Please Answer Me - Chapter 149

Rosetta could only move her lips.

“If it were me, that’s how I would have planned it. It wouldn’t be much different for him, would it?”

Iselle smiled as he looked at Rosetta’s face, which had completely frozen.

“This way, I can claim the glory of capturing the chief of the Quat tribe. It will also ease the worries of His Majesty and Princess Tanit regarding the magic stones. They will be genuinely pleased, all thanks to you, Rosetta.”

He gently brushed the dust off Rosetta’s body, his touch almost tender, as if he were showing her consideration.

“I’m sorry for forcing you off the horse. I was in a hurry and had no choice. But I tried my best to make sure you fell safely without getting hurt, so I hope you can understand. You shouldn’t do such dangerous things in the future, alright?”

“…You’re truly…”

“Hmm?” Iselle leaned in closer to hear Rosetta’s faint words.

“You’re truly a bastard.”

It was an unexpected comment, especially coming from Rosetta, who had never uttered such harsh words before. Iselle widened his eyes slightly as he looked at her, then smiled, his eyes crinkling.

“Yes, it’s better to be angry like this. It’s far better than acting like an emotionless doll.”

He forcibly grabbed Rosetta’s wrist and kissed it. “To be honest, I even like this side of you.”

Rosetta now fully understood what he had meant when he said he had never emotionally connected with anyone.

“You really don’t care about other people at all, do you?”

Now that he had dropped the pretense, Iselle didn’t consider Rosetta’s feelings at all. Her anger seemed to have no effect on him. What mattered to him was that he had successfully prevented her from escaping, and that capturing Rashid would bring significant benefits to the Lysa royal family and enhance his own standing.

“Now I see clearly. You’re just like my grandfather.”

Iselle’s lips twisted slightly at her words. “You shouldn’t compare me to him. He tortured you, made you suffer. Don’t you remember how he used to wound your body every time to extract your power?”

“No, you’re no different. Whether it’s my grandfather or you, neither of you see people as people. Iselle, I’m a person, not a pet for you to raise.”

People can’t live by being confined, fed, and receiving one-sided affection. What truly matters in life is connecting with others. Rosetta had shared this with not only Rashid but others as well.

So, there was no going back to the time when she knew nothing. Why couldn’t Iselle understand that?

“The person I am now is not the child who waited for you in the basement.”

Once, she had genuinely liked him, eagerly awaiting his visits every day. Even when she had no memory of him, she had continued to hold affection for him as her brother’s friend. It was truly regrettable that such a precious relationship had deteriorated in this way.

To her surprise, Iselle let out a bitter laugh. But his response was far from what Rosetta had expected.

“Yes, you did. You used to be happy when I arrived and sad when I left… Perhaps I should have listened to the late king back then?” He muttered darkly, then quickly regained his composure and stood up.

“Let’s go. It’s time to hunt. I haven’t hunted Ardenese in a while, so I’m looking forward to it.”

As he was about to lift the seated Rosetta from the ground, Iselle sensed someone approaching.

Immediately on guard, Iselle turned around. A carriage was driving toward them, and as the knights who had been standing some distance away tried to approach, Iselle gestured for them to stop.

The carriage appeared entirely ordinary with no emblems on it. It came to a halt before them, and after a moment, the door opened.

The person who emerged from the carriage was a man dressed entirely in black. Rosetta, who had been staring blankly at the man with short-cropped black hair that revealed the nape of his neck and a stern expression, let out a trembling voice.

“Rashid…”

The one who should have been waiting for her on the road leading to the palace was here.

“Why…”

Why had he come all the way here? It wasn’t even the agreed time yet. Moreover, this was the last place he should have come. Not only was Iselle here, but all of his knights were on standby as well. If Iselle gave the signal, they would immediately shoot their arrows or rush at Rashid.

Rashid quickly scanned the surroundings. He seemed to understand the situation with ease as he saw the horse writhing in pain after being struck by arrows in its legs and Rosetta covered in dust.

“Did you shoot an arrow at Rosetta?” Despite his effort to suppress his emotions, faint anger seeped into his voice.

Iselle twisted his lips. “To be precise, I shot the horse Rosetta was riding.”

“Do you expect to get away after doing something like that?”

“If you’re worried about me, it’s unnecessary. Although pointing an arrow at the noble princess is not a small mistake, I managed to stop her from escaping, and thanks to that, I’ve caught you too. The merit of this will far outweigh the fault, so His Majesty will likely be lenient.”

Before he could finish his words, Rashid lunged at him. Iselle tried to draw his sword, but Rashid, who threw a punch first, was much faster.

