Nightmare Came to The Place I Escaped - Chapter 56

“Hurry up, and close your eyes.”

 

Rachel blinked slowly, then closed her eyes at Ian’s words.

 

Then came a little laugh. Somehow she felt a little relieved by that gentle laughter.

 

Apparently, all of her fears were unfounded. There was no way that such a kind man could have killed her.

 

She was sure Ian didn’t know anything.

 

“Your Majesty.”

“What?”

“You said that you loved me, correct?”

“Yes, I did.”

 

How much should she trust him?

 

“Can I trust you?”

 

She wondered if he’d hurt her. She was afraid that she’d be thrown away by him again.

 

“It’s true that I love you. I want to express it in nice words, but I can’t think of it properly, but my heart is sincere without a single lie.”

“….”

“I love you, Rachel.”

 

His voice rang low in the cool night air.

 

Rachel.

 

She loved her name when he said it.

 

Rachel.

 

Her name, which was nothing special and had never been special, sounded ticklish.

 

“I’ll be nice to you.”

“….”

“I promise I’ll give you anything you want. I have a lot of things now, and I can give you a lot.”

 

His sweet whispers reduced her anxiety a little. Rachel really didn’t think she had to worry about anything with him.

 

Rachel didn’t expect much from him, she just hoped his heart was sincere.

 

She hoped that the words he whispered to her were not false.

 

Rachel knew she already believed him, even if she was just fooling herself.

 

She didn’t want to wake up from her current dream.

 

“Please sing a song.”

“What?”

“Then I think I can sleep well.”

 

Ian didn’t answer Rachel’s request. He was either frowning because he was flustered, or he was getting ready to spit out a rejection with an expressionless face.

 

“I don’t sing a lot.”

 

Ian seemed to have chosen to decline. It seemed that it was a difficult and embarrassing request.

 

He picked up some of Rachel’s disheveled hair off the bed, and opened his mouth again.

 

“…Don’t laugh.”

 

He whispered those words as he nervously fiddled with Rachel’s hair, then he cleared his throat a few times and soon began to sing.

 

“When that day comes, when the sun is warm and the wind is gentle.”

 

He had no technique, and his singing ability wasn’t outstanding, but she liked how he seemed a little shy.

 

It wasn’t a strong voice, but a languid one.

 

“Let’s leave together. I’ll take you wherever you want, so hold my hand if you want.”

 

To that low voice.

 

She gradually closed her eyes.

 

***

 

Clip Clop

 

“Rachel.”

 

Ian whispered quietly after they’d traveled quite a long distance on the horse.

 

“What?”

 

Rachel jolted a bit, surprised by Ian whispering at such a close distance. Ian only laughed playfully when he saw Rachel’s funny reaction.

 

“Aren’t you uncomfortable?”

“…What are you talking about?”

“I think you should lean against me.”

 

Ian whispered more softly than usual. He must have done this on purpose, even though he knew she hated it.

 

Rachel shook her head firmly.

 

“I’m fine.”
“Alright, but you can lean on me whenever you want to.”

 

Rachel nodded her head, but she was sure that she wouldn’t have to lean on him.

 

Clip Clop

 

However, contrary to her firm conviction, it was quite difficult to endure without leaning on Ian at all.

 

As time passed, it became more and more difficult to keep her back straight and balanced so that she didn’t touch Ian.

 

“….”

 

At some point, Rachel stopped looking at the surrounding scenery, and just looked down at her hands that were holding the saddle.

 

Glance

 

A smile appeared on Ian’s lips as he looked at Rachel.

 

He slowly brought his arm down, and pulled Rachel into a hug with his right arm.

 

“Come here.”

“Ugh, I’m really fine.”

 

Rachel was uncomfortable leaning on Ian, and tried to straighten her posture again.

 

“Okay. You look fine, but just lean on me. I don’t want to have to carry you when you’re exhausted later.”

 

Rachel tried to contradict Ian’s words, but she soon gave up and leaned against him.

 

As Rachel leaned back and rested against him, Ian removed the arm that was holding her.

 

Rachel glanced up at Ian’s pleasant scent.

 

The smell of cool water. The soft scent of bath salts and cool plants somehow reassured her heart. She relaxed her body, and relied on him effortlessly.

 

She glanced up at Ian’s face, but his smile had disappeared.

 

He looked a little bored, and his usual indifferent expression had returned.

 

She hadn’t seen that face in a while, and it was somehow unfamiliar.

 

“What?”

“Nothing.”

 

Rachel’s stare was felt, and Ian looked down at her.

 

The moment their eyes met, his eyes folded beautifully and his red lips drew up into an arc. In an instant, his expressionless face disappeared and his eyes became endlessly friendly.

 

“You can look at me however much you like.”
“….”

“Why? Am I not handsome anymore?”

 

His voice was full of mischievousness. Rachel glared at him and his laughter-filled voice.

