Chapter 16: Dead End!

“Any last words, Muen Campbell?”

Just as Ariel had feared, Celicia was now firmly pinning Muen beneath her.

The ravaging was over.

After who knew how long of fierce struggle, they had wrestled from the sofa to the floor, toppling the tea table, shattering the cups, and leaving the fine wool carpet in complete disarray.

Only when both were utterly spent—when the drug’s effects had fully burned out inside Celicia—did the battle finally come to a close.

But the room was still filled with that strange lingering scent, the unmistakable signs of what had occurred scattered everywhere, and the fact that both of them were still stark naked left no room for denial: something fierce had just unfolded here.

With the fight over, what came next... was the reckoning.

Celicia remained seated atop Muen in an indecent, straddling posture, but the seductive glow from earlier had vanished completely from her exquisite face. Frost now coated her expression as she stared coldly down at him, killing intent blazing in her eyes.

Her slender fingers gripped Muen’s throat, tightening inch by inch as she repeated her earlier question:

“Speak your last words. Because this is your final chance before you die.”

“Well...”

Muen, utterly drained, forced a smile that looked more like a grimace than anything human.

“If I don’t say anything, does that mean I won’t die?”

“Seems you still don’t grasp your situation.”

Celicia’s fingertips suddenly radiated a terrifying chill. In an instant, half of Muen’s body was engulfed in icy pain—and with it, the looming shadow of death.

That’s when it hit him.

This woman really was going to kill him.

Without hesitation.

Even after what had just happened between them.

“W-wait, wait! I’ll talk! Just let me speak!”

Muen shouted in a panic, genuine terror seizing his voice.

“There’s a reason I did all this!”

“Oh? A reason?”

Celicia sneered.

“I’d love to hear what sort of ‘reason’ could possibly justify behavior lower than that of a beast.”

“Because... because...”

Muen’s mind raced, scrambling for an excuse.

He couldn’t say he was transmigrated, or blame it on destiny, or mention prophetic dreams—those all sounded like cheap lies.

He needed something more believable.

Like maybe he’d tripped and spilled the drug into the tea by accident while trying to moonwalk.

Or maybe the drug wasn’t a drug at all, but a new kind of weight-loss supplement.

Or maybe it was all just a dream, and none of this had really happened.

But somehow, what actually came out of his mouth... was something completely different.

“Because I like you, Celicia!”

“...Huh?”

“...Ah.”

Celicia visibly froze.

But she wasn’t the only one stunned. Even Muen himself looked like he’d been struck by lightning.

What the hell did I just say?!

Sure, in his past life, he had really liked Celicia’s character. He even bought her official life-sized wall scroll and stuck it next to his bed so she’d be the first thing he saw in the morning.

But that didn’t mean he’d fall for someone who had only existed in fiction this quickly!

It’s not like he was one of those guys who called anime girls their wives!

Even if his brain slipped, it shouldn't have slipped this hard!

Wait—was this the original host’s influence?

If he remembered right, the original Muen was truly infatuated with Celicia. If he hadn’t been, he wouldn’t have been dumb enough to do all this.

Dammit, you're already dead—don’t drag me down with you!

Muen screamed internally.

Still... since he’d said it...

Logically speaking, if a girl was suddenly confessed to, shouldn’t she at least blush a little?

Fueled by a desperate will to live, Muen clung to the tiniest hope.

Maybe...

...

“So that’s it. That’s the disgusting excuse you came up with?”

Celicia quickly regained her icy composure.

Her hands were still wrapped around his neck. Not even a flicker of emotion crossed her face in response to his confession. If there was any shyness to be found, it was more on Muen’s side, lying beneath her, looking half-embarrassed, half-scared to death.

“Disgusting?”

Muen gave a crooked smile. “I mean... in a way, it was sincere...”

“You call that sincerity?”

Celicia suddenly interrupted, voice cold as a blade:

“Do you think stealing a girl’s purity is something you can call true emotion?

Are you out of your mind, Muen Campbell?

If you truly liked me, you’d stand before me with dignity—use your character, your strength, your honesty—to win me over like a real man!

Not by drugging me like some conniving coward!

If you’d done that... even if I never loved you, I might have honored the engagement and become your wife.

But now?

Heh... or did you seriously think that physical intimacy would make me feel something different for you?

No, Muen Campbell. I will never fall for a man who uses deceit and manipulation.

And I will never marry a beast.”

Celicia leaned in close, face-to-face with Muen.

Close enough for them to feel each other’s breath, just like not long ago.

But this time, what Muen felt was entirely different.

Through Celicia’s glacial blue eyes, he saw something buried deep within.

A flame. A white, holy fire that burned clean and unwavering.

Of course. This was Celicia.

Celicia Leopold.

The original novel’s first heroine.

Just like the tagline printed on that wall scroll he bought said:

—She is the forever-proud, forever-pure white swan who will never bow to evil or filth.

Even now, with not a thread of clothing on and her body still ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ tainted by the aftermath, she sat atop him like a queen in full regalia, looking down on a sinner too low to touch the hem of her robe.

“So beautiful...”

Gazing up at the girl so close, Muen whispered without thinking.

“Well, now that we’ve finished talking... it’s time to send you on your way, Young Master Muen.”

Celicia heard his murmur, but her expression didn’t change.

She simply began to tighten her grip again.

“I hope in your next life, you’ll remember my warning:

Seek true love—with sincerity.”

“Farewell...”