Chapter 56

"Right, I remember a little. I thought Rufus looked good in red."

At that moment, a shock ran through me as if I had been hit hard on the head. Even if my memory was somewhat fragmented, my personality hadn't changed.

Saidie, who was always honest, was not the type to say something insincere.

"I want to spend a little more time with Rufus."

"I wish I could have returned to my original body earlier. ... Then Tabatha wouldn't have done something foolish, and I could have stayed by Rufus's side all along."

"Rufus's hands are warm."

The sense of unease I had felt until now was not a mistake. My suspicion turned into certainty.

– This woman is not Saidie.

The moment I realized she had switched places with Mabel, an overwhelming anger and disgust welled up inside me.

This woman had driven Saidie, her friends, and my life into chaos. I desperately held back the urge to draw my sword and kill her, clenching my palm tightly.

I had heard that if one of the swapped individuals dies, the other dies as well. Most importantly, this was Saidie's body. I couldn't afford to hurt it even a little.

The frustration and anger of being unable to do anything with Mabel standing right in front of me almost drove me mad.

"…Rufus?"

Mabel, worried, looked at me, who had been silent. Swallowing the words that I didn't want her to call my name in Saidie's body and voice, I opened my mouth.

"Sorry, I was just remembering that moment."

"Hehe, I see."

Mabel said, "I want to keep wearing it," and picked up the necklace.

"Hey, I can't seem to put it on properly. Rufus, can you help me?"

"…Yeah."

Mabel turned her back to me, who had taken the necklace, and moved her long, beautiful silver hair to the front.

Despite the slender neck and the white nape before me, I felt nothing, knowing that the person inside was someone else.

I was strongly plagued by self-reproach for not realizing this for ten years, despite the stark differences.

"……"

But why did this woman, who had managed so well until now, suddenly reveal her true colors so easily?

The answer came quickly to this question.

– Mabel doesn't think I would lie to Saidie Arkwright.

Despite the ten years of neglectful treatment from Saidie, who had switched places with Tabatha and become a villain, I had continued the engagement and cared for her.

Mabel must have heard from Tabatha how foolish I was. It was even more so because the topic of why I didn't break off the engagement had been a frequent subject of discussion in society.

This woman deeply underestimated and was completely at ease with me. And that would certainly be to my advantage.

The irony of my foolishness finally being useful was bitter, but now was not the time to be picky about the means.

"Is it on?"

"…Yeah."

"Thank you."

Mabel's smile, which was just like Saidie's, made me feel helpless.

Saidie was likely in Eliza's body, trapped in the Haines family's mansion.

The thought of Saidie, who had finally returned to her original body, being taken over again and spending time alone, made my heart feel as if it were being torn apart.

Most of all, the thought of her taking that drug and being in a state without an antidote made me worry.

I wanted to believe that she had somehow managed to get the antidote, as any harm to Saidie in Eliza's body would also affect Mabel's life.

In any case, I needed to investigate when and how the body swap happened. There were endless questions about the magical artifact as well.

I had to save Saidie as soon as possible. With that thought, I quietly stood up.

"Are you leaving already?"

"Yeah, I have work to do. I'll come and visit again soon."

"…Rufus, thank you. It must be difficult for you to come here amidst your busy schedule?"

"For you, it's no big deal."

I smiled slightly and gently touched her hand, and Mabel smiled shyly. Despite the rising nausea from the bottom of my stomach, I continued.

"Your memory loss must be making you anxious. If you have any problems, let me know right away. I'll do anything for you."

"Thank you… Rufus."

Mabel's eyes welled up with tears of gratitude, and she squeezed my hand back, saying, "I'm so glad you're here."

– I firmly swore to gain her complete trust and send this woman to hell.