Chapter 42:
Don’t Touch Me
Riche stepped back, as if surprised.
Under slightly raised eyelids, red eyes stared at Riche.
Deon spoke to Riche with a voice mixed with strained breath.
“Don’t do anything.”
Then he turned his gaze to Phillip.
“Contact the mansion. I need to see Father. Until then, don’t let him touch me.”
“What…? Miss Riche?”
It was hard to believe Deon’s words, who would usually allow anything if it was Riche ‘s decision.
Seeing Phillip unable to grasp the situation, Deon added with effort.
“It’s an order.”
“Yes.”
An order. Phillip’s expression changed instantly.
He was a knight of the Ludwick family. He had an obligation to obey the orders of Deon, the heir.
Of course, what was most prioritized was Miss Riche, whom I swore allegiance to.
“Miss?”
Phillip turned his head to Riche and was surprised by what he saw.
“…”
Riche stared at Deon with clenched fists.
Her face looked like she could cry at any moment. Well, even if she’s a lady, she would be hurt. That cold attitude of the young master who pushed her away.
Phillip tried to soothe Riche.
“Miss Riche, I did receive orders from Young Master Deon. But my top priority is your orders, Miss. If you command, feel free to touch Young Master Deon as much as you want… Uh, where are you going?”
Suddenly, Riche turned and started to run.
As Riche left the club room, she urgently replied to Phillip’s questioning.
“The headmaster’s office! I’ll get the overnight pass!”
“But I…”
“Phillip, stay with my brother! …It’s an order!”
Phillip stared blankly at the open door, then settled near the sofa where Deon lay down.
Riche ‘s first order to him was to protect Young Master Deon.
” Riche doesn’t seem to understand orders well.”
That much could be requested, at least.
Phillip scratched his cheek. A yellow flame flickered and vanished in his right eye.
—
Deon opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling in an unfamiliar environment.
Familiar wallpaper.
It seemed Phillip had moved him to the mansion.
“Don’t do anything.”
The sensation of Riche’s hand pushing his away remained on his palm. Deon furrowed his brow.
He said it harshly on purpose. Whatever it was, not doing it for his sake.
If what was intended for him was achieved through Riche’s sacrifice, it didn’t sit right with him.
“Idiot.”
He recalled Riche’s surprised, foolish face.
“…”
Would she be hurt?
Even if he apologized now, she might not accept it.
“Don’t touch me.” In reverse, it wasn’t a hurtful phrase.
Deon, feeling wounded, got up.
“Huh?”
Then he noticed someone sitting at the end of the bed, and his eyes widened.
It was Riche.
She was sound asleep, and he worried about waking her. Deon stiffened, staring at her head, filled with questions.
“Why are you here? Did you come to the mansion with me?”
“You fell asleep while I was keeping watch.”
Blake, who had just entered the room, spoke to Deon. He covered Riche’s shoulders with a blanket. Deon, observing the scene, asked Blake.
“Did Riche come too?”
“Yeah. The headmaster granted her an overnight pass.”
Blake sat on the chair next to Deon’s bed and asked.
“Is your condition okay now?”
“Yes.”
“Sometimes you need to use your abilities. To avoid overheating like today.”
“I know.”
Deon needed to periodically use his power to circulate it. Otherwise, tangled power would run rampant in his body.
When Blake, also an ability user, released the pent-up power, the symptoms quickly stabilized. But until then, he suffered from unbearable overheating.
“You told me not to touch Riche.”
“Yes.”
“So, I stayed there the whole time. Riche was very worried about you.”
Deon’s gaze fell on Riche, who had her head resting on folded arms as she slept. She positioned herself at the far end of the large bed, making sure not even one arm touched Deon.
Deon bit his lower lip with an unreadable expression. He nervously ran his hand through his black hair, unable to contain his frustration any longer.
“Why is she like that?”
“She? Riche?”
“She… she hates being hurt the most.”
Then she should take care of herself.
It was incomprehensible. If she hated being hurt, why couldn’t she help people every time?
Riche acted as if sacrificing herself was the only option left for her.
“Is Riche worried?”
“Because of what you do.”
Blake looked at his irritable son.
Deon, who would heat up for the sake of others. Would there be someone as precious to Deon as Riche in the future?
In a calm voice, Blake spoke up.
“Deon, Riche is…”
“I know.”
He knew. Blake swallowed his words in response to his son’s remark.
What did Riche mean to him?
Deon spoke bluntly.
“It’s strange. Different from others, too.”
He seemed to have a vague idea.
But someday, Deon had to reveal it. Blake belonged to the older generation; he couldn’t stay with the children forever.
“Yeah, Riche is special. So, you have to protect her later.”
