The Eldest Daughter Walks Down The Flower Path - Chapter 166

※ Regarding the length of the chapters, you may refer to the translator's note at chapter 1.

Chapter 166

Translator: Yonnee

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At the sight of her bowed head and hunched shoulders, Yves huffed roughly.

Doing his best to suppress his surging emotions, he examined Radis’s condition.

Fortunately, it didn’t look like she sustained any serious injuries. However, his eyes zeroed in on the handkerchief that was wrapped around her right hand.

He grabbed Radis’s wrist.

Surprised, Radis looked up at him.

Her black eyes expressed how flustered she was, but her face itself remained calm.

It was as if she was wordlessly telling him,

‘If you want to be angry, then go ahead and be angry. Because I’m fine.’

So, faced with such a resolute expression, Yves Russell couldn’t even get angry at her.

Laboriously softening his agitated voice, he soon spoke.

“Stretch out your hand.”

And Radis had no choice but to heed his words.

Her palm was red and swollen.

As Yves spoke next, the sound of his clenched teeth followed.

“You’re injured.”

“…It’s not that much of an injury.”

“You’re…!”

Yves Russell paused and chose his words.

“…You’re my important card! Did you really forget that?!”

Radis sighed.

Yves was right.

She was a mere vassal who was tied to the marquisate by contract.

It was a bit of a strange contract, but she couldn’t just act of her own accord.

However, was that truly the only thing between them?

A long moment of silence stretched between them before Radis spoke.

“Marquis… Remember what you said to me when we were at Dvirath?”

“What are you saying?”

“You said that you’re on my side.”

Her words rendered Yves speechless.

Radis continued, although now with more hesitation.

“Right now… I just can’t explain it yet, Marquis. If you’re really on my side… can’t you just trust me right now?”

As she said this, it felt as if she was taking a piece of her heart and was giving it to Yves.

This was the first time.

Never before this had she asked someone so earnestly to trust her.

But soon after she said this, Radis realized her mistake.

What’s she’s asking was unwarranted trust!

It was impossible to build such a thing without any deep affection.

She was well aware that even the slightest affection required an enormous price.

Hadn’t she already experienced enough in her past life?

All of a sudden, she was arrested by fear.

Radis felt as if her entire body was turning into grains of sand.

From the crown of her head to the very tips of her toes, it felt as though she was being reduced to grains of sand that would pour down into the earth at any given moment.

Just as she had been in the past life, after craving for only the barest smidgen of affection from her family, it was as if she was collapsing in the same manner.

Radis unknowingly raised one hand to cover her mouth.

The cold, rough texture made it feel as if she was touching a lump of soil, and it was sending shivers down her spine.

Radis stammered.

“No, I-I…”

Then, Yves grabbed her wrist.

He bowed his head and made an effort to make eye contact with her.

Flustered, Radis tried to turn her head.

She couldn’t even guess what kind of expression she was showing right now.

It must be truly appalling.

Feeling frustrated that Radis was avoiding his gaze, Yves turned her head back to face him and, while looking into Radis’s eyes with his golden eyes, he spoke.

“Radis. Look at me.”

“……”

He held Radis’s chin and led her gaze to him.

Catching sight of her black eyes, so full of hopeless dread as they quivered like the sea at night, Yves could not help but groan.

“Radis, I… Damn it— No, I didn’t mean to say that to you. Radis. It wasn’t my intention to lash out on you. I was just worried about you, so…”

“……”

“I trust you. Of course I trust you.”

“……”

“Radis, I understand. Alright, I won’t ask you anything more. I’ll just trust you. I won’t do anything to that Roderick punk either. So, Radis… Please don’t make such a face…”

Yves let out a long sigh and pulled Radis into a hug.

Unexpectedly finding herself in Yves’s embrace, Radis was once again flustered.

Her mind was fully aware that she should push him away, but her body wouldn’t move.

Pretending that she couldn’t win against him, she nuzzled her face against Yves’s broad chest and reached up with one hand to wipe away her tears.

Even as she was wiping her tears, Yves wouldn’t let her go.

Gradually feeling awkward, Radis buried her nose into his chest and asked.

“What kind of face?”

“An ugly face…”

At this, Radis placed both hands on Yves’s waist and pushed him away.

She was about to get angry, but the moment she saw just how soaked his black shirt was with her tears—left with tear marks in the shape of her closed eyes as well—she burst out laughing.

However, Yves just frowned.

“You’re laughing…? Seriously, right now?”

“Your shirt…”

While sniffling, Radis couldn’t stop laughing.

Confirming just how ruined his shirt was around his chest, Yves sighed once more.

You idiot.”

With a little awkwardness in his action, Yves tapped Radis’s forehead with a finger twice.

But it was too light to actually push her away, so Radis just laughed again.

Her eyes were so red and swollen that they were barely still open, but despite this, she just kept sniffling while laughing.

Objectively speaking, the appearance she was showing now could never be considered pretty.

However as Yves was staring at her, he felt his heart beating faster and faster.

‘What the?’