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Lyna maintained a composed expression as Ainar approached her, showing no signs of panic or discomfort.
She spoke politely but assertively,
“I do not wish to do business with you, Your Highness.”
Without waiting for Ainar to explain the nature of the business, Lyna stood up and swiftly moved away from Ainar’s outstretched arms, taking hold of her own wrist.
“At least you should know what kind of business it is,” Ainar said.
“Is that a command, Your Highness?” Lyna asked.
“I don’t want to command you. And even if I command you, will you obey?” Ainar asked.
“No,” Lyna replied.
It was clear why Lyna, an untitled young lady from a duke’s family, could act so confidently and assertively towards Ainar, a prince with less power than the Third Prince, to whom she had been engaged and later broke off.
She was a Bolsheik, and her opponent, Ainar, was a prince with less power than the Third Prince.
“If you insist, I will listen,”
Lyna said, her tone indicating that she would not be swayed by force or authority.
If someone tried to press her with commands or authority, she would have left without looking back.
Ainar was aware that Lyna was different from the others, but that didn’t ignite any new interest in him.
However, unlike Lyna, Ainar did not want to miss the opportunity to be with her.
She was the first woman he had ever met who could suppress the “Heavenly luck” on his side.
Just as Lyna’s life had been swayed by “Luck,” Ainar had also lived a life swayed by “Luck.”
Of course, while luck had been in a bad way for Lyna, it had been in a good way for Ainar, but it was an undeniable truth that he had been pulled along without his own will.
Ainar’s black pupils met Lyna’s blue ones as they locked eyes.
The remaining embers on top of the ashes gradually turned blue.
The two looked at each other in silence for a while, and the silence was finally broken by Ainar’s words.
“Lady Bolsheik, you’re my first failure,”
Ainar said, his sincerity overflowing with eagerness rather than interest.
“Is that so?”
Lyna replied, tapping her finger on the teacup.
“Even if my mouth turns the other way, I can never say it’s an honor.”
She spoke openly with sarcasm, but Ainar was not embarrassed or angry.
Instead, he nodded in agreement.
“Well, I’m just stating the facts.”
Ainar’s statement may have been vulgar, but it was fitting for the situation.
Lyna’s lips, which had twisted for a moment, returned to normal, and a faint sigh escaped her.
“That’s true. I’m just Unlucky.”
Ainar hesitated to speak at Lyna’s voice, which had become noticeably smaller than before.
“You are the opposite of me
 
.”
“Yes. The first failure Your Highness experienced is a companion of my entire life,”
Lyna said, her words flowing calmly but filled with resignation, collapse, and sadness.
But she knew she had to leave those feelings behind, even after dying once she had no intention of stepping on the same path again.
Even though she felt the emptiness in her chest, she couldn’t ignore it.
Ainar, who was staring at Lyna, briefly shook his head and opened his mouth to speak.
“That’s the part I want to propose a deal for.”
“Are you referring to failure?”
“Yes. You consistently fail and I never fail, that is, until I met you.”
Ainar’s gaze landed on the hem of Lyna’s skirt, which was now intact, torn when the stone statue collapsed in the temple.
“Because no one I’ve ever reached out to has suffered a single scratch.”
“I suppose you would.”
Lyna’s words may have sounded sarcastic, but she genuinely believed in Ainar’s words.
After all, she too was a bearer of bad luck that anyone would have a hard time believing.
“Can I have a moment to think about it?”
A silence passed between the two as Lyna closed her mouth after asking a question that was close to a request.
Before their meeting at the temple, they had only recognized each other as acquaintances.
A relationship where they greeted each other out of courtesy when meeting in public.
The relationship between Prince Ainar, who had no interest in the throne, and Lyna, the only heir to the Bolsheik duchy, was just that.
A single encounter.
In that one brief meeting, the two immediately recognized the unique aspect of each other.
They say that opposite poles attract.
