Please Answer Me - Chapter 98

“What happened to them?”

“Actually, we still don’t know their whereabouts.”

Rosetta gasped in shock. “You don’t know their whereabouts? You mean they didn’t return to Basque, and you have no idea where they are?”

“We lost track of them midway. We’re still looking for them.”

“Lost track…?”

Rosetta’s face turned pale.

“Could they have been attacked by monsters or something?”

“We don’t know yet. That’s why I haven’t told you.”

Rosetta’s hands began to tremble slightly. Rashid sighed softly and took her hands in his.

“They’ll be fine. Some Basque tribesmen are with them, so they won’t fall victim to monsters easily. I’ve instructed to report back as soon as they’re found, so we should hear something soon.”

Rosetta nodded with difficulty.

Thinking about it, she realized how unfairly she had treated Allen, the other knights who escorted her, and her nanny. Under normal circumstances, they would have been preparing to return to the palace after a peaceful journey. Because of her, their whereabouts were now unknown.

Rosetta came to another realization: if she stayed here, it would put them in a very difficult position. If they returned to Lysa without the princess, they would likely face severe punishment.

Even if she abandoned her homeland and lived here, she wouldn’t be able to find satisfaction in that life. No, she would live a life akin to being exiled from her country, forever resenting her for being their former master. Eventually, she concluded that she had to return to Lysa to avoid causing trouble for everyone.

Lowering her eyes in resignation, Rosetta asked, “Are you leaving soon? Because of the Katan tribe?”

“Yes.”

“When?”

“Tomorrow. I was going to tell you today.”

“How long will you be gone?”

Benny had said it could take up to a month. The thought of him being gone for so long was overwhelming.

“Three days.”

Rashid’s firm statement made Rosetta look up at him in surprise. “How can you be so sure? You won’t know until you get there, right?”

“If it’s just a simple raid and Basa isn’t involved directly, it won’t take long. I need to identify the ringleader, administer punishment, and offer appropriate compensation to the affected villagers. That can be done in three days. You saw the contents of the notes.”

Rashid lifted his hand to caress Rosetta’s cheek. “So don’t even think about leaving while I’m gone.”

Rosetta’s lips trembled. Just how much did he understand?

His hand that had been caressing her cheek moved to the back of her neck, his touch filled with possessive intensity.

“If I come back and you’re not here…”

“I won’t leave.”

Rosetta smiled at him and reached out to gently touch his tense lips with her fingers.

“Don’t worry. I’ll never leave without your knowledge.”

Only then did the tension drain from Rashid’s body. Smiling faintly, he cupped her face and kissed her.

While sitting on the desk, kissing him, Rosetta’s body gradually leaned back. It didn’t matter that she was lying on a table, as they had done that before. The problem was that he started unbuttoning her blouse.

“Rashid!”

Unlike before, they were in his study. There were no guards outside the door, and anyone could walk in at any moment.

Rosetta hurriedly grabbed his hands. He stopped as if regaining his senses, and Rosetta sighed in relief. But then Rashid picked her up and carried her to the sofa. She thought that would be the end of it, but he began undressing her in earnest.

“Wait…”

Despite her protests, he continued unbuttoning her clothes. Rosetta’s eyes remained fixed on the closed door, fearing someone would walk in at any moment.

“Stop! What if someone comes in…?”

But he seemed not to hear her. There were times when he was like this, and nothing could stop him.

Rosetta decided it would be better to get it over with quickly rather than staying in constant fear of someone walking in.

“I’ll just take my clothes off myself!”

She hurriedly reached for the buttons. She wondered why she had worn a dress with so many buttons today. If it had been a dress with ribbons, she could have just untied one and slipped it off.

“No.”

Rashid stopped her hands. He kissed the soft skin exposed between her clothes and whispered, “Today, we’ll take it slow. It’s a rare opportunity to see your body in the bright light.”

Rosetta’s mouth fell open; he was right, they’d always had sex in the dark, by candlelight. Even during the day when they had returned from the monster forest, the drawn curtains kept the room dark. But now, sunlight poured in through the window, illuminating everything clearly.

True to his word, Rashid undressed her agonizingly slowly. Unlike before, where she had hurried to take off her clothes, now they found themselves in a strange tussle—Rosetta trying to hasten the undressing, and Rashid deliberately slowing it down.

As her resistance persisted, Rashid untied the green ribbon from her hair and used it to bind her wrists.

“What are you doing?” Rosetta shouted in utter shock.

“Untie me!” she demanded.

But he had no intention of doing so. He kissed her bound wrists and said, “I told you earlier, didn’t I? What might happen to a princess who enters a place like this carelessly.”

“Alright, stop joking. What if someone sees…”

The fear of someone actually walking in gripped her. Tears welled up in her eyes. Seeing her tears, Rashid’s expression hardened, and he immediately untied her wrists. Gently stroking her face, he said, “I locked the door when you came in. So don’t cry.”

“You… locked the door already?”

“Yes, I did. I went too far with my joke. I’m sorry.”

Anger flared within Rosetta. When had he locked the door?

She drew up her knee to strike him, but Rashid deftly dodged, narrowly protecting a crucial area.

“You almost did something you’d regret for life,” he said, smiling.

“Why would I regret it? You’d be the one to regret it!”

“You’d regret it, given how much you enjoy this.”

“Who… enjoys…”

But his fingers trailing sensuously down her waist and his lips pressing into her neck quickly dissipated any will to resist. The heightened tension from moments before made her senses more acute.

Eventually, Rosetta pulled him in for a kiss, forgetting they were in the uncomfortable confines of his study.

“Quickly…”

Rashid, too, became urgent. The playful, leisurely demeanor vanished as he hurried. There was no time to fully undress. In their impatience, Rashid pulled her close, joining with her.

“Ah…”

Rosetta let out a sweet sound. Rashid gazed at her, her disheveled hair fanning out in waves, and her green eyes, usually bright with curiosity, now clouded with desire, focused solely on him.

Rashid savored seeing her like this, solely fixated on him, clinging to him. At least in these moments, he could be sure she was truly his.

But why now?

He bit his lip, pondering why the Katan tribe was causing trouble again now.

They usually raided in winter or spring when food was scarce. It was late summer now, nearing harvest season. It was unusual for the Katan tribe to be disruptive at this time.

Though there were other suspicions, he couldn’t ignore the northern problem. Especially not now, so soon after the Grand Elder’s issue. Everyone knew that ordeal had happened because of Rosetta. Neglecting his duties now would give them grounds to criticize him, potentially complicating the Grand Elder’s situation.

“Rashid…”

Rosetta called his name, reaching her peak first. Rashid kissed her deeply, then let his own restrained desire overflow.

Their breath filled the space. Rashid shifted Rosetta to lay on top of him, gently caressing her sweat-dampened back. As they relished the sweetness of their union, he said, “I’ll leave Sika with you.”

Rosetta lifted her head to look at him. “Sika? Wouldn’t it be better to take him since he’s from the Katan tribe?”

“I trust Sika the most. With him guarding you, I can leave with peace of mind.”

He cupped her chin with his fingers. “While I’m gone, don’t leave the castle. Avoid going out if you can. By the way, the merchants warned me about Ethel’s father recently.”

“What about him?”

“Foolish people always blame others when things go wrong. He won’t be allowed into the castle while I’m away, so you don’t have to worry too much.”

Rosetta nodded. She kissed his lips and whispered, “I’ll wait for you, so please return safely.”