I Unintentionally Cured the Grand Duke’s Insomnia - Chapter 154

77. — Plan (2)

“By the way, Saintess, it seems like you have a lot of faith in your divine power.”

“….”

“Looks like you’ve figured out that I’m suspicious, considering how tense you are.”

“….”

“Why did you come alone?”

Lord Jackson—no, Jackson—grinned at Irene, who was biting her lips in silence.

“Is that courage, or just plain foolishness?”

Just as his mocking voice was about to make me uneasy, he grabbed my wrist and pulled me to my feet.

“What are you doing…!”

All my efforts to resist were futile as he held me tight. Jackson drew a dagger from his waist and, as Irene stepped forward, pointed it at my neck, warning her to stay back.

“Lia!”

“That’s close enough, Saintess.”

“….”

“You’d better stay back. If you come any closer, I can’t promise what will happen.”

Irene flinched and froze at Jackson’s menacing warning. I clenched my lips, feeling the cold metal pressing against my throat, and spoke.

“You said the castle was dangerous, but I didn’t realize it would mean this, Lord Jackson.”

“That’s why it would have been better if you had quietly drunk your tea earlier, Lia.”

“….”

“Why do you keep messing up my plans and getting on my nerves?”

If that’s the case, you should have at least told me your plan beforehand!

I kept the complaints I couldn’t voice to myself.

To be honest, even if he had told me, I wasn’t exactly planning to drink the tea calmly! But seriously, how did things end up like this? Didn’t he save me just yesterday? What on earth happened to him to change his attitude so drastically after just one day?!

“Lia, it’s alright. You’ll be okay.”

For some reason, seeing Irene seem more panicked than I was, my mind started to clear. I didn’t want to admit it, but there was no denying this situation was pretty much the worst. Neither Irene nor I had ever even touched a weapon before. And even if Jackson’s arm were broken, he was still a man with great physical strength. Maybe if he didn’t have a weapon, it’d be different, but right now, he was threatening my life with a dagger.

The more I thought about it, the worse the situation felt, and my lips kept getting drier and drier.

Amid the whirlwind of thoughts in my mind, I suddenly felt a sharp pain. Feeling something warm running down my neck, I quickly squeezed my eyes shut.

‘This is bad.’

‘If things go wrong, I’m really going to die.’

Through my heightened senses, I could smell the sharp, metallic stench of blood. My mind raced as I tried to think, the terrifying smell filling the room.

‘…Okay, think.’

If I didn’t want to die here, I needed to come up with something. I needed to figure out a way to get out of this somehow…!

Just then, a lark appeared outside the window.

Seeing Lyle’s eyes gleam as if he were ready to rush in at any moment, I quickly raised my palm to signal him to stop. Given how Jackson was already suspicious about the lark in this situation, I wasn’t sure things would work out in our favor, even if Lyle changed into his human form.

But at that moment, Jackson’s grip on me tightened with great force.

“That’s right. That bird over there shouldn’t move either, right?”

“….”

“I’ve had a feeling something was off since yesterday.”

I nodded cautiously as I glanced at Lyle, who had flinched.

Jackson, who had been chuckling at my reaction, turned to Irene and spoke.

“Now that I think about it, there’s something I’ve always wondered.”

“….”

“I wonder if the saintess, who says she loves all life equally, is truly fair to everyone.”

There was an ominous tone in his voice, sounding almost half-crazy. He met Irene’s frozen gaze and whispered in a low voice,

“If you kill that bird, I’ll let Lia go.”

“…What?”

“Lia is someone important to the Saintess, so it shouldn’t be too hard of a decision.”

“….”

“Now hurry up and make your choice. I’m not known for being patient.”

Watching Irene freeze in shock, I shut my eyes tightly.

That bird was definitely Lyle. Maybe this man knew that as well. In the end, he was forcing Irene to choose between Lyle’s life and mine.

Why was he doing this?

Why did things like this keep happening to someone like me, an extra?!

‘…Am I really going to die here? Is this how it ends for me?’

As death drew near, Cain, who had been burdened by guilt over Abel’s death, flashed through my mind. If I die here, would he end up blaming himself for my death too?

I didn’t want to be the trauma that haunted him.

At that moment, a thought suddenly flashed across my mind. I didn’t know if this would work, but if I just stayed like this, we were all going to end up dead anyway.

Yeah, it was better to try something than to die hopelessly here.

I carefully spoke to the man who kept making clicking sounds with his mouth.

“It seems like today might be the end of my life, but could you pass a message to His Highness the Grand Duke, Lord Jackson?”

Jackson, who had frowned slightly at my words, responded with a chuckle in his voice.

“Poor Lia. It looks like the Saintess has decided that, in the end, she can’t choose anyone.”

“….”

“Alright, tell me. I’ll make sure it gets to him.”

Taking a deep breath, I slowly opened my mouth.