MLT l CH 8

Posted by Eleanor, Released on November 4, 2025

Episode 8

“What is the real reason?”

“……”

“You could at least tell me that much.”

Licht’s tone was smooth—like a sweet song meant to seduce reason itself, brushing lightly against Ayla’s heart.

Telling him the reason wasn’t hard.
What worried her was… whether someone like Licht, a royal, could even understand that reason.

When Ayla first possessed this body, she made herself a promise:

‘I’ll just follow the bare minimum laws. Nothing more.’

There was no need to live cautiously or bound by rules, not even in this world she’d fallen into.

But now he wanted her to enter the palace—
the most suffocating place of all, where every breath was measured, every step prescribed.

Her face naturally twisted into a frown.
Let Licht misunderstand however he liked; she didn’t care.
Actually, the more he misunderstood, the better.

‘I never want to set foot in a place where I have to obey every rule—
from how I dress to how I walk.’

And besides—

‘Isn’t Licht the only one who benefits here? He needs me, but I don’t need him.
Having him around doesn’t profit me in the slightest—it only gets in the way.’

No matter how she looked at it, his proposal was a losing deal for her.
He had nothing she wanted, and his offer would only chain her down.

Royal power? Prestige?
Her family, the Count of Cablet, was one of the wealthiest houses in the entire empire.
They lacked for nothing—money, comfort, status.

‘My brothers once said our fortune could last for centuries, even if no one worked another day.’

So really, there was no reason for Ayla to accept his offer.
But she couldn’t exactly explain all that outright.

Knowing Licht’s sharp mind, she decided to give a simple answer he might take at face value.

“Because it’s… troublesome.”

“Troublesome?”

Licht narrowed his brows slightly, as if confirming he’d heard right.

She clarified, her voice calm but firm.

“Yes. The palace requires following countless trivial rules.”

“……”

“And the idea of memorizing and following them all—it’s horrifying.”

Licht couldn’t help but let out a dry laugh.
He’d been born into those very rules, raised within their cage, and had never thought of them as horrifying before.

It was… a refreshing, almost shocking perspective.

‘If she dislikes it, then I’ll simply make sure she doesn’t have to do it.’

With that thought, he offered his “solution.”

“If you become my personal healer, you won’t need to follow any of those bothersome rules.”

“……”

“You’d be my person—who would dare say otherwise?”

His tone was perfectly arrogant, exactly as she’d expected.
Ayla shook her head slowly.

“To be honest, ‘troublesome’ was just an excuse.”

Her lavender eyes curved slightly like a crescent moon, meeting his cold red gaze.
Her tone, however, turned resolute.

“I just want to live freely, this life.”

“This life?”

“Yes. I feel like… my past life must have been a miserable one.”

Licht frowned, clearly not understanding her words.
Ayla didn’t bother explaining—she only lifted her shoulders in a casual shrug.

“Anyway, I dislike being bound by rules or authority.”

“……”

“So I’ll have to decline your offer, Your Highness. I think you’ll find someone else faster.”

Licht exhaled softly through his nose, the faintest sound escaping him as his fingers tapped lightly on his knee—like a pianist brushing the keys.

Ayla knew that gesture well.
It meant he was thinking—something he did unconsciously.
She’d planned to use it as a tell whenever she had to negotiate with him again.

After a brief silence, Licht blinked once, twice—slowly.
Surprisingly, he still looked calm.

‘He really is an unshakable man.’

Ayla clicked her tongue quietly.

Then he said something she never expected.

“If that’s what you want… then I’ll give it to you.”

“Pardon?”

“Your freedom. I’ll give it to you.”

Ayla blinked in disbelief.

‘He’ll… give me freedom? That’s not something you can give, idiot.’

Her lips curved faintly, unconsciously betraying her thoughts.
Licht noticed and leaned forward, his voice firming with conviction—clearly thinking she was swayed.

“If you’ll just stay by my side, I’ll give you anything you want.”

“……”

“Whatever you need, say it. I’ll make sure you never lack for anything.”

He spoke as if it were the simplest thing in the world—
his voice brimming with the arrogance of someone born to power.

Ayla suddenly remembered why she’d preferred Dainhart, the second male lead, when she’d first read this story.

Licht had always been loved.
Heir to the throne, blessed with power and favor since birth—he had never lacked anything.

And she hated that.
No—she envied it.

‘Because I used to be poor. Living hand to mouth every day…’

Even after possessing Ayla’s body, there were still moments she wondered if this life was real.
The comfort, the wealth—it all felt borrowed.

To think that people like Licht were born into it made her chest tighten with quiet resentment.

That’s when she drew her line clearly.

“No, Your Highness. There’s nothing I want from you.”

“Then—”

“And I will not become your healer.”

“……”

“Also, you’re mistaken. The ‘freedom’ you speak of and the freedom I desire… are not the same thing.”

“Not the same?”

“Yes.”

Licht’s brow furrowed slightly.
Had the meaning of “freedom” changed without his knowing? Impossible.

He stared at her, silently urging her to explain.
Ayla obliged.

“You said you would give me freedom, correct?”

“That’s right.”

“But true freedom isn’t something that can be given.”

Licht tilted his head.

“Freedom isn’t something granted by others.
It means to live without external restraints—to act as you please.”

“……”

“The freedom you offer, Your Highness, is just another kind of leash disguised as a gift.”

“That’s… quite an exaggeration.”

“Not at all. No one ever told you that, did they? That’s why you don’t realize it.”

No one had ever dared speak to a royal like this.
Even Ayla knew she was treading dangerous ground.

But she wasn’t just Ayla—she was a possessor.
And because of that, she could say what no one else dared.

She decided to end things once and for all.

“Up until now, Your Highness has always gotten what you wanted. Always done as you pleased.”

“……”

“But this time… you’ll get neither.”

Her lavender eyes gleamed with fierce resolve, though her lips carried a gentle smile.

“If anyone tries to break my wings—
even if it’s the man destined to be the Empire’s sun—
I will never forgive them.”

“That almost sounds like a threat of revenge.”

“If it comes to that, then yes.”

“……”

“I’m not like you, Your Highness. I have nothing to lose.”

The more a person has, the more cowardly they become.
But Licht, despite having everything, showed no hint of fear.

That’s why everyone in the novel had been mistaken about him—
believing he was strong enough to protect everything he loved.

‘If only they knew the truth.’

Unlike the others, Ayla knew his weakness—
and that gave her courage.

No count’s daughter could normally speak this way to a crown prince.
But she knew the truth: if she refused to heal him, he could never truly control her.

Understanding her defiance, Licht let out a low chuckle and nodded slowly.