40. Cleaning Up

Jace Riverton was cleaning up with his sleeves rolled up.

Despite the name, ‘cleaning up’ wasn’t such a grandiose task.

Erasing blood with chemicals and removing the smell was a good way to organize his troubled mind.

They say that repeating the same task multiple times improves one’s skills, but he had possessed a natural talent for killing from the beginning.

It was rare for unnecessary amounts of blood to dirty his hands.

This wasn’t simply because he had some kind of perfectionist tendency.

Finding vital points and extracting life was just too easy for him.

Like an instinct engraved on his soul, he continued the forbidden ritual.

In each moment, in a brief instant, the disposal was already finished.

Some say people harm others because of grudges, and others do it because they feel pleasure from the sl*ughter itself.

But for him, such things were impossible.

This was because it was literally just a fleeting moment.

There is romance for a man who slowly enjoys the process of planning, executing, and concealing it. At the end, there might be satisfaction from realizing justice, a sense of conquest, pleasure or emptiness, or perhaps guilt.

But for Jace Riverton, left alone at the scene of sin, there was always nothing left.

He silently wiped the blood from his knife.

This time too, he erased everything cleanly.

This evidence destruction was also such a trivial task that it made him sigh.

It was the moment when the perfectly cleaned blade sparkled and shone flawlessly.

Jace saw not his own face but pink-colored eyes in it.

At that moment, the knife he dropped became deeply embedded in his thigh.

❀❀❀

I must have dozed off for a moment.

The moment I opened my eyes while leaning against the wall, I saw the bright red sunset filling the already empty room.

The white stone floor and walls reflected the red sunlight, making the room look like a vast sea of red tea.

In the middle of it, I saw something that wasn’t dyed by the red sunset.

Large emerald-colored eyes were looking my way.

“……”

I rubbed my eyes in surprise.

That can’t be. He’s definitely dead.

But even after opening my eyes again after covering them with both hands, the scene remained the same.

The young master was sitting upright on the bed, looking in my direction. His white face, hands, and ankles were soaked in the sunset, emitting a red light.

I must still be dreaming.

Seeing that the person looking at me from afar appears to be the young master.

I had sometimes wondered what I should say if I saw him again.

But I eventually gave up, thinking I would never be able to tell him.

I had regretted for a long time not properly greeting him.

After hesitating for a moment, I placed my hands on the floor and got up.

His gaze followed me as I moved upward.

Though his appearance was certainly the same as when he was alive, I was cruelly aware of the reality that he was dead.

Seemingly reminding me that it had only been a momentary dream, he sat in the red sunlight, looking like a painting.

It seemed like everything about him would scatter futilely the moment I approached.

I was fine with it being an illusion.

I slowly took one step forward.

He was still looking at me with an expressionless face.

“Young master.”

There was no answer, but his gaze seemed to shake slightly.

Judging by these subtle reactions, it was clear that he could properly hear my voice.

I gathered courage and slowly approached him.

The sound of my clumsy footsteps filled the calm silence that had been lying between us.

What should I say first?

I seemed to have had many things I wanted to say, but my mind couldn’t organize them calmly.

That I was sorry for living alone after saying we should die together.

That I was sincerely grateful for his kindness all this time.

And that I hope he’s doing well in heaven.

What was the first thing I wanted to say?

While I was pondering this, my body had now approached in front of him with just one step remaining.

At that moment, something touched my arm.

“……Huh?”

It was the young master’s hand.

He had grabbed my arm.

“Aren’t you afraid of me?”

He asked me in that gentle tone he always showed.

The illusion was too realistic.

The feeling of the hand holding my arm, the gentle voice, all felt real.

I must have had tremendous guilt about him.

Seeing how my heart, which desperately wanted his forgiveness, created such an absurd illusion.

“……Never.”

I answered awkwardly.

But it was true.

Though many people avoided the young master, saying misfortune was contagious, the person I knew was an extremely kind and beautiful person.

I could see myself standing in the sunset reflected in his emerald eyes that met mine.

“Rosaline.”

He called my name and then lowered his head.

I could feel his wrist, which was holding my arm, trembling slightly.

Somehow my chest felt heavy.

Could this really be the young master’s soul?

Had he come to my dream to say a final goodbye?

He came to see me even though I hadn’t done anything particularly good for him.

This might really be the last time. I wanted to greet him properly without regrets.

Though I had many things I wanted to say, there was something I wanted to do first when I saw him.

When I pulled my trapped arm toward me, the strength in his hand loosened.

After hesitating for a moment, I embraced him.

I heard his surprised breath near my ear.

“I’m… sorry.”

I apologized to him repeatedly.

This was something I could never do except in a dream.

No matter how much longing and regret I felt, I could never express it to the young master in this way.

It was something never permitted to an illegitimate contract fiancée.

But perhaps it would be okay to miss his soul a little?

And if I apologized multiple times, would he forgive me?

“Now… since I’ll never see you again, just this once at the end.”

Right after that, the sensation of arms strongly pulling my upper body, the scent of herbs, and the quiet sigh all felt real.

With that hand that seemed to have no strength at all, he embraced me and confined me in his arms.

I never expected him to embrace me back.

I looked up at him, squeezing through the gap.

My crying face was reflected in his emerald eyes.

“What does that mean?”

He asked kindly in a low voice that was always like a whisper.

Only one thing was different.

Though he was clearly making a gentle expression, he somehow looked angry.

His gaze seemed to be calmly directed at me, waiting for my answer.

I quickly shook my head.

He had every right to be angry with me.

I had left him alone in the burning fire, failed to save him, and now I was showing arrogant behavior by embracing him without permission.

However, since there were so many points that could make him angry, it was difficult to pinpoint exactly what it was.

It seemed best to first put away this disrespectful embrace.

“……Well.”

I quickly tried to raise my body that was overlapping with his embrace. I couldn’t waste this fleeting dream with tears, so I swallowed even the words of apology I was about to say.

I certainly tried to do that.

But his arms held me firmly and wouldn’t let go.

That was fine. Even an angry young master was okay.

If only I could alleviate the regret of parting with him like this.

Moisture gradually filled my vision, and his figure began to blur. Though it would have been quite disrespectful behavior normally, I deliberately ignored it.

Tears kept flowing at the thought that I would never see him again after this dream ended.

I pretended to give in and released the strength with which I had been resisting to escape from him.

“The last time?”

At that moment, as if reading my thoughts, he asked me in a cold tone.

It was an unfamiliar and strange appearance I was seeing from the young master for the first time, but strangely, I didn’t think he wasn’t the young master.

“No! I think I was mistaken, young master. The last time… how could that be? I’ll come… to see you again in ten days.”

I answered him, trying my best to hide the sobbing that threatened to burst out between my words.

My throat choked up as I thought about the future when I wouldn’t come.

“I see, Rosie.”

Then he raised his hand to cup my cheek and pulled me deep into his arms.

“Then, don’t forget to come again.”

Without realizing it, I kept burying my face deeply in his arms. Tears dropped in droplets, wetting his clothes.

But he patted my back and accepted my rudeness as if it were nothing.