The Obsessive Maniac Is Trying To Confine Me - Chapter 176

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Episode 176

The moment I fell into the furnace, memories that had been submerged beneath the surface began to rise.

One, two.

And then completely.

【I’m sorry I couldn’t tell you beforehand, senior.】

【Senior’s mother is…】

When I learned the fact that Mother had died, I fell into great shock.

Sian had been hiding the fact that Mother was dead from me. I felt deeply betrayed by him.

I felt foolish for having genuinely rejoiced upon hearing the story Sian had fabricated.

But now it didn’t matter anymore.

Because I had decided to remain in this world.

【I’m not going.】

Upon hearing those words, Sian cried out in shock.

【Get a grip, senior. Do you think anyone will appreciate what you’re doing?】

As if telling me to come to my senses, he coldly stabbed at my heart with his characteristically gentle voice.

【You love that woman? Do you think that woman will recognize you? Not a chance! What do you think she’d do if she knew you were a parasite-like existence wearing her daughter’s skin?】

I couldn’t say anything. I couldn’t even move my lips and just hung my head.

Because everything he said was right.

【Do you think that woman will love your true self? You’re wrong. That’s nothing but deception.】

【If you truly love that woman… come back. I can make you return. So stop pretending to be her daughter anymore.】

If I had listened to that warning, would something have been different?

On one of the days when I was struggling, Selline approached me.

【Rose, if it’s hard, shall we leave together with Mother?】

【Mother likes traveling too. How about it? I heard there’s a nice resort far away.】

At that time, I didn’t care where we went, so I followed whatever she wanted to do.

And I came to see ‘that thing.’

…How did I try to forget all of this?

* * *

After parting with Rose, Rihardt summoned his subordinates and gave them orders.

To find Rose.

While doing so, a single note flew toward Rihardt.

The note had been sent by magic.

And on that note was…

[Hill below the Village with Black Roofs.]

The note contained a location pointing to a specific place.

And Rihardt discovered something attached to the note.

A single long strand of pink hair.

He immediately deployed the knights. Then he heard news that suspicious movements had been detected.

The village was in an uproar over the disappearance cases.

His heart pounded frantically with the anxious thought of ‘surely not…’

Thus Rihardt stormed into the location written on the note.

And there…

“Save me!”

“N-no! Please, I’ll do everything you ask!”

Rihardt passed through the enclosure with a hardened expression.

Behind him, the Holy Knights drew their swords to subdue the men who had been running this place and rescued the people.

“It’s the Paladin Commander!”

“What? Did he save us?”

The rescued people exclaimed in admiration, but nothing reached Rihardt’s ears.

Avoiding the people crowding toward him and passing through the enclosure that reeked like a pig pen, an even more absurd scene unfolded.

It was extremely grotesque.

Splash-

Men with uniformly large builds threw bound people into boiling water.

It was like a ritual that had flourished in ancient times.

That absurd act of offering humans as sacrifices to please the gods was taking place.

“Everyone stop!”

“We’re saved! It’s the Holy Knights!”

The knights captured the fleeing men.

Rihardt quickly looked among the terrified people to see if Rose was there.

He had the contradictory wish of wanting to find her while hoping she wasn’t in this place.

However, whether his wish was granted or in vain, pink hair caught his sight.

Rihardt approached the woman as if entranced.

“Rose…”

Then, he saw her looking at someone and smiling.

Seeing that made his chest ache. Rose had once smiled at him like that too. But now he would never see that smile again.

To whom was she showing such a smile?

The moment he reflexively checked, Rihardt doubted his own eyes.

Why is that person here?

Just as the question arose,

“Rose!”

Shock soon became a silent scream.

“Ahhh!”

The Benefactor pushed Rose.

Into the bubbling boiling water.

“No!”

His feet moved as if possessed.

Without even thinking, Rihardt ran toward the furnace where Rose had fallen.

“Grand Master, where are you…”

“It’s dangerous!”

The knights who belatedly noticed his actions cried out in alarm, but Rihardt put his arm into the boiling water without hesitation.

At that moment, along with the sudden heat, Rihardt’s blood vessels convulsed. The disgusting sensation of mana being forcibly torn from his body.

The whitish energy rising above the red liquid was unmistakably life force.

‘…Is this black magic that extracts magical power?’

Pain incomparable to his arm burning and getting scalded pierced through his entire body.

Though his skin was melting away, Rihardt focused only on grabbing Rose.

“…Rose, please, no… Rose.”

As he frantically flailed his arms, something caught on his fingertips.

