CH 100

What did I hear now?

Even when Richard slowly fixed my messed-up hair with his hands, I was still too stunned to do anything.

Only after Richard removed my bangs and kissed me on the forehead did I come to my senses.

No, this is nonsense, isn’t it?

You should say that to the main character who locked you up. Why are you saying that to me! 

“That’s why I told you not to take off your mask, but you seem quite surprised.”

“…Why the hell did you come to catch me?”

Someone may have arrived from Evantes, who wants to catch me by now.

It was a very critical moment, but I couldn’t let Richard keep me like this.

“You never take off your mask in front of me, but in front of other people you take it off casually.”

He looks like he is disappointed, which is hard to understand.

“Don’t make me laugh and let go of this.”

“Why should I do that?”

I was at a loss for words when he was so confident.

“Are you talking in your right mind?”

“What if I’m in my right mind or not?”

What kind of fresh bullshit is this?

“From now on, I will take you, criminal Miss Rosie.”

“Who is a criminal?”

“Then, is it okay if I hand you over to Marquis Evantes?”

Seeing me speechless, Richard smiles.

“You know I’m not avoiding because I’m a criminal.”

“Then?”

“That, you ran away—” 

I want to say you ran away, but I shut my mouth.

On that day three years ago, I remembered the moment I betrayed him.

3 years is quite a long time.

Enough to blur the scars and traces of the past.

Sometimes I suddenly remember something from the past, but then I forget it and move on to another thought.

It was like that for 3 years for me.

At first, not long after betraying Richard, I pondered over that moment and kept thinking about it.

His distorted expression and his last words.

The words that he will remember me kept ringing in my ears and tormenting me.

“Tell me, Rosie. Why do you stop talking?” 

He knows what I’m talking about. 

‘I feel sorry about that, but….’

Anyway, I couldn’t keep holding on to him. 

Yeah. It was painful, I didn’t feel good, and I regretted it. But I can’t be tied up for the rest of my life because of it. 

Even if I had gone back to that time, I would have made the same choice.

“I know you hate me a lot. We decided to run away together but I suddenly changed my attitude, which made you wonder.” 

“….” 

“But there were circumstances. Let me explain.”

“All right.”

Richards readily replied.

Is he really saying he’ll listen to me? The hope that there might be room for persuasion sprouted.

‘The knights of Evantes will come, so I have to hurry.’

I hastily explained to him what had happened before. 

“You might not believe it, but…I’ve heard that devil worshipers are coming in to kidnap you. They said they would kill everyone in the Marquis.”

When I took it out, it sounded really stupid. but it’s real.

“So I went to Lucas or Marquis to somehow solve this situation. I tried to do everything I could, but there was no way.”

“Is that so?”

“…I feel sorry at that time. But if it’s not like that, the people in the Marquis would have died, and you would have been taken away by devil worshippers.” 

While expressing that I had no choice but to do that at the time, Richard gave a meaningful smile. 

The mysterious laughter made me stop talking. But when I looked at it again, Richard’s expression was expressing regret.

…is it working?

I hurriedly continued my explanation.

“You were very sick that day because you took the drug. So it was to protect you, too. I couldn’t help it.”

“Hmm. I couldn’t help it.”

“Right. Do you understand—?” 

Contrary to expectations, when Richard spoke as if he understood without a single word of denial, I thought it would work out well.

Perhaps I will be freed from the bondage of guilt.

You and I shall part ways, letting go of the past.

I know it’s a selfish thought, but I still think that ‘me’ is my priority.

Then Richard laughed softly.

“I understand. In that situation, I really couldn’t help it.”

My expression brightened when I saw Richard speaking with a sympathetic face.

“Thank you for your understanding. Actually, I haven’t felt comfortable since then. I was very worried about you—” 

Is it just me that Richard’s blue eyes shined sharply at that moment? I stopped talking for a moment. 

“I’m glad you’re okay. And you become the Commander of Paladin—” 

“So Miss Rosie became Baron Savlin’s aide.”

“Right.”

Although I won’t be able to act as an aide from now officially. 

“Then the misunderstanding is now cleared up—” 

I looked carefully at Richard.

