Edited

26. Strange Hobby (1)

“You’re late.”

I couldn’t bear the silence that followed, so I blurted out that he was late. Once I said it, it felt childish and embarrassing.

With an expression that couldn’t be read, he responded.

“Was I late? I don’t think so. I came to find something precious.”

He referred to it as ‘something’, not ‘someone’. It was a subtle difference, but enough to distinguish.

To him, I was nothing more than blood.

As I was brushing off my arm, he grabbed my hand.

“Who did that? Are there any other minor injuries?”

There were faint scratches on my arm. They were all from inside the warehouse.

I tried to pull away, but he stubbornly insisted, not letting go of my arm. It seemed like he wouldn’t let go until I answered.

“It’s nothing. You don’t have to worry about it.”

“…I wish you had told me clearly. As you said, I have my share of responsibility for your health. And your body is no longer yours alone.”

He spoke in a tender tone.

He gestured to the group standing behind him. There were more members of the support team than before. Among them was even a doctor.

“Treat her.”

He gestured to the doctor who had been waiting.

Why is he doing this?

It’s too excessive to call a doctor for a minor scratch on my arm.

“Young Lady, are you okay? Was your abdomen pierced?”

The doctor placed their medical bag down and spoke.

My gaze lowered, and I noticed that my clothes were drenched.

When I clenched my clothes, blood stained my palm. It must be the blood splatters from earlier.

“It’s not my blood.”

“…Is your swordsmanship so impressive that you can say that? I thought you were only passionate about carving scarecrows.”

You saw it too?

It seems that Suren’s words about constantly monitoring me weren’t nonsense after all.

The doctor applied medicine to my wounds and wrapped them with a clean cloth.

The treatment was over, but he continued to stare at me. His cold expression still hadn’t thawed.

Every time I glanced at him, our eyes met. I tried to avoid his gaze, but it was futile.

He finally spoke while silently observing me.

“You always try to disappear in front of me. And end up getting hurt… What should I do with you?”

His warm hand gently stroked my head. Unlike his warm touch, his eyes remained chilling.

“You’re restless if I don’t release you from being watched. If I do, you jump over the fence and run away every time. What do you think I should do?”

“…Did you also raise animals in the North? I haven’t seen any.”

When I peeled off the bandage, his lips twitched with a hint of annoyance.
“I have a rabbit that I raise.”

He treated me like a domesticated animal.

“Should I cut off your legs so you can’t run? Like you accidentally got caught in a trap. Should I disguise it as an accident then confine you inside the fence? It wouldn’t be bad to raise you comfortably within it; I can become a good owner. Not being able to cross the fence is due to the injured leg, not my fault.”

His softly uttered words didn’t sound like a joke.

I swallowed my saliva.

“But you still need the Duke, don’t you? A healthy rabbit… right?”

“That’s right. And that’s the problem.”

He smiled with a chilling beauty.

“Because I want you desperately. Because you’re an indispensable existence. Without you, I can’t live.”

His languid tone reverberated in the air.

It was a romantic statement. It seemed like the kind of love that others would perceive as an eternal love.

Whispering into my ear, it looked quite convincing, like a plausible lover.

And it wasn’t just my imagination.

The eyes of Young Ladies, watching us from afar, were shining.

While everyone else was spending time with their families, far away, Lady Arin, the Countess of Arin, stood alone in the darkness.

Come to think of it, only her family was absent around us.

“Lady Arin!”

When I called her, she lifted her head and looked in our direction.

She gracefully greeted Deon, lifting the corner of her mouth with elegance.

Her faded dress seemed exquisite in its soft movements.

This person who had been kidnapped had such a refined appearance that it was hard to believe. After finishing her greeting, Elizabeth came forward towards Deon.

“Hello, Your Grace. I am Elizabeth Arin.”

“Lady Arin, I see.”

He inserted the sword into the scabbard.

“I heard the news from the soldiers who followed behind. The Count has teleported multiple times, so his magic power is depleted. The count got injured along the way, so it will take time for him to arrive.”

“…He got injured?” she asked.

“He pushed himself too hard in pursuit and ended up like that. They say he sustained internal injuries. He’s receiving treatment, so they told me not to worry.”

“It’s because of me in the end… what I heard from the upper ranks was true.”

She slumped down with a sigh.

“What about you, Lady? Everyone is going back home with their families.” I asked

“We have to wait. Until the family arrives.”

His subsequent answer was cruel yet decisive.

“Here?”

I looked around.

The broken carriage was surrounded by desolate fields.

The carriage we were riding was engulfed in flames. A pungent smell of smoke filled the air, and ashes were scattered all around.

“How are we supposed to stay here?”

He was truly heartless.

Even though he said he would be satisfied as long as he saved me, it was still the household where he had once lived. Who would remain loyal if this were to happen?

Moreover, Elizabeth was pregnant.

“What about her? Let’s take her to the Duke’s castle.”

“The Lady?”

Deon narrowed his eyes.

“Yes. Is that not possible?”

“Well…”

He gave a vague response.

“I don’t have the luxury to care about others. I’m already in a hurry to hide you.”

