I May Be A Villainess, But I Won't Live My Life That Way - Chapter 62

Chapter 62

The stars were beautiful.

The moon was beautiful.

In the pitch-black darkness, I was simply gazing at them in fascination.

And after a while, I became tired of them. They were just black and sparkling; I now wanted to see something else.

For example, something like a beautiful red and tempting rose. I also wanted to see the dress I had sent for repairs a few days ago and the jewelry set that Father had promised to give me for my upcoming birthday.

And I wanted to order Angelica’s pastries and host a tea party with Father and Mother.

Tea parties with prominent figures in the Sprendo social scene were delightful, but my favorite was a tea party attended by only the Count of Croft and his wife, along with their daughter, Young Lady Croft.

“Bianca.”

A distant voice calling my name reached me. Familiar yet unfamiliar.

It was a voice I had heard before, but never in such a heartfelt manner.

At that moment, another thing I wanted to see came to mind.

“Ricardo.”

I whispered the name of the owner of that heartfelt voice in a subdued manner.

***

As I slowly opened my closed eyes, a white ceiling came into view.

Firstly, I could tell that this wasn’t my room. I didn’t see the familiar canopy draped over my bed.

Secondly, I realized that my stomach hurt.

“Ugh!”

Just attempting to turn my body slightly caused a sharp pain beneath my abdomen.

“Bianca!”

I could sense someone sitting up abruptly next to me, but I couldn’t turn my head in that direction.

Instead, I was startled by the unexpected and, moreover, the first pain I had ever felt in my life, and I instinctively buried my head in the pillow, feeling my breathing quicken.

“Are you okay, Bianca?”

A trembling voice reached me as large hands clasped mine tightly. And those same hands gently cupped my cheek. They were the same hands I had felt before passing out.

“Ricardo…”

As if appearing at my call, Ricardo came into my view. He had a slightly stubbled face, as if he hadn’t shaved for the night.

And despite his face, he wore the most relieved expression in the world.

“Where are we?”

“A hospital.”

“A hospital?”

His words finally reminded me of the situation before I passed out. We had been attacked by thugs. And I had been stabbed by the thugs’ knife.

“That scum… Ugh!”

As the vile face of the thug who dared to stab me came to mind, I tried to sit up in frustration, but the returning pain in my abdomen forced me back down.

“It’s okay, Bianca. They’ve all been dealt with.”

As if to reassure me, Ricardo held my hand tightly and brushed my disheveled hair away.

“Dealt with?”

“Yeah. Two managed to escape, but we caught those who didn’t get away. Two of them are dead, and we also caught one of the thugs who tried to escape, holding your maid hostage.”

“And did you catch the mastermind?”

“Not yet.”

Ricardo said, tilting his head slightly.

“But I think we’ll find out soon. So don’t worry.”

His words might have been just empty comfort, but Ricardo’s tone and voice strangely instilled trust.

“How long was I unconscious?”

“Two days.”

It felt longer than I expected, yet shorter than I thought.

“I won’t even tell you how hellish those two days were for me.”

As I said that, I looked at Ricardo with curiosity.

“I was scared that you wouldn’t wake up…”

He said with a wry smile, as if he had heard a very funny joke.

If the Emperor’s Finest Knight, and the Commander of the First Knight Order, Ricardo, was called a coward, it would truly be an ironic joke.

“Bianca, I might be a bit late. Perhaps very late.”

Ricardo, who erased the laughter from his face, looked at me earnestly. There was something in his gaze… Shyness and affection.

Though it was a word that didn’t really suit Ricardo, it was clear in his eyes.

“I love you.”

A light tremor could be felt in the hand we held. It wasn’t clear whether it was mine or Ricardo’s. Maybe it was both of ours.

“You once said, love requires risking your life. For Bianca Croft, I would risk my life.”

His thumb brushed against the back of my hand. It was a tender and affectionate gesture. Ricardo then raised my hand as if taking an oath, gently pressed his lips onto the back of my hand.

