18. The End of Waiting

I pronounce Duke Rihanel Reynes not guilty.

The courtroom where the verdict was delivered filled with all kinds of sounds. Gasps at the dramatic conclusion, dissatisfied snorts, the scratching of reporters’ pens, cheers and crying from some people of the ducal house.

“Boss! This is really wonderful!”

“Yes…… I suppose so.”

At Letsy’s moved voice, Janet nodded blankly.

Even after pondering over the verdict, it didn’t feel real. All the sounds around seemed to ring as if covered by a veil. She felt unreal, as if her body was floating.

However, the moment she saw Rihanel Reynes walking toward her, she realized where she was standing.

That courtroom where Rihanel was pronounced not guilty, standing before the man who received everyone’s gaze.

Suddenly, a hot sensation rushed up from her toes to the top of her head.

Everything is over.

It’s really been revealed that what happened that day wasn’t our fault.

Though Rihanel was the one who received the not guilty verdict, Janet felt as if that judgment was speaking to herself.

The ripples that had been stirring in her chest swelled in size. Her stomach churned and her vision blurred without her knowing.

The painful times that had been marked by suffering suddenly came flooding back.

The dark night of Philodis. Every day anxiously waiting for Rihanel. The moment she fled Bendar like running away. The cold air of the courtroom that sentenced arson. The cold floor of Adif. The pain of the whip that hotly wrapped around her skin. And……

Even the contemptuous gaze of Rihanel she faced upon returning and the moments when he hurt her.

Now truly, Janet Wilton could escape from those times that had tormented her life.

Realizing this, ironically, an emotion resembling sadness rather than pure joy welled up. Even though she had told herself it was okay countless times, even though she thought the wound had truly healed, did it still hurt?

Janet bit her lips tightly.

She shouldn’t be like this now. She shouldn’t be recalling the past that had passed, but thinking about how hopeful the future would be.

“……Janet.”

Rihanel called her in a low voice. As the distance grew closer, his gaunt face and cracked lips became clearly visible.

“……”

Janet opened her mouth but no words came out. Her throat choked up and she bowed her head deeply. She tried to endure it but tears eventually fell drop by drop.

“I’m sorry.”

And the moment she heard Rihanel’s words, Janet realized the identity of this surging sadness.

It was grief.

Upset, sorrowful, and resentful feelings. Sadness she could finally burst out because she didn’t have to keep it buried, because there were people who acknowledged that it must have hurt a lot.

At the same time, it was also an emotion she had to address to envision the future.

After crying for a long time, new emotions would bloom where the tears had flowed. She could now understand that this crying was absolutely necessary for that beginning.

“Ah……”

A sound leaked out through the gap in her blocked throat.

Janet buried her face in her hands. She burst into tears right there. With each breath she exhaled, with each tear she shed, she let painful memories flow away.

Thus Janet once again forgave him and comforted her past.

However, Rihanel’s eyes watching her wavered. His face twisted painfully.

Janet was crying painfully as she had at Adif. So Rihanel became afraid. He was convinced he was making a big mistake.

He reached out his hand toward Janet. He felt like he would die from pity for her trembling body pouring out sobs.

Then murmurs directed at them were heard from around.

“How pitiful. Well, how much has Miss Wilton suffered?”

“If it were me, I think I’d hate to even see his face now. They say misfortune is contagious…… that’s exactly it.”

Rihanel’s hand stopped in midair. As in his dreams, it seemed red blood would flow from her body the moment they touched. The sorrowful crying sounded like screaming and stabbed his heart.

Beside them, Letsy restlessly kept stroking Janet’s back.

In front of that, Rihanel could do nothing and just watched Janet.

***

“Be careful going, Letsy. Don’t cry too much.”

“Hic, I’m really fine……”

“I called a different carriage. Go quickly.”

“Thank you, hic, Miss Selize.”

Letsy, who had gotten on the carriage, nodded while sniffling. Letsy, who had held back tears when Janet was crying, burst into tears once she left. Feeling sorry and endeared by that heart, Selize deliberately put Letsy in a carriage and sent her off.

“Phew.”

