Because Pushing Didn’t Work, I Decided to Pull Away

“I’m so sorry for being late…! The healer will arrive soon, so please stay strong!”

—am I dreaming?

There was no way Noel would be in a forest like this. Apparently, I had been driven to the point of hallucination. Death was truly approaching.

But in the end, even if that was only a hallucination, just seeing Noel made me happy.

“…Because of me, you suffered a lot of injuries…”

However, his expression and voice, which should be illusions, seemed terribly pained.

In retrospect, he was always blaming himself—even though Noel wasn’t in the wrong at all.

I gently extended my aching right hand to his cheek. The moment I felt his slightly cold face, I started to realize that everything might be real.

“…Are you, truly, Lord Noel?”

“? Yes, of course.”

Despite being confused by my question, he still answered. I also liked that part of him.

“…I’m truly sorry for my lateness. Once I’ve successfully brought you to a safe place, I’m willing to accept any kind of punishment.”

“…It’s not your fault, Lord Noel. I’m glad you came for me. I love you.”

“No, it’s entirely my fau—huh?”

At that moment, Noel’s eyes went wide from surprise.

I, myself, was a little surprised that the restriction spell had been lifted. From the bottom of my heart, I was relieved.

I was certain that I was ragged and dirty. Not to mention, I was hit on the face. I must had been ugly-looking.

Still—I wanted to tell him right away.

That was right.

I had to tell him.

“Lord Noel, I love you.”

“…”

“I truly love you.”

Ever since the first time I saw him, I fell hopelessly in love.

The moment he entered my view, he became my everything. From that day on, he had always been the center of my world.

“I love, you.”

My words were interrupted by the pain. Regardless, I was glad that I could finally speak them. Even so, I had wronged him many times. I recalled the past three months.

Eventually, I felt a little tired and closed my eyes. Then, cold droplets fell on my face.

When I thinly opened my eyelids, wondering if it had started to rain, I surprised to discover that the droplets were overflowing from Noel’s eyes.

“I’m sorry, I can’t help but cry…”

In a hurry, he wiped his tears with the back of his hand. But in the next moment, his tears spilled again.

He was dearer to me than anything else. I reached for his soft, silver, hair, and gently stroked his head. He looked like a little child.

“Will you love me forever?”

My chest tightened from his sudden words.

“Will you love me for the rest of your life?”

He was begging—it was a plea.

Somehow, I realized it. Noel wanted affection. Noel was asking me for the love he couldn’t get from his family.

That was why he probably loved me back—a mediocre girl whose quality was only her extraordinary love for him.

Nevertheless, I had hurt him and caused him to feel miserable. I even thought that all the pain I was feeling at that time was a form of karma.

“Yes. For the rest of my life, you’re the only one for me.”

From now on, I swear that I will never make Lord Noel feel that way again.

I wish that the day he felt glad he loved me would come.

I want him to think it isn’t a mistake.

While thinking that, I let go of my consciousness.

“Sherry, this is a cake of sympathy.”

“Wow, thank you!”

“How’s Noel?”

“He’s shopping at a nearby store.”

A few days later, Chester came to visit me at the hospital. He brought a cake from a well-known store and set it on a nearby table. He then proceeded to sit on a nearby, round, chair.

“How are you?”

“Thanks to you, I’m completely fine! But Lord Noel said I should still rest. As such, I can’t leave the hospital.”

“Judging from your condition, you might have to stay here forever.”

Chester grinned mischievously.

“Did Chester also participate in searching for me that day? Thank you very much.”

“That’s only to be expected. Though, that guy was insanely tough.”

Cliff, who was searching for me in the woods, was captured by the knights. Chester said that it took a few people to defeat Cliff. Everyone thought that it was quite a shame—Cliff would have made a fine knight or wizard.

Not only did he abducted me, he was also charged with attempted murder against Marian. What awaited him was either life imprisonment or hanging. Thinking about that, there was a slight pain in my chest.

However, I reminded myself—that kind of outcome was only natural.

“…It’s more difficult to suppress Noel who’s itching to kill him.”

“…I, I see.”

Chester looked tired. At the same time, he seemed to be immensely relieved Noel didn’t end up becoming a murderer.

While I was talking to him, a knocking sound echoes within the hospital room. Afterwards, Noel entered.

“Chester, you’ve come.”

“Indeed. I bought a cake, eat it, Noel.”

“I’m sorry, I will eat it later.”

“Alright, then the third-wheel will go home!”

