The Unlikely Imprint of the Villainess and the Male Lead - Chapter 65
Chapter 65
Translator: Yonnee
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“And, excuse me, but… um, would it be possible to collect a bit of your hair?”
“Did you just say my hair?”
“Well, about five or six strands should do.”
Before he even gave his permission, Luciana stood up, making it clear that this was something she had to do.
“Since the imprint is closely tied to werewolves, Your Grace is an important subject. There are many experiments I need to conduct…”
Before Richt could even respond, Luciana had already approached him.
“Wait, you’re too close—”
“I’m going to pluck it now, okay?”
Richt mumbled something under his breath in a flustered voice, but Luciana, already focused on his thick, soft hair, carefully combed through the strands with her fingers.
Tug. Tug.
More than the sensation on his scalp, it was the warmth radiating from her presence beside him that made him restless.
‘Oh, I’m going to lose it.’
Had she just taken a bath? The faint scent of soap wrapped around him, constantly stimulating his senses.
Ah, the scent of Luciana. It’s been too long.
The only part of him enjoying this was his primal instincts.
Richt, whose sense of smell was sharper than an ordinary human’s, felt like he was being tortured. With every soft rustle of her fingers through his hair, his insides burned.
“Is it taking much longer?”
“It’s done now. Did it hurt? You look a bit…”
“There’s no need to worry about me.”
“Oh… alright.”
Did plucking a few strands of hair actually put him in a bad mood?
Luciana was concerned about Richt, who suddenly seemed out of sorts, but she carefully placed the collected strands in a container to avoid losing them and began preparing to leave.
Rustle, rustle.
As Luciana packed her things, Richt, having finally regained his composure, quietly observed her.
‘She looks exhausted.’
His face contorted slightly in displeasure.
Her sleepy eyes and the dark circles beneath them revealed just how overworked she had been recently. She looked as if a simple push would knock her over, and he wondered if she might collapse any moment now.
Richt couldn’t help but be bothered by her small, fragile-looking frame—though this was entirely his own subjective view.
“You look tired. Have you been pushing yourself too hard lately?”
“Huh?”
Luciana widened her eyes in surprise at the sudden concern for her well-being.
“Ah… a little, yes.”
“Tsk. Are you eating properly?”
“……?”
Now he’s worried about my meals too?
Luciana paused and looked at him.
“You’re not skipping meals, are you?”
“No, I’ve been eating regularly, even snacks…”
Thanks to her parents, who wouldn’t allow her to skip meals, Luciana made sure to eat, including desserts, no matter how busy she was.
“…I see.”
Even though she assured him she was eating well, his expression didn’t soften.
‘She’s clearly been pushing herself with the research.’
A newborn calf would have more energy than her, Richt thought, clicking his tongue lightly before asking,
“Why not take things slow and give yourself some time to rest?”
“……?”
What was he talking about now?
Had Richt not been sleeping well? He was saying all sorts of strange things today.
“But we need to break the imprint as soon as possible so we can live our separate lives, right…?”
“……!”
Separate… lives?
Hearing those words, Richt felt as if the world had split in two.
“What exactly do you mean by that?”
Luciana flinched, wondering if she had said something wrong.
His suddenly darkened expression caught her attention, making her avoid his gaze as she hesitantly explained.
“Well… you know, there’s always the chance of meeting a destined partner someday.”
“A destined partner? What nonsense is that?”
“Uh, well…”
Why was he reacting so sensitively to a simple excuse?
‘Oh, right. Richt was always cynical about love until he fell for the female lead.’
Considering his nature, it wasn’t surprising that he found the idea of soulmates ridiculous. But the truth was, everything she’d said was accurate.
‘I can’t exactly bring up Deborah now.’
Unsure how to explain it further, Luciana swallowed the sigh that threatened to escape.
“I mean, Your Grace and I only got tied together because of an accident, after all…”
……!
The moment the word accident left her lips, Richt’s expression froze over, like a lake turning to ice.
The imprint, in her eyes, was nothing more than the result of an unfortunate incident.
Nothing more, nothing less.
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