Answer Me, Please

Answer Me, Please – Chapter 6

 

A completely unexpected statement came out of his mouth.
But Rosetta couldn’t believe it at all.
They even kidnapped the priest to prevent the two tribes from forming an alliance.

“Do you think I’ll believe that?”

“Whatever you think, I intended to.”

“Don’t lie.
If you had intended to send me back, you wouldn’t have kidnapped me in the first place.”

“Even if you go back, you will never marry your current fiancé.
If your marriage is completely broken, then I will send you back.”

“Then why did you say you would make me your wife? Is there no need to get married?”

The man frowned at the endless questions.
Then Rosetta realized that this wasn’t what mattered now.
As long as she convinces this man that she is not the real bride, everything will be resolved.

“As I said before, I am not the real bride.
I am not the daughter of the Basque chieftain.
So send me back right now, no matter what!”

The man looked at Rosetta for a moment and asked, “Then who are you?”

“I am from the Kingdom of Lisa.
My father is a merchant in the capital……”

Rosetta began to recite her fabricated identity eagerly, delighted that she could finally say what she wanted to; about her family and family business, and that she was on a long trip to help with her father’s work.

Meanwhile, Rosetta wished that the man would realize that he had made a mistake and then bring her back to her original place as soon as possible.

However, he asked an unexpected question.
“As you said, if you are a merchant in the capital Terra, you must be a member of the guild.
Then which guild do you belong to?”

Rosetta looked at him with her eyes wide open.
She knew that there was an organization called a guild, an association of merchants.
But she knew nothing of the detailed classification.

“I- I don’t know much about my father’s work……”

“You said you are helping your father directly, but you don’t know which guild you belong to and you don’t know anything? You’re saying silly things.”

As the man said, there were many holes in the information she roughly memorized before leaving for the trip.
If she were her older sister who knew everything about the kingdom, she would have been able to respond spontaneously, but Rosetta did not have such agility or knowledge.

Rosetta gritted her molars.
After that, she had no choice but to reveal her true identity.

“Yes.
It’s all a lie.
Actually I—“

But she soon realized that she couldn’t say it either.
Because it was predicted what would happen if her real identity was revealed here: she will become a hostage, not a bride.
In other words, she would soon cause great trouble to her family and the kingdom.

“……”

Rosetta lowered her head.
She doesn’t want to be a nuisance to everyone.
She doesn’t want to be as useless as she is.

Rosetta eventually shut her mouth, and the man spoke again, “Whether you believe me or not, it is up to you.
I always keep what I say.
So, until then, don’t do anything and just stay still.”

Don’t do anything and just stay still.

It was familiar words from a stranger.
Rosetta smiled pitifully.
Her family also used to say that to her all the time. Don’t try to do anything, stay under the protection of the family and marry a good man.

At the end of the conversation, the man lay down straight on the blanket.
He saw Rosetta flinch back and pointed to the seat next to him.

“If you want to go early tomorrow morning, you better keep your eyes closed even for a while.”

“Are you telling me to sleep here with you? How can I believe that you won’t do anything?”

Despite Rosetta’s voice that was full of suspicion, the man only let out a short sigh.

“I have no interest in a child like you.”

“What do you mean, a child? I am not……”

The man did not listen to Rosetta at all and immediately closed his eyes, as if he didn’t care a bit about her.

After a long time, the man didn’t move.
His closed eyelids didn’t budge once, as if he was really sleeping.

Rosetta went to the furthest corner of the tent and crouched down.
It was getting chilly as the night went on, but that didn’t mean she could sleep in the same blanket as that man.
Right now, she doesn’t think he’s going to touch her, but no one knows when he will change his mind.

But I’ll be quiet for now.
I’ll act like I believe everything he says when it’s dawn.
If there’s a gap after he’s caught off guard, I’ll have to run away immediately.
I’ll run away somehow……

Rosetta soon lowered her head.
Her belated regrets flooded over her. If I had known it would be like this, I wouldn’t be insisting on going to the sea.

“Hic……”

Hot tears ran down her cheeks.
She tried not to, but she couldn’t stop her nose from sniffling.
As she cried so much, her eyelids became heavy little by little.

Today is a tough day.
After a while, Rosetta fell into a deep sleep.

