This quack of a physician!
If she hadn’t said anything, would he really have sewn up raw flesh without anesthesia?
Irritated, Lizelle glared at the physician with fiery eyes, watching his every move.
It was as if she was warning him that even a single misplaced stitch wouldn’t be forgiven.
“Haha, anyone would think you’re the one who got hurt if they saw you right now.”
Chase finally burst out laughing.
The injured party himself was entirely unbothered, yet here she was, acting as though someone was on the verge of death.
It was so cute and lovely that he couldn’t help but laugh.
“Hahaha.”
Chase continued to burst out laughing. So loudly that his shoulders shook violently.
The physician, undeterred by their conversation, remained focused on his task.
He injected anesthetic around the wound and waited for it to take effect, seemingly indifferent to whatever they were saying.
Lizelle, however, stared at Chase in bewilderment.
“Why are you laughing? Did the anesthetic hurt?”
Lizelle, genuinely worried, examined his expression.
“Are you the anesthetic?”
Chase asked, barely managing to stop his laughter.
He always thought being alone was comfortable and natural. That’s what he believed all his life… until now.
It wasn’t that he disliked company—it was simply an experience he’d never had before.
Having someone who cared for him and worried about him was, in itself, a source of great comfort.
As that realization settled in his heart, he felt fuller than he ever had before.
“What do you mean by that?”
“The reason I’m laughing is you.”
As expected, she was so kind.
Her kindness always set his heart racing.
Ah, really… he was no match for her. He liked her far too much.
The treatment room fell into silence.
The physician, now beginning to stitch, shivered uncontrollably at Chase’s words.
Though he told himself not to get involved in romantic affairs, he couldn’t help but be affected. Still, he focused intently on his task.
Meanwhile, Lizelle blinked, staring blankly at Chase.
What had she just heard? How was she supposed to interpret his words?
Unlike her swirling confusion, Chase simply smiled, as though everything was perfectly normal.
Lizelle wanted to ask him what he meant, but she couldn’t bring herself to speak.
She had a feeling that saying anything would lead to something irreversible.
The problem was, she didn’t even know what that ‘something’ was.
“…Um, I must’ve been really amusing. While you’re at it, make sure you take care of his face too—it’s injured.”
Finally regaining her composure, Lizelle requested the physician to treat Chase’s face and quickly left the treatment room.
Clack.
As soon as the door closed behind her, her legs gave out, and she slid to the floor.
‘The reason I’m laughing is you.’
His voice kept echoing in her ears.
Thump.
Thump? Startled, Lizelle clutched her chest tightly.
It was as if her heart had moved to her fingertips, pounding even harder.
“What’s wrong with me? Am I going crazy?”
She pressed her hand to her chest, trying to calm her racing heart.
Why was her heart beating so fast all of a sudden?
Could it be…
“No way, right? That’s ridiculous.”
It was just a relationship bound by a contract.
He hadn’t shown any particular emotions either…
Why did he say things like that so casually, catching her off guard?
“This man must have a knack for unsettling people…”
The same thing happened when he drunkenly muttered nonsense, and now this.
He’d say random things without a care and leave her to figure out their meaning.
Was he teasing her at this point?
Trying hard to steady her heartbeat, Lizelle abruptly stood.
Then, she retraced her steps back the way she came.
Between the windows lining the corridor she could see the red glow of the setting sun painting the sky.
Just like the fleeting red of the sunset that briefly colored the once-blue sky, she told herself this pounding in her chest would only be momentary.
* * *
“Fuck, fuck!”
A masked man sprinted through the forest, running as fast as he could.
Amidst the chaos of the attack on the duke, he fled.
From a distance, he watched his comrades fall, powerless, one by one.
Blood spilled as they were struck down by the knights and the duke’s blade.
Everyone gathered for today’s mission died. Except for him…
Having witnessed the slaughter, he had no choice but to run for his life.
The assassination attempt failed miserably.
The assassination attempt on the Duke of Chase and his nephew was initiated without any specific plan in the first place.
He’d suggested to the guild leader that it was too reckless but was ignored.
He said that since the Duke was on an outing, it was their chance to get through his tight security.
That wasn’t a wrong assumption.
Breaking through the defenses of the duke’s estate was nearly impossible, even for a highly skilled assassin.
Particularly because the estate was the center of the duke’s power and influence, attempting an assassination there was suicidal.
So, it made sense to strike while they were outside. But an unplanned, impulsive attempt was bound to fail.
As soon as the ambush began, numerous knights appeared to protect the duke. Far more than they anticipated.
It was absurd to assassinate someone without even properly verifying the number of knights present.
“Huff… huff…”
Though his breath was ragged, the man didn’t stop running.
He had to escape the forest before the knights, who cut down his comrades, found him.
After running for a while, he entered a secluded part of the forest.
He continued, going deeper and deeper into the forest.
As he kept walking through the densely packed trees, the hideout came into view.
By the time he arrived he was already drenched in sweat.
“Master!”
He rushed down to the basement and opened the door with a spider pattern on it.
“What is it?”
Brax raised an eyebrow, displeased at the sight of his panting subordinate.
“We’re in big trouble. Most of the guild members were killed…”
“What? Were we ambushed?”
“Th-that’s not it… We received intelligence that the Duke and his nephew were visiting the Smactor shopping district today, so we attempted to assassinate them, but…”
“You fools!”
Brax, who knew nothing of this operation, grew furious as he pieced together the situation.
Not only had they gone behind his back to attempt an assassination, but they also failed.
This failure risked exposing the guild’s identity, a secret they’d painstakingly kept hidden until now.
“I’m sorry. I’m really sorry…”
The guild member knelt down in front of Brax, face pale.
Brax’s jaw clenched in rage.
Even the sound of teeth grinding could be heard.
Because of these idiots, his lifelong dream was on the verge of being ruined.
If only Hazen were here…
Brax clenched his fist so tightly that his veins bulged and slammed it against the chair armrest.
Thud.
The sound echoed throughout the basement.
Brax wanted nothing more than to cut off the trembling bastard’s head.
His losses were enormous due to these useless things.
But now was not the time. He still had some use for them.
“Burn this place down and follow me.”
“W-what?”
“Because of you fools, the knights of Halos will soon storm this place!”
It wouldn’t be long before they discovered the hideout.
The corpses would serve as evidence and lead them there.
This location was no longer safe. They had to destroy it and make a new plan.
“Understood! Right away!”
Realizing the gravity of the situation, the subordinate scrambled to his feet.
Brax held back the murderous intent that was rising in his gleaming eyes. He suppressed his urge to kill the man then and there.
“Find out who’s left and gather them all.”
Brax shouted out his order as he left the basement, fists trembling.
‘If I keep relying on these fools, I’ll be the one who ends up dead.’
He yanked off the mask he was wearing.
Then he carelessly threw it down the stairs leading to the basement.
The rapidly setting sun dyed his black hair red.
“I won’t let this go.”
He strode forward with heavy steps. It was time for him to take matters into his own hands.
* * *
“For the time being, your hand is going to be quite inconvenient.”
Lizelle said, watching Chase who was sitting across from her.
His hand was wrapped tightly in bandages after he received treatment.
According to the physician, the wound was deep enough that even slight pressure could reopen the stitches.
“It will heal quickly. Please, don’t worry yourself too much.”
“Who said I was worried…”
Lizelle grumbled with a flustered expression and turned her head away.
