Never Saved You - Chapter 41

Chapter 41

Translator: Yonnee

—

Alei thought that, even asleep, that man’s physique looked built.

Now that he had regained his consciousness, it could be said that he was even intimidating.

Similar to a sharp, rugged reef, the man showed a glint of madness somewhere in his countenance.

Alei was a little surprised that he was able to point out this person’s demeanor just by the first impression.

He tended to stay in extreme solitude, so he usually had thought about people’s impressions as he wasn’t interested in other people.

Nevertheless, him being able to see this clearly also meant that the other person was overtly revealing this side of him.

In fact, it was more laughable for it to be pointed out like this.

The man seemed to be on the brink of grabbing Alei by the collar right then.

With a voice expressing that his patience was at its limit, the man asked again clearly.

“Why aren’t you answering my question? Why are you inside Ophelia’s room?”

“I’m here for overtime under my boss’ orders.”

Of course, that didn’t mean that Alei wouldn’t raise an eyebrow. He answered calmly.

In any case, he was here for a favor, so should be considered overtime work.

But the other man wouldn’t trust Alei’s words.

Ha. While scoffing coldly, the man raised his eyebrows.

“Why would you have to work overtime in Ophelia’s room—at this hour? Shouldn’t you be cautious about a scandal being spread?”

“You’ve come so early in the morning like this, so shouldn’t you be cautious as well?”

“It’s different from coming out of Ophelia’s room. What’s your relationship with her?”

“Just a subordinate.”

When he answered, somehow there was a bitter taste, but his mouth moved on its own without hesitation.

Truthfully, he was a little annoyed by the fact that conflict like this arose in the room where Ophelia was still sleeping. Nevertheless, Alei, who didn’t tend to be easy-going, was in quite a pointed mood right now.

‘It’s not the imperial palace, so I can just feign ignorance and speak vaguely with disrespect…’

Gauging the situation, Alei closed the door behind him and took a step closer to the other person. There was no need to show hostility right away.

The fact was that there’s nothing that could stop him if he were to slaughter someone, knowing what kind of threat he was alone allowed him to relax.

Alei’s cold, sharp gaze was focused on the other man. It was as if he was someone who had never bothered with emotions.

“On the contrary, it’s me who should be asking. Who are you to say this. While you’ve been knocking on my boss’ room so early in the morning even with the knowledge that this could cause rumors, I had just gotten out from working overtime and yet you’re so impatient that you seem to want to grab me by the collar.”

“I didn’t know I needed to justify myself for coming to greet my savior. Or do you not know who I am?”

“I know everyone I need to know.”

He said it in a way that was like he felt it was unfortunate.

Hearing the calmly uttered lie, the man’s eyes narrowed. It seemed like he was trying to determine whether Alei’s words were true.

“I know your face, sir. Yesterday, Her Highness the Imperial Princess said that she had rescued someone from the sea, so I briefly treated you before you were passed onto the ward’s jurisdiction. In a way, I am also your savior.”

“Even dogs and cows could claim that they’re my savior.”

“I don’t think that’s something you should say in front of someone who treated you to the best of his abilities. If you didn’t receive grace from other people, you would have been fish food by now, but you’re pretty good at opening and closing your mouth like a fish, too.

I don’t know who you are, but after drowning once, you learned something from the fishes at least.

When Alei smiled and said this, the other man’s eyebrows were raised even more sharply.

“Ophelia saved me and treated me, but are you trying to take credit for that?”

“I’m not interested in that. It’s just that I don’t want to see you running around without knowing the kindness given to you. So if there’s nothing else, do go back. If there’s more you want to say, then tell me. I’ll deliver your message later.”

“Insolent bastard.”

“You don’t need to hold back on the compliments.”

“Haha.”

The man laughed without amusement.

“I’ll deliver my own words later, so save it. I’m clearly a bastard you didn’t want to meet, but you’re just a fool who doesn’t know anything.”

What hit Alei’s sore spot was about him not knowing anything.

For the first time in their exchange, Alei frowned.

“…What do you mean I don’t know?”

“Do I look kind enough to spell it out for you? If you’re really curious, why don’t you ask Ophelia. What relationship I have with her—what you don’t know.”

