Return of the Female Knight

Ch. 233 Hidden (2)

Mirabelle was especially uncomfortable whenever her father was concerned.

— Elena. Mirabelle is your younger sister, so it is your duty to take care of her.

That was always her father’s habit. From the time Mirabelle was born, she had always been a heavy burden to Elena, regardless of her intentions. Instead of hating Mirabelle, however, Elena embraced and protected her with all her heart. Mirabelle wanted to repay her sister, especially for all the times she was younger and didn’t listen to discipline.

—I want to play outside, too! Hm? I’ll come back after a minute.

She just wanted to run through the gardens to her heart’s content, just like any child her age. But because of this, she would get a high fever at night, and then their father would scold Elena.

—Father, it wasn’t her fault. I’m just tired from going outside. Please, don’t punish Elena.

Despite Mirabelle’s efforts to stop the blame, it was of no use. As a result, she stopped complaining and learned her place. She smiled all the time so people wouldn’t worry, and she wouldn’t have to endure their gazes of pity. She forced herself to look brighter without anyone else asking her to. Although she was unable to step out of Blaise mansion and socialize, she laughed and pretended to be fine. She didn’t want any more sympathy when things couldn’t get better for her anyway. Mirabelle believed that this was the only way she could protect herself and her family.

The first person to not look at Mirabelle in pity was Kuhn.

—…Young Lady, the world is lonely.

Kuhn was the first one to speak with such a sentiment to her. Usually when she was sick, everyone exaggeratedly comforted her and told stories that were ridiculously cheerful. Kuhn may have been cold, but it was the first time she had been treated differently.

Because of that, the memory of Kuhn remained etched in Mirabelle’s heart. However, Kuhn was mistaken. He didn’t need to be alone. In the eyes of Mirabelle, he was a servant who had done dangerous work in the past, meaning that he had to be protected even more. Although Kuhn was unwilling to her affections, Mirabelle took care of him in her own way, doing things like offering him delicious food.

‘It doesn’t matter if he doesn’t care. Really.’

But at some point, she became so happy taking care of him that she couldn’t stop. No matter how far Kuhn tried to distance himself from her, she thought he needed constant attention. It was why she tried to track down Kuhn after he left Blaise mansion. She wanted to help him if he was in danger.

Mirabelle knew that he hadn’t opened her heart to her…but she might have dragged him down without even realizing it.

‘I was an ignorant fool. And now…there’s nothing I can do.’

She was sick of her own helplessness, and the fact she still caused as much worry as she did when she was younger. It was heartbreaking for her to realize that her good intentions could have been a burden to Kuhn. Her eyes began to fill with hot tears.

‘I’m angry at myself, but the worst part is…even if I turn back the clock, there is no other way for me.’

Kuhn had no interest in Mirabelle. That meant if she did not pursue him, a relationship could not even be started. And yet, she felt so happy around him that she could die. So what should she do? Should she have kept out of the way? She missed Kuhn so much and wanted to get closer to him.

Elena’s words flashed through her mind.

—Mirabelle, are you a fool? Why would you desire someone who doesn’t care for you?

It was true. Mirabelle was foolish enough to give her heart to someone who had no interest in her. She bit her lip and swallowed back her tears.

‘…He doesn’t need me now.’

Kuhn was no longer a servant in need of her care. He was a man who could look after himself without her.

‘But…I hate it.’

She wanted Kuhn to need her. If he was in trouble, she wanted to be in a position where she could go and save him…

However, wanting Kuhn for herself only made her even more pathetic. In the end, it was useless. He was already beyond her reach.

Mirabelle squeezed her eyes, and unbidden tears streamed down her cheeks.

‘What should I do? I don’t know. Should I put up with these emotions that feel like they would burst out of me…?’

To make matters worse, she didn’t know how she would escape her imprisonment. Regret, fear, anxiety…although her thoughts were a tangled jumble in her head, there was one emotion that dominated her.

‘…I want to see him.’

If this was the last time she would see anybody she knew, she wanted to look on Kuhn with her own eyes. She had fallen in love with him so recklessly that she didn’t care about her pride. Titles and wealth had no meaning to her, and as long as she had him, she could endure any hardship.

Sadly, however, Mirabelle had to survive this alone. She rested her head her knees and did her best to hide her tears. In these extreme circumstances, she could see her thoughts more clearly than ever before. Even the parts that had been missing.

“…Kuhn.”

Suddenly, there was a terrible scream from beyond the bars, and her head jerked up.

“Aaaagh!”

“Please spare me!”

Then came the dreadful sound of sword cutting through flesh and breaking bones. Surprised by this sudden turn of events, Mirabelle watched the tightly locked entrance with wide green eyes.

‘What’s happening?’

Soon after, the sharp smell of blood reached her nose.

Kungkungkungkungkung.

Mirabelle’s heart pounded rapidly against her rib cage.

Kwaang!

With a loud sound, the doors of the basement warehouse burst open. The light behind the doorway momentarily obscured the person’s face, but a second later she recognized who it was. He had pale skin and dark blue hair.

It was Kuhn.

“Kuhn, how—”

Mirabelle’s eyes widened to their limit. She had wanted to see him one more time, and here he was before her, like a wish.

However, the Kuhn standing there was very different from the one she had known. The sword in his hand dripped dark red blood, and his clothes were stained red from his unknown victims. He was the image of a demon that had emerged from hell.

He observed the surrounding area, and when he spotted her, he began to approach the cage with a steady gait. His face was splattered with blood, and he spoke to the shell-shocked Mirabelle.

“I’ll answer any questions you have.”

The closer Kuhn got, the stronger the smell of blood. Mirabelle was too stunned to do anything, but Kuhn spoke casually as if this situation were familiar to him.

“My specialty is in infiltration and assassination.”

“Kuhn…”

“Let me introduce myself formally. I am Kuhn Kasha, under the command of General Carlisle.”

Cheolkeong!

Kuhn broke the iron bars where Mirabelle was trapped with his own blood-drenched hands.

Then he continued, staring at Mirabelle with lonely, gray eyes.

“This is what I was hiding from you, Young Lady.”