Admitting one's own weaknesses required more courage than expected.
I could just crush it down and forget about it. I only had to bury it in my chest and never look back.
But…….
I had a premonition that I would regret it for a long time if I just brushed it off.
No, it was a certainty.
“… I was worried.”
An uncalculated, raw sentence without thought for the consequences finally spilled from my lips.
“I was afraid you might get hurt.”
Rose snapped her head up. Shock and surprise filled her reddened eyes.
“-What, did you, just say…….”
The water was already spilled. I had no intention of taking back the words I had let out now.
“It was all my fault. I don't have the face to see you.”
Throwing away things like face and pride, I offered a sincere apology.
“Even in this situation, asking you to stay by my side is probably my greed.”
And only then did I realize what I truly wanted to say.
“Even so… I want to say it. Don't leave.”
“…….”
“Stay here.”
The stone blocking my throat quietly disappeared.
I had always lived by hiding my emotions and not revealing them.
Revealing my true feelings… wasn't so bad. This refreshing feeling was quite pleasant.
“Ah…….”
Rose couldn't close her slightly parted lips. She just stared at me blankly, as if she couldn't believe it.
Blink.
As Rose closed and opened her eyes, the drops of water welling up around her eyes rolled down.
“… Stop crying.”
Whenever Rose cried like that, I truly didn't know what to do.
Sniffling and whining, Rose was cute enough to make me want to keep teasing her, but seeing her cry so sadly over my mistake made my heart feel uncomfortable instead.
A sense of anxiety, feeling like I had to do something right away, tickled the back of my neck.
*Swipe.*
I wiped her wet eyes with my thumb.
Feeling myself being conscious of even this trivial contact.
*Drip.*
This time, tears fell from her other eye.
For a moment, my face moved unconsciously.
*Lick.*
I licked the tears rolling down from Rose's eyes.
“……!”
Rose flinched in surprise and tried to step back, but I held her with my other hand to keep her from moving.
*Slurp.*
While I was at it, I sucked in all the remaining tears from the other side without leaving a drop.
I originally knew that tears were supposed to be salty, but for some reason, Rose's tears felt different.
“Y-Y-Your Excellency. W-Why…….”
She was so startled that she seemed to even forget to cry. Looking into Rose's wildly shaking eyes, I gave a grin.
“It's sweet.”
“-!”
Rose's face turned into a red… no, a tomato about to burst.
She was unbearably cute.
*Tap.*
I lightly pressed my forehead against Rose's. From a distance where I could almost feel her breath, I whispered low.
“You kept crying, so I couldn't help it.”
If I didn't do this, if I didn't keep moving my lips by chattering about something, I felt like I would steal Rose's lips right then and there.
I knew myself well enough to realize that if I went that far, I wouldn't be able to stop. I would inevitably push forward to the next step without hesitation.
‘She is a patient... a patient…….’
It wasn't the right time. At least, not until Rose recovered her health…….
No, wait.
‘Is it okay to do this?’
I had planned to cleanly send Rose away once the contract ended. To where she originally belonged, to the side of this world's male protagonist.
That was definitely the case at first. But now, ‘I’ didn't want to do that anymore.
I wanted Rose to stay by my side even after the contract ended. I wanted to tie Rose to my side, no matter what method I had to use.
‘… Wait.’
Isn't this obsession?
I recalled the process of how the original Dane had transformed.
‘Where are you going?’
A paranoid patient with delusions of jealousy who confined Rose and locked her inside the castle so she couldn't go out. A foolish husband who forced his own emotions on her even when Rose didn't want it.
That was the appearance of the Dane who had been obsessed with Rose.
But…….
‘If Rose wants it.’
If Rose volunteered to stay here. If I didn't forcefully detain her.
Wouldn't that be okay? No, it seemed like a pretty good idea.
‘Yes, this is it.’
That would do.
I could now understand what I had to do from now on. What I had to aim for became clear.
“Your Excellency…….”
I saw Rose looking only at me, her ears dyed red.
As expected, it was nice. It was a face that I liked.
“Are you done crying?”
When I asked in a soft tone, Rose narrowed her eyes.
“Just now… hic.”
A hiccup suddenly burst out from her.
“No, why… hic. The tears… hng.”
Rose tried hard to say something, but it was impossible due to the hiccups bursting out. In the end, she kept her mouth shut and struggled to calm her hiccups.
‘She's acting cute.’
Smirking, I approached Rose's face.
“Shall I help you?”
“Pardon? Hic. How… hic.”
*Smooch.*
I lightly pressed my lips to Rose's cheek and pulled away.
“They say it stops if you get startled.”
“---!”
Rose flailed in surprise and almost jumped up from her spot. Then she flinched and brought her hand to her mouth.
“… It really stopped.”
“The effect is good, isn't it?”
“But…….”
I shrugged my shoulders proudly at Rose, who was looking at me with suspicious eyes.
Hiding my playful inner thoughts, I displayed the image of a neat gentleman.
“I merely helped you.”
“No, something…….”
Rose put on a sullen face.
At that sight, I almost burst into the laughter I was holding back, but suppressed it with extreme patience.
