Nightmare Came to The Place I Escaped - Chapter 88

Bang!

 

“Get out of the way!”

 

Diana lost her temper and pushed her escort knight away.

 

“You @sshole, why are you staring blankly! Open the door!”

“…Sorry.”

 

Diana slapped the knight on the cheek mercilessly, then got on the carriage with a huff as if her anger wasn’t resolved.

 

“[email protected] it!”

 

Once again, Diana was unable to overcome her anger, and stomped her foot.

 

“What the heck is going on!”

 

She even confirmed that Ian and Rachel’s relationship had become estranged.

 

Did that mean the girl had changed her mind in the meantime?

 

No, Ian had stayed in the capital.

 

Ian never went to the Oates estate to meet Rachel. Rachel didn’t come up to the capital to meet Ian either.

 

But what was with the sudden marriage proposal?

 

Could it be that Ian still had feelings for that girl even after she jilted him like that? No, what does he see in that b!tch?

 

“Stupid b!tch! How dare you cause me problems again!”

 

It was all so sudden.

 

She didn’t think things would get messed up like this.

 

“Haa…”

 

Diana exhaled a deep breath.

 

Yeah, she didn’t know for sure yet.

 

Ian didn’t seem to have forgotten Rachel yet. Maybe it was just sent out without discussion. Rachel, that stupid girl might refuse.

 

“Ah! [email protected] it. Stupid girl. I’m really going to kill you.”

 

Diana constantly uttered curses without even knowing who she was cursing at.

 

Those young ladies at the tea party, who’d looked down on her, were drawing a line between them now. Rachel, who was proposed to after acting as if she was no longer interested in Ian.

 

Ian who wouldn’t meet with her.

 

Her family, who was holding her back even though it wasn’t helpful at this important time.

 

She didn’t like any of it.

 

“My Lady, we’ve arrived.”

 

It had been a long time since she’d spit out such unknown curses.

 

The knight opened the carriage door.

 

At this time, Diana once again let out a rough breath and controlled her anger.

 

A maid came running out of the house.

 

“My Lady!”

 

The maid, who was calling out to Diana in a hurry, saw Diana’s unusual expression and stopped slowly.

 

The maid examined Diana, who seemed to be very angry, then she looked between Diana and her escort knights alternately as if frightened.

 

How many times did the knight get hit already? His cheek was swollen.

 

“[email protected] it, what!”

 

Diana glared at the maid who’d appeared in front of her, and frowned in annoyance.

 

She scowled at the maid, who seemed happy unlike her.

 

“Well, My Lady, His Majesty finally replied.”

 

Only then did Diana, who was staring fiercely at the maid, lower her eyes to the envelope in the maid’s hand.

 

“Here you go.”

“Hey, bring it here.”

 

The maid tightened her hand as if she were trying to calm herself from trembling with fear.

 

And in an instant, her head turned from the merciless force.

 

“You lesser creature. You crumpled the letter!”

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry.”

“Delivering a letter, can’t you do it properly?”

 

She took the letter from the maid’s hand, frowning as if she didn’t like it.

 

As a result, the letter was completely crumpled from Diana’s hand.

 

Until now, she was so angry that the letter was slightly wrinkled, but she didn’t seem to care much about the letter being crumpled by her own hand.

 

Tak Tak

 

“Why did I hire you, a piece of garbage who can’t even do one thing properly, and give you money?”

 

Diana smiled coldly, and hit the maid’s head.

 

Flop

 

“My Lady, I’m sorry. Please forgive me.”

“Forgiveness?”

 

The maid shed tears in fear.

 

She looked pathetic as she knelt and bowed her head, but Diana only smiled coldly.

 

“If you do something wrong, you should be punished accordingly. Forgiveness, isn’t that too selfish and brazen? I’ve been hurt by you, and you’re asking me to forgive you.”

“It seemed that the lady was waiting for His Majesty’s letter, and I just wanted to deliver it to you as early as possible…”

“If you know you’re really wrong, don’t ask for forgiveness, but pay for it.”

 

Diana turned her head and looked at her escort knight.

 

“What are you doing? What are you looking at?”

“My Lady! I was really wrong. I won’t do it again, please!”

“Take her.”

 

As if the maid was afraid, she grabbed the tip of Diana’s shoe with her hand.

 

But there was still no mercy in return.

 

“Argh!”

 

Diana just trampled on the maid’s hand with an expressionless face.

 

“My Lady!”

“Tsk.”

 

Diana looked down at her shoes as if they were dirty as she watched the maid being dragged away by the knight, and clicked her tongue slightly.

 

Then she checked the envelope in her hand, and took a deep breath.

 

It was already crumpled into a mess.

 

Diana tore open the envelope, and pulled out a letter from inside.

 

She didn’t know why Ian had sent a reply, but he must’ve been feeling like a beggar again.

 

She didn’t want to write to him anymore.

 

「Dear Lady Avery.

I am replying to the letter from the lady.

There’s a carriage I want to give you as a present. I’m very grateful that the lady cares about me so much.

I’d like to make an appointment to meet in about seven days. If you are available that day, please write to my aide Harmond.

