The Obsessive Maniac Is Trying To Confine Me Chapter 212 - Side Story Chapter 2

The Imperial Palace Grand Conference Hall.

A meeting was in full swing.

“The bastards of the Western Continent have finally broken the ‘treaty.’”

“The Western Alliance has blocked the trade routes at the border. It appears they intend to ban the export of magic ore!”

Within the Empire, magic ore was a resource deeply embedded in everyday life.

It was essential not only for lighting and heating, but also for crafting various weapons and equipment.

“If the supply of magic ore is cut off, magical tools will become nothing more than useless scrap metal!”

Most of the nobles depended on magic ore for their lives. The moment the supply stopped, the Empire would fall into great chaos.

“…Additionally, reports say that mercenary groups and knights are gathering in the border regions of the Western Continent. It looks like they are preparing for war.”

As signs of a diplomatic disaster began to appear, the faces of the nobles gathered in the hall noticeably turned pale.

“Damn it! We already have enough headaches because of that new religion! What kind of situation is this supposed to be!”

…The ‘incident’ that happened only a year and a half ago still hadn’t been resolved.

The new religion that emerged with the appearance of the Savior—Oserak.

At present, they were the most troublesome problem within the Empire.

“…What happened to the pursuit of the former Holy Knight Commander? Still nothing?”

The hall suddenly fell silent, as if cold water had been poured over it.

Everyone knew the name, yet no one dared to say it aloud.

The Holy Knight Commander, Richard.

A year ago, he had caused a massive problem—the rampage of a Transcendent.

“Your Excellency, Prime Minister! A year and a half ago, he nearly destroyed the Empire. Are you suggesting we bring a mad beast back into the Imperial Palace?”

“Then do you have another solution?”

At that moment, silence settled over the conference hall.

The marquis who had opposed him shut his mouth under the Prime Minister’s cold rebuke.

“You all remember it. The Battle of Haverak, four years ago.”

A battlefield steeped in defeat.

Allied flags had fallen, and Imperial knights were being slaughtered one after another.

In the middle of that hell, Richard appeared.

Alone, he annihilated the enemy cavalry and cut down the enemy commander, instantly turning the tide of the battle with overwhelming force.

From that moment on, the war began to swing in the Empire’s favor.

Within the Empire, Richard’s existence once became something close to a faith.

…That is, until two years ago, when he suddenly went berserk.

“…But the whereabouts of the former Holy Knight Commander are unknown.”

“That’s right. There’s simply no way to find him…”

The nobles were deep in worry when—

“Well now.”

A relaxed voice drifted into the hall.

It belonged to a handsome man with blond hair and green eyes.

Though his hair shone softly, his eyes were cold and sunken.

Arjen Evantes.

Just by sitting there, he radiated a presence that strangely made those around him tense.

“What would you do if I happened to have a way?”

Arjen wore his signature cold smile.

****

Arjen left the conference hall.

“Your Excellency, are you truly planning to dispatch Evantes soldiers to the border territory?”

“The cost of deployment will not be small. More importantly, that place is a barren land crawling with corruption. There is no reason for Evantes to bear such an unreasonable burden!”

His retainers rushed to his side and tried to stop him.

Despite their protests, Arjen’s steps did not slow in the slightest.

“Profit and loss, huh.”

He murmured quietly, letting out a faint scoff.

At that moment, one of the retainers seemed to realize something.

Arjen was not someone who would ever make a losing deal.

‘Could it be that he plans to strengthen the influence of Evantes over the border territory!’

The border territory was the poorest frontier of the Empire.

Because it bordered the cursed land, terrible corruption spread there constantly.

But at the same time, rare bloodstones were hidden there—stones that could bring enormous profits even in small amounts.

If they controlled security under the excuse of sending soldiers, they could naturally obtain real authority over that land.

That was how the retainers understood it.

But for Arjen, all of that was merely a surface reason.

The real purpose behind sealing off that dusty land lay somewhere entirely different.

‘Because they’ll be there.’

The place where Richard’s traces had completely vanished.

And a place no one dared to enter easily because of the infamous “cursed land.”

There could be no more perfect place for a monster who had turned his back on the world, and the woman who held that monster’s leash, to hide.

Leaning against a pillar in the corridor, Arjen gazed at the sky stretching in the distance.

In his mind, the memories of two years ago…

were returning again with painful clarity.

<Do you perhaps like me?>

A voice like a mirage brushed past his ears.

The arrogance of asking such a question to him—the head of the Evantes family—was laughable.

But…

<Do you think you can have me just by forcing me?>

The voice quickly returned, sharp as a blade.

It felt as though an awl was digging into his chest.

It was a sensation he had never experienced before.

<…Then what should I do?>

It was the first time in his life that he had bent himself for someone.

But in the end, she deceived him and ran away.

“…Ah.”

A twisted smile passed over Arjen’s lips as he recalled the distant past.

Soon enough, he would find them.

 

 

 

****

 

 

 

I had a dream.

It was the dream of the day I fell into this land again.

<Come in after five minutes.>

As those words were spoken, tiny cracks began to appear on Si-eon’s skin, which was as pale as porcelain.

Like invisible fractures spreading, he was slowly breaking apart.

The way he scattered silently, like dry dust, looked less like reality and more like a mirage.

Soon, Si-eon opened the door and went inside.

I stood there watching his back, unable to take even a single step.

Perhaps it was then.

That strangely clear premonition seeped into me.

And when I opened the door and entered…

“Rose, wake up.”

Richard woke me.

‘…Huh?’

My mind was hazy. Still half-asleep, I blinked my eyes slowly.

The light coming through the window… didn’t hurt my eyes at all.

Because the cursed land was always dim.

Even at its brightest, it only looked like early evening.

“Did you have a nightmare? You were groaning.”

Richard wiped the cold sweat from my forehead with his thumb.

His touch was excessively gentle and careful.

I looked at the clock.

7:00 a.m.

“Why at this hour…?”

“We said we’d go down to the village today. Are you very tired?”

Right. That’s true.

There wasn’t even a hint of sleepiness on his face.

I got out of bed with messy hair.

“Do you want to sleep more? I can carry you.”

“No, it’s fine. I’ll get up.”

…Of course, when I was extremely tired, that had happened a few times before.

To go down to the village, we had to leave early.

Even if we arrived as fast as possible, it would already be night.

“Get ready and come out.”

“Okaaay…”

Mornings where he woke me up had already become almost routine.

After watching Richard for two years, I could say one thing for sure…

He was unbelievably diligent.

When I was left alone in the room, I remembered Si-eon from the dream again.

A year ago, when I opened the door and went inside, Si-eon was gone.

In the ruined temple, there were only Richard and me.

‘Did that child die…?’

When Si-eon disappeared, I had asked Richard in shock, but… he didn’t know anything.

Since he had been on the verge of rampaging, his memories weren’t complete.

At the time, I was wary of Richard, so I thought he might have harmed Si-eon.

Because of that, I kept my guard up, and I even considered running away from Richard somewhere in this land.

But despite those thoughts, we had already been living together for a year and a half.

‘Si-eon probably…’

I wanted to believe he was living well somewhere.

But I had a bad feeling.

Because his body had been breaking apart.

So he might have disappeared completely.

It was a truth I only came to accept after two years.