Please Answer Me - Chapter 109

In some ways, it wasn’t a bad symbiotic relationship. Rachileo knew well that the boy would grow in the blink of an eye, and he planned to teach him now to use him advantageously later. Iselle had similar intentions. After all, the Lysa royalty was an unattainable existence. It was enough to exploit them to obtain the desired benefits.

That perspective changed when he met the child in the temple’s underground. From that moment, everything Iselle had planned began to go awry.

Iselle arrived at the castle gates and looked up. As he fixed his red eyes on the entrance, a guard approached him.

“Dismount your horse. Outsiders are not permitted to pass through the gate on horseback!”

“Inform the chieftain,” Iselle said, with a composed smile.

“Tell him that Duke Iselle Scallion of Hezen has arrived at the invitation of the chieftain.”

***

News of Iselle’s arrival in Edirne reached them around noon the next day. While waiting for him, Rosetta struggled to calm her increasingly anxious heart. In the reception room, Rosetta and Rashid were not alone; Allen was with them as well. His unease was evident, not knowing what might unfold.

“…You’re not planning on getting into a fistfight with Iselle, are you?” Rosetta asked.

“……”

Rashid remained silent, but Allen glanced at him. He remembered Rashid’s earlier statement about being willing to take a punch from Rosetta’s betrothed or her family.

Soon, the door to the reception room opened, and Iselle entered. He looked slightly thinner and sharper than before.

“Rosetta,” he sighed deeply upon seeing her and strode forward, pulling her into an embrace. “I’m so glad you’re safe.”

His voice was filled with worry and relief. Iselle had always been extremely concerned whenever Rosetta got even slightly injured. Her nanny used to joke that no one in the world worried more about her than Iselle, not even her siblings, Tanit and Arman.

Feeling overwhelming guilt and sorrow towards Iselle, Rosetta lowered her head. “I’m really sorry for causing you so much worry.”

“Your safety is all that matters,” Iselle reassured her, stepping back slightly and taking her arm. “Are you hurt or in pain anywhere?”

“No, I’m perfectly fine,” Rosetta replied, shaking her head.

Only then did he smile, gently caressing her cheek. As Rosetta tried to pull away, conscious of Rashid’s presence, Iselle held her shoulder firmly, keeping her close. He then looked at Rashid.

“Thank you for protecting my fiancée.”

It was an unexpected statement. Though Iselle’s eyes were cold, he wore a smile.

“I’d like to have a private conversation with the chieftain. Is that alright, Rosetta?”

With a slightly anxious glance at Rashid, Rosetta nodded. Like Allen, Iselle carried a sacred sword. While the possibility was slim, if the two were to clash, she couldn’t be sure of Rashid’s safety.

“Iselle, I…”

Before Rosetta could tell him she had already decided to return to Lysa, Iselle interrupted her. “Rosetta, it will only take a moment. How about taking a walk in the garden? You love spending time there.”

There was a subtle, commanding undertone in his gentle words. Whenever Iselle spoke this way, Rosetta had always followed his instructions.

“Alright…”

As she habitually moved to obey, Rosetta suddenly felt a strange sense of discomfort.

Rosetta, it’s alright, isn’t it? You enjoy this, don’t you?

She hadn’t noticed it much before, but now those kind words felt subtly unpleasant, reminiscent of when he had suggested their engagement. Back then, he hadn’t said she could refuse the marriage but rather that he would wait until she was ready after they were married.

Since coming here, she hadn’t heard such phrases. Yes, even if it sounded similar, Rashid’s way of speaking was different….

“Rosetta, if it’s alright, could you step out for a moment?” Rashid’s voice interrupted her thoughts.

In Rashid’s words, Rosetta realized what was different about his manner of speaking. Though similar, Rashid was giving her the choice to act. In contrast, Iselle’s words, though seemingly considerate, had an underlying pressure to comply with his desires.

“…Alright,” she said, looking at Iselle.

“I was going to mention earlier, but I’ve already decided to return to Lysa. He agrees too. I hope you consider this in your discussion.”

After Rosetta left the room, Iselle spoke, “It seems I wasted my time in Traka, given that you’ve already decided to return to Lysa.”

“It wasn’t a waste. Because of what you did in Traka, Rosetta was deeply affected and ultimately decided to go back to Lysa.”

“Your words are troubling,” Iselle remarked, “In recompense, I shall compensate for the damages incurred at Traka…”

“Regardless of who instigated it, the Katans were the ones who invaded Traka, and they will pay for their actions. They need to understand that being swayed by sweet words will only lead to consequences they can’t handle.”

“……”

Iselle, still wearing a faint smile, looked at Rashid and asked, “How much do you know about Rosetta?”

He was genuinely curious about how much this man knew.

“I know she’s a princess of Lysa and that you’ve been oppressing her all this time.”

The unexpected answer caused Iselle’s smile to fade for the first time. “Do you interpret protection in that way here?”

“You’re misunderstanding the concept of protection. Protection means keeping someone safe from harm, not locking them up.”

“That’s not something you, who kidnapped her, should be saying.”

“That’s why I’m letting her go now. Unlike some, I don’t have a hobby of caging people like animals.”

Now, all traces of emotion had vanished from Iselle’s face. He stepped closer to Rashid and spoke each word with a deliberate, biting tone.

“Without me, Rosetta wouldn’t even exist as she does now.”

He had freed her from the underground chamber, healed her so she would no longer suffer, and helped her live as a proper royalty.

He had poured all his efforts into making Rosetta who she is today—a beautiful, kind, and radiant woman, untouchable by anyone.

He had waited so long for her to come of age.

“Without me, she would have died long ago. So, Rosetta is mine because I saved her.”

Even in the moments Rosetta couldn’t remember, they had spent countless hours together. He couldn’t stand the thought of someone who had only known her for a month acting as though he understood her completely.

“It doesn’t matter if you’ve had her body. Even if she carries your child, I don’t care.”

The moment he entered the room, he realized the relationship between Rosetta and this man. Throughout their conversation, Rosetta had been overly conscious of Rashid, unlike before when she would freely embrace Iselle. She had constantly been backing away, avoiding his touch.

It bothered him immensely, but he believed it would be resolved once they returned to Lysa and married. Even if she was carrying this man’s child, it wouldn’t change anything. He could simply claim it as his own. After all, having children sooner was always better.

“Regardless, sending Rosetta back is a wise decision. We can leave immediately, yes?”

“…Why is it that her fiancé is less concerned than her escort?”

“What?”

“Her escort, Allen, attacked me on sight, furious over what I did to his master, or perhaps worried I had done something else. Yet you show no anger.”

“Are you looking for a brawl? That’s not my style.”

“Doesn’t it concern you that Rosetta might have suffered? She was kidnapped, separated from her escort, and has been here alone.”

“I already said it doesn’t matter if she carries your child. Now that she’s back with me, it’s over.”

Iselle stared at him with his reddish-violet eyes. “We have more important matters to discuss. You need to send Rosie and the Basque soldiers back to their land, and do so with great fanfare. Make it known everywhere that Rosie was here. You know why, right? Any bad rumors attached to Princess Rosetta will only harm her. Surely you can’t refuse this.”

“I’m more concerned about such rumors than Rosetta herself, so don’t worry.”

“Then our discussion is over.” Iselle smiled brightly. “It’s a relief that our conversation ended well, contrary to my initial worries. I appreciate your hospitality and wise decisions. Perhaps we can share a drink next time.”

“I don’t like alcohol, so I’ll pass.”

Rashid extended his arm, pointing to the door—a clear dismissal. Iselle left, his smile slightly twisted.