I’ll be waiting for your positive reply,

Ian Dakendorv.」

 

“…What?”

 

Diana stood blankly for several minutes, holding on to the short letter that could be read at a glance.

 

“So, you want to meet with me?”

 

Ian, wasn’t it being said that he’d sent a marriage proposal to Rachel Oates?

 

Rachel, didn’t he like her?

 

“A week later.”

 

Even though nothing was solved, Diana couldn’t control the corners of her mouth rising.

 

“I finally got an appointment with Ian.”

 

Diana hurried along, trying to straighten the badly crumpled paper.

 

A week later.

 

It wasn’t just one or two things that needed to be prepared.

 

***

 

Knock Knock

 

“Come in.”

 

With Ian’s permission, the door to the office opened and Harmond entered.

 

“Your Majesty.”

 

Ian raised his gaze from the paper at the sound of his excited voice.

 

Ian smiled slightly at the file in Harmond’s hand.

 

“I have arranged everything you ordered. Avery is on the list of people.”

 

Harmond held out the documents he was holding tightly to Ian, as if to ask for praise.

 

“Good job. You finished it much earlier than I expected.”

“I couldn’t sleep a wink. This is the data that changed my sleep pattern and life expectancy.”

“Yes, thank you.”

“…What?”

 

For a moment, Harmond opened his eyes wide and asked back.

 

“What did you just say?”

 

Harmond blinked in disbelief.

 

Come to think of it, Ian just smiled at him.

 

“I’m glad you didn’t hear it.”

 

Ian frowned slightly, as if embarrassed.

 

“No, I heard it clearly, but I want to hear it again.”

 

Harmond looked at Ian as if he wanted him to say it again. Ian smiled at his boldness.

 

“Thank you for working so hard for me.”

 

Ian couldn’t look directly at Harmond as if these words were too awkward for him.

 

Harmond and a painting on the wall behind him, Ian looked somewhere in between.

 

“I haven’t been able to tell you, but I’ve always been grateful.”

“Gasp!”

 

Ian, who was looking somewhere in the air like that, caught Harmond’s face from the corner of his eyes when he inhaled a pitiful breath.

 

“…Oh, my God, are you crying?”

 

Ian’s face was filled with astonishment.

 

“Your Majesty, Your Majesty, I have better stamina than you think. I can stay up all night for two more days for your sake.”

“Well, get out of here.”

 

Ian frowned at Harmond’s eyes full of tears.

 

“I’ll remember you, just get out of here.”

“…Come to think of it, it’s best to just forget about it. It seems it was just a myth.”

 

Harmond wrinkled his nose as he held back his tears, and hurriedly changed the subject. He was afraid Ian would really remember what he’d said.

 

“…Are you going to Oates’s estate now?”

“Yeah, I’m thinking of starting out at dawn. I’ll check the document and put it on your desk, so you can take care of it tomorrow.”

“Then do I have to keep an eye on people?”

 

Ian nodded at Harmond’s question.

 

“But what if things don’t go the way Your Majesty wants? Lady Avery might not come obediently to see Your Majesty.”

“She is a greedy woman, she hates being ignored more than dying.”

 

Ian said this as he rummaged through the documents that Harmond handed him.

 

“She’s already spread rumors in the social world saying that I gave her the necklace.”

“You mean the necklace that Your Majesty gave to Lady Oates?”

 

Ian nodded, and Harmond let out a deep sigh.

 

“That’s a necklace that shouldn’t be used like that. How the heck did it end up in the hands of Lady Avery?”

 

Harmond frowned slightly at the fact that an empire’s treasure was being so poorly treated.

 

“Anyway, what does the rumor have to do with Your Majesty’s trap?”

“If the rumor spread that she and I are dating, then if I were to marry Rachel. While it’ll cause a situation for me, it’ll be funny. There’s no way she could just stand back and watch.”

 

When Ian spoke confidently, Harmond couldn’t help but nod his head.

 

“But what if things don’t go according to Your Majesty’s plan?”

“Then we’ll have to make plans for the next one.”

“Anyway, I’ll be guarding the trap.”

 

Harmond said confidently, as if Ian should only trust him.

 

“Your Majesty, I will be seeing you after a long time, so don’t worry about anything. This Harmond, trusted by His Majesty, will be guarding this place.”

“…Trust?”

 

Ian blinked as if he were trying to recount the time when he said he had confidence in Harmond.

 

“Then I will go, Your Majesty.”

 

But before Ian could say anything, Hammond hurriedly changed the subject with a bow.

 

It was as if he didn’t want Ian, who was somewhat straightforward, to ruin the feeling that he’d finally been recognized by his boss for the first time in years.

 

“Your Majesty.”

 

Harmond half-opened the office door, and turned to Ian.

 

“I love you very much, Your Majesty.”

 

Harmond delivered his heart with his eyes and nose wrinkled like a playful child.

 

Tak!

 

A blushing Harmond then hurried out of the office.

 

“What?”

 

Leaving with only a confession of love without a partner.

 

Ian was sincerely worried about his subordinates’ mental health, and he chuckled a few times as if he were absurd.

 

***