The Obsessive Maniac Is Trying To Confine Me Chapter 232 - Side Story Chapter 22

I looked out the window, was shocked, and had no choice but to ask.

“……How on earth did you get here?”

At my question, Richard’s brow furrowed slightly.

“Is that really all you have to say to me right now?”

That’s all?!

You just came through a tornado……?

And not just any tornado—it was one filled with the corruption of the cursed land. It was fatal even to transcendents.

……To the point of risking your life.

At that moment, I felt a cold presence behind me. That eerie feeling made me realize, belatedly, who was standing there.

“Lady.”

A rush of heat suddenly covered me from behind.

Yurtha wrapped his arms tightly around my waist, pulling me away from Richard.

“……An uninvited guest barging in without any sense. I suppose I should kill him.”

……What is he even saying right now?

“Y-Yurtha, wait a second…….”

“Please stay still. The rotten smell from outside might cling to you, Lady.”

Yurtha pulled me closer as if locking me in his arms, loosely resting his chin on my shoulder.

Then he curled his lips in a mocking smile, clearly for Richard to see.

Richard’s gaze slowly dropped, fixing on Yurtha’s arm wrapped tightly around my waist.

“……That hand.”

His gentle voice sank low, as if dragged up from the depths of hell.

“You’d better remove it now, before I cut it off.”

Richard’s blue eyes flashed with a chilling madness.

“Hah! How ridiculous. Do you really think you can do anything to me?”

“It’s not impossible. You’ll be lucky if you only lose an arm.”

The atmosphere turned dangerous.

I could see Richard’s grip tightening on his sword, as if he might swing it at any moment.

“Wait……! Richard, let’s talk first.”

“Rose, I would welcome a conversation with you, but this is not the right time. I risked everything to go up to the capital for you, and while I was gone, you were in the bath with—”

“No, it’s a misunderstanding. Yurtha was just washing my hair—”

“So you’re saying you had him attend to your bath?”

“Th-that…….”

The more I tried to explain, the worse it got.

I tried to remove Yurtha’s hand from my waist and continue speaking, but his arms wouldn’t budge at all.

Richard’s gaze grew even colder.

At this rate, something really bad was going to happen. Not just the bathroom—this entire cabin might be destroyed.

That thought sent chills down my spine.

“I’ll kill him.”

Richard pointed his sword at Yurta……

“Like you can talk.”

Yurtha leaned forward as if ready to attack him as well.

“Wait! Don’t fight!”

Afraid Yurtha would lunge, I grabbed him first. Richard gritted his teeth.

When I slowly let go of Yurtha, his eyes turned red with irritation.

Seriously, these people……!

What am I supposed to do?!

“What if the house gets destroyed?!”

“We can repair the house later, Rose. After I kill that man.”

What kind of nonsense is that?

But Richard smiled as if it were nothing, trying to reassure me—though it didn’t reassure me at all.

Then Yurtha leaned close to my ear and whispered seductively.

“Lady, I’ll buy you a mansion in the capital.”

That was a bit tempting, but……

It also felt like I might end up trapped there forever if Yurtha bought it.

“That’s not the issue! If the house gets destroyed! What about that tornado?!”

I quickly pointed toward the window.

“You two might be fine because you’re transcendents, but I’m not! I’ll die!”

The tornado was dangerous for them too, but for me, it was certain death.

At my desperate shout, the tense atmosphere in the cabin snapped and fell silent.

It seemed the word “die” had properly sunk into those two lunatics.

The first to react was Yurtha, who was holding my waist.

“Why would you die, Lady? I can use my power to protect you from the corrupted tornado—”

“I’d die if the house collapses and crushes me!”

I shouted and smacked Yurtha’s arm.

Maybe the word “die” shocked him again, because the strength in his firm arms loosened.

I quickly slipped out of his grasp.

“…….”

Richard’s blue eyes quietly followed my movement.

As he saw me step away from Yurtha, the killing intent in his gaze softened slightly.

“……I see. I was being short-sighted.”

Richard slowly lowered his sword and spoke gently.

