Chapter 165: Chloe Stole Something Incredible (4)[R-18]
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 165: Chloe Stole Something Incredible (4)[R-18]
“Wha—what the—?! Why are you coming out from there?!”
“Why else? I came because you said you missed me.”
Ian’s beaming smile left Evelyn momentarily speechless.
“...Wh-whatever. When did I ever say I missed you...”
Ian, you bastard.
He really is drop-dead gorgeous.
Even though she knew she shouldn't, just seeing that smiling face was enough to make her anger melt away.
“No, more importantly, you were at the Imperial Palace! How are you here already?!”
It wasn't like the Palace and the Marigold estate were right next door...
She couldn't wrap her head around the fact that Ian, who had been at the Palace just a few days ago, was now standing right in front of her.
“I left the moment I got the message.”
“...What? ...Immediately?”
“Yeah. I left that night and came straight here without resting.”
“...H-hmm~... Ian, you crazy bastard... Did you really miss me that much?”
Evelyn tried her best to act nonchalant, but the corners of her mouth kept twitching against her will.
“Yeah, I missed you. Evelyn.”
“...Ugh!! ...What’s with the sudden honesty... Hmph! Well, too bad for you. I was just doing fine.”
She said it because she wanted him to feel at least a fraction of the heartache she had endured.
“...Is that so? ...I see. Alright then. I’ll be going now... Evelyn...”
But when Ian turned around with a dejected expression to leave...
“Wait! Ah! H-hold on...!”
Before she knew it, Evelyn lunged forward and grabbed the hem of Ian’s clothes.
Tight—
“You missed me, didn't you?”
At the same time, Ian turned back and asked with a mischievous smirk, as if he had known this would happen.
“...You prick!! You’re so damn mean!!”
“Yeah, yeah. So, you missed me?”
“Fine! Yes, you son of a bitch! I missed you! I missed you, okay?! And you knew that, yet you didn't even send a single letter—!!”
Grab—!
Ian pulled the grumbling Evelyn into a tight embrace and stroked her hair, looking as if he found even her complaining adorable.
“I’m sorry. I was so busy I didn't have time to reach out.”
“...Bullshit. Just how busy could you have been...”
“Well, you see...”
“Ah! Forget it! If you’re going to talk about the Disciplinary Committee or whatever again, just don't say anything!”
“Alright... Then I’ll show you through actions instead of words.”
“What? What kind of nonsense is it this time!”
“Get over here!!”
“Kyaaah!”
Ian pushed Evelyn down onto the bed and stared into her eyes.
Thump— Thump— Thump—
“You... you beast... Your head is really... filled with nothing but dirty thoughts...”
Despite her words, Evelyn’s face flushed red as she subtly shifted her posture to make it easier for Ian to move.
“...Wh-what are you doing... If you’re gonna do it, do it fast... or don't...”
“Huh? I’m not doing anything dirty.”
“...What? Don't lie to me.”
“....”
“......Wait, are you seriously not going to? Did you go and swing your dick somewhere else again—”
As Evelyn’s anger began to rise in a steady gradient, Ian quickly blurted out an excuse.
“No... I mean, I’ll do it in a bit, but there’s something I’m curious about first.”
“...Look at this pervert. Tsk, so what do you want to ask?”
“It’s nothing much, I just wanted to know what ‘Nine Tail’ stole.”
Evelyn’s eyes widened at Ian’s question.
“Wha-wha-what! St-st-stole what?! They didn't steal anything! Are you saying my parents did something to get targeted by Nine Tail?”
“Of course not. I know their character better than anyone. Naturally, Nine Tail wouldn't have touched any treasures. But... that doesn't mean they didn't take anything, does it?”
“...What?”
“The moment ‘Nine Tail’ dropped by the Marigold estate, you called for me, even going as far as lying about being sick. And you’re saying it’s unrelated? I’m not that gullible.”
“...Ha.”
It was truly absurd.
He was so dense when it came to realizing her feelings, yet he was incredibly sharp about things like this.
But what Nine Tail had stolen was something she couldn't reveal... even to Ian.
No, especially because it was Ian.
“Hmph! Who said I was lying about being sick?... I’m really si— Kyaaah!.. What are you doing!! You said you weren't doing anything dirty!!”
“No, I’m just checking to see if you’re actually sick.”
“Kya-hah!.. You madman!!.. You’re... you’re touching me! Do you know that?!.. Kya-heeet!!.. O-okay... ha... haha... it tickles!... Hyang!”
“Surrender?”
“...Ha... hyak!!.... Surrender... my ass!... Seriously... stop it already?!... Kya-hat!!”
Tickle tickle—
No matter how much Evelyn struggled, Ian’s tickling didn't stop.
“Ha.. hyat...! S-stop..! ..Stop it!.. Kya-haaaa!”
“Say you surrender.”
“...Shit!... Hyayaang!!.. Hyak... hyat!! You... pervert! Rapist!”
Being like this with Ian brought back old memories.
Lately, being on a bed with Ian only meant doing dirty things...
But in the past, the two of them used to play around under the covers like this all the time.
“Hee-eet... O-okay! I... Ian... I-I surrender!... I was lying...”
Finally, when the space under the covers was filled with the heat of her ragged breaths, Evelyn admitted it.
