Answer Me, Please

Answer Me, Please – Chapter 18

Rosetta furrowed her eyebrows and put on a doubtful expression.

“You’re going to say I’m still chaste?”

“Yes.”

“But even if you say so, will the world believe it? You’ve already splattered blood on the blanket.”

“They’ll believe it.”

“How can you be sure of that?”

“Because people in the world trust the words of the perpetrator more than the victim.”

“It’s strange. Isn’t it the other way around?”

Rosetta tilted her head. In her opinion, it is more right to believe the words of an innocent victim than a perpetrator who did something bad.

“My mother said she already had me in her womb before she was kidnapped. But no one listened to her. Why do you think that was?”

Rosetta looked at him with a surprised face. She never thought he’d bring up the story of his mother first.

“People trusted your father’s words more. They wanted to believe that my mother had been thrown into slavery and conceived one of them. On the other hand, my mother was accused of lying to get out of a disadvantageous situation, that she was plotting to turn a Basque’s illegitimate child into a Riga. People must have thought that the words of a woman who had lost her husband and had no power were not worth listening to.”

Rosetta looked carefully into his blue eyes. Then could it be that he was born with an exotic appearance by chance? Rosie had previously said that no one is born with that kind of appearance naturally.

Then why did his mother have to die?

“Krell said, your mother…”

Krell said his mother named him after Ark’s son and died to make him a Riga. Rosetta took that to mean that she had committed suicide. She couldn’t ask about it, but he said it first.

“My mother gave her own life to prove my legitimacy. Because people usually believe that what one says before dying is the truth.”

The corners of his lips twisted slightly. “No, maybe dying as the chief’s wife was more important than staying by her son’s side.”

Those sharp blade-like words aimed at no one but himself, cutting himself with blaming his parents for giving birth to him.

“How funny. My father did everything to save the woman he loved, but in the end, he couldn’t keep anything.”

He said his father couldn’t keep anything, but there was one that Rosetta saw. It was Rashid himself. His father risked his life to save his wife and son, and his mother’s sacrifice made him where he is today.

But she didn’t think he would be happy to hear this from her. She wasn’t even close enough to comfort him.

Rosetta suddenly became curious. If that happened in the past and pay back back equally is the law of his tribe, then why does this man, who can be said to be the biggest victim, not want to take revenge on her?

“Why don’t you want to get revenge on me?”

If his legitimacy had been doubted because of that, he could have been more desperate for revenge. No, shouldn’t it be not easy to even face each other like this now?

But his answer was very simple. “This has nothing to do with you, right?”

“But most people don’t even consider that. You want to vent your anger somewhere, and if the enemy’s daughter is in front of you, you’d think it’s fine to do so. Especially if there’s no one to stop you.”

It was something that was also practiced in the Lisa Kingdom’s aristocratic society. There is no barbaric law where it is natural to pay back equally as here, but such acts are carried out in a more clandestine manner, hidden behind laws and institutions.

“Why would I do that? It would only make another one like my mother. Whether revenge or apology, it has to be done to and from the person concerned.”

Rosetta realized one thing from those words. He made Krell crawl and apologize to her earlier wasn’t to bluff him out of hand. In the first place, this man is not the type to simply conform and follow the existing customs.

“And if I were to carry out my revenge properly, your father’s neck would already be in my hands…”

He did not continue his words as soon as he looked at Rosetta. Immediately after that, he let out a deep sigh.

Rosetta shouted quickly before he could say another terrifying word. “I think everything is done.”

After tying the knot on the bandage, Rosetta marveled at the result. Although it’s the first time doing it, it’s not bad. While she was looking on with great satisfaction, he took out another piece of clothing and started putting it on.

“Anyway, don’t do anything like today again. If this happens again, I will never save you even if your life is in danger.”

“Earlier, you didn’t save…”

Rosetta immediately shut her mouth as he glanced at her. She was just telling the truth, but it was a bit unfair to look at her like that.

“I see. Yes. Of course. I’m not even your real wife. Yes. You should risk your life to save your real wife later.”

He burst out laughing in an instant. “I won’t risk my life for a woman like my father did, even if it’s for my real wife.”

At this point, Rosetta felt a little sorry for this man, apart from what he had done to her. Now he seems determined not to trust, depend on, or love anyone in this world. Such a dry life seemed distant to Rosetta.

“…you said earlier that your father couldn’t keep anything, but I think there is one.”

From the moment she was born, she received overflowing love from her family, and she also loves them. To the point that she doesn’t even want to think of life without them.

Even more, she can’t even imagine what it feels like to resent and deny the parents who gave birth to her.

“Your parents ultimately protected your life and your current status.”

I know. From his perspective, the fact that an enemy’s daughter said such a thing sounded insulting. But if no one ever told him about this, I guess I should at least tell him.

He’s never a by-product of failure.

“I don’t think it made any sense at all. I hope you don’t make it difficult for yourself.”

Rosetta then lowered her head. “I know I don’t have the right to say things like this to you. If you feel offended, just forget what I just said.”

He remained silent. Maybe he’s mad?

Rosetta carefully raised her head and looked at the area around his eyes. This time she met his eyes without avoiding them.

From a distance of less than a hand’s length, she could see his pupils mixed with various colors other than blue. A transparent film like a drop of water is covered and a black frame surrounds it. The iris, which seemed to have been cut and pasted countless times with blue jewels, shimmered in various colors depending on the light.

In a word, it is beautiful. It’s to the point where you can’t understand why people just talk about things like illegitimate children after seeing these eyes.

“Pretty…”

In an instant, his eyes widened. As he quickly closed and opened his eyes in bewilderment, Rosetta realized that she had spoken the words in her head.

Rosetta hurriedly covered her mouth. God, what would this person think of me? He might think that I am a woman with a slightly odd head.

“Well, then, if you don’t have anything else to say, I’ll go to bed first!”

Rosetta hurriedly jumped over to the blanket. Then she pulled the blanket over her head and lay down, hoping he won’t talk anymore.

Rashid looked at the woman lying curled up under the blanket like a caterpillar. A strong desire for him not to say anything radiated from the back of her head. Even though she covered her entire body, it stung that all her nerves were directed at him.

Rashid said nothing, as she wished. He finished his clothes and washed his bloody hands. A moment later, when he turned around, the blanket the woman was holding slipped off. Soon there was also the sound of wheezing.

“……”

Rashid, like yesterday, was speechless at the sight of the woman who fell asleep in an instant. It’s simply amazing that she can be both extremely sensitive and insensitive at the same time.

In any case, it’s already late. Just as he was about to put out the candle and go to bed, he saw the woman’s cheek, red and swollen.

Rashid approached the woman and leaned in. He held the candle close and looked at her face. Fortunately, there’s no bruising where Krell had hit her, but the swelling looks likely to remain for the time being.

“You should take care of yourself first.”

Contrary to his curt words, Rashid brushed the hair covering the woman’s cheek with a careful touch. Red flames shimmered and illuminated her face. A round forehead, long eyelashes, and golden hair that shimmered even in the dark. That’s the most innocuous appearance.