I Became the Substitute for the Runaway Heroine - Chapter 64

‘Am I far enough away now?’

Caesar sat in a chair well away from the bed, resting his chin in one hand, trying to calm the burning in his chest.

Then rustle, he sensed movement along the wall and, without hesitation, drew a dagger and hurled it.

Thunk!

The blade embedded itself in the floorboards, missing a moth that flitted harmlessly away.

‘Ah, for heaven’s sake!’

Only then did Caesar realize—this wasn’t reality. It was a dream.

Because of the divine power he had absorbed from Odette, a portion of her abilities had transferred to him. Just as she could enter his subconscious, he too had crossed into hers.

‘So… whose dream is this, then?’

He approached Odette’s sleeping form and gazed at her for a long while. The soft smile lingering on her lips made his chest ache.

Did it really matter whose dream it was?

With a steadying breath, Caesar finally lay beside her—quietly, as if afraid to disturb even the air between them.

‘If this is the only way I can be near you… then it’s enough. I’ll endure.’

That was what his buried heart told him. But the ache inside his chest only grew sharper, deeper.

He didn’t want to be abandoned.

He didn’t want to lose her.

Suddenly rising, Caesar leaned on one arm, watching her intently for what felt like an eternity.

Her eyes, her delicate nose, her soft, red lips—his gaze swept over them reverently. He slowly bent closer.

His lips touched hers, gentle and tentative.

As he slowly absorbed her divine energy, he breathed a touch of his own demonic energy into her.

‘Love me, Odette.’

Even if it was just a dream—it didn’t matter.

‘Please… love me.’

He was nearly desperate enough to become an incubus if it meant seducing her, if it meant making her stay.

The reason he hadn’t yet dragged her back home, despite having countless chances… was because he didn’t want just her body.

He wanted all of her—heart, soul, everything.

Desire burning in his chest, Caesar whispered aloud, unable to contain the flames inside him any longer.

“Just love me.”

“Mm…”

As if intoxicated by his demonic energy, her lips parted ever so slightly.

Caesar eagerly leaned in again and kissed her—tender and yearning.

Tomorrow, they would finally reach Demuna.

“We should stop here for the night,” Jacques suggested.

Odette nodded without hesitation.

“Good idea.”

The inn looked shabby, but she was exhausted from restless sleep and long travel.

Even the briefest nap in the carriage brought Caesar into her dreams.

‘Ugh, this isn’t even escape anymore.’

It was practically like living with him.

Would the Saint’s Staff finally put an end to this? Odette desperately hoped so.

Previous High Priestesses had used the Staff to manage their divine power. Her unstable abilities could likely be controlled the same way.

‘If I can claim the Staff, I can hide my powers… and protect myself.’

She rubbed her pale, drawn cheeks and headed toward the inn.

‘Hm? Did I choose the wrong place?’

Why did this inn give her such an eerie feeling?

Maybe that was a good thing. With fewer travelers, it meant less chance of being noticed.

Creak.

As she opened the door, a cloud of dust rose, the stagnant air inside shifting heavily.

‘Ugh! There may not be people, but there’s sure plenty of dust.’

Just as she considered leaving, the innkeeper snapped awake, startled by the noisy bell.

It felt wrong to leave after waking him. Odette spoke gently.

“I was looking for a room for the night. But if you’re too tired, don’t trouble yourself.”

“Oh no, not at all! Welcome, welcome.”

He let melted wax drip down to reignite the dying candle’s wick. The room brightened instantly.

Odette tugged her hood lower over her eyes.

The innkeeper smiled as he observed them.

“Three fine guests tonight. Now then, who’s paired with whom? One man, two women—it’s a curious arrangement.”

Jacques frowned.

“How rude. Isn’t your job to rent rooms, not interrogate your guests?”

“They said to report any unmarried woman with blonde hair and violet eyes staying at the inn. Also, any blonde woman with green eyes. Said she might’ve used magic eye drops or something.”

Odette kept her gaze low, eyes fixed on the floor, ensuring not even a glimmer of her eyes was visible beneath the hood.

Jacques stepped in front of her protectively and asked, his tone sharp, “And just who are we supposed to report this to?”

“To the lord, of course. Some desperate fool’s plastered portraits all over the Empire, begging the lords to help find his runaway fiancée. Promised a huge reward if someone turns her in.”

The innkeeper opened a drawer, likely to pull out one of those portraits.

“Let’s see now… says here she’s Count Anderson’s adopted daughter. Miss, would you kindly lower your hood? I need to compare your face to this portrait.”

Jacques scoffed and stepped in. “Her eyes aren’t violet. Her eyelids are bruised violet.”

“What? Her eyelids?”

“Yeah. Got into a little spat yesterday. I swung my arm and accidentally hit her face. Left quite the bruise.”

The innkeeper’s demeanor shifted instantly. He barked, outraged, “You call that an excuse? How could you lay a hand on such a delicate lady? Miss, you should leave this brute immediately!”

Right on cue, Emma stepped forward. “We’re on our way to file for divorce.”

“Oh, I see… And you are?” The innkeeper looked at her curiously.

“Oh! I plan to marry him once they’re divorced.”

“Wh-what?! You want to marry a man who beats his wife?”

Emma shrugged nonchalantly. “It’s fine. I’ll beat him back. I can guarantee I’ll never lose.”

At her absurd claim, the innkeeper seemed to forget all about reporting women with violet or green eyes. Instead, he leapt up from his chair, eyes wide with urgency.

“Please, reconsider. Men like him can’t be fixed.”

“Well, I love him anyway,” Emma replied, looping her arm around Jacques’s.

The innkeeper sighed heavily, throwing up his hands. “They’re not even divorced yet and look at them! Alright, that’s it. Separate rooms. If I catch you sharing a room, you’ll be thrown out on the spot.”

He handed them three room keys, raising two fingers sternly toward Jacques and Emma—a warning: I’ve got my eyes on you. Don’t even think about sharing a room.

‘Wait a second… all the terraces are connected?’

Despite the innkeeper’s strict warning not to visit each other’s rooms, Odette stepped out onto the terrace and discovered that they were all connected.

Hearing her footsteps, Emma peeked out from her own room’s terrace door.

“Oh my, they really are connected! Hahaha!”

Odette chuckled with her, then turned her gaze outward, toward the edge of the village.

“Wow!”

Startled by Odette’s gasp, Emma lifted her eyes to the distant horizon.

“What is that glowing over there?”

Perhaps because the surrounding landscape was cloaked in darkness, the distant lights shimmered even more clearly along the horizon—like a glowing ring of fire.

“It must be Demuna. Looks like they lit torches along the walls guarding the Holy Land.”

“We’re finally here, then,” Emma said with awe.

“Yeah.”

Hearing their murmuring, Jacques opened his terrace door and stepped out.

“Whoa! So much for privacy, huh?”

“Right?” Emma shot back playfully, “You abusive husband.”

“Pardon?” Jacques blinked, then burst into laughter. “Hahahaha!”

He’d remembered his earlier improvisation—‘Violet eyelids’—and couldn’t help but laugh at the absurdity of it.

Odette shook her head, smiling faintly. Caesar knew that magic eye drops could change her green eyes to violet. From now on, she’d have to avoid using them.

While she pondered that, Jacques looked out at the glittering lights of Demuna and spoke.

“Lady Odette, if you’re curious about Demuna, I can gather some information.”

“That would be great.”

She didn’t know much about the place beyond what little had reached her ears.

“All I know is… the Saint’s Staff is said to be in Demuna’s Golden Tower.”

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