Deon nodded briefly at Blake’s request. He seemed indifferent, but it was a sincere promise.
So, I had the right to ask this too.
“Why did Ian Duane ask to come along?”
He had clearly said he would go with Riche for the weekend. But in Blake’s returned letter, it was written that Ian Duane should come along too.
“Surely you don’t like him?”
Deon was cautious.
Ian Duane didn’t want a deeper relationship with Riche than they already had. Whether it was now or in the distant future.
Becoming a precious person to an ability user was almost like foreseeing the sacrifice of that foolish sibling.
“Professor Rumbler wants to restrict Riche’s magic.”
Professor Rumbler?
At the mention of an unexpected name, Deon asked Blake.
“Why?”
“Riche’s talent is too exceptional, so her future is uncertain. He’s afraid Riche might lose control of her power and cause harm.”
“Would they really restrict her magic?”
Ability users couldn’t use magic. It was known that spells would be nullified by the conflict between abilities and magic.
Deon was no exception.
“So, although I didn’t have much interest in magic, I knew one famous saying among wizards.
The number 1 in Mana Affinity is equivalent to 10 years of effort.
That’s how much Mana Affinity was a talent. Riche’s talent was so immense that others couldn’t hope to catch up, even with a lifetime of effort.
Yet they dare to argue for magic prohibition for someone like Riche.
“Taking away Riche’s power is no different.”
Deon frowned.
That violet-eyed witch. He thought she was an unreasonable person to talk to, but making such insane statements was unexpected.
Meanwhile, Riche, with closed eyes, listened intently. She hadn’t intended to eavesdrop on their conversation from the beginning, but now it was an ambiguous situation to say she was awake.
Riche woke up when Deon called her strange in front of Blake.
She started pretending to sleep when she realized the conversation was about her, but she missed the timing to wake up.
But.
‘Rumbler Professor is after me?’
To think he regarded me so dangerously.
Although the incident at the training ground a while back was inexcusable.
But the surprising part didn’t end there.
At Blake’s next words, Riche felt a chill run down her spine.
“Ritoem, how do you feel about it?”
“Your last moments will be the same?”
The voices of Duke Gerwer and Hecanca echoed confusingly in Riche’s ears.
“So Ian Duane is being called because of his ability?”
Blake didn’t respond to Deon’s question but stared at a certain spot. Deon also shifted his gaze there. Both stopped talking and looked at Riche.
She still seemed to be sleeping, but her breathing changed.
‘She heard it.’
Blake looked puzzled.
It wasn’t a good story for Riche to hear.
In fact, Riche hoped she wouldn’t know about this controversy. She intended to settle the matter with Ian Duane and the professors alone.
She wanted Ian to act.
To pretend to see Riche from afar and to testify to the professors that Riche wasn’t dangerous.
What Blake needed was a reason to prevent Rumbler Ismatic from asserting his opinion.
“Let’s talk about it later.”
“Yes.”
Blake pretended to embrace Riche, who was pretending to sleep, and then laid her back on the bed.
“Make sure nothing to worry about happens. Riche.”
* * *
‘Hecanca.’
After Blake left, Riche got up from the bed.
Today was the day Hecanca was going to arrange for Pythons to meet again.
He might appear today.
‘I have to talk to Hecanca.’
Riche went to Philip’s room.
But it wasn’t a situation where she could be alone with Philip, as in the Academy.
There was someone else sharing the room.
“Did our Riche lady come to see you?”
Opening the door, Jed discovered Riche and jokingly raised the corners of his mouth.
Even though he seemed nonchalant, Jed was sharp. He did his job well.
So if the three of them were together and Hecanca appeared without them noticing, Jed would notice something strange.
‘He might even tell Dad.’
Looking up at Jed, Riche hesitated to speak.
“Jed, I want to talk to Philip alone…”
“Oh. At this hour, just you and Philip?”
“With me?”
Upon hearing his name, Philip walked over from inside the room.
Both of his eyes were brown.
“Philip, are you feeling strange or…”
“I’m fine.”
“Okay.”
“What’s the matter?”
Riche lowered her head.
Jed and Philip stood cramped at the doorframe, looking at her with puzzled faces.
This was bad. No matter how it went, she could only foresee suspicion from one of them.
“I’ll just go. Sleep well, you two.”
“Huh? Didn’t you have something to tell me?”
“Philip, I told you repeatedly. If Lady Knight doesn’t do her job properly, the attendant won’t go.”
“Ugh. Mr. Jed, please don’t say such things.”
Refusing Jed and Philip’s offer to accompany her to the room, Riche walked down the hallway.
Should she wait like this until Hecanca came to visit? Hecanca wouldn’t know her room at the Imperial Mansion.
Thinking about it, she was walking down the hall.
[Ritoem.]
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