Chapter 54

This is the story after the conclusion.

To match the book version, I have changed the way Sai is addressed from "boy" to "young man."

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Rabi realized she couldn't meet Sai's eyes some time after hearing his confession.

She would take a step forward, only to scream in agony, thrashing in bed or banging her head against the wall. Seeing these various odd behaviors, Mari, Rabi's personal maid, thought she had improved a lot recently, but still kept her distance from her mistress, thinking she was still a strange young lady. But that's another story.

"Mr. Sai, it's been a while..."

"Miss Rabi, it's good to see you looking well."

It was a rather strange situation. Until now, Sai should have been meeting regularly with Baldo in the greenhouse, but now Sai was sitting there. On the day they first met, he had been standing behind Baldo, yet now it was natural for a teacup to be placed in front of Sai, faintly steaming. It was still unfamiliar, even though this was the second time. It was just too unfamiliar.

It might not have been "a while," but in the past, they had met every day for Rabi's supervision, and he had accompanied her on many trips to the pond. Thinking back now, it was more dangerous than she had imagined, and she could sense Sai's struggles. Her head ached, and she couldn't face him, feeling guilty.

Initially, when Rabi's fiancé changed to Sai, there was a lot of surprise from those around her. Rabi herself hadn't seen it, but Baldo, her original fiancé, must have been even more shocked. When a noble establishes a new fiancé, they need approval from the country. Setting aside the details of that process, Rabi gently grabbed the handle of the cup with three fingers and thought about dying. She was so tense, her stomach hurt. Even though she should have been able to eat normally, she wanted something gentle for her stomach.

Think about it. Deep down, she had always felt that someone like herself... She had buried these feelings deep in her heart. But Sai had easily pulled them out.

They were never alone together. Unlike Baldo, who had a guard, Mari was still accompanying Rabi from behind. Yet, thinking about everything, she wanted to escape and do squats in her room. Rabi had recently discovered the joy of building muscle.

Honestly, it was nerve-wracking. Her heart felt like it was being squeezed. Sai looked completely at ease. It was embarrassing to show such signs, but as a fiancé, Sai had started visiting the Hesphen family. Thinking about this made her happy, and she wanted to cherish this time.

The first time, they hadn't really talked much, and the time had passed quickly. The same was true for the second time. "Is there anything troubling you? How is your health? Are you taking care of yourself?" She thought about each of Sai's questions. It felt like talking to her father.

Sometimes, when a father comes home from a business trip and tries to find something to talk about with his daughter...

Setting aside that thought, "There's nothing troubling me. I've been helped a lot by Mr. Sai. My health is fine, and I've been checked by a doctor." Pretending to be controlled by Nella was difficult, but she felt a sense of progress, moving forward steadily, savoring the limited time.

The warmth of the tea in her hand made her exhale a warm breath. Seeing this, Sai's eyes softened.

"---That's good. I'm glad."

This line was actually a bit unusual. Sai always treated Rabi with extremely polite gestures and tone, even now as her fiancé. He was a serious man. However, sometimes, his polite speech would slip, and he would say "you" instead of "you" (formal).

Rabi liked Sai's usual gentle way of speaking. But why, in those moments, did it feel like she could see into his heart, finding it endearing? It was funny to think that such a large, sturdy man could seem so vulnerable.

Even though she thought she couldn't look at Sai, she raised her gaze, feeling happy to meet his eyes. Sai must have noticed, as he quickly closed his mouth and covered it with his hand, but his ears were slightly red.

(...Oh, you're the same as me.)

Rabi now understood Sai much better than before. The feeling that he wouldn't care about someone like herself had softened and become gentle. She realized that Sai was also nervous about being alone with her.

"Mr. Sai, if it's not too much trouble, would you like to have lunch with me at the school? Just for a little while until you graduate."

"That's..."

If it had been under the prince's surveillance order, it would be different, but even as fiancés, they were still students. They should maintain a proper relationship. Of course, if Mari, who was behind her, heard this, she would be angry, so she spoke softly. Sai also hesitated slightly. If it were her old self, she would have backed down here. Or rather, she wouldn't have even suggested it.

Seeing Sai's reaction, she decided to stop, feeling embarrassed. But then, "Mr. Sai, I... I want to see you a little more..."

No, it wasn't that she wanted to be alone with him. She didn't want to force him to do something he found difficult. She just wanted to express her feelings, to tell him that she liked him.

Sai seemed to understand Rabi's feelings correctly. In front of her, his usually cheerful face became serious, his lips tightly pressed together. However, his ears were still slightly red. He had his own thoughts. It was unbearable. Usually patient, this was difficult for him. "I also..."

"I want to touch you a little more."

However, the response was a few steps beyond what Rabi had imagined.

She thought she might stop breathing. But he hadn't said that much, right? Honestly, among the things that made her scream, the main one was the idea of him pinning her against the wall, and she certainly didn't want to deny that. She fumbled with the cup, and Sai looked at her gently. When their eyes met again, a soft cough from behind interrupted them.

Interrupting a master's conversation is something a maid should never do, but Mari must have been listening. Rabi thought, "Thank you for stopping me." Her thoughts were about to drift away. So this time, she spoke even more softly and made another suggestion.

"How about the rose garden? I think fewer people visit it now."

She meant to say that it had passed its peak as a popular spot, but it sounded like she was suggesting a place with fewer people. She quickly shook her head, thinking she might be misunderstood as suggesting a place to be intimate. "I'm sorry, I misspoke, that..."

"I understand," Sai said with a wry smile, and she sighed in relief.

"I look forward to it."

"Me too."

Now, what should I pack for lunch?

A long time ago, when she was controlled by Nella, Rabi was afraid of eating. No, she was afraid of mealtime. She couldn't eat properly, and the heavy feeling of hunger was terrifying. She would struggle to swallow the small amount of food. She would look out the window, wondering if these days would continue forever. In her memory, it always seemed to be raining. Of course, that wasn't true.

Even now, free from Nella, she felt a strange sensation. Sometimes, she felt like she was being pulled back to those days. Thinking about meals with Sai made her feel joyful and excited, but it seemed far away. ---That's why the present days felt precious, and she knew time was limited.

"It's a promise," Rabi said with a smile. This time, Mari pretended not to hear. She was looking forward to tomorrow, and the day after, and the day after that.

The days spent with Sai were incredibly precious.

This is followed by the story from Fer's perspective after the conclusion.

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【Announcement】

The manga version is now available!

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【Announcement 2】

I've started a new work. If you're interested, please check it out.

【The Story of the Wizrain Kingdom ~The Dragon Girl Who Was Reborn as a Bride~】

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