“You two… what are you doing?”
Deta, who had rushed to the park after getting the news, stared wide-eyed at the scene before her, taking a few steps back in disbelief.
The two people wo were kissing frozed.
Noi frowned in displeasure, the murderous intent in her eyes laid bare without any attempt to hide it.
The atmosphere she had worked so hard to create was ruined by Deta.
All her flirting earlier had gone to waste.
To finally get intimate with Lyte today, she had made so many preparations—researching countless tips online and even changing into her most alluring lingerie.
“Deta… why are you here?”
With his mood disrupted, Lyte snapped out of the temptation, no longer in the mood for intimacy.
He glared at Deta, his face dark.
“I… I used my phone to access the park’s surveillance. When I saw you two were here, I rushed over… Where have you been these past few days?”
“This is our private matter. It has nothing to do with you.” Lyte replied coldly, gently setting Noi down onto the bench to let her sit comfortably.
“But! I have something to tell you too, something very important.”
“Send it to me by phone. We’re going home now. I’ll write my number on a piece of paper and leave it at the Church for you. Pick it up tomorrow.”
“Home? What home are you going to?”
A woman’s sharp intuition kicked in.
Deta immediately caught the important information in Lyte’s words and pressed him for details.
Opportunity had come uninvited.
Noi had been searching for a chance to interrupt and get rid of Deta, but instead, Deta had delivered herself right to them.
“Our home, ofcourse~ Today is my birthday. Lyte has been working so hard these past few days preparing for my birthday party. I felt bad for him, so I went to his house to give him a massage and help him relax. He wants to stick with me every day, not getting any real work done at all.”
As she spoke, Noi coyly pressed her hand against Lyte’s chest.
It looked like a scolding, but in truth, she was flaunting their relationship right in Deta’s face.
Deta’s face twisted instantly, but constrained by her identity as the Imperial Princess, she restrained her crumbling emotions and forced a formal smile.
“I see… But what I want to say is really special. It must be said in person. Lyte, could you come with me? Just this once, for the sake of all the years we’ve known each other.”
The Imperial Princess, lowering herself to make such a request, made Lyte’s brows furrow.
This feeling of being forced was unpleasant.
Noi chuckled softly.
She didn’t stop Deta from pleading, but instead gave Lyte a little push.
“Lyte, go on. I’ll go reserve a table at a restaurant. When you’re done talking, come join me and we can celebrate my birthday together. Oh, right, Princess—if you’re interested, you can join us too.”
From a technical standpoint, Noi letting Lyte go didn’t mean she was giving up.
On the contrary, she wanted him to use this opportunity to completely sever his lingering ties with Deta.
After this, Lyte would belong to her alone.
Lyte understood her meaning.
He stood up, shook his black-and-white couple’s phone, and as he walked toward Deta, turned to Noi and said, “Remember to send me the location. I’ll come find you soon—order the cake first.”
The feeling was exactly the same as last time.
In front of Noi, Deta always felt powerless, unable to think of a way to win Lyte’s heart.
Deta wandered absentmindedly to a corner of the park.
Lyte put a hand on her shoulder: “Say what you need to say right here.”
“Lyte, why have you changed? You weren’t like this before.”
She finally voiced her biggest doubt.
As the Imperial Princess, she had never seen anyone go against her will like this.
The old Lyte always did whatever she wanted.
“Before? You know that was before. People change, don’t they?”
He dodged the direct question, choosing a more generic answer.
He couldn’t let anyone know about his rebirth.
He knew what Deta would become in the future—unmotivated, willful, and spoiled.
The days after their engagement had been a nightmare.
The turning point in his previous life was when he was defeated by the noble youth arranged by Deta and expelled from the Imperial Capital, left to wander aimlessly.
Even so, he met many companions and grew as a person, no longer just the lapdog of the Imperial Princess.
Having seen a better life, he no longer longed for her tainted past.
So, after being reborn, he chose to politely distance himself from Deta.
Normally, he should have been able to resolve the matter with the witch Noi quickly.
But the sudden appearance of the Nightmare in Wagner Town, and the Sin Domain’s construction of the Gate of Hell, disrupted his plans.
He was forced to stay longer, waiting for the Town Demon Division to round up the great noble Lutos who had escaped to the Slums.
Deta was momentarily speechless.
She wanted to use a more dignified way to make Lyte stay, but it was clear—she had no way out anymore.
She had sent Little Blue to investigate Noi’s background, but Bishop Pria stopped her.
Xing Chen, who had come specially with his child in tow, also made it clear she shouldn’t get involved in their relationship—Noi’s background was not something she could handle.
The words of the Four Symbols Guardian carried weight.
Deta became much more wary of Noi.
Moreover, Xing Chen also advised her to leave Wagner Town as soon as possible.
It was not as safe as the Imperial Capital, and there were many hidden dangers.
“Lyte… I…”
Enough.
Live or die, it all depends on this moment!
Deta gritted her teeth and spoke words she thought were very humble.
“Lyte, I like you. Please give me another chance. I promise I’ll change. I won’t ever send people to test your feelings for me again.”
“…Hahaha.”
Lyte turned his head at Deta’s confession, unable to hold back a mocking laugh from deep inside.
“You really don’t get it…”
He shook his head helplessly.
Deta suddenly felt that the way Lyte looked at her was like a mature, steady young man looking at an ignorant young lady locked away in her boudoir.
All his words were from experience, but there was not a trace of affection.
“You don’t even know what you need to change. I’m sorry, but I refuse your confession. Be careful on your way back to the Imperial Capital.”
Lyte said no more.
He had no intention of letting himself be bound by an unworthy relationship ever again, and walked off without looking back.
He had waited for this moment for a long, long time in his previous life.
Even the greatest patience would be worn down by her passivity.
When this moment finally came, hearing what she said, his heart was filled with disappointment.
She still couldn’t recognize herself.
As time went on, all he felt for Deta was the remnants of old friendship—like meeting an old acquaintance after many years.
There might be some shared topics, but there was always a sense of distance, and as he looked at her—she was a stranger.
The Lyte she saw as all-powerful was no different from the Savior Statue that stood in the center of the Imperial Capital in his previous life—a false idol built from labels and fixed impressions.
Lyte was just an ordinary person, nothing more.
“Lyte! Please, let me explain!”
Deta’s shout came from behind.
Lyte, eyelids drooping, glanced at a message from [Wife] on his phone, his mind already flying to that café with the map she sent.
***
In an alley not far from the park, Nightmare and Shang stood on the wall.
Hui, Ahei, and Abai crouched in the corner, hiding themselves.
“Is the barrier ready?” Nightmare asked.
Hui enthusiastically finished the last check.
After confirming it was effective, he nodded excitedly.
“Yeah, it’s ready. We’re just waiting for Lyte to come and die!”
“Hmph… Whether we can kill him is another matter, but we still have backup plans.”
As Nightmare and Hui talked, Abai’s expression grew gloomy.