Chapter 24
“N-no!!”
Yvonne slapped his hand away and scrambled backward. She was practically crawling, desperately trying to move away.
“You little…!”
The man, enraged, raised his hand high. A slap from him could easily knock her unconscious.
“…..!”
Seeing his hand descending towards her, Yvonne shut her eyes tight.
‘Jerome!’
At that moment, only his name filled her mind.
“Ugh…!”
Instead of the expected slap, a scream rang out. Yvonne opened her eyes in shock.
“Argh.”
Blood trickled from the mouth of the man who had been terrorizing her. His eyes widened in surprise as he staggered and nearly collapsed onto her.
“How dare you.”
A voice, dripping with menace, cut through the tension. The voice’s owner grabbed the man’s nape with one hand and effortlessly tossed him aside, as if he weighed nothing.
A long, deep sword wound marred the man’s back. The one who had inflicted the wound was…
“Jerome?”
As she called his name in a trembling voice, the cold, expressionless mask on Jerome’s face softened.
“Yvonne.”
He tossed aside the sword he was holding and hurried to her, dropping to one knee.
“Are you hurt anywhere?”
His hands carefully examined her, holding her shoulders gently. It was then she realized—this was truly Jerome.
“…Hic!”
Tears burst forth. They fell in thick, heavy drops, like rain.
“Hic- Je-Jerome…”
Seeing the tears fall from her eyes, Jerome cursed under his breath and pulled her into a tight embrace.
“It’s okay, Yvonne. Everything’s okay now.”
“Th-Those people, they knew about you… They knew you were the Duke of Lance.”
Jerome’s body tensed momentarily. But Yvonne, clutching his clothes with trembling hands, continued.
“Is it because of me? Did I put you in danger?”
She remembered how she first met him, with a severe wound on his waist. If her presence brought him more danger, she’d rather die.
Suddenly, a thought struck her like lightning.
“Th-That man, he knows about us!”
Summoning a surge of strength, Yvonne pushed him away forcefully.
“Jerome, you can’t stay here. If… if the Princess finds out… No, you must go, now.”
“…Yvonne.”
But Jerome only held her tighter.
“How in the world… how far….”
His large body heaved with a deep sigh as he nuzzled against her frail shoulder.
“It’s all my fault, Yvonne. I….”
He couldn’t finish his sentence and simply patted her back.
“But, Jerome, if you’re here now…”
“Shh, it’s alright. Everything is alright, Yvonne.”
As he soothed her, Jerome called out to someone.
“Commander.”
A knight in a black uniform stepped in from beyond the broken door.
“Yes, sir.”
“…Dispose of them.”
At Jerome’s command, several knights in similar uniforms entered, efficiently hauling away the fallen assailants like sacks of goods.
“Lock them in the dungeon. I’ll deal with them myself.”
Though Yvonne remained in his arms and couldn’t see his face, she was certain it bore an expression she’d never seen before.
“Understood, sir.”
Soon, the intruders were cleared out, leaving only Yvonne and Jerome in the house.
“You were really scared, weren’t you? I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry, Yvonne. It’s all my fault. But everything is okay now.”
His voice had returned to the Jerome she knew. She pushed him away slightly and asked,
“Are you really okay, Jerome?”
“…Why do you keep worrying about me? It hurts me.”
With a sigh, Jerome wiped the tears from her face.
“You might not know, but the Crown Prince has been dethroned. I was the one who made it happen.”
“Jerome?”
“For the past few years, the Crown Prince and the Princess have been fiercely competing for the throne. I gathered evidence proving the Crown Prince isn’t of royal blood. When we first met, I was on the run, attacked by the Crown Prince’s faction.”
“So the stab wound was….”
“Yes. As the Duke of Lance, my only focus was to place the Princess on the throne. Then I met you, Yvonne.”
He traced the edge of Yvonne’s eyes with his fingertips.
“I fell for you so quickly, it was beyond my understanding. Even knowing I could endanger you every time I came here. I missed you so much, Yvonne. I couldn’t wait for the night to come so I could see you.”
Yvonne looked at him blankly before asking,
“Is that why… you only came to see me at night?”
“At night, it’s easier to avoid any potential followers.”
“Oh…”
Yvonne covered her mouth with both hands. Jerome furrowed his brow slightly and pressed small kisses to her hands.
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