Thought It Was 'The End', Only to Return to a Changed Genre - Chapter 62
As Adeline averted her gaze, Shane spoke.
“Donāt worry. I havenāt done anything up to now, right? I canāt promise I wonāt do anything you dislike, butā¦.”
“Whatās with that ambiguous statementā¦.”
“At least I wonāt force myself on you. I wonāt do it unless you want it.”
“That will never happen!”
“You used to say you never know with people, right?”
“This is different!”
“Alright, alright, letās go to sleep.”
“Go sleep in your own bedroom. Itās not like thereās only one bedroom in this mansion.”
“My bedroom is here.”
“ā¦Then Iāll leave.”
But his arms around her waist were as solid as rocks, and she couldnāt break free. Adeline slapped Shaneās arm repeatedly. Naturally, he didnāt budge. She struggled and kicked, but soon she was tangled up, with her legs intertwined with his.
“I said Iām going!”
“Itās no use, Adeline. Iāll follow you wherever you go.”
“ā¦ā¦.”
“So just sleep here. This bedroom is the most comfortable, isnāt it?”
“There are so many bedrooms in this mansion. I donāt care if they arenāt tidy. I can sleep anywhere, really. Just throw a blanket on the floor for me. I thought my back would hurt, but the straw under the blanket made it surprisingly comfortable. Actually, I donāt even need a blanketā¦.”
When she fled abroad, she had stayed in temporary shelters for months.
The hideout Lucian provided was too risky. Adeline trusted Lucian’s abilities, but there was always that one-in-a-million chance. If Lucian got caught, the hideout would be exposed immediately.
Adeline moved to a country much farther than the planned settlement she had told Lucian about. From the start, Lucian, who had helped with the escape, and even Lloyd, were not informed of the final destination.
āI remember Lloydās expression when he got the ferry ticket at the original destination.ā
Although it wasnāt a fatal wound, the injury where her stomach was pierced was never light. Crossing the border in that condition again was madness, he would have thought.
āCouldnāt you just treat the wound and leave the place Lucian provided?ā
āItās not that I donāt trust Lucian. I mean I do, butā¦.ā
āSo, you donāt trust him.ā
āā¦Of course, I believe Lucian will handle things properly since he was commissioned. I believe that. But people are multi-faceted beings. You never know whatās going on inside their minds.ā
āYou donāt trust anyone.ā
āLloyd, I trust you.ā
āYou speak well. Keeping secrets from me until this moment.ā
āI did it to spare you the stress. I gave you many responsibilities. I felt bad about that.ā
āIf you feel bad, then walk properly. Donāt lean on me. Do you realize Iām shorter than you?ā
Sneaking across the border while injured was truly tough. She barely ate or slept. It felt like she was going to die, but the joy of being free from nightmares got her through.
Lloyd suffered a lot.
Really, a lot.
Since it took too long to convert valuables like jewels and accessories into cash, and they attracted too much attention, she bought a house with the cash she had. Naturally, it was shabby.
They lacked the necessary furniture and items for living, so they slept on blankets on the bare floor for a while. Back then, she was even injured, so now, being healthy, she didnāt even need blankets.
But Shane was immovable.
“I wonder why you had to sleep without blankets.”
“……”
“I’ll restrain myself from asking because I might get angry again.”
“Why would that make you angry…?”
“How can I not be angry when you suffered?”
“……”
She hadnāt thought of that answer. After all, wasnāt he the one causing her the most suffering now?
“What was your super capable attendant doing?”
“Lloyd was sleeping beside me without blankets too…”
“Ah, beside you.”
“We had no choice. It was a one-room place.”
Even without looking up, she could sense his crooked smile. Shane seemed satisfied with that, hugging Adeline and resting his chin on her head.
“Then I have no choice either, Adeline.”
“What! Do you think I donāt know how many bedrooms there are in this house?”
“I canāt sleep without you.”
Adeline was momentarily speechless at his low voice.
She wished she could dismiss it as a lie immediately.
“I feel anxious and canāt sleep unless Iām holding you.”
She knew all too well the pain of struggling to sleep due to anxiety.
“Just give up, Adeline. No matter what you say, Iāll never let you go. Youāll never be able to leave my sideā¦ forever.”
Letās just sleep now.
It was a terrifyingly possessive statement and a profound confession at the same time.
Adeline stared at Shaneās face, eyes closed, for a long time with a bewildered expression. Her insides were in turmoil, and her head throbbed.
She knew without looking that her face was turning bright red.
