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 - 64 - Sudden Turn

When I woke up next, I was lying in a bed inside Lord Kevin’s mansion.

Rufus, who had stayed by my side the whole time, was holding my hand tightly, his face looking like he was about to cry.

Since I couldn’t speak properly, Rufus helped me drink a glass of water and looked deeply regretful.

“…I’m really sorry I was so late.”

I told him he had nothing to apologize for, but he quietly shook his head.

It seemed they had already treated my injured leg while I was unconscious, and I was relieved when I heard there would be no scar.

“How did you know I wasn’t Mabel? Did everyone figure it out too?”

“No, only me.”

Then Rufus told me everything that had happened since the birthday party until now.

—Little by little, he started feeling something was off with Mabel and eventually became certain of it.

Even though he didn’t want to suspect anyone around him, he believed there had to be an accomplice for such a body swap to happen in that situation, so he kept silent.

He pretended to be fooled to make Mabel lower her guard while secretly searching for the magic tool’s location.

Even though he guessed that I was inside Eliza’s body, he couldn’t force his way into the baron’s mansion without knowing if I was safe, so he kept people watching every day.

And when the person tailing the carriage I was in reported back to him, he immediately came to help.

“…Rufus, thank you.”

Of course, I was grateful he came to save me, but I was even happier that he noticed I wasn’t really Mabel.

If Rufus hadn’t realized it, I wouldn’t have been able to escape from the pursuers, and I don’t know what would have happened to me after facing Gerald’s rage.

I heard that, just like Tabatha, Gerald had been locked up in the mansion’s underground prison. He kept screaming “Give me Sadie back!” and was violently resisting like a completely different person.

“Catch her no matter what! Even if she loses her arms or legs, as long as she’s alive, that’s all that matters!”

When I remembered what happened at the cathedral, cold chills ran through my entire body. I hugged myself tightly, and Rufus softly told me, “It’s okay now.”

“You did well. If you hadn’t run away at that moment, I might not have been able to save you.”

“No… really, thank you for saving me.”

I gently held Rufus’s right hand with both of mine and looked straight into his obsidian-colored eyes.

I truly felt once again how much I liked Rufus, how glad I was that I could see him again like this.

“What should we do from now on?”

Even though Mabel had been captured, I doubted she would reveal the location of the magic tool.

If we pushed her too far and she killed herself, both Eliza and I would die as well. Rufus lowered his eyes, saying we couldn’t take careless actions.

In the end, we probably had no choice but to steal the magic tool and return everyone to their original bodies.

“Now that we know Findlay is the traitor, it’s better to tell the three of them everything and search for the magic tool together.”

“You’re right.”

Neil, Eliza, and Norman would surely be hurt when they found out their bodies had been stolen and that Gerald had betrayed them.

Even so, they would have to know sooner or later, and I couldn’t leave everything up to Rufus alone.

“Please… tell them that I’m okay! Tell them I’m doing fine!”

“Yeah.”

I agreed to write them a letter, but the thought of not being able to do anything here made me frustrated.

But Rufus gently encouraged me, saying it was only natural that I felt this way after everything I had been through.

“Rufus, thank you for everything. You’re a victim too.”

“Don’t worry about it. I’ll do anything for you, Sadie. I want to.”

His words made me feel both confused and strangely happy, even in a time like this.

“…I’m really glad you’re safe. Until I saw you, it felt like I wasn’t alive.”

The fragile sound of his voice made me realize just how much I had worried him.

I wrapped my arms around Rufus’s broad back, apologized for carrying out such a plan without telling him, and once again thanked him for everything he had done for me.

◇◇◇

Two nights later, while I was quietly spending time at Lord Kevin’s mansion, Rufus rushed in, looking pale and frantic. I had never seen him look so panicked, and my heart thudded with dread.

Without even catching his breath, Rufus spoke.

“—Mabel found out.”

“What?”

“She noticed. Because Findlay suddenly stopped contacting her, and because of Eliza’s behavior… she realized we had switched bodies.”

“No…!”

Of course. After I had my body stolen again and after learning of Gerald’s betrayal, it was impossible to keep acting like nothing was wrong around Mabel.

Even though I thought we should have been more careful and thoughtful, it was probably only a matter of time once Gerald couldn’t be released.

“Mabel, pretending she hadn’t noticed, poisoned Norman.”

“…No…”

“Norman collapsed. Mabel said if we want to save him, we have to set her free and prepare enough money so she’ll never have to worry about anything again. Then she’ll give us the antidote.”

Since Mabel had already lost her peaceful life as Sadie Arclight, she must have decided that leaving this place was her best option.

But if we gave in to her demands, we would never be able to return to our original bodies.

She knew we wouldn’t abandon our friends, and that’s why she could act so boldly. In the first place, she was the one holding both my and Eliza’s lives in her hands.

Mabel was always one step ahead of us.

“She said, ‘I only went along with Findlay’s idea because it sounded fun, but he’s such a useless man—he failed’ and laughed like she was disgusted.”

“…!”

“She gave us three days to prepare the money and her escape route, then she let me come back. I’m really sorry.”

“No, Rufus, you don’t have to apologize. I’m the one who should be sorry for dragging you into this.”

The situation was the worst, but I couldn’t let Mabel have her way.

Clenching both my hands tightly, I looked up at Rufus.

“Take me to the Arclight estate.”