“You must not be hurt. And this small cabin must not be destroyed either.”

Thank goodness. He was being reasonable.

Just as I was about to sigh in relief—

“So come to me quietly, Rose.”

“Huh?”

“Step at least three paces away from that beast. Now.”

His voice was far gentler than before, but the obsession within it was suffocating.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

Yurtha growled and reached for my wrist again.

At that moment—

“Move, I said—cough!”

Richard suddenly staggered.

He covered his mouth instinctively, but dark red blood dripped through his pale fingers.

“Richard!”

The corruption of the cursed land had finally broken through his limits. After forcing his way through that terrifying tornado, there was no way he could be unharmed.

I instinctively shook off Yurtha’s hand and ran to Richard.

“Richard! Are you okay? There’s so much blood—!”

As I grabbed his collar with a pale face, his large hand cupped my cheek.

His body was covered in blood, looking miserable—yet he smiled like the happiest man in the world.

“……See? In the end, you come to me.”

“Is that what matters right now? You’re about to die!”

“Yes. That’s what matters most to me.”

He leaned his forehead against my shoulder as if collapsing.

Then, toward Yurta standing behind me, he twisted his lips into a smile—one only Yurtha could see.

A perfect victor’s smile, reeking of blood.

Behind me, Yurta let out a vicious curse, his fist clenched so tightly his nails dug into his palm.

He looked like he might charge forward at any moment.

But when our eyes met, he stopped.

Perhaps because of the days we spent together in the cabin, Yurtha, for the first time, tried to restrain his violent impulse.

I watched him and let out a sigh of relief.

But then…… my eyes started to sting.

No, they were really stinging……

“……Um, could you both stop fighting and just leave?”

With tears welling up because shampoo got into my eyes, I spoke.

The two men, who had been glaring at each other as if ready to kill, flinched.

“I need to wash my hair, so both of you get out.”

Let me at least finish washing my hair.

 

 

*****

 

 

 

Shaa—

I poured water over my head. The shampoo washed away cleanly.

I barely managed to kick Richard and Yurtha out of the bathroom.

……I needed to wash my hair, after all.

I set down the empty bowl for a moment and looked at my hands. I could still feel the sensation of Richard’s blood on them.

‘Is Richard okay?’

He came all the way here through the corrupted tornado, just for me. Because he was worried I might be in danger.

Thinking about it now made me feel both sorry and grateful.

……A man who thought only about me.

I hurriedly finished my bath.

Outside, only Richard and Yurtha would be there. Leaving those two alone together worried me a lot.

As I stepped out of the bathroom without even drying the water dripping from my hair—

Yurtha and Richard were standing face to face. But they weren’t fighting—they seemed to be having a serious discussion.

What?

They’re not the type to act like that.

“A radius of 30 kilometers should be enough.”

What do you mean, a 30-kilometer radius?

“That should be fine.”

Yurtha agreed.

Not understanding the conversation, I stood there with a towel on my head, staring at them.

“Lady must not get caught up in it.”

“Obviously.”

“What do you mean, I’d get caught up in it……?”

When I asked, they both turned to look at me.

“Lady.”

“Rose.”

Both of them smiled.

For some reason, I got chills.

You lunatics, don’t smile. It’s unsettling.

“For your safety, we’ve decided not to fight here.”

“Well, that’s obvious. But what’s this about a 30-kilometer radius?”

If transcendents fight in this tiny cabin, I’ll die.

“Rose, this is an agreement for your safety.”

“……Don’t tell me you agreed to fight within a 30-kilometer radius?”

A brief silence passed.

That was the answer.

“I will kill that man.”

“I, too, can no longer tolerate you troubling Rose. It’s best to settle this now.”

……You lunatics, if you care about me, then just don’t fight!

‘Do whatever you want.’

I got tired and decided to just dry my hair and sleep.

 

 

 

****

 

 

I had no idea what was about to happen.

Whether it was within a 30-kilometer radius or 300 kilometers… I never imagined they would fight for three days and nights straight….