The Unlikely Imprint of the Villainess and the Male Lead - Chapter 9
Chapter 9
Translator: Yonnee
—
The Cassio Dukedom’s lineage traces back to a distant past when a werewolf—known as a half-human half-beast which were now extinct—and a human woman formed a bond, resulting in their descendants.
‘Why is he suddenly talking about wolves? The original novel didn’t have this kind of set-up in its worldbuilding.’
Luciana’s face hardened like stone as she quietly listened to Richt’s words.
‘If that’s true, it means there are parts of the story I, a dedicated reader who read till the end, didn’t know.’
Reeling from the shock, Luciana forgot her fear of Richt and frantically tried to make sense of it.
‘Now that I think about it… I did see a post on the author’s SNS before I died about a surprising epilogue in the works.’
Could that yet-to-be-revealed story be about the secret of the Cassio Dukedom?
While the plausible suspicion swirled in her mind, believing it was another matter entirely.
“As expected, you seem skeptical.”
Richt rubbed his forehead, clearly troubled by Luciana’s inability to accept his words easily.
Indeed. Who would readily believe that someone who appeared to be an ordinary person was a descendant of a long-extinct werewolf lineage?
‘Especially coming from a duke of the empire.’
Historically, such mixed races weren’t perceived positively.
Yet, despite everything, the undeniable proof of their strong imprint was etched on both of them.
No matter how unbelievable it seemed, how could she continue to deny it here?
Finally grasping Richt’s true identity, Luciana found herself at a loss for words.
* * *
Clip-clop, clip-clop.
“…”
Riding in an exquisitely luxurious carriage, Luciana blankly stared into space, mulling over the conversation she had with Richt that morning.
‘Unbelievable.’
The male lead was a werewolf descendant. And on top of that, he had imprinted on her?
The only consolation was that the mark on their wrists was visible only to them.
For now, that alone made her feel as if she had been pulled from deep waters.
‘The original story… It’s not just broken, it’s shattered into pieces.’
Desperately clinging to a last glimmer of hope, Luciana asked him about the imprint in detail.
Looking as if his mouth was filled with coarse sand, Richt spoke in a voice that seemed to confess a terrible truth.
“It means a lifelong bond with a mate.”
“Those with the blood of wolves are compelled to love their chosen mate, regardless of their will. No matter how fiercely one resists with sheer mental strength… the end is always the same.”
There was no exception.
Though the notion of a lifelong, unyielding love might sound romantic to some, Richt’s face showed he viewed it as a horrific curse.
“Do you now understand the situation we’re in?”
His cynical words seemed more like he was questioning himself.
“Come to think of it, the male lead in the original story…”
When the novel reached its climax, there was a part where Richt confessed his heartfelt feelings to Deborah.
“I swear to love you evermore, until the moment these eyes close. My soul is already bound to you. You are my one and only love, Deborah.”
At the time, she thought it was just the climax of Richt finally admitting he had become a slave to love after a long period of denial.
But now, realizing the hidden truth of the original story, the line that she once considered sweet whispers felt much more solemn.
An eternal and unique love. A subjugation of the soul.
“But the person he shares that with has changed now.”
No matter how handsome and perfect the male lead was, Luciana had never desired to be by Richt’s side.
A sweet love awaited the protagonists not far away. What was she supposed to do with the female lead left alone if things went this way?
“…I don’t want to separate them like this.”
The protagonists, destined for a sweet romance, were now doomed to be separated after just this one night.
As if it wasn’t enough to twist the original story? She had become an even worse villainess.
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