I Was Meant to Be the Evil Wife, But the Cold Marquis Fell for Me - Chapter 42

The invisible chains that had bound Liliana’s body vanished. The blockage in her throat dissolved. She felt blood flowing freely to her fingertips again.

—Liliana was now freed from the “story.”

She rose from her chair. Everyone in the room turned to her in shock.

“Elina, why did you do all this?”
“……!”

Elina gasped, glaring at her.

Liliana now knew with certainty.

Elina too knew the novel: “I’m Just a Talentless Maid, Yet the Cold Marquis Dotes on Me?! ~ Turns Out I’m the World’s Only Saint.”

She had acted according to it, striving for its happy ending.

Otherwise, she would never have tried to “correct” events when they strayed from the plot. She would never have proclaimed herself a saint before the time the story revealed it.

But why? Even if she realized this was the world of the novel, why force it back on track when Liliana refused to play the wicked wife?

Elina could have lived peacefully as a maid. Eventually her saintly powers might have awakened, and perhaps then Leivis would have loved her.

Why not wait? Why try to twist fate back, to ruin Liliana?

“…Because you were in the way!”

Elina’s voice burst out, raw with emotion.

“If only you weren’t here… If only you acted like the wicked wife… You wouldn’t raise the flags, so I did it myself!”

Everyone else was baffled by her words. Only Liliana understood.

Elina had moved according to the “story,” scheming to brand Liliana a wicked wife, destroy her, and claim Leivis’s love as the saint.

—But that story was broken.

Even if the plot collapsed, time moved forward. The world turned. It could not be stopped.

“I’m not at fault! Madam was cruel to me…”

Her weak sobs rang hollow.

“Why?! Fate should favor me! My story was supposed to be different! I’m the only saint, adored by Leivis—”

She screamed, half-mad, her voice full of conviction yet touching no one. The air grew cold.

(So, Elina knew the same story I did.)

Her cries revealed how much she had relied on fate. But now, abandoned, she was alone.

—She was no longer the protagonist.

“So that is your ‘story’? A delusion serving only yourself.”

Leivis’s voice was sharp, merciless.

“No… truly…”

Her voice trembled, her bravado gone, fear in her eyes.

Then her expression twisted strangely.

“Heh… haha… how pitiful… You’re all deceived…”

Her mouth curved into a warped smile.

“Are you sure? I really am the saint. Are you sure you’ll cast me aside? The true enemy is her—”

Her finger pointed at Liliana.

“Are you sure you won’t love me? Then everyone will suffer!”
“…So, you’ve reached your limit.”

Leivis frowned. Golden chains materialized, wrapping around Elina’s body. She seemed oblivious, eyes rolling wildly as she ranted.

“I’m the heroine! This can’t be a bad ending! I can’t be written out! Not after all I’ve done—”
“Your efforts were only to mock and harm others,” Leivis said coldly.

“What did you save? Who stands with you? Who would ask for your help?”
“…I only wanted to help Leivis…”
“Foolishness. You sought only to help yourself.”

Elina swayed, as if the foundation of her being had crumbled. Her eyes burned with hatred, fixed on Liliana.

“If only you weren’t here… If only you followed the script… Everyone would be happy!”

Liliana met her gaze, shaking her head.

“Elina… I have my own will.”

—She could not move by the script.

“Will? A villain has no right to a heart…”

Elina clicked her tongue, looking upward.

“Fine. It’s over.”

At once, the golden chains shattered in a burst of violet light.

—Magic.

Powerful magic rose from Elina like mist.

“…So, you weren’t bluffing. An unusual color.”

Leivis watched with interest. Elina clicked her tongue again.

“Too late for apologies.”

She stood, scanning the chamber—at the servants, at Leivis, at Liliana.

“All enemies… This story is impossible.”

Her eyes were full of resignation.

“—Die. All of you.”

Violet magic erupted from her body, tearing the air.

—A magical rampage.

The power surged with violent heat and pressure, swirling outward. Lights flickered, the floor and walls trembled ominously. The torrent of magic swelled, threatening destruction.