Chapter 3

The blade didn't manage to hurt me.

Just as it was about to touch me, a strong hand shot out and wrapped around my wrist.

A sharp clatter echoed through the room as the knife slipped from my grasp, clattering against the far wall before falling to the floor.

Lucas was breathing heavily, his chest rising and falling rapidly.

"Nia! How dare you do that before all of us! If you really wanted to die, you've had plenty of chances to do it quietly. Why do it now, when we're here? Who are you trying to fool?!"

He roughly yanked his hand away as though I'd contaminated him.

"Knowing what kind of person you really are, I should've let you die in that accident. Would've saved us all from having to watch your pathetic performance!"

My breath caught, and the pain of bone cancer is tormenting me, with his words pierced my heart deeply also.

After Garrett had given up on me, I had pinned all my hopes on Lucas.

Back then, he only saw Lidia as a sister who needed protection. Toward me, his sudden fiancée, he was distant but still kind.

I approached him cautiously, and sometimes he would respond.

During that time, I could feel us growing closer. It was the only ray of light I'd seen in five years of darkness.

I thought I might actually grab onto that chance to complete the mission of the moon goddess.

Until that rogue wolf attack.

Lucas was severely injured, with a ruptured kidney and his life hanging by a thread.

To save him, I begged the healer to secretly transplant one of my kidneys to him.

After the surgery, I was in a coma for seven days.

But when I woke up, the warmth was gone from his eyes, replaced by pure disgust.

Later, I learned it was because of Lidia.

While I was unconscious, she had cried as she told him that the rogue wolf attack—I deliberately set up a car accident—was a plot to kill her, who'd stolen her family's love and concern.

By accident, those rogue wolves hurt Lucas, who had thrown himself in her way to protect Lidia.

And Lucas's mother had been killed years ago by his father's mistress, utilizing those rogue wolves.

This was a line he could never cross.

All my explanations sounded like empty, malicious excuses.

From that moment on, his favorability rating toward me plummeted to rock bottom and never recovered.

I lifted my head, my expression hollow as I forced a smile.

"If you wanted me dead so badly, why did you stop me?"

A flicker of panic crossed Lucas's face before it was quickly replaced by disdain.

"Are you kidding me? Because I can't stand to watch your little drama unfold anymore. You'll do anything to gain sympathy—anything at all."

Perhaps my deathly pale face finally got through to Garrett, who had been watching coldly from the side. His brow furrowed.

"Enough, Lucas. Why are we really here?"

Lucas seemed to remember his original purpose.

He took a deep breath, and when his gaze fell on Lidia, standing timidly nearby, it instantly softened with concern.

He spoke to me as though I were nothing more than an object.

"Lidia's health has taken a turn. Her kidneys are failing, and yours would be a match. Get ready to donate one to her."

I could barely believe my ears.

Even Garrett, who had been relatively calm, was stunned.

"Lucas! Have you lost your mind?! You can't just—"

His words died when he met Lidia's gaze.

Her big, doe-like eyes were filled with a desperate longing for life, pleading silently to him.

All of Garrett's protests caught in his throat.

When he looked back at me, his voice was dry as dust.

"Nia, it's just one kidney. It won't kill you."

"And I'll take care of you forever."

Take care of me?

My hollow gaze drifted past him to the ceiling above.

The air grew thick with silence.

Just as he was about to speak again, I finally opened my mouth.

"Then... will you share just a little bit of your love with me?"

Garrett froze, clearly confused.

He frowned slightly but gave me a quick answer.

"Fine. As long as you behave, I'll be good to you."

I glanced at the still-10 favorability rating above his head and let out a low, trembling laugh that soon turned into sobs.

So even now, he wouldn't give me even a sliver of pity.

Liar.

In his horrified gaze, I coughed up a mouthful of blood.