Chapter 172: The Blood and the Mask

Chapter 172: The Blood and the Mask

The air around Rosalind reeked of blood and it was not because she had just finished treating a wounded Count, rather it was because of the number of people lying dead not far away from her. The snow absorbed the blood but it wasn't able to mask the smell of death and misery.

In her past life, she heard stories about the Duke's brutality, the fact that he enjoyed beheading his enemies was well-known in the continent. Looking at the headless corpses that Denys was about to burn, Rosalind shivered.

"Scared?"

She flinched when she heard a deep voice behind her.

She turned around and lifted her head and thought she spotted black eyes that were staring at her. When she blinked, she could only see his deep bluish orbs. She immediately wondered if this was the effect of healing the Count.

"Are you not?" he tilted his head and smiled at her.

"No. Of course not," she answered.

"You look pale," he took a step toward her. In response, she took a step back. It was her instinct, the instinct of prey in front of a predator. Something about Lucas seemed different.

She could not pinpoint it but she was certain that something about him seemed different, darker. Was it because she heard the screams of the people that he killed? Perhaps it was because she heard him instruct Denys to cut off their heads and burned their bodies.

That must be it.

She knew that the man was brutal, but this was the first time she heard him say those ruthless words.

"It was because of the Count," she lied. Again, Lucas took a step towards her, and again, she took a step back until her back hit the carriage behind her. Her chest raised and fell in an abrupt motion.

"Do you want me to kill him too?" he suddenly asked.

"What?" What are you talking about?

"The Count."

"Lucas" She thought the Count was his ally, afterall, he asked her to save the old man. Why would he think about ending his life now?

"Without the Count's carelessness, he wouldn't have fallen victim and those people wouldn't have an opportunity to try to kill him and his spawn." For some reason, she found his voice deeper this time. "Don't you think so too?" Darker. It was deeper and darker. She shivered inwardly.

"Not anymore, no."

"Then, there is no need to see him."

"Then should I just stand here in front of you?" she snapped back. Her patience had run out. This man was but a child! She was an older woman! Why wasn't she taking charge in this situation?

"Ah, the real Rosalind." Suddenly, he lifted her up and let her sit on the side of the carriage.

"You" Rosalind was not able to finish her words when suddenly, the Duke rested his forehead on her left shoulder. "What are you" Luckily, Denys and the two coachmen that accompanied the Count were busy. The Count was inside the carriage with his son. "What are you doing!?" she asked.

"Just stay like this" he took a deep breath as if inhaling her scent. She stilled.

"People wear masks all the time," he said. "It's quite tiring."

"Sometimes people wear masks to protect what they hold dear."

"And that is?"

She swallowed. She thought of her past life and the masks that people wore around her. It was comical how she did not choose to wear anything and showed her true self to those people. She should have known better.

"Yourself," she answered after a long silence. Why was she hiding her real self? Why was she trying to hide her abilities? It was because she wanted to protect herself.

That might sound selfish, but that was her truth. After all, if she would not protect herself then who would protect her?

She closed her eyes for a few seconds and decided to enjoy the warmth that the man in front of her had to offer. She was now far away from the Aster Empire, far away from the people who betrayed her.

Rosalind did not know what was coming and she had no way of knowing the future anymore, but one thing is certain; she was not going to take off the mask that she was trying to create to protect herself. Even if it got tiring.

...

Authors note: So what if after all this, Rosalind will wake up and realize that her 2nd life was just a hallucination and that she was still dying in front of Jeames and Dorothy? Like this was just some hallucination before she die? Hehe...

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