I Slept with the Villain Holding My Hand Chapter 144 - The Villain’s Ending

Of course, they could have simply informed Shannon of the plan without offering any deal—there would have been no consequences for doing so. 

 

The power of Frederick, the continent’s sole Grand Duke, was enough to annihilate a powerless family overnight. 

 

Even if this Grand Duke were to publicly accuse a mere illegitimate child of Count Magner, a minor pawn of the Second Prince’s faction, no one would dare stand in his way.

 

Yet, the two of them sought Shannon’s understanding and were willing to pay the price. This was why Merria had asked Reukis for a favor—to repay a debt from long ago. 

 

Merria wanted to return, in some small way, that kindness Shannon had once shown her, even if Shannon herself no longer remembered it.

 

Fortunately, Reukis had agreed not to execute Arienne on the spot. For him, this was no small decision—after all, Arienne had tried to kill him and tear him apart from Merria. 

 

Allowing her to live, even temporarily, was a significant concession.

 

Merria lowered her voice as she explained to Shannon:

“Luckily, very few people know that Arienne stole Shannon Magnar’s face to live her life. So the condition is that you take the blame in her place.”

 

If Arienne had truly begun to care for Shannon…

There was no way she would stand by and watch Shannon shoulder her crimes.

Which meant that once Arienne heard the news, she would surely come to rescue Shannon.

 

“If I do that… will you forgive Arienne?” Shannon asked.

 

Merria answered without hesitation, even though she knew full well what a tremendous decision it was for someone to willingly take on another’s sins.

 

Nodding, Merria continued, “And we plan to demand compensation from the Magnar County household…”

 

Even though it was a necessary step, the words were difficult to say.

Merria knew all too well how Shannon had been treated in the Magnar estate. She was well aware that the count’s family saw Shannon not as a daughter or even a family member, but as something lower than a mere servant.

 

But if Shannon was to play the role of the culprit, involving the count’s family was unavoidable.

And if that happened… the count would undoubtedly disown Shannon.

 

So they wouldn’t hesitate to kill Shannon to silence her after initially pretending to abandon her.

 

“It could become dangerous.”

 

Though the statement lacked a subject, Shannon understood easily enough.

After all, hiring someone to kill Shannon would likely be cheaper than paying the ransom demanded by the Grand Duke’s household.

 

Shannon stayed silent for a moment, deep in thought, before finally nodding.

“I’ll do it. No—let me do it.”

 

“Understood.”

 

“As soon as dawn breaks, I’ll send a messenger to the Magner estate and arrange for a public escort of knights.”

 

With Reukis’ final words, the two left Shannon’s room.

 

“What else needs to be settled before we go back…?”

 

Merria murmured as she walked slowly.

Today, she had to return to the Ducal residence. Though she had sent people ahead, staying away for too long after waking would cause problems.

Reukis had replenished the magic in her ring, but it was still better to wrap up all necessary discussions before leaving.

 

“His Majesty still hasn’t woken, correct?”

 

Merria asked Reukis. She had only just learned about the explosion during the hunting tournament earlier that day.

 

“That’s right.”

 

Despite Nethesia’s healing, Aprion remained unconscious. Because of this, the imperial palace was tense, as if walking on thin ice.

Capable young nobles handpicked by Altheon were now frequently entering the palace.

In response, the Second Prince’s faction grew increasingly vocal, sensing the shifting tides.

 

Helena spent her days playing the dutiful wife at Aprion’s bedside, only to spend her nights persuading nobles to their side.

She must have been furious seeing Altheon swaggering about unchecked.

 

Amidst all this, even the palace’s security was being transferred from the Elexid Knights to the Altairs Knights.

 

The increased security at the imperial palace was meant to prevent rebellious factions from exploiting the emperor’s condition and to thwart potential invasions from other nations.

 

Though it might seem contradictory that the Knights of Altheon—the largest opposing faction—were the ones filling this security void, the knights stationed there faithfully served as both shields and ears, gathering intelligence.

 

“We’ve received reports that members of the Second Prince’s faction, including Cesar Verucella, have been entering and leaving the Philotes Palace during the early morning hours.”

 

“Do you think Count Magner will seek out the imperial concubine after reading tomorrow’s newspapers?”

 

“He’ll undoubtedly demand compensation far beyond what he can handle on his own, so he’ll certainly turn to her for help.”

 

“Given that the count has been secretly dispatching agents ever since your visit, he must believe Shannon has valuable information to extract.”

 

“Since she knows nothing, it’s highly likely he’ll assume it’s related to the imperial concubine.”

 

Though it was unclear what words had been exchanged between Arienne—wearing Shannon’s face—and Helena, Count Magner was aware that Shannon and the imperial concubine had a close enough relationship to meet privately.

 

However, Helena, who had secretly ordered Shannon to fabricate a scandal involving the Grand Duke, would likely try to silence the count to avoid exposure.

 

At that point, it would be crucial for the count to stir chaos within the Second Prince’s faction.

 

Given Count Magner’s loose tongue and hot temper, he would undoubtedly do just that.

 

In fact, he might even seek out Shannon and pressure her to fabricate a false connection with Helena.

 

If the thrashing tail of the pyramid stirred up enough mud to confuse the hidden predators, so much the better.

 

💫

 

In a remote corner of the Magnolas Forest—a place so rugged that even carriages avoided its paths—stood a crumbling hut.

