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Episode 103: At the End of the Chase
After the moment where I thought I was going to die

The first thing I met when I came back alive from the entrance to hell was a proposal.
“

.”
Shaa, swsahhh—
The sound of black waves crashing against the cliff was heard. Was it just my thought that it didn’t sound as scary as before? Facing the cliff, even the strong wind felt cool for some reason.
I looked down at Sislin. I was mesmerized with his slightly bruised face.
‘It’s out of control.’
‘What is on your mind?! Sislin.’
Actually, when Sislin first came to Bayonaire, I only read intense ‘obsession’ and ‘possession’ from him.
―The red string on my wrist was proof of that.
‘I just thought that he grew into the obsessive maniac in the novel.’
Just that the focus of obsession has changed from Heinrich to me.
However

‘Sometimes I think it’s more than that.’
In those eyes that looked down at me from the cliff earlier, I could feel a kind of hot heart that I couldn’t read in the original novel.
—Is it all my misunderstanding?
“I
”
I have to answer.
Since Sislin proposed to me, I would have to give an answer, but I kept getting my eyes distracted by him.
What I saw so up-close—
‘It’s the first time.’
The dark eyes were sharp as if they had been torn with a knife. But it was really weird. What I felt was that he has sensitive eyes.
It was noon in summer, and his eyes were like the scorching sun.
‘I want to touch it.’
But, I shouldn’t touch it?!
Sneak—
It was a heart that could not be suppressed by reason. Without realizing it, I lifted my hand. As if possessed

From his handsome forehead with his black hair flowing down, while carefully sweeping the high and cool bridge of his nose with my index finger,
His eyes reacted little by little, containing me.
“

.”
There was an inkling of dreadful tension.
Like touching a wild beast that would never change though it pretended to be gentle in front of me.
Soon, he laughed. When the lips with clear boundaries were stretched beautifully, his white teeth were revealed.
And,
―Tak!
Sislin grabbed the hand that had been touching him erratically.
“

!!!”
Annette’s eyes widened like a rabbit caught in a trap.
As his blatant gaze lowered to stare at her small, nervous lips, her face flushed with embarrassment.
“Ah.”
Then he tilted his head, and his nose became at an angle dangerous enough to brush hers.
The corners of his mouth, taut against his sharpened jawline, slowly rose.
It was a dizzying distance that their lips could touch if one of them moved even a little. Just then, Sislin got up without hesitation.
“

!”
I, startled, quickly grabbed his shoulder and managed to keep a distance.
Just a slight touch— and my lips felt as hot as a ball of fire and my heart was burning.
‘I’m sitting on Sislin.’
The body temperature was so hot that I immediately tried to get up.
But dak—
His forearms gripped my waist tightly, as if catching a struggling rabbit with a snare, and pulled me closer.
“You can’t go anywhere.”
“

!”
“You have to answer before you can stand up.”
His red eyes tenaciously stuck to the girl’s eyes as she tried to run away.
“
Right now, answer
?”
‘That’s too much of a demand, Sislin.’
‘Aren’t you too impatient?’
‘Both Heinrich and Kyle said they would give me time and wait!’
I barely made a sound and called him.
“
Your Highness the Crown Prince.”
Sislin narrowed his eyes as if he was pierced deeply for a moment.
“Only when you are at a disadvantage do you say ‘Your Highness the Crown Prince’.”
Huk—
My eyes widened a little. It was a face that said, ‘Oh, he found out.’ He leaned his forehead on my shoulder and whispered in a grumble.
“Still, I don’t hate it at all. Teach me how to hate. Annette.”
That voice sounded very sweet. My cheeks felt a little warm.
His large hand wrapped around mine. Suddenly, I came to my senses and found a ring on my finger.
It was a pretty ring. resembling the color of my eyes.
It had a beautiful pale green jewel like the essence of early spring.
It was such a delicate and elegant ring that it was hard to imagine that this crude and scary man had prepared it.
―It shone just like a fairy, and the size was just right as if he had measured it beforehand.
But in front of this perfect ring, I had no choice but to say:
“
I never thought of getting married.”
“

.”
Sislin placed a hand around my wrist and pressed his hot lips to the soft, white finger that was wearing the ring.
—It was an affectionate kiss.
“Then you can think about it now.”
“It will take a lot of time.”
—A lot.
‘The truth is, I have no intention of getting married right now, Sislin.’
‘Besides, the prospective husband is an obsessive maniac.’

