The Beast That Licks Me - Chapter 4.13

“Of course, I don’t intend to just praise with words. Evanium will receive a medal and reward money, and you will receive adequate compensation.”

“A medal too…?”

Rosette asked, troubled. Thinking Rosette was surprised, Claire pulled the corners of her mouth into a refreshing smile and said.

“It’s well-deserved. This is confidential, but the d***s they were carrying amounted to hundreds of kilograms. Enough to addict everyone in the capital of Eneb and still have some left over. They planned to sew it into doll bellies and hide it in toys to transport it to Eneb.”

“My goodness…”

Hundreds of kilograms of d***s. The enormous quantity made Rosette’s head spin. What Evan had done was truly remarkable. However, receiving a medal was a different matter. If he received a medal, his identity would inevitably be revealed in the process. In the worst case, he could be dragged back to the temple or the Count’s mansion. While she was racking her brain about how to address this, Claire preemptively spoke.

“Are you hesitating because you’re worried your identity might be revealed?”

“…Pardon?”

Rosette raised her head, unable to hide her surprise. Claire smiled warmly, clearly aware of the entire situation.

“You said it when exchanging hostages. ‘My name is Rosette Alpaine, the only daughter of Count Alpaine.’ It was impressive.”

“Ah… So you were nearby then.”

She had deliberately spoken loudly to alert any potential counterforces to the kidnappers nearby. She thought she had kept her identity well-hidden until now, but it had come to this. She had prepared herself for this possibility, but imagining the future that lay ahead filled her with anxiety.

“Don’t worry, Ms. Rose. I’ve already taken care of it. I’ve also made a promise with your students.”

“Levit and Ariel…?”

“Yes, admirably, they came to me and asked to keep your identity a secret. I think they were worried I might say something.”

Thinking of Levit and Ariel, who, despite being shocked and injured, had sought out the security officers to ask them to keep her identity secret, filled her with gratitude and made her heart ache.

“The reason I’m bringing this up to you, breaking my promise to those children, is because I believe we can help each other.”

“We… can help each other?”

Rosette made a puzzled expression. Claire showed her identification badge. It identified her as Team Leader Claire Barnes of the Narcotics Investigation Department.

“I’m not actually affiliated with this ship’s security. I was pursuing d**g dealers, heard they boarded this ship, and infiltrated to cooperate with the security team.”

“Ah…”

“The people we caught this time are ones we’ve been chasing for a very long time. Capturing the deputy leader is a significant achievement. But that’s not the end. D***s are still popular in Eneb, and we need Evanium’s help.”

“I see…”

Rosette nodded in understanding. If they had said they needed Rosette, she would have been suspicious. There was no reason for them to need her. But Evan was different. Evan was essential for their investigations. There was sufficient reason to hire Evan, even if it meant keeping Rosette’s identity secret.

“I don’t know why you need to hide your identities. But we need Evanium’s help, and we’re willing to cooperate as much as possible to get that help.”

“What if we were… criminals?”

After considering Rosette’s question briefly, Claire spoke.

“Without Evanium, more than half of our officers would have died or been seriously injured on this ship. The d**g operation was larger than expected, and their resistance was fierce. But thanks to Evanium, the number of serious injuries was greatly reduced. There were no fatalities at all. As long as you cooperate with us, I would gladly accept you both, even if you were criminals.”

After she explained all this, Rosette felt somewhat reassured. While maintaining her vigilance, she carefully asked.

“May I ask about your religion?”

Claire appeared slightly taken aback by the unexpected question.

“Nothing in particular, I don’t believe in anyone. I do pray to God before battles, but I don’t believe in any specific deity.”

“Is it the same for the other officers?”

“Yes, as far as I know.”

After providing a clear answer, Claire belatedly added with a cautious look.

“Should I have said I believe in someone?”

Rosette shook her head with a faint smile.

“No, thank you for being honest.”

“That’s a relief.”

Claire said with a look of relief.

“We plan to provide a safe place for both of you. We can offer meals and conveniences, of course. If needed, we can also provide identification that will be valid in Eneb.”

The conditions themselves were excellent. Almost too good to be true. But Rosette hesitated. It was because of Evan. Claire had mentioned that Evan’s recovery was quick. Yet this same Evan had come to the cabin splattering blood. It was a situation where someone else might have lost their life. That worried Rosette. She was concerned that Evan might be risking his life for temporary convenience. After hesitating, Rosette struggled to give her answer.

