Someone approached Ricardo, drawing a sword.
“Your Grace, I’ll handle this.”
At that sound, I reflexively took a step back.
Then Ricardo responded without taking his eyes off me.
“……It’s just the wind. No need to worry.”
His voice was incredibly calm.
But his eyes, staring at me, were trembling violently.
“By the way, that woman.”
As the other person continued speaking, Ricardo barely managed to correct his expression. Then he turned around as if nothing had happened.
Looking at his broad back, I clenched my fists tightly.
“She’s only allowed to act foolish once or twice. How could she go off leisurely in a situation like this?”
“…….”
“We weren’t trying to gain power just to follow that woman around like her shadow, were we?”
Apparently holding in a lot, the other person burst out in frustration.
“If we had been even a little late, the whole plan would’ve gone up in smoke.”
“Elliot, mind your manners in front of His Grace.”
“I’m just so resentful! If only it weren’t for that woman, Idette…!”
At the familiar name, I swallowed hard.
“Enough.”
Ricardo cut off the man named Elliot.
The surroundings instantly fell silent. If I so much as exhaled wrong, I felt like they’d realize I was here.
As I looked down at the ground, frightened, the female knight spoke with a wary voice.
“……It seems we’re being pursued.”
“Take care of it.”
At Ricardo’s words, all signs of movement vanished.
……Was it okay to leave now?
No, more importantly, what exactly just happened?
It was at that moment.
A robe was draped over my shoulders. Startled, I looked up, but Ricardo pressed a hat firmly down over my head, cutting off my view.
“……!”
Then he suddenly grabbed my hand and pulled me close.
“Follow me.”
I wanted to ask, shouldn’t you be hiding your face too? Couldn’t you just give me the robe?
But the chilling voice coming from behind shut my mouth.
“There she is!”
The voice, more like a scream, struck my mind.
Ricardo gritted his teeth and wrapped an arm around my waist. Then he lifted me up and started to run.
“……!”
As soon as my feet lost contact with the ground, goosebumps broke out all over my body. Startled, I quickly wrapped my arms around Ricardo’s neck.
He noticeably flinched.
I know, you probably hate situations like this!
But isn’t this better than me screaming?
Ricardo hadn’t even asked for an explanation, but I got scared and started justifying myself in my head.
There seemed to be quite a few people chasing us.
Isn’t this a bit much just for taking the wrong turn?
How long did we run like that? A sunlit alleyway came into view.
“Try our refreshing orange juice before you go!”
“This dish is a rare treat you won’t find every day!”
I’d never been so glad to hear the sounds of people.
Suddenly, my field of vision brightened.
My eyes, used to the darkness, couldn’t adjust to the light and only saw haze.
In the meantime, Ricardo moved into the crowd. That’s when I came to my senses and let go of the arms I had wrapped around his neck.
The loud pounding of my heart echoed in my ears. As I exhaled the breath I had held in fear, my eyes met Ricardo’s.
“…….”
There was a streak of blood on his cheek.
From the situation, it looked like Ricardo had followed Idette. The men he had killed were probably the ones trying to harm her.
‘But the Ricardo I know wouldn’t just stand by and let someone badmouth Idette.’
That thought must’ve made my stare intense. Ricardo awkwardly lowered me to the ground.
“There are too many people. They won’t be able to follow us here.”
Ricardo cautiously reached out his hand to me. But after a moment, noticing the blood on his own hand, he curled it into a fist.
Isn’t it a bit late for that now?
I took his hand without fuss.
“Let’s go. Weren’t we in the middle of escaping?”
At my words, Ricardo’s throat bobbed. Then he led me into the crowd.
Ah, what if I lose him like this?
Maybe he had a similar thought—his grip on my hand tightened.
There were so many things I wanted to ask Ricardo. But in this situation, there wasn’t a single question I could ask.
As I quietly followed him, Ricardo finally spoke.
“It seems you came to Dians alone. Do your family members know?”
“……No.”
Ricardo let out a short, dry laugh.
I felt like a clueless child and tried to explain myself.
“I didn’t come alone, I came with a friend. She had something urgent come up and went back first.”
“You two must be very close.”
Ricardo sneered.
I was about to refute him, but I stopped.
〈You and Lord Ricardo never bring up that matter, so I’ve kept quiet since then.〉
Rayler’s words came to mind.
……Could Ricardo know about the past I don’t remember?
If the ‘child’ Eileens mentioned was Ricardo, then what on earth happened between us?
It was close to midnight. But the night of the festival continued. I decided to shift my focus to erase what had just happened from my mind.
“……I’m sorry.”
Even amidst the noise of the bustling crowd, Ricardo’s voice rang clear.
“I didn’t mean to ruin your day.”
I thought he was just being awkward, but when I looked at his face again, it was full of guilt.
……I didn’t expect him to apologize.
Besides, this wasn’t Ricardo’s fault.
It was purely my bad luck that I got caught up in this by accident.
“Ricardo.”
“…….”
“I’m okay.”
Facing a dejected Ricardo was more difficult than I expected.
Especially in a situation like this.
“More importantly, shouldn’t you go back?”
You said there were pursuers. Is it okay for you to hang around here with me?
But Ricardo just pulled my hood further down over my head. My vision was blocked again, and I squirmed as I asked,
“You said it’s dangerous?”
“The knights of House Hessen are not that weak.”
That’s not what I meant!
Didn’t you come to Dians on business in the first place?
But it seemed I was the only one taking the situation seriously.
Ricardo, perhaps trying to lighten the mood, spoke in a light tone.
“I should observe proper manners as your fiancé. Dians is dangerous right now.”
I was speechless. Since when did he start acting like my fiancé?
No, more importantly, how could he be so confident?
I frowned and asked him,
“Did you sign the annulment papers? I sent them ages ago, and still no reply…”
“I threw them away.”
His voice was far too calm.
……You threw what away?
Did I just mishear him?
But as if to dispel any such thought, Ricardo continued in a voice that sounded almost angry.
“I ripped them up the moment I received them and threw them away.”
“Are you crazy? Why would you throw that away!”
Is this guy out of his mind?
“Wasn’t everything already settled? You were the one who wanted the annulment in the first place.”
“I told you before. I prefer it when you hate me.”
His next words sent chills down my spine.
Yeah, he had said that once. Saying I looked more beautiful that way—what a load of crap.
Now I realize it. This guy definitely saw me as a toy.
He was just fascinated that someone who used to torment him like Bianca suddenly changed her attitude.
As I was thinking that, Ricardo glanced at me.
“If you wanted the annulment, you should’ve brought the documents yourself.”
So what he meant was…
Because I didn’t return the jacket and the annulment papers myself, he wouldn’t go through with it?
Then Ricardo said to me in a firm voice.
“From now on, don’t avoid me.”
“…….”
“If you truly want the annulment.”