Chapter 570: The Only Light in Her Darkness (II)
Edmond didn’t answer her question right away, but Rose was certain he had asked the Cardinal for permission to have a private confession with her. Since the Captain held an important position in the kingdom, the Cardinal had agreed without much hesitation.
The Cardinal probably believed that, in the end, the Captain would be no different from everyone else who had stepped into this so-called holy room.
After all, the Cardinal had noticed the feelings hidden in Edmond’s eyes and he believed that, sooner or later, even the Captain would give in to them.
"I came here to see you," Edmond finally replied.
Rose lowered her gaze and noticed that Edmond was holding a whip in his hand. She looked past him and saw that the cabinet behind him had been opened wide.
The light that had briefly returned to Rose’s eyes slowly faded once again.
She no longer had any hope left for humanity, but Edmond was different. Deep down, she still wanted to believe that he wouldn’t become one of the people who gave in to the desire to hurt her.
"I see... so you chose that one," Rose said with a faint smile, though there wasn’t a trace of warmth in her eyes. "It’s everyone’s favorite."
Without waiting for him to say another word, Rose slowly walked to the center of the room. She gracefully knelt on the cold floor and lowered her head.
Her hands rested neatly on her lap, and she closed her eyes. "You may confess your sins now, Captain," she said softly. "I’m ready to cleanse them away for you."
Meanwhile, Edmond’s mind was in complete chaos.
[Why are there so many weapons in here?]
His eyes swept across the cabinet, taking in every whip, cane, and chain lined up inside.
His jaw tightened. [Does she expect me to use one of these on her?]
[Is this what they mean when they say the Saintess takes away people’s sins?]
[What kind of twisted joke is this?!]
His thoughts were filled with anger, and for a brief moment, Rose thought he was angry because he hadn’t done this sooner.
Her hands trembled slightly. Even though she had tried to accept that the Captain probably wouldn’t be any different from everyone else, she still felt disappointed and heartbroken.
"Captain, you—"
Before she could finish her sentence, the whip slipped from Edmond’s hand and landed on the floor with a loud crack.
A second later, Edmond rushed toward her and wrapped his arms tightly around her.
It was the first time he had ever held her so tightly, so her entire body stiffened in surprise.
He was so much bigger than she was that she felt completely surrounded by his embrace.
"I’m sorry," Edmond whispered under his breath. His voice trembled, and Rose could hear him trying to hold back his sobs. "I’m so... so sorry."
His arms tightened around her as if he was afraid she would disappear the moment he let go.
"I didn’t know," he said, his words breaking apart. "I should have known this sooner."
His tears soaked through the shoulder of Rose’s robe.
On the other side, Rose froze in place because someone was crying for her.
He wasn’t crying because he wanted forgiveness. He wasn’t crying because he regretted his own sins.
He was crying because he couldn’t bear to watch the Saintess suffer again and again.
"This isn’t a blessing," he whispered. "This is torture."
For a long moment, Rose remained perfectly still in his arms. Then, little by little, the tension in her body began to fade.
She had spent years preparing herself to be hurt whenever someone stepped into this room, but she had never prepared herself for kindness.
Hesitantly, she raised one trembling hand.
Under normal circumstances, she should have pushed him away and reminded him that they weren’t supposed to touch.
But instead, her fingers gently clung to the back of his shirt.
"Can you..." Her voice caught in her throat. When she tried again, it came out much softer and rougher than she had expected. "Can you... hug me a little tighter?"
Without saying a word, he wrapped his arms around her even more tightly, holding her as gently as he could.
"As tight as you want," he whispered. "I’m not letting go."
The warmth of his embrace surrounded her completely and for the first time in years, Rose felt safe.
Her trembling fingers slowly tightened around the back of his shirt. She buried her face against his chest, listening to the rapid beat of his heart.
He felt so warm and comforting, something she had never felt since the day she set foot in this Temple.
The moment her body finally realized she was safe, the tears she had been holding back for so many years could no longer be contained.
"I... I’m scared," Rose whispered, her voice shaking. "I don’t want to stay here anymore."
The quiet sobs she had tried so hard to hold back slowly grew louder. Her shoulders trembled as years of pain finally poured out of her and before she knew it, she was crying so hard that she could barely catch her breath.
To be honest, she had never imagined she would be able to cry like this, not after forcing herself to stay strong for so many years.
Yet now, buried in Edmond’s embrace, she finally allowed herself to break.
"Please..." she said between her sobs. "Please... take me away from here."
Edmond’s arms tightened around her without hesitation. "I will."
He gently cupped her face, lifting it until he could look into her tear-filled eyes.
With a voice so gentle and sincere that it almost broke her heart, he said, "I will take you away from here. And I won’t let them hurt you anymore."
Rose stared at him in silence. She wanted to believe him more than anything, but after years of living inside the Temple, hope had become something she no longer dared to hold onto.
"They’ll kill you," she whispered, fresh tears sliding down her cheeks. "The Cardinal... he won’t forgive you."
"I know."
"They’ll call you a traitor."
"I know."
"They’ll hunt us down."
"I know."
His answer never changed. He gently wiped away the tears on her face with his thumb.
"Even so," he said with a small smile, "I’d rather spend the rest of my life running with you than live one more day knowing I left you here."
Rose’s lips trembled. "No one has ever..." Her voice cracked. "No one has ever tried to save me from this temple."
Edmond’s eyes softened. "Then let me be the first."
The words shattered the last wall around her heart. Rose threw her arms around him and buried her face against his chest once more, crying harder than before.
Edmond held her close, gently stroking her back as she sobbed. "Let’s never go back here."