Episode 134: Rudbeckia, Who Doesn’t Want to Regret #4
“Do you hate me?”
When Rudbeckia asked that, she lowered her head deeply.
Her slender hands, wrapped around her knees, trembled slightly.
“…”
Yohan remained silent as he looked at her.
From the start, he had no reason to dislike Rudbeckia.
She was different from the saintess or the imperial princess.
Rudbeckia did not see him as a mere tool, nor did she approach him solely because of his status or appearance.
Even though he had heard her reasons, he still found them puzzling, but Rudbeckia’s feelings were pure.
Then, was there a reason to like her?
There were plenty.
First of all, Rudbeckia was a beautiful woman.
Her long blonde hair, elegantly waved, her mysterious green eyes, her long, thick eyelashes, and her small, delicate features.
Perhaps due to constant care, her skin was fair and smooth. Her ample chest, slender waist, and toned, long limbs aligned perfectly with Yohan’s preferences.
And what about her personality?
Although not much time had passed since they met, Rudbeckia was a diligent person. She consistently put in effort to fulfill her duties.
Yet, she wasn’t stubborn or reckless. If she didn’t know something, she would ask immediately to avoid making mistakes and wasn’t hesitant to learn from others.
She had a beautiful smile, and even when embarrassed, she could honestly express her feelings.
To Yohan, such a Rudbeckia was not only pleasant but left a favorable impression.
“There’s no reason for me to dislike you. If anything, I might even like you, Rudbeckia.”
When Yohan said that with a small smile, Rudbeckia instinctively lifted her head, wondering if she had misheard.
“What… do you mean?”
When she blinked her large eyes and asked, Yohan scratched his chin awkwardly, even though it wasn’t itchy.
“…I mean, to me, you are a woman beautiful enough to stir my heart.”
And he spoke honestly.
Since his academy days, Yohan had been burned by noble ladies too many times, so he generally avoided women.
But even so, he could acknowledge when someone was genuinely good.
“However…”
Yohan averted his gaze slightly before continuing.
“As you know, I already have Lady Fervache. Unfortunately, I can’t accept your feelings—”
Before he could even finish his sentence.
“It’s okay.”
Rudbeckia abruptly interrupted, eyes wide open.
She acted swiftly before rejection could come.
“As long as I can be by your side, in whatever way that may be.”
“What are you saying—”
“I’m saying I don’t mind being a concubine, even if I’m the second or third.”
Yohan was so taken aback that he stared at her with a dumbfounded expression.
Her green eyes looked straight at him, unwavering.
Rudbeckia gently placed her hand over Yohan’s.
“I already knew you practiced polygamy.”
“…How did you know?”
Yohan’s eyes widened, his mouth slightly open in shock.
“I saw you before. Dining with Lady Fervache and that woman with the silver hair.”
She had already learned from Francia Fervache that Yohan had multiple wives, but she wasn’t lying—she had seen it herself.
“I overheard your conversation there. I also learned that the silver-haired woman is expecting a child.”
“…”
“So, doesn’t that mean there’s room for me as well?”
Rudbeckia asked sincerely.
Yohan could tell—there wasn’t even a hint of a joke in her face or demeanor.
“Please give me a chance to win your heart.”
With those final words, Rudbeckia gently but firmly squeezed Yohan’s hand.
She gripped his hand with all her might, but it didn’t hurt.
“Wait a moment…”
With his eyes closed, Yohan rubbed the bridge of his nose with his fingertips. The conversation had escalated too quickly, and he needed to sort things out.
“So, Aide Rudbeckia, you approached me knowing that I practice polygamy?”
“…Yes.”
Rudbeckia slowly nodded.
“If I hadn’t, I wouldn’t have been able to get close to you. You have a fiancée, after all. I may be a little unusual, but I’m not crazy enough to approach a man who’s already engaged.”
Well, that makes sense…
Yohan accepted it without much difficulty.
“From what I’ve seen, you’re actually one of the more normal people I’ve met.”
“Is that so?”
“I’ve met far too many strange ones.”