So heartless.

“Then, would it be possible to take the Lady to the original Count’s mansion?” asked Edan

“Arin’s mansion is in the capital. We can’t enter the capital without an imperial decree.”

Deon replied to Edan’s words.

“You hear that? That’s how it is.”

“I’m talking about Gosol. How can you ignore her? Loyalty shouldn’t be one-sided. If we take care of her now, won’t it be easier for her to return to the Duke later?”

“You don’t need to worry about me.” replied Deon

“…You know that’s not what I mean.”

He looked at me slowly and then turned his gaze to the Lady who was standing a few steps away.

“Do you want to be together with the Lady?”

It was an unexpected question.

“…Yes?”

“Then, wouldn’t you run away? Don’t you feel like you would?”
He laughed as if teasing, like a master choosing a toy.

However, I didn’t sense any seriousness or hesitation in his consideration for the Lady’s situation.

I spoke again.

“I know it’s shameless of me, and I don’t even want to make such a request… but the circumstances are dire.”

“Young Lady is right. It’s not appropriate for a pregnant woman to stay in a place where commoners stay. And we can’t just keep waiting until the family arrives.”

Edan supported my words with strength.

“Is it okay?” I asked

“…It should be fine for the Lady to stay in our castle until the Count’s people arrive. It won’t be boring for Young Lady either. She won’t go out recklessly just because she’s bored if the doors are open.” said Edan

His expression softened

Deon hadn’t stopped treating her like a pet since earlier.

He acted as if he were bringing back a lost, recently raised baby rabbit.

I wasn’t pleased, but I couldn’t show it on the surface. The Lady was on the verge of being abandoned in the middle of the field.

He leisurely looked around and finally nodded his head.

Once he gave permission, I approached the Lady, who was sitting down at a distance.

“Lady, come with me. It’s a Duke’s order.”

I lifted her up from her seated position. She shook off her dress and stood up.

“…Is it really okay? Am I not causing unnecessary trouble…?”

“Don’t say that. It’s a regretful remark. If the Lady is in the Duke’s castle, it will be even brighter. The northern region where the Lady is has a warmer climate, so there won’t be any snowfall.”

He smiled brightly towards the worried Lady.

Soon, Edan arrived with the Duke’s carriage. It was a spacious carriage big enough to accommodate six adults.

As I stepped up on the carriage’s stairs, Deon reached out his hand once again.

This time, without hesitation, I held his hand. He used my hand as a lever and lifted me into the carriage.

The carriage door closed. Edan securely locked the door.

Deon, who crossed his arms and plopped down on the opposite side, asked,

“Young Lady, when you were kidnapped, did you see anything?”

I recalled the faint memory as I sipped the tea and lost consciousness.

Shoes made of leather and embroidered with golden thread.

“Right before losing consciousness… I saw the shoes. They had the emblem of the royal family.”

“The royal family?”

“And his subordinates called him ‘the Second Prince.’ …To me, he said my name was Caeon. It was the family name.”

“It seems it was Second Prince Azanti”

Deon understood it immediately.

Seeing my puzzled expression, Edan added,

“He is the second Prince, Prince Azanti.”

“Perhaps, the ambush we encountered in the mountains before was also his doing.”

“Right… We can’t just leave it alone.”

Deon murmured in a low voice.

“We need to be prepared. The interior of the Duke’s castle is no longer safe.”

Unexpectedly, Edan was agitated.

“It’s a clear challenge. It’s true that they warned to threaten Your Grace and that they know about the existence of Lady Leonie. Only a few people within the Duchy know about Lady’s existence… I can’t believe the news leaked out… and it could even activate the alliance.”

Alliance? Was there such a thing? So that’s why the Blood Corps was easily sent away.

Now I understood why he was sent outside the territory without any inspection.

What would happen if the alliance was broken?

I could at least anticipate that it wouldn’t be a peaceful resolution.

He, who was ruthless and merciless, wouldn’t spare a threat to his safety.

Lost in thought, the carriage hit a rock and jolted heavily.

I lost my balance and swayed. My body leaned forward, and my flailing arms found nowhere to grab onto. I fell helplessly to the ground… before I could think, Deon reached out and grabbed my arm.

The Lady, who was watching us, covered her mouth. She quietly whispered into my ear, like a startled rabbit alternating between us.

“I knew it! Seeing how he constantly protect’s Young Lady and comes to your rescue… Even though you denied it, the rumors about the Lady of Romance are true, right?”

Her voice was filled with excitement.

“That…-”

Elisabeth’s face, which had been gloomy, slightly brightened, making it difficult to offer an immediate retort.

“It seems that the Duke cherishes the young lady very much. It’s so romantic to come and pick her up so quickly! I never knew the Duke had such a side.”

Yes, he cherishes her. Very much. To exhaustion.

His presence here is probably just to retrieve the lost sword or ornament.

Seeing his actions today, it also seemed like he was looking for a lost puppy.

I swallowed the words I wanted to say.

From a distance, it may seem like a romance, but in reality, it was more like a thriller. It seemed that it would be good for the Lady’s prenatal education as well.