Chapter 79

As I arrived, the Duchy of Brudenell welcomed me with the utmost hospitality. It seemed they thought it was because of me that Cassius, who refused to take a single step out of the room, finally went out on his own.

Well, if you are looking at it like that, it was not wrong.

Still, I could not fully enjoy the Duchy’s hospitality.

‘Will he be okay? He’ll be okay… Yeah, he should be fine. He might be okay.’

I licked my lips nervously.

It was never out of guilt or anything like that for leaving Cassius alone there. It was because, after all, if I were to remain there, would I be nothing more than a burden to him? I was just worried about him, and it was a natural feeling to feel for someone who came to my aid and ended up in a dangerous situation because of that.

…How long has it been?

When I finally heard the yelling, I was already running towards the front door. Cassius, mixed among the knights, recognized me at first glance.

“…Evelyn.”

A word of incredulity flowed out of his mouth.

“Why are you here?”

“Can’t I be here?”

I unintentionally asked back in a sharp tone before withdrawing my words swiftly, “It’s because it’s safer here than the County.”

“…That’s right.”

“Thank you for coming back unscathed, Lord.”

As I glanced around him, I was relieved to see that there was not really a drop of blood on him.

Meanwhile, Cassius avoided my gaze without saying anything. It was only then that I realized I used the word ‘Thank you’ rather than ‘It was a relief’ that he came back unharmed, but fortunately, no one seemed to notice that slip of the tongue.

“…What about Bynell?”

“He’s dead.”

Cassius replied calmly.

“He’ll never threaten you again.”

“Thank you for that, too.”

Silence enveloped us.

At some point, all the busy knights and servants had disappeared, leaving only tranquility in the hallway.

And, the indescribable presence of Cassius Brudenell.

“…Evelyn, can I ask you the favor I was about to ask you before?”

“Please do.”

I happily nodded my head this time. Even if I was going to refuse, I thought I should at least listen to what he had to say and reject him. Cassius Brudenell saved my life, so should I not show the same sincerity?

“Just once… May I hug you?”

“….!”

My eyes widened unknowingly.

I glanced up at him blankly. Even though he did not smell of blood that I hated, I could still feel the gloomy aura of a man who had just killed someone.

I would never have complied with his request if it was before I had run away, and he found me and then finally released me in the end. It was because, then, he would have forcefully held my hand. If I could not hug him, he would ask me if he could kiss my hand instead.

However, now it felt different… for reasons that I could not explain properly myself. It was different.

“…Yes.”

When I nodded, Cassius gently embraced me. It was like hugging the most precious thing in the world. I also did not just sit still in his arms. As I mustered up the courage to pat his back, I could feel the rigid muscles harden all at once under my hand.

Perhaps it was funny, he opened his mouth and laughed out loud.

“What’s so funny that made you laugh?”

“Just because.”

I patted his back down.

“I just thought that the Lord’s body was really strong… So, I was just thinking that I wanted to have a body like this, too.”

“You can have it if you want. I can give you my body as much as you want.”

[ T/N: CASSIUSSSSSS— (╯ .□ . )╯┻━┻ ]

“….!”

My face flushed red.

I tried to pull myself away from Cassius, but his arms were too strong… No, it would be more like I did not want to get out.

Cassius’ arms…

It was a lot warmer than I thought.

“Oh, you didn’t really want to have my body?”

Asking that, Cassius then tilted his head.

“…What nonsense is the Lord talking about?”

“It’s not nonsense. Among the ancient sorcery passed down at the same time as the blood oath, there’s one sorcery that exchanges soul and body. Although most of the process has been lost, if you study it…”

“What a minute, what did you say?”

I immediately gazed up at him in astonishment. Anyone who heard what he said would only think that it sounded insidious…!

“Yes. Did you mean anything else?”

I was taken aback by his face when he asked me back so casually, so I shook my head before replying.

“That’s all right. It’s not that important.”

“If you say so.”

We fell into silence again.

Though it was a silence that was neither uncomfortable nor awkward, then Cassius put his head on my hair and muttered softly.

“…You know what?”

“Yes?”

“There’s something I want to say.”

A soft voice rang above my head.

“Tell me.”

“…I’m sorry.”

It was a heavy word and more desperate than anything he had ever said. Suddenly my throat felt choked up, and I could only lick my lips.

I had no idea what to answer.

“It was only when I saw him forcibly dragging you away that I realized what I was to you…”

“….”

“In the end, like him, I am someone who isn’t supposed to be in this world. I’ve done something I should’ve never done to you, and I’ll never be forgiven…”

As his words continued, I was frozen in his arms.

It was a sincere apology, something that I had never expected from Cassius. Up until now, I thought it would be because he regretted it if I ever received something like an apology from him. Approaching from a thorough consequentialist point of view, he might have regretted and thought he should not have done so.

…But, the present Cassius was different. He was sincerely asking me for forgiveness, thinking what he had done was wrong.

I closed my eyes.

No, I tried to close my eyes despite my burning tears and wet cheeks.

“…Do you hate me so much? Enough to not even look at me?”

“Th-that, that…”

Even though I wanted to say no, only a muttering sound came out of my mouth. Because of that, Cassius seemed to have misunderstood my feelings even more.

“…I see. I’ll never appear before you again after the blood oath. So, please make this moment a little longer. I… give me a memory to live on, Evelyn.”

I barely came to my senses and shouted.

“That’s not it!”

“…Yes?”

“I don’t hate you. Of course, I didn’t like you before… but I don’t hate you now. Am I the kind of person who will be held quietly in the arms of someone I don’t like? Think about it.”

“…That’s true.”

Fortunately, he seemed to understand what I meant.

“So… It’s okay, even if the Lord keeps appearing in front of me.”

“This is the happiest news I have heard recently.”

“Well, don’t give me a severed finger as a gift. If that happens, I’ll take back everything I’ve said like it didn’t happen.”

“All right.”

Cassius nodded his head sternly at my words before continuing.

“Tell me what else I need to take care of.”

“Yes…?”

“I don’t want to lose this miracle so easily that you don’t hate me. So, tell me all the things you don’t like. I’ll never do it.”

Hearing those words, I stared blankly at him. His serious attitude did not seem like a joke either.

And…

‘…I can’t sincerely feel it.’

I took a breath. Perhaps, this was an opportunity… A golden opportunity to erase the cruel and inhumane Cassius Brudenell from the original novel from this world.

At that thought, I parted my lips slowly.

“First of all, don’t kill anyone easily.”

At those words, he tilted his head.

“Evelyn, what’s the difference between killing easily and not killing easily?”

I stared at him, dumbfounded.

Has he been killing people without any distinction? Nonetheless, if I had given the standard that had never existed until now, it was obvious that he would probably exemplify in a strange way. In the end, I chose the method I was most comfortable with.

“Ask me before you kill someone. I’ll decide whether you should kill them, you should scare them in moderation and send him away, or if you should reward him.”

“Then, I can talk to Evelyn every day.”

Cassius’ voice was filled with genuine joy.

I barely swallowed the word ‘crazy.’ Still, it was not the expression of astonishment, fear, and disgust like before.

Rather…

I would say it was close to a nickname.

The next moment, Cassius leaned even more against me.

“Tell me more, Evelyn.”

I chuckled.

At that moment, it felt as if the twisted and contorted thread had finally been unraveled into a single straight line.

…However, it took less than a week from that day for my illusion to be broken.