Finally breaking the silence, one of the robbers said,
“If you quietly hand over everything you have, you won’t suffer any harm.”
“!”
Feeling as if my whole body had frozen, I instinctively gripped Ares’s coat tightly. The primal fear of imminent death surged through me, but I knew better than to show any sign of fear in front of the robbers. I forced myself to remain calm, hardened my expression, and stared down at the robbers.
In contrast to me, Ares responded calmly,
“If you all leave quietly, you won’t see any bloodshed.”
Ares’s voice, confronting the robbers’ threat, was as cold as it was chilling.
For another reason entirely, my body stiffened again. This wasn’t the Ares I knew before.
However, the robbers continued to approach with mocking laughter.
“Don’t feel safe just because you have a gun. Hehehe…”
They showed no signs of fear in front of the gun! What should I do…?
But then, in that moment,
Bang! A shot rang out as Ares fired his gun. The acrid smell of gun smoke hit my nostrils.
“Argh!”
“!”
One of the robbers who had threatened us just moments ago collapsed, blood spurting from his shoulder!
Oh my goodness, Ares shot someone!
The tension that had been taut like a wire snapped sharply with the sound of the gun. Without realizing it, my legs gave out beneath me, and I sank to the ground.
Yet Ares, without a hint of hesitation or warning, immediately aimed his gun at the next person in line.
“Ahhhh!”
In an instant, the robbers began to scatter and flee in confusion. However, I strongly felt that he would pull the trigger once more.
I screamed out to him,
“Ares!”
Only then did Ares turn to look at me. His face, turned with just his head while holding the gun, was expressionless like a mask, freezing my heart for a moment.
“…”
A brief moment passed. Then, as if by magic, his icy eyes regained warmth in an instant, and his stoic expression softened and twisted.
“Bianca!”
“Ah…”
The contrast was so dramatic that despite knowing him as the affectionate Ares I knew, I couldn’t quickly adapt to this change and remained stiff.
“Are you okay? Are you hurt?”
“Oh, um… I’m fine. Just a minor scrape from earlier. And you…?”
“I’m alright too. Can you stand?”
I nodded in response and cautiously stood up to prove my words.
“Just simple robbers?”
Muttering to myself, Ares replied with a face that looked like he might collapse any moment.
“I’m truly sorry, Bianca. I’ve never had anything like this happen on this path before, and of all times, it had to be when I was with you…”
I lowered my head.
“No, Ares. It’s not your fault. We just had really bad luck today.”
As my heart calmed a bit, the surrounding situation quickly caught my eye. The robber who had been shot in the shoulder earlier was groaning and whimpering in pain.
“Let’s first go to the security office quickly. We need to report that there are robbers in these mountains.”
The horse I rode on was still howling in agony with a broken leg. I tightly closed my eyes and pleaded with Ares.
“And… make my words no longer painful.”
It would be too painful to endure the long process of calling for help, moving the horse, and treating it, and in its current state, it would surely never be able to carry anyone again.
I had to make a ruthless decision.
“…Alright.”
With a grim expression, Ares aimed the gun at my horse. With a bang, the painful cries of the horse also ceased.
…
Still holding the gun, Ares shifted his gaze to the robber who was struggling to crawl away.
I didn’t want any more blood on his hands.
“Ares! Leave him be, let’s get down from the mountain quickly.”
“…Alright.”
Leaving the words of the dying horse behind, I climbed onto Ares’ horse with him. Ares held the reins with one hand and firmly grasped me with the other.
As we rode down the mountain where the twilight was fading, we all remained silent, keeping our mouths shut tight.
I pondered on another side of Ares that I had not known until now.
His frighteningly cold demeanor. His attitude showed no hesitation even when firing a gun at someone, and his heart that didn’t even flutter at the sight of blood spilling.
It seems that perhaps the Ares I know is just a small part of who he truly is. Over the past few years, during which I’ve silently admired him without building any real relationship, the Ares I’ve seen may have been nothing more than a carefully refined facade.
“Ares.”
I called out to him in a very soft voice. Despite that, Ares quickly noticed my call.
“Yeah?”
“…It wasn’t your first time shooting someone, was it?”
I felt Ares, who had been behind me, stiffen noticeably. After hesitating for a moment, he spoke heavily.
“When traveling for the family’s business, encounters with robbers in remote places aren’t uncommon.”
“I see…”
I nodded. His habit of carrying a handgun for self-defense probably wasn’t unrelated to this.
I sensed Ares taking a few deep breaths. Was he trying to say something difficult?
“Bianca.”
“Yeah.”
This time he called me, and I responded.
“…Are you avoiding me after all?”
His trembling voice felt like a heavy stone settling in my chest.