 

***

 

When Allen arrived, it was a mess.
The tent was torn and there were wounded or dead people lying everywhere.

Allen threw the drink he was holding and ran over.
By the time he left this place, it was evident that the place was filled with a festive atmosphere ahead of the wedding.
That’s why he was able to leave with confidence.
But what the hell happened in that short period of time?

His face brightened only when he saw the nanny from afar.
As the nanny is safe, she will be fine, too.
They’ve been together the whole time.
Yes, it has to be.

“Allen! Why are you here so late?”

The nanny burst into tears as soon as she saw Allen.
Allen looked around, but she was nowhere to be seen.
Only then did Allen realize that something was far wrong.

“……Miss Rosetta?”

“They kidnapped her.
What should I do now?”

“They? Are you talking about the groom?”

“Not the groom.
Nazar Quat, it was him.”

Rosie came out with a limp.
Her face was pale and hardened.

“I think they were trying to stop us from forming alliances by marriage.
He mistook the bride for me and took her.”

“How could—”

Allen then shut his mouth.
There’s still a chance.
She cannot ride a horse.
Two people must have been riding on one horse, so they couldn’t go far.
He will be able to catch up if he chases them all night long.
But to do that, he needs people who know the geography of this place well.

“Miss Rosie, this time you have to help us again.”

Allen turned to Rosie and grabbed the sword on his waist.
The black hilt is all wrapped in white cloth.

“Please gather some tribal men.
Then I’ll go to Miss Rosetta—”

“You don’t have to.”

It was the chief of the tribe who appeared after cutting off his words.
A faint smile appeared on his face.

“It was better.
They foolishly took the fake.
So, Rosie, you’re getting married as planned.”

“Father!”

Rosie’s eyes immediately burned with anger.

“What do you mean? Don’t you know what’s going on now? They want revenge for the past.
To a woman who has nothing to do with us!”

“So, it’s a million luck, isn’t it? You almost went through something terrible, but luckily heaven helped us.”

“It’s all my father’s fault.
Because of my father’s greed, they kidnapped her—”

He slapped Rosie hard on the cheek.
But this time Rosie glared straight into his eyes, instead of obeying him.
That defiant look of hers intensified the chieftain’s anger.

“What do you know that you accuse me of? You, who have lived under my protection until now, how dare you to raise your voice in front of me!” He was very indignant and shouted.

“Where do you think all the things you eat and wear come from? How do you think you’ve been able to sleep well at night in this place where it’s common to die while fighting between tribes? All because of me.
Thanks to the fact that I did the dirty work for you and our tribe that the Kingdom of Lisa protected us from behind and provided all supplies.
But now you’re blaming me after enjoying it all?”

“Just be honest.
The truth is that you are greedy.” Rosie’s lips trembled.
Holding back her tears.

She continued, “You always said that you kidnapped her and killed her husband for our people, but the truth is that you did it because you wanted her.
But it didn’t go the way you wanted it to, so you ruined everything.”

“What are you talking about……”

“Don’t think that I wouldn’t know because it happened before I was born.
I heard everyone talking behind my back about the story behind the scar on your face!”

“This ungrateful girl!”

He raised his hand again.
Before slamming Rosie on the cheek once more, this time someone grabbed his wrist.
Knowing that it was Allen who held his hand, the chieftain’s face hardened.

“You punk! How dare you stop me!”

As he struggled, Allen released his hand and tossed him away.
The chieftain, who was staggering, barely managed to stand.

When he was about to open his mouth again, Allen said, “I am not interested in the situation here.
First of all, it seems you have no intention of cooperating with us.
Okay.
Then I have to save the princess myself without your help.”

“What?”

The chieftain looked at Allen with a blank expression.
The others looked no different from him.

“Wha- what did you say just now? Princess?”

Allen whistled with his fingers.
His horse, loose in the field, came running right away.

Allen climbed straight onto his horse and grabbed the sword on his waist, and he began to untie the white cloth that had been wrapped around the entire hilt of the sword.

“Of course, I mean the princess of the Kingdom of Lisa who gave you all that you just said.”

All the cloth that hid the hilt was loosened.
A golden bird spreading its wings wide is carved into the hilt of the sword.