“I…”

***

After Claire left, Rosette fell back asleep. Evan woke her up several times to eat, but she simply couldn’t open her eyes. When she finally awoke, it was midnight. Evan was holding Rosette in his arms while sleeping. Rosette reached out and touched Evan’s curly hair. The tips of his hair were slightly damp, suggesting he had fallen asleep without properly drying it.

“Rosette, are you awake? How are you feeling?”

Though she thought he had been asleep, Evan had somehow awakened and was asking about her well-being.

“I’m fine, much better now.”

“That’s good.”

Evan embraced Rosette and let out a sigh of relief. Feeling a surge of emotion, Rosette pushed him away. Suddenly finding himself pushed back, Evan blinked in confusion.

“What’s wrong?”

“Don’t you get hurt. Making people worry like that…!”

The scene from that night kept flashing through Rosette’s mind. The room covered in blood had left her beside herself. She had desperately searched for Evan, even putting the children in danger. Rosette clenched her fists and hit Evan repeatedly. Evan, who would normally have whined about the pain, quietly endured the blows. That bothered her even more. In the end, it was Rosette who tired first. Unable to stand the sight of Evan, she turned away and lay down. Evan gently embraced her from behind.

“Rosette.”

“…What?”

“I’m sorry.”

“What are you sorry for?”

“For getting involved in dangerous situations without discussing it with you.”

“Even though you knew…!”

Rosette bit her lip, unable to continue. She hadn’t wanted to get angry. Rosette carefully chose her words while taking deep breaths. When she had calmed down, she spoke.

“Evan, you know, you’re the most precious person in the world to me.”

“You’re the most precious to me, too, Rosette.”

“That’s why I couldn’t bear it if something happened to you.”

“I understand what you mean. But… this was something I had to do.”

“Is that… still your duty that you can’t tell me about?”

At Rosette’s question, Evan gazed at her quietly before nodding. She felt something heavy settling in her chest.

“Then… what do you think about Claire’s offer?”

After a long silence, Evan carefully spoke.

“I’d like to accept it if possible.”

“Because of your duty?”

Evan considered, then shook his head.

“No, because I think it’s the best option for staying with you longer, Rosette.”

Surprised by his unexpected words, Rosette’s eyes widened. Honestly, Rosette wanted to refuse Claire’s offer. They had succeeded in masking the smell with incense, but dried brown bloodstains still clung to various parts of the room. Rosette didn’t want Evan to experience such dangerous situations again.

“I don’t want to put you in danger because of me.”

At Rosette’s words, Evan showed hesitation. Then suddenly, he opened the bedside table and rummaged through some medicine packets. Puzzled, Rosette asked.

“What are you doing?”

“Found it. Take this, Rosette.”

Evan poured water and brought a yellow pill to Rosette’s lips. Rosette took the medicine without suspicion and swallowed it with water.

“What is this?”

“Motion sickness medicine.”

Seeing Rosette’s unease, Evan smiled awkwardly and said.

“It’s okay, it won’t be as difficult as before.”

What on earth was he trying to say? Evan took his own portion of motion sickness medicine and looked at Rosette.

“It might be a bit hard, but I really wanted to tell you that this is the best choice for us.”

“….”

“And why do you say it’s because of you? It’s my choice because I want to be with you, so strictly speaking, it’s because of me.”

Evan smiled brightly, indicating he had said everything he wanted to. Seeing that smile, she felt a heaviness in her heart and simultaneously sensed that she wouldn’t be able to dissuade Evan from his choice. After quietly looking at Evan, Rosette extended her pinky finger and said.

“…Promise me. That you’ll talk to me about whatever happens from now on.”

“I promise.”

Evan said, hooking his finger with hers. Feeling the warmth of his fingertip, Rosette collapsed onto Evan. Evan lay down on the bed without resistance.

“If you do dangerous things, I’ll join you.”

“But Rosette, wouldn’t you be in the way…?”

“….”

At Evan’s frank comment, Rosette was overcome with the urge to smack his smooth forehead. But Evan had a point. In places where armed conflicts occurred, Rosette would be perfectly suited to becoming a hostage.

“Of course, I can’t join you for everything. Instead, when you take on dangerous tasks, make sure to tell me. Even if there’s nothing I can do… so that I can at least pray for you.”

“I will. I’m really sorry for worrying you, Rosette.”

“Don’t do it again.”

“Yes, I’m sorry.”

Rosette hugged Evan tightly. Evan embraced her back and kissed her hair. The sound of thunder could be heard in the distance.