I’ve Decided to Let You Go - Chapter 93

Despite Ashy Callete’s harsh words, Natasha couldn’t even bring herself to react with proper anger.

Maybe she was afraid that pushing Ashy any further would cause something she didn’t want to know to be revealed. A secret. Something hidden that Ashy might be holding over her.

Back at the lodging, Natasha found a box of matches and lit a candle. As the flame brightened the room, she looked around, then suddenly froze.

There was a dark figure sitting at the center of the room, right at the table.

The silhouette looked like a man, seated. He had the massive build of a beast, even larger than Sir Dante, who had trained his body to the peak of strength.

A man had somehow slipped into her room without a sound.

Despite how unnerving it should have been, Natasha stayed calm. The only time she flinched was when hot wax dripped onto her finger.

Maybe her heart had grown dull from going through this before. Maybe she’d already become numb.

She didn’t bother asking who it was. Something in her already knew. She spoke first.

“I told you not to follow me, Your Grace.”

She didn’t move the candle closer. She didn’t even try to look at his face.

Her firm voice broke the silence and filled the room.

Just then, the clouds parted outside, revealing the moon. Pale light spilled through the window, casting a dim glow across the room. Slowly, the figure’s face became visible.

Sieghart.

Their red eyes met, and something unspoken passed between them. A deep, tangled emotion neither of them could name.

He uncrossed his legs and sat up straight.

“Alright, Natasha. I admit it.”

His voice was quiet but clear.

“You don’t love me. Not even a little.”

She said nothing.

“And you never will.”

The warmth he usually had was gone. The tenderness that softened his voice had vanished. His tone was clean, sharp, and distant. Even the rhythm of his speech was restrained, steady.

To everyone else, he might seem unchanged. But to Natasha, this was a man she barely recognized.

“Love doesn’t work between us. I understand that now.”

He stood and walked directly toward her.

“So, let’s be practical instead.”

She remained still.

“How about we make a contract, Natasha Charlier?”

He stepped close and spoke in a quiet voice.

A contract?

Before she could even ask, he continued.

“I’ll help you.”

There was no time to question what he meant. He didn’t wait.

“I’ll protect your safety. Nothing more. Once your rebellion succeeds, you’ll be free of me. So I hope you’ll accept my support.”

His offer had changed. It felt like he had finally accepted the truth—that she could not be happy with him.

“No, let me say it better. Please help me, Natasha.”

His voice reached her slowly, gently, like a whisper in the dark.

Every part of his tone carried something deeper. The quiet sound, the unhurried pace, the steady breath, the emotion he couldn’t hide.

All of it was real.

“Let me protect you, just until you reclaim your home.”

She didn’t answer.

“After that, you can let me go. Abandon me if that’s what you want. Hate me for the rest of your life if that’s what you need. I’ll accept it. But right now…”

He paused, just for a moment.

“Can you help me, just a little?”

Something felt wrong.

Natasha looked at the man kneeling at her feet, trying not to let herself react to his vulnerability. She focused on the situation instead of his feelings.

He was someone she needed to face eventually. This just happened earlier than planned.

It didn’t matter.

The Emperor of Galonde had demanded proof of her ability. He wanted results.

She didn’t let herself hesitate. She kept her expression calm and began to speak as if nothing had surprised her.

“We don’t need those kinds of dramatic words. I need you for now. No, I need House Aschart.”

He didn’t respond.

As always.

“I went to the Galonde Empire and asked for their cooperation. They said they wanted proof that my plan was realistic. They told me to show results.”

So, Natasha continued speaking.

Just as she always did.

“I need a believable excuse to visit the imperial palace. And I need a proper status to go with it. You’ll handle the excuse, since you were once a loyal hound of Letius. As for the status, that can be handled by the Duchess of Aschart.”

Even with her sarcastic tone, he didn’t flinch. It was as if her jabs no longer affected him at all.

Natasha didn’t keep pushing. She had no taste for unnecessary cruelty.

