The Baddest Villainess Is Back - Chapter 229
“Roxelyn, are you awake?”
At the sudden voice, she paused and widened her eyes.
“Arma…?”
“Oh, yes. If you’re not asleep, may I come in?”
Recalling Arma, who had been by her side earlier when she explained things to her father, Roxelyn nodded slowly.
“All right.”
Click. The doorknob turned.
Arma entered the room, and Roxelyn watched him with a faint smile, still tense.
“Is it a good evening?”
“…It’s a good evening because I’m seeing you, Roxelyn.”
He smiled, approached carefully, then suddenly knelt on one knee in front of her.
“…Arma?”
Frowning at the unexpected situation, Roxelyn saw Arma give a slight smile.
“Roxelyn.”
“Yes.”
“Honestly, I’d be willing to make a contract with a devil if it meant I could follow you…”
He carefully took her hand and lightly kissed the back of it.
“If I did that, would you be upset?”
“…No?”
Why would she be angry? An adult’s choices were ultimately their own responsibility.
“…Is that so.”
Arma’s face flushed as he bowed his head, answering awkwardly.
Roxelyn nodded slightly.
“Yes. I’d simply think… you were doing something foolish…”
She glanced at Arma mid-sentence and fell silent, noticing his face glowing bright red with embarrassment.
His earlobes, and even his neck, were completely flushed. Roxelyn was momentarily at a loss for words.
“…Well, hearing that would make me a bit happy.”
After a long moment, Roxelyn carefully added, trying to lighten the mood.
Arma, who had only intended to make a passing comment, looked up, surprised. When he met Roxelyn’s slightly trembling gaze, he paused for a moment.
Suppressing the urge to scratch his ears out of embarrassment, he parted his lips slightly.
“But I’d prefer if you didn’t do that.”
“…Why?”
“Because this is something I need to handle myself.”
It wasn’t an issue that could be solved by bringing someone else along. Roxelyn had a task to complete, and until she tied up that loose end, she wouldn’t find peace anywhere.
“…Since you said you’d come back, I’ll leave the engagement as it is.”
“All right.”
“No matter what you say, please let me… Wait, what?”
“Do as you wish.”
Arma, dumbfounded, questioned, prompting Roxelyn to clarify once more.
“…Why?”
“Isn’t that what you want?”
“…Yes, it is.”
“Arma, why do you like me?”
Roxelyn asked him.
When she thought about it, she realized that there weren’t many connections between them.
Perhaps in that other world, but in this one, they had almost no ties.
They’d spent little time together, occasionally crossed paths unexpectedly, and ended up in Kaluta together and here as well…
But in this world, there hadn’t been much time to develop a deep attachment.
“…What do you mean, why?”
“Have you ever considered that you might feel this way because of that dream, that you became attached and began liking me because of it?”
What if this emotion wasn’t truly Arma’s, but rather influenced by the memories of the other world’s Arma?
In the world where Roxelyn had died, Arma had harbored deep regret.
Just as Roxelyn had realized her love and the weight of life after Arma’s death and had felt much regret, the Arma of that world had regretted it as well.
‘Did I love him?’
Yes, Roxelyn had loved him.
‘And did he love me?’
She couldn’t be certain, but likely he had.
‘Then what about this man?’
Did Roxelyn love him?
And did he love her?
There was no clear answer to this question.
Or rather, she alone had no answer. Arma had already said he loved her.
But Roxelyn was uncertain if her feelings were truly for this Arma or merely remnants of her emotions from that other world.
