I Slept with the Villain Holding My Hand Chapter 125

The features visible beneath the robe were those of an elderly person—unexpected for a monstrous intruder.  

 

Neither an acquaintance, nor a man, nor a young woman, but an aged crone.  

 

Apart from that, the only slightly remarkable thing was a face that must have been quite beautiful in its youth.  

 

As Merria stared intently into the crone’s azalea-colored eyes, the old woman let out a snicker.  

 

“You wanna die?”  

 

At the sudden death threat, Merria blinked in surprise.  

 

The crone, leaving a dumbfounded Merria behind, abruptly released the hand gripping her.  

 

Naturally, Merria found herself wedged between the wall and the intruder. Her legs trembled as she struggled not to collapse.  

 

The assailant reached past Merria and picked up a nearby cloth.  

 

While pressing it against the wound on Merria’s shoulder—torn by her own blade—the crone spoke.  

 

“You know you just pulled a knife on the person here to save you, right?”  

 

The old woman tore the cloth and roughly tied it around the injury.  

 

Once the makeshif band was done, she seized Merria’s arm with rough hands and, without hesitation, dragged her out of the room.  

 

Clang—

  

The fruit knife in Merria’s hand clattered to the floor like a discarded toy.  

 

As her vision quickly adjusted to the brightness, Merria narrowed her eyes.  

 

Shannon, likely due to strong resistance, was bound not just at the mouth but also at the hands.  

 

Before passing Shannon, Merria planted her feet firmly and yanked her arm free.  

 

“Let go! Who are you?! Where are you taking me—?”  

 

“Miss. It’s me.”  

 

Finally stopping, the crone leaned in close to Merria’s face.  

 

Azalea-colored eyes and hair that faded like evergreen leaves toward the roots. Even searching her memories, Merria was certain she didn’t know this person.  

 

‘So who the hell are you?’  

 

Frowning, Merria glared at her. Realizing she had never shown her face to Merria before, the crone nodded in understanding.  

 

“Here. Maybe this’ll help you recognize me?”  

 

“You…?”  

 

As the old woman rolled up her sleeve, a familiar ring resting on her wrinkled hand came into view. Merria’s lost ‘Ring’ was there—on the hand of a stranger she had never seen before.

 

Merria reflexively looked down at Shannon, who had collapsed to the floor.  

 

Shannon, bound at the hands and mouth, sat slumped, her gaze fixed not on the old woman’s hands but on her face.  

 

Shannon’s pupils trembled violently.  

 

Like someone who had seen something they shouldn’t have.  

 

‘Why is she like this?’

  

Was it fear from facing the intruder’s face? Or was she dumbfounded by the audacity of this trespasser who acted so boldly?  

 

Whatever the case, one thing was certain—she wasn’t looking at the ring.  

 

Merria turned her head again and stared directly at the old woman.  

 

At this very moment, the person who would hand her this ring and say such things…  

 

“From that alleyway…?” Merria muttered under her breath.  

 

The old woman’s lips curled into a pleased smile.  

 

“Right! Seems you’re not a complete fool after all.”  

 

The familiarity was absurd, like running into a neighbor who had moved away long ago at the market.  

 

Back then, when Merria had searched desperately, not even a trace of her could be found.  

 

So why show up now, of all times?  

 

Merria exhaled sharply, a mix of disbelief and bewilderment swirling inside her.  

 

At the same time, she felt a sudden release of tension.  

 

Judging by how the old woman treated Shannon, she likely wasn’t aligned with Arienne. And above all, this was the same woman who had once shown her a path to survival.  

 

Even if her methods had been unfriendly and bizarre, the outcome was what mattered.  

 

So at the very least, she had to be better than someone like Arienne—whoever that even was.  

 

Merria, still struggling against the handcuffs, grabbed the old woman by the collar.  

 

“You! For years, I’ve been—how long have I searched for you?!”  

 

“Let go. We don’t have time for this.”  

 

Unfazed by Merria’s outburst, the old woman shook her off with a flick of her wrist. Freeing herself with a sigh, the old woman then walked toward Shannon.  

 

Perhaps because of the harm she had caused, Shannon scrambled backward on her knees, trying to get away.

 

Merria recognized the old woman and let out a sigh of relief.  

 

Shannon, however, was frightened by the old woman’s sudden appearance It felt as if the situation had completely reversed from earlier.  

 

She kept worrying, recalling Ariene—someone whose identity she didn’t even know.  

 

The only difference was that Merria didn’t blindly trust the old woman.  

 

Judging by her actions, it seemed she had come to retrieve Merria. But the way they had met was too dramatic to simply follow without question.  

 

Wasn’t the old woman acting just like a male protagonist from a novel?  

 

Meanwhile, the old woman was forcibly untying the ribbon binding Shannon’s hands. Her original goal had only been to enter this house and take Merria away.  

 

She had tied Shannon up temporarily to prevent her from screaming and drawing attention.  

