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 - 40 - Contradiction
“Gerald…?”
His face moved so close I could feel his breath. My heart started pounding loudly. In his emerald eyes, I saw my own dumbfounded expression reflected back.
“What did he do to you?”
“What do you mean—”
“Did he say he loved you? Did he touch you?”
His face was too perfect, like it was carved from stone. I couldn’t read any emotion on it. He looked more like a doll than a person. It gave me chills.
“Hey, Sadie. Answer me.”
“I—I…”
“At this rate, I might end up doing something terrible to you.”
As he said that, he gently stroked my cheek. The Gerald standing in front of me didn’t seem like the kind, gentle Gerald I knew at all.
“Did you fall in love with Rufus Langridge?”
His sharp and accusing question made me quickly shake my head side to side. When I did, he gave a soft smile, as if relieved.
“…That’s good. I don’t want to do anything that would make you hate me.”
But what kind of thing would make me hate him?
“Sadie, I really love you. Please, choose me. Let’s get married. I’ll do anything for you. I don’t think there’s anyone who loves you more than I do—or who can offer better. You don’t have to love me yet. But I’m the only one who can make you happy.”
He looked strangely desperate as he said all of that.
Hearing his overwhelming words and seeing his pleading eyes, I didn’t know what to say. I could only stare back at him.
Of course I liked Gerald. But I’d never imagined marrying him.
Just like he said, no one else would probably want to marry someone in my situation. Marrying him would definitely be good for the count’s family. I understood that—truly, I did.
But even so, the person who kept coming to mind was Rufus.
◇◇◇
“Sadie said that…?”
“Yeah. I’m not sure what she meant.”
That day, after finishing our work, I was having tea in the break room with Rufus when he told me what Sadie said: “Don’t drink in places where there are women.”
Apparently, he had gotten drunk and ended up sleeping in the same bed with her. Feeling guilty, Rufus went to apologize and gave her a present.
I thought it was good that they’d gotten closer, but he looked down and said things actually became more awkward. It seemed like she’d started acting a little distant too.
“Oh, by the way, a letter arrived from the former captain.”
“From Anton?”
“Yes. He also sent a bunch of gifts.”
It seemed they had met when he visited the high priest.
Rufus opened the letter casually, but then it slipped from his hand and fell to the floor. He covered his mouth, and his face turned pale in an instant.
“What happened…!?”
I thought someone had died, but he picked up the letter with trembling hands and passed it to me. I guess he was letting me read it.
As I read the letter, I saw the words:
“You seemed to be enjoying yourself quite a bit. I got worried and went to check, and I heard your voice through the door saying, ‘So cute,’ ‘I love you,’ and ‘I’m in love with you’ over and over again.”
I looked up at Rufus. He was holding his head in both hands.
“I can’t believe I said things like that while drunk… Sadie was kind enough not to say anything…”
Apparently, he had whispered love to her again and again while drunk, and had no memory of it. Since they slept in the same bed, he probably even hugged her.
Anton isn’t the kind of man who would lie, so the letter must be true.
“…Could it be that she told me not to drink around women because—”
At that point, Rufus looked like his world had ended. His eyes were filled with fear and anxiety.
“Does Sadie think I’m the kind of guy who says that to any woman when I’m drunk…!?”
Then he started muttering things like ‘I want to disappear,’ ‘I can’t face her again,’ and ‘I didn’t mean for this to happen’ as he slammed his head down on the desk.
I couldn’t find any words to comfort him. Most likely, his guess was right. If I were in Sadie’s place, I’d probably think the same.
I’ve seen him drunk several times before, but he’s never acted like that with women. In fact, even when beautiful women hit on him, he would coldly brush them off.
It was because it was her—because it was Sadie—that he acted like that. But of course, she wouldn’t know that.
“She definitely thinks I’m disgusting… And I even brought her a gift like a fool… What should I do…?”
“…Maybe you should just tell her you really love her?”
“If I tell her now, it would just put pressure on her.”
He didn’t want to burden her while the case she was involved in was still unresolved.
That’s very like Rufus. But if he leaves things like this, she’ll believe those words were just drunk nonsense. Even though they were his true feelings.
“I was planning to confess my feelings once everything was settled and propose to Sadie again.”
“I see.”
“…But my 5% chance of success is now zero.”
With that, Rufus groaned again and held his head, whispering, “It’s over.” I was sure he’d stay depressed until the misunderstanding was cleared.
Even if it was his fault for drinking, it was still sad. He finally confessed his feelings to the girl he had loved for so long, only to be mistaken for a womanizer.
“At any rate, just apologize. I’ll also tell her that you’re not the kind of guy who acts like that.”
“…Please, I’m begging you. I feel like I’m going to cry.”
Wanting to help clear things up as soon as possible, we decided to visit the Arclight estate tomorrow.