That’s why the silence that remained between the two was not as uncomfortable as sitting on a cushion of thorns.
Of course, it wasn’t comfortable enough for either of them to close their eyes and fall asleep, but it wasn’t too bad either.
Lyna sat in her seat, deep in thought as she tapped her finger against the rim of her half-empty cup of Earl Grey.
Ainar watched her intently, waiting for her response to his proposal.
“Your Highness, I can well anticipate what kind of deal you will propose,” Lyna said, her gaze meeting Ainar’s.
“Is it a refusal?” Ainar asked, a hint of disappointment in his voice.
“Well,” Lyna replied, her tone noncommittal.
Lyna had no grandiose reason for revealing her story to Ainar.
He was simply the only person who would listen to her.
Whether he believed her or not, whether he saw her as crazy, didn’t matter to her.
If he believed her, she would have someone to turn to, and if he didn’t, she had nothing to lose.
In the end, Lyna held all the power in this situation.
Ainar wanted something from her, but she didn’t need anything from him.
With a deep breath, Lyna took a sip of her cooled tea and let out a small sigh.
“Before that, why don’t you listen to my story first and then propose a deal?” Lyna spoke before Ainar could say a word.
“I died once and came back. In terms of time, let’s see
”
She began to tell her story of her life before returning, including how no matter what she did, she always ended up failing due to her terrible luck.
“So I decided to live without expecting anything and doing nothing.”
Lyna smiled faintly as she finished her story.
“But even if I do nothing, there is no guarantee that I will not die.”
“Luck
because of bad luck?” Ainar asked.
“Yes. It’s not just bad, it’s terribly bad,” Lyna replied.
That was why she had thrown everything away– the approval of her father which she badly wanted, to be the perfect heir to match her family, and the love of the third prince, which she once believed was the best thing in her life.
She had decided to change herself in order not to repeat the mistakes she had made before regressing, like every other regressor in stories.
However, there was a big difference between Lyna and other regressors.
While other regressors try not to worry about the people around them before regression, strangely, unlike before regression, they have to worry about the people around them who cling to them closely.
But Lyna had to worry about none other than herself in order to be free.
The biggest stumbling block for Lyna was herself, not anyone else.
To be precise, she would not be able to catch a break from her terrible luck.
“So, given how bad my luck is, if you’re offering me a deal just to keep me going through a failure, you might want to reconsider
”
“No.”
Ainar placed his fist on his chest and slightly bowed his head.
“First of all, I would like to apologize. I have offered you a lousy deal.”
Lyna’s eyes widened slightly at the unexpected reaction.
Ainar soon made eye contact with her and opened his mouth more seriously.
“Forget about the deal,” Ainar said with a sly smile.
“How about a bet, milady? Let’s wager on whether your bad luck will prevail or if my good luck will come out on top.”
“Are you serious?” Lyna asked, her tone incredulous.
“Never more so,” Ainar replied, his expression determined.
“I am willing to risk my life for this bet. If you do not die in any way, it will be my victory.”
Risking his life for a bet.
It was a situation where Lyna couldn’t help but feel dumbfounded. But Ainar’s words that followed left her even more speechless.
“I will give my all to save you, for my victory,” he said, his black eyes and voice conveying his sincerity.
Lyna was dumbfounded, but on the other hand, she felt a lump in her throat, as if she had swallowed a stone.
She lowered her head to hide her indescribable expression.
He said it was only for his victory.
That would be an undeniable truth.
But it was really the first time.
The first time someone told her that they would do everything in their power to save her.
Even though Ainar’s words may have been spoken with ulterior motives, the sincerity behind them still made Lyna’s heart flutter.
Ainar’s low voice reached Lyna’s ears, causing her heart to race.
“Lyna Bolsheik, would you please make a bet with me?”
She closed her eyes and took a deep breath before opening them again.
“Your Highness,” she said, her voice steady as she finally met Ainar’s gaze.
“Do you believe my story?”