I stayed there for a long time while still feeling the presence of someone in the room, tucked under the blankets like a child hiding from monsters under the bed.
This had to be the heroine's estate; otherwise, why would I be in such good condition? My only thought was I had to figure out some way to break the silence because these current circumstances gave me too much anxiety.
"Heroine?" I muttered, understanding that it was a deeper voice in the room. Maybe she just had a deep voice, something to counterbalance her beauty.
I held my breath waiting for a response, but she or he said nothing.
My heart couldn't handle it anymore, so I peeked through the narrowest slit between the folds of fabric, and then I saw her, or was it him?
All I can say is I'm confused.
It's the same pink hair and blue eyes I saw the night before, but it was cut much… much shorter. What happened to all that hair? The face was still attractive, but she seemed more like a he.
What the hell is going on? Could I actually be attracted to a man? There's no way!
The face of the person looked conflicted once again. Like with how I called them heroine, maybe they're offended by that title?
As I was having such deep thoughts, the blanket, my shield, was ripped away from me in one clean motion, making me exposed to the world.
"What?" I gasped, curling into myself as the cool air hit my skin. My arms instinctively covered my chest, with my knees being pulled tight, creating another bubble I hoped wouldn't break.
I couldn't help but feel small and exposed, which gave me a terrified feeling.
Then, without a word, they moved again, right in front of my face. Close enough that I could smell the faint scent of lavender and leather on her or his clothes. I still wasn't sure on that one. My eyes couldn't help but look away as we were only a few feet apart.
"What are you doing?" I blurted out in complaint, flushing furiously at the closeness of this person. "Y-you're too close!"
Even though this person could definitely be a man with the now much shorter hair than before, I still couldn't help but feel attracted to them. What the hell?
They reached out and grabbed my chin to have my face locked with theirs.
"Why… do you keep calling me a heroine?" The much too deep voice with that face I saw before—it was much too obvious that this was a man.
Did my hormones from this female body turn me gay? If a man in a woman's body finds another man attractive, can that still be referred to in that way? Isn't that straight, and if I actually liked girls, would that be gay? My mind is so confused.
I swallowed, feeling my throat go dry. "Because…" I said slowly, my voice small. "You saved my life by catching me, and at that time you had longer hair. Your face is so feminine that I got confused!" I couldn't help but feel wronged.
Now I could see both deep blue eyes clearly with his hair much shorter than before. Those soft lips with those feminine features—what the hell, why am I even looking at his lips…
My mind and heart are in a constant conflict that I can't figure out.
"Listen…" I said with some annoyance at my current circumstances. "What happened to your hair?" I said in a way that I felt wronged.
"I couldn't help but cut it after our interaction." He sighed heavily. "I've never once been referred to in that way, and I couldn't handle it. So I cut it so other people won't look at me the same way."
Ah, so that's what happened. I still don't feel disgusted by his appearance, but every other man I've seen in this world has done absolutely nothing for me. No attraction whatsoever. Why does this man with feminine features pull my heart so strongly?
"Well, if you must know, from the way I acted yesterday." I took a deep breath. "I thought you were the most beautiful girl I've ever seen." I said honestly. "So if you're not a heroine… what else could you be?" I couldn't help but smirk slightly as I said this and saw his face.
He only gave me a very long silence…
His face was solemn with no real emotion besides a slight conflicted tick with his lips that seemed to be vibrating. Then he let my face go and just looked at me.
I didn't know what to say next or even how to breathe. My body was exhausted, and my heart was too fragile from my past experiences to take all of this in. Everything around me felt too soft and warm, like the world was trying to trick me into a false state of security.
Before the moment could get any more awkward than it already was, the door burst open to the room. I flinched violently, instincts driving me straight back under the covers, like a rabbit diving back into its burrow.
This was a new maid from before, I thought as I hid myself, but they looked panicked. I wonder what's going on.
"My lord!" The Durel household is here. They've come to retrieve their daughter."
The words hit me like a hammer to the chest. My only thoughts being, FUCK ME! I couldn't help but pull the sheets tighter, and a small whimper escaped my mouth as tears started to fall. I'm going to die!
Even though I got stuck in this body, I don't hate it as much as the very first day I reincarnated here. I want to live a good life, one far away from the devils in the Durel estate.
Can't someone save me!
While I felt like the world was falling down around me, a voice I knew all too well yelled with words laced in venom. "BRING HER HERE TO ME, RIGHT THIS INSTANT!" Evelyne roared as if the city that neighbors this kingdom needed to hear her words.
My blood ran cold. No, no, no, please no!
Not that hell-on-earth life once again where I'm tortured every day and forced to be that bitch's stepping stool. There hasn't been a day of peace since I got into this world. Why can't they just leave me alone? The only reason they're even searching for me is payback, nothing more.
Once I heard that disgusting voice, I buried myself even further into the sheet as if becoming a part of the bed. My breathing turned shallow. My body trembled as I started to mutter…
"I'm going to die. I'm going to die. I'm going to die…" I said it over and over again in a constant loop. Because I knew her temper and what she would probably do to me once she got me out of here. I might even be dragged by the carriage to start off all the festivities before my true nightmare begins once I enter that dungeon of an estate.
The air in the room felt like it was draining, and my second chance at life was collapsing faster than I could even comprehend. I was so scared my tears started once again as I cried, the salty taste on my lips.
I genuinely felt safe with this man just before, even though I felt weird about him, and I didn't like the fact I was actually somewhat attracted to his looks. The second I heard Evelyne's voice, though, that warmth turned into a glacier. One I was very scared to touch.
Then… everything changed in an instant. The air shifted and became heavy. I didn't feel it myself, but the world around me felt like it had some weight to it.
It was subtle at first, like the calm before the storm. But it grew sharper, thicker, until it felt like every corner of the room was holding its breath.
Someone was angry… That was my only thought, and then I remembered back to those fantasy novels I used to love in my past life. Is this killing intent? Is he actually trying to protect me?
I was afraid to look, but at the same time that pressure didn't have any effect on my body, feeling most of it directed towards those trying to enter the room.
Instinctively I knew this was a protective force and wouldn't harm me, which gave me some hope in this dire situation.
There was a rush of footsteps just outside the door with loud voices. The door was pushed violently open as if the one who did it owned this place.
My heart leapt to my throat as I got the image of Evelyne in my tiny peephole through the sheets.
"There you are, you little…"
She was interrupted by a thunderous voice. "Get out!" It wasn't at a level higher than Evelyne's previous outburst, but it was much colder, as if he would kill her if she didn't listen.
I didn't move or breathe, waiting to find out what the hell was about to happen.
"Do you barbarians not understand basic etiquette?" He said it with the same level of venom and hatred as Evelyne before. "Or perhaps you've mistaken this estate for a pigsty?"
No one spoke.
"I am the Archduke of Velmoure, and I outrank every single one of you. Your daughter is under my protection, and you haven't been granted an audience. You will step out of this room and conduct yourselves with some dignity, or I will have you escorted out like the rabid dogs you are!"
The power in his voice was something I had never witnessed before. The cold fury resonated throughout all of the surroundings. The room felt like it was shivering around me.
I was still hidden in my sheets like a cocoon, heart hammering against my ribs like a drumbeat. But I had finally realized this man wasn't only beautiful; he was very dangerous.