Predatory Marriage — Chapter 138. Your Fears

Translator: Atlas / Editor: Regan

“Tell me what I don’t know,” said Ishakan. His next question was not one that she could easily answer. “When did you become a puppet under the Queen’s spells?”

“……!”

Leah stiffened. She almost forgot to breathe. Belatedly, she responded.

“Oh, how…”

“Did you deliberately say cruel things to me?” Ishakan continued before she could properly formulate her question. “Or did you intend to commit suicide, even thinking of spending your first night with someone as disgusting as Byun Gyeongbaek?”

Slowly, he brought his face closer to whispers, and whispered warningly.

“What don’t I know, Leah.”

“……”

She couldn’t say anything. All the secrets she had tried to hide were revealed, and he was barely containing his anger. She remembered their conversation that last night in the palace. Even then, Ishakan had been angry. Emotion welled up in her and her body reacted before her mind could identify it.

Tears filled her eyes, and Leah let out a sob as the tears flowed, staining her white cheeks.

“No, I’m not angry with you…” Ishakan said stiffly, uncharacteristically embarrassed.

But the tears didn’t stop. Instead of speaking, he just carefully held her, and Leah could no longer hold back. She sobbed aloud. She had wanted to do it right. She wanted to be a perfect princess. But she had failed in her last duty, in spite of all her well-laid plans. She had taken it for granted that she would succeed, and chosen death calmly and without fear.

“The Queen…”

But death was not what she really wanted. The hard shell around her shattered.

“She said, that I, I would strangle you, and that, that I would stab you in the heart, with a knife… That I’m going to kill you…” Leah fought to get the words out as she tried to hold back her sobs.”I, I don’t want you to…I didn’t want you to hate me…”

There was no end to the tears. She was letting out all the anguish that had built up for so long, and she cried so hard her face reddened. Looking at her, Ishakan’s lips trembled as if he wanted to speak, but he desisted and only tightened his arms around her.

She clung to him as she told him all of the secrets she had hidden.

“That, that woman, my ladies-in-waiting at the Princess Palace, she turned them into p-puppets…” Completely broken, her deepest feelings escaped. “I’m so afraid, Ishakan…”

Her body trembled with the intensity of her emotions. As she soaked his chest with tears, Ishakan silently hugged her, stroking her back. Only after she had begun to calm down did he finally speak softly.

“Listen, Leah.”

She looked up. His eyes looked a little sad, an emotion that didn’t fit a man with no regrets in this world. Slowly, he brought his lips closer to her eyelids.

“You can strangle me and stab me in the heart.” Leah bit her lower lip hard. Ishakan kissed her gently again and again, as if he wanted to wipe away her tears. “I’m not going to die because of that, so I don’t care. And…” With a deep sigh, he gently kissed the bridge of Leah’s nose and whispered. “I couldn’t hate you.”