Chapter 11 – Long Ago, Where My Gaze Reached (Part 2)

The first thing Inferno did upon regaining consciousness was to seek out Bellaruse.

Regaining his senses, Inferno first sought out Bellaruse.

“This is all your fault!”

Inferno raised his hand. The hand that struck Bellaruse fell with a resounding smack. The servants and maids hurriedly left, but no one helped Bellaruse. In this ruthless palace, there was no one who cared about the powerless daughter of the Baron Zeraon.

Enduring the relentless blows, Bellaruse gritted her teeth. She had grown accustomed to it. Being beaten nearly every day, she had learned to endure through sheer willpower. She knew there was no one in the palace to help her. She had even pleaded for help from her family, but they had exchanged her for the small sum of money given by the royal family.

‘This isn’t right.’

Curling up to protect herself, Bellaruse bit her lip. This wasn’t why she had stood by Inferno’s side. She had wanted to become a proud member of the royal family, not this.

When the panting Inferno, unable to contain his rage, stormed out, Bellaruse lifted her head. The flames of revenge towards Inferno’s retreating figure grew uncontrollably.

***

The bed was warm, and the sunlight that touched her eyes was blinding. She tried to free herself from the strong arms holding her and rise from the bed, but she couldn’t move.

“Sleep a bit more.”

A tired whisper, a now familiar hand patting her back. Her eyelids grew heavier.

Reubellina struggled to keep her eyes open and moved her lips.

“I need to get up.”

The sun was already peeking through the window. She tried to recall her schedule for the day but realized there was nothing specific and looked around.

‘Right, when did I lose consciousness?’

She remembered being trapped in the mine with Tartenon and coming out with him. She tried to stay alert on the horse but couldn’t remember anything after that. Reubellina blinked as a sudden thought crossed her mind.

She wasn’t supposed to be sleeping.

‘What happened?’

Though Tartenon would have handled things, Reubellina was curious about what had transpired after they escaped the mine. She got up from the bed, covered Tartenon with a blanket, and pulled the bell rope.

Not wanting to disturb the still-sleeping Tartenon, she walked slowly to the door. As soon as Sandy saw her awake, tears welled up in her eyes.

“Your Grace!”

“Shh!”

Wearing a hastily donned robe, Reubellina stepped out of the bedroom. Sandy followed her. As they walked down the corridor, the startled looks from the servants were evident, but Reubellina quickly entered another room.

“What happened?”

As soon as she closed the door, she asked Sandy.

“You arrived at the castle unconscious, and everyone was very worried.”

“Is that all?”

“No.”

Sandy slowly explained what had happened during the two days Reubellina was unconscious. Viverna’s downfall, the death of the nobles who supported her, and finally, the death of the traitorous knight Neon.

“Neon?”

“Yes! If I had known, I wouldn’t have treated him so well!”

Sandy stomped her feet in frustration. Explaining that Neon had been executed for supporting Viverna and regularly passing information to her, Sandy was filled with resentment.

“Anyway, it was a close call. There was an explosion.”

“That wasn’t my fault.”

“Your Grace!”

Sandy glared at her.

“I’ll never let you out of my sight again. I was so worried.”

Sandy, who had tears in her eyes, finally burst into sobs. As she cried loudly, Reubellina, at a loss, tried to comfort her.

At that moment, the door to the room they were in burst open with a bang.

Tartenon, with disheveled hair and a robe barely covering his shoulders, stood in the doorway, looking alarmed.

“Tarte…!”

Before Reubellina could finish his name, she was enveloped in his embrace. Holding her tightly, Tartenon whispered.

“I thought you were gone.”

“I, I just wanted to find out what happened…”

“You could have asked me. Why did you go looking for someone else!” 

Tartenon’s voice was filled with concern and frustration, making Reubellina blush. Now that she knew he was her childhood savior, she felt embarrassed. She couldn’t even tell him to let go because it was hurting her.

As Tartenon’s cold gaze turned to Sandy, she quickly left the room. Reubellina was so flustered she didn’t even notice Sandy leaving.

“Well, um…”

“Do you know how worried I was? When I woke up and you were gone, I thought something had happened again. I searched for you in this state!”

“Tartenon. It’s just…”

“Don’t ever leave without a word again.”

“…Alright.”

Reubellina replied, unable to refuse his heartfelt plea. After promising multiple times that she would never disappear again, she was finally released from his embrace.

Reubellina, with a flushed face, awkwardly looked around the room to avoid his gaze.

“What’s wrong now?”

“Huh?”

“Why are you avoiding me?”

“I’m not avoiding you…” 

‘It’s awkward! It’s awkward! You said you love me! So why are you acting so casual!’

Reubellina swallowed the words she couldn’t say to Tartenon.

She slowly looked into his worried eyes. Tartenon’s blue eyes were always on her, never avoiding her gaze like others, never harboring dark emotions.

Having dealt with many people through her trading business, Reubellina could at least distinguish what kind of person she was dealing with. Many had tried to use her, and many had tried to deceive her.

