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 - 36 - The Truth - Part 4
“…It’s starting to break?”
“Yeah. That’s what I think.”
I gasped at the answer I didn’t expect. Rufus, sitting next to me, also looked very surprised.
“You’ve used magic tools before, right? No matter what kind, the effect weakens over time—and eventually, they break.”
“……”
“That tool has existed for a really long time. That’s why even the Pope was very careful when using it. He only used it when absolutely necessary and always protected it with his own holy power.”
The only magic tool I’ve ever used is the ring Rufus gave me. But judging by his expression, it seems like what the archbishop is saying is true.
“And yet, how many times have those people used it in such a short time? How many bodies did they switch? There must also be a limit to how many people can be switched at once. As a result, the tool probably reached its limit, and some people went back to their original bodies.”
They used the tool on many people, including during the “experiments” Tabatha talked about. There’s no doubt they overused it.
Just like the archbishop said, maybe it really is reaching its breaking point.
“So if it completely breaks… everyone will go back to their original bodies?”
“Ah…”
Rufus’s words made me let out a surprised noise. I had never even thought of that possibility.
“That’s very likely.”
“……”
“But we don’t know how many more times it can be used before that happens. It might break after one more use, or it could still last for a while.”
Then the archbishop added:
“In my opinion, it’s already at its limit. Even the Pope used to worry about how many more times it could be used.”
When he said that, he seemed to remember the Pope. He covered his face with both hands again. They were shaking a little.
Of course, I still hated this man. He was the one who started it all. But seeing him like this—having lost everything and acting so pitiful—I couldn’t even bring myself to yell at him.
“Sadie, do you have anything else you want to ask?”
“No, I’m okay now.”
“Alright.”
Rufus asked if I wanted to turn the archbishop over to the temple, but I shook my head. We might still want to ask him something later.
Besides, he’s already trapped in guilt, pretending to be insane while living alone like this. That might be even harder than any punishment I could give.
We told him we’d come again, then left the place behind.
◇◇◇
“Sadie, are you okay?”
“Ah, sorry. I was just thinking.”
On the way back in the carriage, I had stayed quiet, and at some point, Rufus started looking at me with concern.
…Is Mabel still using that magic tool now? It would be best if it just broke on its own. But from what we’ve heard, she doesn’t seem like an idiot.
Before, the man who stole Norman’s body said the tool was wearing out and couldn’t be used anymore.
But if the tool hasn’t fully broken, that might have been a lie Mabel made up. Maybe she noticed something had changed when we returned to our bodies.
Now I know everything Tabatha said was true. From now on, I think I can trust her, at least a little.
“Rufus, thank you. I feel like I can move forward again.”
“Yeah.”
“When we get back, we’ll think of another way to—kya!?”
Just as I was speaking, the carriage suddenly shook with a loud bang. The whole thing tilted, and I lost my balance. Before I knew it, I had fallen onto Rufus across from me.
He caught me firmly, so I ended up lying on top of him, in a position like we were hugging.
“S-sorry…! I’m really sorry!”
When the shaking stopped, I quickly got off him and started apologizing over and over again.
Meanwhile, Rufus covered his eyes with one hand and looked down. I couldn’t see his whole face, but his skin and ears were bright red, and that made me feel even more embarrassed.
“…Are you okay?”
“Yeah.”
“Um… I’ll go check outside.”
“O-okay…”
Then Rufus stood up and tried to leave the carriage—but bumped his head hard twice at the doorway before finally getting out. My heart was still pounding loudly.
Maybe because I’ve never been that physically close to a man before, I felt really nervous. Rufus was warmer and smelled nicer than I imagined, and he felt strong. Just remembering it made my face heat up.
When Rufus came back, his cheek looked red and swollen for some reason. I got worried and asked if he was okay. He replied, “Maybe not,” so it didn’t seem like he really was.
“…The road collapsed, apparently.”
“What?”
“It looks like we can’t return to the capital tonight. I talked with the driver, and I think we should go back to the town. Is that alright?”
“Yes, please.”
We wouldn’t be able to return today, but we were lucky we hadn’t been caught in a landslide.
And I was with Rufus. Even if we had to stay until tomorrow, I was sure my parents would understand.
As the carriage turned around and started moving again, Rufus kept his head down… and his ears were still completely red.