Chapter 25
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 25
Chapter Title: Ambush 2 (2)
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"Oh, come on. What are you doing blocking the door!"
A maid who was bustling about irritably shoved Sonya aside.
Sonya, pushed away, couldn't tear her eyes from the room. Her wandering gaze finally landed on Rose herself.
"-!"
Sonya's face grew even paler upon spotting Rose.
'What is it?'
Rose committed Sonya's expression and behavior to memory right then. It was far too suspicious.
"This is going to take a while."
At that moment, Dane's voice came from above. He glanced around the room and let out a low sigh.
"I'm heading to my bedroom."
He abruptly turned and strode out of the room.
"Your Excellency."
"Your Excellency!"
Butler Bill and Head Maid Selma, along with the other servants, hurried after him in a group. Rose's body was still cradled in Dane's arms.
Thud.
Dane walked briskly as if he felt none of her weight at all. In an instant, he crossed the corridor toward the opposite side.
"Gasp."
A guard on corridor patrol froze upon seeing Dane. The guards following behind, unaware, bumped into him one after another.
Thump, thump.
They collided headfirst into the back of the head of the person in front.
"Eek!"
The servants rushing over with fresh bedding and furniture came to a halt. When the one in front stopped abruptly,
Thump, thump.
The rest of the servants charging behind crashed into each other in a chain reaction. It was a farce too cringe-worthy to watch with eyes open.
As this kept happening, Rose had no choice but to speak up, swallowing her embarrassment.
"Y-Your Excellency."
"What."
"I can walk... Please put me down now."
"Done crying?"
Rose realized her eyes were still brimming with tears.
She quickly wiped them away and tried to speak again, but
"We're here."
"Huh?"
It was true. They had already arrived at Dane's bedroom.
"Your Excellency!"
"We greet Your Excellency."
The guards stationed there saluted. The servants beside them bowed at the waist.
'Already?'
Rose vaguely knew where Dane's bedroom was. In her previous life, she had spent every night alone in their shared marital chamber, yearning for him as he slept alone in his own room.
'But this is my first time in Your Excellency's bedroom.'
A space that had never once been permitted to her was now right before her eyes.
Creak.
But the moment the door opened,
"-!"
Rose involuntarily gasped.
Aside from the bed that should rightfully be in a bedroom... there was truly nothing else. It was a space meant solely for sleeping, nothing more. It felt stark and barren rather than comfortable.
'My goodness...'
The marital bedroom at least had the bare minimum furnishings. A table and chair, a simple sofa, and such. But this room seemed to have forsaken even that much.
Thud.
Dane showed no surprise at the room. He simply walked inside calmly.
'Ah...'
Only then did Rose realize the truth.
'All this time, always...'
This man had spent his solitary nights in this room, ever vigilant against attacks. The time when others enjoyed peaceful rest was, for him, just another battle.
'How could it be like this...'
She newly understood just how many blades were aimed at him, how sharp and cruel they were.
Screech.
Dane entered the attached bathroom within the bedroom.
"Your Excellency, allow me to attend you."
Bill, who had followed, offered, but Dane lightly shook his head.
"No need. Wait outside."
"But-"
"I won't say it twice."
"...Understood."
Bill bowed deeply. Then he glanced at Rose and asked,
"Then may I prepare the room? For Madam's rest."
"Mm."
Dane thought for a moment before nodding readily.
"Do so."
"Yes, Your Excellency. Call if you need anything."
All the servants left, leaving only Dane and Rose in the bathroom.
Thump, thump.
Rose's heart suddenly began pounding furiously. Only then did she realize her body was pressed fully against his.
'What if he hears it?'
Her toes curled tight. Her entire body tensed to the point of madness.
"Your Excellency, why... here."
To the question Rose barely managed to voice with all her strength,
"Can't leave my wife there indefinitely."
Dane answered with disarming simplicity. His gaze fell on her eyes.
"I'm no good at comforting people who cry."
Dane grumbled curtly, then added,
"So preventing the tears is the best I can do."
A somewhat lukewarm sentiment, spoken in a tone that almost sounded like an excuse.
For a moment, Rose wanted to ask.
Does that mean you don't want me to cry? Or is that just my wishful thinking?
She mulled over his words in her mind again and again. But she couldn't bring herself to voice the question, only biting her lip.
"You'll have to get used to incidents like tonight."
"...Yes."
