I Slept with the Villain Holding My Hand Chapter 116

Ariene had arrived here earlier than necessary.  

 

Under normal circumstances, she could have just recovered her strength in Deston’s room, taken the potion, and left.  

 

But she had come to Demeter with time to spare—because of Shannon.  

 

After tomorrow, she didn’t know when she’d be able to return.  

 

So before then, she wanted to give Shannon a plausible excuse and bid her a proper farewell.  

 

It might not suit someone with the appearance of a young woman, but to Ariene, death was no unexpected thing.  

 

Ever since she realized she had been given a second life, the moment of her first death had remained vividly etched in her memory.  

 

Because of that, death had always been something close to her.  

 

Though thanks to that damned dark mage, her plans had been thrown into disarray, accelerating things beyond her expectations.  

 

If she could remove the obstacles in Lady Helena’s path before dying, then she would consider it a life well spent.  

 

Yet for some reason, the words wouldn’t come.  

 

“…”  

 

“Ariene…”  

 

Her silence only seemed to amplify Shannon’s unease.  

 

Soon, the tears Shannon had been holding back began to fall.  

 

‘Ahh.’

  

Something foreign stirred in a corner of Ariene’s hardened heart.  

 

“Don’t cry, Shannon.”  

 

Ariene’s voice was gentle.  

 

Shannon’s eyes widened at the familiar tone. She looked up at Ariene with trembling eyes.  

 

Ariene took Shannon’s hand and held it tightly.  

 

She had to admit it—she couldn’t abandon this hopelessly naive girl. Her thoughts still tangled, Ariene waited for Shannon’s sobs to subside before speaking again.  

 

Of course, her expression remained perfectly composed, as if the idea had just occurred to her.  

 

“Oh, right. Miss.”  

 

“Huh?”  

 

“Could you get me the ring on that woman’s hand?”  

 

Since Ariene was already heading toward the door, the request didn’t seem out of place.  

 

“The ring?”  

 

Shannon tilted her head in confusion.  

 

Ariene lied without changing her expression.  

 

“I need to meet someone, and I have to prove I was with her.”  

 

If she thought about it, it wasn’t entirely a lie.  

 

Realizing that her habitual half-truths were closer to reality than she intended, Ariene turned away.  

 

Seeing this, Shannon quickly examined Merria’s hand.  

 

Spotting the ring on her pinky finger, she hesitated briefly.  

 

Taking something from a sleeping person didn’t sit right with her.  

 

But the hesitation didn’t last.  

 

Before Ariene’s retreating figure disappeared completely, Shannon moved.  

 

With light steps, she left the room.  

 

Thud—

 

Silence fell once more, leaving only the sleeping Merria behind.  

 

Even the half-burned candle soon flickered out, surrendering to the darkness.  

 

💫

 

Originally, Ariene had planned to move the noblewoman to the forest after everything was done.  

 

It would have been easier to dispose of her and hide the evidence there.  

 

If she had simply wanted to kill Merria, she could have taken her straight to the woods after abducting her.  

 

But she had come to Demeter for two main reasons. First, there was someone else who needed to be dealt with before the noblewoman.  

 

That person was the nameless coachman who had brought the two of them here.  

 

As soon as Merria lost consciousness, Ariene headed for the outskirts of the Etowas Forest.  

 

It was a place frequented by servants and merchants, not the carriages of nobles.  

 

The path was rougher and less traveled, so there were fewer people around.  

 

Still, a few hired carriages lingered, drawn by rumors of the crowd.  

 

Ariene chose the smallest coachman and gave him a fake destination—a noble’s estate along the road connecting the Etowas Forest to Demeter.  

 

In her plain attire, Shannon looked like a maid, while Merria, in her outdoor clothes, resembled a fainted noble lady.  

 

The coachman, disarmed by their appearances, accepted a drink without suspicion.  

 

Long before reaching the fake destination, he began to nod off.  

 

Ariene, watching through the front window, ruthlessly pushed him from his seat. Falling from a moving carriage could break his neck or give him a concussion.  

 

To ensure he wouldn’t report her to the guards if he woke, she had deliberately chosen a route frequented by slavers.  

 

And so, the coachman was discarded.

 

The second reason was to leave the Grand Duke a sliver of hope.  

 

Frederiet, contrary to expectations, was someone who cared more for the noblewoman’s safety than even her own governess.  

 

But it wouldn’t do for his knights to find her corpse before Ariene even had the chance to meet him.  

 

At least until she administered the potion, the Grand Duke needed to be left searching for Merria in vain.  

 

‘It’s a shame I won’t get to enjoy that sight for long… but getting caught would be worse.’ 

 

If someone started tailing her in Shannon’s form, it could eventually lead them back to Lady Helena. She couldn’t risk dragging Helena into the mud just because of her own recklessness.  

 

Ariene shook her head. She had never planned to dispose of Merria here anyway, so for now, she decided to keep her locked in the room.  

