Chapter 4

A Hunter Who Resembles a Priest

“Enough.”

Only then did Riche finally set the syringe back down.

There was no need to administer the painkiller.

“When will he regain consciousness?”

“He should wake up within an hour or two at most.”

“Once awake, will all his senses be intact, or will he be little more than a beating heart?”

“…All his senses will be intact. He’ll be able to feel pain as well.”

Riche, quick to catch on, added exactly the part the Grand Duke wanted to know.

The Grand Duke looked down coldly at the assassin lying on the operating table like a corpse.

He even reached out and tidied the dried strands of hair stuck to the man’s forehead.

He treated him like the dead.

His gestures and expressions were so serene they seemed almost holy.

A hunter who resembled a priest.

Could there be a stranger combination in this world?

“From my experience, getting shot in that area hurts the most.”

When the man spoke in an offhanded tone, Riche wasn’t sure how to respond.

It was all the harder because she remembered he had once been a sniper.

Whether friend or foe, snipers were always hated.

“Leave.”

At the Grand Duke’s dismissal, Riche pulled on the rusty doorknob and exited the underground chamber.

Creeeak.

The wooden door closed with a groan.

No sounds came from the basement.

Only silence.

An unnatural, chilling silence more terrifying than any scream.

Riche stood there, waiting for the Grand Duke to emerge.

How much time had passed?

Eventually, the Grand Duke opened the door and stepped out of the underground storage.

Half his face was shrouded in murky darkness; the other half was bathed in vivid light.

“Your skills exceeded my expectations.”

“…… Thank you.”

“Seems like Kian finally picked the right person this time.”

At first, it didn’t even feel real that he was complimenting her.

“There’s something else I’d like to entrust to you next.”

“Right now….?”

It was still too soon to let her guard down.

“Come here for a moment.”

The Grand Duke lowered his head slightly.

When the black shadow of him gently covered her face, her palms began to sweat again.

It felt like he was about to share an incredibly important secret.

His warm breath only made her body freeze even more.

As even the fine hairs on her skin stood on edge, the man whispered something.

“With me…..”

At the end of his words, the corners of his mouth curled up, unable to hide his amusement.

Meanwhile, Riche stood frozen with a bewildered expression.

* * *

Trickle—

Dark red tea filled the teacup slowly from the bottom.

The flow of water from the slender spout of the teapot was so steady it seemed unnatural.

Riche glanced at the maid pouring the tea.

From the expressionless face that barely resembled a human’s, she could tell how well-trained the maids of the Grand Duke’s estate were.

They were like furniture — neither speaking, listening, nor thinking.

She turned her gaze away and looked around the reception room that spread out like a backdrop.

Three walls were covered with plain ivory wallpaper.

One side led out to a terrace with a clear view.

In case of emergency, that was probably the escape route.

She automatically analyzed the room’s layout.

At the same time, something about how openly that terrace was placed — almost as if inviting her to flee — left her uneasy.

“Drink.”

The task the Grand Duke wanted to entrust to her was none other than —

Drinking tea with him in the reception room.

The moment he whispered the offer into her ear, the tension in her body seemed to dissolve, and her soul and energy drained away together.

“…… Thank you.”

She didn’t want to eat or drink anything at all.

But she had no right to refuse his hospitality.

She put a butter cookie into her mouth.

The sweet, greasy flavor grew stronger the more she chewed, but because of her constant wariness, it felt like she was chewing dirt.

The Grand Duke immediately noticed the shift in her expression.

“Does it not suit your taste?”

“No. It’s excellent.”

He slightly furrowed his brow, seemingly dissatisfied with her answer.

Riche quickly added,

“I had a heavy breakfast this morning, so it’s sitting a little heavy.”

“…… That makes sense.”

Her fingers twitched slightly, but she quickly clasped her hands together, pretending composure.

“I’ve seen it before. Just being able to sit there without throwing up is impressive enough.”

It sounded half like praise, half like mockery.

The Grand Duke leaned back deeply into his chair and crossed his long legs.

Propping his chin on one hand, he watched her eat and drink from beginning to end.

His posture wasn’t exactly refined, but it didn’t feel crude either.

He made no effort to hide the fact that he was openly observing her.

