Chapter 78 (What business do you have with my wife?)
It was Doha.
My friend, Doha, whom I have already said goodbye. Unlike usual, he was wearing a shirt and pants and tying his hair, looking at me and smiling.
“Platinum hair suits you very well, Rie.”
Lariette looked up at him praising her with wide eyes in surprise.
What was he doing here? How did he recognize me in this outfit? What is this invisible barrier that hides us?
I had a lot to ask. But none of the words came out of my mouth.
“Doha…!”
Lariette called out his name in a weeping voice. Her eyebrows fell pitifully.
“Nice to meet you…!”
It was very nice. But it wasn’t just that.
The relief of not being captured by the knights. The joy of seeing a friend after so many years. So many emotions blossomed and mingled in an instant.
And above all… I realized that I didn’t have to die.
When I heard from a Doctor that it wasn’t the time limit, or when I returned to the inn room to organize my plans. I couldn’t believe I could keep on living. I knew it in my head, but I couldn’t accept it in my heart.
However, when I met Doha, whom I thought I would never see again, whom I had said goodbye to because of the time limit, I suddenly met him.
I don’t have to die
I can keep living.
The thought filled my head, and tears quickly became hot in my eyes. The tip of my nose twitched and my cheeks trembled.
Lariette burst into tears and wept like a fool.
“Nice to meet you….”
“Rie?!”
And Doha couldn’t hide his embarrassment at Lariette’s crying as soon as he faced her.
“Why, why are you crying? What happened?”
Did they attack you? Doha asked with sad eyes. His heart racing and his anger rising at the sight of the woman he likes in tears..
“No, hic, it’s not like that, it’s just, it’s nice to see you… Waaa!”
Lariette wept again. I couldn’t even understand why I was crying so much. But I couldn’t stop crying.
Doha stared at her with a puzzled face, stiffening his body. He didn’t know what to do because he had never been able to soothe a crying woman. He was afraid that she would cry even more sadly if he tried for nothing.
“Nice to meet you too. Nice to meet you. I miss you, Rie.”
After thinking for a while, he finally patted her on the shoulder. It was a decision made after careful consideration.
But perhaps it wasn’t a good option, Lariette’s cry grew louder. It’s always sad when someone comforts you.
Hearing the cry from afar, he could feel the return of the knight. Doha sensed this and carefully covered her mouth with his hand.
“Oof!”
“I’m sorry, Rie. Be quiet for a moment. Let’s finish our conversation in a safe place.”
Can you hold on for a while? Doha frowned playfully and wrinkled one eye.
Lariette nodded, gently wiping the runny nose that had flowed unwittingly. In the meantime, I was worried that my snot might get on his fingers.
* * *
Doha had taken Lariette to an inn room he had rented.
However, it was too glamorous to be called an ‘inn room’, and there were three other rooms in the room alone, and the splendor was a suite that was comparable to a palace.
Lariette was surprised by his wealth and looked around the room with her mouth wide open. Her eyes were puffy because she was crying so much.
Doha burst out laughing at how funny and adorable she was, stumbling around with her face even worse.
‘It’s serious, it’s serious.’
How is it so cute that you look like that? I couldn’t believe how adorable she was, even with the puffy eyes.
“Stop watching, sit here and drink water. You will be dehydrated.”
“Doha, you have a lot of money.”
Lariette exclaimed and drank the water he was handed to her. Doha’s smile widened even more at that sight.
‘You just drink it without hesitation.’
Anyone could see that Lariette had a lot of trust in Doha.
Even those innocent eyes that do not think that he will do anything bad, follow him in the man’s room without thinking.
The deep trust she showed me felt good, but at the same time it made me feel bad that she didn’t see me as a man.
“Have you calmed down, Rie?”
“Yes, thank you….”
Lariette hung her head in shame at the sight of her sobbing like a child. It felt like her face was burning red.
“Why are you crying like that? Tell me what’s going on? I’ll help you.”
“Doha…”
Doha’s serious voice made my heart flutter. Where in the world can you find such a good friend and teacher! Impressed, Lariette slowly began to confide in all her circumstances.
