The Obsessive Maniac Is Trying To Confine Me Chapter 233 - Side Story Chapter 23

It was a breakfast eaten alone.

‘Mm, it’s peaceful.’

The cabin without Richard and Yurtha gave me a small, precious kind of peace.

I didn’t know if they really went beyond a 30-kilometer radius, but anyway, it seemed like they had gone far away to fight.

‘Crazy bastards.’

The tornado hadn’t even stopped yet, and they had gone out, each one releasing killing intent.

<Are you two serious? No, this isn’t right. This can’t be right.>

I did try to stop them in my own way.

<You broke the artifact and put her in danger. I won’t let you get away with it.>

<Richard, I’m fine. And…>

<You’re the one who left her in this barren land for two years, and you still talk so much. I’ll personally take her to my estate.>

<I’m not going to that estate.>

Both of them were completely set on being stubborn.

…Fine. Do whatever you want.

After finishing my meal and cleaning up, I walked over to the window. The violent tornado that had been tearing the sky apart had finally calmed down.

From today, I could finally go outside too.

I quietly headed toward the potato field.

I needed to water the potatoes.

They had been neglected for days because of the tornado, so my babies must be thirsty.

But the moment I arrived at the field, I was met with a shocking sight.

“No way…”

I froze at the scene in front of me.

The artifacts were shattered to pieces, and the massive tornado had broken through the barrier and swept through the potato field.

“My potatoes…!”

Was there ever a tragedy like this?

Clutching my heart in pain, I was about to collapse when—

“Rose!”

Someone quickly caught me as I staggered. When I looked up with a dazed mind, I saw a familiar face.

“…Richard?”

It had been three days.

Did he finally finish that horrible fight?

I quickly looked behind him, but Yurtha was nowhere to be seen.

A cold sense of dread crept up my spine.

“…Richard, you didn’t do something to Yurtha, did you?”

At my first words, the shoulders of the man holding me stiffened for a moment.

The gentle smile disappeared from Richard’s face, now stained with blood and dirt.

“…Ha.”

He let out a short, cold breath.

After rolling around in that deadly tornado for three days and nights, his silver hair was a mess, and his shirt was in tatters.

And yet, his blue eyes looking down at me were frighteningly sharp.

“I came back to you after three days, and the first thing you ask is about that beast?”

There was clear hurt in his voice. He tightened his arms around me and growled lowly.

“Don’t worry. I wanted to crush his throat, but I thought you might be sad…”

“…Sad?”

Richard paused for a moment, then lowered his eyes as if watching my reaction.

“…Anyway, it’ll take about half a day.”

What on earth happened?

Something must have gone wrong during the fight with Yurtha. Even Richard in front of me looked terrible.

“Yurtha… is he really okay?”

“You said you hated him.”

I stayed silent for a moment. I didn’t like Yurtha, but that was a different issue.

“He tried to do something to you.”

“…Yurtha didn’t do anything to me.”

The time I spent with him in the cabin had been strangely peaceful—and now I understood why.

At my defense, Richard’s eyes narrowed with displeasure.

“…Ha ha. Rose. My Rose.”

Suddenly, Richard lifted me up.

“W-What are you doing?!”

I struggled, but I couldn’t beat the strength of a man who had been fighting like a monster for three days straight.

He lightly kissed the bridge of my nose and started walking toward the cabin.

“We should get cleaned up. You’ll do it yourself.”

“Myself… what do you mean—”

“Comfort my wounded body and heart.”

“No, Richard!”

Over his shoulder, the destroyed potato field slowly faded from view.

 

 

****

 

 

 

 

I was carried into the bathroom by Richard.

It seemed like he still held a grudge over what happened in the bathroom before.

“Wait, Richard… let’s talk first—”

Before I could finish, he casually tore off his already ripped shirt.

Startled, I tried to step back, but my breath caught when his broad, muscular chest filled my vision.

His wet, bare body was shockingly overwhelming.

As I hurriedly lowered my gaze, unsure where to look, I froze when I saw the terrible wounds covering his body.

They weren’t there before he left.

There was no way he could be fine after being torn apart in that cursed tornado and fighting Yurtha to the death.

“Wash me, Rose.”

“….”

I quietly swallowed.

It felt like he was hurt like this because of me.

“Sit down, Richard.”

At my words, his stiff expression softened.

‘It’s not that hard…’

He sat obediently on the chair, a towel wrapped around his waist. His strong back muscles stood out clearly.