“Will you let me go? I’m a little busy right now.”

I twisted my waist to get out of his arms. But I was still stuck. Rather, Richard hugged my waist tighter.

…What’s wrong with him? 

“Hey…” 

“Richard.” 

“Yes?” 

“You said you were going to call me Richard.”

“…Me?” 

Did I say that? Richard smiled while thinking about it.

“Three years ago.”

“Ah…” 

It’s a vague memory because it was 3 years ago.

I don’t know if I said that, but it would be better not to offend him now.

.

It’s not hard to call his name.

“Call my name, Rosie.”

“…Richard.” 

“Again.

“Richard.” 

After doing what he wanted, Richard smiled contentedly.

I also looked at him and smiled forcibly, but I became more and more anxious. 

I have to run away before Argen’s knights arrive! 

“It’s good. You call my name.”

“It’s not difficult. Then let me go—” 

“Please call me more often in the future, Rosie.”

In the future? 

What do you mean? I have to run now, but he makes it sounds like we’ll be together forever.

“…All the misunderstandings have been cleared up.”

“Right. I just know now that such a sad story exists.”

“Then let me go. I have to go now—” 

“But there is one thing I don’t understand.”

Richard’s blue eyes grew cold.

“Then why didn’t you tell me then?”

“…What?” 

“If it had been the other way around, I would have told that Miss Rosie had been threatened by devil worshipers in the first place.”

“….” 

At that moment, I was at a loss for words. 

I opened and closed my mouth several times to find something to say.

“Yeah… No matter what I said, nothing changed.”

What would have been different if I had told you back then that devil worshipers were attacking this place?

What the hell could you do when you were sick from drugs?

As if he could read my mind, the expression on Richard’s face disappeared. 

“Then let me ask you one more question. Was there any reason for me to sacrifice myself for the sake of the servants who were in danger of death?” 

“That’s…”

I couldn’t answer easily.

There was no reason for Richard to sacrifice himself.

The sacrifice of the cow for the next generation seems to be for everyone, but in reality, it was just a way to be hypocritical and ignore the cow’s opinions.

I know that too.

“They’re the same anyway, aren’t they? That they pretended not to see me trapped there to live.”

It’s a word that’s not wrong.

In Richard’s eyes, all of these servants are selfish human beings. 

He asks if he has to suffer for them.

“…So should I have watched them all die then?”

But what do you want me to do?

“You’re not going to die. It’s just a little painful.”

“….” 

“Then everyone lives. If you suffer a little….” 

Then I had to make a choice, and I had to figure out which of the two was more valuable. 

Wouldn’t the lives of several people be more important than the brief pain that one person would experience? I thought so then, and I still do.

“As a result, you’re getting out of there and living well. Isn’t that enough?”

When I saw the scornful blue eyes, I finally felt like it was a mistake.

“So…”

Trying to avoid the cold blue eyes, I made an apologetic face.

“I’m sorry, I made a slip of the tongue. You’re innocent. So I felt very sorry for you. But, but…” 

“Enough.” 

I became ashamed because I seemed to have expressed my ugly nature to the bottom with a word that cut me off.

“I enjoyed what you said quite a bit. But I think it would have been better if you didn’t say anything now.”

“….” 

What the hell are you saying to me? What should I really do?

Now even I was confused and couldn’t figure out what it was.

Then a squeaking sound was heard in the distance.

What is this sound? It resembles the sound of horseshoes.

Richard smiled as he turned his head to the side where the sound was coming from.

“I guess it’s coming.”

“…What do you mean coming?” 

“Who do you think it is? The Knights of the Marquis of Evantes. Oh, did he come himself?”

“…What?” 

“You probably don’t know, but the Marquis came directly?”

At that moment, I felt blood rushing out of my body.

Don’t tell me, are you trying to get revenge by handing me over to Argen?

“…Let me go now.” 

“Rosie.”

“Let go! Let me go!” 

I must run away now.

I twisted my body and hit him in the chest to get his arm off my waist, but it was useless.

Richard looked at me sadly, then lowered his head and whispered in his ear.

“Why did you make me mad?”

The hot breath touched my ears, but my whole body was freezing cold.

“I will never let you go again, never again.”