"My wife will never come to harm. I promise you that."
"I never thought I would get hurt..."
Rose stammered courageously.
"The defensive magic tool on the bed... That was you who activated it, wasn't it."
"Mm."
"I know you've been protecting the area around the bed all along."
Dane tilted his head slightly. A glint flashed in his deep blue eyes. He paused as if about to say something, then
thud.
silently set Rose down on the floor.
He pulled over a simple chair from the corner. It seemed like something the servants used while attending him.
"Sit."
"Yes..."
As he moved away, leaving his warmth behind, Rose nearly reached out to grab him without thinking. But she stopped upon noticing the blood staining her gown.
"Your gown is soiled."
Dane said, stepping back from her.
"A fresh one will be brought soon. Change into it later."
"Ah, yes..."
Rose's hesitant gaze lingered on Dane as she answered.
"What about you, Your Excellency?"
Instead of answering, he shrugged and headed deeper into the bathroom. He vanished behind the partition.
"...?"
Rose sat obediently in the chair, staring toward the partition.
Splash.
The sound of blood-soaked fabric being handled came, followed by
thud.
his gown tossed up over the partition.
'Gasp!'
Rose froze rigidly in place from the shock.
D-Does that mean Your Excellency beyond the partition is... right now...?
'!!'
Rose's innocent mind couldn't entertain further imaginings. Instead, her face and neck flushed bright red.
'Oh, mother...'
Rose covered her face with both hands and hunched over. It was far too much stimulation for her to handle.
Splash.
Soon, the sound of Dane pouring water over himself echoed. He washed roughly and crudely, clearly quite accustomed to bathing alone.
Even though there was nothing to see, Rose couldn't bring herself to look up, keeping her eyes down. Then she noticed the blood spreading slowly across the floor.
"Your Excellency!"
"What."
"There's blood on the floor..."
"Not mine."
Dane's reply was simple but brimming with certainty. The certainty that not a single drop of his own blood had been spilled.
"You weren't hurt? Not at all?"
"Correct."
Rose was so amazed and incredulous that she barely restrained herself from asking again.
A few years ago at the Academy, Rose had observed one of his swordsmanship classes.
'He always won.'
But those were spars where they maintained a certain distance and dueled with wooden swords. Not a battle like tonight, rife with lethal intent aimed at taking lives.
Yet Dane seemed utterly accustomed to such situations today. Even though it had only been three years since he took leave from the Academy and came here.
'How much has he endured in that time.'
In her previous life, though they lived together in the castle, Rose's daily life was completely separate from Dane's.
Her glimpses of those experiences were limited to occasionally witnessing servants hauling broken furniture, disposing of bloodied rags, or discarding silverware stained black.
Watching from a few steps away was one thing; experiencing it firsthand like tonight was entirely different. The fear that such incidents could—and surely would—happen again was even more terrifying.
'I'll have to spend more nights like this with Your Excellency from now on.'
What she had only vaguely anticipated now felt viscerally real. Inevitable realities of being at Dane Schmichael's side.
It would be a lie to say she wasn't afraid. But an even greater faith accompanied it.
'He'll definitely protect me.'
The conviction that as long as she was with Dane, she would be perfectly safe had grown even clearer through tonight's ordeal.
'I want to thank him.'
She suspected he had pushed himself quite a bit today. Fighting while protecting someone must be far more taxing than fighting alone.
What should she say? No, first she needed to get closer, right? But how to approach and what to say?
Ah, right. He's bathing, so...
"Your Excellency."
Rose's lips moved on impulse.
"Shall I attend to your bath?"
There was no response from Dane beyond the partition. He must have heard, for the splashing sounds had stopped.
'What did I just say?'
Rose slapped her own lips.
'Have I lost my mind!'
She had been agonizing over wanting to get closer to him, to do something for him.
But her mere thoughts had slipped right out of her mouth.
'So embarrassing!'
Rose clutched her head and screamed silently.
Splash.
The interrupted water sounds resumed soon after.
"Didn't I say I'd treat you as befits a wife?"
Came Dane's leisurely voice.
"I can't have my wife doing work fit for a maid."
"I'm fine with it. I don't mind that sort of thing. And..."
Rose fidgeted with her fingers as she spoke.
"I know how hard you tried to protect me today... I just want to help with something."
"Help, you say."
Dane murmured, then
splash!
the sound of water pouring as he apparently stood from the tub rang out.