 

Surprisingly, it was Shannon—who had grown wary of strangers—who showed interest in Merria first.  

 

Perhaps it was because she recognized her, sparking her curiosity.  

 

Ariene considered warning Shannon again but quickly closed her mouth.  

 

The timid girl had already recoiled after seeing her cold demeanor earlier. She probably wouldn’t dare approach Merria now without further prompting.  

 

To soothe Shannon’s nerves, Ariene decided to brush her hair.  

 

It was something she used to do occasionally back at the Magnor estate to pass the time.  

 

Shannon had always loved it more than being treated like a lady—she adored the simple comfort of Ariene’s touch.  

 

Ariene stood behind Shannon, seated in front of the mirror.  

 

“And I brought what you asked for earlier.”  

 

Shannon reached behind her without turning. 

 

On her palm rested a single gleaming ring.  

 

‘Just as expected.’

  

The darkness, severed from its master and weakened, hadn’t even sensed Ariene standing behind Shannon.  

 

Thanks to her, Ariene had effortlessly stolen Merria’s peace.  

 

The gemstone embedded in the ring crackled with hostility toward Ariene, but separated from Merria, it couldn’t act freely.  

 

It could only drift restlessly near the magic stone, like a dog straining against its leash.  

 

The thought amused Ariene, curling the corner of her lips.  

 

Noticing her improved mood, Shannon smiled brightly and began chattering away. She prattled on about what she’d eaten today, how she’d cleaned the room, how interesting the book Deston brought her was—like a baby bird chirping for treats.  

 

Ariene, in an uncharacteristically indulgent mood, silently listened as she ran the brush through Shannon’s hair.  

 

The strands were smooth as flowing moonlight, a testament to her well-fed, well-rested life.  

 

Ariene’s hand moved mechanically before suddenly pausing.  

 

“…?”  

 

Shannon tilted her head curiously.  

 

Blinking her petal-like eyes, she asked, “What’s wrong, Ariene?”  

 

“…Nothing. It’s nothing.”  

 

Ariene’s expression stiffened momentarily before softening into a faint smile. Her hand, clenched bone-white, loosened as she shook her head.  

 

Shannon, oblivious, merely looked puzzled.  

 

By the time the flush in Shannon’s eyes had cooled, Ariene had already hurried back to her room.  

 

The large chamber reserved for her was off-limits even to Shannon.  

 

Closing the door, she finally released the sigh she’d been holding.  

 

It was the frustrated exhale of someone realizing things had gone awry.  

 

Scowling, Ariene stared down at her now-empty hand.  

 

‘I shouldn’t have opened my mouth.’

 

The excuse she’d fabricated to lure the noblewoman out had come back to bite her.  

 

The only saving grace was that the ring was enchanted with high-level concealment magic.  

 

And that its range of movement was limited. She had taken it straight from Deston to Demeter, so even if lost, it wouldn’t be hard to find.  

 

Besides, she had a rough idea of where it might have slipped off.  

 

‘Ah, my apologies.’

  

‘…Next time, watch where you’re going.’

  

It must have fallen off when they bumped into each other.  

 

The ring had always been loose, and she’d been in a hurry to hail a carriage after slipping through the alley.  

 

She hadn’t had time to check.  

 

If she hadn’t been brushing Shannon’s hair, she might not have noticed its absence until much later.  

 

‘Tsk.’ 

 

Ariene clicked her tongue softly.

 

Were it not for her agreement with Deston, she would have simply abandoned that insignificant ring.  

 

That eccentric mage spoke with honeyed words, but his deals were ironclad.  

 

The minor favors he granted only came when she satisfied his peculiar curiosities.  

 

And before coming here, she had already made a promise to Deston. She had agreed to deliver the ring to him—  

 

And even undo its concealment magic personally.  

 

“Haa…”  

 

A sigh deeper than before escaped Ariene’s lips.  

 

Once she received the magic stone from Deston, she would have no choice but to hand over the ring.  

 

Though he appeared careless, his skills were formidable—she couldn’t just present him with any random ring.  

 

Which meant she had to revisit that alley one more time.  

 

The day she was to receive the magic stone from Deston was tomorrow.  

 

That left only tonight to act. First, she would put Shannon to bed, then move under the cover of dawn when fewer eyes were about.  

 

After all, if she walked around in her true appearance, the only ones who might recognize her were those who had worked alongside her at the Count’s estate.  

 

Dealing with such lowly nuisances would be trivial.  

 

Ariene shook her head slightly. Having settled her thoughts, she stepped away from the door.  

 

She had remained standing in the same spot since entering the room.  

 

Now, she moved toward the large desk.  

 

Opening the bottommost drawer, she reached inside and retrieved a small vial.  

 

Its murky brown hue resembled weeds bleached by autumn sun, carefully formulated to blend seamlessly with tea.  

 

Clutching the vial, Ariene fell into silent contemplation.