Romeo and Rosaline - 11

During their journey back home, they remained silent. Like when Romeo had taken a few steps back in the old town, he stood by her side without saying a word until she entered.

At the doorstep leading to the backyard, Rosaline held her breath. Being with him seemed to prevent anything from being easily sorted out, as if it had been an absurd deal from the start. This mixture of excitement and unease triggered a reckless impulse, just like when she had first left home.

Instinctively sensing danger, Rosaline felt the need to clarify the situation.

“Is it over now?”

She turned around, leaving the door within arm’s reach. As expected, he was a few steps away. But in the darkness, only his silhouette appeared black, thanks to the faint crescent moon. Not a glimpse of his face, nor even the movement of his lips, could be seen.

He asked in return,

“What?”

“…Isn’t it unnecessary to keep discussing Juliet and me?”

“Then all that remains is to give me your beautiful heart.”

He approached in an instant and grabbed her chin, preventing her from finishing her sentence. Their breaths intertwined, and instead of kissing her lips, he pressed his against her forehead.

As if it carried the same meaning as what Juliet had done to Rosaline.

“Go inside, Rosaline.”

With a mind that remained unsettled, Rosaline finally left him. Exhaustion surged, and she wanted nothing more than to fall asleep immediately, but light seeped through the gaps in the doorway. Opening the door cautiously, she was greeted by a familiar figure.

“Where have you been?”

It was her mother. Rosaline was startled and nearly dropped the basket in her hands. Standing in front of the lantern, her mother had a cold expression. While Romeo generally had chilly eyes, his demeanor was different. If he was a cold flame, her mother was like unforgiving ice.

“…I went to the temple.”

She spoke abruptly, caught off guard by her own sharp words. Unable to face her mother directly, she placed the basket on the table and pretended to be busy.

“Well?”

Her mother’s approach was felt.

“I went to see the priest today. You’ve been wandering around lately, and now I see you lied to the lady.”

Before she could respond, she felt a slap on her cheek. A ringing sound echoed, and a numb sensation filled her mouth. The distinct smell of blood rose up her throat.

“You have to deceive in order to deceive others. Betraying your affectionate mistress?”

She couldn’t say that it was for the sake of the affectionate Juliet or that she had returned to the past by divine arrangement. Did her mother, who had no intention of listening to a simple answer, deserve to hear such empty words? No, even if she herself uttered empty words or told lies, there was no need for her mother to resort to violence like this.

Unbelievably, she was angry. Rosaline swore that she had never been angry with her mother, not even once.

She had developed a habit of sulking instead of expressing her anger towards Romeo. Bad habits are easy to learn and difficult to change. With fear gripping her, Rosaline suppressed all her anger and whispered desperately.

“I’m sorry.”

She held her cheek and looked at her mother. She tried to smile, but her tear ducts seemed to be broken as tears continued to flow.

“But I never intended to betray the lady. Look, there was a problem with getting the alcohol she often drinks, so I had to find a place to get it for her.”

Lies flowed effortlessly. Yes, I was good at lying. So, to explain the lie, I had no choice but to tell another lie. Anyway, my mother is not curious about my innocence.

“You know. Since it’s illegally traded alcohol, I had to go to a dangerous place, and I didn’t want to worry the lady for no reason.”

Juliet knew that Rosaline obtained the alcohol from the old town. But she had no awareness that the place was dangerous, so she allowed Rosaline to go there. Having grown up in a noble environment, sheltered from all the dangers, it was natural that she was unaware of the risks that didn’t touch her skin.

Juliet wasn’t indifferent to me, she was just someone else. Romeo was wrong. Without realizing why she was denying Romeo even in this situation, Rosaline repeated to herself. Yes, Romeo was wrong. The lady simply didn’t know.

Her mother’s persistent gaze coldly swept across Rosaline’s cheek.

“I understand for now.”

With a sigh and a lingering gaze, Rosaline’s heart sank. It was simply relief at that brief response.

“Capulet spent a lot of money to make you a servant, so you shouldn’t lie about such things. Do you understand?”

“…Yes, I’ll be careful.”

“Understood. Since the lady is asleep, I’ll bring the alcohol myself tomorrow.”

Her mother calmly stuck out her tongue with an unflinching face. Rosaline slumped onto the bed. Her mother and her peaceful room remained unchanged, but she was the only one in chaos.

Ah, it was indeed my fault.

Because of Romeo’s influence, that’s why she became strange. Without even changing her clothes, Rosaline lay on the bed and closed her eyes.

If tomorrow comes as usual, she will regain her daily life, seeing Juliet, who is as radiant as the morning sun.

* * *

Rosaline’s mother slumped at the end of the corridor. Something invisible was pressing her down, blocking her mouth, leaving her no choice but to sob like an animal.

