing her hair spoke.
“Milady, that new guard—he’s really handsome, isn’t he?”
It was Jane, a maid two years younger than Iana. She was hardworking and kind, but talkative—that was her only flaw.
“You mean Diabel?”
“Yes. Unlike ordinary swordsmen, he’s very kind.”
That was just her nature. Though it was all pretense. Iana responded indifferently. Jane, unaware of Iana’s true feelings, chattered on.
“The other maids are all in a frenzy. They’re putting on more makeup than usual.”
Iana pitied those maids. The Diabel they saw was nothing but a mask.
Then she chuckled to herself. How could she mock others when she herself had been fooled by that same mask?
“Jane. What about you?”
Jane’s face turned bright red. Iana noticed that Jane, too, had put on more powder than usual, her face paler than normal.
“Oh, what are you saying, milady? I wouldn’t even dream of such a thing!”
Watching the maid’s reaction made Iana’s lips twist, as if she were seeing her past self. Finally, she spoke.
“People are not what they appear to be. Don’t trust people too easily, Jane. It will only poison you.”
Like me. She swallowed the last words. Jane made a strange face, then nodded.
“Milady, the bath is ready.”
Another maid spoke to Iana. Iana rose from her seat.
“I’ll bathe alone. All of you, leave.”
“Again?”
“Yes. From now on, I’ll wash by myself.”
The maids looked puzzled but left the bathroom. Only after being alone did Iana slowly undress.
The mark remained on Iana’s chest. She thought about what that suspicious emblem might be, but no answer came.
Only a vague guess that it might have something to do with Diabel. Iana sighed shortly.
‘To find out what this is, I’ll have to see Diabel after all.’
She slowly stepped into the warm water. As her body relaxed, her tension seemed to ease a little.
But she couldn’t afford to enjoy the comfort freely. Iana slowly replayed the night of the tragedy, thirteen years ago.
It was dinnertime. That day had been nothing special. Not someone’s birthday, not a feast day—just an ordinary day.
All the family members gathered for dinner. She remembered Lloyd groaning, hungover from heavy drinking the night before. He couldn’t even eat properly, only gulping down water.
While they were eating, Wilhelm suddenly began to cough violently.
He kept coughing, covering his mouth with his hand. The coughing wouldn’t stop.
Cough, cough, cough. She watched his white beard turn red in time with the sounds. Only then did Iana realize that something was wrong.