For some reason, my throat felt dry, and I swallowed nervously as I carefully poured lukewarm water over him.

I was careful not to touch his wounds, but he seemed completely unfazed.

“Doesn’t it hurt?”

“…No, Rose.”

Was he really fine, or just enduring it?

I checked his condition as I lathered my hands and gently wiped down his neck.

His skin felt burning hot under my fingertips.

The moment I touched his broad shoulders and chest—

“…Ugh.”

A low, restrained, almost beast-like groan slipped from his lips.

At the same time, his wide back stiffened like a drawn bow. I could feel his heartbeat pounding irregularly under my hand.

“I’m sorry. Did I touch a wound? Does it hurt a lot?”

As I hurried to pull my hand away, his large, wet hand quickly grabbed my wrist.

“No… it’s not pain.”

“But just now—”

“…It’s just a bit… stimulating.”

His voice was much lower than usual, rough and breathy with heat.

‘Does it hurt that much?’

Even if he pretended, it must sting badly.

Sure enough, Richard frowned deeply, swallowing a rough breath.

Seeing my worried expression, he bit his burning lips and forced his eyes open and closed.

As if he might lose control if I touched him any more, he changed the subject with effort.

“Rose, I have something to say.”

I knew it.

It was finally coming.

He was going to ask why I had been here with Yurtha while he was gone—

“We should leave.”

“…What?”

His words were unexpected.

Leave?

Didn’t he want to stay here with me?

But I agreed with him.

Now that Arzen’s knights had tracked us, running away wouldn’t solve everything.

“…If you’re okay with it, I’d like us to settle somewhere else.”

“….”

“This time, somewhere with plenty of sunlight. Not this rotten land, but healthy soil where you can grow your garden anytime.”

“Richard.”

I called his name softly.

He was clearly dreaming of a new life with me. And the two years I spent with him had truly been happy.

But—

“I’m going to the capital.”

At that, Richard turned his head sharply to look at me.

His pale blue eyes trembled under his wet silver hair.

“…You hate the capital.”

His voice shook slightly.

He was afraid.

Afraid that I would push him away again and leave.

This arrogant man who feared nothing looked like a frightened child at moments like this.

And it made my chest ache.

‘We can’t stay together forever.’

Even if we did, it would only make him unhappy.

“There’s something I want to do.”

“If there’s something you want…”

“There are things I need to settle.”

After coming to this world, I had only been running away.

The capital was full of suffocating memories I never wanted to face again.

But the loose ends—I had to deal with them myself.

“I can’t live like a fugitive forever.”

So—

“So Richard, you should go back now.”

I poured cold water over his shoulders.

But the heat radiating from him didn’t fade.

As I reached out to rinse off the remaining soap—

Thud.

His hot hand grabbed my wrist tightly.

“If I go back…”

His trembling lips looked desperately fragile.

“Will I be in the life you imagine?”

“….”

“If I’m in it… I’ll do anything you want.”

It was a desperate, pitiful plea not to be abandoned.

Looking into his shaking eyes, I gave a faint smile.

“Don’t worry. You will be.”

 

 

****

 

 

 

Crack. Crunch.

A disturbing sound echoed through the muddy ground.

Yurtha forced his twisted right arm back into place and spat out blood.

Even with a transcendent’s regeneration, fixing shattered bones in a land filled with poison was hellish.

“Haah… ha…”

But more than the physical pain, it was the endless rage driving him insane.

<I should go back to Rose now. You can rest here for half a day.>

Ignoring the damage to his own body, Richard had crushed Yurtha’s right shoulder and thrown him off a cliff—

Smiling like a victor despite being covered in blood himself.

“That bastard…”

Thinking about him running back to Rose, acting all gentle, made Yurtha boil with anger.

He would rip out that polite tongue of his and kill him.

After walking for a while, he finally saw the familiar silhouette of the cabin through the gray fog.

And—

“…Ah.”

Rose was standing in front of it.

As if she was waiting for someone.

At that moment, Yurtha’s chest swelled uncontrollably.

‘Noona.’

She was waiting for him.

For the first time ever.

The pain in his broken body seemed to disappear.

But as he staggered closer—

“…Yurtha.”

She called his name.

But her face didn’t show relief or worry like he expected.

“I have something to tell you.”

Yurtha realized.

At the end of this sweet illusion, the moment he feared the most had finally come.