Before he could realize what it was, he pulled up whatever was in his grasp.

“…Rose.”

It was her.

His urgent voice spread with relief.

As his frantically beating heart gradually slowed and his lost reason slowly returned,

‘Why is Rose perfectly fine?’

Strange things caught Rihardt’s eye.

Only her clothes had melted away slightly, but her body was completely unharmed.

‘My arm is like this, so why is only Rose….’

Then he noticed a pendant glowing faintly within Rose’s embrace.

Could this pendant have protected Rose?

Though puzzled, he felt relieved that Rose was safe and removed his outer coat to wrap it tightly around her body.

He held her close and headed toward an empty room he had discovered on his way.

People around stared at Rihardt’s severely injured arm with horrified expressions, but he didn’t care at all.

Since he was a transcendent anyway, it would take time but this much would heal.

He held Rose tightly and breathed slowly.

Then her eyelashes trembled finely as if she was about to wake up.

Rihardt tensed up involuntarily.

Soon her eyes opened.

Her unfocused pupils moved blankly in the air before turning toward Rihardt.

He anticipated what expression she might make.

Would she make that terrible expression again?

Even so, he resolved never to let her go, but Rose showed no reaction contrary to his thoughts.

Even though this situation should be very confusing.

He began to suspect that her condition had become strange after falling into the water.

“Rose.”

“….”

“Where does it hurt?”

Please show me some kind of reaction.

However, she only gave him a brief annoyed glance and showed no response.

She looked slightly tired.

Still, he was relieved that her condition didn’t seem painful.

“Rose, why did the Benefactor push you away?”

Only then did she show a reaction.

“Are you acquainted with the Benefactor?”

“…Ah, so that child was the Benefactor after all.”

He felt puzzled by her strange reply.

“How did that child cross over to this place?”

“What are you saying….”

Rihardt couldn’t understand her strange reaction.

She continued muttering as if it didn’t matter whether he understood or not.

Rose laughed helplessly.

Her finely trembling back seemed like it might shatter, so he unconsciously held Rose tightly.

If she were to break, he would hold onto even the fragments so they wouldn’t disappear from his embrace.

Then the woman looked up at him.

Her pink eyes, shining more brilliantly than the Pandora’s Jewel he had given her, gleamed more clearly than ever.

“You deceived me when I had lost my memory.”

…As expected, her memory had returned.

Though he had suspected it, his heart sank.

“So do you find me detestable?”

The woman was silent for a moment.

“I’ll give you a chance, Rihardt.”

The woman who would have shown a complicated expression in the past acted like a different person.

She seemed like someone shrewd and detached.

“…A chance?”

“…For instance, a chance not to be hated by me.”

The woman who saw through the deep feelings that even Rihardt himself hadn’t recognized murmured in a drowsy, languid voice.

“…What should I do.”

He desperately grasped Rose’s arm. If there was a way, he would do anything.

“Become completely on my side. No matter who it’s against.”

At those words, a smile bloomed on Rihardt’s lips.

It wasn’t a difficult task.

He was already on her side.

* * *

Whoooosh-!

The building that the criminals had burned and abandoned was engulfed in massive flames.

“I’m glad you’re safe, Rose.”

Rihardt whispered words of relief several times while holding me in his embrace.

I thought to myself.

Perhaps I should have died there.

I had run and run from misfortune, but in the end I remembered everything.

That I was a stranger, my mother in Korea who died waiting for me in the hospital room, and the mother of this world who left screaming after realizing I wasn’t her real daughter.

Even she, who had left screaming so desperately, eventually returned as a cold corpse.

I had always found my existence detestable. And I became a maid at Evantes, trying to forget everything.

“Don’t cry, Rose.”

Rihardt wiped away the tears that had fallen from my eyes.

“…Rihardt.”

“Yes, Rose.”

I opened my mouth while gazing at the scattering ashes.

“Keep your promise.”

The acrid smoke scattered hazily into the air.

“You must be on my side.”

Because that’s the only reason I… won’t hate you for deceiving me.

“I am already on your side.”

…But Mother and Dillen had said the same thing before leaving.

To Roji’s side.

“Now, let’s go, Rihardt.”

I turned my head to gaze at Ruad Manor.

【The mastermind behind this incident is the Lord of Ruad. All the disappearance cases that happened in the village were also caused by the Lord.】

The Lord of Ruad is the Benefactor’s person. So Roji must surely be behind this.

What on earth is Roji plotting?

…And how on earth does Sian know that information, and how did he come to this world?

From now on, I will find out the truth.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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