 

By that logic, now that she had found the princess, she should have left without a second thought. But knowing that no one would return here afterward, she decided not to leave Shannon bound.  

 

After untying Shannon’s hands, the old woman raised a finger to her own lips.  

 

Even without the gesture, Shannon’s mouth remained tightly shut. Lowering her voice so only Shannon could hear, the old woman whispered,  

 

“That woman won’t come. Not for a long time, at least.”  

 

Maybe never. She didn’t bother adding the last part—Shannon’s face had already turned deathly pale.  

 

Muttering to herself, the old woman wondered how things had gone so wrong. She had only wanted to make amends for past mistakes.  

 

Even if her choices had been wrong, there was no point in regretting them now.  

 

With a grunt, she straightened up.  

 

In trying to untangle this mess, she had only made it worse.  

 

And yet, amid it all, a memory from long ago flashed vividly in her mind.

 

💫

 

“Ahhh!”  

 

“Your Highness, the Imperial Consort! Move aside!”  

 

The peaceful palace was suddenly disrupted by the appearance of the young Grand Duke. His hand was drenched in the blood of the knight who had just been shielding the Imperial Consort.  

 

Thud. Thud—

 

The sound of the Grand Duke’s footsteps cut through the chaotic space and echoed ominously.  

 

Each step carried the agony of the nights he had spent writhing in torment.  

 

The Grand Duke looked as precarious as a man facing his end.  

 

And yet, an equally threatening aura enveloped Reukis.  

 

Finally, the Grand Duke’s footsteps halted.  

 

Helena, who had been elegantly sipping tea just moments ago, remained seated with the same dignified posture.  

 

“Helena Lien Tristan, show proper respect.”  

 

The Grand Duke’s low, sharp voice pierced the air.  

 

It felt as though his entire body was screaming.  

 

Ariene, hidden in the shadows, watched Reukis gripping his sword and couldn’t help but think that. Helena glanced briefly at the fallen knight on the floor before turning her gaze away again.  

 

“What is the meaning of this commotion?”  

 

“…”  

 

“And you demand respect? That statement is a blatant insult to me, the Imperial Consort—”  

 

Crash!  

 

The moment the Grand Duke swung his sword, someone burst forward like lightning from the corner.  

 

“Ariene!”  

 

Helena called out to her in a scolding tone.  

 

If the Grand Duke discovered Ariene’s identity, it would bring no good.  

 

If it became known that she had taken in someone who wielded strange powers—neither a mage nor a priest—It would only invite the Emperor’s suspicion or give the Crown Prince leverage against her.  

 

Though the guarding knight had been wounded, the situation had been manageable until now.  

 

But with Ariene suddenly rushing out, things had become far more complicated.  

 

An unfamiliar figure, dressed neither as a maid nor a noble, coming and going from the Imperial Consort’s chambers was highly suspicious.  

 

“Grand Duke.”  

 

Helena feigned composure and called out to Reukis.  

 

Why the usually empty-eyed Grand Duke had caused such a scene wasn’t particularly important to her.  

 

What mattered was that she could use this—his audacious intrusion into the Imperial Consort’s chambers, armed with a sword and dark sorcery—against him.  

 

If she could just navigate this moment carefully, she could use it as grounds to strip him of his title and power.

 

“Wouldn’t that naturally mean a major faction supporting the Crown Prince would disappear?”  

 

Helena stifled a creeping smile and licked her dry lips.  

 

“Ack—”  

 

Ariene let out a choked gasp as a crushing grip tightened around her neck.  

 

“So, a little rat was hiding here.”  

 

The Grand Duke’s gaze remained fixed on Helena as he muttered the words.  

 

Darkness, flowing from Reukis’ hand, slithered toward Ariene like creeping tendrils. She struggled to break free, but it was futile.  

 

Reukis wore an indifferent expression, as though he were merely brushing off dust.  

 

As punishment for daring to obstruct the Grand Duke’s wrath, Ariene’s body had already begun to be corroded by the darkness.  

 

And Helena knew better than anyone just how useful Ariene still was. She couldn’t be killed—not when she was needed as a witness.  

 

With a hint of urgency seeping into her voice, Helena shouted,  

 

“Grand Duke! Release her at once.”  

 

“Grand Duke.”  

 

‘Ha.’ Reukis repeated her words, his teeth clenched.  

 

The sheer malice in his aura sent shivers down Ariene’s arms, leaving her unable to even breathe.  

 

“Helena Lovietta. How dare a mere member of a borderland count’s family address the Empire’s Grand Duke so casually?”  

 

Lovietta was the name of Helena’s impoverished, powerless family—the house she was born into.  

 

And now, bearing Tristan’s surname, it was one of the titles she despised most. She glared straight at Reukis, her eyes sharp.  

 

“I will personally report this insolence to His Majesty.”  

 

Helena could no longer hold back her anger at Reukis, who had consistently denied her existence since her arrival.  

 

Reukis did not avert his gaze.  

 

“You are no longer a member of the Imperial Family.”  

 

The words that left his lips were unforgivable.