Please Answer Me - Chapter 107

Rosetta sighed softly in the bathtub. She had made her decision, but she still had to tell Rashid. How would he take the news that she planned to leave with Iselle? She worried he might misunderstand. Who could accept such a situation without suspicion? Leaving with her betrothed was bound to be seen as a betrayal.

Lost in thought, Rosetta didn’t notice Thelma leaving and Rashid entering the room. She assumed the hands scrubbing her back were just Thelma’s, unusually energetic tonight. But then she turned her head and found herself staring into Rashid’s blue eyes.

She screamed, “What are you doing here?”

Rosetta hastily covered her chest with her hands. Rashid, crouching and looking at her naked body, seemed unperturbed. Rosetta shrank further under his gaze.

“Where are you looking?”

“I’m looking at what’s mine. What’s the problem?”

Rosetta splashed water on Rashid’s face and clothes, but he only laughed.

“Allen would never let you in so easily. What did you do to him this time?”

“What do you mean?”

“You hit my guard. And you scolded him too.”

“Did he run to you to tattle?”

“I saw the bruises and figured out the rest… Stop touching me!” Rosetta slapped away Rashid’s wandering hand.

He sighed and hugged her shoulders. “Alright, I won’t look. Just let me hold you for a moment.”

Rosetta glared at him. “I see now, you’re the most dangerous person of all.”

“Huh?”

“Remember when you told me to always have someone with me while I bathe because it’s dangerous? What’s this? You’re the danger, even with someone present.”

“That advice was to protect you from me. Took you long enough to realize.”

“What?”

Rashid laughed and kissed her shoulder. Seeing the faint mark he had left before, he bit gently, leaving a more pronounced mark this time. Satisfied, he buried his face in her neck.

“Does this mean we can’t share the same bed tonight?”

“If we do, Allen won’t sleep a wink.”

“I should have left him in the dungeon.”

“Try to understand. To him, it feels like a dark thief has suddenly taken his precious sister.”

“Well, that’s fair.”

Even as he accepted being called a dark thief, Rashid seemed content. Rosetta, amused, gently held his fingers and cautiously spoke, “Rashid, I need to talk to you about something important. Not like this… Can you spare some time tomorrow?”

Rashid gazed deeply into her eyes, as if he already knew what she was going to say. He nodded. “Sure, I have something to show you too.”

“What is it?”

“Be patient. I won’t tell you until tomorrow.”

He kissed her lips and stood up. When he stepped outside, Thelma was waiting.

“Leaving already?”

“It’s better to go before the guard returns.”

Thelma frowned deeply. “Why are you so concerned about that man? You said he was Rigaina’s guard, but now that he’s here, he should follow the rules and obey the orders of the Riga.”

Since Allen had saved Sika’s life, Thelma had decided to forgive him. The Quat tribe valued loyalty to their leaders highly. However, she could not tolerate that guard interfering in the relationship between the Riga and Rigaina.

“I will make it clear to him. He should not meddle in his master’s affairs.”

“You don’t need to worry about him. More importantly…” Rashid’s voice lowered as he asked, “Thelma, is there a way to tell if she is with child?”

Surprised by the unexpected question, Thelma shook her head. “It’s too early to tell. It hasn’t been long since you spent the night together.”

“…I see.” He smiled faintly. “Go back inside.”

As Thelma reentered the room, Rashid walked down the hallway. He soon encountered Rosie, who was walking slowly with a defeated look. Recognizing him, Rosie’s eyes widened in surprise. Rashid gave her a brief nod and continued past her.

That night, Rashid pondered what might have happened if the bride had not been switched. The woman he would have lifted onto his horse would have been Rosie, not Rosetta. But after meeting Rosetta face to face, Rashid was even more certain. If he had taken any other woman, none of the emotions and experiences he had gone through would have occurred the same way.

***

The next day, Rashid took Rosetta to the stables. Mark was waiting in front of the stables, ready with everything.

“Akal is all set. You can ride right away.”

“What about Masha?” Rosetta looked around, noticing that only Akal was there.

“Today, we’ll ride Akal together.”

Rashid lifted Rosetta by her waist and placed her on Akal. Akal, delighted to have her back, made a contented noise, lifting his upper lip. Rashid then mounted the horse as well. Rosetta looked down at Allen, who still wore a sullen expression.

“Allen, we’ll be back soon.”

Earlier that morning, Rosetta had told Allen that she would be going out with Rashid for a few hours. She had expected Allen to vehemently oppose or insist on accompanying them. But to her surprise, he had only seemed deep in thought before agreeing. Though his expression remained sour, he had let her go without further protest.

“Be careful. Don’t stay out too late,” Allen said.

Rashid set the horse into motion. They quickly left the bustling city and soon entered the expansive plains. Under the blazing sun, everything around them sparkled brilliantly. The vibrant blue sky and the lush green grass created a stunning contrast, unchanged from a month ago.

They rode, chasing the drifting clouds, and after a while, Rosetta turned back, laughing.

“This reminds me of when we first met, doesn’t it?”

Rashid responded with a faint smile.

“To be honest, my backside hurt so much then. I wondered if your people’s backsides were made of stone. I was so angry, thinking I was the only one uncomfortable and suffering…”

“It wasn’t exactly comfortable for me either. Every time you squirmed in my arms, it made me feel… strange.”

“Just admit it, you liked me from the moment you saw me, didn’t you?”

“If I didn’t care for you, I wouldn’t have gone hunting rabbits at dawn just to feed you breakfast. I only realized it later.”

Though Rashid had said it would take two hours, the journey actually took about three. They made stops to admire the scenery, dismounting to take in the views. They lay down in a field of purple flowers, even taking a short nap. By the time they neared their destination, the sun was already setting.

“Maybe we should have left earlier.”

“No, we arrived at the perfect time,” Rashid replied.

Rosetta was puzzled by his response. What could they possibly see as night fell?

When they reached a suitable spot, Rashid halted Akal and helped Rosetta down. They began walking toward an unknown destination.

“Now will you tell me what you wanted to show me?”

Rashid had kept silent no matter how much Rosetta prodded, but this time he answered willingly.

“I promised to grant you a wish.”

“A wish?”

“Yes, because you won the bet.”

Rosetta recalled the bet they had made. If she managed to make him show an emotion he usually kept hidden, he would grant her a wish. If she failed, she would owe him. Though she had won, the bet had been forgotten after their unexpected kiss.

“You mean that bet? But I never told you my wish…”

Rashid responded, “You did.”

“I did?”

“Yes.”

Rashid pointed ahead with a nod. Following his gaze, Rosetta quickly understood his words.

Before her was an expanse of endless blue water, stretching far beyond what the eye could see. She had never seen so much water in one place in her life. Her mouth dropped open in awe.

“…The sea?”