The Knight Who Broke Off Our Engagement and Told Me to Never Show My Face Again Still Clings to Me Today, Even Though I Was Possessed and Turned Into a Villainess for Ten Years - 18 - Norman Bowen
“…R-Really… is it really you, Norman?”
My voice shook far more than I expected. In front of me, he replied clearly, “Yeah, it’s me.”
Could it really be the real Norman? Seeing how he couldn’t hide his joy made me hope without meaning to.
“I’m the Norman who was always with you and Eliza.”
“……”
“I’m really glad to see you doing well, Sadie.”
I held back my rising emotions and opened my mouth.
“How did you know I’m Sadie?”
“I saw you walking, and there were people nearby talking, saying, ‘That’s Sadie Arclight, the infamous villainess.’ Since I returned to this body, I’ve been researching a lot, and I was hoping to meet you soon. So I got excited and called out.”
Neil had said the same thing. Among the noble young ladies of our generation, I was the only one named Sadie.
“Do you have time to talk now? I’ll treat you to something tastier than that flavorless soup and hard bread.”
Judging by the way he spoke, he must really be the real one. When I nodded, Norman smiled again, looking genuinely happy.
“Great. That café over there looks nice. Shall we go in?”
He pointed to a stylish café facing the main street. I gave a quick explanation to Hara and Tim about Norman, and just as we were about to enter the shop—
Suddenly, Tim grabbed my arm forcefully, pulling me behind him. Before I knew it, a sword was in his hand.
“Kyaaaa!”
“Run! Get out of here! You’ll be eaten!”
“Why is a Frost Wolf here of all places…?!”
Screams and shouts came from every direction.
I looked around in a panic and saw several wolf-like beasts—magical creatures. I was speechless. Why were monsters here? Ms. Ramona had just taught me that they don’t appear inside towns. Judging from everyone’s reactions, this was clearly a crisis.
“Please stay back, my lady!” Tim shouted, charging at two of the beasts that were rushing toward us.
My legs froze. I’d never seen a magical beast before, and they were terrifying.
“Sadie, look out!”
One of the beasts, a Frost Wolf, spat a chunk of ice toward me. Norman quickly shielded me with his arms. The ice must have grazed him—bl00d was flowing from his arm. I felt like crying.
I felt sorry for having even doubted him, even for a second.
“N-Norman, I’m sorry! Let me treat you right away—”
“I’m fine, don’t make that face.”
Even though his brows were slightly furrowed in pain, Norman smiled. That expression hurt my heart.
“For now, let’s get out of here.”
“But… everyone…”
“Of course they all want you to escape.”
Tim continued fighting several magical beasts. Behind the guards handling other Frost Wolves, I saw Hara. She looked unharmed for now, and I felt a bit relieved.
“Sadie, hurry.”
He pulled my arm strongly, and I was swept into a run. I prayed that everyone would be safe as we fled the scene.
“Sadie, are you okay?”
“Y-Yeah…”
We ran without knowing where we were going and eventually reached what looked like an alleyway. It was quiet and very dark.
Thinking we were finally safe, he smiled.
“I hope everyone’s okay…”
Even though I escaped alone like this, I couldn’t stop worrying about the others. I thought about getting a carriage nearby and returning to the mansion through a different route. Then—
“I’m sorry, Sadie.”
Norman suddenly muttered. I raised my head, wondering what he was apologizing for.
Then, several men appeared behind him. That’s when I realized something was wrong.
“You being around causes problems for us.”
“Norman…?”
“Haha, the Norman you’re talking about is still back there. This body belongs to Norman Bowen, but…”
His words hit me like a hammer to the head. As I understood what he meant, the bl00d drained from my face.
“You’re always surrounded by guards. It was hard getting you out like this.”
—This man is one of the culprits who stole our bodies. The one who stole our lives. I could never forgive him, and he was right in front of me.
And Norman was still back there, probably inside this man’s body. Not everyone had made it back to their original bodies. Maybe even Eliza was still there.
That thought made me want to cry, and at the same time, a rage beyond words surged within me. I raised my right hand without thinking—but he immediately grabbed my wrist tightly.
“I’ll never forgive you…!”
“I figured. But we don’t want to give up this life we finally got.”
“You’re going to send me back to that place…?”
“No. You and Tabatha will die.”
Tabatha…? Who was that?
And the way he said “you’ll die” without hesitation—it terrified me.
“You’re actually my type. If that guy hadn’t been such a hassle, I might’ve kept you around instead of killing you.”
He pulled my wrist closer, his face nearing mine. I didn’t want him saying such things with Norman’s face and voice.
“…Well, I was going to kill you right away, but a little fun shouldn’t hurt, right?”
His words made a chill run down my spine. I couldn’t stand the idea of being killed, or anything worse, by someone like him.
Even if I couldn’t control it well yet, I was desperately thinking if I could use water magic to escape.
Then, suddenly, the men around us collapsed.
With a heavy thud, they fell to the ground. The man in Norman’s body turned his head to look back in shock, eyes wide.
“Hey! What happened to you guys?! What’s going on?!”
Footsteps slowly approached from the darkness. The man hastily wrapped an arm around my neck—probably planning to use me as a hostage.
The air went silent, filled with tension—when suddenly a familiar voice rang out.
“Hey.”
I couldn’t believe it, but when I saw who stepped into view, I was speechless.
—Why is he here?
“What are you doing to Sadie?”
Gerald asked, tilting his head, his face emotionless.