Chapter 169
Chapter 169
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 168
Chapter Title: Kim Shin-woo
-----------------------------------------------------------------
“Wastrel Deius?”
At Deia’s single remark, Deius scowled deeply and glared at her.
“You…”
He seemed to have something he wanted to say, but the words wouldn’t come out properly.
“That’s right.”
As if shaking loose his stiffened mind, Deius tried to say something, but unfortunately, it didn’t happen.
Because.
Pow!
Deia’s fist slammed straight into Deius’s face.
“You crazy bastard! What the hell are you doing here? I never called for you!”
“Gahk!”
“If you were done for, you should’ve just stayed dead!”
Erika hurriedly grabbed Deia from behind to stop the ongoing beating, while Pindenai jumped right into the middle of the siblings to force some distance between them.
Since Erika and Pindenai didn’t yet know anything about Kim Shin-woo, they couldn’t understand why Deia was acting this way.
“The Young Master just woke up—what the hell are you doing!”
Wasn’t it insane to greet someone who’d barely returned from the brink of death with a punch to the face?
Pindenai approached Deius with a look of concern.
“Young Master, you okay?”
“Ah, ahem. Yeah.”
As Deius hesitated over what to say, Pindenai’s expression twisted ferociously, like that of an evil ghost.
“You fucking who?”
Click.
The moment her hand touched the short staff at her waist, it transformed into an axe.
Boom!
The axe grazed past Deius’s face and embedded itself in the bed. Pindenai, forgetting whatever she’d just said to Deia, pinned Deius down by stomping on his chest and glared down at him.
“Who the hell gave you permission to crawl into that body like some stray dog.”
“N-No! That’s not—”
“Shut up. If one more word comes out of that mouth, I’ll rip you apart for real.”
Pindenai’s mana churned violently, pressing down on Deius with raw force. The thick killing intent pooling in her eyes burned with the desire to end him right then and there.
If it weren’t for Deius’s body, that axe would already be buried in his neck.
“Wait!”
Erika shoved back Pindenai’s mana with her own, and a light magic spell enveloped the entire room.
In an instant, Erika had pushed both Pindenai and Deia aside and positioned herself next to Deius.
“What are the two of you doing! To someone who needs absolute rest!”
Rarely raising her voice, Erika scolded them both while glaring at Deia and Pindenai, ready to unleash her magic at the slightest provocation.
“Th-Thank you.”
At the voice from behind her, Erika’s eyes widened, and she whipped her head around.
“Ah.”
The blades of light that had been aimed at Deia and Pindenai suddenly changed direction.
Wham!
The light blades flew straight at Deius, binding him like handcuffs, and Erika asked in an utterly cold voice.
“Again… in that person’s body?”
“Gaaahhh! It huuuurts!”
This time, Erika’s reaction was even more intense than Pindenai’s. Having personally witnessed Deius’s body being fought over by someone else back at Robern Academy, Erika could barely contain her emotions.
Determined not to see such a sight ever again, Erika stared down at Deius with a voice as icy as Northsweden’s chill.
“I won’t let anyone else mishandle that person’s body again.”
The binding light magic tightened around Deius bit by bit. He screamed in pain, but his mind finally seemed to clear amid the desperation as he shouted.
“I-It’s just temporary! Just watching over it for a bit!”
“Hm?”
At his response, the three women exchanged glances before turning back to Deius.
On the verge of tears, Deius sobbed out.
“It’s originally my body! Damn it! What the hell is this! I came to help, not this!”
“…….”
“…….”
“…….”
* * *
“Ha, really.”
Outside the Verdi family mansion.
Leaning against the wall with a cigarette in his mouth, Pindenai stared up at the white sky, caught in a swirl of complicated emotions.
This must be what they meant by a situation too ridiculous for words.
“Someone else, huh?”
Crunch.
Without realizing it, he crushed the cigarette he’d been smoking. With no choice but to toss it, he regretfully pulled out a new one and lit up again.
The ground was already littered with butts from how many he’d gone through, but there were also crumpled ones like the last, half-smoked.
“Kim Shin-woo?”
He couldn’t deny the considerable shock of learning that the Deius Verdi he knew was actually someone else inside.
The first man he’d ever loved, after all.
Even in this speechless situation, Pindenai’s mind was working sharply.
‘So that’s why they called him a wastrel and philanderer in Northsweden.’
It had always seemed too strange, really.
The Deius Verdi he knew was never the type to live a life like the rumors.
