I Slept with the Villain Holding My Hand Chapter 135

A sweet voice and slender arms wrapping around his neck.

Even the dazzling silver light scattering before his eyes. To any passing man, the sight of the two would be enough to make him clutch his stomach and grimace in distress.

And for good reason—the woman clinging to him was far from unpleasant to look at,
and it was she who had latched onto Deston in the first place.

Through bleary eyes, they could easily be mistaken for lovers.

If only that blade, poised to slice through her delicate neck, weren’t there.

 

What in the world is going on?

 

Deston scrambled to make sense of the rapid sequence of events.

So, just moments ago, he had been crafting a magic stone. Then, out of nowhere, Ariene appeared and snatched the unfinished stone.

The moment Ariene teleported away, the Grand Duke stormed into his office.

Ariene, who had fled, suddenly fell from the sky, and now the Grand Duke was pointing his sword at her—that was the current situation.

 

‘This isn’t adding up. No way.’

 

Each incident was so bizarre that they didn’t connect—they just clashed.

In the end, Deston gave up trying to sort it out in his head.

He flicked his gaze to the side. For the first time since meeting her, Ariene was pressing close to him in a friendly manner, and it left Deston utterly flustered.

But what made him even more uneasy was the finely honed sword hovering near his face.

Positioned perfectly to slash through Ariene’s neck, the blade lingered at the edge of Deston’s vision.

 

His eyes trailed up the length of the sword. His crouched position made the height difference between him and Reukis staggering.

When his gaze finally met those piercing eyes at the end of the blade, Deston flinched violently.

 

At that, Ariene—still clinging tightly to him—let out a loud cry, squeezing his neck.

“I—I was so, so scared! Waaah…”

Ariene mumbled, fully immersing herself in the role she had crafted.

 

‘I’m just an innocent young lady who knows nothing. I was kidnapped. The Countess who was taken with me sacrificed herself for me, and I escaped using the magic stone Deston gave me—that’s why I’m here. All I have to do is act terrified. That’s enough.’

 

Logically, the situation made sense.

 

But facing Deston’s foolish expression, my focus was on the verge of shattering completely.

 

Determined to replace emotional shock with physical pain, she bit down hard on the tender flesh inside her cheek.

 

She must have bitten too hard—the metallic taste of blood flooded her mouth.

 

At least, in the end, her pinkish eyes welled up with moisture, so it wasn’t entirely in vain.

 

However, Deston, who had witnessed the entire process up close, couldn’t hide his bewilderment.

 

Why are you like this… Seriously.

 

If it weren’t for the Grand Duke, he would’ve grabbed Ariene’s shoulders and shaken her while asking.

 

This unscripted, impromptu act made Deston want to smack his own forehead in frustration.

 

What kind of reaction should I show here to slip away like an eel?

 

First, he needed to get rid of that terrifying sword—he didn’t want any bloodshed in this room.

 

“Your Grace, please put away your sword.”

 

“Why?”

 

“Huh?”

 

The Grand Duke, who had pointed that terrifying blade at an innocent mage, rolled his eyes with a cold expression.

 

The golden eyes that flickered toward him gleamed sharply.

 

Deston, who hadn’t expected such a sharp retort, hesitated before answering.

 

“Are you two… in a relationship?”

 

Reukis muttered under his breath.

 

If I say no here, will I not leave this place unharmed?

 

Deston rolled his eyes before slowly nodding.

 

For now, escaping this situation took priority, didn’t it?

 

Even if his secretive meetings with Ariene had always been discreet. Now that they’d been so thoroughly entangled, keeping his distance would be impossible.

 

Even his ever-present curiosity, which dictated all his actions, bowed its head for once.

 

After all, you had to stay alive to remain curious.

 

Reukis narrowed his eyes and scrutinized Ariene, who wore Shannon’s face.

 

Her pale complexion, disheveled hair, and dirt-stained clothes caught his attention one by one.

 

These weren’t just traces of rolling on the floor moments ago—they hinted at something else.

 

Like she had fallen on rough ground, or something along those lines.

 

Reukis’ grip tightened.

 

This woman is definitely suspicious. 

 

This was his intuition speaking. From the very first meeting, the suspicious silver hair had been grating on his nerves.

Even when she suddenly appeared with Merria’s power, hadn’t she pretended to be friendly while keeping her distance?

 

What was it? The intention lurking beneath.

 

Reukis continued speaking without sheathing his sword.

“I am looking for Merria. And there was a maid’s testimony that you came searching for Merria yesterday.”

 

“Your Grace, please, lower your sword…”

Deston interjected quietly, but no one paid him any attention.

 

Ariene buried her face in her hands as if tears were about to burst forth.

After trembling for a long while, she spoke without lifting her head.

 

“Your Grace.”

Reukis lowered his gaze upon recognizing the delicate voice laced with tears calling for him.

Even in the face of the woman’s pitiable appearance, Reukis didn’t so much as blink. Meeting his silent stare, Ariene continued her act.

“The Lady… the Lady said…”

Ariene deliberately drew out her words, letting the ominous silence linger in the air.

 

Struggling to maintain the tension, Ariene finally revealed it.

“She told me to give you this in exchange for delivering the situation to her.”

 

Thud—

Reukis stared blankly, as if struck speechless.

 

Resting in Ariene’s palm was a ring that should have been on his lover’s finger. That ring was his last hope—his safety net.