‘The worst was Inferno.’

Thinking back, she wondered how she hadn’t realized Inferno was using her so thoroughly. She had accepted it all because she thought of him as her first love. She had believed Inferno, who had once saved her, was a good person.

‘But he wasn’t.’

It wasn’t Inferno. Tartenon was the one who had saved her as a child.

Even in her confused state, Reubellina remembered Tartenon saving her. She had forgotten that brilliant silver hair.

‘I mistook it for blonde because it blended with the sunlight.’

“Tartenon.”

“…”

When Reubellina suddenly called his name, Tartenon caressed her cheek.

“You saved me, right?”

“You saved me.”

“Not in the mine.”

Her golden eyes shone with seriousness. Seeing her deeply serious face, Tartenon closed his mouth.

“A long time ago at the hunting ground.”

“…Yes.”

“Then why didn’t you come forward back then?”

“If I had, would you have believed me?”

“No.”

Reubellina answered calmly. She was sure she would have doubted him if he had told the truth back then. Remembering herself from that time, she was certain. She had been the heir to the wealthy Duke of Asillious, and Tartenon was just a nobleman from the barren north known for his swordsmanship.

“Then why ask now?”

“Well, I just wanted to know.”

“…I regretted leaving you behind at that time.” 

Reubellina blinked at Tartenon’s small whisper. She hadn’t expected him to think that way. He had just saved a woman in danger,she wondered why he would think so deeply about it.

“It was the first time I fell for someone at first sight.”

“Huh, what?”

“I still remember you sitting under the canopy with the noble ladies. The blue dress you wore then, and the way your eyes curved.”

“Uh, that, um.”

Reubellina stepped back in surprise at the sudden confession. Tartenon stepped right up and wrapped his arm around her waist. His hand on her waist was hot. Heat rose from the spot Tartenon’s hand touched.

Reubellina could hardly breathe. Tartenon’s face was so close to her lips.

“I don’t like it when you avoid me.”

Seeing his earnest eyes, Reubellina looked straight into his eyes. She couldn’t avoid him anymore. It was only polite to be sincere with someone who was sincere.

“I won’t avoid you.”

Reubellina’s golden eyes met the blue ones. Tartenon didn’t avoid her gaze, either.

At that moment, her lips parted, and she asked a question.

“Do you love me?”

Tartenon’s eyes widened at her question but soon returned to normal. His tightly closed lips opened after a moment.

“I love you.”

At his answer, Reubellina opened her trembling lips and asked again.

“Is that why you proposed a contract marriage to me?”

“Yes.”

The truth Reubellina had never considered came from Tartenon’s mouth.

She bit her lip. She couldn’t hide her confusion. To think all this was planned.

Reubellina realized she had been deceived by Tartenon.

‘Should I call myself stupid, or should I praise Tartenon for deceiving me so well?’

Her mind was in turmoil. Reubellina was silent for a moment before speaking again.

“Did you deceive me?”

“No, it wasn’t like that. How could I deceive you?”

“Then what?”

“I just fanned the flames of the Second Prince and Bellaruse’s ambitions.”

“…”

Tartenon hadn’t done anything directly. He hadn’t told her to break up with Inferno, nor had he instructed Bellaruse to seduce Inferno. In the end, everything was Inferno and Bellaruse’s choices. Tartenon had merely grabbed the opportunity.

“But if you think I deceived you, then yes, I did.”

“What?”

“But could you think of it as something I did out of love?”

“Tartenon, I…”

“If you had married the Second Prince, you would have been unhappy.”

“That’s my decision to make, not yours.”

Those words made it clear why she was so angry.

Reubellina faced her feelings, which had been overshadowed by the thrill of Tartenon’s confession. She was angry at herself for not seeing Inferno’s true nature and at Tartenon for trying to manipulate her.

‘But…’

She couldn’t be angry at Tartenon. Now, she was actually grateful to him. Without him, she would have blindly accepted a marriage with Inferno, unaware of the misery she was walking into.

Thanks to him, she had safely escaped the capital. Thinking this, her anger subsided a bit.

“I’m sorry.”

Hearing Tartenon’s dejected voice, she found it even harder to be angry. Reubellina realized she couldn’t say harsh words to him, who looked at her with such a pained expression. She also noticed that her feelings had shifted towards him.

“It’s alright.”

“Then, do you forgive me?”

“Yes. Thanks to you, I didn’t have to deal with the trash.”

“Trash?”

“Oh, you know, that bad guy.”

“…I see.”

Reubellina leaned her face against Tartenon’s chest. Unlike a moment ago, when she had stepped back, she now moved closer to him and embraced him. Tartenon didn’t reject her and held her tightly.

Tartenon’s heart was beating fast. Reubellina, with her ear against his chest, could hear it clearly.

“Your heart is racing.”

“Because I’m holding you.”

“Mine too.”

Tartenon tightened his hold on her in response. The sunlight behind them cast a radiant glow.