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 - 45 - Crossroads

After that, we went into a nearby restaurant and sat facing each other at a table on the second floor with a nice view to have lunch.

“This is delicious.”

“Yeah.”

As usual, our conversation wasn’t very lively, but somehow, I felt so happy. Before I knew it, I had been smiling the whole time.

“Hey, look, Rufus. There’s a flower field over there.”

I saw a beautiful flower field through the window and got a little excited.

I wondered if he thought I was childish, but Rufus immediately asked, “Want to go?”

Without realizing it, I nodded over and over.

“Wow… it’s so pretty!”

We walked slowly together until we reached the flower field, where pink, sky blue, and yellow flowers were blooming as if competing with each other. It was so beautiful it made me sigh.

I had always loved flowers. I remembered how I often visited flower fields when I was a child. But since returning to my original body, this was the first time I had come to a place like this.

I gently touched a pink flower I had always liked.

“I’ve always loved these flowers.”

“…I know.”

Rufus looked like he was about to cry for some reason. Now that I thought about it, I remembered how we used to play in a flower field near his house when we were kids.

And then, without meaning to, I found myself wondering—if that horrible thing hadn’t happened to me back then, would things have turned out differently?

—If I hadn’t lost my body that day, could I have stayed closer to Rufus even now?

“…Ah…”

I shook my head quickly to stop thinking such things. I didn’t want to ruin this precious, fun day with sad thoughts.

I forced a smile and looked up, only to meet Rufus’s eyes directly. His deep, night-colored eyes—I remembered I had always loved them too.

“Is something wrong?”

“You’re beautiful.”

“Yeah, it’s really beautiful, isn’t it?”

I thought he meant the flowers, so I answered with a smile. But he quietly said, “That’s not what I meant.”

“I meant… you’re beautiful.”

When he finally said those words, my heart jumped hard.

Even though I was happy, for some reason I felt like crying. My chest tightened painfully. I didn’t know this kind of feeling—this kind of emotion.

Rufus, probably embarrassed too, lowered his long eyelashes, and even his ears were red. That made me feel even more restless.

“Th-thank you. I’m really happy.”

“…Yeah.”

“I’m also really happy we could go out like this today.”

“I see. I’m glad I was useful as your escort.”

“…Huh?”

It seemed Rufus thought I had invited him because I needed an escort. Tim had said something like that too, and it was true I felt safe with him. But that was only an excuse.

That’s why I quickly said, “That’s not it.”

“I just… wanted to go out with you, Rufus.”

His eyes widened in surprise, then he gave a boyish smile and said, “I see.”

Seeing him smile made me so happy that I ended up smiling too.

“…Hmm, I can’t do it right.”

While we chatted about silly things, I tried to make a flower ring like I used to as a child, but I couldn’t do it well. Rufus gently took the flower from my hands and skillfully made a flower ring in no time.

He slid it onto the finger of my hand that wasn’t already wearing the matching ring he had given me.

—Wait… this scene… I feel like I’ve seen this before.

“Hey, didn’t something like this happen before?”

“…I’ve always…”

But Rufus stopped there and fell silent.

In the blurry memory I recalled, he was smiling happily. But now, the Rufus in front of me had a smile that looked like he was about to cry. Somehow, I felt like I shouldn’t ask him to finish that sentence.

◇◇◇

The next day, Gerald came to visit my house carrying lots of my favorite sweets and flowers. It was so much that I felt bad and said I couldn’t accept it, but he just handed everything to the nearby servants.

“Yesterday, I went to see you, but you weren’t home.”

“I was out for a bit.”

“…I see.”

A strange, awkward atmosphere filled the air. Soon, Gerald smiled and said, “I just came to give you these today, so I’ll come again,” and started to leave, but I hurried to stop him.

I took a deep breath while gripping my hands tightly, then opened my mouth.

“Gerald, I can’t marry you. …I’m sorry.”

I had been saved by him many times, and I truly liked him as a friend. But even so, I just couldn’t imagine marrying him.

After parting with Rufus last night, I felt that way more strongly than ever. So I had decided that the next time I saw Gerald, I would definitely tell him how I felt.

I couldn’t help but tense up a little, remembering the time he had pinned me down before. But Gerald just said softly, “I see,” and gave a troubled smile, lowering his eyebrows.

“I understand. I’m sorry for pushing you.”

“No… thank you. I was really happy about your feelings.”

“I’m glad. Thank you too, Sadie. I’d be happy if we could still stay friends.”

It seemed that the strange behavior he showed the other day was just a one-time thing. Gerald was still the gentle Gerald I knew.

Hearing those words, I felt a huge sense of relief deep inside.

“Yes, of course. Let’s stay friends.”

—Even though the truth was, I didn’t know anything about him at all.