Chester left in no time. I had heard about him from Noel. I was glad Noel had a nice and kind friend.

“Sherry, I’ll leave what you’ve asked for here.”

“Thank you, Lord Noel. I love you.”

“…”

When I thanked him and smiled, Noel held his mouth with one hand and averted his gaze from me. His face was a little red.

“Are you still not used to it?”

“…Pardon me.”

Apparently, Noel had become accustomed to the ruthless, straight-faced, me. Every time I smiled or confessed to him, he’d turn shy.

My heart kept screaming at his cute reaction. As he said, I might need to be hospitalized longer.

“You still wear that necklace.”

“Yes, after all, it was given by Lord Noel.”

“It has tracking magic as a security measure, so I will give you a new one.”

Thanks to that necklace, Noel was able to come right to me as soon as I left the barred mansion.

It seemed that Cliff failed to discover a hint of magic in the necklace. If he did, he wouldn’t have let me wear it.

That was why I wanted to continue wearing the necklace as a talisman. For some reason, Noel seemed to be hesitant.

“…Except, I will be able to know where you are at all times as long as you wear it.”

“Eh?”

“Doesn’t that sound unpleasant to you? So please, throw it away.”

Noel, who laughed awkwardly, didn’t seem to understand me yet.

“…Doesn’t that mean Lord Noel will be thinking about me all day long?”

“Huh…?”

“I will wear this necklace until I die!”

When I said that and smiled, Noel’s expression changed from surprised to wanting to cry.

“Will you truly wear it until you die?”

“Yes, I’ll even keep it in the grave after I die.”

“Then I’ll chase you until the afterlife.”

“Really…? I won’t mind even if I die right now!”

The moment I said that, I was tightly embraced by Noel.

“…I’ve truly been saved by you, I love you.”

“M, me too!”

“That’s good. I’d like to ask you this—please live long and die before me.”

“Why?”

In such situations, wouldn’t people generally want their spouse to die after them? Well, because Noel had said that, I’d gladly die before him.

While scooping my hair with his fingertips, Noel showed a horrifyingly beautiful smile and gently kissed me.

“Because I will follow you soon after.”

…I might be abnormal because I was instantly convinced by his words.

While accepting his lips, which were laced with terribly heavy affection, I tasted endless happiness.

“I’m so sorry for being late…! The healer will arrive soon, so please stay strong!”

—am I dreaming?

There was no way Noel would be in a forest like this. Apparently, I had been driven to the point of hallucination. Death was truly approaching.

But in the end, even if that was only a hallucination, just seeing Noel made me happy.

“…Because of me, you suffered a lot of injuries…”

However, his expression and voice, which should be illusions, seemed terribly pained.

In retrospect, he was always blaming himself—even though Noel wasn’t in the wrong at all.

I gently extended my aching right hand to his cheek. The moment I felt his slightly cold face, I started to realize that everything might be real.

“…Are you, truly, Lord Noel?”

“? Yes, of course.”

Despite being confused by my question, he still answered. I also liked that part of him.

“…I’m truly sorry for my lateness. Once I’ve successfully brought you to a safe place, I’m willing to accept any kind of punishment.”

“…It’s not your fault, Lord Noel. I’m glad you came for me. I love you.”

“No, it’s entirely my fau—huh?”

At that moment, Noel’s eyes went wide from surprise.

I, myself, was a little surprised that the restriction spell had been lifted. From the bottom of my heart, I was relieved.

I was certain that I was ragged and dirty. Not to mention, I was hit on the face. I must had been ugly-looking.

Still—I wanted to tell him right away.

That was right.

I had to tell him.

“Lord Noel, I love you.”

“…”

“I truly love you.”

Ever since the first time I saw him, I fell hopelessly in love.

The moment he entered my view, he became my everything. From that day on, he had always been the center of my world.

“I love, you.”

My words were interrupted by the pain. Regardless, I was glad that I could finally speak them. Even so, I had wronged him many times. I recalled the past three months.

Eventually, I felt a little tired and closed my eyes. Then, cold droplets fell on my face.

When I thinly opened my eyelids, wondering if it had started to rain, I surprised to discover that the droplets were overflowing from Noel’s eyes.

“I’m sorry, I can’t help but cry…”

In a hurry, he wiped his tears with the back of his hand. But in the next moment, his tears spilled again.

He was dearer to me than anything else. I reached for his soft, silver, hair, and gently stroked his head. He looked like a little child.

“Will you love me forever?”

