I Thought It Was An Arranged Marriage - Chapter 35

“But it isn’t now. Thanks to you, Luke.”

Rosaline truly thought so. An event that never happened, there was nothing to forgive or not forgive. To reiterate, she was innately indifferent and morally educated, so even if she showed signs of dislike, she simply left the young marquis and his wife alone.

She had just swallowed her fear alone and never committed any unjust acts. So if it was something she couldn’t even remember, was forgiveness really necessary?

“I forgive you, Luke. Because you realized your mistake, deeply reflected on it, and tried to make amends.”

But it seemed he needed forgiveness. Rosaline didn’t want him to be tormented forever by a past that no longer existed. Rather, she wanted him to face her now and live a new present with her, just as she was living, dismissing the past lives as if they never happened.

“Or, Luke, are you perhaps planning to do something bad to me again?”

“That will never happen! I will make you happy, Rosie!”

“Then please accept my forgiveness. If you don’t, I might become so anxious that I become unhappy.”

“Rosie…”

His voice was still wet with tears, but there was a mix of joy and exhilaration that hadn’t been there before. He seemed bewildered and confused, but it was as if the desire to seize this miraculous opportunity was exploding within him.

Having willingly granted him absolution, she gently kissed him again. As he stared at her with a dazed expression, he suddenly picked her up in surprise.

How could he have let her sit on such a cold, hard floor for so long! Without even considering that he had been kneeling on that floor for an even longer time, he hurriedly placed her on the bed.

As he tried to take a reverent posture again, this time Rosaline didn’t allow it. Her face was firm as she tightly gripped his shirt with both hands.

“Let’s talk… a bit more…”

“No, this conversation is over. You apologized to me, and I forgave you. End of story.”

“But…”

“Hmm. Luke, do you actually not want my forgiveness?”

“Absolutely not!”

“Then it’s settled.”

Seeing Rosaline’s bright smile, he couldn’t help but smile back. There wasn’t a shadow on her face; she looked peaceful and happy.

Is this really okay? Have I truly been forgiven by her? Is it alright for someone who deceived her and subjected her to a reality worse than hell to be happy with her? As she stared at him without blinking, she reached out and slowly stroked the back of his head.

“It’s okay. Really, it’s okay.”

Her words, as if reading his thoughts, made his body collapse. Without the mental capacity to contain his overflowing emotions, he instinctively pulled her into his arms and hugged her tightly. He didn’t even have the presence of mind to control his strength, so he didn’t realize he might be suffocating her.

Rosaline also didn’t realize she was being suffocated. Or rather, she liked the feeling of being suffocated. The sound of his heart pounding with overwhelming emotion, his warm, almost hot embrace, and his wet voice constantly whispering thanks—all of it was good.

After crying for a long time, the two, now exhausted and languid, were stuck together on the bed. Sitting with her body leaning against the headboard, Rosaline enjoyed the sound of his steady heartbeat. Then, suddenly, something came to her mind, and she carefully opened her mouth.

“Luke, I have a question.”

“Please, ask.”

“You said… I took my own life?”

“Yes… Rosie… took a deadly poison and…”

His previously soft body stiffened again, and his voice was tinged with tears. The tragedy of that day, which he had never forgotten for a moment, was still vivid as if it had happened yesterday. Even with the warm Rosaline in his arms now, he felt like he was sinking back into that inescapable despair.

“Poison?”

“Yes. It was a truly terrible… poison. Just one sip and all the organs would melt away. I recognized the scent because I had encountered it before. I can’t imagine how much you must have suffered, Rosie…”

“Hmm.”

Rosaline hummed, lost in thought. No matter how much she thought about it, she couldn’t understand. She knew the situation was dire, but that she would choose death? And poison, at that?

“You said I was imprisoned?”

“Yes, because you couldn’t handle my obsession and possessiveness… Someone as strong-willed as you, Rosie… I was truly the worst man. To make you make such a choice…”

“No, I mean, I was locked up and I managed to get poison?”

“Yes…”

Lucas’s guilt-ridden words stopped. Come to think of it, yes. It wasn’t that she had slit her wrists or jumped off somewhere; it was poisoning. It wasn’t a method she could have prepared on her own, since she was confined in the bedroom and unable to meet anyone.

Did she have the poison from the beginning? No, that couldn’t be. If she had such a thing, he would have noticed. Even if she were a mage or a spiritist, it would have been impossible to avoid his eyes for nearly a year. Besides, she was an ordinary person.

“Then, that means…”

His face turned pale. His heart pounded and his body trembled, but this time it was a different emotion. It was anger.

There was a high probability that she hadn’t taken her own life. Somehow, she had been murdered. In his castle, right under his nose, there had been bastards who dared to commit such an atrocious act against her.

“Did you investigate…?”

“My mind went blank, I wasn’t in my right mind… I just clung to the hope of a miracle…”

“I understand.”

Rosaline imagined the situation in her mind. How shocked he must have been, how he must have lost his sanity and cried out. She felt sorry for him, even though she had never seen it.

“I’m not saying this to ease your mind, but I know myself best. I would never take my own life. Maybe I would have tried to seduce you instead.”

“Yes… in fact, by that time, our relationship had improved from the worst… You even smiled occasionally.”

“And yet you thought it was suicide?”

“Because the wounds I inflicted on you were so deep… I’m sorry.”

“I’m not asking for an apology.”

Lucas took a deep breath, but he failed to calm his mind. The fact that there had been bastards targeting Rosaline, and he only realized it now, was unbearably devastating.

What kind of archmage, what kind of transcendent was he? He had lost focus and lost everything important, unable to protect anything.

He couldn’t even get her revenge on the bastards who murdered her. And now, he could never avenge her. Even if he killed them now, it wouldn’t be revenge for her death because he didn’t know who harmed her.

“I’m an idiot. I haven’t done anything right.”

“Calm down, Luke. Nothing has happened yet. This time, you’ll protect me, right?”

“Yes. I will protect you with my life, no matter what.”

Lucas’s eyes, as he began to pinpoint likely suspects one by one, gleamed coldly. Yes, he just needed to avoid making the same mistake. He didn’t know what methods they used back then, but this time he would crush them before they could even try.

He had planned to do a cleanup anyway, he would just start a little earlier. Watching Lucas grit his teeth and burn with resolve, Rosaline smiled brightly.

She had no anxiety. No fear. The strongest man in the world was on her side, and he would definitely protect her. This time, he wouldn’t let his guard down, not even a little.