Chapter 24: Closed Future
A week has passed since I started living in the cabin in the forest.
I am surprised and even amazed at how calm I am compared to what I had imagined. Whether it’s because I have experienced countless unjust deaths or because I somehow realized that there was no escape, I don’t really know anymore.
I am relieved that I can live peacefully for now.
“. . .Maybe I should do some knitting.”
After finishing dinner, I picked up knitting needles and yarn, intending to knit until I got sleepy. There’s no one to give anything I make to, but even if it were given after I died, it would only burden the recipient.
──Whenever I sit still and do something like this, I always end up thinking about Ralph. Is he doing well? What is he doing now? Does he resent me?
Although we spent less than two months together, I suddenly realized that he had become a significant presence within me
Ignoring the pain in my chest, I continued knitting silently.
“. . .Hm?”
By the time I finished knitting a single sock that I had no intention of giving to anyone, I heard a dull sound as if something had fallen from outside. Immediately after, I noticed the sound of footsteps approaching me.
Thump, thump, the sound echoed into the room and eventually stopped right in front of the door. It didn’t feel like the footsteps of my guards, and my heart started pounding with an unpleasant rhythm.
I placed the tools I was holding on the table, tightly clenched both hands, and anxiously stared at the door.
In the next moment, there was a loud thud, and the door collapsed towards me. It seemed to have been kicked open. Even though it should have been protected by Melvin’s magic, what on earth was happening?
There is no place to escape in this small house. In a panic, I could only step on the fragments of the door, crack, crack, and wait for the person who was approaching while walking.
Eventually, when I saw his face under the light, I gasped.
“. . .Why?”
Ralph, covered in blood and holding a holy sword in one hand, was there.
Why is he here? Why is he so covered in blood? Is he injured somewhere? Even if I tried to ask something, as soon as I saw his face, which showed no emotions, my voice choked up.
Without realizing it, my trembling hand hit something, and the ball of yarn that had fallen to the floor rolled and rolled. Eventually, it stopped right in front of Ralph’s feet.
There was a strong smell of blood coming from him.
“. . .Why did you run away from me?”
And as he looked at me, or rather, his dark eyes that didn’t reflect me, he murmured.
I couldn’t tell if he was angry or sad. Ralph gently reached out and touched my cheek. The sensation of his warm, blood-stained hand sent shivers down my spine.
“You’re a liar, Lisette-sama.”
“. . .?”
“You promised me that you would never leave my side.”
Finally, the words that overflowed from my mouth were an apology. He responded to me with, “It’s okay.”
“Even though you’re a terrible liar, I still love you the same.”
Upon hearing those words of “I love you” from his mouth for the first time, I felt an overwhelming urge to cry. Emotions resembling sadness and emptiness welled up, and once again, words of apology spilled out from my mouth.
“Oh, I’m sorry. I’ve dirtied your beautiful face, Lisette-sama.”
Ralph said that and gently let go of my hand. He must be referring to the blood on his hand.
“Did you get hurt?”
“No.”
“But, the blood, where is it from?”
“Who knows?”
Ralph slightly lifted the corners of his mouth as if to say it didn’t matter. I realized that the calm and gentle Ralph I knew was no longer there.
“Lisette-sama, you don’t need to worry about such things.”
“But, Ralph, I. . .”
“It was my fault. I’m the one who couldn’t reassure Lisette-sama. I’m the one who put Lisette-sama in an environment where she wanted to escape. It’s all my fault.”
What is Ralph talking about?
“But now, it’s okay. You taught me that it’s better to live selfishly, Lisette-sama.”
“. . .Hey, what do you mean?”
“As long as you’re alive, that’s all that matters to me.”
And Ralph, who had somehow taken out a small vial, sprinkled it towards me. At the same time, the scenery tilted and swayed.
By the time I realized that it was something that would make me lose consciousness, it was already too late. My body had no strength, and I was being held tightly by Ralph.
──What will become of me from now on? Why did things turn out like this?
“Goodnight, Lisette-sama.”
With those words from him, my consciousness faded away.
❂❂❂❂❂❂
“. . .Uh.”
As I slowly opened my eyelids, I was greeted by an unfamiliar ceiling spreading across my field of vision.
Where am I? When I tried to get up from the bed, I heard a metallic scraping sound. I looked down at my feet, feeling a sense of discomfort, and noticed that my ankles were firmly shackled.
From there, a thick and sturdy iron chain extended to the wall.
“What is this. . .?”
In a panic, I let my gaze wander, and I also realized that I was trapped in something like a prison. I desperately tried to think with my unresponsive mind, wondering why this had happened.
──That’s right. Ralph came to the cabin, and then–
“Are you awake?”
When I raised my face at that voice, Ralph had somehow come near the iron bars.
“I brought you some food. Shall we eat together?”
He had the same gentle smile as always, and the tray he held had a warm-looking meal on it. The disparity between this situation and his appearance sent a chill down my spine.
I immediately understood that he was the one who had locked me up here.
“Where am I? Please let me out.”
“I prepared your favorite bread for you.”
“Hey, Ralph, listen to me. I–”
“There’s also dessert, so please eat a lot.”
The conversation didn’t match at all, and his words didn’t reach me. I wanted to cry at the mismatch between this situation and his usual self.
Ralph skillfully unlocked the door with one hand and came to me. He placed the tray on the table, knelt down, and took my trembling hand.
“It’s dangerous for Ralph too if things stay like this. Let me out of here.”
“It’s okay. I will protect you, Lisette-sama.”
“Hey, I’m fine. Please, listen to me.”
“Everything will be over soon.”
My words can no longer reach Ralph, they just won’t reach him.
He wiped away my tears that had been flowing without me realizing and said, “I love you,” smiling more beautifully than anyone else.
