Chapter 30

I’m Scared of My Late First Love (8)

“I didn’t ask for your help either.”

Seeing the shame and deep sorrow on Rowena’s face, Cecil gritted his teeth inside that he should have killed him as well.

“Maybe it’s because you don’t trust me.”

“N-no! That’s not why…”

Rowena turned her head to avoid the tears she had been holding back. It wasn’t easy for her to even tell Lyria that she was being beaten by Paul and that she wasn’t hit once or twice, but until she fainted.

Even though she was the victim, it was shameful. Even the wicked marquis didn’t slap Lyria, but her father swung his fists without hesitation and kicked her with his feet.

The sense of contempt had always come late. The moment of violence was just frightening and painful. During the violence, only the fear of escaping the moment stood by her.

Rowena’s strength was ridiculously weak compared to Paul, even if she wanted to fight.

How she wished she had been born as a man. She didn’t want anything bigger than Paul. Wouldn’t she be able to resist if she had a physique similar to Paul’s?

It could only be imagined. It was not easy to stand up to a violent man.

“How can I say that? I just knew your highness…”

Her whisper was dying down. Rowena wrapped her hands around her face. She didn’t want Cecil to see her crying.

Cecil immediately noticed that tears were mixed at the end of her voice. He scrambled to his feet and held Rowena in his arms.

“Lean on me, Rowena… Everything in this empire is already leaning on me. Even if I have one more person relying on me, it’s lighter than a feather to me.”

Rowena still didn’t know what to do at the absurdly arrogant man’s words. She was crying, but she felt like she was going to laugh. Cecil’s chest was large and wide, and it felt like it could completely swallow her.

Leaning her head against his hard chest, Rowena shed tears.

* * *

“It’s enough to have a knight. I’ll be able to go to the Count…”

Rowena shook her head as Cecil said he would immediately take her to the Imperial Palace. Cecil’s heart was glad, but he was the crown prince with eyes around him.

“What would people think?”

“They will shut up if they want to live.”

Cecil, who didn’t think he was wrong, seemed unconvinced.

It was Cecil who grew up watching the emperor who killed his mother and blamed himself all his life because he cared about the public eye. Cecil had no intention of leaving Rowena under the domain of the stupid Paul Adelia.

“If you don’t come, I have no choice but to stay with the count. Then the result would be the same anyway?”

“The escort knight is enough,” Rowena said frustratingly.

But Cecil was also formidable. He could bend over everything else, except he couldn’t give way to Rowena’s safety.

“Uhm… I have an idea.”

Pina, who returned to the room after bringing the carriage, made a stealthy voice.

The crown prince was weak to her lady, no matter what. She was also opposed to the lady returning to the count.

“What if someone dresses up as you and goes back to being a countess? You just borrowed a veil.”

“Who can even…?”

Pina’s gaze crept toward someone. To a knight with a pretty appearance rather than a tall one with the same hair color as Rowena.

“Why is everyone looking at me?!”

As if he had an ominous premonition, Lancelot took half a step back.

“I can’t dress up as a girl! Look at this manly face of mine!”

He didn’t seem to know himself. Both the crown prince’s entourage and knights turned a blind eye to Lancelot. Cecil looked back at Rowena with a flash in his eyes.

“It’s decided. All to do is be careful.”

Rowena was taken aback.

I wonder if I could do that. You obviously don’t like that idea.

Rowena was perplexed. She wanted to do it anyway.

You don’t like that, do you, knight?

“No, but if you get caught…”

“I’ll do my best not to allow him to get caught! Leave it to me!”

Pina said with glittering eyes. Lancelot glared at Pina with the eyes of an enemy, but Pina pretended not to notice.

Your safety comes first! You can’t go back to the wicked count!