Chapter 161 - Two Lunatics

"A mistake?" Mikhail asked for clarification as he silently prayed that she would say it was a mistake to break up with him. He was going to grant any and all of her wishes if she decided to return to him.

"I realized that day, I hadn't clearly communicated my intentions of not seeing you again," Jubelian explained.

Thunderstruck, Mikhail stared at the lady. "Jubelian," he started, but the lump in his throat hindered him from saying anything else. 'Stop it. Don't say anything more,' he begged in silence, looking at her with melancholic eyes.

"Mikhail," the lady, however, addressed in a cold voice, "I do not want to be involved with you anymore. I want for us to live as separate individuals, and the same goes for your family."

The man's head grew hot in response to her cruel sentence. "Don't joke with me, Jubelian. How dare you decide on your own that we should not be together anymore?" He regretted spitting out these impulsive words for a moment. Nevertheless, the lady's returning words were worse.

"You are more than capable of meeting a better partner. So, let's call it quits now and—"

"Shut up!" Mikhail's surroundings began to spin dizzily. Her proposal reminded him of the damned commoner at the tea party. Unable to control his anger, Mikhail stood up to intimidate Jubelian. Regardless, she stared at him, unstirred. Her indifferent eyes told him that he was indeed of no interest to her anymore. Feeling defeated, the man began to sag toward the ground. "You asked what it was I wanted to say, Jubelian?" The lady remained silent as she continued to watch over him. Mikhail turned to his last resort—kneeling before her, he begged, "I will treat you with the respect you deserve, so please, come back to me."

***

There was now a man kneeling before me. I sighed. What was this even all about? It was not like I was comfortable saying things like this—I was just trying to help him by giving him a chance to have closure.

"We're done, Mikhail," I repeated myself, to which he looked up with teary eyes.

"I still love you." His desperate confession made me feel strange. It was not because I had changed my mind but because it felt like I was seeing my past from his behavior. I felt bitter as I realized how he must have felt until now. No wonder he always avoided me! I realized unrequited love never ended well—I ended up torturing him and myself in the process. In any case, I didn't know what to say anymore. The only thing I knew was that I shouldn't let my emotions get the better of me.

"I don't love you anymore, so let's end it here, please," I reminded him again, my voice as flat as possible so that all his lingering expectations would disappear. Watching the man before me freeze in place like a statue, I decided I should get out of this place. I had made my intentions clear—he had no choice but to let me go. As I stepped off the platform of the alcove, however, I heard an angry scream from behind me.

"Aaaaaaaaaaaagh!" I turned around to realize it was Mikhail, howling like an animal. His amethyst eyes gleamed with rage as he drew near. "I already asked nicely, didn't I? I even kneeled before you—throwing away my pride just for you! But you're saying that wasn't enough? Your fairytale is over, Jubelian! You can't escape me!"

Goosebumps rose throughout my body. Originally, I had not intended to create this much of a conflict. I had also told my father that I would be visiting the marquis' estate, so I thought everything was going to be fine. As for the marchioness, she was not anyone who engaged in reckless behavior. But I didn't know I was going to meet Mikhail and that the always composed knight would do a 180. Just why? He was a gentle, collected, and neat person—the novel's archetypal protagonist. The Mikhail I knew would never harm me, but the person before me was proving otherwise.

Instinctively, I began moving my legs after witnessing the unexpected transformation. The heels and dress I had worn were proving worthless at this moment, only serving as obstacles in my fight-or-flight response. I could sense that I was going to be caught at any moment. To make matters worse, we were located in the corner of the garden. There was still a ways to go until the main gate!

"That's right, start running! Once I catch you, you will be mine forever!" Mikhail screamed like a maniac from behind. I didn't know why, but I was suddenly reminded of my father. Fear engulfed me, but the only thing in my head was the image of him waving at me, telling me to have a safe trip.

'I should have… been a little nicer to him,' I began to regret. Just then, I tripped over a small pebblestone. Why was I such a klutz at a time like this?! I braced for the impact that would soon pain me. To my surprise, I landed in someone's arms. Terrified that it might be Mikhail, I told myself to take deep breaths. I had been in worse situations before, and I could get through this as well. As long as I stayed calm, I was going to survive. Still, I couldn't stop my body from trembling and my teeth from chattering.

Mustering up my courage, I looked up. As soon as I recognized a familiar face, my tense body loosened, and tears welled up in my eyes.

"How did you…?"

"I told you that I would return once you realized my value," he answered. Did he want to joke at a time like this? Dumbstruck, I stared at the playful man. His mischievous smile then turned into a frown. "That was the original plan, at least. I couldn't just stand by seeing some b*stard try to lay a finger on someone precious to me."

I shrunk back as Max's crimson eyes began to burn with fury.

****

Hope you enjoyed it,

Love,

Biji ^^,

Nov.6.2023