It was difficult to even imagine such a newlywed.
‘It’s different from Heinrich and Kyle.’
I could imagine a married life with them in an abstract (though it was a very distorted imagination), but it wasn’t like that with Sislin at all.
If I’m married to this mysterious and dangerous husband

Wouldn’t my heart burst and die soon?
It will take a lot of deliberation for my peaceful life.
“It takes a lot of time.”
“
Yes, I guess that’s what it takes for you to make up your mind.”
“Well.”
Sislin’s clean lips rose nicely.
“I think you will decide soon.”
‘
Why? Why are those ominous words?’
My eyes turned round, not knowing what was going on.
However, I could quickly understand the meaning of what Sislin said.
—That too,
As soon as I returned to town.
━━━━⊱⋆⊰━━━━
“
This.”
As soon as I returned to the village, I was confronted with a messy reality.
Broken fences, messed up crops, wagons cut in half, and wounded and fallen cattle.
Amidst the chaos, an old man sat blankly on the dirt floor, and little children were crying.
For a moment, my vision became dizzy, and I frantically ran to the people and asked.
“What is all this?”
“Annette
”
Noah, who had been sitting distraught on a broken wagon, stood up looking at me.
“Annette!”
Then he ran to me and hugged me tight.
“Noah
 What is all this? These swords
 Those people!”
Scary looking swords were scattered all over the floor. There were injured villagers everywhere.
Noah looked at me, wiping the tears from his reddened eyes.
“There were people looking for Annette. They destroyed the village and threatened the people.”
“

!!!”
At that moment, a man who had stood alone in the midst of the chaos stepped forward.
It was Heinrich. The beautiful eyes under his silver hair raised and looked at me.
“Annette, don’t worry. Those cheeky bastards have already gone to hell.”
“
Heinrich.”
“The chasers—”
Heinrich pretended to cut his neck cleanly with his thumb.
Even so

This mess.
It was a peaceful and beautiful island where good people lived. If it wasn’t for me, today would have been serene, and they wouldn’t have known this fear.
Everyone got hurt like this because of me. People dear to me

For the first time, I deeply regretted it. I shouldn’t have come here in the first place.
‘It’s all messed up because of me.’
This island of Bayonaire, which I love, had became a mess.
“

.”
‘Gerard, I won’t let you go.’
I clenched my fists and swallowed my anger inside.
For the first time, I felt intense anger. I didn’t want to run away from fear, I wanted to destroy him.
Resolving my broken heart, I slowly supported the old man and comforted the little ones.
“
Owner. Are you okay?”
Belatedly, Kyle and Larva arrived. I knew without even thinking deeply about it. How long have they been looking for me?
I earnestly asked Kyle and Larva. They also seemed to really like Bayonaire. There was sadness in the eyes that looked around.
“Help me. Please.”
“
Yes.”
We slowly cleared the broken fence, rebuilt the wagons, and healed the livestock. And then, I felt like a corner of my heart was slowly falling apart.
Only then did I realize.
—This was my hometown.
These people were like my family.
If Gerard found out about this location, this probably wouldn’t be the end of it.
‘This will happen again.’
Even the villagers would have noticed the fact that the monsters came looking for me.
―If I were here, something like this would happen again.
‘Isn’t that why?’
From the villagers who each embraced their own parents and children, I felt a strange gaze I had never received before.
‘
I can’t stay in Bayonaire any longer.’
After steadfastly cleaning up, I bowed to the people.
“I’m really sorry!”
I closed my eyes tightly.
“It happened because of me. really
 I’m sorry!”
“
Annette.”
Tears welled up in Noah’s eyes.
That was then.
An unexpected voice, very different from what I expected, came out.
“From now on, we’ll protect you from those damn guys!”
Another voice, one as loud as thunder.
“Okay, Annette. I’ll keep on the watch for the next 24 hours! If someone comes again, you can hide in my house! We’ll beat them all.”
“

.”
When I looked up in surprise, the people of the village, both children and adults
 Everyone in the village was armed.
Of course, most of them held farming tools, but all their fighting spirit was genuine.
“

.”
I stared blankly at each of them, as if in a trance.
Mr. Genji was carrying a hoe on his shoulder, and Aunt Marilyn had her sleeves rolled up. The twins were also holding small slingshots.
Mr. Jake from the fruit market, and Miss Mislin who helped with the party. Everyone, without exception, raised a weapon.
“I can’t hand over Annette to those scoundrels. Are you all of the same mind?”
“Right! Right, right!”
Loud voices of agreement erupted from here and there. Not everyone could completely erase their fears, but the will to protect her seemed much stronger than that.
“
Everyone.”
Suddenly my vision blurred and tears welled up.
—They are such good people.
My throat was choked up, and I couldn’t let out what I wanted to say.
The words of sincere thanks.
Seeing me like this, Mr. Genji quietly wiped away my tears. It was then.
“Is everyone trying to plot something? 
How dare you.”
A sarcastic voice pierced through.
The uninvited guest appeared casually in the chaotic village.
―Black hair like a crow and turquoise eyes of a reptile. Ears adorned with colorful feathers.
It was Gerard’s lieutenant, Avilus Theses.