Summer Must Die - Chapter 17
“Ugh!”
“Ha.”
Still, it was a lady his friend desperately asked to save, so what could he do? Russell let out a short breath and brought over the coat he had taken off, draping it around Summer.
Summer coughed so violently that her shoulders heaved as if they would dislocate.
In the end, Russell patted Summer’s back until her coughing subsided.
After a while, when her breathing returned, Summer soon shot Russell a resentful look.
“And who might you be?”
“Russell Bertrand of the Bertrand ducal family.”
“Ah. I know.”
Summer made all sorts of haughty expressions and turned her head away abruptly.
From Ian Lancaster to Russell Bertrand. Just who were these people, breaking the rules of the world to save her?
In this world, Russell Bertrand was kind, polite, highly educated, transparent and pure, while also being someone you wanted to bully – literally a person who had it all.
That is, that’s what people living in this world knew about him.
“If you really want to die that badly, try again after I’ve completely left the Lindsey estate.”
“Ha. Don’t worry. I have no intention of causing trouble.”
“You’ve already caused trouble from the moment my body got wet, Lady Lindsey.”
However, the Russell set up by the author was a bit different.
Though he looked so pure that he seemed like he might shed tears at any moment, his words were quite cold.
Rather, Ian Lancaster, said to be colder than an ice wall, was an emotional character throughout the work, grieving over the death of a comrade, sharpening the blade of revenge, and suffering and wavering as he couldn’t define his own turbulent emotions.
Russell? To put it nicely, he was reason itself.
How could Russell be in charge of administration? It was possible because he was the type to seek the greatest benefit and stability for the majority without considering everyone’s individual circumstances.
In exchange for his lack of empathy, he gained a head with quick judgment and cold reason.
“Did I ask you to save me, to help me?”
“It was a situation where I had to save you. If not, I would have been investigated on charges of murdering a noble.”
His words, spoken with a pure smile, were bizarre.
The Russell Bertrand Summer saw was a cold person. He was law-abiding and moral, but lacked morality.
A well-socialized psychopath.
“Damn it.”
Summer hung her head low.
To confess now, Summer liked Russell Bertrand the most among the men around the female lead. It was a fondness only possible because he was a character in a book, not reality.
How to put it, if Ian Lancaster gave the feeling of holding ice in your mouth while sitting in front of a bonfire, Russell Bertrand gave a very bitter taste with a momentarily sweet aftertaste.
“I expressed myself a bit harshly. I didn’t think you’d understand what you were doing otherwise.”
“And what was I about to do?”
“You were about to inflict an incurable wound on many people. I would have witnessed someone dying before my eyes, and the innocent maids preparing for the picnic would have fainted from guilt at not being able to protect their lady.”
“…”
“Can’t you stop such behavior?”
Russell Bertrand’s voice was very proper. There was nothing to fault in his tone or expression.
He didn’t say anything wrong, but he truly had no talent for comforting people.
Summer curled up and spoke as if making an excuse.
“I can’t help it. It may sound like an excuse, but I really wasn’t trying to die.”
“Fine. Then what were you trying to do?”
“…”
“Seems it’s a secret you can’t talk about.”
“That’s right.”
Summer nodded obediently and lowered the corners of her eyes.
Russell Bertrand reached out and pulled Summer towards him.
The warmth of the woman named Summer, who quietly nestled into his arms without resistance and lowered her gaze to the ground, transmitted to his side.
To Russell, Summer felt just like a cat.
“May I ask why you tried to shake me off when I grabbed you under the lake?”
“Of course I had to shake you off! I was so surprised. What if some stranger jumps in to save me and dies! Don’t do that again in the future.”
Russell found Summer a bit amusing.
“A person sinking in water thought that?”
“Of course! I did it on purpose, but you didn’t. If you die, the whole world will be sad.”
Summer’s blue eyes reflected Russell. To Russell, his reflection in those deep blue eyes looked as if he had fallen into a vast ocean.
“And you. Did you not think of those who would be sad if you died?”
“I’ve made arrangements so that no one will be sad if I die, so my situation is different from yours.”
What arrangements? This world is just a book, just text anyway.
Even if Summer Lindsey disappears, this world will create and give birth to another being under the author’s imagination.
Then there will be no one in this world to remember and mourn the soul trapped in Summer’s body.
The world will go on and be filled by someone else.
“Arrangements?”
“Even if I disappear from this world, not a single person will be sad.”
“I would be sad.”
“…”
“Is it not enough that I would mourn your death?”
A light breeze blew. Though their bodies were wet, it wasn’t cold, perhaps because of the warm heat rising from where they touched.
