Chapter 13
I started to run like crazy as soon as I turned the corner. The cold air grazed passed me, stinging my neck wound, but I was too in my head to even feel the pain.
There’s no reset button.
That fact scared me more than just before the Crown Prince was going to slash my neck. The fact that the insurance I’d trusted up until now didn’t exist. It meant that I can’t die like I’d planned.
What if it’s really the end when I die? What if I don’t go back to where I came from, but really just die…?
I was just a normal woman and student. I didn’t have the guts to deal with these kinds of dangers. The only choice left for me now was to reach the ending with one of the characters.
But how? Just how could I endure and reach an ending with one of the characters who tries to kill me the moment I make even the smallest mistake?
The fact that all the male characters’ interest went up wasn’t that important to me. That kind of thing, even if you try hard to raise them, they’ll always drop in one hit, like a sand castle would.
What if I work my butt off trying to raise their interest on me, but it all just falls in one go like it did in the game?
Then it’s death. But I didn’t want to die.
Why should I? When I survived, risking my life trying to escape from my blood-related brothers. Why do I have to die so ridiculously in a crazy universe like this, when all I’d do is curry favor with these bastards I don’t even know!
“Hnn, mm.”
Tears fell from my eyes and I could hear myself huffing, but it was all out of my control. Thanks to me running all the way back while following the lights, I found myself back at the entrance of the maze garden faster than I’d reached the center. I was only a few steps away from actually exiting the garden.
Bump-
I bumped into a person in front of me, who I didn’t see in the dark.
“Ah!”
I, in my mental instability, felt immense fear rushing over me, thinking that the Crown Prince may have chased after me. I was going to start running again, when my wrist was grabbed.
“Let go!”
I screamed, scared for my life.
“Let go of me!”
“Lady?”
“Why do I have to die?! I don’t want to! I don’t want to die!”
“Lady! Lady!”
I, who was shaking the hand I was caught by, came back to my senses at the sensation of someone grabbing tightly onto my shoulders.
“Are you okay?”
Marine blue eyes that were wide with surprise came into view. Then, I saw his silver hair shining under the faint light. Then I came to see the shining [Interest 0%] above it all.
“Ahh, hnn…”
“Shh, calm down. I am not going to hurt you.”
I gasped from crying, and the guy spoke with a pleasing voice, making me stiffen.
Is it one of the main characters again?
I felt despair when I realized who it was that I’d bumped into. Vinter Verdandi. He was a sorcerer and a Marquis.
“I’m… I’m fine now.”
I calmed down quickly just from the fact that he wasn’t the Crown Prince. I raised my shaky hand up to my eyes and wiped the tears. I wanted to go back home. I didn’t want to be here at this place for even a second longer. Adding to that, I didn’t have the mentality to face Vinter either.
“I’ve caused trouble to a person I’ve never met before. Please forget what just happened. Then,”
I spat the words out after roughly wiping my face. I bowed as a greeting, then tried to walk past him. But then I was stopped again.
“You’re bleeding a lot.”
He said, pointing at my neck.
“You’re also quite pale. I’ll take you to a doctor.”
“It’s fine. I need to hurry back somewhere…”
“Then, at least take this.”
Unlike me, who didn’t want to deal with this any longer, Vinter didn’t let me go, but took something out his breast pocket and handed it to me instead.
“Lay this over your wound and press on it. It will stop the bleeding.”
It was a white handkerchief. I stared at it for a moment before accepting it. I couldn’t walk back into the ballroom while I was bleeding like this anyway. I bowed once again, and opened my mouth to speak.
“Thank you. I will be sure to return the favor.”
“There is no need for that.”
He rejected as he reached his hand out towards me.
“Instead, I wish for the sadness to be gone in these beautiful eyes the next time we meet.”
The warm hands were so close to touching the areas around my eyes that I could faintly feel the heat.
[Interest 9%]
I was too focused on the letters shining above his head, and didn’t check to see how he was looking at me.
~*~
I didn’t know wearing a dress with such dark color would be this much of a help today.
The blood stains on the dress I was wearing were hardly visible due to its dark color. Thanks to that, I only had to give my hair a little touch up before I went in. Finding Derrick was very easy. Our mister capture target with a cold aura was shining compared to all the people surrounding him.
He told me to just stay quiet and not make a fuss… He’d be mad if he saw my neck.
I was so focused on thinking back to the warning Derrick gave me when we arrived at the royal grounds, that I didn’t notice the gazes of people all looking at me. I didn’t notice that I wasn’t fine just because my dress was fine.
“…Brother.”
I called out to quietly. Fortunately, he heard this quiet call that was more like a whisper from all the way in the crowd, and turned to look at me right after.
“I think I’ll be leaving now, I’m not feeling too well.”
Derrick’s blue eyes widened when he spotted his pale little sister looking like she was about to faint, with a blood-soaked handkerchief pressed against her neck.
“Right now.”
Everything turned black at that moment. The last thing I saw as I fell unconscious was Derrick running towards me, his face pale.
Please let me know if there’s anything inconsistent, or that needs further editing/corrections!!
-emrld
Scarlett Shoujo 