Night of the Abandoned Duchess

Chapter 53

Kyle’s face, staring at Albert, was cold.

Rosalind understood the meaning of the word and hurriedly approached Kyle. She then shook her head to stop him.

“Do you not want to kill him? It can end without even a single soul knowing. I want to kill that bastard.”

“No. Please, don’t do that. Don’t get your hands dirty. You can’t be a murderer.”

He clenched his sword hard as if his anger still didn’t go away.

His hand holding the sword was trembling with anger. At that, Rosalind put her hand over his and wrapped it around his. Her hands were too small to cover them all, but the soft, warm warmth stopped his trembling little by little.

“…I will make sure that he will pay a fair price for his sins. I want to do that.”

…Please.

As his anger subsided and she tried to let go of her hand, though this time, Kyle grabbed Rosalind’s hand. Then, he took her hand and pulled her towards him.

Rosalind’s eyes widened at the sudden action, and he looked carefully at her face.

“You had a cut on your face.”

He reached out and touched her cheek. When his hand touched her cheeks like a tickle, she got nervous and swallowed her breath. The next moment, he glanced down and looked at Rosalind’s wrist. The scars left from the piece of glass earlier remained.

“And, the wrist as well.”

“It’s the Duke who got hurt the most.”

“These wounds will heal quickly, anyway.”

He smiled as if nothing really happened. Her heart got heavier because it was obvious that he was smiling to reassure her.

“Thank…you. And I’m sorry.”

At that, Kyle unknowingly pulled her into a hug. It was an unexpected hug, but Rosalind neither refused nor pushed him away. The sensation of his large body hugging her, his warmth seemed to spread all over her body.

“I have to thank you… Thank you for being safe.”

…And, sorry for not coming sooner.

“Soon, the soldiers will come. It’s all over now.”

“That’s…a relief.”

‘We can rest now.’

At that, she nodded her head.

“Right. What a relief.”

‘…Because you are by my side like this.’

Hearing Kyle’s soft voice, Rosalind closed her eyes.

* * *

Rosalind felt a thirst burning in her throat and she awoke from her long sleep. As her blurry focus became clear, a ceiling with a colorful pattern unfolded before her eyes. She turned her head slightly, and the loose lace curtains and luxurious furniture caught her eye.

She noticed that this was her room when she married him.

Then, as she slowly got up from bed, Isis, who was sitting next to the bed, was startled and opened her mouth.

“Madam! Are you okay?”

“…Yes.”

She barely got her voice out. Her throat stiffened as if she had chewed and swallowed sand, so Rosalind picked up the glass of water on the side table.

“…How long have I been sleeping?”

“You slept for a few days…! Everyone was worried, and there was a fuss. I’m really glad you didn’t have any major problems, though. The doctor said there were no major problems.”

“Really? How many days have passed?”

She asked curiously as she wet her throat with lukewarm water.

Her memories of the day were vivid, but on one hand, it was cut like a cut thread. She could remember until after defeating Albert, and the soldiers came to find her and Kyle, although her memories have been hazy ever since.

As soon as she got into the prepared carriage, she fainted, and when she opened her eyes, it was now.

“What… what happened?”

Isis started pouring out answers to Rosalind’s question.

“Baron Albert is going to be formally tried. From murder to kidnapping, the crime is so bad that the punishment will be heavy.”

“What about Anna? And, the Duke?”

Rosalind asked urgently.

“Anna returned home safely, and the Duke went to the Imperial Palace for that.”

“He hurt his arm then… Is he okay?”

“Yes, he is fine. There are no problems with his life, he only got stabbed a little deep and said it would take time for the wounds to heal, though it would get better.”

“Really…? Is he really okay? Is that right?”

“Of course.”

Isis smiled brightly so she would not worry after asking several times. It was then that Rosalind stroked her chest and let out the breath she had been holding back, feeling dizzy and terrified when she recalled the moment he had been injured because of her.

All of a sudden, her eyes went far away, and water started to gather. At the same time, she could hear laughter in her ear.

“Are you very worried for the Master?”

“…Of course.”

He took up a sword for her and even got stabbed…

He even said that he was grateful and sorry.

To him, she must be the person he hated more than anyone else. However, the relationship between him and her was only so deeply and darkly intertwined. What was he thankful for and sorry for…?

