41. Proof

The moment I opened my eyes after saying my final goodbye, I expected the young master to disappear or for me to wake from the dream.

But that didn’t happen.

The bright smile and warm temperature remained the same.

It can’t be, no matter how many times I thought about it, that figure was clearly the young master.

Just yesterday, I had confirmed with the Duke that he was sleeping as if he would never wake up again.

“Rosie, are you uncomfortable somewhere?”

He asked me with a worried tone.

“……”

Could it be that the person appearing before me is really the young master?

I examined him thoroughly before me, despite the rudeness.

The silk-like light brown hair that reflected the sunlight and shone brilliantly, the white porcelain bowl-like skin that seemed to have no pigment, the pale emerald eyes that looked as if they might break, and the awkward, shy smile.

This appearance was exactly the same as the person I knew.

It couldn’t be more perfect unless it was a trick by a mischievous mage.

“Young master, is it… really you? Is it really you, young master?”

Still, I couldn’t understand.

Had I gone crazy?

Perhaps I was having hallucinations.

Maybe I was seeing an optical illusion due to a temporary confusion in my head after entering such a cold and large castle.

“Doesn’t it seem like me?”

Waves of puzzlement spread across his lake-like eyes.

The young master extended his thin arm in front of my eyes.

“How about stabbing me with that knife on the wall.”

“What…? No, no. How could you say such a thing.”

He said something incredibly brutal that didn’t suit him at all.

There’s no way I would do such a terrible thing to someone so sick.

“I wouldn’t mind being stabbed by you, Rosie.”

As if he had really expected such a bold reaction from me, he withdrew his arm with a disappointed expression.

I was inwardly shocked again by his rather shocking words.

His sleeve fluttered lightly in the wind, spreading the herbal scent that always emanated from him.

It’s the scent of the young master I know.

But I still couldn’t fully believe in the reality of the person before my eyes.

He was certainly trapped in a burning building with me that day. For some reason, I escaped from there with Robin Wellers.

Since his body was so fragile that it seemed like it would break, I naturally thought it would be difficult for the young master to escape from there alone.

That was common sense.

Did someone else miraculously help him escape?

But yesterday, the Duke clearly pointed to the young master on the bed and said he had returned in a ‘bloody’ state.

Considering all the circumstances, it didn’t make sense that he was this ‘fine.’

“You still seem to doubt……”

The young master muttered with a slightly hurt face.

I quickly shook my head.

“No, I believe you! With the young master right here in front of me, how could I……”

At that moment, his head fell onto my shoulder.

“Then, until the truth is revealed, can I stay like this?”

His seemingly fragile arms wrapped around my waist and supported my back.

Was I firmly tied to something?

My heart began to pound at his sudden action.

Is this person in front of me really real?

The sense of reality I had tried to deny came rushing in.

The young master before my eyes still looked fragile, but he clearly existed.

And as if to prove his existence, he continued trying to convince me.

Now I hoped he wasn’t really an illusion.

“I’m sorry for doubting you.”

“Do you believe me now?”

He smiled as if satisfied.

“Yes, now please……”

I tried to pull my head away into the air, worried that his chest might break.

“Just a moment, Rosie.”

“Young master……”

The young master’s chest was pulled toward me as I tried to escape.

Holding each other like this, we really seemed like an engaged couple.

No, what am I thinking?

The young master was clearly a patient.

To have such strange thoughts about such a person, I must be crazy.

“But, young master. Exerting strength like this will be harmful to your health.”

I carefully tried to move my arms that were held by him downward to push him away.

Though his arms didn’t seem to be applying much strength, for some reason, they wouldn’t loosen easily.

He seemed completely unfazed, and I alone was flustered, which was a bit embarrassing.

“……Um, it’s hard to breathe.”

He finally released his arms at my request.

As I felt, his facial color hadn’t changed at all compared to a moment ago.

He looked down at me blankly with a composed face.

For him, it was probably just repeating the same action with no meaning.

My face heated up a bit, feeling like I had panicked alone like a fool.

“Breathe, Rosie.”

The young master urged me with a genuinely concerned tone.

I deliberately repeated inhaling and exhaling so he could hear me well.

But thinking that yesterday was real, it became more embarrassing the more I thought about it.

To have embraced him thinking it might be the last time.

The words I had said and my rash actions replayed in my mind at a very slow pace.

“……Ugh.”

My face began to burn much more intensely compared to before.

I raised both hands to cover my cheeks.

My cheeks were burning hot.

Without realizing it, I began to back away toward the corner of the landing.

My face was so hot it felt like it would melt, and my heart began to beat wildly.

My chest ached with belated shame and self-reproach.

I had to desperately try not to reveal my inner turmoil, which was in chaos from extreme embarrassment.

❀❀❀

Though I strongly objected, the young master made tea for me this time as well.

“Thank… you.”

“It’s my pleasure.”

Needless to say, he hadn’t changed at all.

Thank goodness.

I’m truly thankful that he’s alive.

I took a sip of the tea he had made for me.

After hesitating briefly, I decided to ask him something I was curious about.

“Young master. How did you get out of there that day…?”

Escaping through a burning building must have certainly not been an easy task.

It was truly fortunate that he was safe, but I had no idea what had happened.

Because of that, I had no choice but to ask.

“What day?”

But instead, the young master asked me with a puzzled expression.

I became confused.

“Don’t you remember? The day you collapsed in front of my quarters. I immediately brought you upstairs, but there was a fire……”

“Well, Rosie. I’m sorry, but I don’t know what you’re talking about. I don’t think I’ve left my castle until yesterday.”

I was stunned by the unexpected answer.

It was truly strange.

The young master collapsed covered in blood on the road, and the body I had seen in the bedroom, which seemed to have been slashed with a knife and covered in wounds.

Are you saying I saw it all wrong?

“I’ve read that when you experience something shocking, errors can occur in your memory.”

The young master smiled kindly and pushed the sugar toward me.

“But don’t worry. We’ve met again now.”

I looked at him with a dazed face.

His pure white, clear face, which seemed incapable of telling lies, looked back at me.

There was still an unresolved question.

“Then, let me ask just one more thing.”

“Yes……”

The young master showed a surprised expression.

“The Duke clearly said so. That yesterday, the young master appeared covered in blood. What happened then?”

In fact, I had also witnessed him unconscious before talking with the Duke, but I deliberately didn’t mention that.

Hesitating for a moment, his long fingers caressed the edge of the teacup.

He soon looked at me again with an awkward smile.

“I didn’t want to worry you with trivial matters, but since you’re curious, I can’t help it.”

His fingers finally left the teacup.

“Would you like to look outside once?”

My gaze moved toward where his hand was pointing.

There was a forest outside the window.

“Beyond that.”

As I looked carefully at the place he indicated, what had been invisible gradually came into view.

Countless knives were stuck in the outer castle wall that was faintly visible.

It was unbelievable, but it was clear evidence of an attack.

Seeing this, I was startled but quickly composed my expression to appear unaffected.

I couldn’t say anything due to the shock.

I vaguely knew that someone was trying to kill the young master, but seeing the reality with my own eyes repeatedly was another matter.

I remembered the suspicious man I had seen at the burned-down old residence on a rainy day not long ago.

That man had tried to strangle me and shoot me with a gun.

Could it be his doing?