The Unlikely Imprint of the Villainess and the Male Lead - Chapter 45

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Chapter 45

Translator: Yonnee

—

“…Huu.”

Thinking back to that night, Richt finally put down the papers he’d been trying to focus on and leaned back heavily in his chair.

Since the night he’d spent with Luciana, the physical urges that had driven him so intensely had faded away, but his awareness of her had only grown more complicated.

It wasn’t merely the aftermath of a single night. More than anything, the guilt weighed heavily on him.

“I’ll have someone bring you contraceptive tea. Make sure to drink it before you leave.”

Not only had he brushed her off with such cold indifference, but his words had been sharp, almost cutting.

The truth was, Luciana was as much a victim of the imprint as he was.

And she had borne an even greater burden than him, having to endure the entire ordeal despite the intense pressure it brought.

That night, regardless of his own state, he should have put her needs first.

“But I didn’t…”

Damn it.

His anxious gaze flickered, recalling every mistake he’d made.

“Lucy, I love you.”

He’d whispered those words countless times, holding her close through the night.

‘But that wasn’t my choice.’

The moment the rut struck, the instincts lurking beneath his consciousness had overtaken his reason.

His declarations of love, his pleas to stay with him forever, had all been driven by primal urges, not genuine emotions.

“…This is madness.”

Richt ran his fingers through his slightly longer hair, pulling his chin in tightly, his expression grim.

Memories of Luciana kept flooding his mind, and without warning, his heart stirred with an unbidden excitement.

He remembered every single moment of that night vividly. No matter how fervently he tried to remind himself that his confessions and his need were driven by instinct, he couldn’t forgive himself for abandoning his own resolve and surrendering to those impulses.

That was why he had treated her so coldly upon waking, keeping his distance.

Facing her would only remind him of his weakness, his desperate longing for her as his mate, and the countless confessions he’d uttered in his mindless state.

He couldn’t bear to look into her clear, unguarded eyes, and see the one he had promised himself he’d never take as a mate.

Even a simple “Are you alright?” had been impossible to voice.

Any sign of vulnerability would’ve risked his resolve, would’ve threatened to shatter the fragile control he had over himself, leaving him utterly defenseless to her. He felt a gnawing dread that he would surrender everything to her without hesitation.

“……”

But even though he chose to ignore her completely, thinking it would preserve his control, he knew it hadn’t worked.

His instincts tormented him, causing him to unconsciously search for her presence more and more often.

“As soon as you finish drinking the tea, use the return spell.”

All he’d done was hand her the contraceptive tea and disappear. Yet, not half a day after Luciana had left, Richt found himself regretting his harshness.

As he tried to settle back into his routine, pretending as though the aftermath of his rut hadn’t affected him, an urgent voice echoed through his mind, an inner turmoil pressing in.

—You shouldn’t have spoken to her like that. Go apologize to her now!

His instincts conjured up the image of Luciana’s hurt expression, the way her face had hardened after hearing his cold words.

—Think it over carefully. You remember her eyes, don’t you? She was wounded by your words.

The voice of his instincts nagged him without pause, amplifying his unease.

With each stinging reminder of her pain, he saw her wounded expression, and anxiety churned within him. His breathing grew shallow, and his palms were damp with sweat.

Sensing that it was gaining the upper hand, those instincts pushed harder.

—What will you do if you’re rejected by your mate forever? If that happens, it’ll be your own coldness that drove her away!