Nightmare Came to The Place I Escaped - Chapter 60

Didn’t she hide behind Mike, and avoid her gaze at the banquet hall that day? She was sure she wouldn’t do anything by herself. If she pretended to be close to her, the rumors that the Oates family was trying to get rid of the Avery’s would die down.

 

“More than that, you were right about the Countess of Achille.”

“What?”

“Ian and the Count’s wife had nothing to do with each other.”

 

Diana’s eyes closed as if she were tired, and her brows furrowed a little.

 

“I bribed someone to tell me that Mike was in the capital. That’s why Ian went there. They seemed to have developed a friendship because they wandered around the battlefield together.”

“I see. Then why was Countess Achille at the Duke’s residence?”

“Why does it matter? Tsk, maybe the pathetic Lady Oates had to learn to dance in a hurry.”

 

Anna slowly blinked at Diana, who had no doubts about Rachel, even though she suspected the relationship between the Countess and Ian.

 

“Oh, that dirty blood became a lady like me. It’s a disgrace to the aristocracy. I don’t like the culture of adoption.”

 

However, Anna was able to quickly resolve her doubts at Diana’s ensuing frustration.

 

“Her blood is dirty. Are all nobles the same? A distant relative? She must’ve been the daughter of some beggarly family with an insignificant title.”

“I know, My Lady. What should I write to Lady Oates?”

“Do I have to tell you everything? Why do you care so much about that girl? Just write it yourself, and send it.”

“Yes, My Lady.”

“Write down for her reply as soon as she receives it. I don’t want to wait.”

 

After Anna’s short answer, the room quickly became quiet.

 

Only the scratch of the pen passing over the paper could be quietly heard.

 

***

 

Knock Knock

 

“Rachel.”

 

A darkened sky.

 

After turning on the mansion’s lights, Ian was carefully knocking on Rachel’s door since she hadn’t left her room, even after a long time had passed.

 

However, after waiting for some time, no answer was heard from the room.

 

Knock Knock

 

“I’ll only go in for a minute.”

 

He opened the door cautiously when he didn’t receive an answer, even after he knocked multiple times.

 

A darkened room.

 

Only the light from the lamp that Ian was holding lit up the room.

 

Soft breathing could be heard, and Ian’s head quickly returned to the bed.

 

He muffled his footsteps, and walked over to the bedside.

 

Rachel lay in an uncomfortable position on the edge of the bed, and was in a deep sleep.

 

She was lying there with a brush in her hand, and not covered with a blanket.

 

She seemed to have fallen asleep while drying her hair.

 

A pleasant smile spread across Ian’s lips.

 

Rachel’s slightly open lips let out a steady, light breath.

 

Ian carefully laid down the lamp he was carrying on the floor.

 

He was feeling a little relieved to see Rachel sleeping so soundly.

 

Ian reached for Rachel’s hair, but in the end his hand didn’t reach her and came right back.

 

Ian carefully sat down at Rachel’s feet.

 

“If only we were normal without anything special.”

 

Ian put his hand near his heart.

 

“If only we were alike.”

 

His soft voice rang in the very quiet room.

 

“No, if only I had been a little more kind. If I’d realized earlier, you wouldn’t have hated me, would you?”

 

If only he wasn’t the third prince, born from a maid, and Rachel wasn’t a maid.

 

If they were just residents of this seaside village, would they be able to live forever like they had today?

 

Sometimes, they could go out to the sea and play in the water, and go for a walk together.

 

All he was left with was regret.

 

All those stupid moments.

 

Avery, the memories of that cabin must have been terrible for Rachel.

 

She’d been through a lot of hardships because of him.

 

She was a child who’d left the Imperial palace with him. She was a child who’d risked her life to be with him.

 

If he had been alone on the way out of the Imperial palace. If only he had been alone that winter.

 

He’d hurt that precious child like a fool.

 

He ignored Rachel, who’d come limping back to him after a bitter incident at the Duke’s household. In reality, he knew that Rachel couldn’t have stolen Diana’s necklace, but he just stood there.

 

At that time, everything was just annoying to him.

 

Rachel made him realize his incompetence at every moment. He felt stupid.

 

From the day she returned home, Rachel had a fever.

 

She was sick like that for weeks, by the time her fever went down and she got up again, she didn’t talk to him anymore.

 

She only gave brief answers when he asked questions.

 

She no longer chatted about her day anymore like she used to, and she no longer hung around him.

 

He should’ve apologized then.

 

But he couldn’t.

 

He thought it was for the best. He didn’t have to worry about Rachel anymore.

 

An apology was a promise not to do it again, but he wasn’t confident.

 

If it happened again, he wasn’t confident he could take Rachel’s side. Maybe he just didn’t want to admit his fault and bend his pride.

 

He didn’t like how Rachel, who always seemed to be his, had changed.

 

It was as if Rachel was angry with him, and he seemed to be okay with her being so cold.

 

Maybe he believed that Rachel’s anger towards him wouldn’t last long.

