I Wasn't Trying to Seduce with the Male Lead - Episode 71

Eleanor stood frozen, her eyes wide with shock. It was difficult to process the information she had just received.

‘I should be in the imperial palace’s basement right now.’

And outside the door, dangerous magical beasts guarded the entrance, preventing anyone without a predetermined lineage from entering. So why was Lian here?

‘Am I seeing things…?’

Eleanor rubbed her eyes once. But when she opened them again, the handsome, pale face was still there.

“Count…?”

As she spoke his name, his smiling red lips parted, and a soft voice emerged.

“Were you very surprised?”

Lian smiled and gently caressed the cheek of the stunned Eleanor with his finger. At his familiar touch and warmth, Eleanor’s mind began to return to her.

“Why are you here? How on earth did you get in? What about the magical beasts?”

As she peppered him with questions, Eleanor noticed the copious bloodstains on Lian’s body, hands, and cheek. Her eyes, already wide, grew even larger, and she grabbed the hem of his clothes.

“You’re covered in blood! Are you okay?”

Without waiting for an answer, Eleanor hurriedly turned around and opened a box next to the bed. Inside were pieces of cloth she had washed for Adrian. She soaked one in water and tried to wipe away the blood. The white skin underneath was revealed, with no sign of a wound. She was so upset that he was hurt, even though it was strange that he was hurt at all.

“Let’s get you some first aid. You can sit down and talk.”

The wounded areas on Lian were his upper left arm and thigh. Eleanor used a dagger he had to cut his clothes, then used the medicine she had received from Beatrix to disinfect and bandage the wounds.

“Why did you push so hard to get in here? What are you going to do now?”

“I didn’t think it was a big deal. I have a plan.”

A plan.

Eleanor blinked and asked a question.

“Did you not run into anyone on your way here?”

“Hmm, I think I did.”

He must have run into Blaine and the Behind Knights. But why did he come alone? As Eleanor’s expression showed her confusion, Lian smiled.

“I told them not to interfere.”

“Shouldn’t we all put our heads together and figure out a safe way to get out?”

“The time to leave has been set. We have quite a bit of time, so…”

As Lian’s voice trailed off, Eleanor looked up slightly. Their eyes met, and his purple eyes curved into a beautiful crescent shape.

“I wanted to spend a little time alone with you.”

Her face flushed. To hide it, Eleanor bowed her head and grumbled.

“The Count needs to learn more about women. Women don’t like it when a man shows up covered in blood when he wants to spend some intimate time with them.”

“I’ll remember that.”

His low laugh filled the suffocating underground dungeon with a warm atmosphere.

“Well, it’s a good thing you’re here. I have a plan.”

“What is it?”

How should she explain it? Eleanor thought for a moment and then asked a question first.

“Did you meet Beatrice on your way here?”

“You mean the prisoner who’s being held here?”

Eleanor nodded, since it was true that she was a prisoner.

“No. She was just shut up in her room, screaming, and didn’t move an inch, so I couldn’t meet her.”

It made sense, since Beatrice felt a primal fear toward Lian. Eleanor got to the point.

“I’ve found a way to undo your vow.”

At the mention of the vow, Lian’s expression became troubled.

“You don’t need to worry about that. The burden placed on me is something I’ll handle myself.”

“No. Please, just listen to me.”

Eleanor cut off Lian’s words and poured out her explanation: Beatrice’s true identity, how her power was sealed, and what she wanted. She also told him that he had cast the vow on Lian. Even though she was explaining such fascinating facts, Lian’s interest was elsewhere.

“How do you know these things?”

It was a difficult question to answer, so Eleanor just shut her mouth. As she gave him a look that pleaded with him not to ask, Lian dropped the question.

“You really are a mysterious woman.”

His purple eyes shone with genuine admiration. Her heart ached a little at the look in his eyes, as if he was saying he was glad he liked her. Eleanor avoided his gaze and muttered.

“If Millatrix dies, Beatrice will regain her power. Then she can probably undo your vow.”

She thought Lian would be happy to hear that. However, Lian stroked Eleanor’s hair and shook his head.

“Thank you for the thought, but it won’t be necessary.”

“What?”

It wasn’t necessary?

“If you don’t do that, is there some other way?”

“Yes. There is a way.”

Lian nodded at Eleanor’s question. Was there really such a thing? Eleanor couldn’t help but look skeptical, since she couldn’t think of any other way. However, Lian’s face was full of confidence.

“I think it’s about to begin.”

What was about to begin? As Eleanor looked puzzled, Lian took out a watch, checked the time, and looked up at the ceiling. He stared at it as if he could see outside, lost in thought.

At the same time, the Princess sat in a wooden chair, looking around the softly lit interior of a townhouse.

