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 - 43 - Restless Days
After seeing Gerald off, I returned to my room and flopped down on my bed with a soft thud.
It seemed that after finishing some errands near my house, Gerald happened to pass by, and since he had received some expensive alcohol as a gift, he thought to drop it off for my father. But instead, he got caught and couldn’t leave.
My father seemed to like Gerald because he had supported me when I returned to my original body.
That’s probably why my father looked so happy when he heard that Gerald had proposed to me. Since he knows we’re close, he probably didn’t think I would refuse.
After Rufus and the others left, the three of us talked for a while. But my father spoke as if I had already agreed to the engagement, which made things really awkward for me.
“…What should I do…”
Earlier, when we were alone, I tried to refuse him. I just couldn’t imagine marrying him. But Gerald noticed how I felt and told me, “There’s no need to rush. I want you to think about it a bit more.” He wouldn’t take no for an answer.
“…Haa…”
I sighed and hugged the rabbit plushie near my pillow—one of the apology gifts Rufus had given me recently.
It probably wasn’t the kind of thing you’d usually give a woman my age. But I could easily imagine how hard he must have tried to choose it for me, and just thinking about that made my heart feel warm.
I hugged the plushie gently and closed my eyes.
◇◇◇
“Found it. The perfect medicine.”
Two weeks later, the five of us gathered again at my house. As soon as we sat around the table, Gerald said those words.
It seemed he had managed to get the ‘medicine that doesn’t kill but causes endless suffering’ we talked about last time.
“I’m amazed you found something like that.”
“Rather than finding it, I had it made from scratch. I couldn’t risk someone else having the same thing. It cost quite a bit.”
Because it was specially made, he said it wouldn’t be easy to create an antidote for it. It should buy enough time for Mabel to suffer and want to switch bodies.
The medicine inside the small bottle he held looked like pure white powder. Another small bottle contained the antidote in tablet form.
“But will that woman really drink it so easily?”
“That’s the problem, isn’t it?”
For the past two weeks, I had done my own research, trying to find a better way, but I couldn’t think of anything.
“What if someone drinks the exact same thing in front of her? Maybe that would make Mabel drop her guard and drink it too.”
“That could work, but… who would do it?”
“I’ll do it.”
The moment I said that, Gerald, who was sitting next to me, grabbed my shoulder tightly in panic.
“Absolutely not.”
“Why not? It’s supposed to be safe, right?”
“Even so, Sadie, you can’t.”
“But I’m the most suitable person for it.”
I insisted that I would do it, and in the end, everyone seemed to agree that I really was the best choice. Only Gerald still seemed unhappy about it.
“…Now we just need to set up a meeting.”
That woman definitely knew we had gone there, saved the two of them, and even took Tabatha out to talk. If I suddenly invited her for tea, she would surely be suspicious.
As I thought about a good excuse, I suddenly realized there was a perfect opportunity coming up.
“My birthday is next month. What if we invite her to the party?”
“That’s probably the most natural idea.”
If it was a large gathering hosted by nobles, she would likely attend since she’s also a noble lady.
And so, we decided to carry out the plan during the birthday party to be held at my house next month. Of course, if the guest of honor collapses in the middle of the event, things would turn into chaos.
Still, the opponent wasn’t someone easy to deal with. I felt it was necessary to go that far. Before then, we would need to work out the finer details and make sure to tell my parents in a way that wouldn’t shock them.
“…I’ll keep thinking if there’s another way.”
By the way, as we were about to leave, Gerald—the one who had brought the medicine—suddenly said that, and Neil scolded him for it.
A few days later, while walking in the garden with Tim, he spoke to me, maybe because he was worried I’d been cooped up at home all this time.
“My lady, why don’t you take a little break?”
“A break?”
“Yes. Like, go do something fun.”
Because I had lived like that for so long, I still wasn’t used to the idea. Just spending time peacefully like this already felt like the greatest luxury to me.
“What would be something fun?”
“Maybe have a drink? I’ll join you.”
“Alcohol is scary.”
“As long as you don’t overdo it, there’s nothing to be scared of.”
When I said I preferred something else, Tim thought for a while and then suddenly said, “Oh, I know.”
“Why not go out somewhere with Lord Rufus?”
“Eh?”
“If someone like Lord Rufus is by your side, you can go out safely. Of course, I’ll be there too as your guard.”
“But…”
Tim said it so easily, but Rufus was a busy person. Besides, people would gossip. I didn’t want to bother him by dragging him along just for fun.
“Anyway, why not just ask him? If he’s too busy, he’ll just say no, that’s all.”
“…I guess you’re right.”
Even though it felt strange, I realized I was scared of being rejected. But since I hadn’t contacted Rufus for over two weeks, I decided to write him a letter.
I mostly wrote about how things had been lately, and at the very end, I casually asked if he would like to go somewhere together next week if he had time. For some reason, I ended up writing that part in smaller letters, which made it stand out even more.
I put the letter in my favorite envelope and asked a servant to deliver it to the knights’ headquarters. Still, I couldn’t help feeling anxious—what if he thought it was annoying or troublesome?
“I sent it…”
Feeling restless, I hugged the rabbit plushie Rufus had given me tightly. I thought I’d spend the next few days nervously waiting for a reply.
But just a few hours later, I received Rufus’s answer:
“I’ll go anywhere with you, anytime.”