Thought It Was ‘The End’, Only to Return to a Changed Genre - Chapter 158

The ‘husband of the female lead’, a character who didn’t exist and could never have existed in the story.

‘Why didn’t I think about this more deeply?’

Adeline had known of his presence since the day she returned to Delmuz. She had been so shocked by the fact that Genevieve had chosen someone other than the ‘male lead’, Shane, that she hadn’t really thought about who he was as a person.

Of course, she had done a light investigation through Lucian and Jeff.

She had even joked that if anything seemed off about him, she would make Genevieve divorce him immediately—but truthfully, 90 percent of that had been serious.

Yet, neither Lucian nor Jeff found anything strange about ‘Genevieve’s husband’.

His origins, upbringing, career, personality—there was nothing to criticize.

The fact that he was one of Edwin’s imperial guards played a part as well. Edwin, who was notoriously suspicious of everyone, would never allow just anyone to carry a sword and stand by his side.

So, Adeline had felt reassured.

She had trusted that Genevieve had made the right choice.

‘But wasn’t that just what I wanted to believe?’

The truth was, since ‘the female lead’ Genevieve hadn’t ended up with ‘the male lead’ Shane, there was now a possibility that he could belong to her instead.

Even if many things had gone awry, the premise that ‘the female lead’ Genevieve was happy had been necessary.

So, perhaps she had deliberately convinced herself that Genevieve had made a wise decision.

Now, Adeline wasn’t sure what she could trust anymore, or what the right thing to do was.

Even the nightmares she had relied on as a guide for so long were now uncertain.

If those nightmares had never been a true guide from the beginning, then what was the meaning of the life Adeline had lived up to now? Nothing she had believed to be right had been the truth.

‘My head hurts….’

Closing her eyes only made the dizziness worse.

Last night, Adeline hadn’t been able to sleep at all. She hadn’t even laid down on the bed. She was afraid of what dreams might come if she closed her eyes, and without Shane, she didn’t want to lie down at all. Curled up on the sofa, she had watched the dawn break, and then Lloyd…

Lloyd…

In the end, it was impossible not to think about Lloyd.

Maybe if she moved her body, it would help her stop thinking so much. Gently, Adeline lifted Genevieve’s head off her lap and carefully laid it on the floor.

“Ugh…”

As soon as Genevieve’s head touched the ground, she groaned and her eyelids fluttered.

Her whole body trembled as if gripped by terror, her fists clenching tightly. Adeline lightly shook her to wake her up.

“Genevieve, wake up. Genevieve!”

“Ah, ugh, please, Father, no, forgive me, ah…”

“I’m sorry.”

Though she likely couldn’t hear it, Adeline apologized and then slapped Genevieve hard across the cheek.

The sound echoed louder than she expected.

Genevieve’s pale face quickly reddened, but fortunately, she seemed to have woken up.

Tears clung to her long eyelashes. Adeline wiped the tears streaming down her cheek as Genevieve’s dazed eyes slowly began to focus.

Trauma is a wound carved into the soul.

Even when such wounds heal, if they are never tended to, they leave scars.

Adeline met Genevieve’s gaze and slowly asked,

“Genevieve, are you awake?”

“…Yes…”

“Do you recognize me?”

“…Lady Adeline…”

“That’s right. You answered well. Good girl.”

“……”

“Your stepfather is gone now. If you’re scared, I’ll hold your hand, but don’t cry, Genevieve. He’s not worth crying over.”

“…Ah… Ugh…”

The more Adeline tried to comfort her, the more tears poured down from Genevieve’s eyes like a waterfall.

It seemed that, as she returned to reality, Genevieve was overwhelmed by the flood of memories. Unable to bear it, she covered her face with both hands.

“I’m sorry, Lady Adeline… I’m so sorry, it’s because of me, I… I’m the one who brought him…”

She sobbed like a child, apologizing between her tears.