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 - 71 - The Past and the Future 1

Two days have passed since I woke up.

“Ah… Sadie… I’m so, so glad…!”
“You’ve gone through so much pain…”

Seeing my parents crying and looking even more worn out than the last time I saw them made my chest ache. I swore I would never make them worry again.

After a check-up with the doctor, I was told there’s nothing wrong with my health, which gave me a big relief.

“How are you feeling? Here, some tea that’s good for your health.”
“This is a charm they say brings good health! I bought a lot of them for you, my lady!”

“I feel fine. Thank you both so much, Hara and Tim.”

It seems Hara took care of me while I was unconscious, and after I woke up, she couldn’t stop crying.

Tim had also been worried the whole time, and now he’s being so thoughtful like this.

As I sipped the tea Hara made for me, I thought about how I want to cherish the people around me more than ever from now on.

“…Still, it’s such a strange feeling that two and a half years have passed.”

To me, it just felt like I slept a little longer than usual. Seeing how everyone had changed a bit felt strange too.

Looking at myself in the mirror, I could see that I had changed from eighteen to twenty, and I looked more mature than the image I remembered.

“Life is still long, you know. You can easily make up for two and a half years.”
“You’re right. I want to do a lot of fun things—like you always said, Tim.”
“Leave it to me! As long as Lord Rufus doesn’t get mad.”
“Fufu.”

According to my parents, the truth about the magic tool and everything from the past had come out. Now, people see me differently.

It’s strange to go from being hated as a villain to being seen as a poor victim. But if this helped clear the Arclight family’s name, I’m truly glad.

I also heard that the relationship with the Langridge family was fixed without any problems, and that made me feel very relieved.

I still can’t go outside for a while, but everyone is helping me so much that I don’t feel the need to go out, and I’m not feeling any inconvenience.

“It’s almost time for everyone to arrive. Let’s get you ready.”
“Okay, please.”

Eliza, Norman, and Neil are coming to visit me today.

I heard they’re all safe and there’s nothing to worry about anymore. That made me feel that I hadn’t made the wrong decision that day.

They all visited me many times while I was still asleep. Thinking that I’ll finally see them awake after two years makes my heart race a little.

After I changed clothes and had my hair lightly fixed, I was told that they had arrived.

With a little nervousness and a lot of happiness, I waited in the entrance hall. As soon as Eliza saw my face, she burst into tears.

“Sadie, you really woke up! I’m so glad…”

When she hugged me, I flinched for just a second. Maybe she noticed, because she giggled softly.

“Fufu, it’s okay. It’s really me inside. I’m the Eliza you know well.”
“S-Sorry. I know that… but it’s still hard to settle down.”
“Of course it is. That body was taken over by Mabel for so long.”

Her smiling face was just like the Eliza I knew, and my eyes blurred a little.

“Hey, we’re here too, you know. Good morning, Sadie.”

Behind Eliza stood Neil, who looked a bit taller than I remembered, and Norman.

Just from seeing them, I could tell they had been living peaceful and happy lives. That alone made me tear up again.

“Yeah. I’ve been waiting for you, Sadie. Thank you for saving me.”

Norman bowed deeply, but I told him to raise his head and hugged him tightly.

“No, it’s okay. I should be the one saying sorry for making you wait.”

I hugged the other two as well and felt the joy of all of us returning to our real bodies again.

After that, we went to my room, the four of us sitting around a table, and I listened to how they had been.

It made me happy to hear that everyone was spending peaceful, happy days with people they care about.

“I get surprised and touched by everything, so my parents are always worried about me…”
“Ah, I get it. I was like that at first too.”

To most people, these little things are normal—but to us, they feel like miracles. Seeing them smile as they said they still weren’t used to it even after two years made me smile too.

Just then, Eliza and Norman looked at each other. Then Norman held her hand.

I tilted my head in curiosity, but Neil, who was sitting next to me, muttered, “Ah, I thought so.”

“The truth is, we’re planning to get married.”

“Eh?”

I was so shocked by what they said that I nearly dropped my teacup.

Neil quickly caught it for me, but I could only stare at the two in disbelief.

“Well, I had a feeling.”
“Sorry we didn’t tell you. We really wanted to tell Sadie first.”

The way they smiled at each other showed they were deeply in love, and it made my heart warm.

“C-Congratulations! Eliza and Norman, I love you both… I’m so happy…”
“Thank you. I’m glad you’re happy for us.”
“Sorry… I’m just so surprised and full of joy…”

I started crying again, and Eliza handed me a handkerchief.

—They said that while living together since that village, their bond had grown from friendship and care into love.

I’m sure those two kind people waited for me to wake up. They could’ve planned everything during those two years, but they waited.

“Really, congratulations! I’ll give my all to celebrate your wedding!”
“Thank you. I’ll make Eliza happy for sure.”
“Yeah, yeah…!”

Seeing Eliza smile happily at Norman’s words made more tears fall from my eyes.

They’re planning to start preparing for the wedding now and will hold the ceremony next spring.

I was already so excited, and the three of them looked at me with such warm, gentle eyes.

“Aah, I want to get married too. I’m the only one without any plans.”

When Neil puffed one cheek in frustration, I said I had no plans either. But he looked at me like, “Yeah, right.”

“Sadie will get married too, with Lord Rufus.”
“Eh? Uh…”
“You haven’t talked about it yet?”

I do think Rufus and I feel the same way. But we haven’t talked about marriage yet.

So much has happened since I woke up, and I haven’t even told him I love him again since just before we returned to our real bodies.

Still, I do want that. I started thinking a lot about what it would be like to marry Rufus, and my face felt hot.

“Sadie is as cute as ever.”
“Lord Rufus probably has his timing and reasons too. It’s not really our place to say anything.”
“You’re right. That was a bit nosy.”

The three of them stared at me with teasing smiles, and my face kept getting hotter.

If I could stay with Rufus forever, I don’t think there could be anything happier.

Neil said that, in the end, he’s pretty happy with his current carefree life and wants to take his time with love.

I truly felt joy from the bottom of my heart that all of us had returned to our real bodies, could laugh together, and talk about the future.

“Everyone’s becoming happy, it’s really—…”

But just as I was about to say more, I stopped. In the future I had wished for and imagined… there was still one more person.

“…What happened to Gerald?”

The moment I asked that, the room fell completely silent.