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 - 4 - Rufus Langridge
“Rufus, you’ve had too much to drink. That’s enough already.”
It had been a few hours since the engagement was broken off at the evening party, and the date had already changed.
In a room of the Langridge Marquis household, Rufus sat across from me, slumped over the table with a wine bottle in one hand.
Several bottles were already empty, and Rufus was clearly very drunk. He was usually strong with alcohol, but I had never seen him like this in all the years we’d known each other. I had no choice but to stop him.
“Shut up. I can’t take it unless I drink. …I wonder if Sadie is with that stupid man right now.”
“She might be.”
“…It hurts.”
Always calm and composed, Rufus—known as the strongest knight in the kingdom—looked like he was about to cry, slumped over the table like a blob of slime. If the knights in his squad saw him like this, they’d probably be shocked speechless.
Eventually, Rufus raised his head, downed the rest of the wine in the bottle in one gulp, and muttered quietly.
“Hey, Kevin. Did you know?”
“Know what?”
“…I really loved Sadie.”
“You put up with her for ten years. Of course I know.”
If I were in his position, I’d have given up in a month—no, a few days. That’s how awful of a person Sadie Arclight was.
And yet Rufus stayed engaged to that woman for ten years, putting up with countless selfish demands, unreasonable insults, and her affairs with other men.
In the end, she got carried away and used her position as his fiancée to drag the Langridge name into borderline criminal behavior.
It was only thanks to the sharp eye of Rufus’s father, the Marquis of Langridge, that they caught it just in time. Fearing that it would stain the family name, the Marquis ordered Rufus to break off the engagement.
To show clearly that all ties had been cut, the public engagement breakup was held under the Marquis’s direction.
Even Rufus himself had seemed done with her, saying, “It’s a good chance,” and “I feel refreshed.”
“…Being called ‘Rufus’ for the first time in ten years almost broke me.”
No matter how you look at it, the man before me was still full of regret.
Love really does make people foolish.
Rufus was more intelligent and calm than anyone, and never once made a bad decision—except when it came to Sadie Arclight.
I grabbed the hand he was reaching toward a fresh champagne bottle and forced a glass of water into it.
“I’m glad you didn’t fall for that woman’s lies and take back the engagement breakup. Come on, drink some water.”
“…Why did she turn out like that?”
It’s hard to believe, but apparently, she used to be a kind and sweet girl. Then, one day, she suddenly changed into someone completely different, with that awful personality.
“Even so, she was strangely quiet toward the end. After all the terrible things she’s done, I thought she’d slap you and scream and return it fivefold.”
“…That’s why I almost stepped in to help her without thinking.”
Saying, “It’s all my fault,” he gave a self-mocking smile and finally took a sip of the water.
At the evening party earlier, she was doused with food and drink by the noble ladies who admired Rufus and ended up looking pitiful. But instead of fighting back, she acted surprised and confused, like a normal noblewoman.
On top of that, she even said, “It’s delicious,” which made no sense at all. The Sadie I knew would’ve flown into a rage and caused a huge scene.
Today she told weird lies too—something was clearly off about her. Even a villainess might be shaken when she’s abandoned by someone like Rufus.
“You’re too kind.”
“I’m not kind at all.”
Rufus said that as he covered his eyes with one hand.
“I really loved her.”
One by one, small drops stained the table.
“I kept thinking that one day, she’d return to being that sweet, cute girl from before…”
Maybe somewhere along the way, his first love got twisted and warped. Ten years is far too long.
Rufus had the kind of position, looks, and title that anyone would envy. From a logical view, there was no reason for him to cling to that woman.
And yet, like a curse, her shadow would probably continue to follow Rufus for a while.
“There is no sweet and cute Sadie Arclight left in this world. Please, face reality already.”
“…Do you think she hates me now?”
“Definitely. Now please forget about her and go to sleep.”
Even now, he’s still worried whether she hates him. Honestly, I think my friend’s gone completely mad.
“…Why do I love her so much?”
In the end, he muttered that and fell asleep. There’s no saving him. This wasn’t past tense anymore. A faint smile touched his lips—perhaps he was having a happy dream.
—Who would have thought that this man, who climbed to the top of the knights, was driven by just one childhood word from his first love: “Knights are so cool and amazing.”
I couldn’t help but pray that this earnest, gentle friend of mine would find happiness.