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Chapter 6 – A Fateful Encounter (6)

Breaking the silence, his low laugh served as an answer to my question.

Dale, who was going down the stairs at a fast pace, suddenly turned back to look at me.

I couldn’t see his face in the darkness.

“If I was going to betray you, I would have done it earlier. Don’t you think so?”

I was aware that he had enough time to do so if he really intended to betray me.

Even so, just as I was about to leave this place, there was still a vague fear creeping up at me. I couldn’t shake off the feeling that the family would notice and catch me.

But since this was my current situation, I had no choice but to trust Dale.

I clenched my fist and entered the dungeon.

I followed Dale, who was walking ahead of me. Only a few candles mounted on the walls illuminated our way.

After walking for some time, I took out a gun from my bag and showed it to him.

“I wanted to burn this place, but it’s a shame because you’re here.”

He turned his eyes to me, looking down towards what was in my hand.

His eyes grew wide when he saw what it was.

“When did you get ahold of a gun?”

“I stole one when I came out. Did you think I’d go with nothing to defend myself?”

The Blan estate had several weapons underground. There were plenty of chances for me to steal some while I was trapped here.

It was regrettable that the only practical one I could get was a pistol that was easy to keep hidden. Dale stared at the gun.

“We have to hurry up and leave.”

Just as he said, there was no time to waste.

I abandoned my lingering feelings and took a step towards the exit.

While I was trapped in that dungeon, cold winds used to blow in from afar.

So this was why. There’s a secret passage that I wasn’t aware of.

In hindsight, I should have searched this place while I was here.

“It may sound like an excuse,” Dale said suddenly. “But I wasn’t in a position to turn my back on Father.”

That was out of the blue. Dale continued to walk as he muttered quietly.

“You were right. I’m a coward.”

“……”

“But I’m not doing this because—”

“I don’t want to hear it.”

I cut him off.

“Just lead the way.”

I couldn’t care less about his change of heart.

I wasn’t curious at all. I just needed to get out of this mansion.

Even if he explained himself, nothing would change for me.

The only thing that would happen was that Dale’s guilt would disappear.

“…Alright.”

“Where’s the exit? Is it here?”

It was already the end of the passage.

I walked past Dale, who had stopped walking, but there was no exit in front of us.

There was only a wall.

“What? Where’s the door?”

Dale didn’t answer.

“…Dale?”

I couldn’t find any opening in the wall at all, so I turned around with a question on my lips.

As soon as I saw his cold blue eyes, my heart sank.

Dale had no expression at all.

“You…”

The unease I’d been feeling since earlier made itself known once more.

I stepped back as Dale came closer, but I felt the damp wall behind me.

There was no place to run away.

The tension I could feel pooling at my stomach ever since I opened my eyes this morning reached its peak

My heart, which had been pounding since we entered the basement, felt as if it was about to burst. Its tremors seemed to have directly transferred to the hand that held the gun.

I had let my guard down.

Dale had been with Father for a longer time than I did.

Did he make some kind of deal with Father?

Seeing how helplessly he had approached me when we agreed on the deal, I thought that he would at least not be on Father’s side.

“I told you, Rina.”

Narrowing the gap between us, his lips curled up into a smile.

I held up the gun the same moment he touched the wall next to me.

However, before I could pull the trigger, I stumbled back as the wall behind me disappeared.

Light permeated into the dungeon, which made my eyes alternate between the downcast sky and Dale’s smiling face.

“It’s a secret passage.”

* * * 

As soon as I let my guard down and fell asleep defenselessly, I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to open my eyes again, but fortunately, that didn’t happen.

Whenever I slept at an unfamiliar place, I usually either suffered from insomnia, or had a hard time waking up.

I slept last night, but I had a dream about when I was still in the mansion. And dreaming about that time in particular reminded me of Dale.

’Escape or not. Do whatever you want.’

I left the mansion and spent six years on the run with Dale. I thought that my memories of that time had already been buried after those six years.

’Long time no see. Do you know how hard it was to find you?’

But when our family came, I chose to abandon Dale. I remembered clearly how Bane, who had come to hunt me down, sneered.

It was terrible. I was overcome with the urge to leave everything and everyone behind that was associated with that household.

But I had dreamed about Dale, perhaps because I felt guilty about abandoning him.

It was sh*tty of me, and I knew that.

· 

Right now, I was sitting in front of a delicious meal.

I thought I slept for a long time, but it had only been half a day.

“Ugh…”

My stomach was aching because I drank too much wine.

