Without offering her a seat, Ethan sat in his own chair. Glancing at a chair, Adelina remained standing upright in front of him. Ethan's eyes darkened when he saw that she wasn't wavering at all.
"I'll say this again, but I have nothing to say to you. I told His Majesty that I cannot obey his Imperial decree, and I plan on resisting it until the end. There's no downside for me not to marry, is there?"
Ethan's eyes traveled up and down Adelina's body. Seeing how she looked so different from the first time they'd met, Ethan gave her a crooked smile.
"But it seems that you've already been compensated for a wedding that has not yet happened."
Adelina slightly bit her lip at Ethan's ridicule. She had lowered herself in order to have a conversation with him, but Ethan didn't seem intent on doing that at all.
"First of all, our meeting that day was pure coincidence. I only realized that you were the General after seeing you today."
"But if you did know, there's no way you'd tell me, right?"
Although she knew why he came to such a misunderstanding, she couldn't help but feel anxious about the turn this conversation was taking.
What should she say? Should she cling to him as she told him that the lives of her family depended on this marriage?
But knowing him, if she begged him to save them, he would refuse as swiftly as the sharp blade of a knife. As she brooded over this problem, a thought suddenly drifted through her head. Her eyes narrowed.
Although she felt that this was a pathetic, cowardly method, it was the only thing she could do.
"I don't deny the fact that I've already been compensated for this marriage. However… I would like you to repay the debt you owe me from that time."
Ethan scoffed at the unexpected mention of the debt. However, she had nothing else she could say to convince Ethan. Now that she had to protect what she had been given, she threw out the words that had popped into her head.
'Of course they didn't choose just any fool to carry out their nonsense.'
Not only was she stubborn, but she wasn't averse to using shallow tricks. The more he interacted with Adelina, the more similarities he saw between her and Consort Min. However, it was their mistake to choose someone who was just like Consort Min.
Although he didn't know which noble family was using her right now, Ethan knew that the emperor was the one who was behind it all.
Even if he took her now, this woman was destined to be in the arms of the Crown Prince. He wasn't going to do what the emperor wanted. He didn't plan on taking the same path as his father did.
"There's no need to ruin my whole life over a debt. Isn't this too high of a price for saving my life just once?"
Before she could elaborate, the part she had been dreading had already come to the surface. The debt could only go so far. To him, this marriage was also a sacrifice on his end.
All the thoughts in her head settled down, and Adelina closed her eyes.
"I know what my mother did to you."
Instead of feeling embarrassed for shattering a family to pieces, her mother was proud of what she had done and bragged that she was the one who had raised the Scarr Family to prominence.
"I know it's too late. I know that coming here like this will not calm your anger. But I still beg of you…"
The murderous aura coming out of Ethan's body intensified with every word Adelina spoke.
How could the daughter of that damned Scarr Family know anything about his rage?
"You're saying you're sorry, but you still want my help? Such shamelessness… I guess you are your mother's daughter."
"..."
Adelina lowered her eyes at Ethan's sneer. If they didn't have any connection to each other, it would have been better. There was no cursed fate such as this. Adelina went on her knees before Ethan.
"If you marry me, I'll live as if I'm dead. You won't even notice I'm there, so please help me just this once."
Ethan's eyebrow twitched.
The more she spoke, the more disgusted he felt.
"Why must I fight like this for a marriage I do not want? I have no desire to ruin a family that has already collapsed."
"General."
"Get lost. I have no interest in the Scarr Family."
Adelina closed her eyes as she heard his icy reply. She didn't think she'd gain much from such a short conversation, but this was worse than she'd expected.
Ethan stood up and called for a servant. The man who was standing by entered the room. When Ethan gestured with his hand to take her away, the man lowered his head to Adelina.
How could she marry a man who said he'd never marry her? The path she took to save Nisha was a lot thornier than she'd thought.
The moment Adelina helplessly opened the door, Ethan heard a familiar sound. It was a sound that he shouldn't have heard in a place like this. When Adelina paused after hearing it, Ethan instantly approached her and wrapped his arm around her hips as he pulled her to his chest.
Startled by the sudden force pushing her back, Adelina was shocked to see that an arrow was lodged in the spot where she had been standing moments before.
"My Lord!"
"Catch them!"
Before Ethan finished barking out his order, a group of men flew towards the direction of the arrow. After looking at the sharp arrow sticking out from the floor, he looked at Adelina who was pulled against his body.
"Ah!"
If he had been a moment too late, the arrow would have pierced through her heart.
Was this Consort Min's doing? Or was this one of Adelina's tricks?
If she acted scared and clung to him, Ethan was prepared to push her away. However, the moment his arm loosened around her, she scrambled to her feet.
"Nisha! Father!"
Without so much as a thank you to Ethan, Adelina burst out through the door.
Her pale face and her slightly trembling body in his arms… It evoked a strange feeling in Ethan.
When Ethan saw her making a mad dash towards the front gate, his brows furrowed.
"My Lord, the man who shot the arrow is dead, but we've captured the two who were ready to attack the lady outside."
The men glared at Ethan as they were dragged over to him. It didn't matter who ordered them to attack.
Unfortunately, there was only one person who would dare do something like this in his presence. Under normal circumstances, after taking care of these two, he would have overlooked it.
"Damn it."
It wouldn't matter if he just ignored her. She was a shameless woman who didn't hide her true motives as she asked him to save her. Ethan's eyes stared at the door she had disappeared through.
"John."
"Yes, my Lord."
"There's a place I need to go. Take care of this until I return."