A Depressed Kendo Player Possesses a Bastard Aristocrat
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chapter-72-2
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"What if I disappear again... what would you do?"
Rachel, who had been standing still as a statue, felt her breath hitch at Raiden's question.
Her slender fingers instinctively clutched at the fabric of her skirt.
"Disappear... what do you mean...?""Just... hypothetically speaking."
Raiden chuckled softly and tapped the ash off his cigarette.
Gray particles drifted down onto the ashtray.
His awkward smile only made it more difficult to decipher his true intentions.
Rachel stared at him for a moment, then bit her lip and mumbled,
"Hypothetically...?"
"Yes, hypothetically.""......"
Hypothetically?
There was no way the Young Master would ask such a question out of the blue.
What was the meaning behind his words?
A wave of anxiety and worry washed over Rachel, constricting her heart.
‘...Don't tell me…’
Could it be that he was planning to leave again?
Just like he did a year ago, without a word of warning.
The thought made her expression harden.
"......"
"......"
Raiden remained silent, his gaze fixed on the smoke curling up from his cigarette.
The warm glow of the setting sun illuminated his face, highlighting the sharp angles of his features.
His dark eyes, framed by his black hair, seemed to hold a deep, unfathomable sadness.
Looking into those desolate eyes, Rachel realized what was troubling him.
Perhaps it was...
"...You're thinking of leaving again, aren't you?"
"......"
Raiden didn't answer her question.
But his silence spoke volumes.
It was a clear confirmation of her suspicions.
*Throb...*
Rachel felt a sharp pang in her chest.
Why?
She thought he was finally getting better.
Had he been suffering in silence all along, hiding his pain from her?
Had life become so unbearable, so full of trials and tribulations, that he felt the need to run away again?
The thought of her beloved leaving filled her with an unbearable ache.
For the first time, her usually resolute brown eyes wavered.
Rachel fought to regain her composure.
At the same time, she thought about how she should respond.
What could she say to comfort him?
What attitude should she take to ease his pain?
Her mind raced with countless thoughts and emotions, but her resolve was unwavering.
"...I will wait...until you return, Young Master."
She replied softly, forcing a smile onto her lips.
Her voice trembled slightly, betraying the turmoil she felt inside.
She had to clench her jaw to keep the tears at bay.
Raiden turned his head slightly, his eyes questioning.
"Wait for me...?"
Rachel nodded, her voice calm and steady as she poured her heart into her words.
"I told you before... I will always be on your side. Even if you decide to leave this place again, my feelings for you will never change."
‘I will always be on your side.’
From the day you disappear to the day you decide to come back, I will wait patiently for your return.
"It's alright even if you don't come back."
If that's what you truly desire.
If that's the path that will lead you to happiness.
"I will always support you."
Rachel maintained a cheerful facade, but it was nothing more than a carefully crafted mask.
Tears threatened to spill from her eyes.
She bit her lip, forcing the overwhelming emotions down.
"Just in case... in case you ever miss this place and decide to return..."
I will keep your place warm.
I will make sure everything is ready for you, so you can seamlessly slip back into your old life.
So that your heart... can find even a moment of peace.
"I will stay here... waiting for you."
Every word she spoke felt like a shard of glass piercing her heart.
But she didn't let it show.
She didn't allow her forced smile to falter.
To wish for her beloved's happiness, even if it meant sacrificing her own.
That was the way of love she had chosen.
She would do anything for the Young Master.
Even if it meant suppressing her own feelings.
Even if it meant making a promise of a potentially eternal wait.
"Everything I have..."
All my time.
All my emotions.
Every step I take in life.
"It's all... for you, Young Master."
Yes, that's enough.
If my insignificant existence can be even a small source of comfort for you...
Then that alone is enough to make me feel like I have the whole world.
All I wish for is your happiness.
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