The Unlikely Imprint of the Villainess and the Male Lead - Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Translator: Yonnee

—

‘…Damn it.’

Sensing Luciana’s questioning gaze, Richt inwardly cursed.

The faint despair in her suspicious eyes made him feel inexplicably uneasy.

It was a feeling he had never experienced before, but it felt strangely familiar, as if it had been ingrained in him.

Richt tried to ignore this fact.

‘…It looks like it’s the first time she’s hearing about this matter. So, it’s only natural that she’d be curious.’

The woman before him was now bound to him. Even if he didn’t like it, he had to share the long-kept family secret.

However, when he tried to speak, his body refused to cooperate.

The lack of trust in sharing information that had been kept secret for so long weighed heavily on his mind. They were essentially strangers who had only met today.

‘A binding pact would suffice, but the situation is not ideal.’

A simple written agreement wouldn’t be enough.

To ensure absolute secrecy, a magical binding needed to be put in place… which would take until the afternoon to prepare. Until then, he had to keep this woman close.

“Your Grace, I apologize for the intrusive question, but are you really an ordinary human…?”

Moreover, Luciana’s anxious voice indicated she couldn’t wait any longer.

“Stop there.”

“……!”

Richt abruptly cut her off and stared at Luciana coldly.

‘It seems difficult to explain with half-truths.’

…Even though he didn’t like it, it seemed that was the only way.

His eyes, filled with a foreboding energy, scanned Luciana as if assessing her.

Her anxious, trembling eyes and shallow breaths.

Although she appeared delicate, based on their conversation and her cautious demeanor, she seemed to understand the value of her life.

‘If I give her a convincing warning, she won’t dare to act foolishly.’

The decision didn’t take long.

Richt, who had been standing far from Luciana, approached the bed in an instant and reached out his hand.

“Ah…!”

His large hand, emerging from under his loosely worn shirt, reached for Luciana’s slender neck.

“You’re the daughter of House Leslie, correct?”

“Y-Yes, Your Grace.”

Though his grip was gentle, like holding a bubble, the slow movement of his thumb on her skin made her heart sink.

From a different perspective, his touch might seem seductive, but Luciana couldn’t move, despite the faint tingling sensation spreading across her skin.

Ignoring the petrified Luciana, Richt spoke in a cold, cutting voice.

“If you dare spread word of today’s events, neither you nor your family will be safe.”

“……!”

The merciless warning weighed heavily on Luciana’s shoulders.

‘He means it.’

Being involved in this imprinting meant she had stepped into a dangerous territory. Instinctively, Luciana sensed that defying the duke would bring silent retribution.

Given his status as the male lead and a noble with considerable influence in the empire, there was little he couldn’t accomplish if he set his mind to it.

“There is no way I would do that. I swear.”

Luciana, eyes tightly shut, promised earnestly.

“If you value your life, you’d better keep that promise.”

Although he planned to get a formal pledge from her later.

Richt added dryly and then withdrew his hand, as if that settled the matter.

‘Haa…’

Luciana felt a layer of tension peel away as she took a deep breath.

What kind of significant secret did he have to make such a threat?

As soon as she began to wonder, his tightly closed lips started to move.

“I am not like ordinary people.”

“……?”

Richt ran his hand roughly through his ebony hair, as if wanting to overturn the reality he faced.

“…The blood of wolves has flowed in the Duke’s family for generations.”

“…What?”

“The imprinting is because of that.”

t/n: seems like we’re dealing with a mix of omegaverse and the soulbond trope? kinda like the soul mark in the manhwa ‘Villain’s Savior’? i̷̩̐n̸̥͌ͅt̸̤̮͘e̴͉̍r̷̡͕̓e̶̮͑s̴̖̘̾̔t̴̻̠͑̓i̴̪̿n̸͎̄͘ḡ̶̢͗