“I haven't heard your answer yet.”
I lightly pulled Rose's body into an embrace again. I rested my chin on Rose's shoulder and closed my eyes.
Fully savoring her pleasant body heat and sweet scent, I urged Rose.
“What I asked earlier, are you not going to answer?”
“Phew…….”
Rose let out a sigh as if she couldn't help it in the face of my unreasonable attitude.
“I… was prepared for it since I signed the contract.”
Rose eventually began to speak in a calm voice.
“You asked me too, didn't you, Your Excellency? If I had thought it through enough.”
“I did.”
“So… it's okay.”
A small but clear voice flowed from her shoulder down my back.
“It really is okay. I won't cancel the contract over something like this.”
“Aren't you scared?”
“I was really surprised and scared earlier, but…….”
My chin, resting on Rose's shoulder, bobbed slightly. It meant that Rose was letting out a small laugh.
“You came to save me. That's enough.”
A voice mixed with laughter followed.
“You won't leave me in danger from now on either, will you.”
“You really…….”
Only let out cute sounds.
An impulse to swallow the lips of the stoutly speaking Rose surged up. It was a good thing I wasn't looking at her face.
Instead of stating my honest thoughts,
“-Really, you are brave.”
I praised Rose with different words.
“I think you are braver than me.”
Because she wasn't acting cowardly and was saying what she had to say straightly.
“Should I make a knight's oath?”
Rose responded like that, perhaps recalling what I had said in the past.
“Don't bother.”
I smirked and pulled my body away from Rose.
And then I brought up the question that had occupied a corner of my mind this whole time.
“What were those words you said earlier?”
“Pardon? What do you mean?”
It seemed Rose's memories of the carriage were somewhat faint.
“You said I called your name.”
“Ah.”
Rose's face flushed red again. As expected, this was much better to look at.
“Um… It was the first time you called my name, Your Excellency.”
“…….”
“I was just fascinated…….”
The “first time” Rose spoke of meant the first time in both her past and current lives.
‘That's right.’
Because Dane Schmaichel never had a reason to call Rose's name, nor did he want to.
The eighth wife. Or a contractual wife.
A relationship that was nothing more than that. But not anymore.
“Get used to it. I will call your name from now on too.”
“Ah…….”
Rose stared at me with surprised eyes. Her lips moved as if something was lingering on the tip of her tongue, before
“…… Yes.”
She eventually lowered her eyes and answered submissively.
“Phew…….”
I saw a trace of sleepiness lingering around Rose's eyes. She seemed to have completely relaxed after a bout of crying.
“It seems the medicine is taking effect. Go to sleep now.”
“What about you, Your Excellency…?”
“I will stay by your side.”
I supported Rose's body and laid her back down. And then I held Rose's hand tightly once more.
“Sleep comfortably.”
“Are you… not going to sleep, Your Excellency?”
“Rose, after you fall asleep.”
At my answer, Rose smiled brightly. Rose's eyes began to slowly close.
“That sounds nice……. My name… that you call.”
Not long after, the sound of her even breathing could be heard.
“Hoo.”
I closed my eyes, pressing my forehead against Rose's clasped hand.
Strangely enough, while my heart was stirring, another part of me felt refreshed, as if something had been sorted out.
It felt like it would be a long night.
**
As if she were trapped inside a violently shaking barrel, her whole body was forcefully shaken from side to side.
Her vision spun dizzyingly, and a wave of nausea surged up.
“Ugh!”
Ah, she was inside the carriage.
That horrific memory surged like a tidal wave and crashed over Rose.
Even though she knew it was a dream, she couldn't control her body. No, rather, because it was a dream, she was even more unable to move.
‘You crazy bitch!’
A man with a viciously twisted face grabbed Rose's ankle. With his strong grip, it felt as if her ankle was being ripped off.
“No!”
Rose swung her hands wildly. She tried to grab onto anything to avoid being dragged away by that man.
But nothing caught in her hands.
“No……. Let me go!”
Overcome by a sense of helplessness, tears even burst out.
If this continued, that man was going to kill her.
The moment Joel drove a dagger into her chest came to mind. Now it had changed into an axe, flying towards her.
“Aahhh!”
“Rose.”
Suddenly, someone embraced Rose.
A thick, warm embrace; even without seeing, she could tell who it was.
“Shh…….”
Dane's calm voice soothed Rose as he gently stroked her back with a large hand.
“It's okay, it's okay…….”
“Sob…….”
“What are you afraid of. I'm right here.”
Rose felt her way up and rested her hands on Dane's solid back as he embraced her. Only then was she finally able to feel safe.
“Wa… Water, I'm thirsty…….”
“Alright.”
Something cold and smooth touched Rose's lips. Cool water poured out from within.
She tried to catch it and drink, but the amount entering her mouth was small compared to what was pouring out. Instead, it seemed as if her chin and the nape of her neck were getting wet.
“… It can't be helped.”
Something solid pushed into Rose's mouth. It was two long, thick fingers.
“Good, that's right.”
Rose's lips slowly parted along the fingers.
Soon, something soft enveloped Rose's lips, and at the same time, cold water began to flow in.