“Heup, khkk. Hhhng.”

She reached out her hand, trying to grasp even a dimly lit candle, but the sharp tip of a leek trampled her hand. It wasn’t strong, but it implied that with a little more force, it could break if she tried to move it.

“I would not ask you to be lenient with your daughter.”

It was a chillingly low voice of a man. She lifted her head to find the source of the sound, but he was not clearly visible in the darkness. But the kind man bowed his waist and showed his face to the nanny.

‘Romeo Montague?’

The wet nurse’s eyes filled with astonishment. She couldn’t forget the man who caused trouble for the young lady, leaving Rosaline injured. Before being puzzled, she felt curious. Why was he in the Capulet mansion?

Mocking her curiosity, he twisted his eyes in a sinister manner. His half-revealed face was like a perfect piece of sculpture, but that made it even more terrifying.

“But you won’t be able to lay a hand on her ever again.”

His dark eyes flashed red.

“Your anger and hatred will explode within you before you even reach her, and the moment you try to tell her what happened today, you will be gripped by a timeless fear that will leave you speechless and mute.”

She felt his command piercing her bones. Even Romeo Montague’s name became blurry, and his face remained nothing but a dark shadow.

“Be careful with your words.”

His long index finger touched her forehead.

Tap. When he pushed her hand away, her head drooped weakly. Romeo, collecting his hands and feet, strode through the corridor and entered Rosaline’s room.

The door closed soundlessly, the room was dark. As he stared at the dark with emotionless eyes, Rosaline, sleeping like a fetus, came into view. With tear stains remaining around her eyes and the pain of swollen cheeks embraced, she closed her eyes.

As he approached her, he stared like he would kill her.

One hand reaching towards her moved slowly. Even the finger touching her cheek felt too cautious that it didn’t feel like she had any intention to kill her.

As he lightly moved his finger, a delicate touch brushed against her skin. Just like when he first touched her, the fingertips were tremblingly soft.

Romeo bowed without any remorse. He kissed her cheek. He gently nibbled.

It was sweet.

You said you would give yourself to me, so let me take you in both hands, press down, and take you. So I can thrust an incomparably filthy cock into your tender flesh and shake it. Whether you hate me or not doesn’t matter. I have waited for you, stained with resentment and hatred, for so long.

“Rosaline.”

He whispered against her lips. It will only take one move to accomplish what he’d imagined. But his inability to go any further was due to the habit of always just watching her. Damn it, I didn’t want you to hurt as much as I did after all these years of resenting you.

I should be glad that she, too, has the painful hope that someone who will never look back will look at her, but why do I feel so dirty?

He gently stroked Rosaline’s hair and smiled bitterly.

“Is it painful?”

I am too. I also want to be liberated from this pain. But since I have endured it for so long, I must take at least a fragment of your heart, even if it’s just a facade.

In a fleeting moment when the wind blew through the open window, the shadow that loomed over her room vanished.

* * *

Rosaline swallowed a shallow breath and woke up from her sleep. Her whole body was drenched in cold sweat, and her pale, sickly skin resembled a corpse. She brushed aside the hair stuck to her face like wet seaweed and wiped her cheeks.

After her regression, Juliet often died in her dreams, but it had been a long time since her childhood appeared in a dream. It was a dream where Juliet and Rosaline ran away from the Capulet’s people to get a drink, but even though she didn’t know who the pursuer was, it was terrifying to the point of madness.

Being caught by the towering figure and dark hands felt like the end of everything. The voice calling her had a desperate corner rather than being purely sinister, evoking a strange feeling like an elusive dream.

What did they say? Rosaline murmured as she recalled the dream that felt shrouded in fog.

“Look at me.”

Yes, she definitely said that. Look at me. But turning around, it felt like she would plunge into a fear that Juliet’s hand had held and run with. Blending the ambiguous fear and empathy, Rosaline stared out the window, hoping to fully wake up from her sleep. The bright morning sunlight gently touched her swollen cheeks.

The sensation of being slapped by her mother, the cold skin, and the tired eyes from crying. Her senses were awakened by the overwhelming feeling of reality. Her dreams had been gloomy, undoubtedly due to the unpleasant events of the previous night. Rosaline didn’t want to taint her pleasant memories with Juliet with frightening dreams, nor did she want to continue the complexity of her emotions.

‘Miss…’

I have to go see Juliet. Although she had to go out in the morning anyway, the thought of going to see the young lady resonated obsessively, just like the dreams that had unsettled her.

Rosaline quickly got up from her seat and prepared herself the moment she made up her mind. She washed her face with cold water and wiped her body with a cloth soaked in oil. She grabbed the disgusting and worn-out clothes that reached her neck and tied a belt around her waist. Finally, she neatly tied her long hair in one.