“Ricardo…”

At my call, he looked up at me. My reflection was visible in his black eyes.

Surprised, confused, and faintly delighted.

I never thought I was that kind of person.

One swayed by emotions, someone swayed by whether others loved or hated them.

The most precious thing is me, and the dearest thing in the world is my own life.

But his confession made me happy.

Ricardo saying he loves me, that he loves me enough to risk his life for me, made my heart throb as if it would burst.

“I…”

For a moment, I unknowingly stopped speaking.

Realizing that the throbbing of my heart wasn’t entirely happiness, I quickly flipped through the pages of the book in my mind. Was there ever such a line in that book? Was it Maria who said that and not me? Unconsciously, I checked if this was another trap from that cursed book, if I could fully trust Ricardo’s words, or if the moment I accepted his confession, a book somewhere in my room would glow again.

I was confused and anxious.

“Bianca.”

Slowly, very slowly, Ricardo approached me.

As if giving me ample opportunity to reject him, even though I was just a patient, his movements were slow.

Yet I didn’t resist. I didn’t push him away. I didn’t want to.

I simply closed my eyes slowly, in tune with Ricardo’s slow approach.

The first sensation I felt was softness and warmth. The lips that had pressed a little too hard on my hand earlier were now gently pressing against my lips.

And like requesting a dance, he tapped my lips. It was a different gesture from the moonlit kiss, which made me hesitate for a moment, but soon I allowed his advance.

As I parted my lips slightly, something soft and moist cautiously engulfed me. Initially, it brushed my lips lightly, almost as a greeting, then delved deeper with fervor.

Ricardo’s kiss was as courteous and gentlemanly as usual.

“Ah…!”

When I tilted my head slightly, a pang of pain shot through my abdomen, prompting me to let out a small moan involuntarily.

I felt Ricardo hesitate as he tried to open my lips a bit more and press closer.

“Oh…”

Only then did Ricardo, realizing my condition, hesitate and step back. Or he tried to.

“Wait!”

But I didn’t want him to leave like this. I reached out and grabbed him.

“Bianca?”

Caught by my grasp as he tried to withdraw, Ricardo looked at me with a slightly puzzled expression.

Though he looked at me like that, there wasn’t anything he intended to do, and I didn’t know what to do either…

No, even if I didn’t know what to do, I knew what I wanted. I gently pulled Ricardo’s arm towards me.

I wanted him now, and I had a temperament that wouldn’t let go of what I desired.

I finally realized.

Feeling these emotions didn’t make me weak. Thinking of others before myself didn’t make me crumble.

I, Bianca Croft, remained unchanged.

“I want to kiss you.”

I stated what I desired, as I always did.

“Ricardo, I want to kiss you.”

Ricardo seemed momentarily surprised by my bold confession, but soon he smiled faintly. It was a youthful and affectionate smile.

“As you wish.”

As much as he had withdrawn before, now he approached again.

I closed my eyes and welcomed him back with open arms. And once again, I savored something soft, moist, warm, and tender.

As my hand, which had been holding onto his shirt, moved toward his cheek and then wrapped around his neck, the kiss continued.

Even though our lips met over and over again like pouring water into a perforated jar, the kiss was still not enough, no matter how long it lasted.

“Ah…”

Finally, when Ricardo’s lips parted from mine, I sighed in disappointment.

Was it my regretful sigh that brushed against his lips? His lips lightly touched mine again before retreating, as if comforting me, acknowledging the regret but unable to do anything about it.

I knew what that meant. I was a patient, and the long kiss had made me short of breath, causing some discomfort in my abdomen.

“Bianca.”

Was it the magic of the kiss?

I had heard my name being called by him so many times over the past ten years, but at this moment, his voice sounded particularly special.

“I love you.”

Ricardo’s voice was beautiful.

“More than my own life.”

Perhaps everything in this world was like that.

“Smile Love”