Ares Stanley, who lacked nothing as a man, was the protagonist created by the “author” in this world. The ideal man every woman dreams of in this world.
Yet, this Ares is afraid right now.
I vaguely understood that Ares had always wanted to help me and take care of me meticulously, wanting to prove himself as a good person to me in his own way. However, I never expected to think of that in this situation.
I didn’t distance myself from him because I disliked him. I simply couldn’t help but keep in mind that Ares would eventually leave for Leia. That’s why I couldn’t fully open my heart to him.
It seems that Ares, too, is afraid that his true self will be revealed, fearing that I might come to dislike him or worry that I will leave him.
We were still young lovers who had just begun to love each other, with a long and distant road ahead of us.
“Ares.”
I spoke in the gentlest and most affectionate voice I could muster.
“I never knew you could make such a face. Until now, I always thought of you as gentle and mild-mannered.”
“…”
He swallowed nervously. I chuckled softly and continued.
“I don’t dislike you. It’s just a little unfamiliar.”
“…”
“I mean it. I’m not someone who can easily become close with anyone. Maybe that’s why you’re anxious about me.”
I am different from Leia. With her extreme sociability, Leia can easily make friends with anyone, but it takes me a long time to let down my guard and become a true friend.
“…”
“To be honest, I’m glad I could see a side of you that I didn’t know before. It hasn’t made me dislike you or anything.”
Leaning my head against his chest, I murmured softly.
“Still, witnessing someone die firsthand isn’t easy.”
Ares remained silent. Unable to see his face, I couldn’t guess what he was thinking, so I quietly waited for him to gather his thoughts.
As soon as we descended from the mountain, we headed straight for the security office. We informed the security officials there about encountering robbers in the mountains and shooting to injure them.
Staff rushed out for investigation, and we each sent people from our families to indicate our presence at the security office. We had to stay indoors for a while until further investigation.
We each received a cup of tea prepared by the staff, leaving just the two of us in a small room.
I had nothing particular to say, so I quietly held the tea cup. At that moment, Ares, averting his gaze, barely whispered.
“I’m not as well-mannered as you think I am.”
It was a phrase Ares had told me many times before. I looked at him silently without saying a word.
“I was… a little scared. Scared that you might distance yourself from me. I thought we had just started holding hands, but I feared I might lose it all.”
Just as I secretly loved him for so long, he must have only watched me from a distance. I could fully understand his feelings.
“But still, Bianca, I hope you won’t push me away. Sometimes, I can’t smile in front of you as I do in front of others.”
I got up from the chair and went to Ares. I gently wrapped his head and embraced him in my arms.
“Ares, it’s okay no matter what you’re like. You don’t always have to smile. I’m not going anywhere.”
As I stroked Ares’ hair, my heart was conflicted.
Despite how much he desires and yearns for me, knowing the end of this love as I do, I couldn’t just revel in happiness. I wanted to give him unwavering certainty, but to sensitive Ares, I easily became transparent.
Me, I… What should I do?
With me in his arms, Ares finally spoke up.
“I’ll stay by your side no matter what happens. I won’t let you face danger like today in front of my eyes again, nor will I let you get hurt. If needed, I’ll always be ready to take out my gun again.”
I truly hoped his words would hold true. However my end comes, I hoped he would be there beside me, protecting me.
With my small hope in mind, I asked with a playful voice.
“What if I die?”
Whether he thought I was joking or not, he let out a forced laugh, shaking his head.
“Don’t say such things. You know how I felt when you were almost hit by the carriage before. I couldn’t even joke about it.”
“Alright.”
I faintly smiled.
Ares truly had saved me every time I had faced death. Today marked the second time already.
I knew he disliked the topic of my death, but I still wanted to ask. Feeling his current love for me, I felt like even if I died, he would protect me. I wanted to act childish with him, despite it being futile.
“If I stay by your side, will you protect me? If I ever end up in danger of dying?”
“Of course.”
Ares pulled away from my embrace, looking at me intently.
“I will never let you die. I can do more than just shoot a gun today.”
I was truly grateful for his words. How comforting Ares’s words are at this time of approaching death, he probably never realized how much it meant to me.
I smiled at Ares, trying hard to hold back the tears welling up inside me.
“I’m so happy to hear you say that. You probably don’t realize how much it means to me.”
If he wasn’t the ‘pillar’ who would appear in the future novel, he would have done his best to protect me, just as he promised. Ares was someone who had that kind of determination.
He emphasized once more, “Bianca, when I think of you, it’s not just words. I mean it—I’ll do whatever it takes.”
“Yeah, I know.”
I laughed out loud, acknowledging his words.
At least the current Ares loves me more than anyone else in this world. Perhaps the Ares created by the ‘author’ would be pure enough to do anything for the one he loves. The coldness he showed today was ultimately to protect me.
