Chapter 359: If I Could Go Mad for You Once, I Can Do It Again
Her words weren’t very convincing as Enrico’s eyes reflected her blood-stained face.
He lowered his gaze and gently placed his hand on her cheek, slowly wiping away the blood, revealing her pale skin underneath.
He wiped carefully, afraid he might uncover a deep, raw wound.
“…”
Paige sat there watching him. Though he seemed calm, with no visible emotional turbulence, she felt a growing unease, an inexplicable fear.
Enrico, still half-kneeling before her, wiped all the blood off her face. His fingertips rested on her lips, pressing lightly.
Her lips parted, revealing blood between her teeth.
He stared at her intently and asked slowly, “Paige, am I useless?”
Even the men from the Temple in Heaven were able to rescue people, taking her orders and acting on them. But he? He had been tied to a cold balcony, helplessly watching as she was slashed again and again.
“…”
Paige shook her head, her throat filled with the taste of blood.
“It’s out.”
Enrico said softly.
Paige didn’t understand what he meant, but when she followed his gaze, she saw a faint glow swirling around him.
It was the golden wasp.
The golden wasp inside her had flown out through her wound.
The two golden wasps were connected, and now one was circling Enrico, spinning endlessly around him.
Enrico remained kneeling, his brows furrowing as an indescribable pain coursed through his body.
He looked down and rolled up his sleeve.
Paige glanced over and saw his arm swelling in one spot, something was moving beneath his skin. The golden wasp hovered just above, its wings beating rapidly.
“Is there a chance I’ll get my memory back?”
“I’m not entirely sure. It was Miss Paige who treated you. Maybe letting that golden wasp out will restore your memory. But wouldn’t that make the treatment pointless?”
…
Fragments of memory flashed in the firelight.
Enrico looked at the wasp flying around him, then glanced back at Paige. His lips curled into a faint smile. “I thought eventually I’d be better than him, but I guess… I’m still not.”
“…”
Paige was unsettled by his smile, nervously watching him.
What was he saying?
Enrico lowered his gaze to the dagger lying on the ground. He reached out and picked it up.
Paige suddenly understood what he was about to do, her eyes widening in fear. Despite the pain, she grabbed his sleeve, pleading, “No, no, Enrico, no…”
Her voice trembled.
Enrico, still kneeling, his bloodstained shirt clinging to him, looked at her deeply. He gently removed her hand and stroked her face once more. His eyes softened with affection. “It’s okay, Paige. Really.”
“No.”
Tears filled Paige’s eyes as she reached for the dagger, but her hand faltered and fell, unable to stop shaking. “Please, don’t…”
She had never seen anyone do this before, didn’t know what kind of side effects it would have or if it would drive him mad again. She didn’t even know how long it would take to raise another pair of golden wasps or whether this treatment would work again.
She couldn’t afford to gamble, didn’t want to gamble anymore.
But Enrico just smiled while caressing her face. He watched her trembling lips, leaned in, and softly kissed her cheek. His hoarse voice whispered in her ear, “In this world, the one who must protect you most is me. If I can’t, then let the me who can do it.”
“…”
“I was mad for you once; I can go mad for you a second time.”
It wasn’t a big deal.
His nonchalant demeanor was just like before, when she thought she had poisoned him, and he drank without hesitation.
“Don’t, don’t…”
Paige was too weak to do anything but shake her head, her tear-filled eyes pleading with him.
But Enrico’s hand slid down her face, the golden wasp hovering near his left arm, and its movements grew more frantic. The swelling on Enrico’s arm also became more pronounced.
The rising heat from the burning River Town turned the air into a volcano.
Paige watched in terror as Enrico raised the dagger.
“No-”Content rights by NôvelDr//ama.Org.
She cried out hoarsely, her voice filled with despair and helplessness, as tears blurred her vision.
The dagger came down.
Enrico didn’t hold back. The blade sank deep, and with the burst of blood, the tiny golden wasp flew out, joining the other wasp. They spiraled together for a moment before slowly flying away.
“Ah…”
Paige screamed, her voice raw and broken, filled with sorrow and disbelief.
She thought she had protected him.
She thought she had shielded him on this journey, ensuring he would never face the loneliness and pain again.
But in the end, she had failed.
“Why are you crying? Wouldn’t it be better if I used the time to just look at you?”
Enrico chuckled and turned to sit beside her.
The air was thick with the stench of blood and burning flesh, a nauseating mixture of smells.
“…”
Paige was beyond crying, her voice completely gone.
“I feel a bit unwilling,” Enrico muttered, leaning against a large jar. “I still wanted to teach you how to fall in love properly. If I’d known, I would’ve kissed you sooner.”
“…”
Paige closed her eyes, her long lashes trembling, unable to speak.
“If I become a madman again, will you still remember me as I am now?”
Enrico turned to look at her, his eyes filled with longing, like a child staring at a toy he could never have. His gaze was nearly obsessive. “Even if it doesn’t matter, don’t forget me.”
He didn’t want to be so useless. He had intended to get stronger, to build himself up piece by piece.
But in just two months, he had achieved nothing.
Except… falling in love with her all over again.
Paige opened her eyes, meeting his intense gaze. Tears silently streamed down her face.
“Don’t be afraid. I can still heal you.”
“Even if you do, it won’t be the same me, will it?”
Enrico thought about the uncertainty and smiled faintly. He slowly leaned his forehead against hers, closing the distance between them. “Paige, I like you. From the moment you held that umbrella over me, I liked you.”
“…”
Paige’s eyes stung with emotion, her vision clouded by tears once again.
“I’m not a child. I know what kind of like this is-the kind where I wouldn’t trade you for all the models, jellies, and yogurt in the world.”
Enrico confessed, his eyes locked onto hers, the raw sincerity of his words impossible to miss.
In the past two months, never had he spoken with such abandon, with such fearlessness.
Paige sat there, resting her forehead against his, her tears mixing with the blood on her face.
“So remember me.”
Enrico said softly, closing his eyes with a faint smile. He placed the dagger in her hand. “If I hurt you, use this on me. I’ll gladly die at your hands.”