Staring directly at others was considered rude, but who could call out rudeness when it was committed by the only Grand Duke in the country — and the trusted strategist of the Führer, the man who could make even birds fall from the sky?

His tone, his expression, his every gesture — all of it set the standard for what was acceptable.

The guest was meant to eat and drink, while the host silently watched.

Each played their role faithfully.

Then, when the Grand Duke’s gaze shifted to something beyond Riche’s shoulder, she naturally turned her body to follow.

At the end of her gaze, she saw a large dog.

“Leopold. Come here.”

From head to toe, the dog’s fur was completely jet-black.

Despite the length of the fur, not a single tuft was tangled; each strand lay smoothly in one direction.

The sleek, glossy coat reflected the light from the chandelier.

Its round, glassy eyes fixed on Riche.

Soon, its moist nose began to sniff the scent of the unfamiliar intruder.

In that instant, a glint flashed in the black pearl-like eyes.

Clear hostility.

Grrr…

The dog’s mouth split wide open, revealing sharp fangs beneath bright pink gums as it growled.

Grrrr…

The dog barked so fiercely it seemed like the whole reception room would shake.

Its ears and tail stood straight up, and it braced its hind legs, looking ready to pounce at any moment.

Startled, Riche rose from her seat.

She hadn’t heard anything about the Grand Duke keeping a dog in his mansion.

“Leopold.”

The Grand Duke called the dog’s name in a coaxing tone.

Would that really be enough?

Surprisingly, the black dog immediately lowered its ears and sat obediently at the man’s feet.

It was absolute submission to its master.

“Apologies. It seems the scent of blood on your clothes upset him.”

“Ah……”

Maybe she had grown too accustomed to the smell of blood.

She could only catch the faint, sweet scent of the tea — nothing else.

Surely, the dog couldn’t possibly know her true identity.

It was an interesting coincidence, but it still made her spine prickle.

Then something even more astonishing happened.

The Grand Duke lightly crumbled a cookie in his hand and gave it to the dog.

Leopold eagerly licked up the treat with his long tongue.

Woof! Woof! Woof!

Riche watched the scene in bewilderment before finally asking,

“Is it alright to give dogs food like that?”

“Of course. They were born to eat human food in the first place.”

It was a strangely meaningful answer.

“Are you aware that I serve as a technical advisor for Sobek?”

Of course, she knew.

“Leopold is a military dog, bred to have a strong resistance to poison. He can detect toxins that even silverware cannot.”

“Ah.”

“We selectively bred a naturally occurring mutant from the northern forests. It’s still in the experimental phase and hasn’t been widely deployed yet.”

If Atlantia was renowned as an economic power blessed with fertile lands, Sobek was famous across the continent for its unmatched military strength and technological prowess.

Knowing it in theory was one thing; seeing it firsthand made it both fascinating and chilling.

Whether he noticed her thoughts or not, the Grand Duke gave a cold smile.

“Is this the first time you’ve seen a dog like this?”

“Yes. It’s my first time.”

She answered reflexively, then paused, struck by a sense of wrongness.

Everything he said — she had never heard any of it before.

She hadn’t known the Sobek military was developing such specialized dogs.

Nor that the Grand Duke, the head of that military, kept one in his personal residence.

All of it was classified information.

And yet, the Grand Duke was voluntarily revealing sensitive details himself.

Why?

The question wrapped around her ankles like chains, steadily climbing higher.

Riche once again met the Grand Duke’s gaze head-on.

Even swallowing felt painfully loud.

“…… Pardon the question, but is it really alright for a civilian like me to know this?”

“Of course not.”

He spoke as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

“Imprisonment. Minimum of twenty years.”

“Of course, that’s only if the information is leaked externally.”

After saying this, he set down his teacup without a sound.

Even such a small movement was so perfectly controlled, it left no trace.

It was both fascinating and unsettling.

“Still, you don’t seem like the type to spread it around.”

Riche could hardly believe her ears.

Her blue eyes blended once again into the Grand Duke’s gray ones.

“You trust me?”

“Is that so wrong?”

His reply was so straightforward that her carefully framed question seemed ridiculous.

Her mind went completely blank.

Trusting someone you had only known for less than ten minutes — it was far beyond irrational.

To be continued in the next chapter▶