The Beast That Licks Me - Chapter 3.11

The thought of traversing that rough path again made her feel tired already. She liked this place too much to go back to the main beach. It was quiet, warm, and secluded. If possible, she wanted to stay and watch the sunset from here.

“Then I’ll bring something back for you, too.”

“You don’t have to. You two drink all of it.”

“Whoever arrives last has to bring back Teacher’s fruit!”

“Ariel, you sneaky…!”

Ariel got a head start, and Levit followed, kicking up sand everywhere. Rosette watched the children quickly disappear into the distance. How could they have so much energy? Was she like that when she was young? She remembered falling into the river while watching ducks, but after that, she was mostly confined to the house, so she didn’t remember much. Only memories of walking in the garden and riding on Evan’s back around the mansion.

“….”

Rosette sat on the beach, looking at the sea. With the children gone, the sea was quiet, with only the sunlight glittering on the surface.

“If only I hadn’t been sick…”

Rosette muttered to herself and then looked down at her wrist. The blue veins crossing her wrist. If she hadn’t had the disease that made her blood not clot, how would she have lived?

She would probably have been nonchalant about getting a wound on her calf like Ariel. Saying it was fine, that it would stop bleeding soon. She might have traveled with her parents, instead of running away like now. Her father was said to be a good swimmer, so she could have learned to swim too. But then she wouldn’t have met Evan.

It was a pointless supposition. Rosette shook off her thoughts. Because she had fallen ill, she was able to meet Evan and spend precious time with him. Now she could even travel on a ship and see the wider world. Recently, she had earned money by writing letters in foreign languages that she thought she would never use. With that money, she could buy drinks for the children. Not everything was in vain. That thought alone made her feel better.

“Huh?”

Rosette raised her head at the sound of someone approaching from afar. A woman was walking slowly toward the beach, a little distance away from Rosette.

“I feel like I’ve seen her somewhere…….”

Rosette narrowed her eyes and searched through her memories. The slightly broad forehead, high nose, thick lips. And that flashy attire.

“Ah!”

She remembered. It’s Viscountess Yvonne! Rosette almost pointed at Yvonne but restrained herself. The culprit who took all of Evan’s work! Having identified her, Rosette’s gaze immediately turned cold. What business does she have coming here without a single servant? Rosette glared slightly at Yvonne’s disheveled hair from behind.

Yvonne was wearing a dress decorated with several red roses, complete with petticoats—an outfit suitable for a party. In other words, it was not appropriate attire for walking on the beach.

While examining Yvonne’s outfit from a distance, Rosette realized she was holding a large glass bottle. Not a long, thin-necked bottle like wine, but a thick, massive bottle that sailors might drink from. The kind that could knock someone unconscious if you hit them on the head with it…

Yvonne tilted the bottle and gulped down its contents. Then she tossed the glass bottle onto the sand. How inconsiderate. Rosette glared at her from afar.

The sun was gradually setting. The vast ocean was dyed orange. It was a magnificent sight—a small entity floating in the sky, coloring the enormous sea. Who knows. Perhaps that sun is actually much larger than the continent we live on, but appears small because it’s far away. Rosette smiled at this idle thought.

“It would have been nice if the children could see this too.”

And Evan, too. Today’s sunset was particularly beautiful, making it more regrettable. She wonders if Evan has finished his work by now. They can make ends meet for a while longer with his daily wage. It was strange how money always appeared somehow when they ran out. It almost felt like divine guidance.

“Wait, could it really be God guiding us?”

Rosette muttered suspiciously. Since Evan was a divine beast in his own way. Does that mean all the connections coming to her were destiny? While she was thinking about this, a scream came from the distance.

“H-help me!”

A piercing scream came from the not-so-distant sea. Rosette looked around and spotted Yvonne flailing in the deep water.

“……!”

Why on earth did she enter the sea wearing that dress?

“S-save me……!”

Every time Yvonne screamed, water entered her mouth. She was still coughing it out, but her water-soaked clothes were heavy, causing her body to sink repeatedly. Without hesitation, Rosette ran toward where Yvonne was and jumped into the water.

“How do you swim…… again?”

Rosette recalled Evan swimming in the lake at the Count’s estate. He floated while moving his arms and legs busily. The so-called dog paddle. Rosette tried to imitate that swimming style as she searched her memory. Though it looked somewhat ungraceful, fortunately, her body moved forward quite well.

“H-help, blub, help-!”

“I’ll save you, just stay still……!”

As Yvonne got closer, Rosette paddled with just her legs and reached out her hand toward her. That’s when it happened. Yvonne pushed down on Rosette’s body and rose above her. Rosette, barely floating with her dog paddle, couldn’t withstand Yvonne’s downward force and sank beneath the sea. Not stopping there, Yvonne actually placed her foot on Rosette’s thigh. Going deep underwater, Rosette’s ears felt as if they were being torn apart. The biggest problem was that she couldn’t breathe.

“Mmm, mmm!”

This person……! Rosette belatedly struggled to get away from Yvonne, but it was useless. Yvonne wrapped around Rosette’s body like a spider binding its prey. Rosette learned for the first time that even a little water entering the airway could make one lose consciousness.

Strength gradually left Rosette’s body. When she opened her eyes, through the murky view, she could see the sun setting. That scenery was beautiful to the point of being chilling. So this is what the outside world looks like from underwater. Rosette’s eyes slowly closed. She felt someone approaching from far away. Something warm like the sun.