Nightmare Came to The Place I Escaped - Chapter 72

Rachel walked to the drawing room with Diana, who’d come to see her.

 

If Mike had been at the Duke’s residence, Diana’s visit would have been rejected, but Mike was out of the mansion on his own business.

 

Of course, Rachel could’ve refused Diana’s visit because it was against etiquette to not give word beforehand.

 

But Rachel replied that she would meet Diana, even though Rachel didn’t know why she’d made that decision.

 

However, a meeting that would normally be uncomfortable and difficult was okay today for some reason.

 

“Lady Avery.”

 

When Rachel opened the door of the drawing room, she saw Diana with her head held high.

 

“Lady Oates, I was very surprised that you suddenly left during the Hunting competition.”

 

Diana glanced lightly at Rachel as she entered the drawing room. Then she forced the corners of her lips up.

 

“I was very worried when I heard the news that you had gone back first because you weren’t feeling well.”

“Yes, I’m a lot better now. Thank you for your concern, Lady Avery.”

 

Rachel greeted Diana politely, and sat down.

 

Looking at the raised corners of her lips, it was obvious Diana was very upset. Originally, Rachel would’ve felt nervous to be around Diana when she was like that, but Rachel was just a bit tired.

 

Rachel blinked slowly as she waited for Diana’s words.

 

“More than that, we who were left at the hunting grounds that day were very surprised. His Majesty and Lady Oates seem to have a deeper relationship than what you told us.”

“….”

“Did you lie to us?”

 

Then Diana took a sip of the tea in front of her.

 

She even took the cup to her mouth and put it back down. The series of movements in which she paused for a moment, as if she was smelling the scent of the tea, before she took another sip.

 

Diana’s actions were the standard of etiquette in Rachel’s eyes.

 

Apart from Diana staring at Rachel as if she didn’t like her, Diana’s behavior was close to the standard Rachel learned from Countess Achille.

 

Perhaps it was because it was etiquette learned from childhood, it didn’t seem to be disturbed no matter what the circumstances were.

 

“You said His Majesty was visiting because of Young Master Oates, but from the way I see it, I think the reason His Majesty was visiting was because of the lady.”

 

Ironically, felt an even greater sense of detachment at the look on Diana’s face as she furrowed her brows in anger.

 

“The reason I’ve come to visit the young lady today was to convey my intentions.”

 

Originally, it would be the aristocrats duty to hide their expression.

 

Diana, who showed her displeasure as if she had nothing to lose, felt more authoritative.

 

“I like His Majesty, enough to be greedy.”

 

It was a unique uninhibitedness that was born from privilege.

 

“I’ve never failed at getting what I want. Whatever it is.”

“….”

“In addition, you’ve said you have nothing to do with His Majesty. Therefore, it is useless for you to say that you’ve changed your words to me.”

 

Yes, she was sure that Diana would have what she wanted in her hands, just like she said.

 

Like she used to live. This time again, she would have it in her hands.

 

“Understand your place, don’t be greedy for nothing.”

 

That’s what Diana had said to her once.

 

“….”

 

Rachel stared at Diana more intently so that she wouldn’t be eroded by the old memories that kept coming forward.

 

“I’m confident that I will bring His Majesty over to my side.”

 

However, the memories kept coming to mind one after another, completely out of control. No matter how much Rachel stared at Diana, she couldn’t concentrate on the situation in front of her.

 

“Maybe you should be nervous, Lady Oates.”

 

Diana squinted her eyes a little, and lifted her head slightly.

 

When things didn’t feel right, or things didn’t go her way, Diana often made that face.

 

Looking at Diana’s greedy face, Rachel felt somehow lucky. She wondered if Diana could completely take Ian away from her.

 

As Diana said, she was the one who got everything she wanted.

 

Torn dolls, and her past days of injuries. Those days of tears were all the result of Rachel’s stupidity. The reason Rachel’s life was so difficult was all because she was greedy for more than she deserved.

 

She was hurt and sick because she coveted the same thing that Diana did.

 

“Lady Avery.”

 

Ian Dakendov.

 

But this time she wasn’t greedy at all.

 

So there was no reason to be sad or hurt.

 

“I have something to give you, so could you please wait here for a moment?”

 

Rachel had been away for some time, before she finally came back with a small box in her hands.

 

Rachel put the box close to Diana on the table.

 

Diana looked at it with a slight frown.

 

“What’s this?”
“It seems that it’s too much for me. I think it would suit Lady Avery more than me.”

 

Rachel made a small gesture, as if to open it, so Diana slowly moved her hands.

