Betrayed by My Fiancé, I Changed My Role from a Viscount’s Daughter to a Lady-in-Waiting to the Quee

I couldn’t deny that I was the cause because I was the one who thought that Rio had a point.

I thought back to the accusations I had made to Yance. Don’t look like you don’t care just because you didn’t actually have a hand in it, he denounced me as such. He told me that I had no right to feel sorry for her or even pity her.

Rio’s words made me wonder if that could be said of myself as well.

「You just don’t want to think it’s your fault. I am right. I told you I’m not wrong. That’s why you attack people for being right. Because you want to hide your mistakes.」

Rio says as if whispering in my ear.

「You want to protect your integrity. You want to justify it, I know. Everyone wants to look good for themselves…」

It was like an incantation, Rio’s dialogue reverberating in my head.

「Hey, how do you feel now? Your sins are right in front of you.」

“Here, look closely,” Rio said, forcing me to turn my face toward the woman lying on the floor. The woman, completely devoid of life, looked as if it was about to stop breathing, and I noticed that I was shaking unknowingly.

「She doesn’t want to look directly at you. Men are torturing her, and she’s in despair. It’s like her life is over. And it’s all because of you.」

“Kukuh,” and the sound of Rio clearing his throat in my ear is clearly audible in desperation.

「Look, if you want, I could choke the bitch out.」

「…Eh?」

What was I just told? I can’t think straight. It’s as if I’m inebriated and I can’t think at all.

「It would be better for her to die. Even if she survives and is lucky enough to return to society, she will still be a scarred woman. I’d rather just go on with my life than suffer the pain of being exposed to the public eye. Besides, she’s dying. A little bit early won’t make any difference, right?」

“What do you want?” Rio whispers.

「Don’t worry. I’ll clean up the mess so no one will ever know that you wanted me to do it. So no one will blame you and no one will hate you.」

In a dizzying, vertigo-like sensation, I was desperately trying to understand what Rio was saying.

「What are… you?」

Are you saying? Choking the life out of a person? What’s that for? For what? Because I want it? When did I want it? Oh, so I think that she is my sin and I want to erase it, is that what I think?

「You can be honest about how you feel right now. Don’t let anyone get in the way. I’ll make your wish come true for you.」

I wonder why. Why does it seem like a sweet temptation to be seduced by his mousy voice? Even the smell of Rio’s body that tickled my nostrils felt sweet.

「All you have to do is beg me.」

Rio suddenly approached the woman and pulled out a sword from his waist. I watched this as if I were watching a play.

「Come on. Just say it. That『I beg you.』」

Ah, this is the devil whispering.

My throat was strained and I couldn’t speak at Rio’s sweet invitation. But then it happened. A man with a crew of men burst into the room with such force that he broke down the door, and I instantly felt as if I had been brought back to reality.

「Boss, there’s trouble! Knights are on their way here!!」

At the same time as the man jumped in, a breeze blew in through the small window and caressed my cheek. At that moment, my hazy head becomes clear. And in the same way, the strange air that I had felt earlier also fizzled out.

「Tch, this was such a nice place, though…」

Rio clicked his tongue in frustration, then scratched his head with a hand different from the one holding the sword.

「Well, it was only a matter of time before they found out about this place. We had no choice but to move on as planned. We start moving quickly and without panic or fuss!」

「Yes!」

「Understood!!」

I was thrown out of the mosquito net in an instant and just watched the scene in stunned amazement. The transition was so seamless that I almost thought I was daydreaming.

But the sound of my heart pounding, my back drenched in sweat, and my fingertips soaking wet with sweat made me realize that it was definitely real. The cold fingertips made me realize that it was definitely real.

Rio turned his head to me again, smiling at me in an aloof manner.

「………What did you do to me…?」

If my throat hadn’t been strained at Rio’s invitation, I would have probably said『I beg you』as I was led on. That was not my intention. Now that my thoughts have returned, I can clearly see that my condition was not normal.

「What did you do to me! Answer me!!!!」

Cowering his shoulders, Rio said, “The sweet mood I was in earlier is nowhere to be found.”

「I didn’t do anything, okay?」

「You’re lying!」

There is no way I could have gotten into that state without doing something. The intoxication I had just experienced, the hazy thoughts. My clear head is telling me that it is dangerous.

「Sorry, no more games. You’re coming with me, okay?」

「Before that, answer what you did to me!」

I glared at him. But I guess such a glare doesn’t hurt or itch Rio.

「I told you, I didn’t do anything to you, and neither did the others. I ain’t lying.」

「Lies!!」

I reflexively shouted and pulled out a small, concealed knife and held it out to Rio.

「Oops… When did you hide something like that?」

Rio, who is in no hurry at all despite the knife in his hand, is becoming increasingly frustrated.

「It’s what a woman should do. What’s your problem?」

「Puhah, I can’t stand that kind of taste, heehhee.」

How fun. You should be a little dismayed. I was so angry, so angry that I felt like my veins were about to break. My stomach was simmering to such an extent that I felt like my veins were about to break.

「I don’t need your nonsense, just answer the question.」

「I’m telling you, I ain’t done nothing!」

Rio replies, cowering his shoulders in dismay.

「And you know what? If you rebel, I won’t give you any quarter.」

With that, Rio points his sword at the unconscious woman’s throat.

「Stop!」

「That’s what it means when you point a weapon at me.」

Stop, stop, stop. Don’t kill her. You promised to help her. Please don’t kill her. Don’t humiliate her any further.

I screamed in my heart.

「Stop… I don’t like this… I hate this… What the hell are you doing!!!」

I don’t know why. I had been able to avoid them until now, but now I can’t use my reason at all.

I wanted anyone to stop me. It’s like a storm is brewing in my body.

Everyone knew that taking out a weapon and confronting him in a fit of passion would not make things better. And yet, I couldn’t believe why I couldn’t keep my reason so well, or why I was acting the way I was.

「…The discomfort you felt is not wrong. But…」

Rio said in a rather calm tone.

「It’s really what you deserve, Marsha.」

「Uagh!!」

Rio’s sword flicked the knife I was holding, and at about the same time, I felt an intense pain in my abdomen. My body tilted and I collapsed into Rio’s arms.

「……………………………………Fuck… this fucker……」

I was frustrated and angry, but still my body wouldn’t do what I was saying. In my fading consciousness, I was swearing as best I could.

「Kuku, I’ll let the girl live to spite your face.」

On the verge of losing consciousness completely, I thought I heard Rio say so.