Chapter 10
And so, Vivian came to a conclusion.
“I have to escape this crazy mansion. Right now!”
The antidote was no longer the problem. Thanks to Aslan’s burning obsession with secrecy, her neck was now on the line.
She never imagined Aslan would be this extreme.
“The getaway money is in a secret account, so I won’t take anything. Just get out with my body intact. Say goodbye to this place as fresh and clean as a spring breeze!”
She just had to think of it as a small mishap that delayed her original plan.
Her plan had always been to change her identity and spend the rest of her life peacefully hidden away in the finest resort town in the south.
No surveillance, no need to watch her back, no threat to her life — a true paradise!
Vivian, who had begun stripping off her dress to move comfortably, suddenly froze. A chill crept up the back of her neck.
“But if I disappear now, wouldn’t Aslan be even more suspicious? He’ll think I figured out his secret and ran away…”
Her graceful farewell took a step back. Vivian let out a pained groan and messed up her hair.
“But if I stay by Aslan’s side like this, the ending will be the same anyway.”
If she ran, he’d take suspicion as confirmation and she’d meet a death ending.
If she stayed, he’d keep her under watch until he caught a slip-up — also a death ending.
Whichever path she looked at, they all led to death.
“Is this really the end? No, there has to be a way.”
Vivian recalled the grace period she had — the one year left until the wedding.
“If I could just fake my death from tuberculosis before that year is up…”
There was no better way to escape Aslan’s surveillance than through “death.” That was undeniable.
Of course, she couldn’t actually die. So the plan was to fake it convincingly enough.
Then she’d flee the mansion and receive the completed antidote from one of Aslan’s allies whom she had already bribed, and then leave cleanly and quietly.
“Perfect! Absolutely perfect!”
Vivian hopped with excitement — until she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror.
There she was, having thrown off all her dresses, jumping around in nothing but a thin negligee. She looked like a beautifully mad woman.
“Ahem.”
Vivian awkwardly scratched the back of her neck — and then it happened.
“Vivian, I called out but got no answer…”
“Kyaaa!”
The door burst open.
Aslan stepped in — then instantly turned around, his face flushing red. He turned around faster than her scream had left her mouth.
“Wh-What the hell! Why all of a sudden?!”
“Sorry, I thought you had fainted.”
“That’s no excuse!”
“Still, shouldn’t you put some clothes on?”
Aslan’s voice cracked slightly. Only then did Vivian realize her state and hurriedly hid behind the full-length mirror.
But then it hit her.
Aslan had reached the peak of magical swordsmanship and possessed extraordinary reflexes. Even if he turned his head quickly, he had likely seen the chaos of the room in full detail.
And sure enough, the atmosphere he radiated grew dark and heavy.
“By the way… why does the room look like this?”
“…”
“Looks like someone was planning to run away.”
Cold sweat streamed down Vivian’s back.
She should’ve countered immediately — but he hit the nail on the head so hard that her brain went on strike.
She had to ease his suspicions now. Vivian blurted out the first thing that came to mind.
“The weather was so nice… I wanted to take a walk with Your Grace…”
Oh no. She needed to respond firmly and maturely, but her tongue twisted, and the words came out like a coy attempt at flirting.
Vivian wiped her sweaty palms on her negligee and continued.
“I just looked so shabby and thin… I wanted to look pretty…”
“…”
“So… that’s why…”
To make things worse, her breathing got choked up. Her voice trembled as if she were about to cry.
She was screwed. Completely.
“Just say something, please!”
She pressed her forehead against the wall, waiting, but Aslan remained silent. The heavy silence dragged on endlessly.
Unable to hold back her curiosity, Vivian peeked from behind the mirror.
“…Huh?”
Aslan was restlessly pacing around the disheveled bedroom. He ran his hand through his hair, rubbed his face, and chewed on his lip.
Then, sensing her gaze, he suddenly looked up.
“Vivian, you’re not shabby.”
“…What?”
“So don’t ever think something that ridiculous again. Useless worries are bad for your health.”
Unable to take it anymore, he strode over. His large hand brushed up her bangs roughly.
“You’re incredibly beautiful. So beautiful I can’t stand it. Just thinking of other men seeing you this way drives me mad.”
“…”
“But whether you dress up or not, you’re the same to me. I just want you to feel comfortable by my side.”
He gently draped a linen robe over her shoulders. It looked like a doll’s outfit in his hand but fit her loosely.
There was a warmth in Aslan’s eyes as he looked at his fiancée.