The grass collided and yellow wildflowers swayed. The scent of flowers was carried on the wind.
Until the wind died down, Summer and Russell did not take their eyes off each other. As if engraving each other deep in their hearts.
“…I’ve never thought about it. That someone would be sad if I disappeared from this world.”
“Think about it slowly. To confess one thing, I hope there will continue to be time I spend with you in the future.”
As soon as he finished speaking, Russell lifted Summer in his arms. Summer was startled and looked at Russell’s face that had come closer.
“I can walk!”
“Your dress will be heavy from absorbing water.”
Russell didn’t look strained at all. Summer suspiciously lifted the hem of her skirt slightly.
Her hand trembled as she lifted the skirt, having absorbed so much water.
“Then I’ll trouble you just a little.”
Summer meekly nestled into Russell’s arms with an embarrassed face.
“Then will you give me something in return?”
“What do you want?”
“Your time is enough.”
“How much?”
“One week.”
“How should I give you my time?”
In the distance, two maids who had spotted Russell and Summer could be seen running over frantically. Russell quickly whispered his final words in Summer’s ear.
“Think only of me for one week.”
“…What do you,”
“My lady!”
Just as Summer was about to say something, Daisy’s scream-like shout was heard.
“It’s time to part. Take care, Lady Lindsey.”
“…Thank you for your help.”
“Next time we meet, will you allow me to know your name?”
“Do as you please.”
It’s not like they’ll meet again anyway.
Summer gritted her teeth, determined that next time she would find a place without people and return to her original world no matter what.
Daisy and Mary, who had come running, quickly grabbed Summer’s arms. Summer headed towards the waiting carriage nearby, supported by Daisy and Mary.
When Summer glanced back, Russell had already disappeared.
The plan had failed twice now.
Summer closed her tired eyes as soon as she boarded the carriage.
She needed to return to her original world soon. But she had been held in this world twice now by the sudden appearance of the main characters.
“Terrible.”
Long streams of transparent water flowed and fell from her closed eyes.
[This is the timeline separator]“What? You failed again?”
When she returned, Fei was sitting by the window drinking coffee.
“That’s how it turned out, Fei.”
“Hmm, don’t be hasty. There are still a few months left, right?”
Somehow, Fei seemed a bit pleased. Summer ignored Fei, who didn’t even understand her feelings, and lay down on the bed, pulling the covers over her head.
There were two coats in the room. One was Ian Lancaster’s jacket with all the buttons fallen off, and the other was Russell Bertrand’s coat with the fabric ruined from getting wet.
Suddenly, anger welled up. Summer abruptly got up and irritably pulled the bell cord.
Soon, Mary entered the room and calmly waited for Summer’s instructions. Her attitude was as if she had neither seen nor heard anything about what had happened today.
Summer pointed at the coats and bit her lip hard. Damn novel. Damn male leads.
“Throw away both of those coats.”
“Understood.”
“And forget about this incident. You can think I’ve gone mad if you want.”
“Yes.”
“And don’t try to stop me no matter what I do. Your lady will have to continue doing those terrible things from now on.”
“…”
Mary gathered the clothes and left without showing any surprise at Summer’s words.
Rather, it was Fei who was startled by Summer’s sharp voice.
“Why are you like this when there’s still plenty of time left!”
The anxiety Summer had been holding back finally burst out at Fei’s reproach.
“What if I can’t go back!”
Summer, who had shouted, breathed heavily. She didn’t need the soft sheets, delicious food, maids, none of it.
Every time she steeled herself to do something, being stopped felt like the author’s trick, as if even her life wouldn’t go as she wished.
“I’m holding onto Summer’s soul well, and there’s still plenty of time until the book ends.”
“It’s not even a year, just 6 months. Now it’s more like 5 months.”
“Don’t worry. If worst comes to worst, I’ll kill you myself.”
At Fei’s words, Summer was dazed for a moment before slowly raising the corners of her mouth.
Like a flower slowly blooming, Summer clapped her hands together and exclaimed joyfully right after:
“That’s right! Why didn’t I think of that?”
“Huh?”
“You can just kill me, Fei!”
Why She Is Still Unmoved (Female-dominant)
One-line summary: He uses various methods to seek her affection, but she remains unmoved.
Synopsis:
Si Qingyu is a doctor who has saved countless lives and enjoys tranquility.
Luo Shaoxuan is ruthless, deeply scheming, and the top young master in the capital. He admires Si Qingyu.
Luo Shaoxuan: I want to be the only one in your eyes and heart.
Features a cold and calm female lead vs A noble and scheming male lead.
There will be both sweetness and torture towards the male after their marriage.
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