Chapter 69.2

It was a question she had wanted to ask from the moment he fell beside her. Sensing that Yurina had cast a spell with his necklace, Raynard immediately moved to her. If so, he should have used magic, but why did he just hug her from behind.

“And I used it.”

“What does it mean?”

“I used physical protection magic as soon as I saw you. But for some reason it didn’t work. I wouldn’t have had enough time to sort out the situation and try again…”

“Do you even understand how this could end?”

“Whatever happens, it’s better than you being bitten.”

Raynard grimaced as if imagining something terrible. Yurina felt that his statement was very contradictory.

“You could have died.”

Feeling her voice grow harsher, Reynard was unable to answer and covered his mouth. Yurina continued to speak while looking into his eyes.

“In the end, I was lucky to survive. But why did you have to behave like that? Don’t you have to think about your own life?”

“You survived, that’s all. Thank the goddess.”

Yurina had heard those words countless times in the past two days. Marquis Carthia, her three brothers, Betsy, servants in the villa and even the Crown Prince himself.

They felt sorry for the injured Raynard, but everyone understood that such was the price of Yurina’s safety. If not for Reynard, Yurina would already be dead.

Yurina wondered what all those people were thinking. She survived only by putting Reynard under attack. And Reynard didn’t even wake up for two whole days.

Nothing to thank the goddess for.

But now even Reynard said it himself.

And he said this not to someone else, but to Yurina, who had been sitting with him for the past two days, fearing that he would get worse. Now it got on Yurina’s nerves.

Yurina felt her face light up with her rising emotions and continued.

“Why are you like this? Is it more important to you that I don’t get hurt than your life?”

Yurina continued without giving him a chance to reply.

“Why did you have to push yourself? Why do you have to suffer instead of me? Why?”

“Yurina.”

Tears, barely contained before, now flowed down her cheeks. Yurina bit her lip and tried to control herself, but unsuccessfully.

There was no immediate response from Reynard. Instead of answering, he slowly approached Yurina and put his arm around her shoulders. When Yurina tried to step back, Reynard added strength to his grip.

“I did promise.”

“What are you talking about?”

Yurina stopped struggling and turned to Raynard. He wiped Yurina’s cheeks and calmly explained.

“So you forgot it already? I said I will protect you.”

Despite the annoyance in Yurina’s voice, Reynard was still whispering in a calm voice. It was a voice that seemed to speak the most natural truth in the world, such as that it is cold in winter and flowers bloom in spring.

Yurina felt like she had been hit in the back of the head. She knew well what promise he meant. It was probably the promise he made on his thirteenth birthday.

“Yurina, I will protect you.”

The words he whispered as he kissed her trembling hand when she met Marquis De Flon in the middle of the city. However, Yurina never imagined that the story of this promise would come up in a situation like this.

And the matter wasn’t limited to the promise he made. After all, initially, Yurina put forward conditions for him at their first meeting.

“Remember what I did for you today. Then, when I’m in danger, you must save me.”

Everything went according to the agreements that the two concluded in childhood. In exchange for saving his life, she asked to be protected no matter what, and he said yes.

The true meaning of what was said at that time was that he wouldn’t betray Yurina, and protect her from the intrigues of De Flon. But Reynard simply didn’t know such details.

And thanks to his ignorance, Yurina was still in the world of the living. Everything happened as it was once decided. But Raynard now couldn’t understand why Yurina was so unhappy and desperate.

‘Didn’t you think it would come to this?’ she asked herself.

‘When I told Reynard to save me, I had no idea that he would be in such danger.’

‘On reflection, I came to a conclusion.’

‘I never wanted to put you in danger.’

‘Hypocrite, hypocrite, hypocrite. Someone shouted it in my head.’

‘Yes, when I first met Reynard, I was aware that something dangerous could happen to him.’

‘Back then it was all about politics. There was no guarantee that I would have time to get him ahead of Marquis De Flon. I didn’t have to be shy about methods.’

‘And then Karion just disappeared, but the threat from the Marquis was still alive. If he had aimed at me, the first thing he might think of was to demolish the obstacle in front of me, Reynard.’

‘But I swear I never wanted him to suffer.’

“What good is it that you suffer for me? What is the use of this promise?”

“It’s not just about the promise.”

Raynard lowered his hand and wrapped his arms around Yurina’s waist. His movements were careful. He rested his chin on Yurina’s head and then Yurina was completely in his arms.

“Even if there wasn’t a promise between us, I would still do the same. Do you know that?”

“What?”

“I can’t imagine you die, Yurina. Without you, there will be no me.”

His words were romantic. Words that expressed devotion and said that ‘you’re my everything’, but also showed his desire to possess. Those words that would make anyone at Yurina’s age blush.

“Then what do you think about the future?”

Instead of rejoicing at those words, Yurina felt as if all the blood in her veins had gone cold. She alone knew what would wait them in the future.

“Does that mean it doesn’t matter what happens to you as long as I’m safe?”

Then he answered without hesitation.

“As long as you’re safe, I don’t care what happens.”

If he pretended to hesitate before answering, Yurina wouldn’t be so angry now. Now Yurina escaped from his grasp and pushed Reynard’s shoulder as he clung to her again.

“Did you forget to think of me?”