The Villainess is a Marionette

Chapter 95

As everything seemed to be sorted out, Jonathan clapped his hands. He said to Cayena, “It’s been so long since you came to visit. You should look around here. The garden has been redone, so it should be a pleasant sight. Ah, Duke, this is your first visit, right?”

Jonathan’s face brightened after Raphael nodded.

“Then, would you like to have Her Highness show you around while enjoying a nice walk together?”

Jonathan was confident that he was doing something good.

Word about society was that Cayena no longer cared for Raphael these days, but Jonathan didn’t believe it.

This way, he would gain brownie points with Cayena. However, the person whom he had won brownie points with was not Cayena, but Raphael.

Raphael stood up and offered Cayena to escort her.

Cayena had wanted to continue their conversation and also ask him something. Hence, she accepted his arm.

Then, Ethel jumped up.

“I can also guide you.”

For some reason, Ethel looked like he was challenging someone.

Raphael hummed and tilted his head to look at Ethel.

Though the young Ethel was cute, Raphael had no intention of letting the boy interfere with his time with Cayena.

“I will be guided by Her Highness. You should change out of your uniform.”

At Raphael’s remark, Ethel realized that he was still wearing his school uniform. His pride was punctured when he noticed that he, unlike the adultlike duke, looked like a child who needed to be protected by Cayena.

“Yes. It’ll be good for you to change clothes first. Or do you want your sister to choose your outfit?” Cayena asked.

Ethel blushed when he understood that she was teasing him for what had happened at the academy.

“I’m not a child!”

The others in the room gasped at his reaction and became wary. However, Cayena only burst into laughter and stroked Ethel’s hair.

“I know. I just said it because you’re too cute.”

“…!”

Ethel escaped the room as his face flushed like it was going to explode.

Afterward, Raphael said, “Shall we go?”

They stepped out of the parlor.

Olivia quietly followed behind Cayena. Raphael looked back at her before they went outside the mansion.

“Why don’t you take a break, Miss Olivia? I’ll take care of Her Highness.”

Cayena nodded, allowing it.

“Yes, go and rest. We’ll just take a short stroll nearby.”

“Understood, Your Highness.”

The couple began to walk on the path alone.

The walkways near the mansion were a dense mix of the latest fashions of the empire. In other words, there were many private spots throughout the trail.

After confirming that nobody was around, Cayena opened her mouth.

“We have something to talk about, don’t we?”

Raphael made a rare embarrassed expression.

“When did the thing with Annie begin?”

He hesitated on what words to choose, then answered obediently. “It was 10 years ago.”

When Raphael mentioned ’10 years,’ Cayena realized how it had happened.

Ten years ago was when Rezef exiled her nanny and replaced all the members of the princess’s palace.

The reason Raphael hesitated was that he thought Cayena would be saddened if she remembered her nanny again.

“I did come to see Ethel today, but it was also to tell Your Highness about my spy.”

Cayena wasn’t blaming Raphael for sending in a spy. Even she would have done the same.

“To be honest, it’s unfortunate that you’re the master of the spy.”

She was going to use the spy against their master, but her opponent turned out to be Raphael, her ally.

‘It would have been nice if it was someone on Yester’s side.’

Raphael frowned a little when he realized Cayena had been trying to do something crafty.

“You can’t keep doing dangerous things.”

Cayena smiled brightly.

“I have no intention of doing anything dangerous.”

“You said that last time.”

He was referring to the abduction attempt at the temple.

‘I guess he doesn’t know I drank poison since Annie didn’t hear about it.’

Raphael intertwined his fingers with Cayena’s, held them tightly, and kissed the back of her hand.

“I don’t mind it, so please use me to take care of such things.”

Cayena was teaching him how it felt to be anxious. And it wasn’t just that feeling. He felt like he had become a child. Like he was now facing the world and learning things, one by one.

Cayena caressed his cheek, and Raphael kissed the palm of her hand.

“I am a shameful man,” Raphael said.

Cayena’s eyes widened at this sudden confession.

“I’m jealous of Ethel.”

“That isn’t shameful.”

“Ethel calls you ‘Sister’ and speaks with you in a friendly way, but I feel hurt that you still call me ‘Duke.’ ”

“……”

He had revealed his shameful feelings so honestly that he didn’t know what else to say.

Cayena smirked.

“Raphael.”

When she called his name, his eyes immediately softened. A strange atmosphere blossomed between the two.

Feeling that things might be a little dangerous, Cayena tried to resume their walk.

But Raphael pulled on Cayena’s hand slightly and said, “I want to hold you, Your Highness.”

“…What?”

He wanted to hold her?

Cayena was about to tell him off for being out of his mind when she realized.

‘Oh. A hug.’

Raphael stared at her vacantly as if asking why he couldn’t. Strangely, his gaze made her heart waver.