As she thought about it, Rosalind’s heart felt heavy as if there were stones placed on it. The moment he hugged her was still vivid. The touch that wrapped around her, the temperature… It was more difficult because it was unforgettable.

“Young Master Leo has been with Madam for a while, and now he is sleeping in the room.”

“Did Leo look for me?”

“You don’t know how much he cried. There was so much fuss about whether or not mom was okay.”

As Rosalind imagined the figure, she smiled bitterly.

At that, she raised her body halfway to look for Leo. Leaning against the head of the bed to catch her breath, she tried to move slowly, but her strength was gone. It was because she had been lying in bed without eating anything the whole time, so her whole body was exhausted.

Isis, noticing that Rosalind was struggling, hurriedly stopped her.

“When the Young Master wakes up later, I’ll take him. Please, rest.”

“Thank you so much, Isis.”

“No. Now that you are awake, eat well and think about getting well soon.”

She smiled as though replying to Isis’ mischievous smile. In the midst of such a warm and peaceful atmosphere, a knock suddenly broke in from beyond the door.

“Rosalind.”

Before she could ask who it was, the door swung open. Kyle strode into the room without even taking off his coat. Seeing the awake Rosalind, he grabbed her slender body, which was leaning against the head of the bed, and hugged her tightly.

The force of the big man’s grip on her was so strong that she felt like she was suffocating.

“…I was worried.”

But, his voice was so sincere, she couldn’t even dare to say it.

“I was so worried. A person who is still weak… you didn’t even wake up…”

“I am fine now.”

When Rosalind answered, he grabbed her by the shoulder and looked at her carefully as if checking her complexion.

“The doctor said you were going to wake up soon, but I thought my stomach was going to burn because you were so motionless.”

“It must have been a little difficult, I guess…”

“Does it hurt?”

Even though she felt a slight tingling in her wrists, it wasn’t as painful as she thought. This time, Kyle looked at her wrist. Somehow embarrassed that he looked at her wrist and patted it to and fro, she gently pulled it out of his hand.

“…Now that I’m awake, I’ll go home. Thank you so much, I don’t know what to say. I will give you a formal thank you when I feel better.”

“Where are you going with that body?”

He cut off Rosalind’s word in a snap. It was a resolute voice that didn’t feel like there was any room for negotiation.

“Stay here until you’re all right.”

‘…What?’

When she didn’t say anything, Kyle added as if he was trying to appease her. Rosalind looked at him quietly, then suddenly spoke another word.

“It’s not me who should lie down, but the Duke, right?”

“I’m fine. It’s nothing.”

He smiled.

“How can this be bad?”

She was terribly sorry that Kyle had got hurt because of her. It also made her chest tingle.

Just like the day he stood in the rain, she felt strangely saddened by the fact that he had been injured. There were times she hated it because she felt like she was in debt, but now, it was more than just a feeling of dislike.

Well, every time she thought of him, she always had more than one emotion.

Although she hated him for being cold, she liked him. She hated and resented him for loving her too late, but she couldn’t turn her back on him. And now…

“Are you worried about me now?”

Rosalind’s eyes narrowed as if she was puzzled by the somewhat smirk-sounding voice. She was absurd, thankful, sorry, and hated it. His earnest heart was revealed in his playful tone, which made her think he was a little foolish.

He was hurt more than anyone else, so why was he pretending he was okay…

“Are you worried about me a lot?”

“That is, of course…I was very worried.”

“I didn’t know it felt so good that someone cared about me.”

Saying so, his smile was playful and friendly.

“I will get hurt more.”

“Are you really saying that?”

Rosalind bluntly struck him as if it was nonsense, though her tone was also softened somehow.

“Are you seriously hurt? Let me take a look.”

“It’s okay.”

Despite the rejection, she did not give up and spoke again.

“Come on.”

She tried again, but Kyle refused unyieldingly.

“It is enough that you were worried. I didn’t get hurt too much.”

Knowing that he was doing it out of fear that she would really be worried, she felt even more sorry.

“If you are concerned about my wounds, stay here until I feel better. The biggest worry for me is you, not this arm.”

His was worried about her was more significant than his injured arm. The moment Rosalind opened her mouth to say that was nonsense, she heard his voice quickly.

“So, if it’s for me…”

‘…Don’t go anywhere. Stay by my side.’