Contrary to his harsh tone, the hand that enveloped the back of her hand was incredibly soft and warm.
Surprised, Romiya was at a loss for words and couldn’t say anything.
Misunderstanding her silence, Sigmund furrowed his brow deeply.
“Why are you silent? You told me to hold your hand, and I did. What more do you want me to do?”
At the same time, his long fingers intertwined with Romiya’s.
The gentle warmth pressing between her fingers felt so pleasant that Romiya’s eyes widened.
Her heart dropped with a thud.
‘What, what is this? Why am I feeling this way? What is happening?’
It felt as though all her senses were focused on the hand Sigmund was holding.
‘My heart feels like it’s going to explode!’
Her face flushed, and Romiya quickly lowered her head. Even in that moment, her heart continued to race.
‘I must be going crazy.’
The only consolation was that her fear of Sigmund was gradually fading. His warmth seemed to soothe her fears.
Unconsciously, Romiya tightened her grip on his hand. She hoped that one day, she could truly overcome her fear of him.
Their hands clutched together firmly, with no gap between them. Unfortunately, she still didn’t have the courage to face him directly. But she was happy that at least her trembling had subsided a bit.
So, Romiya never imagined it.
How much Sigmund’s gaze had wavered fiercely as he looked at her, witnessing her actions.
Nor that he had been so flustered by his pounding heart that he nearly cast a teleportation spell before barely holding himself back.
She didn’t know it then.
* * *
After Romiya left, Sigmund stared blankly at his hand and muttered in disbelief.
“I must be truly mad.”
He then clutched his head, speaking in anguish.
“It’s clear that I’ve gone insane. How else could I have done something like that?”
The incident that had just occurred was so absurd that he wished it had been a dream.
Not only had he held Romiya’s hand as she asked, but he had even intertwined their fingers.
And worse, he had allowed her to clasp his hand with her other one.
The most ridiculous part was that he had actually wanted all of it.
For Sigmund, his feelings were far more shocking than his actions.
「Two hands, really! She asked me to hold her hand, so I did, but it didn’t stop there!」
The only relief was that he hadn’t fully given in to Romiya’s wishes. At least that meant he still had some self-control. But his brief moment of relief quickly plunged him back into despair.
‘Relief? Why on earth do I need self-control when dealing with a mere human? Why?!’
The moment Romiya had reached out to hold his hand, Sigmund had been overwhelmed with the desire to pull her into his embrace.
He had barely managed to rein in his transcendent self-control to avert the crisis, but the shock of that moment was still shaking him to his core.
‘Why on earth am I in this state? Why… over a mere human?’
In truth, he had long realized that he was drawn to Romiya. That was why he had treated her coldly for the past three days. He simply couldn’t accept his feelings. He had hoped that she would distance herself from him on her own.
However, instead of leaving, Romiya clung to him even more earnestly. Despite all the harsh words he threw at her, she continued to do her best as his guide. The absurdity was that her persistence only burrowed deeper into his heart.
‘Who would’ve thought that trying to push her away would be the worst possible decision.’
In hindsight, it might have been inevitable. After all, the reason Romiya had caught his eye in the first place was her unyielding efforts to change her fate, even at the risk of her life.
Romiya had simply made the same choice again.
Just as she had sought him out to stop her uncle’s misdeeds, she was now working tirelessly to be his guide.
‘This is dangerous. I can’t go any further. If I do, I’ll never be able to stop.’
Sigmund leaned back against the sofa, staring at the ceiling.
Despite his resolve, Romiya’s face floated in front of him against the white ceiling.
Sigmund cursed himself and tightly shut his eyes.
He made a firm decision.
‘Two days. I have two days. Within those two days, I must make her leave. I absolutely must.’
* * *
“You said the reason you can’t return to the Shulmir estate is because of the vassals of the Count of Shulmir, right?”
“Yes.”
Romiya nodded, stealing glances at Sigmund. Perhaps holding his hand earlier had helped, as she seemed less nervous than usual. Sigmund clenched his hand into a fist, resisting the urge to pull her into his arms, and his expression turned cold.