“If there’s something you want, tell me. Don’t hesitate.”
“Then…”
His expression was so kind and warm it seemed like he’d grant any wish. Vivian almost blurted out:
“Will you break off the engagement with me?”
But Aslan spoke first.
“Let’s go for that walk you mentioned. The weather is nice — we can go into town.”
“Uh… w-what?”
“Still, better dress warmly just in case, Vivian.”
He nodded in satisfaction, kissed the back of her hand as if marking it, and left the room.
Left alone, Vivian thought:
“Ah. I’m doomed.”
＊ ＊ ＊
“Wow, look over there!”
When she first left the mansion, Vivian looked like a pig being dragged to slaughter, but now her face had brightened.
Everything she saw amazed her. As she excitedly moved from place to place, Aslan smiled and followed, clearly enjoying her joy.
Still, he didn’t forget to worry about her condition.
“There are a lot of people — be careful not to get swept away.”
“Well, you’ll protect me, right?”
“Of course. I’m your fiancé. Do whatever you want.”
He gave his blessing. Vivian lit up even more and looked around eagerly.
While staying at the Eleonora Duke’s estate, she had been kept in a detached building, essentially quarantined — likely out of fear that her tuberculosis was contagious.
It was odd, since in this world, tuberculosis wasn’t infectious — but she understood.
“No one likes someone with a terminal illness. Besides, even the detached house was huge and luxurious with a massive garden, so I can’t complain.”
And after writing her will and running away, she had truly suffered.
Afraid she’d be pursued, she disguised herself as a commoner and took roundabout side roads.
So this outing was practically her first real experience outside in this world.
“Wow, what’s this?”
She picked up a fist-sized stone. It looked rough, but it glowed faintly at the center.
“It’s a mana stone. The higher the quality, the brighter the glow.”
“Ahh, this is the mana stone.”
Vivian remembered reading about it in the original novel.
Mana stones were too hard to be used as jewelry or accessories, and only mages could use them — so they were rare and unfamiliar to ordinary people.
Just then, a merchant nearby cut in.
“Wow, ma’am, you’ve got an eye for quality — your husband is a lucky man!”
“…Husband?”
“Yes, yes! I’ve never seen such a perfect couple! You’re like a painting!”
The merchant flattered them with practiced ease.
Aslan’s expression softened slightly, but Vivian, unaware, turned the stone over curiously.
It looked like an ordinary rock, but the glow from the center made it feel special.
“Is there any way a non-mage like me could use this?”
“Unfortunately, no. It’s a tool to amplify a mage’s power.”
“Ah… I see. Then I guess I—”
“We’ll buy them all.”
Before she could finish, Aslan handed over dozens of gold coins.
The merchant, eyes wide with joy, bowed repeatedly.
Aslan gently wrapped his hand around hers, still holding the mana stone. The stone shimmered in response to his magic.
“It’s yours now.”
“Are you sure? I can’t even use it, and you can’t either because the quality is too low…”
Aslan was one of the most powerful magic swordsmen alive. Most mana stones would break under his magic.
Not to mention — he secretly owned one of only two mana stone mines on the continent.
But despite her concern, Aslan shrugged as if it didn’t matter.
“If it makes you happy, it’s worth it. Besides, we’re engaged.”
He emphasized “engaged” with extra weight.
He picked a few stones to carry and told the merchant to send the rest to the mansion.
Vivian wondered why he was spending so recklessly, but decided not to overthink it.
“Well… it’s not my money.”
They continued exploring the town.
Vivian’s next interest was the blacksmith’s shop — she had lost her old longsword and daggers in the forest.
Borrowing Aslan’s wasn’t an option — it didn’t fit her physique.
His greatsword was nearly her height, and about as heavy as she was.
“A good sword should be used for a long time.”
Fortunately, this was the workshop of the best blacksmith in the south. Even to Vivian’s eye, the blades looked top-notch.
She held a slender longsword up to the sunlight, admiring the craftsmanship — when suddenly:
“Aaaah! Thief! Help!”
A woman’s scream pierced the air nearby.
Before she knew it, Aslan had wrapped his arms around her protectively and met her gaze.
“Are you alright?!”
“Just a little noise, that’s all. I’m fine.”
Vivian wasn’t too concerned. They were in disguise anyway, and the town’s guards would handle a thief.
But then…
“My mother’s keepsake! Please help me!”
Ah. A mother’s keepsake?
That… she couldn’t ignore.
Vivian spun on her heel — and took the thief down in one blow.
End of Chapter 10
