Please Answer Me - Chapter 139

Rashid’s eyes suddenly turned sharp. He couldn’t comprehend what the Crown Princess was saying to Rosetta. Living in the basement? How could a princess like Rosetta have gone through something like that?

Rosetta’s eyes trembled as she looked at the Crown Princess. Her gaze was one of deep hurt.

“…What?”

“Nazar Quat, wasn’t it? If you’re plotting something foolish because of that man, you should stop.”

At the sudden mention of his name, Rashid gripped the wall tightly. He hadn’t expected the Crown Princess to know about his relationship with Rosetta.

“I told you before. The reason his parents died in such a way was because Father went there and did what he did. Despite that, are you still hung up on him?”

And then, an even more shocking statement came out. Rashid realized that Lysa was not just a mere bystander in the events from twenty years ago. Lysa had thoroughly planned everything, and the current King of Lysa, who was then the Crown Prince, had personally gone to the Basque lands and orchestrated everything.

His grandfather had mentioned seeing the man with the sacred sword during the war. He had also said that the Basque chieftain had cowered and submitted to that man. Considering everything, it was highly likely that the man his grandfather had seen was the current King of Lysa. If the Crown Prince himself had gone there, it must have been a matter of great importance, likely related to the magic stones.

Rosetta took a deep breath before speaking. “…So, you think I deliberately made the magic stones lose their power. Lysa will always need the magic stones, and if they lose their power, there would be no reason to invade the Quat lands. Is that what you believe?”

“Isn’t that the case? The timing is too coincidental.”

“The only time I used Maiastra’s power was to put out the fire. That was the first and last time. Since then, Maiastra hasn’t come to me, no matter how much I called. If the magic stones really are losing their power, it’s happening regardless of my will. It might even be Maiastra’s will.”

“Maiastra’s will?”

“Maiastra’s power has never been used for the right purposes. The rightful owner of that power was locked in the basement, and a magic that should have been available to everyone in the world was secretly monopolized by the Lysa royal family. They even went as far as to steal the magic stones from the Quat lands. I think it’s more natural for such power to disappear.”

“Rosetta!”

“You asked me to choose whether to live the rest of my life locked in the basement or to marry Iselle and live as if I were dead. I made my choice. What more do you want from me?”

Rashid’s face turned icy cold at her words. He finally understood why Rosetta had sent such a letter. It took all of his willpower not to burst into the room at that moment.

“…Don’t think you’re the only one who sacrificed. We also had to take great risks to get you out of the temple basement. It’s because we didn’t abandon you that you’re able to be here now.”

“I know. I know that all too well. That’s why, just as you said, I’m repaying the favor right now. I’m doing nothing but breathing,” Rosetta coldly retorted. “Since we’re on the subject, let me ask you one thing. You said I wasn’t the only one who sacrificed, right? Because of me, Father ended up killing Grandfather, and Iselle suffered a great injury. So, what did you sacrifice, sister?”

“……”

The Crown Princess tightly shut her lips, remaining silent. She now wore an anxious expression, as if she were being pursued by something.

“If you’re worried that I might be a threat to you, there’s no need for that. I’m not interested in the throne, and I know that if a covenant bearer suddenly appears now, it will only cause chaos. I’ll cooperate with whatever you want, so please don’t come and torment me like this again.”

Rosetta turned her head away, refusing to look at her.

“I think I’ve answered your question sufficiently, so you should leave now.”

The Crown Princess, who had been staring at Rosetta, finally spoke in a heavy tone, “Sacrifice doesn’t only refer to the past and present. You don’t understand what I mean now, but you will someday.”

With those words, Tanit turned and left. Only after she closed the door and left did Rosetta collapse onto the bed. With a deep sigh, she lowered her head. Her shoulders slumped lifelessly.

Given that she had always been prone to tears, one might have expected her to start crying, but contrary to that expectation, her drooping shoulders didn’t move. It seemed she didn’t even have the energy to cry.

Rashid silently climbed through the window. His footsteps were so light that, even though he approached her from just a short distance away, Rosetta didn’t notice the intruder in her room. As Rashid lowered the mask from his face, he reached out his hand.

“Mmph!”

When a hand suddenly covered her mouth, Rosetta began to struggle. Rashid pulled her into his arms and pressed his lips to her exposed neck.