 

Surprisingly, people lived there.

 

Or more accurately, two fugitives were hiding within.

 

Their reason for coming to the Magnolas Forest was nothing extraordinary.

 

Ariene possessed Deston’s magic stone, and among all possible locations beyond the capital or Demeter, this forest—where the old woman had first awakened—came to mind.

 

The advantage of this forest was its sparse foot traffic, making it easy to avoid prying eyes.

Was there any place more suitable to hide a blood-coughing Ariene?

 

True to her expectations, neither the old woman nor Ariene had been discovered by the villagers thus far.

For the first few days, they couldn’t venture out at all, forced to starve or scavenge for wild plants.

Once their guard lowered slightly, they decided to head to the village outskirts to procure medicine and food.

They also needed to learn what had transpired since their escape.

 

The task of going out fell to the old woman. Both of them were in wretched condition, but Ariene, having ingested a truth serum, was worse off.

 

The old woman briefly considered taking advantage of Ariene’s weakened state to eliminate her then and there.

But even as she gasped for breath, Ariene kept her eyes wide open, watching the old woman’s every move.

Besides, Shannon or Merria might still track them down, so she decided to leave her be—for now.

Survival was the immediate priority for both of them.

 

The old woman returned from the village outskirts earlier than expected.

Then, bluntly, she said, “Your young mistress is standing trial.”

 

“…What?”

 

Ariene stared at her as if she’d spouted nonsense.

The old woman tossed her a newspaper fished from the trash and continued, “Seems she took the blame in your place. Whether willingly or not, who knows?”

 

[SHOCKING NEWS!

Grand Duke Frederick Accuses Count Magner’s Maid—Outrage Ensues!

The charge brought to trial? None other than the assassination of a noble.

For a commoner, nothing could be more terrifying.

But the twist? The maid was revealed to be the Count’s illegitimate child!]

 

[According to the official statement from the family, the question of whether the illegitimate child of a maid will be pardoned remains divisive.]

The article, filled with nothing but sensational details, was published in a newspaper known to everyone born and raised in the Empire.

Given that the headline wasn’t an exclusive, it was likely that every media outlet in the Empire was pouring out the same story.

Ariene froze, her brow furrowing deeply.

“This… idiot, seriously.”

She turned to the old woman, who was watching her with interest, and demanded, “You said you left it behind.”

“I did. At the Grand Duke’s residence.”

“You should’ve left it at Demeter—!”

As Ariene shoved the newspaper forward, the old woman tilted her head.

“Seems like it’s real.”

“What?”

“Well, you’re one thing, but the fact that I guessed right—guess that’s just like me.”

Maybe it’s because you’re me after all. The old woman muttered something incomprehensible to herself.

Ariene grabbed her shoulders and shouted, “What were you thinking, leaving the child there?!”

“You told me to leave her behind.”

“But still…!”

Ariene had clearly approached Shannon with intent. She acted kindly, smiled, and listened—all with immoral motives.

She even went as far as stealing Shannon’s face. But she never wanted Shannon to pay the price for what she had done.

Now, she wondered what any of that even mattered—but if she had to argue, that was the truth.

 

Ariene shot up from her seat and paced around the cabin.

The old woman watched her silently before remarking bluntly, “If she gets caught, just go save her. What’s the problem?”

“Did you forget I’ve taken a truth serum? If the Grand Duke catches me now, everything about Lady Helena will—”

“Helena, Helena. Even after hearing me, you still refuse to open your eyes.”

The old woman smirked and muttered under her breath.

 

In the days they spent hiding, Ariene’s condition never improved.

Still, staying together allowed them to share some strength—But with so little power left in her, it didn’t make much of a difference.

 

Even as she barely held on, the only reason Ariene stubbornly remained here was her unwavering resolve not to return to the capital.

In the capital, those who sought her had laid siege.

As long as the truth serum remained unneutralized, Ariene’s mouth was little more than a ticking time bomb.

But to the old woman, that choice was nothing but foolish stubbornness.

Even after hearing how Helena had betrayed her past self, Ariene refused to yield.

The old woman had hoped the news of Shannon’s capture might change her mind—But in the end, she decided to show her the truth with her own eyes.

 

The foolish Ariene had taken on Shannon’s face and identity, willingly becoming Helena’s pawn.

And now that things had gone awry, Shannon would surely be discarded like a severed tail.

“If she sees it for herself, she’ll finally give up.”

The old woman slumped into a chair.

 

“Let’s go to the imperial palace.”

“What?”

“Leave her like this, and she’ll end up with her head chopped off like a traitor. Are you really fine with that?”

“…”

“Make a deal with that mage—ask him to rescue your lady. I’ll pay the price with my own power.”

 

The old woman just wanted to rest now, leaving everything behind. She hadn’t even returned for revenge against Helena in the first place.

Merria and Reukis would live peaceful lives from now on.

If Ariene abandoned her foolish thoughts and stayed by Shannon’s side, then perhaps the old woman could finally see an end to all this.

 

There was no need for two people sharing the same thoughts and memories in the same era.

If one of them had to live on, wouldn’t it be better for it to be the one who had someone waiting for her?

That was what she thought.

 

It was clear—having traveled back through time, her heart had aged as much as her face.

The rickety wooden chair creaked, letting out a sound like a scream.