Episode 20
“Are you being sarcastic right now?”
Finally, Autumn was the first to speak. That was her chosen move in this awkward situation.
“You’re working hard, and I’m just here, eating and relaxing.”
In other words, to Randel, Rozalynne’s very presence was his “muse.”
“So please, just focus on our time together when we’re together. Of course, right now, I’m not interrupting.”
“Yeah, yeah, I get it. But still, I do have a conscience, you know.”
Autumn approached him, trying to clean up the messy surroundings where he had just put down his pen. Around him were crumpled papers, half-written and abandoned.
“…And you know, the time you spend with me isn’t wasted either.”
Randel added the comment as if to make sure she heard him.
“What?”
“If focusing is hard, just try to recall the memories we’ve made together.”
His words continued, leaving her unsure if he was being serious or teasing. For some reason, they made Autumn feel shy and flustered.
“R-right… haha…”
“I mean…”
He spoke with his usual serious tone, his lips casually curling.
“…I hope you’ll do the same.”
“You…!”
Autumn, who had been listening quietly, suddenly stood up, turning her back to him. Her face had turned red with embarrassment, and she stomped over to Randel.
She shoved the scrapped script in her hand toward him and held out her other hand.
“Then don’t just talk — hand me the next finished script you wrote!”
At her sudden demand, Randel seemed a bit thrown off. He crumpled the scene he was working on, apparently unhappy with how it turned out.
“It’s not ready yet.”
He refused with a grumpy expression.
“But I am the lead character, you know. If you consider my opinions, maybe the final version will be even better?”
At her suggestion, Randel paused, thinking for a moment.
“Honestly! It’s been so long since I got the first script, and there hasn’t even been any progress!”
“…Fine. Let’s do it your way.”
Reluctantly, he pulled a thick stack of papers from under his desk and handed them to her.
Squeeze
Then, holding her hand gently with the papers, he gave her a rare soft smile and gestured toward the sofa.
“But your seat is over there.”
“Fine. Got it.”
Autumn held her chest, trying to calm her fluttering heart. That one simple line from him made her pulse race.
‘That was dangerous just now…’
Worried that the precious script might be damaged, she placed the thick stack on her lap like a treasure.
Pfft
Suddenly, she heard a mocking snort from somewhere.
Turning around, she saw Randel chuckling, clearly amused by how seriously she was treating the script.
Seeing the smirk on his face, Autumn’s eyes fired up again.
‘Let’s see how smug you stay.’
Rustle, rustle
Her fingers flipped through the script faster and more aggressively. She started reading carefully, beginning with the fresh pages where the ink hadn’t dried yet.
“Alright, that’s enough for today.”
“Fine, fine.”
She had finished reading it in no time.
He had clearly written a lot since the last script she received. Autumn stretched and stood up with a big yawn.
When she looked to the side, the sky had already turned dark — and the calm, composed man she was used to seemed completely different now, looking nervous and unsettled.
‘Rozalynne… That castle…!’
“You, are you okay?”
Randel gripped both her shoulders tightly and asked again, his voice firm and concerned.
His raised voice echoed in her ears.
‘Again… Why now? Why are those vague memories returning after being quiet for so long?’
Her head began to ache. It was a symptom she always had whenever memories started coming back.
“A bad memory just came to me. The bell ringing… the mansion burning in the red sky… and thick, black smoke…”
A wave of memories rushed in, and her vision blurred.
Thud
“Rozalynne!”
In the end, Autumn collapsed powerlessly into her seat.
