Please Forget Me - Chapter 287

‧₊˚ ☁️⋅♡𓂃 ࣪ ִֶָ☾.

The moment I saw the blazing red flames raging behind you as you screamed in terror, a strength I didn’t even know I possessed surged up inside me. The iron bars—firmly fixed into the stone wall with steel spikes—were torn away in my hand as easily as sheets of paper.

I didn’t even have the presence of mind to think about propriety. I hurriedly wrapped my arms around you and pulled you outside. Thankfully, the fire hadn’t reached you. It was also a relief that my voice kept coming out.

“I—I’m sorry for touching you without permission. I’m not usually such an ill-mannered man…”

Even if I was stammering like a fool.

“That won’t reach! We need a longer one!”

The ladder a servant brought was far too short, and as I shouted for something else, my eyes met those of a boy standing below, looking up at us.

Rupert.

He must have heard about the fire and come running. Instead of going inside to rescue people or help put out the flames, he stood at a distance, shouting useless orders at the top of his lungs.

He was the very image of a coward, someone who wanted to be a hero but never acted like one.

At that moment, Rupert was looking up at you and me with the same eyes he used when he thought he’d caught a prized fish.

‘I saved her. Dana is mine.’

Once again, I felt the exhilaration of soaring through the sky.

Once we got down from here, I would take you somewhere safe and confess everything. That I was the one who had written the letters, that I loved you desperately. I was certain that this time, even asking you to marry me would come out without hesitation.

Just when all that remained was a safe landing—

Crack.

Something collapsed above us, and burning debris began raining down from the roof. You remember what came next.

I wrapped my arms around you and fell with you.

And my fall didn’t end there.

…Dana, I’m sorry, but may I smoke a cigarette before I continue? Talking about this is… a little… hard on me.

Thank you.

Anyway… I was unconscious for several days after that.

Ah, no, it wasn’t that serious. I had burns on my back and broke a few bones, that was all. My memory is hazy, but I suppose the doctors must have overused painkillers. I spent most of that time in a drugged haze.

When I finally came to, ten days had passed since the fire.

The first thing I heard after waking was my mother’s reproach.

“Killian, why did you do something so reckless? I’m not saying you shouldn’t save people. But it wasn’t something you had to do yourself. You could have left it to the servants. Look at this… your body’s hurt, and you’ve put your parents through so much worry…”

As long as you were alive, wasn’t that worth any injury?

“What about Miss Loveridge? She wasn’t hurt, was she?”

My mother clearly disliked that you were the first thing I asked about when I woke up, but she didn’t avoid answering.

“She had a mild concussion after hitting you when she fell, but she’s safe.”

I sighed in relief, only for my mother to clasp my hand tightly. I tensed again. I knew that habit all too well. She did that whenever she was about to say something difficult.

“Killian… let’s say that Rupert was the one who saved Miss Loveridge.”

In the brief silence before she spoke, my mind raced through countless ominous possibilities.But I never imagined something so horrific.

“What kind of nonsense is that? Did Rupert ask you to do that? Does he think you’re his mother? Tell him to get lost.”

“It’s already too late. I’m sorry, but Miss Loveridge believes that version.”

“…What?”

I genuinely thought I was still drugged and trapped in the worst nightmare imaginable.

“How does that make any sense? Dana knows I saved her. She saw it. We even talked.”

“The fact that you spoke with a young lady at all is a relief.”

“Is this really the time for that? Stop dodging the issue.”

“Killian… perhaps because of the concussion, Miss Loveridge doesn’t remember the fire at all. It seems she’s forgotten that you rescued her, too.”

“…So you decided to lie and say Rupert saved her instead? Who gave you the right?”

I still remember how my clenched jaw trembled at that moment.

“Rupert came and asked me to do so.”

“And you agreed? Are you really my mother? Or Rupert’s?”

“Killian, don’t say such cruel things. I did this for your sake. I know it isn’t honest. But people can’t live their lives being honest all the time. It’s good that you value honesty, but you’re too inflexible. Sometimes, you need to sacrifice honesty to gain something better.”