I Will Die for You, My Darling! - Chapter 72

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Chapter 72

“Yes.”

“I didn’t collapse from withdrawal symptoms?”

“That’s correct…”

“Then you must have used quite a bit of purifier. You did that?”

“A whole canister for the nebulizer…”

Wow, that must have cost a fortune. What kind of busybody wasted so much purifier? Is he crazy? She frowned, scrutinizing him. Wait, could he be…? The Remains Investigation Unit?

Arietta finally had the presence of mind to examine Benjamin’s attire. From head to toe, it wasn’t Downstream clothing. The fabric itself was different.

There was still hope, then. She may have failed, but it wasn’t a complete disaster. As she lay still, strength returned to her limbs. Arietta sat up, pushing her legs over the edge of the bed.

“No! Don’t! You shouldn’t move yet…” The young man immediately intervened. Arietta gave him the same insolent look she reserved for Isaac—the look of a witch’s daughter, Isaac’s prized possession.

“Are you stopping me?” Her voice was laced with annoyance.

Strangely, Benjamin didn’t find her attitude offensive. It was odd. Eighty percent of Benjamin’s being was pride. His behavior was the same, whether up above or down below. So why, with this woman, her long black hair cascading down her back, did he not mind her condescending, irritated tone?

It was a novel experience.

While Benjamin was lost in this strange sensation, Arietta wore an expression completely different from the one she showed Isaac. It meant her full, pretty lips were twisted in a grimace.

“You shouldn’t have saved me.”

“…What?”

Baron Lenota acted out of character again. He stared blankly at Arietta, asking again.

Arietta looked directly at Benjamin. “How dare you save me without my permission? I was trying to die there.” With that, Arietta stood. But her barely detoxified body couldn’t support her. She swayed the moment her feet touched the ground.

Alarmed, Benjamin caught her before she could fall and helped her back onto the bed. He smelled nothing like Isaac. His scent was fresh and calming.

“I’m Benjamin Lenota. From the Sky City.”

Arietta didn’t reply, keeping her lips firmly sealed, offering no name in return. Benjamin waited for a moment, then sighed, disappointed.

“What do you mean, you were trying to die?”

“Exactly what I said. I intentionally stopped taking the purifier. You don’t think a grown adult would be stupid enough to forget their purifier and suffer withdrawal, do you?” Arietta’s tone was sharp, but Benjamin didn’t take offense. How could he, when being condescended to by a woman of Downstream felt so strangely exhilarating? A smile touched his lips.

Arietta watched the curve of his smile, then sighed. She had a feeling they wouldn’t understand each other.

“You shouldn’t try to die,” Benjamin said, standing firm before the bed.

Arietta glared up at him. “Is that some kind of misplaced morality? There are people in this world who want to die. Some of them have unavoidable reasons to.”

Benjamin’s eyes widened slightly. “Are you saying you’re one of them?”

Arietta remained silent. She saw no need to answer. She looked away.

With every word, every gesture, Benjamin felt a subtle thrill course through him. At the same time, a sadness washed over him. Arietta was the most beautiful creature he had ever seen. It would be a terrible loss if such a being were to perish. Benjamin had an eye for beauty. He was captivated by it. And Arietta, ‘the most beautiful of all,’ was drawing him in more powerfully than any other work of art.

Unconsciously, Benjamin knelt on one knee before her. “Then tell me why you were trying to die.” The straightforward young man whispered, his gaze fixed on Arietta.