“Haah...! Haah...! You... you son of a bitch... I’m... I’m seriously going to kill you...”
“Sure, sure. So, what did they take?”
“Phew... Hey, wait. Before that, I want to ask you one thing first.”
“Blue.”
“You crazy bastard... Who asked about your panty color? I’m being serious right now...”
Seeing the slight tremble in Evelyn’s eyes, Ian stopped joking and spoke.
“Yeah, I know. Tell me, Evelyn.”
“...Haah. Back then... why did you leave our house?”
“What?”
“...You heard me. Ian, that day... why did you leave?”
“....”
Ian couldn't answer Evelyn’s question easily.
Partly because the question was so sudden...
“....”
But also because the events of that day were still too painful to even put into words.
“You liked our house!! So why did you leave? Was it because I bullied you? Because you hated me? There has to be! There has to be a reason!”
“...Evelyn, I’ve told you many times, I’ve never hated you. Not even once.”
Yes, I had never hated Evelyn for even a single moment.
“Then why the hell..!! Why did you leave!”
“....”
How should I put this?
From the moment I first woke up at the Marigold mansion, my world was gray.
I didn't know why, but one thing was certain...
Before coming to the mansion, I had lost something precious.
And perhaps as punishment for losing it?
Everything I ate felt like chewing sand, and nothing made me happy.
In that empty, hollow, ashen life, the only thing I desired was death.
...And so, the people who had initially approached me with kindness gradually began to give up on me.
It was only natural.
Back then, I was no different from a doll, and no matter how kind a person is, they can't keep giving attention to a doll that doesn't respond.
Just when everyone was giving up on me.
The one who stayed by my side until the very end, never letting go, was Evelyn.
Of course, in Evelyn’s own words, she says she bullied me...
‘You probably don't know.’
Evelyn probably doesn't know how much I was saved by that.
And once, Evelyn had said.
That I had saved her life that day.
She was wrong.
In truth, the one whose life was saved wasn't Evelyn, but me.
If it weren't for Evelyn’s endless attention, I would have given up on life long ago.
“Then why! Why did you leave!! Why did you leave this house... no! Why did you leave me!!”
But that was exactly why I had no choice but to leave.
Because I realized that Evelyn didn't love me as much as I loved her.
“...I don't want to say.”
“No, I have to hear it.”
“...It’s already in the past. It’s not important.”
“It is important!! It’s too important to me!! Do you even know how I feel right now? I’m scared! I’m so scared I feel like I’m going to die!! We’ve finally managed to connect, but I’m terrified you’re going to leave me again!!”
“Evelyn... I will never leave you.”
“Don't give me that bullshit! How can I trust the words of a guy who talks about starting a harem!!”
“....”
My sin in that regard was so great that I had no words to refute her.
“Hey, I can tell exactly what you’re thinking just by looking at your face. I-I’m asking because I’m really scared... so tell me. Back then... why did you leave me... What did I do wrong... Tell me. Ian, I don't want to lose you a second time.”
Hearing the desperation in Evelyn’s voice, it seemed I wouldn't be able to run away this time.
“...Haah.”
Thump—
I let the strength go from my supporting arms and buried my face in Evelyn’s chest.
It wasn't an attempt to pivot to something dirty like usual.
...It was simply because I didn't have the confidence to say it while looking at Evelyn’s face.
Evelyn seemed to sense that as well, as she waited, resting her hand gently on my head.
“....”
Right, it’s all in the past now.
Repeating that to myself over and over, I finally opened my mouth.
“...Actually, back then... I heard it.”
“Heard? Heard what?”
“...That you didn't want to be family with me.”
Perhaps the reason I hadn't noticed Evelyn’s feelings all this time was because of this.
I didn't want to wound a heart that had already been scarred by rejection once before.
Even so, my feelings for Evelyn would overflow, and I almost confessed several times...
In the end, it took a very long time for us to finally be together.
At that moment, Evelyn roughly pushed me back, grabbed me by the collar, and screamed.
“Wh-when did I ever say that!! You fucking bastard!!”
“...You don't have to lie. It’s already in the past.”
“No, you jerk!! Listen to me!! I said I didn't do that, goddammit!! It’s not a lie, I just didn't! Ah! D-don't tell me it’s because of that thing when you first came to our house? That was...”
“No... of course not. We were both kids back then.”
“Then! What’s the problem!!! F-u-u-u-ck!! At the very least, I never said anything like that to you after the fire at the mansion!!... When on earth did I... ah...? D-don't tell me...?”
“Yeah... you remember now.”
“You, you, you.... you....”
While I waited, fearing what kind of words would come out of Evelyn’s mouth.
Thwack—!!
“Guh..!!”
Suddenly, Evelyn’s tightly clenched fist slammed into my solar plexus.
“You, you, you idiot! You don't trust me that much!! Fuck, how can you be so dense!! How much I loved you—why would I have said something like that!!”
“No...!! I didn't want to believe it either! But I heard it clearly with these ears!”
Those words I could never forget, and could never have misheard.
[I hate it! I! I don't want to be family with Ian!!]
Then, with tears welling up in her eyes, Evelyn grabbed me by the collar and shook me violently, screaming in a voice filled with a sense of deep injustice.
“Fuck, that’s not what I meant, you dumbass!!”