Becoming the Terminally-Ill Villain Who Torments His Disciples - Chapter 94.2
However, he couldn’t do that.
Oscar no longer desired Cielo the way he had in the past.
What if he never regains his memory?
Even when Cielo held him close every night and whispered words of love, even when they faced each other across the dinner table, Oscar hardly said a word.
“It hurts…”
Lowering his gaze, Cielo clenched his fist and held it over his chest.
Although his heart condition had entered the recovery stage, every time he thought of Oscar, he felt short of breath and a sharp pain in his chest.
‘I shouldn’t force it…’
Because he didn’t remember.
To Cielo, who remembered every moment they had shared since childhood, Oscar was more precious than life itself.
But to Oscar, who remembered none of it, Cielo was nothing more than a stranger.
“Should I… let go?”
The moment he let those words slip from his lips, emotions surged, and tears streamed down his cheeks.
He sat there blankly, unable to even think of wiping them away.
Then someone cautiously approached and offered him a handkerchief.
“Esteban… Ah, no. Lord Cielo. Please take this…”
He raised his head a beat late at the soft voice, and beyond the man’s shoulder, he saw Oscar approaching from a distance.
“…Thank you. But I’m fine.”
The moment he replied briefly, his gaze met Oscar’s.
Startled, Cielo quickly wiped away his tears, turned his head, and left his seat.
Oscar did not follow after him.
***
A month after Cielo had regained consciousness, the emperor finally reached a decision regarding his punishment.
It was undeniable that Cielo had been involved in the summoning of demons.
However, considering that he had been caught in an unwanted contract, and that the testimonies of the twins matched Cielo’s own, and acknowledging the fact that he had tried to stop the summoning by any means—he was spared from execution.
Still, his connection to the demonic beasts was a serious issue.
So the emperor ordered Cielo to be dispatched to a western province plagued by disease after the monsters had been eradicated, where he would care for the people for a month.
The problem was…
“Since the beasts haven’t been completely eliminated, you’ll accompany Count Pascius in case something happens.”
The emperor, unaware that Oscar had lost his memory, had assigned both Cielo and Oscar to the same mission.
‘…This is uncomfortable.’
Inside the swaying carriage,
Cielo kept his gaze lowered, staring only at the tips of Oscar’s boots across from him.
The carriage was uncomfortably small, and a slight movement might make their knees touch.
“Try to get some rest. We still have a long way to go.”
Just as Cielo sat there, nervously swallowing hard, Oscar spoke in a quiet voice.
It felt awkward to agree, and even more awkward to disagree.
While choosing his words, Cielo brought up something he had been mulling over.
“…Please speak casually, Count. I’m no longer part of the ducal house.”
“You said you were once my Master. I believe I should maintain that respect.”
“…”
“Besides, I heard you’re soon to be engaged to Lord Doberman.
How could I speak informally to someone who’s about to become a member of the Doberman household?”
Each word from Oscar struck Cielo’s chest like a sharp blade.
Biting his lip, Cielo lifted his head with a bitter smile.
He looked as though he might burst into tears at any moment, but he held it in.
“That engagement included you, too.”
“…What?”
“Even if you don’t remember, I thought you should know the truth.”
How foolish…
Cielo murmured inwardly and turned to gaze out the window.
This carriage ride felt unbearably stifling.
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