TNMN 26

Chapter 26

“…I’ve thought this before, but you seem to have a talent for making people laugh.”

The Duke let out a short sigh with an expression that was anything but amused.

He then approached to pull out Alosha, who was stuck in the hole that served as a window. It was laughable how easily she came out, despite all her struggling and not budging an inch before.

And just like the heroine she had so desperately wished to be, she ended up in the arms of the Duke of Whistler. The scent of the deep forest, as if dampened by rain, mixed with a woody fragrance, calming Alosha’s tearful heart.

“I know this isn’t really the time to ask, but I’m just so curious. What perfume do you use, Duke?”

“…Seeing as you’re talking nonsense, I suppose I don’t need to ask if you’re alright.”

Whistler felt a strange, indescribable emotion as he watched Alosha ramble on and sniffle.

It was still annoying to look at her, but he didn’t particularly feel like killing her or throwing her away anymore.

‘What a peculiar feeling.’

His curiosity and questions about Alosha turned into interest, and although it made him act unlike himself, he didn’t dislike it.

*[The god Saebi appeared in my dream and gave me a revelation to spread love to you, Duke Whistler, and marry you to save the world!]*

Whistler, recalling Alosha who had brought up a god’s name he’d never heard before and declared she would marry him, let out a snort.

She must know what kind of person he was, yet she still said she would marry him despite those terrifying rumors.

*’A revelation to spread love and save the world…’*

Whistler suddenly wondered how long this audacious woman would stay by his side, cheekily hovering and chattering away.

—

After being treated to the Duke’s lavish hospitality and finishing her bath, Alosha was very conscious of the servants who kept stealing glances at her.

“Excuse me, is there something strange about me? Can I ask why you keep looking at me like that?”

She had only said a single word, but the maids attending to her bath turned pale and prostrated themselves.

“We-we’re so sorry! We won’t look again, please, just spare our lives!”

“This child hasn’t been in the Duke’s household long and hasn’t been properly trained! Please, in your mercy, spare her.”

Alosha, looking at these people who had lowered themselves so much, was greatly flustered and looked around. She could see the others helping her dress also trembling, bowing at a 90-degree angle to avoid meeting her eyes.

“Wait, what are you talking about? Why would I kill anyone??? I’m not that kind of person!”

It was she who most sincerely wished for world peace and the preciousness of life.

As proof, hadn’t Alosha been a regular donor to organizations like Doctors Without Borders ever since her school days?

“I don’t know what misunderstanding you have, but I was just curious why you were looking at me like that.”

“Fo-forgive us.”

Giving up on getting an answer from these people who were shaking like aspen leaves, Alosha accepted the servants’ help and put on a set of women’s clothing that had been prepared for some reason. The chest area was a little loose, but the rest fit perfectly, which gave her a strange feeling.

“Duke Whistler?”

The closed door opened, and Whistler, who had been reading documents with a bored expression, turned his gaze to Alosha. He furrowed his brow slightly.

“No matter how I look at it, I don’t understand.”

“What do you mean?”

“…Why am I letting you be like this?”

Whistler’s words, as chilling as his cold gaze, were laced with menace. Alosha gulped.

*’Well… because there are still about 49 chapters left until you kill me?’*

But she couldn’t answer that honestly.

Alosha smiled brightly and sank into the plush sofa in the meeting room.

“It’s love.”

“…Nonsense.”

“It’s true! It’s because you’ve never been in love in your life, Duke. You know, when you fall in love with someone, it starts with doing things you wouldn’t normally do, right? You keep thinking of someone, you care about them, you do things you wouldn’t usually do, and eventually you become greedy for that person. Isn’t that how it always goes?”

Alosha’s eyes sparkled as she launched into a lengthy discourse on how wonderful love was.

“…You seem to know a great deal. So you’ve experienced love before, have you, my lady?”

“Isn’t that obvious?”

Alosha looked at Whistler as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

Certainly, Alosha had loved many people in her past life.

Even if they were from a different dimension, Alosha’s feelings at the time were genuine. She laughed, cried, and got angry at the stories of their lives, and sometimes mourned their deaths, sincerely hoping they would reach a happy ending. If this wasn’t love, then what could possibly be called love?

“…Is the emotion you call love something you can just lavish on anyone like that?”

At the sudden drop in the room’s temperature, Alosha instinctively realized she had misspoken.

*[I, I love you, Duke!]*

Come to think of it, she had shouted that at the Duke in a desperate attempt to save her life.

After sweating coldly for about 1.5 seconds, Alosha glared at the Duke with wide eyes. *First strike wins—if it looks like the other person is about to get angry, you shout first.*

“Anyone! How can you be just anyone, Duke?”

“What?”

“Have you forgotten? I said I love you!”