 

“Do you remember what you said to me that day? That I looked like a prince from a fairytale.”

 

Ian seemed to have recalled an old memory, but Rachel blushed immediately.

 

“I don’t remember.”

 

But she did remember it clearly.

 

Jewel-like eyes, and a high nose. Sleek jawline, and thick eyebrows.

 

He was still handsome, but when he was young, Ian was more beautiful than a girl.

 

When she first saw him, he was so pretty that she stared at his face blankly for a while. She was sure she wasn’t supposed to do that, and had heard it enough to form calluses on her ears.

 

She couldn’t take her eyes off the beauty she’d never seen before.

 

Rachel was a little girl, she’d wondered if perhaps Ian was some kind of fairy. She was really seriously worried.

 

The words she said to him about him being like a prince were also words she’d been thinking for a while, but eventually said without thinking.

 

It was a mistake she made when she was really young.

 

Had she been a little older, she would’ve never made that mistake.

 

“You especially liked the color of my eyes.”

“….”

 

Rachel bowed her head, and earnestly wished that this time of torment would end quickly.

 

“I hated it all. I hated my rare purple eyes, the silver hair of the royal family, and my conspicuous face. I didn’t like the momentary interest, I didn’t like the fact that I was a topic of conversation and people were talking about me.”

 

He didn’t like his face?

 

Rachel wondered what kind of expression Ian was making.

 

“I just wanted to live quietly, but it didn’t work out.”

 

However, Rachel could not raise her head to check his face and kept her head down.

 

“But I like everything now.”

 

Once again, his voice was mingled with laughter.

 

“Because you like it.”

 

His voice, laced with a thin laugh, was hard to hear.

 

“It didn’t feel so bad that day either. The moment you looked into my eyes and spoke.”

 

He leaned away from Rachel, and he wrapped his arm around her. Then he lifted Rachel’s chin slightly, and forced her to look at him.

 

“So, what about now?”

 

Once again his eyes folded beautifully.

 

“Do you still like it?”

 

It was a mischievous question.

 

It was clear why he was asking the question, even though he knew that would be awkward for her. Rachel rolled her eyes in embarrassment, and nodded.

 

“That’s a relief.”

 

For a moment, Ian’s eyes fluttered slightly, but he smiled once more. Then he put Rachel in a comfortable position again so that she could lean against him.

 

“Rachel, we’re almost there.”

 

Ian carefully woke Rachel from sleeping in his arms.

 

“Wait, I’ll help you down soon.”

 

Thick darkness had already fallen over the sky, and the sea they wanted to observe was difficult to see in the gloom. Rachel looked around, then left Ian’s embrace, and got off the horse.

 

“It’s too dark to see, but that’s the sea.”

 

Rachel’s eyes followed Ian’s fingertip.

 

Under the crescent moon, a little bit of light fell to the ground and sparkled.

 

The cold night breeze carried the scent. There was a constant sound of waves crashing, and Rachel caught sight of the sea hidden in the dark night.

 

She couldn’t even see it, but even hidden, it was good. Somehow, her heart pounded pleasantly.

 

“You’ll see it better tomorrow morning.”

“It’s good now too.”

“Really?”

 

Ian wrapped Rachel’s clothes around her tightly, as she was unable to take her eyes off the sea.

 

With a gentle hand, Ian touched Rachel’s face.

 

As he lightly touched Rachel’s face, it felt quite cold because she was being hit by the night wind for a long time.

 

It seemed he wanted to share his warmth, but his hands were as cold as Rachel’s face, so it was of no use.

 

Ian soon realized this, and he took his hand off Rachel’s face.

 

“Aren’t you tired?”

 

Rachel gave a small shake of her head at Ian’s question.

 

“Should we stay here a little longer?”

“Yes.”

“Then, let’s do that.”

 

Ian nodded his head.

 

Then he stood by Rachel’s side without saying much, and looked at the invisible sea.

 

The sound of the water filled the night, and the exhilarating smell still blew on the wind.

 

Rachel glanced at Ian.

 

Somehow, she didn’t want the morning to come.

 

She was afraid that the sea in the morning would not be as pretty as she expected. Even if she didn’t see it, she was scared because it was pretty enough and liked it.

 

Just in case she was disappointed.

 

***

 

A detached house owned by Ian.

 

Rachel approached him as if bewitched by the view from the window. Ian gave Rachel a small smile, and opened the window.

 

“Wow.”

 

Rachel uttered a small exclamation.

 

It was a vast expanse of sea.

 

Rachel opened her mouth slightly, and looked into the sea for a while.

 

The shimmering emerald sea, and white sandy beach.

 

Rachel breathed in the characteristic smell, as if she wanted to feel it more, as it was carried by the wind.

 

“It’s really pretty.”

 

Her untied hair swayed slightly in the gentle breeze.

 

Rachel’s green eyes were shining as brightly as the sunlit sea, and Ian looked at them without saying a word.

 

***