Nightmare Came to The Place I Escaped - Chapter 52

Shwaaa

 

The evening breeze was quite chilly, and the sound of scratching through the lush leaves bothered Rachel.

 

Fortunately, there weren’t many trees and there was a narrow path to go through.

 

And the moon was bright.

 

“Follow me closely.”

 

Ian grumbled as he waited for Rachel, who had fallen behind.

 

“Take my hand.”

“I’ll just follow behind you.”

“You haven’t been able to keep up with me. Take my hand.”

 

Unwilling, Rachel hesitated, but eventually grabbed his hand.

 

His big hands were callused and hard.

 

It wasn’t how they felt when he was very young.

 

“….”

 

Despite holding her hand, Ian slowed down without a word as Rachel fell behind a few times.

 

Rachel felt uncomfortable whenever he seemed to care about her. She wanted to let go of his hand, but Rachel chewed on her lip instead.

 

“Is that what you were talking about?”

 

Then Ian motioned to something in the distance.

 

A small hut on a hill.

 

“A house where people might not live?”

 

Rachel nodded quietly.

 

Ian and Rachel walked toward the cabin.

 

“I’ll go in first.”

“….”

“Be careful.”

 

There was no one there, but somehow Ian seemed a little nervous.

 

His hand, that was holding Rachel’s hand, tightened a little.

 

Squeak

 

The door creaked as if it hadn’t been greased for a long time.

 

Contrary to his worries, the cabin was empty.

 

A small hut.

 

A fireplace, chairs and a table, and a single room with a small bed inside.

 

It looked the same as when she first came here.

 

“There really is a house with no people.”

 

Ian finally let go of Rachel’s hand.

 

“Let’s get some rest.”

 

Ian took off his bag and robe.

 

Rachel knew that this trip had been a lot harder on him than it was on her. He didn’t sleep a wink on the road, and he never took off his robe.

 

But Ian didn’t even look tired.

 

He took off his robe and sighed, but that was all.

 

He nodded towards Rachel, who was staring at him.

 

“Go in and sleep.”

 

Ian yielded the room to her. Rachel nodded slightly, then went into the room and closed the door.

 

Even yielding the room to her was the same as in the past.

 

Of course, at that time, she’d refused while she said that it was nonsense for her to use a room instead of the prince.

 

It was slightly different from the previous life, but most of it was the same.

 

The day of escape from the Imperial palace was earlier than in her previous life, but they eventually escaped and came to this cabin in Avery.

 

He’d grumbled and got angry, but he held my hand. He helped her not to fall behind, and gave her the room willingly, but he would change in the end.

 

Eventually she would get on his nerves, become hated, and she would die again.

 

‘I hate it.’

 

Rachel didn’t want that.

 

She didn’t want to die.

 

Rachel still didn’t know which part of herself that Ian didn’t like very much. So, she wasn’t confident she wouldn’t be hated by him.

 

‘I have to run.’

 

She had to run away to live.

 

And at the end of the day, that’s what Ian wanted from her.

 

Her disappearance, the person who knew his difficult past, was what he wanted in the end.

 

Rachel changed her clothes and laid herself on the bed. Although the moon wasn’t visible, light came in through the window.

 

“….”

 

Ian was brilliant and powerful, so he could live alone.

 

But what would he eat?

 

There was no way he could cook. As a prince, he’s never cooked before.

 

Of course, she wasn’t good at it either, but there were things she’d seen over other’s shoulders and she had memories of her past.

 

She remembered living here with Ian for three years.

 

Could he endure the winter alone?

 

Still, she knew how to keep the fire from going out, and she knew the terrain here.

 

But Ian wouldn’t know anything.

 

Besides, there must be a lot of restrictions on his movements because his hair stood out.

 

Would he last three years alone here?

 

“Haa…”

 

Rachel decided to stay here for a few days, then a few weeks.

 

She needed to prepare firewood. She had to get food for him to eat during the winter, and buy him some thin robes for the summer.

 

If he walked around in winter robes during the middle of summer, it would be suspicious.

 

She decided to leave after preparing him to spend the winter alone.

 

Eventually he would kill her, but it wasn’t now.

 

For now, he escaped with her because he was worried that she would be bullied by the princes.

 

They held hands. He gave her the room. Although she didn’t get motion sickness, he gave her medicine for motion sickness.

 

“Winter.”

 

He helped her first, so she wanted to prepare a little for Ian to spend the winter alone before she left.

 

She’d rather help him a little. She would feel less uneasy after doing so.

 

If he caught a cold because of her, or if he got sick because he couldn’t eat properly, she’d feel uncomfortable.

 

This nosiness was to ease the burden on her mind a little. Yes, it was to wrap up their long time together.