And these words stabbed at Alei as well.

“I’ll get going then. Good work with your overtime.”

Unlike earlier, the uninvited guest Ian looked leisurely at Alei, whose distorted expression made it seem as though he had bitten something bitter. Then, Ian turned away.

However, the leisurely expression he had did not continue as he turned around.

‘That bastard came out of Ophelia’s room?’

Alejandro Diarmuid.

Though he was unknown now, in five years’ time, his name would be known all over the continent.

And the only other person who was as shaken up by Ophelia’s death as much as Ian.

Standing by the staircase, Ian looked back towards the direction of Ophelia’s room, but it was no longer visible.

‘I couldn’t explain properly last night, so I was going to talk to her again today.’

As he grappled with mixed feelings, Ophelia’s visit the previous night played back in his mind.

From when he opened his eyes to the light, even when Ophelia looked at him as though she was hanging by the edge of a cliff.

Those eyes full of sorrow and resentment that couldn’t be concealed—the sight wouldn’t leave his mind. Whenever he faced that gaze, he felt suffocated every time.

What was it that made him hold his breath—was it because he was facing the person he was longing for, or was it the resentment in her eyes?

He wasn’t sure which it was, but Ian knew that there was a lot he had to talk about with Ophelia once they met again.

‘I’ll have to come back later this afternoon.’

Ian turned around and returned to his room, closing the door with a slam.

This room, where he stayed in at Ladeen, had become unfamiliar as much as those five years.

The place where he met Ophelia.

When he first opened his eyes, he was in so much confusion.

—W-Where is this place?

—We are in Ladeen, in the Milescet Empire. Have you regained consciousness?

—Ladeen? Was it a shipwreck?

—Yes, that’s right. Fortunately, Her Highness the Imperial Princess found you.

There was nothing else to ask. Milescet. Ladeen. Her Highness the Imperial Princess. He could piece it all together.

As soon as he grasped the situation a little, his memories flowed in as if they had been waiting.

Falling into the sea, a few fragmented memories rushed in before he could forget them.

Eye contact with the woman who jumped off the balcony at Milescet Empire’s imperial banquet.

And when he followed her.

—…Grand Duke Ronen.

—Do you know who I am?

—There is no way I wouldn’t know you. You are the most important guest here.

It was clear in his memory, Ophelia’s trembling voice and the ring on her finger.

— Find someone else. There are so many other people who would willingly offer themselves to be your excuse.

And Ophelia said this as she ran away from him.

There was a strange sense of interest and regret, and he could only understand those feelings now.

“…Ophelia.”

She, too, returned to the past. Of this, Ian was sure. When he had yet to become aware about him being in the past, he didn’t notice this. But now that he did, now that he knew about her and her death, how could he turn away from the fact.

How could he not express the relief, the joy he felt at that time?

Ophelia.

He uttered the name in his mind as he brooded.

‘Now, I can set everything right.’

When he realized that an opportunity to do it over had come to him, Ian thanked God, who he didn’t believe in, for the first time.

This was a chance to correct all the wrongs and mistakes from the past.

‘It doesn’t matter if Ophelia doesn’t love me.’

It really didn’t matter to him now.

As long as Ophelia returns to him.

He won’t lose her this time.

For this to happen, he needed to move faster.

‘Like me, Ophelia has memories of the past.’

It was important for him to make the situation favorable for himself.

‘I heard that the Fief Lord had fallen sick after an accident.’

This was something that did not exist in the past. Of course, this must have happened under Ophelia’s intervention.

And of course, it wasn’t strange to him to see that there were some differences in the past.

However, should he say that he had no idea what Ophelia wanted to happen?

If she wouldn’t marry him, then she would have to marry the King of Kschent.

‘There’s no way she’d choose that.’

What stuck in his mind was also the fact that Alei was in Ophelia’s room.

Ian remembered how, after hearing the news about Ophelia, Alei ran straight from the magic tower and to the Ronen Castle.

He acted the same way Ian did.

In front of Ophelia’s death bed as she laid there, he called her name.

—Ophelia.

The heavy voice was familiar. And suddenly, Ian realized why.

Alei’s voice, which resembled a grievous sigh, was just like his.