Chapter 153: You Know, I Won’t Kill You

Sophie Wexler had arrived at the set of the music competition not long ago. The contestants were still trickling in, so for the first two days, they weren’t given any tasks. They were just meant to familiarize themselves with the environment.

The rooms were assigned for two people. Sophie Wexler had been here for two days but still hadn’t met her roommate.

She fiddled with the musical instruments in the room. Her mind had been completely consumed by Cillian Forrest for the past few days. Whenever she had a moment of peace, her thoughts would drift back to him.

All she could do was find other things to distract herself.

The instruments here were all common throughout the Galaxy, which was perfect for getting in some practice.

Sophie Wexler was examining one of the instruments when a knock sounded at the door.

Sophie Wexler’s movements stilled. She listened carefully. Yes, someone was definitely knocking at the door.

’Could that be my other roommate?’

With that thought, Sophie Wexler walked over and opened the door.

"Hello, I’m—"

She never finished her sentence. The words died in her throat the moment she saw the person standing before her.

Sophie Wexler’s mouth hung slightly open, her eyes wide with disbelief.

"You... You! What are you doing here?!"

The man before her was dressed in a military uniform. He stood tall and straight, the uniform perfectly accentuating his powerful presence. He exuded the cold, hard bearing of a soldier—a complete departure from the man she was used to seeing.

His gaze was fixed on her, and a golden light slowly began to gleam in the depths of his eyes.

For an instant, the man before her seemed to merge with the cold, imperious figure from her dreams.

She saw his features, his eyes, and the expression within them.

The face that had always been a blur in her dreams suddenly sharpened into focus.

Sophie Wexler took an involuntary step back.

"You..."

The moment Sophie Wexler moved, an arm wrapped firmly around her waist.

Cillian Forrest stepped inside, and the door swung shut behind him. A powerful wave of spiritual power instantly radiated outwards, sealing the room off from the outside world.

Sophie Wexler: "!!!"

His large hand gripped her slender waist tightly. It felt so fragile, as if the slightest bit of force could snap it in two.

Sophie Wexler felt the pressure on her waist. He clearly wasn’t using much strength, yet she couldn’t break free.

Held fast in his embrace, Sophie watched as his fingertips gently traced over her eyebrows, the tip of her nose, and her lips, before finally coming to rest on the nape of her neck.

His fingertips were cool as they gently caressed her neck. The gold in his eyes deepened, and a slow smile touched his lips. His voice was exceedingly gentle, as if he were afraid of scaring her. "Why did you run?"

Sophie Wexler shuddered, her eyes fixed on the "gentle" Cillian Forrest before her. She swallowed nervously. "I... I didn’t run."

"I just... I just came for the music competition," Sophie Wexler said, her voice laced with awkwardness.

Under Cillian Forrest’s smiling gaze, her voice trailed off, growing quieter and quieter until the last few words were completely inaudible.

Looking at Cillian Forrest, even though he was just smiling and hadn’t said a word, Sophie Wexler knew he didn’t believe her for a second.

"Why did you run?" Cillian Forrest stared into Sophie Wexler’s eyes, repeating the question.

Sophie’s downcast eyes fluttered slightly. She looked up at him. "You’re... the Imperial Marshal?"

The answer was already painfully obvious; she didn’t know why she’d even phrased it as a question.

’Maybe I don’t want to accept it. Or maybe... I need to hear Cillian say it himself.’

Cillian Forrest watched her steadily, taking in her apprehension, her hesitation, her inner turmoil.

His lips parted, and a single, affirmative word came out: "Yes."

Even though she already knew the answer, Sophie’s pupils still constricted sharply the moment he confirmed it.

Cillian Forrest felt the skin beneath his hand tense up.

"Do you think I would kill you?"

Sophie Wexler remained silent, gently biting her lip.

’It’s not what I think. It’s what happened in the original story. That was my ending.’

The next moment, he took her hand and slowly guided it to his neck.

Only then did Sophie Wexler notice that Cillian Forrest wasn’t wearing his usual high-collared clothing. The neck ring—that symbol of shame he always kept concealed—was now completely exposed.

Sophie’s heart jolted. "You!"

Cillian Forrest guided her hand, placing it flat against his neck ring. "You know I won’t kill you, don’t you?"

His tone was soft, yet it carried an absolute certainty.

’He wouldn’t kill her.’

At his words, Sophie’s eyes constricted. Her fingertips, resting against the neck ring, began to tremble.

’That’s right. He won’t kill me. He *can’t* kill me.’

’I’ve known that from the very beginning.’

’Even back when I first arrived in the Galaxy, he was filled with nothing but loathing for me.’

’But even then, he never laid a hand on me.’

’He even saved me when the insectoids attacked.’

’I knew back then. As long as this neck ring existed, he couldn’t kill me, because he would die too.’

’And that was before everything that came after.’

’All the times he helped me, protected me, and gave in to my demands.’

’I know all of that. So of course I know he could never kill me.’

’There’s no way I’ll face the same fate as the original owner of this body.’

’And yet, the moment I learned the truth, my first instinct was to run.’

Sophie Wexler opened her mouth. "I..."

’I just couldn’t accept it right away. I just needed some time to process everything.’

’I needed time to tell myself that Cillian Forrest is the Imperial Marshal, but he won’t treat me the way he treated the original Sophie in the story.’

The metallic chill beneath her fingertips was a constant reminder that he was still wearing that Slave Collar.

A thought suddenly struck her, and Sophie lowered her gaze. "Actually... I can help you take this neck ring off."

She had gone to Salencia. She had gotten what she needed.

’When I ran, the only thing I took with me was that small casket.’

’It was the one thing I’d searched for so long, something I wanted to give Cillian as a surprise.’

’I just never imagined everything that would happen next.’

’The surprise was ruined. Instead of a gift, it became a source of terror.’

But regardless, she still wanted Cillian Forrest to be able to remove it.

’Something like this doesn’t belong on him.’

"Once this neck ring is removed, you won’t have to worry anymore. The restraint will be gone, and the connection between us will also..."

As she spoke, Sophie moved to get the small casket, but the grip on her waist didn’t loosen in the slightest.

"There’s no need!" a man’s voice cut her off.

Sophie Wexler: "???"

The memory of her conversation with Benjamin Wyatt made Cillian Forrest’s eyes darken. His gaze bored into her, and the hand on her waist tightened once more.

"Sophie Wexler, we are not removing the neck ring. And don’t you even think about cutting ties with me."

"I will not agree to terminate the marriage contract!"