With a thud, Iselle’s head snapped to the side. Staggering slightly, Iselle quickly aimed his sword at Rashid’s neck. He wiped the corner of his mouth with the hand that wasn’t holding the sword. Blood smeared across the back of his hand.

“Being from a barbarian tribe, your way of fighting is as crude as can be.”

At those words, spoken through clenched teeth, Rashid shot him a mocking glare. “You claim to be a civilized man, yet you can’t even follow basic rules. Did you forget that when dueling with swords, both parties are supposed to draw at the same time?”

“I have no intention of wasting time dueling with you. I’m capturing the chieftain of the Quat tribe who dared to enter Lysa’s territory without fear.”

Iselle made a light gesture. Immediately, his waiting knights formed a circle around them.

“Thanks to you coming here yourself, you’ve saved me some trouble. Should I thank you for surrendering so easily?”

It was a situation where Rashid was indeed cornered. Even in this life-threatening crisis, where he could be beheaded at any moment, Rashid’s gaze remained unshaken.

Iselle, displeased with that calmness, twisted his lips into a sneer. “I heard your father also died miserably after recklessly charging into danger to save your mother. I’ve heard rumors that your origins are unclear, but it seems that’s not the case. You’re just as foolish as he was.”

“When a wife is in danger, it’s only natural for her husband to come. But I suppose that’s something you can’t understand.”

The word “wife” made Iselle’s gaze turn icy. “Watch your mouth. Didn’t I tell you? She was mine from the beginning.”

“Didn’t your parents teach you that treating people as objects is the real barbarism?”

“You came all the way here because you desired her too, didn’t you? You pretend otherwise, but in the end, you and I are the same. When you want something, you take it, no matter the cost.”

As Iselle tilted his sword, Rashid’s chin was forced upward. He pressed the sacred sword tightly against Rashid’s throat.

“So I will never give Rosetta to you. I’d rather kill her with my own hands.”

“If the King and Queen of Lysa heard you say that, I doubt they’d be willing to send Rosetta to you.”

“Rosetta has already made an irreparable mistake. Despite being engaged, she tried to run away with the leader of an enemy nation. If I present you to the King and promise to overlook Rosetta’s fault, he’ll have no choice but to give her to me. It’s the only choice a king can make. This way, he’ll lose any reason to interfere with how I treat Rosetta, as I would be generously accepting a flawed bride.”

With those words, Iselle signaled to his knights. They immediately stepped forward, surrounding Rashid with a multitude of swords pointed at him.

“…Are you sure about that?” Rashid asked in a rather peculiar tone.

Iselle ignored his words and reached for the sword at Rashid’s waist to disarm him. Just as he was about to remove the sword, the door of the carriage that had been closed swung open.

From the carriage, a woman’s hand adorned with luxurious rings and bracelets appeared first, followed by the fluttering hem of a red silk skirt.

A beautiful middle-aged woman stepped out of the carriage, without any attendants to assist her. Her appearance caused everyone, except for Rashid, to freeze in place.

“…Your Majesty.”

It was only after a long pause that Iselle managed to speak. The Queen, whose face was usually adorned with a gentle smile, now wore an expression twisted with anger. She glared at Iselle, then briefly glanced at Rosetta, who was still sitting on the ground.

Her eyes, as cold as ice, returned to Iselle. “Duke Iselle Scallion. Do you intend to keep your sword drawn even in my presence?”

Iselle immediately withdrew the sword from Rashid’s neck and placed the sacred sword on the ground before kneeling on one knee. The other knights followed suit, paying their respects to the Queen in the same manner.

The Queen’s icy voice cut through the air. “I heard your conversation just now. Your words were quite… interesting.”

Iselle bit his lip and looked up at the Queen. Why had she been in the same carriage as Rashid? Had they deliberately arranged for her to overhear the conversation?

His clenched hand tightened further, the veins on the back of his hand standing out. He had suspected that the chieftain of the Quat tribe was not a wolf but a cunning fox, and now his suspicions were confirmed. He couldn’t even begin to fathom how Rashid had managed to persuade the Queen to come here.

“…You should take him to His Majesty.” Iselle hoped she would act rationally. “Take him and secure all the benefits Lysa can gain. That is the best course of action for Lysa.”

“I’m grateful for your dedication to Lysa, even though you aren’t from Lysa yourself. I knew you were loyal, but I had no idea it was to this extent.”

Her words, though spoken in a calm tone, were dripping with sarcasm. Iselle closed his eyes tightly, then opened them again.

“That conversation… it was your true feelings, wasn’t it? The ones you’ve been hiding from all of us.”