Please Kill Me - Chapter 79
You wouldn’t know that I am a stranger with no ties. To you, I probably seemed like someone with a place to return to and people to share affection with, just like them.
You must have looked at me that way because you didn’t know I was an outsider.
‘But what if you found out?’
Would you still look at me like that?
Yekaterina lifted her gaze to look at the person sitting next to her. Sensing her stare, Leonid met her eyes as if asking if she had something to say.
His golden eyes, tinged with a bit of weariness, reminded her of vivid amber.
There was something about his gaze that held her attention. It was strange how, despite most captivating things being dangerous, Leonid seemed to exude safety instead.
‘Is it because he’s handsome?’
Yekaterina had no intention of denying that Leonid had a strikingly handsome face, but her numerous experiences had taught her that beauty and danger were not mutually exclusive.
Even her brother Dmitri was a prime example of that.
Moreover, Yekaterina was basically a very cautious person around others. She wouldn’t lower her guard simply because someone had a handsome face.
So why did she feel this way?
If she had to describe this feeling, it would be something like…
‘Midday.’
Midday, the time when the sun is directly overhead.
Of course, just because it’s that time doesn’t mean the enemy’s swords become dull or the teeth of monsters fall out, but there’s a certain sense of security that the time of day brings.
At least with the sun directly above, she wouldn’t have to worry about shivering from the cold or straining her eyes to see.
Being by Leonid’s side felt similar to that.
‘Is it because he likes me?’
It was a truly peculiar feeling.
Like climbing a cliff to die, only to turn around and find a tidal wave crashing right up to the edge of her shadow.
Like realizing she survived precisely because she had climbed the cliff to die.
She suddenly recalled the events of the day, holding Leonid’s hand as they walked through the forest.
‘Would holding his hand again help me understand?’
Why do I feel this way when I look at you?
I’m not sure, but if I hold your hand, it will become clear.
I’ll hold your hand.
Just as she made this decision…
“Do you have something you want to say to me? Why are you looking at me like that?”
Leonid’s low voice broke the silence.
He must have spoken because Yekaterina was just staring at him without a word, but his question made her resolve crumble. It was as if all her contemplation about her relationship with Leonid had been someone else’s problem.
It was strange to lose her determination so quickly. But tilting her head in confusion wouldn’t bring it back.
“…It’s nothing.”
“It looked like you had a lot to say.”
There was something she wanted to do.
To hold his hand.
“Nothing.”
“Really? That’s surprising. I thought you might insist on staying at the palace.”
“Oh, Prince Yuri’s request.”
Leonid didn’t respond verbally, but his tired expression was confirmation enough.
Yuri’s request.
To understand this, one would have to go back a bit.
– “Yekaterina Offenbach. I have a favor to ask.”
Just a moment ago, after calming Larisa and returning, Yuri had said this.
Leonid’s expression had subtly hardened.
But no one noticed. No one was looking at him.
Yekaterina blinked slowly.
– “A favor?”
– “Yes.”
Yuri had paused briefly before speaking seriously.
– “Could you stay in the palace for a little longer?”
– “Wait. Yuri. What are you talking about?”
– “It’s been a very long time since my mother regained her senses…. It’s practically the first time since I returned to the palace.”
It was clear that Yuri believed Yekaterina had something to do with it.
Yuri’s desperate voice continued without hesitation.
– “I want to find a clue to treat her madness. So, if you could stay in the palace for just one more day.”
– “Yuri.”
Leonid cut him off. His face was now far more severe than it had been moments before.
– “The palace is a place where many people come and go. You know better than anyone that word will inevitably leak out.”
The Rostislav mansion and the imperial palace are worlds apart.
The servants at the mansion have all worked for Rostislav for a long time. With the exception of a select few, they are all illiterate and come from the Rostislav territory. Their loyalty and security are so impeccable that they rival even the notoriously strict Offenbach.
But the palace is different.
First of all, the servants here are loyal to the imperial family, not to Yuri. There might be spies planted by external forces, and there are many people coming and going.
This is why Leonid had brought Yekaterina here only to lie low for a while, planning to leave without delay as soon as dawn broke.
But now, what was this?
– “Are you speaking in your right mind?”
– “I am. So stop questioning me. I didn’t ask you.”
Yuri’s words sharply jabbed at Leonid. The reason he emphasized ‘you’ was simple. He wasn’t asking Leonid, so Leonid should watch his words.
It was a warning because Yekaterina was present, and she was unaware of their plans.