My chest tightened from his sudden words.

“Will you love me for the rest of your life?”

He was begging—it was a plea.

Somehow, I realized it. Noel wanted affection. Noel was asking me for the love he couldn’t get from his family.

That was why he probably loved me back—a mediocre girl whose quality was only her extraordinary love for him.

Nevertheless, I had hurt him and caused him to feel miserable. I even thought that all the pain I was feeling at that time was a form of karma.

“Yes. For the rest of my life, you’re the only one for me.”

From now on, I swear that I will never make Lord Noel feel that way again.

I wish that the day he felt glad he loved me would come.

I want him to think it isn’t a mistake.

While thinking that, I let go of my consciousness.

“Sherry, this is a cake of sympathy.”

“Wow, thank you!”

“How’s Noel?”

“He’s shopping at a nearby store.”

A few days later, Chester came to visit me at the hospital. He brought a cake from a well-known store and set it on a nearby table. He then proceeded to sit on a nearby, round, chair.

“How are you?”

“Thanks to you, I’m completely fine! But Lord Noel said I should still rest. As such, I can’t leave the hospital.”

“Judging from your condition, you might have to stay here forever.”

Chester grinned mischievously.

“Did Chester also participate in searching for me that day? Thank you very much.”

“That’s only to be expected. Though, that guy was insanely tough.”

Cliff, who was searching for me in the woods, was captured by the knights. Chester said that it took a few people to defeat Cliff. Everyone thought that it was quite a shame—Cliff would have made a fine knight or wizard.

Not only did he abducted me, he was also charged with attempted murder against Marian. What awaited him was either life imprisonment or hanging. Thinking about that, there was a slight pain in my chest.

However, I reminded myself—that kind of outcome was only natural.

“…It’s more difficult to suppress Noel who’s itching to kill him.”

“…I, I see.”

Chester looked tired. At the same time, he seemed to be immensely relieved Noel didn’t end up becoming a murderer.

While I was talking to him, a knocking sound echoes within the hospital room. Afterwards, Noel entered.

“Chester, you’ve come.”

“Indeed. I bought a cake, eat it, Noel.”

“I’m sorry, I will eat it later.”

“Alright, then the third-wheel will go home!”

Chester left in no time. I had heard about him from Noel. I was glad Noel had a nice and kind friend.

“Sherry, I’ll leave what you’ve asked for here.”

“Thank you, Lord Noel. I love you.”

“…”

When I thanked him and smiled, Noel held his mouth with one hand and averted his gaze from me. His face was a little red.

“Are you still not used to it?”

“…Pardon me.”

Apparently, Noel had become accustomed to the ruthless, straight-faced, me. Every time I smiled or confessed to him, he’d turn shy.

My heart kept screaming at his cute reaction. As he said, I might need to be hospitalized longer.

“You still wear that necklace.”

“Yes, after all, it was given by Lord Noel.”

“It has tracking magic as a security measure, so I will give you a new one.”

Thanks to that necklace, Noel was able to come right to me as soon as I left the barred mansion.

It seemed that Cliff failed to discover a hint of magic in the necklace. If he did, he wouldn’t have let me wear it.

That was why I wanted to continue wearing the necklace as a talisman. For some reason, Noel seemed to be hesitant.

“…Except, I will be able to know where you are at all times as long as you wear it.”

“Eh?”

“Doesn’t that sound unpleasant to you? So please, throw it away.”

Noel, who laughed awkwardly, didn’t seem to understand me yet.

“…Doesn’t that mean Lord Noel will be thinking about me all day long?”

“Huh…?”

“I will wear this necklace until I die!”

When I said that and smiled, Noel’s expression changed from surprised to wanting to cry.

“Will you truly wear it until you die?”

“Yes, I’ll even keep it in the grave after I die.”

“Then I’ll chase you until the afterlife.”

“Really…? I won’t mind even if I die right now!”

The moment I said that, I was tightly embraced by Noel.

“…I’ve truly been saved by you, I love you.”

“M, me too!”

“That’s good. I’d like to ask you this—please live long and die before me.”

“Why?”

In such situations, wouldn’t people generally want their spouse to die after them? Well, because Noel had said that, I’d gladly die before him.

While scooping my hair with his fingertips, Noel showed a horrifyingly beautiful smile and gently kissed me.

“Because I will follow you soon after.”

…I might be abnormal because I was instantly convinced by his words.

While accepting his lips, which were laced with terribly heavy affection, I tasted endless happiness.