CH 59

As I opened my mouth before closing it again, it was as if I had been hit in the head and could not think of a word. Seeing that, Gabriel smiled bitterly.

“It’s true.”

“….”

“I thought so, because Eve still couldn’t trust me… You can’t just believe me all of a sudden.”

“Gabriel.”

When I tried to open my mouth to make an excuse, I was interrupted by Gabriel.

“It’s okay. I understand everything.”

He persisted, letting out a sigh, “Even Eve wouldn’t have believed me. I mean, how could you believe me? Anyone can see that I’m taking Eve for the purpose of exploitation…”

“…Did you know that?”

Asking that, my voice trembled on its own.

“Of course.”

He answered sadly.

“Still, I thought maybe Eve would believe in me, or maybe someday, if not now… If I showed my sincerity, you would believe me…”

“…I’m sorry.”

I lowered my head. The emotion contained in each and every word of Gabriel was felt so large that it filled the small room.

“It’s okay.”

Gabriel answered calmly.

“Actually, it’s true that I originally approached Eve for that purpose.”

“….!”

Naturally, my body shivered and I instinctively stepped back.

Gabriel did not reach out to stop me.

“I’m sorry if I surprised you a lot. I thought Eve was already thinking that way… I guess you weren’t. I apologize again.”

“… knew it, but I hoped it wasn’t.”

My voice trembled like a thorn. Even though I was able to confirm through his own mouth what I had been suspicious of until now, I was not happy at all.

Rather, bitter emotions came over me like a tidal wave.

‘Of course…’

It would not be a lie to say that I have developed feelings of affection. However, even then, would the original purpose change now?

“I’ve been meaning to tell you this many times… If I had known this would be the case, it would have been better not to say anything at all.”

Gabriel buried his face in his hands. I suppressed the urge to immediately run out of the room and opened my mouth.

“No.”

A more decisive word came out of my mouth than I had intended.

“Thank you for telling me.”

“….”

At my words, he slowly raised his head. The reddened eyes stood out.

“But, I can’t keep following Gabriel.”

“I understand. Eve doesn’t trust me, because she doesn’t know how I feel…”

“No, that’s not it.”

Saying so, I shook my head.

“That’s not what I mean.”

Now, I know. Gabriel loves me… At least, he has his own love, if not the universal sense. Nonetheless, whether that kind of love was acceptable to me was an entirely different matter.

“As soon as I arrive in the Kingdom of Baynell, I’ll be treated as Lord Cassius’ fiancée. That’s just what it falls into.”

“I’ll protect you so that your identity wouldn’t be revealed.”

“Then, what’re you going to introduce me to?”

“….”

Noticing Gabriel gazed at me with his speechless face, I sighed.

“Yes, you could say, under a suitable pseudonym, that I was a commoner whom you fell in love with while you lived in the Empire.”

He opened his mouth, but I did not give him a chance to speak.

“Regardless, there’s always going to be an investigation into a woman who could become a princess. Still, wouldn’t my identity and location be discovered…?”

“….”

“Answer me. Did you really not know what kind of situation I would face if I went to the Kingdom of Bynell? Whatever Gabriel’s intentions are… I can’t go to the Bynell Kingdom.”

“Eve.”

“You say you love me. Though putting someone you love into such a situation… I don’t understand.”

“Eve.”

I paused for a moment. It was because Gabriel called my name with a really earnest face.

“I fully understand that Eve doesn’t trust me. However… Just give me one chance. I’m going to prove to you personally that it won’t go that way.”

“…Why do we have to go to the Bynell Kingdom terribly?”

Rather than trying to clarify Gabriel, these words were closer to the questions to myself. I was really curious, and it just popped out.

“If you love me that much, you won’t have to go back. Knowing how dangerous the Bynell Kingdom is to me, why do you want to go back?”

The answer came a little slow.

“…You can stay at the border if Eve wants to. I’ve got work to finish there.”

“Why do we have to go all the way to the border?”

Silence passed, still, Gabriel did not seem to have found an answer to this question.

I bit my lip.

“I don’t know why Gabriel wants to go back to the Bynell Kingdom. I don’t think you’re going to tell me, anyway. Nevertheless, let me make this one thing clear… I can’t even go near the border.”

“….”

“If you want to stay together, go somewhere else. As long as it’s not the Kingdom of Bynell, anywhere is fine.”

I stood up from my seat.

It was because there was no need to wait for Gabriel’s reply.

Seeing him gaze up at me like a half-drowned man, I heaved in a half-hoarse voice.

“However, you can’t do that, isn’t that right? Because you have a job to do as the Prince of Baynell… Because it takes priority over me.”

“….”

At that, I took a step forward. There was nothing more to wait for.

“Take care, Gabriel.”

Fortunately, he did not try to hold me.

As I left the inn and walked through the cool night air, I thought. Perhaps… Gabriel was not trying to use me…

…At least, consciously.

‘…Still, the result would have been the same.’

What was the difference between trying to take me to the Bynell Kingdom without really thinking about what kind of situation I would be in and using it from the beginning…? Nevertheless, the result would be the same.

‘It is already over.’

Gabriel must have realized that there was no way to convince me, so he let me go.

‘I have to get out of here.’

There would always be time to clear my mind. Closing my eyes for a moment and organizing my thoughts., priorities came to mind easily.

“Excuse me. Is there a carriage waiting area around here? I’ve to take a long-distance carriage.”

“It’s only a fifteen-minute walk from here. There are some carriages that leave at night, so you can get on them right away.”

“Thank you.”

At the reply, I quickly headed to the carriage waiting area, where carriages headed out of town were lined up after asking the questions.

About ten minutes later, the carriage waiting area eventually came into sight.

“Eve!”

It was, of course, Gabriel who called me out behind my back. My body stiffened by itself. Please, do not tell me that he had come to take me by force…

‘Let’s be calm.’

I turned back with a nonchalant face.

“Gabriel.”

Gabriel came over to me, gasping for his breath.

“I’m sorry. It’s all my fault that Eve’s doing this. I mean…”

“I’ve no intention of going to the Bynell Kingdom. I have no intention of forcing Gabriel to sacrifice his position and all ties to his family.”

“…I know.”

Answering me, he laughed bitterly.

“That’s why I like Eve… This will be the last time I’ll see you.”

“Yes?”

Gabriel handed me a package that was neither large nor small. When I accepted it, it was rather heavy.

“Clothes to hide your identity, money, swords, maps… I packed whatever came to mind. I’m sorry if there’s anything missing.”

They were all things I wanted to have at any cost. I swallowed dry saliva. A complicated mind went up to the end of my neck.

“…Gabriel.”

“Go wherever Eve wants to … and, never get caught by him.”

A distorted voice, a mixture of weeping and laughter, escaped his mouth, “I’m sorry that I’m not enough for Eve’s trust…”

I could not say anything. It would have been better if Gabriel had crushed me why I did not follow his superior self. However, he graciously acknowledged his shortcomings without hesitation. How could I leave such a person alone…?

Gabriel slowly came towards me before gazing into my face. His eyes were intense, as if they were going to engrave my face in their field of vision.

“I want Eve to be happy.”

* * *

The mansion of the upper class in the big city of the western part, far from the Bynell Kingdom and the capital of the Empire…

A tall maid with a strict-looking impression and a thick-bodied, middle-aged butler stared at me meticulously.

“You look just the right age, and you look like you’re decent at work… It’s not bad. What about your letter of recommendation?”