“And thank you for the offer, but we don’t need a contract. Once I get what I want, I’ll leave. When I want to. In any way I choose.”

Just like she had before.

She didn’t say it out loud, but Sieghart seemed to understand perfectly.

Just as she said, she could now avoid his traps with ease. Even if she got caught, she would push forward without hesitation, slipping out of his grasp and staying one step ahead.

It was time for Sieghart Aschart to accept that shallow tricks no longer worked on her.

“Yes. By then, no one will be able to threaten you. If you want to leave, you can.”

He nodded slowly. It seemed he understood she would be much safer by then and wouldn’t need his protection anymore.

But his quiet acceptance left her with an odd feeling. The way he simply agreed without resistance made the moment feel strange and uncomfortable.

“I’m not sure you really understood me. I said I’m going to use you. I need House Aschart’s name right now, and when it’s no longer useful, I’ll leave without looking back.”

“That’s fine.”

“What?”

“As long as you’re safe, that’s all I care about.”

So, Natasha pressed him harder, trying to provoke a reaction. But the more she tried, the more it felt like she was the one being cornered.

It started to feel like she was just being cruel.

She found herself staring blankly at him when she realized he had stepped closer without her noticing.

She quickly tried to compose her expression, but before she could even react, he moved in even closer.

And just like that, all her effort was wasted.

Because Sieghart didn’t look her in the eye. He lowered his head, resting it gently on her shoulder.

“Let’s go back.”

His voice was quiet as he pressed his face against her thin shoulder.

“Just for a little while.”

Then, a cold hand gently wrapped around hers. His hand was so cold and stiff, it hardly felt like it belonged to a living person.

He clutched her hand tightly, as if afraid of losing something precious, but no warmth spread from him.

Natasha left a note for Sir Dante.

In it, she wrote that she would be returning to the Aschart estate temporarily for the mission. She added that while she wouldn’t be able to attend training every week, she would still try to come every other week.

Then, without saying more, she left.

When she returned to the estate with Sieghart, the staff welcomed her warmly. Whatever story he had given them must have worked, because no one seemed suspicious about her return.

Of course, Meliana and Jenkins were different. They had witnessed the tension between Natasha and Sieghart firsthand months ago.

Maybe that was why they kept a close eye on her.

As her personal maid and the house steward, it made sense that they spent a lot of time with her. But lately, it felt like they were with her even more than usual.

Vanessa had once complained about how Natasha spent all her time with Meliana, and remembering that now, Natasha realized it probably wasn’t just her imagination.

But she didn’t mind.

In fact, she was relieved. Around Meliana and Jenkins, she didn’t have to pretend that she and Sieghart were getting along.

“Jenkins, could you tell me what’s been going on with the Letius royal family? If there are any official events scheduled, that would be even more helpful.”

Jenkins, who had come to ask if she needed anything, nodded and thought for a moment before answering.

“A banquet?”

“Yes. I’ve heard they’re planning to hold a grand banquet as winter ends. I believe it’s meant to restore confidence in the royal family.”

“A banquet. Now that I think about it, there wasn’t one last year, was there?”

“No, there wasn’t. Which is why this year’s banquet is expected to be much larger and more extravagant.”

Apparently, the Letius royal family had recently regained some of its former strength.

They said it was thanks to a blessing from the temple a few months ago. Whatever the case, the royal family, once fading from the spotlight, had suddenly begun to rise again after receiving recognition from the temple.

Natasha, and honestly, everyone, knew the truth. That blessing had been nothing more than a consolation prize for the pathetic emperor who had lost the title of “Knight of Honor” to Duke Aschart.

“A grand banquet… That means the royal knights will be attending too.”

“Yes. I believe more knights than usual will be there, lined up in full formation.”

Her pen stopped mid-stroke. The hand that had been steadily writing froze in the air. Slowly, she lifted her head from the page.

A moment later, Natasha looked up at Jenkins. Her eyes gleamed with purpose.

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