From her contractual relationship to the illusion of a time limit to the extreme choices she made because she didn’t want to hurt anyone around her. Including the letter she wrote to Asrahan.
As interesting content like a novel progressed, Doha’s eyebrows went up and down repeatedly. When he heard the contents of the letter that cruelly kicked Asrahan, the corners of his lips almost rose without realizing it.
“… That’s the situation, What should I do, Doha?”
“What do you want to do, Rie?”
“Oh, I was so startled that I ran away… Still, wouldn’t it be better to visit him and tell him the story? It’s probably because Asrahan’s wounds are big, and it’s my fault…”
I should take responsibility for my mistakes… Lariette muttered in a gloomy voice.
At the unexpected conclusion, Doha put a sullen smile on his face. At this point, isn’t it natural to tremble and run away?
‘My lady has a conscience, too….’
It’s useless. He thought so and opened his mouth.
“Rie, haven’t you heard the rumor? You must have seen it, the pink-haired woman being arrested.”
“That…”
“Rumors are already circulating in the capital. He catches women and kills them as if in revenge. It is said that none of the women who were captured have returned.”
“Asrahan, it can’t be…”
Lariette bit her lip, recalling Asrahan’s friendly appearance again. Then Doha continued speaking in a lower voice.
“Rir, erase the person you knew. After you left, he is no longer the person he was then. He was betrayed by the person he trusted the most, how can he be the same?”
Still, he was cruel from the beginning. Doha whispered as if persuading her.
“The priest who had been sent to the battlefield returned and said, Duke Kandel is crazy and that the war was ending quickly because he was cutting off the heads of enemy soldiers to vent his anger.”
“Ah…”
“I’m sure he’ll find you and tear you to death as soon as the war is over.”
Lariette let out a painful moan.
I feel sorry for him. Even if I had my own reasons, in the end it was Asrahan who was hurt.
But at the same time, other emotions arose and pecked at her skin.
“Rie, aren’t lives precious? Would you give up the life you so desperately wanted so easily?”
At the very beginning, the feeling I felt when I met Asrahan.
It was fear.
At that time, Lariette was terrified at the thought that she was going to die anyway, but now that she has the life she has been hoping for again and again, she cannot shake it off.
“At least now is not the time. If you want an explanation, that’s enough when his anger subsides.”
And Doha, who had his face close in front of her, convinced Lariette so perfectly.
Greatly intimidating, exaggerating the loss, and conciliating the next best thing. It was a skill he had learned to survive in an unpredictable place.
Lariette fell into a trap set by Doha that she didn’t know. It was so sophisticated that she didn’t even realize she was caught.
“For now, let’s get out of the capital, Rie.”
“Doha….”
“You have to live.”
Doha’s last words were the perfect persuasion beyond words for a person who had just regained her life.
He repeated his words on purpose.
“You have to live, Rie.”
The purple eyes, which had been shaking like crazy due to deep conflict, were slowly fixed.
This was her greatest desire, her will, and she nodded slowly.
“Okay, let’s run away.”
The voice of the decision was particularly sad.
* * *
The checkpoint of the capital of the Kharshan Empire.
More and more troops have been deployed to this place, where entry and exit are checked and controlled most thoroughly.
However, all of the new arrivals are outside reinforcements, not part of the state, and every single one of them is a knight from Kandel.
Kandel knights explained that it was a consideration to support the insufficient national defense manpower, but everyone knew that was not the real reason.
Anyone who had heard the rumors circulating in the capital lately would know.
“Hmm… Isn’t that pink hair?”
“What are you saying! Just look at her red hair! You made her cry!”
The middle-aged woman with bright red hair, who could see it, shouted at the knight’s nonsense. The knight tilted his head as if he didn’t really know.
Soon, a fellow knight approached and sent a sassy woman and opened his mouth.
“Who assigned a colorblind guy here?”
“I’m not color blind. I’ve been looking for only pink these days, but my eyes hurt…”
As a knight, it was just embarrassing. I wanted to become a cool and strong knight, so I trained for several hours a day and joined the Kandel Knights. All I do is find a pink-haired woman.