But with Iluania as a virtual eyewitness, he had no choice but to believe it for now.
“Someone else entirely.”
A completely different guy from the one who’d recklessly played around with his dick everywhere.
“Kim Shin-woo. Hmm, Kim Shin-woo.”
Lost in thought with the cigarette in his mouth, Pindenai snapped back just before the ember touched his lips and spat it out.
“Pretty name.”
A faint smile tugged at Pindenai’s lips as curiosity stirred. What kind of reaction would the Young Master give if he called him Kim Shin-woo once he returned?
He’d probably hate it, obviously.
“You only kept it from me and your fiancée, huh.”
It grated that Deia and Aria already knew, but whatever.
“I’ll let it slide since you came to save us this time.”
Brushing off his clothes to air out the smell, Pindenai let out a wry chuckle before he knew it.
“Seriously, with a face that handsome.”
Was it because the person had changed?
The mere sight of him now soured his mood in a way that was oddly fascinating.
Not just displeasure, but the feeling that someone had taken what was precious to him.
Deciding he’d avoid looking at the current Deius as much as possible, Pindenai mulled over the name again.
“Kim Shin-woo, Kim Shin-woo. Hmm, rolls off the tongue nicely.”
* * *
Deius’s room.
Having already rearranged all the furniture and layout inside, Kim Shin-woo had made it unrecognizable, but Deius finally realized it was his room as he lay on the bed, stealing glances at Erika.
A fairly long silence stretched on.
But in the end, it was Erika Bright who gathered her thoughts and broke it.
“Are your hands okay?”
“R-Right now, they just throb.”
Erika stared at Deius’s empty right hand and asked as if making a vow.
“So you’re saying you’re the original Deius Verdi?”
“…Y-Yeah.”
“And we’ve never met before.”
“Y-Yes. I heard we’re engaged to the Bright family.”
Perhaps because Erika had laid into him pretty hard earlier, Deius averted his gaze, thoroughly cowed.
The sight felt awkward to Erika, but precisely because of that, the difference between Kim Shin-woo and Deius stood out even more clearly.
Her heart, which had raced at the sight of him before.
Now held not even a flicker of excitement—instead, it felt coldly settled, a truly mysterious sensation.
“And you’ve come back temporarily to keep his body from dying, for De… no, for Kim Shin-woo?”
“The Saintess with the horn on her forehead woke me from my repose. He’s in danger and needs time.”
“…….”
“I-I just came to buy that time. I, too…”
Deius gripped the blanket tightly as he poured out his feelings.
“I owe him a debt.”
“…….”
She understood what he meant. Erika was thrown by the sudden truth, but right now, only one thing mattered.
‘As long as time passes, he’ll come back.’
Just that thought made the heavy weight in Erika’s chest dissolve like water.
“Whew.”
Lowering her head, she cupped her face with both hands and let out a dry sigh.
For now, she planned to leave the room. Honestly, she didn’t even want to exchange words with the current Deius Verdi.
“Um, excuse me.”
At that moment, Deius cautiously spoke up.
“How… is Iluania?”
“Ah.”
Knowing the relationship between Iluania and Deius, Erika hesitated briefly before nodding.
“Yes, she’s doing well with the child. Her name’s Sevia now, and she’s in Northsweden.”
“In Northsweden right now!”
Deius’s eyes sparkled as he started to make a request, but Erika shook her head.
“I can’t let others see you like this. And I doubt Iluania would want to, either.”
“Ah, yes…”
His expression was bitter, but Deius didn’t deny it or throw a tantrum.
He clearly knew his role and place.
“…Stay here for now. I’ll fetch another caregiver.”
Erika rose slowly to leave. Deius turned his gaze to the window and murmured his assent.
But before Erika could touch the doorknob, the door swung open, and two people entered.
The head of the Verdi family.
Darius Verdi, still bandaged from wounds sustained in the battle with Doberman that hadn’t fully healed.
And Deia Verdi, glaring at Deius with utter disgust.
Darius gave Erika a slight bow in greeting, then said.
“Could you step out for a moment?”
“Ah, yes. I was just leaving.”
After Erika departed.
The two stood before Deius Verdi.
Deia radiated the vibe that she didn’t want even to converse with him but had been dragged here anyway, while Darius gazed at Deius with a troubled expression beside her.
Even with seats available, the three sorted their thoughts in a brief silence.
“Let’s talk.”
The first to speak was the eldest son, Darius.