Yohan chuckled softly, and Rudbeckia fixed her gaze on him with wide, determined eyes once more.
“So, what’s your answer? Will you give me a chance?”
“Well—”
BOOM!
“—!”
Just as he was about to answer, a loud explosion erupted outside.
Sensing danger, Yohan instinctively pulled Rudbeckia into his arms.
“D-Director…?”
Held against his chest, Rudbeckia flailed her arms awkwardly, unsure of what to do. She understood the urgency of the situation, but her racing heartbeat was impossible to ignore.
“Shh.”
Yohan pressed a finger to his lips, signaling for silence.
Despite the thrill of being in his embrace, Rudbeckia trembled slightly but obediently nodded.
Thud—! Thud—!
Urgent footsteps echoed from outside.
Yohan, attuned to the sounds, immediately recognized their origin.
“Dark Mages.”
He spoke in a hushed tone.
Rudbeckia’s eyes widened as she whispered back.
“Did they find out we’re here?”
“They might have. We left traces.”
Narrowing his eyes, Yohan sharpened his senses further.
Beyond the cold stone walls and wooden door, he listened intently to the voices outside.
“-They should be in Passage 4.”
“-There was nowhere else to go.”
“-The traces led straight to Passage 4.”
So they had been discovered after all.
Yohan’s expression darkened.
The situation… was not ideal. His body hadn’t fully recovered, and they hadn’t been here long enough to recover.
Forcing an escape by blasting a hole open was an option, but what came next would be the real problem—demonic beasts would swarm them in no time.
After all, this place was the Demonic lair, a demonic territory in the western part of the Empire.
Here, even special-grade beasts roamed in packs, and first-grade monsters were abundant.
Under normal circumstances, he would have no trouble dealing with them,
But in his current state, protecting Rudbeckia while fighting was out of the question.
“Can’t you track their magic?”
“It stops here.”
“Then they must be inside…”
Step. Step. Step.
The footsteps grew closer.
Rudbeckia looked up at Yohan in a panic.
Her emerald eyes silently pleaded—What do we do now?
‘Looks like I’ll have to go with a more aggressive approach.’
He wanted to avoid causing a commotion. There was nothing to be gained from it.
But given how things were unfolding, there wasn’t much choice left.
“…”
Yohan clenched and unclenched his fist.
His strength was slowly returning.
Not even half of his usual power was back, but it was enough to deal with a few Dark Mages.
“Let’s go.”
Yohan signaled to Rudbeckia before extending his hand toward the wooden door. A pitch-black sphere formed in his palm.
Whooosh!
A gust of wind surged due to the release of mana.
— What the…? All of a sudden…
Boom!
The explosion was unleashed before they could even react. The walls and door shattered into pieces, scattering in the storm of energy.
“Aaargh!”
“An explosion…!”
The dark mages, who had been standing too close, were caught in the blast, rolling on the ground and writhing in pain.
“Let’s go.”
“Yes…!”
Yohan firmly grasped Rudbeckia’s hand and pulled her along, rushing past their enemies.
“W-where do you think you’re…!”
A fallen Dark Mage reached out, sending a surge of dark energy that lashed forward like a whip.
Paang!
The attack dispersed instantly.
It was nowhere near strong enough to penetrate Yohan’s mana barrier. Even in his weakened state, the gap in power was undeniable.
Tat-tat-tat!
Yohan and Rudbeckia ran through the cavern, relying on the dim light from the torches mounted on the walls. They didn’t know exactly where they were headed—only that they had to move in the direction their enemies had come from.
It might have seemed reckless, but the dark mages had already pinpointed their location and were in pursuit. They had to hide or escape as soon as possible.
Then, at that moment—
“Saint Yohan.”
A cracked voice echoed through the cave, filled with a chilling, murderous intent.
Yohan and Rudbeckia instinctively halted and turned around.
Standing there was a man covered in jet-black tattoos, grinning wickedly.
Yohan immediately sensed it.
A High-Rank.
“Where do you think you’re going?”
Yohan frowned, stepping in front of Rudbeckia protectively.
