A Young Lady Who Has Had Everything Exploited By Her Sickly Younger Sister Will Not Let Anyone Take Anything From Her Anymore - Chapter 16

(Huh… I thought I fell asleep on the street…)

It had been so cold that she could barely feel her hands and feet—yet now, she was wrapped in warmth.

A sweet, heavy scent she didn’t recognize lingered in the air.

She thought she felt someone gently brushing her hair away from her face.

Even in her half-asleep state, she could tell she was being held by something warm—something human.

When was the last time I felt this safe, this peaceful, while sleeping?

Forever… like this…”

“Yes, of course. Stay as long as you like.”

“…Huh?”

She blinked slowly, surprised someone had responded to her murmur.

As her eyes opened slightly, she saw a haze-like mist hanging in the air.

Then, bit by bit, her memories returned.

(I ran away from the Count Milliact’s estate… then collapsed by the roadside in the cold, didn’t I?)

For a moment she thought she might be in heaven, but the scent, the warmth, and the feeling of a real body told her otherwise.

When Colette turned her head, she saw a young man with silvery-white ash hair that glowed in the light and narrow violet eyes like a cat’s.

He was looking at her as if she were something precious.

It was the same look of affection her parents used to give her little sister, Liliane.

That’s when Colette’s eyes shot wide open.

“Good morning, Colette.”

“—!!?”

She shook at the sound of her name coming from a stranger’s mouth.

(W-Who is this!?)

She instinctively tried to move, only to realize her limbs wouldn’t budge.

She was completely wrapped in sheets—being held by the young man.

Panic rising in her chest, she started to struggle. The young man must’ve noticed, because he gently sat beside her and unwrapped the sheets.

That’s when Colette realized she was no longer wearing the clothes from when she ran away.

 She was dressed in brand-new, luxurious clothes.

Did he change me…?

She sat there stunned, staring down at the silky, expensive-looking fabric.

The ornate room around her was unfamiliar—foreign clothes, a strange man, and no one else in sight.

The man had long hair tied back, and strange, thin metal rods dangled from his ears.

(D-Did I get sold to a brothel? Or kidnapped!?)

Terror struck her, and she hugged herself, shaking.

The young man gently draped the sheet back over her shoulders and stepped off the bed.

He knelt in front of her, meeting her gaze with a worried expression.

“Are you cold?”

“…Huh?”

“I’m sorry. I wasn’t being thoughtful. Let me get another blanket so you don’t get cold.”

“Ah…”

Colette couldn’t respond. She just looked down and bit her lip.

When the young man reached out his hand, she reflexively shut her eyes tightly.

But all he did was gently brush her hair with his fingers—nothing more.

“You’ve been asleep for two days. I’m so glad you finally woke up.”

“…!”

“Your body was ice-cold. I thought your heart had stopped.”

“You… saved me?”

“Of course I did.”

She could feel the sincerity in his voice—he truly cared about her wellbeing.

But why? Why is he being so kind to me?

There was something strange in how familiar he acted.

She looked into his eyes again, and for some reason, her heart began to race.

(I feel like I’ve… seen him before?)

Just as something was starting to come back to her—

Tears slowly began to roll down her cheeks. She raised a trembling hand to touch her face, and her fingertips came away wet.