281 – The Deeds I Committed -2-

Choices come to everyone.

Even in moments we don’t want to face.

Even when it’s so hard that breathing feels like a burden. Choices are relentless, coming without regard for time or place.

For Histania Hanna, the most frightening choice was the possibility that her decisions would hurt Ricardo.

After all, she had nothing but debts to him.

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[Q. The Misguided Pride of Histania.]

In a story you can’t remember.

You were on the brink of death because of the reckless choices you made, swept away by emotions, all to gain your father’s love and your family’s recognition.

In the cold cave, your body was battered, and the sticky moss of the cave was feasting on your blood.

As you lay dying, the last moments of life before you, a red-haired man appeared, foraging for herbs.

It was a miracle.

His appearance before you.

There was no other word for it but a miracle.

At that time, the man, a stranger to you, took you in. Your body was as battered as that of a fallen villainess.

Unable to eat alone.

Limping along.

Your lifespan as a knight and your self-esteem as a child of a noble family hit rock bottom. Not that there was much self-esteem left to fall.

You despaired.

Sinking into an endless abyss, deeper and deeper. You thought countless times that death might be better, entertaining dark thoughts over and over. That was you.

But you couldn’t die.

“Did you sleep well? The weather is nice today. Haha…!”

Perhaps it’s more accurate to say you couldn’t die. The man’s care broke down your walls.

Yet, you resented the man. Grumbling and often lashing out, telling him to leave you, who could do nothing for yourself.

You couldn’t afford to trust anyone.

At that time, you had emotional wounds that had surpassed your threshold of endurance.

Yet, the man cared for you.

Somehow, he knew exactly what you needed to hear, whispering it to you every night, cradling your wounded self.

“You can do it.”

“No matter what anyone says, I believe in you.”

“You are beautiful. Not quite as much as the lady, but still.”

As if you knew all of my pain.

And so time passed.

When you were about to leave the mansion.

You made a promise with a man.

“Don’t get hurt.”

A promise that couldn’t be kept.

You made a choice.

To remain a better person.

And to break away from a terrible fate, you chose to return to ‘Histania.’

But there was no one in the family to support your decision, and contrary to the hope of starting anew, your father’s reaction was cold. Instead of comforting you in your injury, he criticized your incompetence.

“You have no talent,” he said.

You did something you shouldn’t have.

In endless despair, with nowhere to return, you went back to the only place you knew well.

You were afraid to return to him.

Because it was shameful.

Because it was frightening.

Because you were angry.

You thought, if only you could return as a person of integrity, someone who cannot be ignored by anyone, then you would appear better to him.

Even if that path wasn’t one of universal acclaim.

You made the wrong choice that day.

And he made a choice for you.

The story may end happily… Yes, that’s right.

But I believe the light within you throughout this journey is anything but trivial.

(!) Receive Histania Lowen’s sword once. (0/1)

(!) Listen to a sincere ‘apology’ from Histania Lowen. (0/1)

Reward: Access to the 72nd side story ‘In Despair.’

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Hanna looked at the blue window before her with trembling eyes.

‘Why…?’

Because the curse that only spews ominous tales has appeared again.

At first, I thought it was a compass that directed my resentment, but after seeing the illusion of death, Hana was afraid of the blue window.

It didn’t seem like divine providence appeared out of goodwill to her.

With trembling eyes, Hana read the words and soon felt her fingertips stiffen and her mind go blank.

‘…’

Perhaps it could be so.

‘No…’

She didn’t want to see it anymore.

She was afraid of being forced to make such a choice, having decided to live in the present.

‘No…’

Shuen looked at the trembling Hana with puzzled eyes and furrowed his brow, wondering if she wanted to change the taste of her lunchbox.

“Why are you doing this?”

“…”

“Do you need more lunchboxes?”

Unfortunately, Shuen couldn’t hand over the pork cutlet lunchbox and the inari sushi, so he watched Hana with a serious expression.

“Ah… no.”

Hana spoke with an uneasy look, and Shuen closed his mouth. Shuen, with a worried voice, said to Hana,

“Did something happen? Did you leave your wallet in the classroom… or forget a book?”

