STVWDTD Chapter 26

Will I Use Him and Throw Him Away?

"But why'd you even come to the North? You're the kid who wouldn't step one foot outside the estate."

Nathan's words pushed that uneasy feeling aside. Diana looked at Nathan with a knowing smile.

"So that's why you came? A kid who stayed cooped up at home came all the way to the North, so far from the capital?"

"Uh. Well. Yeah."

Nathan scratched at his mane-like red hair awkwardly.

His head was full of nothing but fighting thoughts and he lived for his own satisfaction, but his affection ran deep. That's why she couldn't hate this brother.

"You haven't changed at all, brother."

"Would you prefer I had? Our eldest brother and sister being weird is enough."

The villains of this world. Existences meant to make the sacred, noble heroine shine.

When had it started? When had Vanessa Beatus begun loving the Crown Prince with such blind devotion?

When had Devir Beatus gradually grown silent, becoming an unfathomable human?

"And brother. You ran away."

Nathan Beatus had fled the family, claiming Beatus education didn't suit him.

The Beatus family specialized in assassination, moving secretly and ominously behind the scenes. It didn't match Nathan, who loved fighting flashily out in the open.

"Who ran away?! The word 'retreat' doesn't exist in Nathan's dictionary."

"Right, you didn't run away."

"I left on my own two feet. I abandoned that family."

"Yes, yes."

Nathan, who'd been snarling with teeth bared, subtly tucked his tail when Diana agreed.

"You..."

The large man glanced at his sister, trying to say something. Nathan averted his gaze and opened his mouth.

"Are you still mad at me?"

'What's this about now?'

"Me? Why?"

"You didn't talk for a while after that. Just spent time in a daze. That's when you stopped going outside too."

I left home because I hated seeing you like that. Nathan muttered inaudibly.

"When was that? Did I have something to be upset with you about?"

Diana hadn't remembered most of her childhood even before dying. What happened? Not leaving the house had just been because it was bothersome.

"..."

It was a story from over five years ago. But Diana didn't remember. While that brought relief, it also twisted something inside him.

Nathan couldn't tell her that she'd been dragged away like a kidnapping victim and experimented on. It was something she'd had to endure for the sole reason of being Beatus direct blood.

Nathan relaxed his rigid face and stood up abruptly, approaching Diana. He placed his large, calloused hand atop her round head.

"So, aren't you going to tell me why you came here?"

"Kyah! Stop it!"

Nathan messed up her long hair haphazardly, trying to change the subject.

"Hurry and tell me, little sister."

"It just kind of happened."

At that unconvincing answer, Nathan's hand roughing up her hair stopped abruptly.

"Just kind of happened? Out of all the places, you came to Schwartz? If you're going to make excuses, do it properly. Diana Beatus."

Nathan truly seemed unaware of why she was here.

Bringing his face right up to hers, Nathan urged her to provide a proper explanation.

Diana pushed Nathan's face away. It's overwhelming even if you are handsome, brother.

"You know I'm impatient, right?"

"I know."

That look meant he wanted her to talk about Rodrick. She deliberated.

'Where should I start and where should I end?'

From waking up kidnapped and imprisoned? About needing to absorb the curse so she tried to propose to stay close to Rodrick? About how it seemed to lead to actual marriage?

"Diana."

At the low voice, her pink eyes that had been lost in thought met serious red ones.

"Tell me. Everything, without omission. Don't try to be clever."

"..."

Nathan Beatus. An outcast who didn't care about family affairs. Someone with neither power nor ambition regarding the family.

She had faith that Nathan wasn't involved in her kidnapping and imprisonment.

But it was family business—something Nathan despised. Should I not tell him? That moment of temptation lost to Nathan's serious face.

Diana smiled as if she had no choice. 'Either way, we're family.'

Let's be honest with Nathan. She'd always been lonely in the family, wanted at least one person fully on her side among her relatives. That's why seeing Nathan was surprising but mostly just glad.

Even if it might be dangerous. 'Yeah, no regrets. I trust my brother.'

Steeling herself, she told him everything from when she'd opened her eyes onward—leaving out only that this was inside a novel and she'd reincarnated and regressed here.

Nathan's rigid face grew increasingly pale as he listened.

"Wait."

Nathan plopped down heavily beside Diana.

"Setting aside you being kidnapped and imprisoned. You. If you hadn't been able to absorb the curse, you could've just died like that?"

"Yeah, right?"

If she hadn't met Rodrick, she would've died helplessly in pain again.

"Right? Right? How are you saying that so calmly?!"

Now she had Rodrick as her cure, so it was fine.

Of course, it wasn't a fundamental treatment method, so she'd need to find a way to completely change her physical condition. But her lifespan had been extended.

Noel said the curse becomes medicine too. He didn't say complete recovery.

'I'll look into that gradually.'

"You damned sister!"

Her thoughts stopped as Nathan suddenly grabbed her shoulders and shook.

"You almost died!"

This brother's losing it again. Diana was about to say something, but couldn't part her lips. Nathan's face held worry and fear.

"...Brother?"

"Please think about your own body."

At those belated words, Diana blinked her pink eyes and answered.

"I value my body most, you know?"

When he stared like he didn't believe it, she pouted.

"What answer do you want? I didn't want to die, so I even tried to propose to Rodrick."

'He beat me to it, though.'

But she'd told Father, so it worked out.

"Yeah, use that bastard like that. Use him and throw him away."

'Didn't you jump around saying us being close was shameless?' Now he'd completely changed his tune.

