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 - 37 - Getting Closer, Little by Little

“I-It’s really… tasty.”

“Yeah.”

That evening, Rufus and I were sitting across from each other at the restaurant in the only hotel in town.

The food in front of us was delicious—but the air between us felt a bit awkward.

“……”
“……”

Now that I think about it, ever since I got my real body back, I hadn’t spent any normal time with him.

That’s probably why I didn’t know what to talk about. He probably felt the same. Rufus glanced at me from time to time, like he wanted to say something.

…When we were kids, we never had to think about what to talk about. We always had fun chatting together.

Thinking that made me feel a little sad. Still, I didn’t want to waste this rare chance, so I decided to ask something simple to get the conversation going.

“Have you been busy with work lately?”

“No, it’s been normal.”

By the way, about that time he used the gate without permission—it seems because of his usual good behavior, the higher-ups covered it up. He didn’t receive any punishment, which was honestly a relief.

Rufus didn’t seem to mind being talked to or asked questions. I found myself wanting to know more about him, so I started asking different things.

“Did you become close with Lord Kevin after joining the knights?”

“Yeah, we started at the same time. We used to train together until late.”

“Wow, that sounds nice. You two really seem close.”

“Yeah. We often go out for food or drinks too.”

“Hehe, I see. So, what made you want to become a knight in the first place?”

“Because you said it was cool.”

“…Huh?”

His casual answer was so unexpected that I couldn’t help letting out a surprised sound. Rufus seemed like he hadn’t meant to say that and quickly covered his mouth with his hand.

…Because I said it was cool? I guess I’ve always admired knights and probably said something like that to him before.

But Rufus became a knight years after my body was taken over. He must have been through so much pain during that time.

I ended up softly asking, “Why?” and Rufus gave a sheepish smile, lowering his eyebrows.

“Because I loved you.”

That voice, so quiet and full of feeling, made my heart jump hard.

Of course, I knew he liked me when we were kids. And I also knew that was in the past.

“…Thank you.”

Rufus never forgot what I had said. That should’ve made me happy, yet for some reason, my chest ached. I didn’t understand why it hurt.

“And still, I can’t forgive myself for not noticing that you weren’t really you.”

“It really wasn’t your fault. Father told me you were always worrying about me.”

Even just the fact that he never abandoned me when I was in that state proves how much he cared. Rufus was always kind to me, no matter what.

“Thank you. Just being able to talk like this again makes me really happy.”

I was truly glad Rufus trusted me. And just as he began to say something—“I want to—”

“Oh, Rufus, isn’t it?”

“…Anton, sir?”

“Yeah! It’s been a long time!”

A man passing by our table suddenly called out when he saw Rufus’s face.

The cheerful man who patted Rufus hard on the back turned out to be the former knight captain. He said that after retiring, he had been traveling all over the country alone at a relaxed pace.

It had been years since he and Rufus last met. The two looked genuinely happy to see each other again.

“Is this your fiancée, Rufus?”

“Eh? Um, I’m—”

“He used to talk about you all the time.”

“…You talked about me?”

“Oh yeah. He was always going on about you.”

Rufus quickly said, “Please stop,” looking a little flustered. Maybe he had talked about the awful version of me back then, or even asked for advice.

“Would you like to have a drink with me?”

Anton invited us, and Rufus looked at me, as if to ask what I wanted to do. I didn’t want to get in the way of their reunion, and I didn’t want them to feel awkward around me either.

So I politely declined and decided to return to the room first.

◇◇◇

“…Rufus?”

After I came out of the bath and stepped into the hallway to get a drink, I saw Rufus stumbling down the hall with Anton supporting him.

His face was red, and it was clear he was very drunk.

“Oh, perfect timing. This guy’s totally wasted.”

“Eh!?”

“…I’m not… drunk.”

“Drunk people always say that.”

Rufus, now soft and floppy from the alcohol, looked kind of cute. I couldn’t help but smile. Anton looked a little apologetic, saying he might’ve let him drink too much.

Anton brought him to the room and dropped him onto the bed. Rufus lay there quietly. He didn’t seem sick, just drunk, so I felt relieved.

“Take care of Rufus for me, alright? He’s a really good guy. Stay by his side from now on.”

“Yes. If it’s okay with you, I will.”

Anton probably didn’t know our engagement had been called off. After seeing him off, I quickly filled a glass with water and brought it to Rufus.

“Rufus, are you alright? Can you drink some water?”

When I placed the glass on the table nearby and spoke to him, I realized Rufus was staring straight at me.

“…You’re so cute.”

“Huh?” I blinked—and the next thing I knew, he suddenly pulled me into his arms.

Before I could react, I had fallen on top of him, and he was hugging me tightly.