The Archduke's Gorgeous Wedding was a Fraud

I cast a glance at Geisha, who was making a mean face beside me.

It had not occurred to me until now, but the vibe that Daphne was drawn to in the original story no longer exists on Lacius.

Because he is currently so stable.

Geisha, on the other hand, would be a much better fit for that description.

‘Oh, my God.’

Is it possible that the original work had been altered?

“What are you staring off into space for so long?”

“It’s something much more important than you, so just stay quiet.”

“No.”

Geisha grumbled, and I sighed, touching my forehead. 

This cannot happen, Daphne—

“May we continue our conversation now?”

“Keep it short.”

“If you showed me half the tenderness you show that bastard—”

“No, that is not going to happen so just say what you have to say.”

God, what kind of tangled relationship is this?

No, Lacius and I like each other. So Geisha simply needs to let go of his strange obsession with me. Of course, I appreciated him warning me about potential hazards.

Nonetheless, I hoped that we could stop meeting in secret places without Lacius’ knowledge.

“You are strong, Shay.”

“Hmm.”

“But you overused your power of creation; the ‘You’ I know would never have done this…”

“… …”

“Perhaps the demon of the scales is already around you.”

What the hell was he on about? I narrowed my eyes and listened closely.

“Do I need to be cautious with that?”

“I am not sure why I am telling you such a basic information, but you should be as wary of it as you are of Fata-Morgana, because either one will leave you in despair.”

The final words were foreboding. It was undoubtedly not just empty talk to frighten me. My instincts told me that I needed to be cautious.

“Thank you.”

So, for the first time since meeting Geisha, I thanked him.

“I have no idea what a demon of the scale or a Fata-Morgana are, but I will see if I can find some books about them.”

I might need Lacius’ help with this.

Geisha murmured in a gloomy tone as I spoke.

“Please be careful; your life span may have already been cut in half.”

“… … ?”

Did he just say “life span”?

“If you do not want to fall into the hands of a demon and scream in agony, stop using your powers.”

“Hold on.”

Excuse me, sir, but I believe we need to have a serious discussion.

“About the life span? Explain it in detail.”

I caught Geisha. He then responded with a self-deprecating smile. 

“When you use half your life span, demons will begin to lurk around you. And when Painting Wizards use two-thirds of their life span, the Demon of the Scales appears in front of them. No one knows what happens after the demon appears.”

“The demom of the scales.”

I had read about it before. I never imagined that such a pushover demon would turn out to be a threat to my life.

“You are superior to everyone else, so all you have to do is regain your memories; you lost your memory in the desert, so all you have to do is return to the desert…”

Geisha’s voice sounded strangely certain. Unfortunately, I was not the Shay from the original work, so going to the desert would be pointless. But I might be able to find out more about the Painting Wizards. 

Because they seemed to cross the desert most of the time.

“That is fantastic; I will be heading to the desert soon, so you should go back to your clan.”

* * *

In the meantime, outside the aquarium.

“Kya!”

“Ah.”

Daphne ran as if she were insane, not looking ahead, and tripped over her own feet. 

Lacius, who was looking for Shay and walking towards the aquarium at the time, instinctively avoided something rolling towards him and quickly moved out of the way.

But at that speed, if no one caught her, she would have to roll three more times before coming to a halt.

Lacius belatedly realized the danger and grabbed Daphne’s wrist. But after a while, Lacius frowned at her and let go of her wrist.

“Should not you be cautious in such a crowded place?”

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry.”

His tone was harsh because he was not in the best of moods.  

Daphne, who looked Lacius in the eyes, apologized with a terrified expression.

Then she bolted as if her heels had wings, unsure of where she was going.

Lacius quickly averted his gaze from Daphne’s back, who was running again despite his warning.

“Haa.”

He assumed he had recovered and was now fine. That, however, was not the case. Instead, it seemed to be getting worse. 

He did not want to touch or even be near anyone but Shay. The unpleasant sensation that began in his hand crept up his arm. He had the impression that he had been coerced into touching something he should not have.

Lacius kept walking, his fist clenched.

It is an uncomfortable feeling he has never had when Shay was by his side.

The fleeting glances, the mouths talking about him, the flirtatious laughters all vanished when she was present.

Because he could not see or hear them, everything was fine.

Lacius’ fists clenched so tightly that they trembled from the force.

He could not do anything about the delusion that one of his hands had become filthy.

He could not even tell the doctor about it.

There will undoubtedly be rumours that the Archduke is mentally ill.

Terran took psychological issues more seriously than physical injuries, but there were no appropriate counselling or treatment options available.

Lacius, who could not take it any longer, came to a halt and washed his face dry with his other hand. 

“What are you doing here?”

Then, from behind, a bright light appeared.