“…”

“If… if you’re scared to go alone, I can go with you! Shuen is braver than you think! I can sleep alone and, with my favorite stuffed toy, I can even sleep under the covers after hearing a ghost story.”

“…”

Hana lightly shook her head at Shuen’s seemingly unhelpful demeanor and struggled to speak. It’s nothing.

“Go ahead. I just remembered something urgent, I’ll come up later.”

“I’ll do it with you! I’ll just put the lunchbox in the room and come right back!”

“Even if there are ghosts in the academy?”

“Gulp…! Okay!”

-Heave-ho!

Without a second thought, Shuen slung his bundle on his back and headed for the dormitory. After all, seeing ghosts was scary.

“If anything happens, call me! Room 503 is mine.”

Hanna sat in the spot where Shuen had left, exhaling roughly.

This time…

It seemed different from before.

*

Today, too, in the peaceful lady’s mansion.

The lady, fiddling with Gomtang’s paws, was smacking her lips.

“Lady.”

“Hmm?”

In this world, there’s nothing like bear paw jelly, but I don’t know why she’s smacking her lips like that. With a look in her eyes that seemed to say she wanted to bite, she touched Gomtang’s paws. I chuckled and shook my head at the lady’s sincere gaze.

“It’s Jiji.”

“Ah… Yes!”

“It’s late.”

I asked the lady nibbling on Gomtang’s paw why she was doing that.

“Lady.”

“Why?”

“Why are you ignoring Gomtang?”

“He’s biting me, isn’t he?”

The lady pointed with her finger at Gomtang, who was drooling on her head and biting it, then opened her mouth again. I chuckled and nodded at the lady’s actions, which clearly showed her belief in ‘an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.’

Certainly, it wasn’t the wrong thing to say.

Lately, the lady had been getting along well with Gomtang.

“Is it tasty?”

“No.”

“Then why are you biting his paw? There are other parts too.”

“Bear trotters.”

“Do you want to eat trotters?”

“Yes.”

I smiled and nodded at the lady’s sophisticated taste, recommending today’s dinner menu.

“Shall we have trotters for dinner tonight then?”

“Yes. Make it spicy.”

“Understood.”

I rose lightly from my seat and detached Gomtangi from the young lady’s head. It seems this little one also fancies the lady’s head, probably mistaking it for a Chupa Chups.

I scolded Gomtangi, who didn’t want to be separated, as I stroked his head gently. No matter how much you like the lady, it’s not okay to treat her head like candy.

-Grooom.

“Let’s go. I’ll give you food.”

-Gomgom.

“I’ll give you a snack too.”

-Gom.

Gomtangi was good at following my words.

Perhaps about ten minutes had passed.

The young lady, looking out the window, cautiously spoke to me.

“Ricardo.”

“Yes.”

“Do you consider yourself handsome?”

“What?”

Caught off guard by the sudden question, I stared blankly at the lady and shrugged my shoulders. Perhaps the gaslighting over the past 13 years had finally taken effect.

“Yes.”

“Oh… that’s unfortunate.”

“You’re even more unfortunate.”

“I’m pretty, so it’s fine.”

Unable to argue with the lady’s irrefutable logic, I nodded lightly and stretched her cheek.

“Eeeek!!! It’s tearing!”

“I’m fine.”

“Eeeek!!! I surrender…! I surrender!”

I glanced at the lady, wiping the drool from her cheek, and decided to ask her a somewhat awkward question.

“Lady.”

“Yes.”

“How strong are you?”

“What?”

The lady looked at me intently, then with a sly smile, she said,

“It’s a secret.”

He was truly an interesting person.

“Eeeek!!! Don’t pinch me!”

Perhaps another 10 minutes had passed.

We looked at each other as we gazed out the window at a man knocking on the mansion’s door.

“Ricardo. There’s a guest.”

“It doesn’t seem to be my guest.”

“Nor does it seem to be mine.”

I closed the curtains as I looked at the man with brown hair.

Histania Lowen.

An unwelcome guest had arrived at the mansion.