The Obsessive Male Lead Is Jealous Of My Doll - Chapter 44
22 — 2
Hearing the last part, Karentina rolled her eyes and lowered her head. Ignis frowned as her shoulders slumped and her body trembled.
“It seems that pretty head of yours is filled only with nothing but cunning schemes to hurt others.”
“Huup—”
When she couldn’t hold back and made a sound, his expression turned fierce. Eventually, she couldn’t hold it in any longer and her body started to tremble.
“Kukuuk…”
Karentina barely suppressed her laughter and pinched her thighs hard to maintain decorum.
“…It seems you want to die.”
“I-I’m so sorry… Pfft. I’m sorry, Your Highness. Kukuuk.”
She wiped away the tears that hung from the corners of her eyes.
“Ha!”
Ignis let out a hollow scoff as if he were exercising extreme patience as crimson flames danced and surged on his hand. Not wanting to provoke him further, she quickly composed herself.
“You’re misunderstanding. Please let me explain.”
“I can’t wait to see what kind of nonsense you’re going to say.”
As Ignis wore a meaningful expression as if offering his last bit of mercy, he waved the flickering flames on his hand menacingly.
Karentina took a deep breath.
“First of all, if you have any doubts that I’m not Karentina Lorraine, you can verify it by going to the prison room known as the Blizzard Room, where Timothia and the butler are imprisoned.”
“I’ve already been there. I even confirmed that Timothia and the butler are locked up.”
“But you weren’t able to open the door, were you?”
“….”
“Only direct descendants of the Lorraine family can open the Blizzard Room. No matter how powerful you are, you can’t open the door. You probably tried, didn’t you? I can easily prove this by opening the door myself.”
As Ignis furrowed his brow grimly, she stifled a laugh inwardly.
“And as for my magical powers… Even my brother doesn’t know that I have them.”
Although it was a memory she’d rather not recall, she quickly opened her mouth, thinking it was better than Ignis having a strange misunderstanding.
“As you may have heard from Lord Butler, I had most of my magic powers taken by Viscount Pablo Maurice, my uncle.”
Ignis’s expression softened just a little.
“My uncle threatened me when I was young. He said that if I revealed I had magic powers, he would kill my brother.”
“Viscount Pablo Maurice… the one who fawned over the Imperial Consort like a sycophant.”
His chillingly subdued voice pierced her ear. The lingering animosity towards the Imperial Consort was palpable.
“When I was young, I was afraid that, like my parents, my brother would also be killed. At that time, I was the same age as Stella.”
At the mention of Stella’s name, Ignis’s eyes shook violently.
“I believe Your Highness knows what happens to children who have their magical powers stolen… so I won’t go into details.”
Children who had been robbed of their magical power lived in a world where only death awaited them.
The flames that had surged from Ignis’s hand vanished like an illusion.
“I was going to die in my room anyway, so I decided to go outside for the last time, and I came out. It might sound easy, but it was very difficult for me.”
“….”
“Saving the Princess was more of a coincidence, and I just thought it was something I had to do. I didn’t want her to suffer the same pain I did.”
Karentina calmed her pounding heart as she recalled the memory of crawling to the door.
Ignis let out a short breath and asked.
“…Then, why did you make a doll that looks exactly like me?”
She felt her heart drop to her toes and swallowed dryly to calm herself.
‘…I must never get caught.’
“I-I didn’t do it on purpose… I think I might have seen a portrait of Your Highness in a letter my brother sent. Since Your Highness has such an outstanding appearance… it must have stuck in my mind.”
Although she didn’t know since Stella was still young, portraits of Ignis were quite common. At the sight of him making a strange expression, Karentina quickly added an explanation.
“I was very lonely. There was no special intention behind making the doll, so please don’t misunderstand.”
Seeing him more relaxed than before, she smiled innocently.
“Also, Your Highness, you’re mistaken. I don’t dream of or even desire to become a crown princess. My only dream is to regain the magic powers taken by my uncle and the Imperial Consort, and to live a long life with the ones I love.”
“….”
“I’m not Your Highness’s enemy, but rather a comrade with the same purpose.”
“How can I believe that?”
Ignis remained skeptical, still not letting his guard down.
“There will be times when I can be of help to Your Highness, so please watch and see.”
Her silver hair fluttered in the cold winter wind.
“….”
“Is this enough of an answer? Then, I’ll go inside first since I’m cold.”
Karentina, who bowed gracefully according to etiquette, turned her back and hurried away, leaving Ignis with a confused expression.
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