Selize, who sighed watching the carriage leave, turned around. It was to look for a man, and coincidentally, she immediately met his eyes.

“Flan!”

Selize ran toward Flan, who was avoiding her gaze.

“Were you watching me?”

“No.”

At Selize’s question thrown in a clear voice, Flan waved his hands in shock. Selize nodded with a laugh as if she hadn’t expected it anyway.

“I know. It’s just something I’m saying, so don’t worry about it.”

“Ah, yes……”

“You really worked hard. You must have run around without sleep gathering evidence and witnesses for His Grace, right?”

“How did you know that?”

Flan asked with wide eyes. Selize spoke as if it were natural.

“Because you’re that kind of person, Flan. Even when you grumble at His Grace, you care more than anyone. You always work so hard like that to achieve better results than what’s expected. And……”

Selize smiled shyly.

“Because I like you. I can imagine it even without seeing.”

Flan sucked in his breath as if hit by a sudden attack. And he cleared his throat and asked.

“But how are you planning to go home, Miss Selize? Since you put Miss Maya in the carriage……”

“You were watching after all!”

Selize smiled brightly. At the truth accidentally revealed, Flan was at a loss for words.

He hadn’t particularly intended to watch. He just sent off Rihanel and Janet, distributed the prepared statement to reporters, then looked around and his gaze happened to land……

Because it was amazing that a young lady who seemed completely unable to adapt to the solemnity of the trial or the chaos afterward was calmly present in this place. Calmly comforting Janet, comforting Letsy…… and still standing there with clear, bright eyes that kept catching his attention.

So he was just watching……

“Then you’ll take me home, right?”

“Yes, yes.”

“Wow, thank you.”

Flustered that the fact he had been watching her was discovered, Flan ended up answering that question too.

While he worried about what to do, Selize was already on Flan’s carriage. Eventually they rode the carriage together on the way home.

Selize clapped her hands as if she had just remembered something.

“Oh right, I didn’t see the gloves you mentioned from Janet. But she has been carrying around a handkerchief I hadn’t seen since His Grace visited. One with a red flower vine embroidered.”

“Huh, really? Did he take it?”

“Take it?”

“Ah, no.”

It seemed to be that handkerchief Rihanel had treasured. And he had been smiling like that even after having it taken?

Flan felt like he understood yet didn’t understand that man’s heart. However, Selize smiled and said the opposite.

“I think I understand a little what the love you talked about is. I’m like that too. Even though I was rejected, I end up being swayed by every little thing, something like that?”

Selize spoke as if talking about someone else’s business. But knowing that he was the one who had rejected her, Flan smiled awkwardly as if sitting on thorns.

“Haha, I see……”

“But I’m a bit worried. The two of them have had too many trials. The magnitude is so great that I feel like they might not be able to properly face that love for each other.”

Selize opened the window. Darkness was already settling outside. Looking outside together, Flan slowly nodded.

***

That night, various things appeared in Janet’s dreams. Things from Adif, and when Rihanel was confirming her memories.

And the last scene was Rihanel trembling while holding her, thinking she was about to jump into the water.

Then in the dim dawn, Janet slowly opened her eyes.

She who rose from her place immediately looked around. A strange anxiety wrapped around her entire body.

“Are you awake?”

Fortunately, Rihanel was sitting beside her, leaning his body against the headboard. Janet sat up and faced him.

“Why are you like this?”

“I woke up early. You sleep more.”

A lie.

He probably hadn’t slept. When Janet fell asleep last night, he was awake. Even when she opened her eyes several times due to light sleep, he was still awake without sleeping.

“Rihanel.”

Janet reached out her hand to grab Rihanel.

However, he suddenly got up from his seat.

As if he absolutely wouldn’t touch her.

Janet withdrew her hand from midair and stared at Rihanel.

Rihanel tried to move as if nothing had happened.

“I’ll bring some water.”

“Why are you like this?”

“Like what?”

“You’re avoiding me.”

“What are you talking about? I’m here.”

Rihanel burst into laughter. However, Janet frowned and shook her head. Though he was beside her, it felt like he wasn’t there. Like smoke that couldn’t be grasped, like someone who would leave at any moment.