Chapter 177: Don’t Go

All eyes around turned toward me in unison. Several people widened their eyes as they looked at me.

“I-Is it true?!”

A man who was clearly a knight rushed toward me in a hurry.

Dark shadows hung under his eyes. It was obvious he hadn’t had a proper night’s rest.

But only for a moment—his expression brightened the instant he met my gaze.

“Could it be… you’re the one who visited Lady Black Rose’s estate some time ago?”

The look in his eyes, full of hope and anticipation, felt a little overwhelming.

“Um…”

I scratched my cheek awkwardly.

To be honest, if I wanted to run, it wouldn’t have been difficult. I could have avoided getting caught by this woman in the first place.

But was there really a need for that?

Mardian had put out a bounty of a thousand gold coins just to find me.

Whether it was out of anger or resentment, if she wanted me back, I would gladly return to her.

Originally, I left because I was afraid meeting Mardian again would do her harm.

But if she’s the one searching for me, then the story changes.

“The person you’re looking for… is probably me.”

“Ah!”

The knight bowed deeply, his expression even more hopeful.

“Lady Black Rose has ordered us to bring you back safely, no matter what! Please, come with us.”

“Alright, please take me to her.”

At my willing response, the knight looked momentarily flustered.

It seemed he hadn’t expected me to agree so easily.

If I had refused, he probably would’ve used force to bring me back.

“Uh, yes. Then please, follow me.”

Without any more unnecessary conversation, I followed him and got into the carriage.

We retraced the path I’d taken the night before, and before long, the familiar estate came into view.

I had sworn to myself never to return here for Mardian’s sake. Who would’ve thought I’d be back in just a day?

The carriage stopped, and the door opened quietly. I stepped down calmly, ready to walk into the mansion.

That’s when it happened.

Someone suddenly lunged at me from behind with tremendous force.

“Ugh?!”

A shock hit me, followed by a pair of long arms wrapping around my body.

From the soft flesh pressing against my back came a warm body heat.

Startled, I turned my head.

I saw a woman burying her face into my shoulder, not moving an inch.

Though I couldn’t see her face, the cascade of brilliant platinum hair falling down her back told me exactly who it was.

“…It’s been a while.”

With a faint smile, I quietly greeted her upon our reunion.

But there was no response.

Mardian said nothing. She simply held me tighter.

I could feel her trembling through the touch of our skin.

And for some reason, I had the strange sensation that my shoulder was getting damp.

Slowly, I turned my body and brought both hands to her face.

As I gently lifted her chin, I was finally able to meet her eyes.

“M-Mardian… are you crying?!”

The infamous villainess who always looked down on the world with arrogant eyes.

But the woman standing before me now was nothing like that fearsome figure.

Her once sharp gaze had softened with sorrow.

The crimson eyes that used to blaze like blood now looked faded, dulled.

And the tears streaming silently down her face—there was nothing more heartrending.

“P-please don’t cry…”

Even seeing it with my own eyes, I couldn’t believe it.

Not once in the game did Mardian ever cry.

Not even when she climbed the scaffold to be executed—she had looked upward with pride and defiance.

That was the unshakable pride of the villainess Mardian.

So who was this woman now, shedding tears so helplessly?

And strangely enough…

As I looked at her crying, my heart began to beat faster and faster.

The ever-dominant villainess, now clinging to me like a dejected little puppy.

For some reason…

She just looked adorable.

‘Wait, what am I thinking…?’

I quickly shook my head, trying to snap out of it.

Taking a deep breath to steady myself, I hurriedly pulled out a handkerchief.

“Let me wipe them for you…”

Gently, I dabbed at the tears under her eyes.

Mardian still said nothing, only holding me tightly.

Even the knights around us looked completely bewildered, as if this side of Mardian was something they’d never witnessed before.

“…Don’t go.”

Breaking the awkward silence, Mardian finally spoke in a low, trembling voice.

“What?”

“Please… Please stay by my side.”

Her voice wasn’t just desperate—it was pleading.

Her crimson eyes looked as if they were about to flicker out, like the last light of a dying candle.

