Cinderella Story [Wriothesley x Reader]

Page 10 - II

 "Emil, what did you do to me?" you asked, slightly panicked.

"I just made sure our escape would be successful," he answered, unconcerned, while your insides suddenly revolted and you felt like throwing up.

"Did you... did you give me something, Emil?" you asked him point blank. "Was that really lime extract?"

He looked at you for a moment with regret in his eyes, before he answered your question truthfully, to your horror. "It wasn't. I'm really sorry."

"You drugged me?" Your shock gave you the sudden strength to finally sit up completely and you faced your best friend wide-eyed and mouth open.

"It was only for your best, please believe me!" Emil said your name in a pleading manner, wanting you to listen to him, to understand him. "I only want what's best for you! Even if you are confused and if you're being manipulated, I'll never stop doing what's best for you!"

"You fucking drugged me! How is that what's best for me?" The anger started burning away the cotton that was still clouding your mind, and slowly it cleared your head and allowed you to think straight again.

"Please trust me. You know you can trust me, right?" Emil's expression was so sad that usually you'd have felt bad for him, but right now, there was no room for that. Your shock and anger filled you up to the brim.

You turned your head to see where exactly you were. Clearly you were on the waterway leaving the City of Fontaine in the direction of Sumeru, and you were quite far away already, as you could see Mont Automnequi behind you. You faced Emil again.

"Turn around." Nothing. He didn't stop rowing, just looked at you with the same sad expression, but not saying a word. "Turn around right now, Emil!"

Finally, he decided to give you an answer. "I can't. The only way we can go now is forward."

"Your boat is literally small enough to turn around, so you better do that right now!!" Costing you much of your limited strength you still managed to sit up on your knees and crawl forward on shaking arms and legs, just to face Emil more directly and look into his face.

He said your name, angrily. "I meant that metaphorically! We can't turn around now! Everything will turn to shit if we do that!"

"Why?" you asked, still burning up with anger.

"Because you'll be brainwashed even more!" He finally stopped his rowing, let go of the oars and scooted closer to you. His hands grabbed your upper arms. "You don't even recognize me anymore! You don't see me for me anymore!"

You found yourself being disgusted by his touch, so you shook off his hands violently. "Of course I do, Emil. I know exactly who you are!"

Emil just grabbed your hands instead and squeezed them. This time you let him, thinking it might help in getting through to him. But he continued just like before. "Then why do you want to stay? And with that guy of all men?"

"Because..."

Because I love him.

But you didn't say that. Instead, you ended your sentence differently. "Because he is a good man. He protects me. He helps me. He makes me feel safe and at home. He's being good to me and for me."

"And what about me?"

"What do you mean?" You were taken aback.

"I love you," Emil suddenly confessed to you. "I've loved you ever since that first day you came down to Fleuve Cendre. I'd do anything for you. I did anything for you."