Even because of that, as the progress of the checkpoint was slowed down, the shouts of merchants echoed in the ears.
“For what reason are you conducting such a checkup! What does hair color have to do with it!”
“Is this how you use your power?!”
It was true, so the knights didn’t respond at all. They just stared at the top of their heads.
‘Oh my God, the Duke has really lost his mind.’
Although he was cruel, the Duke of Kandel was more rational than anyone in making decisions. However, his actions after he left the war were strange even to his subordinates.
The knight sighed deeply at the change of the figure he admired.
Then, a woman with her hair and face covered with a gorgeous shawl came into his view.
“Wait, wait! There, the one with the shawl!”
He clicked his tongue and walked over to her, Lariette, who covered her head and face at the checkpoint.
But before he could even reach her, a large man blocked him.
A beautiful man with long silver hair neatly tied and wearing fancy clothes, Doha.
“What business do you have with my wife?”
Doha frowned in displeasure. It was an expression that didn’t want the knight’s gaze to even touch his wife.
“Excuse me. But, as you know, you have to take off your shawl for the checkpoint.”
“I have an ID to prove our identity. Since when did you check the color of my wife’s hair at the checkpoint?”
At Doha’s harsh voice, the knight bowed his head even more and looked into his eyes.
The ID had the title of nobility with a fancy signature. It wasn’t surprising because she was dressed in an appearance that looked like an aristocrat even if she pretended to be.
‘The nobles are… It’s difficult for us to take off the shawl.’
The knight spit swear words against him in his heart, but his face was only gentle. He answered in the most gentle voice possible.
“Identification has been verified. but… I think you should take off your shawl.”
The knight narrowed his eyes in anticipation. He was more afraid of the Duke of Kandel rather than him.
However, contrary to expectations, the soft voice continued.
“Honey, don’t be unnecessary. Why not just show him the color of my hair? You see, my husband is very jealous.”
“Honey. But…”
“Ah. We should not disturb those who are doing the work for the country.”
Lariette, who covered her head and face with a shawl, taunted Doha in a gentle manner. The knight replied, considering her benevolent appearance.
“Yes, of course! I would appreciate it if you could show me the color of my hair.”
The only thing I need to check is the color of your hair, so I won’t have to look at your face. In the first place, the nobles would have passed without checking anything.
Lariette carefully lowered her shawl, revealing her hair. It was obviously pure white blonde, shining brightly under the morning sun.
As soon as the knight confirmed this, he quickly bowed his head to greet her.
“Yes, I see it! I’ve been very rude.”
“Then, have a good time at work.”
“Yes!”
After saying goodbye, Lariette put on her shawl again and gracefully passed through the checkpoint.
And the knight looked at her back like that and thought blankly.
‘His Excellency should have met someone like that, not such a bad woman.’
Yes, if it were, none of this would have happened. The knight foolishly believed so.
* * *
“Then, where shall we go now?”
Doha, who changed his fancy clothes, asked with a bright smile.
And it was then that Lariette realized something strange.
“By the way, is it okay for Doha to come out like this? Where are you going? You have to go back, Doha!”
Lariette’s firm voice made Doha raise one eyebrow in confusion. As always, he was arrogant and clever.
“You want to run away? You suggested it to me. Why are you talking nonsense now?”
“Well, I was just talking to myself…!”
Lariette answered with her mouth wide open. Obviously she was talking about running away, but that didn’t mean she wanted to go together!
“You looked at me intently and said, so you suggested it to me. Who talks to herself like that?”
“It is, however. Still, how can the priest…”
“I’ve already taken a long vacation, Rie. You’re not going to tell me what to do, are you?”
I hope you don’t feel so responsible. Doha lowered his upper body and stared at her.
Confused, Lariette did not say anything and only opened her mouth.
“I a you again. Where shall we go now?”
Doha asked while pretending to playfully put his index finger into Lariette’s mouth. In the previous question, ‘we’ was added.
“If nothing comes to mind, I decide. Are you fine?”
“Ugh, yes…”
Lariette nodded her head with a feeling that everything would be okay.
Doha finished the conversation with a satisfied smile.
“Let’s go to the west.”
