The Obsessive Maniac Is Trying To Confine Me Chapter 238 - Side Story Chapter 28

The past two years.

The perfect path of Argen Evantes began to fall apart miserably from the day that one insignificant woman disappeared.

What on earth was she—

as if he had been bewitched, he kept pouring all his attention and time into that trivial woman.

Not even knowing what meaning that act held, he chased after her like a madman, again and again.

Had there ever been a time in his life when he felt this pathetic?

Even so, Argen did not give up, and in the end, he brought his private soldiers all the way to this cursed land and found her.

If he could drag her before him, make her kneel at his feet, and pull on her leash—

it felt like he might finally understand where this damned thirst and ruined pride had begun.

“…It’s been a while, Marquis.”

And at last, he made the woman sit before him.

 

 

 

****

 

 

 

The man she met after two years was still beautiful, and his eyes held no warmth.

She must not provoke Argen.

It was something she realized instinctively.

Calmly, she walked to the chair he gestured to and sat down.

“I’ve been looking for you for quite some time these past two years.”

At his low voice, her heart dropped.

Her lowered gaze caught the slight stiffness in his fingertips.

‘He was looking for me?’

Not chasing the wanted criminal Richard?

“I searched for you for a very long time, Rosie.”

“Why…?”

“For deceiving and toying with me multiple times.”

Each word that slipped from his lips wrapped around her throat like a snake.

Anyone would think she had committed some terrible crime.

‘When did I ever deceive or toy with you!’

It was absurd.

Of course, it wasn’t like there hadn’t been small misunderstandings between them.

“And yet, for the past two years, you were living peacefully with a criminal. Looking at that cabin, it seems you even built a home together.”

Argen’s smile was beautiful, but there was no warmth left in it.

Having once spent time with him, she knew—that was the smile he wore when his mood twisted.

“…Why were you looking for me?”

She asked carefully.

“I’m not a criminal.”

“You hid a traitor in the cursed land and say you’re not a criminal?”

He hadn’t even known she was with Richard until he found her.

Before that, she hadn’t committed any crime at all.

But Argen had no intention of listening to anything reasonable she said.

Her thoughts grew tangled.

‘What does this man even want from me?’

A chilling feeling crawled up her spine.

‘What does he want from me?’

Maybe the one he had been searching for wasn’t Richard, but…

‘That can’t be.’

She forced herself to deny it. Their relationship had ended completely two years ago.

“Why did you stay with that monster? If you don’t want to be treated as a criminal, you’d better answer well.”

She kept her face as calm as possible.

She had expected questions like this the moment she stepped out of the cabin.

“…I had nowhere to go.”

“What?”

It wasn’t entirely a lie.

When she first fell into this land two years ago, that was exactly how she felt. Like there was nowhere in the world for her to stand.

Sometimes, she even thought it might be easier to just die.

“And then I received help. That man… gave me a place to stay, and food to eat.”

To someone who had lost everything, Richard had tried to give her everything.

That was why.

Over those two years, she had completely opened her heart to him.

And that place had been a world with only the two of them left.

“That doesn’t sound like something a lady of the Hertas family would say. Nowhere to go?”

Sharp suspicion pierced her.

“…There were circumstances. I’m not on good terms with my family.”

She fidgeted with her fingers, afraid bad memories would surface.

“Well, Rosie. It doesn’t seem like you really had nowhere to go.”

What did that mean?

“You could have come to me.”

She blinked blankly.

The arrogant smile he had worn all along was gone, his face twisted.

“And yet you chose a wanted traitor and hid away with him?”

“Marquis…”

She recalled the moment she last faced him two years ago.

Back then, she had seen the writhing desire in his green eyes.

So she kissed him.

 

Only because she needed him to achieve her goal.

“…Do you like me?”

Even as she said it, it sounded ridiculous.

That couldn’t be true. What Argen had felt was two years ago.

And it hadn’t even been love—just a fleeting desire…

But his steady gaze wavered.

The fortress that seemed unbreakable crumbled like sand.

His face twisted deeply.

“…Rose Hertas.”

The man who had been calling her Rosie now spoke her other name.

“You’re a damn woman.”

His voice came out low—anger, regret, everything mixed together.

“You’ve completely ruined me.”

 

 

 

****

 

 

 

With Argen’s irritated muttering, the interrogation ended quickly.

“That’s enough for today.”

The man who seemed ready to push her to the end suddenly stopped, as if chased.

Unable to hide the distorted hunger on his face, he turned sharply and called in the knights.

They escorted her back to the room she had stayed in earlier.

“Please remain here for the time being. If you need anything, let us know.”

Leaving only that, they exited. A few knights stood guard outside so she couldn’t leave.

She looked at the tight security, then collapsed onto the bed.

It had been an exhausting day.

‘Argen still likes me…’

For a moment, she wondered if she could use that feeling.

‘No… I can’t.’

She shook her head, pressing her aching temples.

In the past, she wouldn’t have hesitated to use such shallow tricks.

Back when she felt cornered, like there was nothing more to lose.

But not anymore.

‘What should I do about Argen…’

She rubbed her face again and again.

Before coming here, she had a plan—negotiate rationally with Argen.

During the past two years in the cursed land, she had learned a secret no one else knew.

There was a rare mineral there, something the empire would surely desire.

But…

now that she knew his feelings, it felt useless.

She slowly lowered her hands from her face.

She had to find another way.

 

 

 

****

 

 

 

Clank.

The iron bars of the underground prison shut.

“Please wear this for the time being.”

The knight, clearly nervous, carefully fastened heavy restraints onto Richard’s wrists.

Though Richard was in a foul mood, he obediently held out his hands.

Remembering Rosie’s desperate gaze telling him to do nothing.

‘What on earth are you thinking?’

Richard stared into the air with cold eyes.

In Argen’s mocking gaze earlier, he had seen a low, sticky desire directed at Rosie.

Richard could read that kind of look easily.

Because he held the same desire himself.

If it were up to him, he would have killed the marquis right then and there.

To end their long-standing bad blood.

But Rosie did not want that.

She had desperately stepped in front of him.

‘Rosie, what were you thinking when you followed that man?’

Not understanding her actions, his insides burned black.

Even so, Richard decided to remain imprisoned, just as Rosie wanted.

Only for a short while.

“Rosie, my patience is very short.”

Richard muttered, staring at the moonlight seeping through the bars.

He would only endure a little longer. His limit had already been crossed.

If Rosie remained trapped…

“So come to me quickly.”

His large hands, bound in heavy restraints, twisted together like they were crushing a beast’s bones.

“If you don’t want to see me reduce this Piet Castle to ashes.”