Chapter 8

Adrian’s expression looking down at me was completely hardened. But it wasn’t scary. I knew well what kind of person he was.

Adrian keenly noticed that I wasn’t afraid of him and reached out his hand.

But that hand stopped before it could even reach me.

“I am not worthy of receiving your consideration.”

That one sentence made me feel as if my chest was completely blocked.

There’s no such thing as a person who doesn’t need consideration.

Humans are beings who should each be respected, and Adrian was also such a person. Even if he had the setting of being evil in this world.

I looked at Adrian’s hand that was still stopped in front of me. And I grabbed it firmly with both hands.

I could feel him flinch and tremble, but he didn’t shake me off. I could feel him being careful in case I might get hurt.

“See? Even now you have no intention of harming me.”

“If I just reach out a little, you could die.”

“I know. But you don’t do it.”

“…”

“Will you?”

I pulled down Adrian’s hand that was blocking my view with a little force.

He obediently followed my lead. His face became visible. It was still completely hardened.

“You… are excessively fearless.”

“No way. I’m very scared. Where would there be a fearless person?”

At my words, Adrian’s expression changed strangely. As if asking why I wasn’t afraid of him. I gave him an answer.

“You’ve never frightened me, so how could I be scared?”

“I am a bad person.”

“Hmm… I don’t know if you’re bad, but I can tell you’re strange.”

When I smiled slightly, Adrian pulled his hand away and hid it behind his back. Adrian, who had returned to a cold expression, corrected my words.

“I am the leader of the rebels.”

“The name ‘rebels’ isn’t something you gave yourselves.”

“If we opposed the will of the imperial family and ducal house, it’s rebellion.”

What are you really saying?

My voice got a little louder in frustration at Adrian’s exasperating words.

“It’s not like you’re trying to usurp the throne. You don’t even harm other imperial citizens, you just asked them to listen to your demands, so how is that rebellion?”

“…”

“Frankly, they’re not always clean either, and they’ve buried entire families before… Rather, the bad ones are…”

The protagonists and the imperial family.

Whether his self-esteem was low, or he really couldn’t help but think of himself as a villain because he was a character in a novel…

I bit my lower lip slightly when Adrian carefully opened his mouth.

“Aren’t you friends with Reynolds and Halloway, those two people?”

What exasperating thing is he trying to say now?

“So what? Do you think I’m the same as them?”

“…”

Since he wasn’t denying it, it seemed he didn’t completely lack such thoughts.

I understood. Thinking of the nobles involved with Adrian, it was understandable.

But even so, treating me on the same level as those bastards was too much.

“Just because we’re friends doesn’t mean we have the same thoughts or intentions. I don’t deny that Reynolds is an imperial hero either. But I don’t think the two of them always made the right judgments.”

“Still, the fact that I’m a bad person doesn’t change.”

“What’s bad about you?”

“I kidnapped you.”

Kidnapping… it’s undeniably a crime. But I’m fine with it. I even thought it was good.

“I’m fine.”

“…What?”

“I said I’m fine. Since I’m okay, you’re not a bad person anymore, right?”

When I smiled brightly, Adrian averted his eyes. He was clearly flustered.

But what could I do? This was my true feeling.

Adrian turned his back to me without answering. I also didn’t bother to ask again and looked at the light coming in. It was a very small light.

Without taking my eyes off that cluster of light, I opened my mouth. I felt like I had to say this.

“I know I’m being presumptuous.”

“…”

“I know it’s annoying when a noble who’s lived comfortably just rattles off idealistic words.”

“…”

“I just… what I want to say is, I hope you’ll know that not everyone thinks badly of you.”

Adrian still maintained his silence. There was no further conversation. Only quietness filled the interior.

How much time had passed? Drowsiness came over me. It seemed to be because I hadn’t slept properly for several days.

I ended up sitting on the floor and yawning softly. After my head dropped several times, I just lay down on the floor and closed my eyes.

In my sleep, I felt someone lifting me up. That embrace was so warm that I seemed to burrow into it. Then I vaguely heard Adrian’s voice.

