(Rosalia side)
Maybe, it really was Vern-san who came. And this is my golden chance to escape from this man's hands.
I moved both of my hands very slowly, so the man wouldn't notice.
And after the bindings came off, I stood up and began tidying my already messy clothes.
If it's this messy, then how many times have I been carried?
Even the lower part of my clothes was slightly torn, maybe because it brushed against something hard.
Yet this dress is one of my favorites—the one I wore to go out with Lotte.
I can no longer deny that I truly have romantic feelings for Lotte.
Because I feel comfortable with him, I chose my favorite dress.
As proof that I didn't think of today's date as just a casual outing.
Whether he realized it or not, he has never once complimented my outfit.
He could've at least said that my clothes looked nice on me, or that I looked cute.
If not, it feels like I dressed up only because I happened to have this one outfit.
I-it's not like I like being praised by others... it's just that, when it comes to clothes, please give me your opinion next time.
Hearing a man's thoughts about a woman's outfit—it feels reassuring and makes me happy.
Because it makes me feel that my appearance today is being acknowledged by him.
And I can also think that he doesn't find me pretty or cute. That's why I want to be praised.
If I could meet him right now, honestly, I want to tell him that I'm truly terrified.
When I was kidnapped like this, memories from my past started flashing through my mind—
—making me restless and afraid.
That's why, when I meet him again, I want to hug him right away.
As proof that I don't blame this incident on him... and proof that I want to be saved by him too.
——
(Yukito side)
I went to one of the doors at the end of this place, because usually this room is the one most often used.
Well, it's just pure instinct and guesswork, there's no solid proof.
But I feel very sure that the room I'm heading to is where Rosa-chan was kidnapped.
Click. I tried turning the doorknob, but the door wouldn't open.
I tried several times to open it, but nothing happened.
This room seemed to be locked from the inside, so that no one from outside could enter.
That made me even more suspicious and curious about what was behind this door.
There's a possibility it's just an empty room that's been locked for a long time, but that's only my second guess.
The first one—obviously, Rosa-chan is inside.
I stepped back a few paces, taking position to ram the door open.
There wasn't much time left that I could use, so this was the best choice.
Also, I know the trick to breaking down a door so that my body doesn't hurt too much.
I don't exercise often, but when it comes to things like this, I have strong faith in my own strength.
——
(Rosalia side)
I didn't stand up right away, but waited for the door of this room to open first.
Unless there's…
Ah, found it!
Not far from me, I saw a dusty book—it was quite large and very thick.
Perfect to use as a tool to hit this man's head.
If I only relied on my own punches, probably no way.
I'm completely certain that I wouldn't be able to hit this man hard enough to make him fall.
That's why, I've been looking for a large, blunt object for a while, and I finally found this book.
From its appearance, this book is perfect because it's thick.
And if I swing this book toward the back of his head, it would feel like getting hit by something very hard.
Maybe the impact would be as strong as getting hit by metal.
So, when Vern-san comes in, I'll stand up and attack this man.
This is the most perfect plan I can think of right now. And the success rate is almost entirely certain.
Now I just have to wait—to see who will enter this room.
——
(Yukito side)
"Huh…" I took a slow breath, preparing myself to forcefully break down this door.
One… two… three… bang!
At the first push, a loud sound echoed in my ears. But the door was still standing.
However, the middle part of the door was slightly damaged from the impact of my body just now.
I take back what I said earlier about breaking doors not being painful.
That one really hurt. My whole body felt like it was shaken by an earthquake.
It made my head a bit dizzy. Though, that dizziness disappeared quickly.
Bang! I rammed it a second time, and the door broke.
After breaking, the door fell inward into the room. And I saw a man standing behind it, which shocked me.
Not because of the man—but because of the girl standing behind him, holding a very thick book.
From her movements, she looked like she was about to take that man's life.
Because I couldn't process what was happening, I didn't move and just stood there, frozen.
In an instant, the girl swung the book she was holding straight at the back of the man's head.
Startled and struck hard on the head, the man slowly collapsed to the floor.
His head landed near where I was standing, his face completely powerless.
Well, it's understandable—getting hit from behind with a thick book like that.
After seeing the man's face, I turned my gaze to the girl who had just struck him.
She was incredibly brave to do something like that—what made her able to go that far?
Usually, most girls would be terrified at the thought of hurting someone.
But this girl—she hit him without hesitation, like she had no mercy.
I looked at her face, and that made me even more shocked.
"Rosa...chan?" I said, unable to believe what I was seeing.
A girl shorter than me in height.
Her hair was bright yellow, she wore a dark blue frilly dress that reached her knees, and short black shoes.
There's no mistaking it—the one standing before me was Rosa-chan, the very person I was looking for.
Rosa-chan also looked at me, and she dropped the thick book she was holding.
I could see her eyes glistening, trembling in fear.
And sure enough, moments later, she began to cry softly. I could see her cheeks wet with tears.
Then, she ran toward me and, with her small hands, hugged me tightly.
Of course, I was utterly shocked, seeing her suddenly hugging me for no apparent reason.
Because I had never seen Rosa-chan like this before.
If she was scared, that was natural for her to feel.
After all, she had been kidnapped once when she was little. This incident could very well be her biggest trauma in life.
—
I responded by wrapping my arms around her, giving her a hug in return.
And I gently stroked her head, trying to comfort her.
It's okay… I'll let her release all the emotions she's feeling right now.