I Reincarnated as a Noble Bastard, So I'm Seducing All the Villainess

Chapter 76 76: Why The Hell Did You Show Up Right Now?

I returned to Joel's inn after spending some extra time at my mother's tombstone. My mood was shot after that, all I want now is a comfortable bed and to sleep for the rest of the day. To top it off, due to the time I spent standing there, it's already getting late afternoon.I walk through the open door, and to no one's surprise, Elizia and Victorian are eating together at a table. Our bodyguard is even taking the opportunity to drink quite a bit. Good for them, I guess, but where is Ravenna?

"Sweetie, she's in the room" Elizia says, reading my thoughts. "It was pretty obvious you were looking for her as soon as you walked in."hat always comes back when I think of Scarlet.

"Darius... If you don't want her around, I can handle it."

"You can't" I answer quickly, and immediately regret the harsh tone. "I mean... that's not how it works. Scarlet is like a plague, she shows up uninvited and sticks around until she sucks the last drop."

"Hm." Elizia crosses her legs, making my head slide further up her thigh. "So you need someone to hold up the scarecrow while you run from the crow, is that it?"

Despite the venom in the comparison, her ironic tone pulls a snort of laughter from my mouth. Still, I can't sustain it for long, the memory of Scarlet pulls me back, and my hand clenches into a fist on my knee.

"I thought she had disappeared. I swore I'd never look at that face again. When I saw her inside that inn... damn, it felt like the floor was going to open up and swallow me."

Elizia leans her face forward.

"What did she do to you, Darius?"

The question hangs suspended, heavy, and for the first time, I think about answering. My tongue touches the roof of my mouth, but nothing comes out. Just a thick silence, filled with memories I don't want to bring up. All I can do is turn my face, hiding part of my expression in her thigh, like a coward who doesn't even have the courage to face himself.

Elizia doesn't insist. Instead, she lets her palm rest on the side of my face, warm and firm. It's nice, one of the few times I feel safe around someone, without anything bothering me or messing with my head.

Outside, I hear heavy footsteps, probably Victorian returning from the inn, and that reminds me that time is running, even if I want to stop right here inside.

"We continue our journey early tomorrow morning" she says, her voice returning to its usual practical tone. "So, if this Scarlet wants to keep sticking to you, she'll have to run after our carriage."

It's a comforting thought, imagining the crazy woman being left behind, kicking up dust without being able to catch us. But... I know it's not that simple. Scarlet was never simple.