“Can’t you tell? Obviously, I’m running away.”
“Hahaha! Running away, you say? The saint himself?”
The man let out a loud laugh, spreading his arms wide. The black tattoos across his body flickered ominously.
Crackle!
Purple lightning surged from the markings, drawing the cavern’s dark energy toward him.
“This is the Tomb of the Four Kings. I will use your blood to hold a sacred feast!”
A massive sphere formed above the man’s head. It was entirely black, as if it had swallowed all light. The sheer intensity of its dark energy sent shivers down Yohan’s spine.
‘That’s…’
A curse technique.
And a high-level one at that.
“The sacred feast begins!!”
At the man’s shout, the sphere burst, releasing a flood of pitch-black dark energy in all directions.
This is dangerous.
Acting on instinct, Yohan pulled up his collar to cover his nose.
“Rudbeckia!”
“Yes!”
Rudbeckia, realizing the danger, quickly used Yohan’s coat to cover her own nose as well.
Ssshhhhh—
The dark energy spread rapidly, so dense that their surroundings became impossible to see.
Yohan held Rudbeckia tightly, drawing upon his mana to resist the corruption.
“Kuhuk…!”
Blood spurted from his mouth.
Even with minimal exposure, the dark energy was causing severe internal damage.
“Director…!”
Rudbeckia, trembling in his arms, looked up at him in shock. She was in no better condition—her face had gone deathly pale, and blood dripped from her lips.
Despite the mana barrier he had erected, the dark energy had still seeped through.
And in that moment, Yohan understood—
This wasn’t something a simple barrier could block.
That meant he had no choice but to use his mana directly to counteract it. But in his current state, there was no way he could fully push the dark energy back.
But he had to do it.
“Stay with me! I’ll heal you soon!”
“D-Director… hngh…!”
As he focused on circulating his mana, Rudbeckia’s strength began to wane. Her body went limp, yet her gaze remained fixed on Yohan.
“It… hurts… kuh…!”
Her condition was deteriorating rapidly. He couldn’t let her close her eyes. Yohan concentrated even harder, channeling mana into her.
Whoosh! A refreshing wind swept through the air.
But despite his efforts, her pale complexion remained unchanged.
“Yohan…”
Rudbeckia’s fingertips gently brushed against Yohan’s cheek. Though cold, her touch was soft.
“Don’t talk! You need to save your breath—”
“I… really…”
With a faint breath, she managed to speak to the end.
“I… like you…”
With those final words, Rudbeckia closed her eyes.
Yohan frantically checked her pulse. She didn’t have much time left. If this continued, she would stop breathing entirely.
“…”
Yohan clenched his fists. His nails dug into his palms, and blood trickled down his fingers.
With steely determination, he lifted his gaze to the man before him.
“Heh.”
The man grinned wickedly, watching them slowly die. That vile smile only fueled Yohan’s rage further.
Clench—
His fists tightened even more.
The surging emotions—he had to contain them.
Yohan gently laid Rudbeckia down and channeled his mana to create a protective barrier around her. Slowly, her faint breathing grew stronger.
“…You can tell me that when we get out of here.”
Yohan slowly stood up.
“That way, I can give you an answer.”
Then, he formed a seal with his hands.
His fingers intertwined, creating a sigil.
“…Mindscape Manifestation.”
The swirling dark energy in the air immediately settled.
A chilling energy blanketed the cavern.
A silence so absolute that it felt surreal.
Yohan’s eyes sharpened as he continued the chant.
“Myriad Forms, One Will.”
Cough!
Blood burst from his lips once more—far more than before.
His trembling fingers struggled to maintain the seal.
It hurt.
It hurt like hell.
His breathing turned ragged. It felt as if every muscle in his body and every mana circuit within him was being torn apart.
Opening the Mindscape in his current condition was no different from suicide.
But Yohan endured the excruciating pain and finished the incantation.
“Within the space shaped by my mind, my will reigns supreme.”
Thump—!
His heart pounded violently.
Rudbeckia would not die.
Because he willed it.