I had been starving all day yesterday, but the first thing I ingested was wine. It was only understandable that I could only have soup in my current state. But when I lifted my gaze, another pair of eyes were there to match mine as if they were waiting.

“Eat a lot.”

“…Aren’t you going to eat anything?”

Robin moved his hand, using a knife to slice the meat. The blade made a scraping sound on the plate.

“Robin.”

“…Pardon?”

“Don’t just call me ‘you’. Call me Robin.”

“Ah. Okay…”

Come to think of it, I hadn’t introduced myself yet.

“…I’m Rina.”

Robin nodded lightly even when I introduced myself with only my first name.

He didn’t seem interested in it anyway, so I was relieved.

“You don’t like the food?”

At his question, I shook my head.

“No, it’s delicious.”

“Your expression doesn’t match your words. You say it’s delicious, but it doesn’t seem to suit your palate.”

“It’s really delicious.”

I didn’t feel well so I wasn’t in the right condition to eat a lot, but I think he misunderstood.

I shook my head quickly because the chef might be punished right away if I said I didn’t like the food.

“No, it does fit my tastes. It’s good.”

I meant it, too. And not just as a guest.

Robin continued to eat with an expression as though he didn’t know if he liked the food or not.

I worked hard to soothe my bitter stomach with some soup.

“I guess you have a bad memory. A really bad one.”

When the meal was almost over, Robin said something cryptic like this.

“Pardon?”

“It’s just that… to think you forgot everything…”

“…Did I perhaps make a mistake?”

I couldn’t remember anything from last night after I drank.

I think we talked about something, but I couldn’t recall what it was.

Did I really make a mistake?

“No, you didn’t.”

He shook his head. That’s a relief. It concerned me that maybe bad drinking habits emerged. I glanced out the window, less worried now.

It was still raining outside.

After I had slept and finished my meal, I became curious about Dale.

‘I’m sure he’s gone by now. Right…?’

I was overcome with worry about abandoning Dale.

I knew that he could escape, but I was still uncomfortable and feeling guilty because he might be looking for me.

‘If his head is working properly, then he should have left…’

Assuming that Dale had tried to look for me, by now, he should have already gone on his way.

Time had already passed, it was still raining, and the family had come. If he was using that head of his even a little, then he would have hid well on his own.

Even if he was taken back by the family, he wouldn’t die.

…Probably.

Father was ruthless, but he was still merciful with his family—however, Dale was his nephew and not his biological son.

Even so, he should be fine.

I did get quite attached to him because I’d stayed with him for six years.

In the end, Dale was the only person in this world who I had known for the longest period of time.

I drank water and patted my lips with a napkin.

“Thank you for helping me today.”

I thought it would be better to look for Dale rather than keep feeling guilty about abandoning him.

Even if he had already been dragged back to the Blan estate, there must at least be one witness.

“I’ll leave as soon as the sun is out tomorrow.”

“Even if the rain would keep pouring tomorrow?”

It should stop soon because it was only a sudden shower.

“There’s nothing I can do. Even if it doesn’t, I’ll be leaving.”

It would be wise if I stayed here tonight and left right away tomorrow.

But then, Robin disagreed.

“That’s too bad. I thought you would still help me.”

“Huh?”

“You said you’d help me.”

I did? What did I say I’d help him with?

“When was this?”

“You don’t remember?”

“Was it because of the wine earlier…”

“Aha. You can’t brush it aside just because of alcohol.”

He said this with a pitiful expression that I couldn’t resist, but I still wouldn’t know because I’d forgotten.

“What did I say? Tell me.”

Robin was quiet for a while, then he reluctantly spoke.

“It’s nothing much. You said you’d help me find someone, saying you knew that person well.”

“…Me?”

Someone I knew well? I don’t think there’s anyone in my life like that.

“…I said that?”

I couldn’t believe it at all.

“Yes.”

“……”

“It’s okay. It’s my fault for believing the words of a drunk person.”

Robin smiled amiably.

Was it really alright to let this slide?

Was this a drinking habit of mine, to make promises without any care in the world…?

I had drunk liquor a few times before, but I never drank enough to the point that I’d do that.

And I only drank a little.

I didn’t know how I was after drinking because even after I transmigrated, I still didn’t enjoy alcohol

There were people who become like dogs whenever they drink.

I wasn’t sure, but maybe I’m one of them.

“Who are you looking for?”

I didn’t mean to say that I was going to keep my drunken promise, but I was curious about the person I ‘knew’.

“Store-owner Valta. I mentioned that it was hard to find that person, Rina, and that I’d been looking for this person for a long time.

At that moment, I was startled to hear the name ‘Valta’.