RPWS Chapter 086

Elaine looked at Ash blankly. For a moment, she felt as if time had stopped. She couldn’t comprehend what she’d just heard.

‘Ash… Likes me?’

The words echoed in her ears, they didn’t seem real. It took a few seconds for the meaning to sink in, and when it did, her face instantly flushed bright red.

This is ridiculous. How could he. Why? Since when?

The words he spoke seemed to scald her heart and heat spread throughout her whole body. She was confused, but at the same time, her heart was pounding like crazy.

His words were sweet. If this was a dream, she never wanted to wake up.

She’d imagined it once. Imagined being in a relationship with Ash, like normal lovers she saw on the street.

At the same time, she never considered the possibility that Ash might actually like her as well. Ash was Bella’s son. It was inconceivable for him to fall in love with her. As they’d danced, she thought she’d mistaken the gleam in his eyes.

But, it wasn’t an illusion? She blinked slowly. His purple eyes stared back at her, waiting for her answer. She couldn’t believe that the affection radiating from that gaze was directed towards her. She pursed her lips, mesmerized.

“I’m…”

Actually, she liked him, too. Without even knowing when this feeling started, before she even knew it, it’d taken root and grown. If she said that, would their relationship become sweeter, would they whisper words of love to each other someday, like she’d imagined?

But she couldn’t bring herself to say it, she didn’t deserve this. If she was sane, she couldn’t possibly be greedy enough to desire him.

If Bella, not Elaine, had survived that night, Ash’s life would’ve been different.

These past 20 years wouldn’t have passed in vain, and Bella would’ve quickly discovered the true culprit of the Seveka incident. Bella wouldn’t have been falsely accused of being a monster and Ash wouldn’t have been criticized like now.

The 20 years of pain Ash experienced was because of Elaine. Because she survived at the cost of Bella’s life.

If that hadn’t happened, Ash might’ve grown up normally, receiving his mother’s love, instead of not even knowing his mother’s face and being tied to her name.

What would happen when he found out, when he realized she was the source of all his pain? Would he still be able to tell her he liked her then? Would he still look at her with those kind eyes?

‘No, that’s not possible.’

Even though she hated the thought, she knew better than anyone else that it would never happen.

While staying by Ash’s side, she saw with her own eyes how harsh his life had been so far. What was it like being so accustomed to the malice of others, that the curses spewed at him no longer even mattered? She couldn’t imagine it.

But just because he got used to it, didn’t mean it was what he wanted. Who could ever forgive the person who’d pushed them into the abyss? And if that person was shamelessly standing next to them, pretending not to know anything…

She imagined curses pouring from the same lips that’d confessed to her. She imagined his sweet face contorting into anger.

It was even more horrifying because she’d also fallen in love with him. Her heart felt like it was being torn to pieces and trampled on. The blood in her body ran cold. Elaine’s face grew pale.

Her hand was still clasped in Ash’s. Even the lightest touch was enough to make her fingertips tremble in terror. She jerked her hand away, as if she’d been shocked.

The spot where he kissed the back of her hand was hot, as if it’d been burned. Elaine staggered back, clutching the back of her hand. She spoke while frantically shaking her head.

“No. No.”

Her lips trembled, quivering gaze directed at him.

“You can’t like me.”

She was the one who took his mother away and pushed him into misery. It would be too cruel for him to like her without knowing anything about her.

An unbearable feeling of guilt washed over her whole body. She couldn’t bear to look at him. Her shoulders trembled.

Ash’s eyes shook wildly. He was frozen, unable to think coherently. The moment he realized that he’d been rejected, he felt as if the ground beneath his feet was collapsing.

An indescribable feeling overcame him. Was this what it felt like to lose the one thing that was truly precious? Was he too hasty? Regret, a rare feeling for him, came flooding in and his head became dizzy.

He pursed his lips.

“Why… Do you say that?”

It wasn’t an angry tone, just confused, like he didn’t understand.

She didn’t say that she didn’t like him, she said that he couldn’t like her? What did she mean by that?

It would’ve been better if she’d told him she had no feelings for him. That would mean that if he tried, he’d have a chance of changing her mind someday.

But saying that he couldn’t like her, it sounded like there wasn’t even a possibility.

“I like you so much that I… Do you hate me?”

He recalled her face turning pale when she heard his confession.

It’s not that he didn’t think about the possibility of being rejected, he just never thought she’d have this reaction.