“I told you I’d take care of those vassals. If you want their heads, I’ll give them to you. If you want them gone from your sight, I’ll make sure they never set foot in Shulmir again.”
“…”
“If that’s not enough, I’ll let them know I stand behind you, so they’ll never harm you again. So why insist on being my guide? Why do you keep pushing to follow me?”
But in truth, it was Sigmund himself who was being unreasonable.
If he truly wanted to get rid of Romiya, there was no need to persuade her like this.
He could simply let her go. Or, as he had done before, he could threaten her again.
Until she was utterly terrified of his dragon’s power. Until she collapsed in tears, begging him to let her leave. He could torment her.
No matter how persistent she was, in the end, she was still human. If the suffering was prolonged, she would have no choice but to give up.
How could a mere human withstand the power of a transcendent being? If he so desired, he could destroy her completely.
…Though that would never happen.
That was something he had already decided the moment he saw her wound earlier.
When blood had flowed from her hand, for a fleeting moment, he had nearly lost control. Just as he had told Romiya, he had almost gone mad.
If he could lose his mind over such a small wound on her palm, how could he ever be the one to inflict pain on her? He already regretted using his dragon’s power to threaten her before.
Thus, there was only one path left for Sigmund.
He had to convince Romiya to leave on her own.
After all, she had only chosen to follow him because she didn’t want to stay at the Shulmir estate.
She had said she had no lingering attachment or fond memories of Shulmir and simply wanted to leave.
“I’ve put up with your stubbornness for three days, and I think that’s more than enough. Now, go back!”
“Lord Sigmund…”
“If you’re going to say something unnecessary, you might as well keep your mouth shut!”
Sigmund snapped. Romiya flinched, her expression deflating. Seeing her like that made Sigmund feel even worse.
It wasn’t because she wasn’t listening to him. It was because he knew that what he was saying was hurting her.
If Romiya still refused to return to Shulmir even after all of this, it must truly be a place she despised.
But he couldn’t stop now.
He could yell at her like this now, but as time passed, he knew he would be completely powerless against her. The thought of what he might become frightened Sigmund.
“If you hate the Shulmir estate, go somewhere else. I’ll give you enough wealth. I owe you that much, so I can do that for you. But!”
Sigmund’s voice rang out sharply.
“You are not to follow me. This is your final warning. Pack your things and leave by today. If you keep insisting, I will abandon you using my transcendent powers. Know that!”
* * *
‘Would Lord Sigmund really abandon me?’
After the conversation with Sigmund ended, Romiya returned to her room and sat weakly on the edge of the bed.
‘What will I do if he really leaves me?’
She had confidence in her persistence, but if Sigmund were to abandon her and disappear, there would be nothing she could do.
How could a mere human hope to find a transcendent being who has decided to vanish?
‘Am I being too stubborn?’
No, if things really turned out that way, she wouldn’t be able to search for him.
‘Does he really dislike me that much?’
Romiya buried her face in her knees. It wasn’t the first time Sigmund had said he found her presence uncomfortable, but today, it hurt more than ever.
‘Because he was so kind earlier.’
When she had brought tea to Sigmund, he had scolded her for injuring herself and healed her wound.
He had even complied with her unreasonable request to hold her hand. For thirty minutes, no less. And later, when Romiya clasped both her hands around his, he let her.
Thanks to that, Romiya’s fear of Sigmund had subsided quite a bit.
Looking back, Sigmund had always been like that.
He would grumble, but in the end, he always did whatever she asked of him. Perhaps that’s why she had let her guard down.
Despite his cold exterior, she thought there was a chance he might allow her to stay by his side. She had hoped that if she kept trying, she could become his guide.
‘But now, it seems I’ve truly reached my limit.’
Romiya let out a long sigh.
Until now, she had clung to him, saying she didn’t want to return to the Shulmir estate, but that excuse would no longer work.
After all, Sigmund had offered to give her enough wealth to settle somewhere else.
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