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 - 49 - Can’t Reach Anymore

My head hurts so badly it feels like it might crack.

That was the first thing I thought as my mind slowly woke up.

“…Ugh.”

“Sadie, you’re awake?”

I opened my eyes slightly, and bright blond hair came into view.

My blurred vision slowly became clear, and I realized Gerald’s face was right in front of me.

It feels like I’ve been asleep for a long time.

This room—one I don’t recognize—was very fancy and cute.

Why am I here?

“It must be painful. I’m sorry. You weren’t waking up, so I could only crush the antidote and mix it in water to help you drink little by little. Please try your best to drink this one too.”

“……”

Gerald helped me sit up in bed and brought a glass of water and a small tablet to my mouth.

—Oh, right. At the party, I drank poison along with Mabel, who was inside Eliza’s body. Then I collapsed.

Maybe it’s the medicine, but my head feels foggy and I can’t think clearly.

With Gerald’s help, I somehow managed to drink the antidote with water.

“You’ll feel better soon, don’t worry.”

As I lay down again and closed my eyes, I could feel the headache slowly fading.

But at the same time, a strange discomfort spread through my whole body.

Gerald sat on a chair next to the bed, holding my hand the whole time.

“E-everyone…?”

“They’re probably at the Arclight mansion by now.”

Even though my voice sounded strange and weak, Gerald smiled as if it was nothing important.

As my mind cleared, I sat up again.
My head still hurt a little, but I was starting to feel much better.

“Hey… where are we?”

“This is Eliza’s room.”

“…What?”

Eliza’s room?

Why are Gerald and I in a place like that?

And this voice I just used—something feels wrong.

“Why… my voice…?”

This isn’t my voice.

I know this feeling.

A voice coming out of me that belongs to someone else.

I’ve felt this before. Even if I want to forget it, I never could.

Trying to remember what happened, I thought back to the last thing I saw before losing consciousness—

And then I was speechless.

“──!!”

I quickly touched my face with my hands.
The shape of my face, the long, beautiful blond hair down my back—none of it was mine.

My heart made an awful sound, beating faster and faster.

“…No way.”

“You and Eliza switched bodies.”

Gerald said that so casually, like it was just a simple greeting, with the same usual smile on his face.

My mind went completely blank.

“W-why…?”

This wasn’t part of the plan at all.

But Gerald didn’t seem surprised or confused at all.

Mabel was the one who had the magic tool.

If it was used, and Gerald wasn’t surprised, then something was clearly wrong.

A horrible idea came to my mind.

I looked at Gerald with a pleading gaze.

“Gerald… did you betray us?”

“Yes.”

“Why would you do that?!”

“Because I love you.”

As I grabbed his arm with both hands, my voice trembled.

But he answered like it was only natural.

—Because he loves me?

‘Thank you, Sadie. I hope we can stay friends from now on too.’

‘Me too. Let’s keep getting along.’

That was just a few days ago.

I never imagined that Gerald would betray us.

“You can’t be mine if you stay as Sadie. But if I lock you inside Eliza’s body, no one will get in the way.”

“W-why…?”

“Right now, Mabel is probably pretending to have lost some of her memory and is acting as ‘Sadie.’
No one will ever suspect me of betrayal.”

He was right.

It’s not just me—none of us would doubt each other.

That’s how strong our trust and bonds had become, from everything we went through together in that place.

“Gerald, please… put me back.”

“I can’t. Mabel has the magic tool.”

“No…! Why does Mabel want my body?!”

“She probably thought it was safer to replace you—Sadie, who everyone loves—after so many of her secrets came out. And with my help, she knew she could keep fooling everyone.”

Nothing made sense anymore.

Only now did I notice the heavy iron shackles around my ankle.

Gerald really meant to keep me locked up.

“And she’s obsessed with Rufus Langridge. She truly believes he’s the only one fit for her.”

At the mention of Rufus, my heart jumped.

What will Mabel—now in my body—do to him?

Will she use my mouth, my voice, to tell him she loves him?

That thought made me feel awful.

So painful and unfair that tears started falling from my eyes.

“Don’t cry, Sadie.”

“Don’t touch me…!”

I shook off his hand.

Gerald looked like a hurt child about to cry.

“Gerald, this is wrong…! Right now, I’m in Eliza’s body! I’m not even myself anymore!”

“Sadie is still Sadie.”

Unlike me, who was completely panicked, Gerald remained calm.

He spoke like he was stating a simple truth.

“I don’t care what body you’re in. As long as it’s you inside, that’s all that matters.”

His words gave me chills. Goosebumps ran across my skin.

Now that I think about it—he fell in love with me when I was inside Tabatha’s body, back in that place.

Maybe Gerald really doesn’t care what body I have.

“I love you, Sadie. Let’s stay together, forever.”

Again, tears spilled from my eyes.

As he gently wiped them away with his fingers, Gerald smiled—a truly happy, peaceful smile.