“Go ahead.”

Permission granted, Raphael hugged Cayena around her waist. He seemed unable to endure any longer and clung onto her.

He lowered his head and briefly kissed Cayena’s lips. This time, he intended to deepen the kiss once Cayena closed her eyes.

Instead, Cayena covered Raphael’s lips with her hand.

“We can’t do this here.”

Although they were out of sight from others, they were still near the entrance of the path.

Raphael, with a slightly dissatisfied look, opened his mouth.

“There’s a flower garden this way.”

Cayena narrowed her eyes.

“Isn’t this your first time visiting the Hamel mansion?”

“I came here when I was young. Sir Jonathan wasn’t around then, so he doesn’t know.”

Now, it was exhausting to be taken aback by all the astounding things he said.

Raphael went deeper into the trails, following his memories.

Finally, they came across a calm garden with a small fountain and a swing hanging from a tree.

Cayena approached the swing. It wasn’t in a bad state.

“Perhaps the late empress rode this swing.”

“…Maybe.”

Cayena could barely remember her mother, but somehow, she felt sentimental.

“Would you like to ride it?”

Cayena sat on the swing. There was a slight creaking sound, but it was fine even when she kicked her legs.

Raphael slowly walked around and stood across from Cayena.

At this moment, they seemed like normal lovers. It was like they were the main characters of such a peaceful, daily life, where they didn’t need to watch out in case something would hurt them. As if all they had to do was treasure and love each other.

Raphael knew how shameless it was of him to want Cayena like that.

But at the same time, he would wish for nothing if only she could stay by his side.

She just had to stay. That was all he wanted.

Cayena had an odd way of making someone feel unsettled.

He was anxious. Raphael was nervous that one day, she would suddenly disappear or leave behind her lingering attachments to the world.

Creak— Cayena, who was kicking her feet to move the swing, suddenly felt dizzy and fell.

“Your Highness!”

Raphael quickly grabbed hold of Cayena and turned her body to the side.

Cayena frowned and whined in distress.

She laid her head on Raphael’s chest and waited for the dizziness to go away.

“I’ll just stay like this for a moment…”

Raphael’s expression sank.

How long could she last in the imperial palace like this? There were an endless number of issues surrounding her, and Cayena probably couldn’t even rest properly.

Raphael sat down on the grass so that he could better support her body while she was in his arms.

Cayena let out a light exhale, leaning comfortably against him.

Her body had definitely become feebler.

‘It’s obviously the aftereffects of the magical contract.’

It seemed that the destructive power of the contract was so much that it could not be cured by Elixir.

‘To think that my body feels this weak even after drinking Elixir…’

Her dizziness faded after she rested while leaning on Raphael. When Cayena tried to get up, Raphael hugged her by the waist tightly.

“I don’t want to let Your Highness go.”

“…Raphael.”

“Your Highness makes me act childishly.”

Or maybe he had always been like that.

He pressed his face against Cayena’s white neck and sighed deeply.

He felt like a monster in a story, where the monster’s thirst would disappear if it bit a neck and drank blood.

Raphael couldn’t believe that he was this lacking in patience. He had never been greedy for anything, so he hadn’t recognized how impatient he actually was.

Greed repeatedly brought forth new greed.

He wanted to swallow all of her breaths. At the same time, he wanted to support her with everything he had. Even his soul.

Raphael barely pushed down his greed to shower her with affection. Sadly, he asked, “If I let you go like this, when will I see you again?”

Eventually, Cayena turned to face Raphael.

Raphael looked into Cayena’s icy blue eyes and said something stupid. “I thought I could wait for you patiently, but now, I honestly don’t know.”

This foolish, weak, lowly thought reflected his true feelings.

Cayena’s heart pounded so much that she felt like she was choking.

‘If I had realized so many things earlier, it might not have turned out like this.’

Wouldn’t everything be easier if Cayena hadn’t been so stupid in her first life? She knew this was a useless regret, but she still thought about it.

“I have to go now.”

“Cayena.”

Raphael dared to call the princess’s name.

When he held her name in his mouth, he deeply felt how special that name was.

Cayena sighed briefly, then slowly hugged him.

Once they left here, they would have to return to their positions as the imperial princess and duke.

Cayena hugged him a little tighter.

‘I wish time could stop like this.’

It was then.

Tock, tock, tock…

The gentle breeze stopped.

“…?”

She couldn’t feel Raphael’s warm breath or soft heartbeat.

Cayena lifted her head and pulled away slightly from Raphael’s arms.

Raphael was frozen stiff like a doll and was pushed by her movement.

Her eyes widened.

“Wh-what is this…?”

Her skin became numb. A strange and grotesque feeling made her tense. Her heart beat violently.

A voice halfway between a moan and a scream slipped out from between her lips.

“…This can’t be happening.”

The world in front of her eyes had stopped.