 

Even if he couldn’t hear any news of Merria…

Even as he trembled with anxiety…

Even when memories of his childhood, where everything had shattered upon waking, kept resurfacing…

 

He still had to endure. The worst had not yet come to pass.

That ring was the one thing allowing him such pitiful self-delusion and comfort.

 

The ring he had gifted her was imbued with the most powerful protective magic he could conjure.

With it, Merria’s safety should have been assured to some extent.

But then—why?

 

“How… is this possible?”

 

The ring he had trusted so completely was now being held right before his eyes.

The faint image of Merria’s face, smiling as she promised to treasure it, surfaced in his mind.

It had only been a day since he last saw her, yet it felt as though someone was trying to erase her from his thoughts.

Reukis stared at the ring without so much as a blink.

His eyes burned, bloodshot and dry. He couldn’t even shed the tears that threatened to spill—physically, he was incapable.

He couldn’t cry.

Not until he saw Merria’s safety with his own eyes.

There was nothing else he could do.

 

Shannon, a vivid witness who had escaped the scene of the abduction, boldly demanded the Grand Duke’s protection.

Was it to relay Merria’s words?

Without attaching any conditions, Reukis headed straight for the Grand Duke’s residence.

Of course, Deston accompanied them.

Since Reukis said nothing, Deston quietly assumed he was there either as Ariene’s guardian or as a comforting presence.

But Deston’s expectations would only hold if Kalix failed to track them down.

And Kalix had already prepared a detention cell under Reukis’ orders.

In the end, Deston, dragged along without understanding why, was handed over to Kalix.

 

Meanwhile, Shannon and Reukis entered the heavily secured Grand Duke’s residence. She took in the sight of the stately, antiquated estate.

Or rather, she watched with quiet amusement as the pale-faced Grand Duke fixated on the ring—though outwardly, she maintained a sorrowful expression.

 

Just moments ago, she had thought everything had gone wrong before it even began.

After all, thanks to the half-finished magic stone Deston had provided, not only had her teleportation failed—

‘I collapsed in the marketplace and was found by the Grand Duke himself before I could even be discovered.’

 

The only reason I could deceive the Grand Duke was thanks to my pitiful appearance and the Princess’s ring.

Stealing this one of the two rings the old woman possessed ended up working in my favor. Had I brought the ring imbued with invisibility magic, I would’ve ended up with nothing but Deston’s useless magic stone.

The despair on the Grand Duke’s face when I revealed this ring—

It was exactly what I had wished to see from Reukis.

 

Compared to last night when I visited him wearing Merria’s face, the Grand Duke looked utterly exhausted.

‘He’s a knight who’s fought in wars for years—mentally drained would be the right way to describe him.’

Feeling pity for the trembling woman, Jaina excused herself to prepare tea.

Reukis fiddled with the small ring that didn’t even fit his finger. He looked strangely calm, making Ariene wonder for just a brief moment if her act hadn’t worked.

But that thought lasted only an instant.

‘It must be my imagination.’

 

Just then, Jaina returned with teacups and a teapot. The tea, brewed to the perfect drinking temperature, swirled gently in the white porcelain cups.

‘If it weren’t for that, there’s no way I’d be sitting in the Grand Duke’s residence sipping tea right now.’

Ariene stopped sniffling and picked up her teacup.

With her other hand, she clutched the vial hidden in her pocket.

‘When should I do it?’

She took a sip of the pale tea and glanced at the cup placed before the Grand Duke.

 

As Ariene debated the timing, Reukis spoke first.

“Does the tea help calm you?”

“I wouldn’t know, but it’s expensive, so it tastes good.”

Huh?

Ariene gasped, startled by her own unfiltered response, and covered her mouth.

What? What is this?

Her pink eyes flickered wildly. Reukis, still in the same position, slowly lifted his gaze and stared straight at her.

“Is Merria… still alive?”

 

The indifferent voice wavered slightly at the end.

Ariene shook her head fiercely, as if refusing to answer. But her silence didn’t last long.

The searing pain in her throat came intermittently.

 

‘So they gave me something.’

Ariene bit her lip hard and glared at Reukis.

In an instant, Reukis closed the distance, grabbed her throat, and forced away the hand covering her mouth.

 

“Answering will be in your best interest. If you resist the words forcing their way out, it’ll feel like swallowing needles.”

From the very beginning, he had never let go of his suspicions about Ariene.

Even when she arrogantly brought up Merria’s information and demanded protection, he had easily agreed for this very reason.

No matter what he did, the people in this mansion would stay silent.

Where else would be more suitable for harming someone than here?

 

Leading the guest to the parlor, two rooms away from the study, was an unspoken order to lace the tea with drugs.

The drug was a powerful truth serum—one that couldn’t be easily neutralized unless by its creator.

Though she had only consumed a small amount, it was enough to extract information about Merria.

 

He lowered his hand from her throat to grip her collar, allowing her to speak.

“I asked if Merria is alive.”

Despite his feigned composure, his words faltered helplessly.

 

“She’s in Demeter.”

Ariene answered with venom lacing her teeth.

It wasn’t like the information would be of any use anyway.

 

“I was certain they’d come for me. Why Merria…?”

Reukis muttered something that didn’t quite sound like a question.

Instead, Ariene boldly reached out and pulled out the vial of the drug.

 

“Just because I drank the truth serum doesn’t mean I’ve lost control of my body, does it?”

She couldn’t lie—but that was all.

Ariene shook the bottle of brown liquid in front of his eyes.

Then, gripping his collar just as he had done to her, she commanded, “[Drink.]”

 

Gulp—