I asked Raye if it's okay to tell my family and Margarette about him.
He just said;
"Tell them, I don't really care."
He waved his hand lazily, as if granting me permission for something trivial. His attitude carried that same detached confidence, like nothing in the world could bother him.
With his permission, I told my father, mother, older sister, and Margarette about Raye.
I told them that Raye is [The Immortal Reaper].
As expected, their eyes widened, and disbelief painted their faces. Their expressions shifted between shock and suspicion, as if they were trying to decide whether I was joking or had lost my mind.
But their doubt quickly turned into horror when Raye suddenly stabbed his own neck with a sword right in front of them.
'Why does he need to stab his neck with a sword just to prove that?'
I frowned deeply, watching the blade slide through his throat without hesitation. My hands trembled a little. The sound of steel cutting through flesh wasn't something I ever wanted to hear again.
Yet Raye stood there, completely unfazed, pulling the sword out and brushing off his robe as if he had merely flicked a speck of dust away.
He casually explained that he wouldn't die, even if he were cut to pieces or burned alive.
'How does he know that?'
The question echoed in my head, but I didn't say it out loud. Somehow, I already knew the answer — he had lived long enough to experience those things.
Anyway, I told them everything: how the bandits attacked my carriage, how I ran into The Immortal's Forest, and how Raye appeared and saved me.
I also mentioned what the bandit leader said before he died — that the attack wasn't random. Someone had planned it.
When I told them about Margarette's survival, explaining that she lived only because Raye made her drink his blood, I braced myself for disgust. But instead, Margarette's eyes shimmered with strange delight.
'Um, Margarette is being weird, maybe because she just got out of a life-threatening condition.'
I decided not to think too deeply about it.
As soon as I finished my story, silence filled the air. Then my family's expressions turned grim.
"So, someone foolish tried to assassinate you, huh..."
Father muttered through gritted teeth. His calm composure barely held together under his anger.
"I'll kill them when I meet them."
My older sister said sharply, her voice filled with fury that didn't match her usual elegance.
"Let's hire an investigator to find whoever that bastard is who tried to assassinate Kyana."
My mother's tone was cold and commanding. She wasn't just angry — she was determined.
Even Margarette, still pale and weak, nodded in agreement.
Seeing them angry for my sake made warmth spread in my chest. For a moment, all the fear and confusion faded away, replaced by the simple comfort of being loved.
But then—
"What are you smiling at like an idiot? You almost died, stupid."
Raye's voice suddenly cut through the atmosphere.
We all turned to look at him.
I frowned.
'What's with his mood swings?'
Sometimes he's angry, sometimes he's sweet, sometimes he's quiet, sometimes calm.
Anyway, my father stepped forward.
"My name is Alger Esmond, a duke here in the Dahlia Empire."
He lowered his head slightly. His movement was refined, dignified — the way only someone of high standing could move. I'd seen that kind of poise countless times, but it still amazed me.
My mother and older sister looked proud, too, watching how gracefully Father handled himself.
"Hm?"
Raye's tone was casual, almost disinterested. Normally, people would stutter or kneel before my father, a duke and a swordmaster.
Yet Raye stood there, meeting his gaze without a hint of hesitation.
Then my father raised his head to look at him directly.
Raye smiled faintly.
"Nice to meet you, Sir Alger Esmond."
"My name is Raye."
He bowed his head lightly, his hand resting over his chest in a fluid, elegant motion. It was so natural that, for a moment, I thought he might have been trained in noble etiquette himself.
I hated to admit it, but he even looked more graceful than Father.
At Raye's calm composure, my mother and sister froze, momentarily forgetting to introduce themselves. Father noticed and gently nudged them.
"This is my wife, Edith Esmond."
Mother flinched slightly at Father's cue but quickly regained her composure. She smiled politely and gave a graceful nod.
"Nice to meet you, Sir Raye."
Her voice was gentle but steady, the voice of a true noblewoman.
Raye smiled in return.
"Nice to meet you too, Madam Edith Esmond."
"And this is my first daughter, Annice Esmond."
My sister followed our mother's lead, bowing slightly with practiced grace.
"It's nice to meet you, Sir Raye."
"It's nice to meet you, Lady Annice Esmond."
Raye's tone remained calm, polite, but there was something in his eyes — amusement, maybe — that made me uneasy.
After the introductions, Raye looked between my father and me.
"Is there something you need, sir?"
He asked.
"We just want to thank you for saving our Kyana."
"Thank you," my father, mother, and sister all said together, bowing their heads.
Raye raised a hand gently.
"Please, raise your heads."
His voice was soft, almost kind.
"Instead, let me thank you all — for being a good family to Kyana."
At his words, my family exchanged confused glances. They all even frowned.
"Do you and Kyana know each other?"
Father asked.
Raye turned toward me with that mischievous smile again...
"We are bound to be together, forever."
THEN HE SUDDENLY SAID THAT!!!
Heat rushed up my neck in embarrassment.
'Why does he always say things like that?!'
My family turned their heads toward me so fast I almost heard their necks crack.
I quickly waved my hands, shaking my head. Then I told them the part I purposely skipped earlier — the part where Raye proposed to me and confessed his so-called love.
...
...
...
*****
We are inside the carriage now, heading toward one of the Esmond family's nearby mansions.
"I thought you were bound to that forest and can't leave."
I asked, glancing sideways at Raye.
He shook his head casually.
"I just stayed in that forest because there are very few people who go there."
His tone was so calm, it was as if he were talking about the weather.
"Do you hate people?"
At my question, Raye smiled brightly, though his eyes didn't quite match the expression.
"I hate everything all the same."
He said it cheerfully, which made it even stranger — like sugar poured over poison.
"Well, except for you. You're the only thing that I love."
He said it with the same bright smile.
I cringed and looked away.
"Um, may I ask you something, Sir Raye?"
My older sister, who had been quietly observing, finally spoke.
"Sure, what is it?"
Raye replied without looking at her, his tone smooth and curious.
"Are you from a noble family?"
At her question, my curiosity sharpened. I turned toward him too, wanting to know the answer. Everything about him — his posture, speech, manners — screamed nobility.
Raye noticed my gaze and chuckled softly.
"Indeed, I'm from a noble family."
Our eyes widened. The Immortal Reaper — a noble? That revelation alone was hard to believe.
"Could you tell us what family you're from? Does it still exist until now?"
My sister asked eagerly.
Raye smiled mischievously, raising his finger to his lips.
"It's a secret."
His teasing tone made it clear he wouldn't tell us no matter how much we pried.
"But I can tell you that I'm also a noble from the Dahlia Empire."
He added casually, as if he had just revealed something minor.
Our interest only grew stronger, but we knew there was no point asking further. He wouldn't answer anyway.
Meanwhile, Father and Mother went to the capital to hire an investigator.
Father invited Raye to come with us, and since Raye didn't refuse, he joined us on the way to the Esmond household.
The journey was quiet — peaceful, even. Nothing eventful happened, though Raye occasionally tried to flirt with me, throwing in teasing lines whenever the silence stretched too long.
Annice just smiled quietly, watching us with a knowing look that made me feel both embarrassed and irritated.