Excellent.

With the most wronged expression in the world, Alosha attempted to gaslight Whistler.

“…You’re saying the person you love is me?”

“The revelation from the god Saebi was the beginning, but I’ve been deeply in love with you ever since I saw you in my dream!”

“Is that so?”

His expression was the same, but Alosha noticed the atmosphere had softened slightly, so she decided to push a little more dramatically.

“Of course! Isn’t it love that made me climb over the Duke’s wall, get caught by the guards, and escape from that terrifying prison in tears?”

“…….”

That wasn’t really the intention, but since Alosha had decided to insist, that was how the story had to be. As the Duke was confused by Alosha’s exaggerated mix of truth and lies, she decided to subtly drive the point home.

“And you’re doubting me like this! Ha… No, it’s fine. It’s not your fault, Duke. It must be that my expression of love wasn’t enough to reach your heart. From now on, I’ll visit you every day and whisper my love.”

“…….”

“You have to answer me.”

“If I say no, are you going to climb the wall again?”

“And dig a tunnel too.”

She was a truly amusing woman. Whistler thought that even though she couldn’t meet his eyes because she was scared, she still spoke clearly and had many demands.

‘It’s not unpleasant.’

It was a strange feeling. Her pestering was annoying enough to make him consider killing her, but then her actions would spark his curiosity and make him want to watch her. For Whistler, a man of decisive character who had never agonized over anything in his life, Alosha’s existence remained a question mark.

“Didn’t you say you know I’m trying to start a war that will destroy the world? And yet you still like me?”

“Destroy the world? That’s even better. Then I can have you all to myself.”

Seeing Alosha smiling cheerfully, as if she had understood his words or not, made him feel deflated.

“You know, when a woman is blinded by a man, or a man is blinded by a woman, it’s natural for them to destroy a country or two, or even the whole world.”

Of course, the villain would eventually be defeated at the end of the hero’s grand journey, but as long as no one related to her died, it was fine. After she secured the Duke, she could just tell him to forget about destroying the world and live happily with her instead—then everyone would have a happy ending.

“Hah… Hahahahaha.”

At Alosha’s words, Whistler laughed out loud for the first time in his life. Meanwhile, startled by his reaction, Alosha covered her mouth and her eyes sparkled.

*’The Duke laughed! Wow, he’s even more handsome when he laughs.’*

She didn’t know what part of her words had triggered the laughter, but Alosha was happy. Even if she couldn’t change the destruction of this world, at least her actions and words had made Whistler laugh—it seemed she had managed to save her own life.

“Go ahead, do as you please.”

“Excuse me? Do you know what I might want to do, and yet you’re making such a dangerous statement?”

For your information, she was a former romance novel writer. Even though she had zero actual dating experience, she wrote 19+ romances so well that she’d received reviews saying her publications were a lost cause.

Whistler raised one corner of his mouth, thinking, *What could she possibly do?*

“What do you want to do?”

“…Are you going to sue me?”

In response to his question, Alosha wiped her mouth and seriously asked if he would sue her.

“Try me?”

If he had said he wouldn’t sue, it might have really caused a big problem, so Whistler deftly sidestepped Alosha’s question. After clearing her throat a couple of times, Alosha smiled, appeasing her disappointment.

“I just want to do normal couple things—take walks, eat together, go on dates, hold hands, and do all sorts of sweet things together.”

Alosha particularly emphasized ‘all sorts of things,’ staring intently at Whistler.

“…Why are you looking at me and smiling with such a strange expression?”

“It’s just natural for people to smile unconsciously when they see something beautiful or handsome.”

“Am I beautiful and handsome? That’s the first time I’ve heard that.”

“Huh? You’ve never heard that you’re handsome?”

“No.”

Alosha looked at Whistler’s face in puzzlement, tilting her head, then recalled his terrible personality and his setting as an overwhelmingly terrifying villain, and nodded understandingly.

But who was she?

She was among the top tier of Koreans with a seriously skewed sense of danger. Moreover, she was the type who would root for a villain in any fictional work as long as they were handsome.

“Then I’ll tell you every single day.”

“I don’t need that.”

“You’re so handsome, Duke. You’re sexy, Duke. You know what? You’re actually terrible! Terribly handsome, I mean! Ha! Since you’re this handsome, I can’t just let you roam around outside. I guess I have no choice but to stay by your side and protect you for life. Duke, if you keep being this handsome, I’m going to report you. Report our marriage, that is.”

After rattling off all sorts of cheesy pickup lines that circulated on the internet, Alosha finished with a wink toward the expressionless Whistler.

“Are you trying to die, saying such useless jokes in front of me?”

At Whistler’s sharp words, Alosha quickly shut her mouth.