Before, when their eyes meet, she’d smile sweetly, she’d celebrate the small things, and feel responsibility for his work, all as if it were her own. Even if she didn’t like him as the opposite sex, he’d thought she at least didn’t hate him.

But was it all just an illusion? Was he so terrible in her mind that she turned pale just hearing him confess that he liked her?

Elaine shook her head adamantly.

“No, it’s not like that…!”

Then why? Ash swallowed his question. His eyes were slightly narrowed as he looked at her.

Why does she look like she’s about to cry?

A distorted face and trembling eyes that look like they might tear up at any moment. She was the one who’d rejected him, he couldn’t figure out why she had that look on her face.

He wanted to brush the tears from her eyes, to wrap his arms around her trembling shoulders, forgetting for a moment that he’d been rejected.

He reached out his hand reflexively, but soon froze. The moment he stretched out his hand a bit, he saw her flinch and back away.

Ash clenched his fists, frowned, and asked in a quiet voice.

“… Am I really not allowed to like you?”

He’d cling onto her if he could, not even caring if he was being lame. At that moment he was feeling a deep desperation, one he’d never before felt in his life. A feeling so desperate, in a different sense than when he’d almost lost her, ran through his entire body.

But Elaine just bit her lip with a clouded look on her face. She took a step back as she lowered her gaze.

“I… I can’t return your feelings.”

And therefore…

“Please pretend that nothing happened today.”

He couldn’t stop the tremor in his voice.

She couldn’t face him anymore. Elaine turned on her heel and strode away, almost running.

Ash couldn’t stop her. He already knew what her answer would be if he tried.

In the maze where the pale moonlight shone down, frozen in place, he gazed at her back as she walked away.

 

* * *

 

Even after the Birthday Festival ended, the afterglow lingered in the royal capital for several days. The square was noisy as the residents cleaned up after the festivities. The royal palace was also bustling with activity.

However, the area surrounding the king’s residence was as quiet as a mouse.

“…”

Tap, tap, tap.

The sound of tapping on the armrest of a chair echoed rhythmically throughout the quiet room. The middle-aged man sitting in a luxurious ivory chair had an oppressive atmosphere.

The King, Chelsea de Philion, spoke.

“Duke Diallo is dead?”

The loyal subordinate who was currently reporting the news, bowed his head.

“Yes, Your Majesty. I heard that he passed away this morning due to his worsening chronic illness.”

It was heavy news to hear after such an auspicious day. Duke Diallo was a half-brother, from a concubine, unlike Lloyd and Chelsea, who were legitimate sons. Although he was half blood related, Chelsea’s face showed no signs of mourning or sadness.

Realistically, there is no way that a person who killed both his father and brother with his own hands would feel any sorrow at the death of his half-brother.

“Is that so…”

Chelsea slowly continued tapping the armrest and turned his gaze to the window. A gorgeous garden filled with all kinds of rare flowers and trees, and a royal palace so large and grand that it would take all day to see.

Everything the eye could see, the entire vast continent, including this palace, was his.

This throne was his. What kind of effort did he put in to obtain the throne? Thinking of that, Chelsea slowly stroked his chin.

‘It’s been 20 years?’

The day he destroyed Seveka with his own hands. No, more precisely, the time when the witch’s hands caused a disaster.

Who could imagine? The witch whom everyone pointed their fingers at and called a murderer, was in fact, just being used.

Thanks to this, he got what he wanted without getting his hands dirty. Everything was perfect.

However, if there was one thing that still bothered him…

“What are Duke Killiard’s current movements?”

“There are no significant movements yet.”

Suddenly, the face of Asher de Philion he’d seen in the banquet hall came to mind. A face that resembled the witch, but at the same time, resembled Lloyd.

When he thought of that face, he felt a deep sense of discomfort rise up. Chelsea slowly got up from his seat and stood in front of the window. The sunlight pouring through made his golden hair sparkle.

Looking out the window with cold eyes, he spoke.

“What happened with the task I assigned you?”

“It was handled without any problems.”

He’d heard a report from his informant planted near Maltaigne that a person who appeared to be Ash had visited.

It seems they were looking for his long-lost escort knight…

If that were the case, there was a risk of him digging up something about the Seveka incident.

‘I can’t let this be.’

Chelsea turned away from the window. A shadow created by the backlight was cast on his face. Blue eyes shone coldly under the shadows.

“I will give you your next orders.”

The truth of that day should forever be known only to him. It would be better to eliminate any potential threats.

As before, the witch and her son would become excellent decoys.

The truth would remain buried forever.