 

It was just that.

 

He wasn’t nineteen yet, and he didn’t kill her as a kid.

 

That’s all it was.

 

He hadn’t done anything wrong to her yet.

 

***

 

“Your Majesty, it seems that you are not leaving the office these days.”

 

Harmond said to Ian, as he picked up his belongings.

 

Has it already been three days?

 

It had already been that long since he’d visited Lady Oates.

 

Did he have a falling out with her? His Majesty didn’t seem to be in a bad mood.

 

“Why don’t you go visit Lady Oates?”

“Lady Oates? Harmond, how did you know?”

“I saw you at the victory banquet that day. Your Majesty was going out to the balcony to see the lady.”

 

Ian frowned at Harmond’s words.

 

“I’m sure I moved with Master Oates.”

“It was obvious.”

 

Ian sighed softly at the remark. Harmond raised the corners of his mouth a little in bewilderment. It was fascinating and special to see Ian like this.

 

“Your Majesty, don’t worry too much because no one but me has noticed.”

 

Harmond shook his head reassuringly.

 

“No one knows His Majesty better or is more interested in him than I am. It was possible because it was I who noticed that His Majesty’s lady was the Lady Oates.”

 

Ian sighed once again at the confident Harmond.

 

“Well then, that’s good.”

“I didn’t think you wanted this to leak out, so don’t worry. I’m a tight-lipped person, aren’t I?”

“Okay.”

 

Harmond looked at him and smiled again, as if he was telling him to relax and not worry.

 

“But why are you so excited?”

“Ah… Hmm, I think you’re mistaken. Why don’t you go see the lady?”

 

Harmond rolled his eyes, and hurriedly changed the subject.

 

“…I hear the Duke is staying in the capital.”

“The Duke of Oates?”

 

Harmond asked back. It wasn’t because he didn’t understand Ian’s words. He didn’t understand what the correlation was between the Duke of Oates staying in the capital, and Ian not visiting the lady.

 

“Are you uncomfortable around the Duke?”

“No, I just want the two of them to spend time together. I didn’t want to disturb them.”

“Oh, I see.”

 

Only then did Harmond nod.

 

“Go away.”
“Well, then I’ll be on my way.”

 

Ian nodded his head slightly, then bent his head to the paperwork again.

 

He would stay in the office alone even after Harmond left work these days.

 

All to take a week’s vacation.

 

Of course, he didn’t ask for the consent of others. It was just a one-sided notification.

 

But the Emperor took care of his work until the end, so there was no problem.

 

He was just a little envious.

 

As far as he knew, Ian Dakendov was the one who had the least fun life.

 

But he looked happy these days, he’d even planned a trip with his lover.

 

At least he thought he’d have a lover before Ian. Harmond was depressed by this unexpected betrayal.

 

Now it seemed like he was the only one living a boring life around him.

 

“Haa…”

 

With an unbearable deep sigh, Harmond hurried out of the hallway.

 

***

 

“Rachel, are you ready?”

 

The Duke of Oates.

 

Rachel hurried down the stairs at the sound of him calling her.

 

“Hey, didn’t you sleep well yesterday? Your face is looking worse day by day.”

“No, I slept well yesterday.”

 

At the Duke’s worried comment, Rachel smiled broadly as if he had nothing to worry about. But even that smile didn’t seem so good.

 

“Should you rest at home today?”

“No, I want to see the paintings, too.”

“All right, then. Let’s go.”

 

Rachel and the Duke walked out the front door.

 

After today, the Duke of Oates had to return to his territory. It had been more than five days since Ian had come to visit her.

 

“I’ve decided to go to the Southern Territories with His Majesty.”

“Yes.”

“He said we’d leave as soon as you left.”

 

Just two days later.

 

It was the day she promised Ian that they’d go see the sea.

 

Ian Dakendov

 

Did he really have memories of the past? Did he die with her, and come back to life?

 

Then why did he come to her, and say he has feelings for her?

 

He hated her so much, but now he didn’t.

 

“I don’t get colds as easily as you.”

 

Rachel wasn’t sure about anything yet. She wondered if Ian really remembered those things like her. Or did he say it without much meaning behind it?

 

Maybe it was just some passing words, like a light conversation about the weather. Like a casual greeting.

 

She might be reacting too sensitively.

 

She was at a loss on how to look at him. What kind of face should she look at him with?

 

“….”

 

Rachel couldn’t sleep well for a few days because of her troubling thoughts about Ian. She wanted to stop thinking about it now, but her mind quickly filled with Ian.

 

“Rachel, I’m not disturbing you, am I?”

 

Thankfully, Rachel’s contemplation ended with the Duke’s voice.

 

***