 

Maybe he believed that with time things would go back to how it was before.

 

However, Rachel kept her mouth shut and their relationship slowly grew more estranged.

 

“How much do you hate me for leaving you like that?”

“….”

 

Ian knew why Rachel was around him.

 

It was just because he was the Emperor.

 

She would leave him again if he handed over all the options to Rachel.

 

Could he be forgiven?

 

If he wanted to be forgiven for hurting her, would it be possible someday if he tried?

 

If not, if he couldn’t. If Rachel’s hatred for him couldn’t be reduced, then he would let her go.

 

“….”

 

Rachel twisted slightly.

 

“Rachel.”

 

Ian got up, and shook Rachel a little bit. Then she sat up, and frowned.

 

“You didn’t come down at all.”
“Ah…”

 

Rachel closed her eyes tightly, and nodded her head a little bit.

 

She blinked several times as if she was trying to wake up.

 

He thought it must’ve been tiring to travel such a long way to the sea.

 

“Do you want to go eat? Or do you want to sleep some more?”

“Something smells delicious. I’d like to eat.”

 

Rachel couldn’t even open her eyes properly, but she was so quick to answer.

 

Ian stroked Rachel’s hair back as if he was trying to help her wake up.

 

“….”

 

Rachel leaned her head into Ian’s hand as he swept the hair off of her cheek.

 

Her soft face came into his hands.

 

Her breath flowing out of the slightly opened mouth brushed Ian’s hand.

 

At that light breath, Ian’s eyes looked down at Rachel and his eyes lowered slightly.

 

Seeing Rachel’s eyes closed as if tired, Ian didn’t take his hand away and gently supported her face as she leaned forward.

 

“Rachel.”

“…Yes.”

 

Rachel nodded slowly, and removed her face from his hand.

 

When Ian’s hand felt empty, his hand followed Rachel.

 

His large hand gently clasped the nape of Rachel’s neck, and it lifted Rachel’s head a little bit.

 

“….”

 

Rachel blinked slowly, and frowned slightly since he was so close.

 

Then Ian’s hand, which was firmly supporting Rachel, slowly moved away.

 

“Shall we go down?”

“Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to sleep.”

 

She hurriedly lowered her legs off of the bed as if embarrassed.

 

Rachel looked out the window a few times, while she rubbed the cheek that Ian had touched. She didn’t know when she’d fallen asleep, but the bright sky had turned dark.

 

“I must have fallen asleep, I’m sorry.”

 

Rachel apologized again in embarrassment, and began to make the bed she’d been laying on. She’d obviously not used the blanket, but Rachel shook it off persistently.

 

It should’ve been enough, but Rachel continued to smooth the blanket as if she couldn’t tolerate a single wrinkle.

 

“Okay. I’ll go out now, so come down slowly.”

 

Ian lit Rachel’s room, and then left.

 

Rachel’s hand, which had been fussing with the blanket, finally stopped.

 

“Haa…”

 

As the door closed, Rachel sat down, as if her legs had lost strength.

 

“What was that?”

 

Rachel frowned as she remembered his face that was close enough to touch, his breath that she felt, and how Ian’s eyes sank low.

 

The lips that his gaze had touched felt ticklish.

 

Rachel got up, and rubbed the nape of her neck a few times.

 

“….”

 

Was he trying to kiss her?

 

Only then did it come to her mind that it was just her and him here.

 

Besides that, he said he liked her.

 

Her heart began to beat a little faster again, like it had earlier when Ian was in the room, and she thought he was about to kiss her.

 

But Rachel nodded and reminded herself, ‘If for some reason I didn’t want to, Ian would understand’, and he seemed to listen to her. Somehow though, her heart kept shaking.

 

***

 

“Umm.”

“Sit down, Rachel.”

 

Ian beckoned Rachel, who was standing awkwardly, to sit in a chair. Rachel turned her eyes away awkwardly, and sat carefully where he pointed.

 

“Uh, here.”

“Umm, what is this?”

 

Ian’s eyes widened slightly at Rachel, who’d thrust out her fist towards him.

 

Rachel blinked at his usual appearance, and opened her hand casually to Ian.

 

It was difficult for her to see Ian. So, she brought down something to change the topic, but now that she was seeing him, she thought it wasn’t necessary.

 

‘Wasn’t he trying to kiss me?’

 

Ian glanced at Rachel, she hurriedly turned her head, and avoided his eyes.

 

“Take it?”

“Yes.”

 

On Rachel’s open palm lay the two seashells that they’d picked up on the beach during the day. The two seashells in Rachel’s favorite pattern.

 

“This is mine.”

 

Ian rolled the conch once with his finger, and then opened his palm.

 

“I saw a glass bottle in the kitchen earlier, I’ll put it in there. Let’s eat first.”

 

Ian soothed Rachel as if he was appeasing a child who couldn’t concentrate at mealtime. He took the seashells from her, and left them on the end of the table.

 

***