He seemed to say something, but it didn’t reach me as I was half in a dream.

* * *

After the conversation in the prayer room, Adrian began avoiding me.

When our eyes met, he would immediately turn his back and change direction, or he would be busy leaving when I appeared.

At first I thought it was coincidence, but after it repeated several times, it couldn’t be a mistake. Just now too, Adrian was entering the kitchen when he saw me and immediately turned around and left.

At this point, it was hard for me to bear too. I got up from where I was sitting, ran out, and grabbed Adrian’s arm.

“Leader! Why are you avoiding me?”

Adrian removed my hand with his free hand and answered, pretending to be calm.

“I’m not avoiding you. I just suddenly remembered something.”

His voice was calm, but Adrian couldn’t make eye contact, making me snort involuntarily.

“Ah… really? You should at least eat before doing that.”

“I did.”

How ridiculous.

“Lie. I’ve been sitting in the kitchen all day.”

I glared at Adrian making such an absurd excuse. Then Adrian let out a small sigh with a troubled expression.

“…Lady Ort, are you free?”

“Of course. All I have is time.”

“Then with Kay…”

“Kay went out with Al today, didn’t she?”

“Ah.”

The reason I could guard the kitchen all day today was also because the two of them were away.

Adrian seemed to just remember that fact too. I didn’t miss this opportunity and pressed forward.

“Leader, maybe because Kay isn’t here, I have too much time on my hands, so please play with me.”

“I, I should?”

“Yes.”

Adrian’s gaze, which had been looking at the air the whole time, finally reached me. A face that didn’t hide its bewilderment was looking at me.

“Well… my lady, I’ll send you back soon, so please bear with the boredom a little. Then I’ll take my leave…”

That wouldn’t do. Even if I returned to the count’s mansion, I had to complete the <Supporting Character’s Helper> quest before going, so what bearing with it.

I grabbed Adrian’s hand again as he tried to leave.

Adrian looked at the caught hand and tried to slip it out, but I gripped our clasped hands tighter.

Even though he could clearly push me away with force, he just fidgeted restlessly and shook the caught hand slightly. I gripped his hand even tighter and said.

“I don’t want to. I have no desire to return to the count’s mansion quickly, and I have no intention of being patient right now, so please play with me.”

“You really are strange, my lady.”

“I know. But you know it’s also very strange for a kidnapper to neglect a hostage like this, right?”

Adrian seemed to ponder my words for a moment, then carefully extracted my hand and nodded.

“…Follow me.”

Adrian, who had lost to me, looked a bit sulky. I secretly smiled in victory behind Adrian’s back.

Really, having a soft heart is his weakness.

* * *

The place Adrian brought me to was a study that felt like a small library.

As soon as I entered, I could see bookshelves filling the walls. The only other furniture was a table, chairs, and a single-person sofa, but that seemed just right for him.

“Is this your study, leader?”

“I don’t use it. If you’re bored, please read books here.”

Before I could even answer, Adrian had already taken a seat.

He has no intention of playing with me.

Since I expected he wouldn’t come over easily, I was satisfied with even this much. If we were in the same space, we could at least exchange a few words.

I approached the bookshelf to choose a book as Adrian suggested. I was newly grateful that the language patch was in effect.

As I looked around the well-organized books for a while, one title caught my eye.

‘Magic Book Useful for Daily Life’

It was a conventional title. It probably wouldn’t be interesting, but this seemed like it could be a conversation topic with Adrian, so I picked it up.

I sat on the single-person sofa, settled in, and opened the book. And I stared intently at the first sentence of the book.

‘Hmm…?’

I turned to the next page. And then the next page.

I eventually came to the middle, but I couldn’t read a single sentence properly. This book had a very serious flaw.

There was no worse handwriting than this. Even though it was Imperial language, the readable letters could be counted on one hand.

“Leader, this is Imperial language, right?”

I showed him the book title and asked Adrian. Adrian looked up to check the book’s title, then nodded lightly.

“Many mages have bad handwriting. This book’s author is particularly severe. Read something else.”

“But leader, even though you’re a mage, your handwriting is pretty.”