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Chapter 42
“Aish! Acting all petty just because you’re my dad!”
When I opened my eyes into a sharp triangle, Dad swallowed what was in his mouth and looked at me.
I sparkled my eyes and asked,
“Can I eat this and go to the villa afterward?”
Dad seemed to already anticipate my request. He probably guessed that this incident was targeting Rahel and surely intended to forbid me from going.
“I know you’re worried, but I’ll just check if Rahel is okay and come back immediately, okay? Dad…”
Step one: The cute act.
Then Kkamang jumped onto my head and shivered along, as if agreeing with me.
But Dad didn’t look too keen on my request.
“Vivian.”
“I went there alone yesterday to save Rahel because I was taken. I knew it was dangerous, but…”
Step two: The tears act.
When I started sniffling, Dad sighed and finally raised both hands.
“Fine, but there’s a condition.”
Rahel opened her eyes.
The intense sunlight that greeted her eyes revealed that quite some time had passed.
With the sunrise, the horrors of last night vanished like a nightmare.
Yet, the heaviness of her body confirmed the events and battles of yesterday.
The first thought to come to her mind, along with the memories of last night, was:
‘…Vivian.’
Concern for Vivian’s safety.
As she tugged the leash to check on Vivian, the door creaked open slightly.
Through the gap, she saw…
“Rahel, can I come in?”
The honey-colored eyes she wanted to see.
Behind them stood a man with eyes just like those.
It was Dias, who had followed her to the villa, worried about letting Vivian go alone.
Rahel froze when their eyes met.
[Dad… I’m sorry for being late. I’m really sorry for leaving you alone…]
The image of him hugging Vivian and crying reminded her of her grandfather sobbing after losing her mother, and her heart sank.
At the same time, she noticed the look in his eyes directed at Vivian, waiting for permission.
“…Come in.”
Vivian hurriedly entered and sat in the chair by the bed, as if she had been waiting.
“Are you okay?”
A small bandage was on Vivian’s cheek. The spot where the dagger thrown by the kidnapper had grazed her.
And atop her round head sat the dark spirit she had seen last night.
Seeing it, Rahel slowly swallowed.
The more she looked at Dias, the more she noticed Vivian’s wound, the more she saw the dark spirit…
A sharp pain, like a large thorn lodged in her throat, struck her.
Rahel answered, a beat late:
“…Yeah.”
Noticing Rahel staring at the spirit above her head, Vivian extended her hand.
The dark spirit naturally landed on her palm.
“I didn’t get a proper introduction yesterday since I was all over the place, right? This is the dark spirit; I met it in the cave yesterday.”
The dark spirit shivered its tiny body as if greeting Rahel.
“You were right. I’m not weird; I’m special.”
“…”
“Thanks, Rahel.”
Normally, Rahel might have responded awkwardly and curtly, but she didn’t react at all.
‘Does she dislike me because she’s a dark spirit?’
But Rahel is kind enough to call me special. She wouldn’t dislike me just because of some prejudice.
Feeling awkward at the meaningless lack of response, Vivian changed the topic.
“Anyway, it’s a shame we couldn’t enjoy the festival properly yesterday, right? I even bought some delicious chicken skewers for you, but we lost them… Hiiing.”
“…”
“If you get better before the festival ends, we can go out again. This time, I’ll make sure you eat a lot of delicious food.”
“…I don’t want to go.”
“Uh? Ah…”
Vivian was a little taken aback by Rahel’s somewhat cold reply, but she quickly understood and tried to recover the mood.
“Oh, so this year’s not good, huh? Sorry, I wasn’t thinking. Then next year—”
“I don’t want to go with you.”
Rahel’s cold voice cut off Vivian’s words.
Vivian blinked at Rahel with wide eyes, unable to believe her indifferent attitude.
But Rahel shattered that trust completely.
“I shouldn’t have gone yesterday either. I trusted you and went out, and look what happened.”
“…”
“I shouldn’t have come to this rural town in the first place.”
Contrary to her words, her mind kept wandering over the spring and summer spent in this town.
The view of the village from the hilltop.
Visiting her mother’s grave with her grandfather.
Quiet summer nights when someone slept beside her.
Vivian was always there in all those scenes.
And now, the person in those memories looked at her with eyes wounded, unlike the smiling face she remembered.
“Why… why do you say such things?”
“…”
“Why are you being so mean?”
“Because… I’ve had enough of this town, and you too.”
Every word from her sharp tongue pierced and tore at Vivian’s heart.
Rahel avoided Vivian’s tearful eyes and opened her mouth to issue a command:
“Stop it—”
“Are you scared?”
At the sudden question, Rahel looked at Vivian in confusion.
“Afraid I’ll die?”
“…”
“Afraid something might happen while I’m by your side?”
“I’m scared because… I might get hurt—”
“If that’s really the case, why do your eyes look like you’ll cry more?”
Rahel’s eyes went blank, struck by Vivian’s logic.
Only then did she realize.
Vivian was not crying because of Rahel’s harsh words…
She was crying because she saw her own painful eyes, mutilated by her own cruel words.
“I’m scared too.”
“…”
“But I want to stay by your side so much…”
Her voice trembled, tears blurring her words.
Vivian wiped her tears fiercely and barely managed to continue.
“I like you.”
That short but heavy truth completely broke Rahel.
“Then… to you, am I just a friend you could abandon if scared…?”
Rahel, restraining her overflowing emotions like a collapsed dam, answered with a strangled voice:
“…No.”
At the same time, Rahel’s blue eyes poured out like a lake.
“Actually… I also…”
Our spring, our summer.
I want to see the autumn and winter with you too.
“I want you… to stay by my side.”
Even if you get a little more hurt or in danger by my side.
Even if that makes me selfish.
Finally, Vivian, who had been looking at Rahel’s sincere expression, burst into tears and hugged her.
Rahel, feeling the warmth, hugged her back a beat late.
The truth, hidden behind broken lies, came spilling out.
A desire not to let go of this warmth.
A few days later, late at night.
Owen, the butler, was about to go to bed after checking the mansion, but he heard hoofbeats and hurried to the entrance.
Kalts was entering the front gate on horseback.
Normally, he would have returned by carriage, but he seemed to have rushed back after hearing news about Rahel.
“Welcome back, Your Excellency.”
“Rahel?”
“She’s recovered almost fully. She should be sleeping now.”
Kalts’s restless eyes finally calmed.
He glanced at Rahel’s window and then entered the mansion, asking,
“Did you catch the mastermind?”
“The mastermind escaped, and the mercenaries who carried out the kidnapping… were annihilated.”
Kalts stopped in his tracks as he headed inside.
Frowning, he looked back at Owen.
“All of them dead?”
“More accurately, ‘they were found dead’ would be the proper expression.”
