The Devil's Good Girl
Chapter 178: Not human

Chapter 178: Not human

"Last night was not my mistake. Neither it was yours."

There goes his rationality.

Jackson slowly rolled to his side, facing her. His lips parted, wanting to tell her of her situation and reality. But alas, his voice rolled back to his throat. Instead of saying or applying the things he had told himself, he lowered his head and claimed her lips.

He should’ve known that once he got a taste of the forbidden, there was no going back. After a full minute of a passionate kiss, he pulled his head away. His eyes softened as soon as he met her gaze.

"Filomena," she whispered before he could say anything.

His brows rose before the space between them crinkled.

"It is not Latrice," she clarified with a soft smile. "It was Filomena. My name."

"You’ve known your name all along?" he asked, yet he didn’t feel the need to enter his combat mode. "Why hadn’t you killed me yet?"

"No one sends me to assassinate anyone," she chuckled. "I just do not want the crown prince to know my name."

"Why?"

"Because I don’t want to give him the privilege."

Jackson furrowed his brows. "You think he wasn’t worthy?" he almost scoffed. "The crown prince? And what about me? Whose position is lower than his?"

"You aren’t lower than him." Latrice, or what she called her name, Filomena, smiled brightly. "I fancy Your Grace from the moment I saw you, but you intimidate me. You drew your sword as soon as you met me. Have you forgotten?"

He opened and closed his mouth, staring at her with utter bafflement. "Then why did you stay with the crown prince?"

"If I didn’t, would I see you?" she pouted. "After staying in the duchy, I realized I made the right decision. Considering you and I live in the same manor, yet, you avoided me like a plague. If I didn’t accept the crown prince’s benevolence, I won’t see His Grace again."

"You..." he was again speechless, realizing she wasn’t only quick to adapt. She was truly clever — strategic, if he may add. "... make me suspicious."

Latrice chuckled in return as if his remarks didn’t bother her at all. If anything, she simply lifted her head and casually planted a soft kiss on his lips.

"I’m glad I stayed," she expressed genuinely, caressing his jaw with her fingertips. "Last night... was probably the best night I ever had. And waking up next to you almost feels like a dream, Your Grace."

Those words she said... weren’t they supposed to be his sentiments?

How could someone like her — who was so beautiful, so desired, and simply divine — say waking up next to what people call a monster was a dream and not a nightmare? She could be lying, but his heart warmed up.

Jackson cupped her face, claiming her lips with a deepened kiss. He slowly rolled over her, keeping her lips busy and claiming her body once more. At this point, he had to accept there was no way out She was like a drug. Once he had a taste, he was instantly hooked.

It was only a matter of time before it would soon become an addiction.

For the first time, he canceled everything he had for the day just to spend it with her. Things had never been the same for them. There was never a single day or night he hadn’t snuck into her room, or she wouldn’t sneak into his study. They were like newlywed couples; it also didn’t matter where they were. Be it in the stables or the library, they always find each other in their little world.

Slowly, Jackson retrieved the smile he thought he had lost. The playfulness he didn’t know existed in him, and the happiness he never dared to dream. As for Latrice, she... stayed just like how she had always been. But they were both happy and content, so Jackson unknowingly overlooked the little hints and warnings he wouldn’t have missed if not for love.

If only he weren’t so blinded by her light, by her beauty, and by her cleverness, he could’ve prevented things from spiraling out of control.

********

[PRESENT TIME]

Jackson stared at Filomena’s peaceful, sleeping face with a soft gaze. He caressed her cheeks with the back of his hand while tears formed in the corner of his eyes. He could still remember how she gazed down at him and smiled while covered in her own blood from that fateful day in the past.

Tears coated her eyes, falling straight to the slash of a sword across his face. Her words, "Do not love me anymore, Your Grace, for I will never love you," while shoving her own heart into his throat still ring in his ear every single day since then.

Don’t love her.

’I tried,’he thought. ’For the last 21 lifetimes you were born and died, I tried. But you... always show up in front of me, unannounced.’

Just like how she showed up on that hunting ground, she kept appearing in front of him every time he was close to forgetting her. It didn’t matter if he was a peasant, she would show up in front of him as a noble lady. Or a prisoner and she would be a soldier. Even when he led a life of a vagabond, she would find a way to find him. Once, he became a doctor in an asylum, and she was a patient.

Same name, same face, but different status in life.

It was only a matter of time before she showed up. Though, this time, it took her fifty years.

Despite that, he couldn’t fulfill her only request.

Not to love her.

A wish that had been haunting him to go beyond the limits, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t.

"Mhm." Fil let out a moan as her eyes slowly cracked open. Her lips curled up as soon as she saw him staring at her. "Jack."

Jackson blinked ever so slowly, his eyes softening at the sight of her. He smiled affectionately, moving his face to place a kiss on her lips. She smiled against his lips, watching him pull his head back.

"Marry me?" he asked playfully, warranting a chuckle from her. "Is that a no?"

"My vacation isn’t over yet."

"I don’t think I have time until then."

Fil furrowed her brows, only to hear him say; "Your brother... does he know how to kill?"

"Oh, Jack," she laughed, squeezing herself into his arms. "Don’t worry. You won’t die today. I’ll kill him before he lays a hand on you."

"Haha." Jackson pulled her closer into his embrace, casually stroking her back. "I hope you don’t mean that."

"Hehe."

"Sweetheart."

"Mhm?"

He pressed his lips tightly, smiling as he said, "Nothing. It’s nothing."

This time, Fil opened her eyes and squinted them. She drew her head away, propping her elbow to look at him properly.

"That’s not nothing," she said. "You were about to tell me something, did you? But you changed your mind."

"Haha." Jackson marveled at that look on her face. "I was about to talk about our future."

She narrowed her eyes even more. "I don’t buy it."

"Hmm." He tucked her hair behind her ear before brushing his thumb on her lower lip.

"I’m..." he paused, lifting his eyes to meet hers. "... I’m not human anymore."

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