The Unlikely Imprint of the Villainess and the Male Lead - Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Translator: Yonnee

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Eyes that seemed ready to spill tears at the slightest touch, filled with sorrow.

Realizing that the woman was clearly rejecting him, a ruthless sensation, like being stabbed by a sharp needle, spread throughout his body.

Even though he had no feelings for Luciana.

“Hah!”

As soon as Richt became aware of the uncomfortable change insidiously taking place in his body, he pushed away the pervasive thoughts of Luciana and sneered.

It was the vile nature that called out for the scent of a mate, regardless of his will.

All of this was the result of the imprinting that had occurred in just one single night.

‘Has her presence already rooted itself deep within me?’

That meant he was doomed to fall hopelessly in love with her, doomed to live a life of torment.

‘Is it really this futile and uncontrollable?’

Despite his vows and determination to live differently.

As the sturdy walls he had built over the years began to crumble, his fingertips trembled.

As the emotions rising in his throat grew more intense, he covered his reddening eyes with his hand and took ragged breaths.

‘…If I were to kill her without anyone knowing.’

The obsessive thought of escaping this damnable situation led his mind to an extreme.

He recalled the sensation of her slender neck in his hand.

If he were to snap it like a twig, it would lose its vitality quickly.

Yet, imagining her lifeless form made it hard to breathe, as if witnessing a horrendous tragedy.

He knew it too. Even if he decided to kill her, standing before her as her mate would render him incapable of doing anything.

“……”

A terrifyingly destructive emotion washed over him like a wave.

Knock, knock.

The sound of an unexpected knock stopped Richt, who was on the verge of exploding like a volcano.

“Your Grace. It’s Godwin.”

“…Enter.”

The butler, who had seen Luciana off to ensure the duke’s reputation remained untarnished, approached his sensitive master and bowed.

“The guest has been escorted to the estate with utmost care.”

While giving a concise report, Godwin’s deep blue eyes occasionally glanced at Richt’s left wrist hidden beneath his shirt.

Though he couldn’t see it, he knew there was a mark indicating that his master had taken a mate.

Godwin was from a family that had served the ducal household for generations, and as of the moment, he was the only servant left who was aware of House Cassio’s secrets.

‘His Grace had kept all women at a distance his entire life, yet he has imprinted?’

Having served as the butler since Richt was a child, Godwin found it hard to believe even after seeing it with his own eyes and asked him.

“Have you truly imprinted with Lady Leslie, Your Grace?”

“…Yes.”

Richt furrowed his brow momentarily at the direct question, but ultimately, his answer was affirmative.

‘That’s…’

Godwin grew serious along with the unexpected admission.

Seeing the state of his master, marked more by suffering than the happiness of finding a mate, it was clear that the imprinting that occurred overnight had not been according to Richt’s will.

‘Did the lady act on her own? But why didn’t His Grace punish the one who committed such a crime and instead quietly sent her back to the marquisate? Wait, didn’t the lady come out of His Grace’s bedroom today?’

As he pieced together the details, Godwin’s expression grew increasingly confused.

He had not received any report about a visitor last night. And the duke’s bedroom was not a place that could be visited without proper procedures.

‘That means His Grace had some degree of consent…’

However, seeing his master’s unstable state, his mind was again filled with questions.

‘It seems unwise to inquire too deeply about this.’

For now, the more pressing issue wasn’t that.

Godwin’s face turned grave once more. If his suspicions were correct and the imprint was an accidental result, a very troublesome problem loomed before them.

“But Your Grace, it is winter now.”

“……!”

The butler’s words, hinting at something significant, caused Richt’s eyes to widen belatedly.

“Damn it.”