“Are you sure this will be okay?”

It was a question she had asked hundreds of times, but Sky answered patiently every time.

“Of course, Your Highness.”

He pointed to a book in front of the Princess. The pages, so old they were crumbling, were filled with ancient script.

“I’ve never heard of this before. I can’t believe something like this exists…”

The Princess, who had received a high-class education as a member of the royal family, seemed to be quite proficient in ancient script.

“Such a powerful spell… and it can be cast using only the information of another’s engraving, without a spell caster.”

She stared intently at the title in the middle of the page:

[Vow of Love] A spell that makes the subject feel true love for the caster.

This was a spellbook that Sky had obtained when he was deeply immersed in spells. At the time, he was so engrossed in collecting materials that the world’s largest library at the academy wasn’t enough, so he got permission to read through the imperial archives and visited various noble families to read ancient texts. Still thirsty for new spells, he even visited the black market. And in a shady bookstore, he found this book. The feeling he got when he first saw this vow, the feeling of his eyes popping open, was still vivid.

‘Even though it was a fake, though.’ He put in a lot of effort, collecting rare ingredients and improving the methods, and immersed himself in experiments. But no matter what he did, the results were only failures. Getting stubborn, he frantically searched for reference materials and found the memoir of the person who wrote the spellbook. In it was a line that said, “The Vow of Love was a failure.” It was incredibly frustrating after wasting so much time, but Sky didn’t throw away or destroy the book.

‘I knew I’d be able to use it someday.’

It was a spell with such a powerful effect that anyone would be tempted by it. The book was so old that it seemed genuine, and Sky was almost the only person in the empire who knew that this was impossible. He had a hunch that this could be used as an attractive bait for someone who desperately needed it.

‘And in the end, I’m using it like this.’

If he were to say that he would cast a spell no one had ever heard of, anyone would be suspicious. It was obvious that someone as cautious as the Princess wouldn’t even deal with him. That’s why Sky stayed by her side and feigned loyalty to gain her trust. And as a result, the Princess had been enticed to set foot in the townhouse with him.

“You don’t need to be anxious.”

Sky spoke to the Princess, who was looking around nervously.

“Do you not trust me?”

When he smiled gently, the Princess’s cheeks flushed slightly. She rolled her eyes for a moment, then, as if she had made up her mind, she said, “No. No one has ever been as loyal to me with all their heart as you have.”

“Then let’s get started.”

The Princess obediently got up. Sky led her to an altar set up in a corner of the room. The Princess lay down on the beautiful silk and said, “If everything goes well, I’ll be sure to reward you handsomely.”

“No reward is necessary. The opportunity to help you is an honor in itself.”

When he said this as if he had no ulterior motives, the Princess gave a pleased smile.

“What do I need to do now?”

“Just relax.”

“Are there any precautions I should take?”

At the Princess’s question, Sky discreetly swallowed and said in a calm tone, “When a powerful new vow is engraved, the existing vow areas may feel tingly or hot. This is a natural phenomenon, so you don’t need to worry about it.”

“There won’t be any changes to the existing engravings, will there?”

To the Princess’s worried words, Sky replied calmly, “Most of your vows were cast by me and Beatrix. Spells can only be undone by a more powerful force. Of course, I can’t undo what I’ve cast, and Beatrix is much stronger than I am. At best, we’re on the same level, so it’s impossible for me to undo her spell.”

His words were true. That’s why they were even more convincing to the Princess.

“I hope that when I open my eyes, Count Calabria will be right in front of me.”

The Princess seemed to have let go of all her worries, even speaking her hopeful thoughts out loud.

“It’ll be over soon. Just stay still and relax.”

As if to help her calm down, Sky lit a bouquet of fragrant flowers and brought it close to the Princess’s face. The Princess smiled pleasantly, then her round eyes slowly closed. Sky, who was supposed to be casting a spell, just silently watched her peaceful face. Her tightly closed lips relaxed, and the movement of her chest became regular. She had fallen completely asleep.

“Have a good dream, Your Highness the Princess.”

Sky bowed respectfully, whispered softly into the Princess’s ear, and then left the room.

“Keep burning the bouquet inside every 10 minutes to create smoke. Don’t mess up.”

“Yes, I understand.”

Sky gave an order to his subordinate who was waiting outside. He had already used all the manpower he could to keep the townhouse and its surroundings under an ironclad security.

“After you confirm she’s woken up, put a tail on her and return.”

“Yes, Your Grace.”

After answering, Zenith asked a question.

“Where are you going?”

“To the rival’s territory.”

Sky gave a cryptic answer and left the townhouse. The carriage he was in sped through Filicity.

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