CHAPTER 49: STRIPPED NAKED

"Didn’t I already say?" Razeal’s smile twisted, his voice . "I’m utterly disgusting. I don’t deserve friendship. I don’t even deserve to be near decent people. Who knows? Maybe just by talking to them, by looking at them, I’ll dirty them too?" His eyes glinted with bitter mockery as he spread his arms wide, as if daring anyone to deny it.

"And I don’t know why you’re trying to meddle with me," he added, his tone cutting. "I don’t remember having any relationship with you. Or with anyone here. Do I?" His smile was hollow, his words sharp as blades meant to push her away.

But inside, his thoughts were spiraling.

Fuck... what the hell is she still doing here? His heart pounded, masked beneath his cold smile. She wasn’t supposed to be here. This wasn’t how it was supposed to go. Fuck.

He sighed inwardly, forcing his breathing steady. My whole plan’s wrecked now because of her.

In the original work, she was never supposed to be here. Yes, she had to attend the trial ceremony the imperial princess was joining the academy, after all, and the head of household ordered Nova’s presence. But she always left early, as soon as formalities were done. Once the princess left, Nova left too. That’s how it should’ve been.

But she’s still here.

Razeal had calculated that maybe twenty percent chance she’d stay but he hadn’t expected this. Not this cold, dangerous woman standing in front of him, throwing his plans into chaos. A miscalculation. A small one. But enough to ruin everything.

Still... that didn’t change anything. His plan would work. It had to.

Sure, she wouldn’t kill him not if things went as planned. But... then again, Nova was known for being bloodthirsty, unstable a bit of a psychopath, even in the original novel. Right now, standing here in front of her, Razeal knew: his chances of dying were over seventy percent.

So why am I here? Why walk into this death trap?

Because he had no choice.

Maybe it was gambling. No it was gambling. Betting his life on the table. And now, standing here, he wasn’t going to curse himself. There was no point.

Just his fucking cursed luck. He somehow knew this fuck going to get fucked up.

Honestly, he thought bitterly, if someone offered me a choice between becoming a saint right now or just getting rid of this cursed bad luck, I’d choose to erase this fucking bad luck without even thinking.

Nova’s voice broke through his thoughts, repeating his words back to him, low and cold.

"Meddle with you?" She shook her head, expression sharp as steel. "You’re the one throwing your life away. If I hadn’t stepped in, you might as well have written the date of your own death. I thought... maybe I’d give you a chance to live. Since once again you are my brother."

Her tone stayed cold, strict, as if it was all she knew how to be. The venom in her voice wasn’t hate it was the weight of her position, of the authority she carried. Gentleness wasn’t something she could do.

"I was never going to die anyway." Razeal rolled his eyes, his voice bored, dismissive. He wanted to be done with this. He wanted to leave. But he couldn’t not until he got what he came for. That coward Areon still needed to agree.

And Areon? The so called heir of the duke family? The coward didn’t even dare glance in Razeal’s direction, not since Nova appeared. As if terrified she’d kill him just for looking. So much for the pride of a duke’s heir, Razeal thought bitterly. If that bastard had even a drop of courage, I wouldn’t be standing here dealing with this mess. Disgusting people.

Nova’s eyes narrowed slightly, her voice cool and unyielding.

"Never going to die, you say? Let me guess... What were you planning? Trying to goad him into agreeing to a duel of honor?"

Her words cut through the tension like ice.

"Because, by the rules, a duel of honor can’t be fought the same day? There’s always a preparation period a week to one year. And you’d have chosen the longest possible? A year or two months maybe something like that. That way you could live a little longer."

Her gaze bore into him, sharp as daggers.

"Because with his backing his honor on the line so one could touch you. Killing you would be a direct insult to his family. So of course he’d beg everyone to leave you be. And none of these people you’ve pissed off today would want to risk making enemies with a duke’s heir, would they. They wouldn’t dare not unless they want to make an enemy of the duke’s house. And so, what? You buy yourself a few more months to breathe?"

She shook her head, disgust and disappointment mingling in her eyes.

"Maybe trying to run away in the middle?" Nova yawned, her voice laced with cold indifference, as if the entire situation bored her. "But all in all, I can say this you’d be dead. Whether it was today or that day."

Her words, delivered so casually, revealed Razeal’s plan in full. She hadn’t needed to think too hard. As the chief head of R.A.V.E.N. the secret intelligence force that operated solely under her command this kind of scheme was child’s play for her.

Nova was one of the strongest characters in the world so seeing through Razeal’s plan wasn’t even worth breaking a sweat.

Razeal wasn’t surprised. The moment she’d appeared, he’d known she’d piece it together. Even if she hadn’t hit every point, she’d grasped at least thirty five to forty percent of what he had been aiming for.

Around them, the crowd gasped. The weight of understanding seemed to hit them all at once. So this was what that kid had been plotting?

people realizing how dangerously clever the plan was.

A few smarter spectators maybe four or so nodded, impressed despite themselves even nodded, seeing that Nova’s analysis was right. The plan could have worked. No doubt about it.

The Drayvens were a powerful house. If Areon had accepted a duel of honor, no matter how big the conflict, no one would have been able to touch Razeal until the duel’s date arrived. The only exceptions? The imperial family, the other three ducal families, or the Church and even then, there was a chance the Drayvens could negotiate their way out, citing the sanctity of the duel.

So that’s why he was acting so wild? the crowd thought. Trying to die but knowing he wouldn’t be killed.

Areon could’ve persuaded Selena to restrain her followers for a time and she would have. People could only blink in surprise, realizing what kind of guts it took to try a gamble like this. Playing with duke families. Standing on the edge of death with a smirk.

Sure, he’d have died eventually. But before that? He’d go down as the boy who outplayed everyone.

And now, all eyes shifted to Areon. The so-called heir of the Drayven family the man who’d almost been played for a fool by someone far weaker, without even realizing it.

Areon kept his face neutral, but inside, he clenched his fists. Now that everything was laid bare, he fully understood the trap he’d nearly stepped into.

But still... what was a little embarrassment compared to what he’d gain? He’d win. He’d claim the reward. Even now, he’d happily accept the duel the advantages were too great.

If only... if only Nova would step back. That was the catch. He didn’t want to make an enemy of her.

After all, the Virelans were the strongest of the four ducal families, beyond question. Even if the other three joined forces, they wouldn’t match the Virelans. Some even whispered they rivaled the imperial family maybe stronger, though no one dared say so aloud.

The wind in the coliseum seemed to shift, turning heavy and hot. The crowd itched to whisper, to gossip, to dissect the brilliant ploy they’d just witnessed. But no one dared move, dared speak not with Nova standing in the center of the arena, her cold presence silencing them all.

And Razeal? Listening to her coldly lay out his plan as if it were nothing, seeing her strip him bare in front of everyone? He just shrugged.

"I still say I wouldn’t have been dead," he replied, rolling his eyes. His voice oozed defiance, but inside, his mind was whirring. Does she really think it’s that easy to guess my plan?

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