"Whether I use him or throw him away, I'll decide."

"You, don't tell me."

"Don't tell me what?"

"You're not seriously going to marry him, right? Absolutely not. I'm completely opposed. I know that bastard better than anyone. He's not the type to treat a woman well."

Had Nathan and Rodrick known each other originally? She should've realized from when he came with Rodrick.

"Brother, do you know Rodrick?"

"We ran into each other a lot going between this battlefield and that. When I was doing mercenary work, that bastard organized the mercenary company... no, don't change the subject!"

Diana shrugged and patted Nathan's arm lightly. Pat pat.

"I'll handle my own business. Brother, you just focus on your own affairs."

Before leaving, Diana asked one last thing she was curious about and opened the door.

"You don't contact eldest brother and sister?"

"Don't know!"

Nathan turned his head sharply like he was sulking. Haha. Not cute at all. Laughing aloud, Diana stepped outside.

"Still, it's so good to see you after so long. Brother."

At that one sincere remark, Nathan's heart melted like butter.

"Diana."

What situation is this now? She'd definitely come out from seeing Nathan, but now she was in Rodrick's room.

The moment she'd stepped out, Rodrick had expressionlessly dragged her here. Bang. He'd shut the door irritably and pushed her against the wall.

Trapped between wall and Rodrick, Diana lifted her head toward the shadowed figure above. Blue eyes were stickily looking down at her.

"What's wrong, Rodrick? Did something happen?"

Without speaking, Rodrick caressed Diana's cheek with the hand not braced against the wall.

He wasn't wearing gloves, so she felt his skin completely. The unique roughness of someone who gripped swords transmitted through.

His cool thumb stroked her cheek then moved toward her lips. He fondled her soft, pleasantly parted lips, then lowered his head as if to kiss her.

"Rodrick?"

"Will you use me and throw me away?"

"What?"

"I asked if you'll use me and throw me away."

She couldn't help being stunned at what this meant. Use and throw away? Suddenly, the conversation with Nathan came to mind.

'Yeah, use that bastard like that. Use him and throw him away.'

'Whether I use him or throw him away, I'll decide.'

Did he hear all that? Come to think of it, this man's expressionless face did seem a bit deflated.

Diana bit the inside of her mouth. 'Laughing might burst out if I'm careless.'

'Hah. What do I do with this man?'

Diana absorbed the curse fully through his hand. Having drawn up strength beyond her usual stamina, she instantly pulled Rodrick and set him against the wall. Their positions reversed with tremendous force.

Thump! Instead of the wall, she braced against his thick chest muscles. Not intentional at all. The size difference meant she couldn't reach the wall.

"Oops. Accident."

"..."

While calling it an accident, she didn't remove her hand from his chest.

Rodrick just raised one eyebrow. He didn't look displeased either. The reversed positions seemed to surprise him. She pressed his body firmly.

She lifted her free hand and raised his chin with her index finger.

"Whether I'll use you and throw you away? Who knows?"

Diana's lips curved seductively as she drew out her words slowly. Her slender finger traced down his Adam's apple.

"Depends on how you perform."

Her touch passed through his chest valley and descended to his lean, tightly-packed abs.

At the provocative touch, his Adam's apple moved prominently and his abs tensed.

"I'm thinking..."

She'd reached about the second groove of his well-defined abs when it happened. She felt a persistent gaze from below and stopped moving instantly.

"Sister, what are you doing with mister?"

Wh-when did he come in?! Not even the sound of the door, not a hint of presence.

"..."

"..."

Silence that felt faint-inducing. The child's red eyes—Diana's face burned redder.

Noel was squatting with his chin propped on his hands, watching them with a pretty face.

"Huh?"

Looking at the innocent child, she absolutely couldn't say she'd been about to knock this mister over. Absolutely not. Of course you don't say that to a child.

"Uh, well. What this is, see."

Where had the boldness from seducing him gone—Rodrick's smile deepened watching Diana babble incoherently.

Smack. Rodrick kissed Diana's forehead and lifted her in his arms. Diana, startled by the surprise kiss, placed her hand over her forehead.

If you're surprised by this, what'll you do about more? His eyes said exactly that. Diana shot a look at those mischievous blue eyes.

"Why lay sister here? Go to sister's room."

Fortunately, Noel didn't harbor further curiosity. Breathing a sigh of relief, Diana accepted Rodrick's care.

It was so natural she hadn't thought about why she was lying on his bed until Noel's question. 'Right. Why am I lying here?'

"Because you'll sleep here from now on."

"What?"

"What?"

Diana and Noel's puzzled questions burst out simultaneously.

"Why?"

"Do you dislike it? We've been apart a lot."

"It's not that I dislike it..."

Sharing a bedroom before marriage would cause talk. Though there were already so many bad rumors about her it didn't matter much.

"What are you worried about? We're going to marry anyway."

Look at this man. Subtly hammering in that they're going to marry. Didn't you say to get engaged first? When she was about to argue—

Nnngh. Hnngh. Straining sounds came from the lower part of the bed. Gray hair that popped up gradually rose, conquering the bed.

When eyes met Diana's, Noel smiled brightly.

"If sister sleeps here, I'll sleep here too!"

Crawling across the enormous bed, Noel claimed the spot beside Diana. Wiggle wiggle.

Sticking tight to her, Noel looked at Rodrick with a triumphant smile.

When his eyebrow twitched, Noel stuck out his tongue. Blegh.