 

The box opened, and Diana looked up at Rachel. It looked like she was trying to figure out Rachel’s intentions.

 

Soon after, a shining necklace was held in Diana’s hand.

 

It was the necklace Rachel had once received from Ian.

 

Where Rachel had been afraid to touch it for fear of something happening, Diana grasped the necklace without any hesitation.

 

“….”

 

Diana had seen many jewels and owned many necklaces, but Rachel’s offering made her admire it immediately.

 

At the mysterious light that emanated from the jewel, Diana smiled for a moment as she alternated between looking at Rachel and the necklace.

 

“That’s right.”

 

Diana finally understood Rachel’s words.

 

“It’s definitely a necklace that would look better on me than Lady Oates.”

 

It clearly meant that she would give up on Ian, and that she didn’t want to be an enemy.

 

Diana smiled generously once more.

 

***

 

Ian couldn’t do anything these days. He couldn’t do anything from the moment Rachel left him like that after the Hunting competition.

 

He was worried about Rachel, whose face was pale and tearful eyes, but Ian couldn’t keep up with Rachel even though he wanted to.

 

It was probably because of him that Rachel was having such a hard time.

 

That wounded and a frightened look in Rachel’s eyes made Ian feel anxious.

 

Maybe Rachel knew everything. He thought that if he went to see Rachel, she would break off contact forever.

 

He wasn’t sure if he should visit her.

 

He wanted to tell Rachel the truth one day and be forgiven, but when the situation came up, he didn’t want to tell the truth.

 

He wanted to fool Rachel forever if he could. That’s what he wanted to do if she didn’t leave.

 

He hadn’t sorted out what to do yet, but Ian wanted to visit Rachel like usual. Because he thought he would never see Rachel again if he didn’t go.

 

***

 

That evening, Ian visited.

 

“Rachel.”

 

Ian called out to her carefully. He had a bad feeling when Rachel looked at him in such an uncharacteristic manner.

 

“Are you okay?”

 

Rachel nodded silently at Ian’s question.

 

“That’s a relief.”

 

Ian looked like he wanted to ask more, instead he stretched his mouth in a smile while he clenched his fists.

 

“Rachel, why don’t we go to the theater tomorrow? A famous dance troupe from the Eastern Kingdom has come here. The costumes, dances, and instruments are all different from the Levskaya Empire, so maybe it will be interesting to you as well.”

“….”

 

Rachel couldn’t say anything to his question.

 

She thought she could do it, she thought she could shamelessly fool him.

 

But Rachel was very uncomfortable with just facing Ian. She couldn’t even breathe properly.

 

In her heart, she knew what she wanted to do. She wanted to stay with Ian, find out what he wanted from her, then destroy him.

 

She wanted to abandon him when he least expected it. She hoped that he would suffer as much as she had.

 

But the funny thing was, Rachel couldn’t even get her revenge. She couldn’t handle that.

 

“…I don’t want to.”

 

Rachel felt so pathetic that she was about to cry.

 

Even after she’d suffered such a harsh act, she couldn’t even dream of revenge even after experiencing his deception.

 

Until she completely deceived Ian in order to get revenge on him. Even the fact that she had to face him all the time caused her to feel pitiful.

 

“…I don’t want to be in the capital.”

“What?”

“I don’t want to be here anymore.”

 

She wanted to leave, and on the spur of the moment she said so.

 

If there was one thing that she desperately wanted, and wanted right now, it was to get away from Ian while she secretly cursed him. That was the best that she could do.

 

Rachel didn’t know how to get back at Ian, and she was confident in hiding her expressions and emotions in order to get revenge.

 

Even at this moment, her heart was beating so fast that she felt dizzy. There was no way that she could calmly fool Ian.

 

Anywhere was fine, as long as she didn’t have to look at Ian. It didn’t matter where it was, as long as it was away from him.

 

“What do you mean…”

“….”

“No.”

 

Ian gently shook his head.

 

He frowned as if he didn’t like Rachel’s words.

 

“I want to go back to where I was.”

“I said no.”

“….”

“Rachel.”

 

It was funny how Ian’s voice, that was calling out her name, sounded mournful. Maybe he was afraid to be abandoned.

 

Rachel could hear Ian’s voice so well.

 

“Stay here for a few months, right here. Just a few months.”

 

Ian’s words brought Rachel to tears.

 

Ian didn’t seem to have any intention of listening to her.

 

“Your Majesty, don’t you feel sorry for me at all?”

 

He seemed to have no intention of letting her go.

 

“Even though I know everything now? I already know everything.”

 

Rachel already knew everything. Did he still want to keep her next to him?

 

***