I had thought she had forgotten me, that she was living happily, holding no resentment.

But it seemed I was wrong.

A lump formed in my throat.

Facing Mardian, I quietly replied.

“I’m not going anywhere. No matter what happens, I’ll stay by your side, Mardian.”

Calming her came first.

To reassure her, I gripped her hand tightly, as if I’d never let go.

Could it be because the warmth of my touch reached her?

Mardian’s crimson eyes slowly closed.

Soon, the strength left her body, and she naturally leaned into my embrace.

“…Lady Mardian?”

Worried, I checked her breathing and gently looked at her face. Thankfully, it seemed she had simply fallen asleep.

It looked like she’d been through quite the emotional turmoil all night.

A quiet stillness settled in front of the mansion’s main gate.

I gave a faint smile to the knights who were trying to make sense of the situation with puzzled expressions.

“Um… could you give me a hand for a moment?”

Lady Mardian is heavier than she looks.

***

After the small commotion had passed.

The sunset disappeared, and soft moonlight quietly seeped into the night.

In a room where the candlelight had gone out,

An owl hooted softly outside the window.

“I… messed up…”

A hoarse voice slipped from between Mardian’s slightly parted lips. I wondered if she’d woken up, but her eyes remained closed—it seemed to be no more than sleep talk.

I gazed at her in silence for a moment.

Her long lashes cast shadows, and her platinum hair fell softly over the pillow.

Her originally pale skin, now bathed in moonlight, gave off an even more mysterious aura.

She still possessed the beauty that had earned her the title “flower of high society.”

But even so, she looked completely different from before.

Dark shadows beneath her eyes. A body so thin her bones were pronounced.

Her lips, once tinged with a rosy hue, had faded to a pale shade.

Only faint traces of the woman who once captivated the social world remained. It was a side of her that felt so unlike her—fragile, almost heartbreakingly so.

They say that for many years, Mardian lived drowned in alcohol.

During the day, she would throw herself obsessively into her paintings, and at night, she survived only through alcohol and women.

[Alcohol dependence.]

That was the diagnosis given by Mardian’s personal physician.

Excessive drinking and a life of debauchery. They say her body and mind were already completely ruined.

A dull ache throbbed in my chest.

Judging by her reputation as the “Black Rose,” I had no doubt that she must be living a happy life.

But the reality was the complete opposite.

“…It’s probably because of me.”

With a heavy heart, I carefully brushed Mardiann’s hair back.

It was in that moment—gently tucking each strand behind her face with care—

Mardiann slowly opened her eyes.

And the moment she saw me, she suddenly sat up and lunged into my arms.

Before I could even react, she embraced me tightly.

Her arms wrapped around the back of my neck, her trembling fingers holding onto me.

She buried her face into my shoulder, clinging to me as if she would never let go.

“Mardiann… I’m not going anywhere.”

A faint tremble passed between our touching skin.

Only after I spent a long time quietly soothing her did the tension in her body begin to slowly ease.

I softly patted her back a few times, then gently moved her away from my embrace.

“Are you… feeling okay?”

“……”

Mardiann quietly nodded, her head drooping weakly.

I poured a glass of water I had prepared and handed it to her.

Even as she accepted the glass, she didn’t take her eyes off me for even a second.

She took a small sip—then immediately nestled back into my arms.

“Mm… Mmm…”

I knew Mardiann liked physical closeness.

But she wasn’t usually the clingy type.

She had always preferred dominance over tender embraces.

Yet now, she clung to me like a pet reunited with its owner after years apart, with no intention of letting go.

It was bewildering, but I decided not to overthink it.

Whatever it was that Mardiann wanted from me, I was willing to give it.

Whether she was addicted to alcohol or her body was falling apart, I would heal her.

Even if she desired my body, I would offer it without hesitation.

If I could even slightly repay the sin I had committed against her, I would do anything.

“Don’t leave me…”

For now, I needed to calm the woman trembling in my arms.

“Don’t worry. I’ll stay right here.”

I gently stroked Mardiann’s back.

And with a warm touch, I whispered tenderly into her ear:

“Sleep a little more. When you wake up, I’ll make you dinner.”