“Mmph!”

Rosetta jerked in shock and struggled even more violently. She tried to reach for the call cord on the bed, but before she could touch it, she fell onto the bed with him.

Rashid kissed her neck, then her earlobe, and finally her shining golden hair. In the meantime, her frantic struggles suddenly stopped. Rosetta held her breath as if she were frozen in place.

Rashid knew that she wasn’t paralyzed with fear. He could tell that she had recognized who was behind her and had stopped resisting.

He had touched and felt her body countless times. Rashid knew Rosetta’s body better than she did. He could tell what mood she was in, where she wanted to be touched, and whether she desired something more than just a touch.

With even the slightest reaction, Rashid could instantly gauge her emotions. That’s why, whenever they spent the night together, he would caress her more carefully than he would while playing a sensitive lute.

When Rashid’s hand brushed along her slender waist, Rosetta shivered slightly. It wasn’t the same kind of trembling from fear or rejection as before. This time, she was trembling from the tingling sensation running up her spine.

Rashid removed the hand that had been covering her mouth. He knew she wouldn’t scream in surprise anymore.

Rosetta slowly turned her body to face him. When she saw his face, her eyes widened.

“Rashid…”

“Hello, Rosetta.”

Rashid smiled, the corners of his lips curling up. He had wondered what he would say first when they met again, and to his surprise, the greeting that came out was simpler than he had imagined. Rosetta’s green eyes shook so violently that it seemed like they might fall out of their sockets.

“How did you… How did you get here?”

“I received the letter you sent. I couldn’t believe what it said, so I came to see for myself.”

A whirlwind of emotions passed over Rosetta’s shocked face. Rashid reached out and tucked her hair, which had fallen over her forehead, behind her ear. At his touch, Rosetta flinched as if startled, then suddenly scrambled backward as if she had just come to her senses.

Lowering her voice, she spoke, “What are you doing here? Leave immediately, or I’ll scream.”

Despite the threat, Rashid leisurely stood up and replied, “Go ahead. If you’re going to scream, do it loudly enough for everyone to hear, like I told you before.”

Rosetta bit her lip when she realized that this was what he had said to her in the tent when he first kidnapped her.

“And if you were going to scream, you should have done it already. But instead, you’re whispering because you’re afraid someone might hear.”

“You think I won’t do it?”

“Do whatever you want, Rosetta. You don’t even need to scream. You could just pull that cord.”

Rashid pointed his chin at the cord hanging beside Rosetta. It was the very thing she had tried to reach for earlier.

“Go ahead and try if you think you can.”

Rosetta grabbed the cord with a defiant look. If she just pulled it, everything would be over. He would be captured by the guards, and his death would be recorded in history as a chieftain who met an even more miserable end than his father.

Knowing all of this, Rashid’s blue eyes didn’t waver in the slightest. In the end, Rosetta’s hand fell weakly to her side.

“…Why did you come here?” Rosetta now looked as if she was about to cry. “Whatever you misunderstood, the letter I sent is all true. I’m going to marry Iselle, and I’ve already forgotten about you. I don’t want to cause a scene, so please leave.”

Her voice, trembling as her nose turned red, was anything but convincing. Rashid clenched his hands tightly to resist the urge to pull her into a kiss and lay her down on the bed. His nails dug into his palms, causing a sharp pain.

“Rosetta, I didn’t just get here. I’ve been standing by the window for quite some time.”

Rosetta’s tear-filled eyes looked at him. It was only then that she realized he had overheard her conversation with Tanit, and she was shocked.

“You’ve been standing by the window? You heard my conversation with my sister?”

“Yes.”

“How much did you hear?”

“From the very beginning to the very end.”

Rosetta’s eyes darted around, clearly trying to recall everything she had discussed with the Crown Princess.

“I heard about how your father was directly involved in that incident twenty years ago.”

Rosetta inhaled sharply.

“I also heard that your family once locked you in a basement.”

Rosetta hurriedly lowered her gaze. “That wasn’t my family who did that. It was my grandfather… Although I suppose he was part of my family…”

Rashid’s eyes grew cold. “No matter the circumstances, threatening you with a return to the basement isn’t something a family should do.”