CHAPTER 15
Theo’s focused gaze flashed as the final disc soared into the sky and shattered with a thunderous crack. Satisfied with his shot, Theo looked over at Edwin, who stood nearby. The young man’s innocent bravado made today’s hunt more entertaining.
“So, you claimed you only knew how to sew, but your hunting skills are impressive! This flinger is no easy training tool, you know.”
“You flatter me,” Theo replied to Gideon’s compliment, showing modesty with a stoic expression.
When Edwin took his turn, the attendant loaded the machine with a disc. In the blink of an eye, it shot off, soaring high into the sky, its rotational force shifting its direction.
Bang! The disc shattered, fragments scattering in all directions like fireworks. Edwin hit every following disc without missing a single one. As he was about to step back, having completed his practice, Theo suddenly asked.
“Where did you learn to hunt, Your Grace?”
“Why? Do you think my father didn’t teach me?”
For the first time, Theo looked slightly flustered by Edwin’s retort, which came with a faint smile.
“… That wasn’t my intention.”
“Well, the duke was in the military, so his hunting skills are beyond question. But seeing them in action is truly astonishing.”
“The military?”
Theo’s gaze shifted to Gideon, who added a comment on Edwin’s behalf.
“Mr. Evans, you didn’t know that? If you’re a citizen of Neway, you should at least know that much, right?”
James, who had been listening, laughed heartily. He thought Theo’s face looked a little dense and took it as a joke, but when he saw that Theo didn’t react much to his teasing, he scratched his temple awkwardly.
When it was James’s turn for practice, Gideon began sharing the unfinished story with Theo.
He recounted how Edwin Baytness, adopted into the Baytness Family, had volunteered for the military, entered enemy lines alone during the Battle of Greenford, killed an enemy officer, and led the battle to victory—a story that had become a legend.
Theo was already familiar with the Battle of Greenford. It was a battle near the border between Erinique and Greenford.
He had heard stories of how a single soldier’s remarkable efforts had allowed Neway to reclaim Greenford, despite being on the verge of defeat.
The fact that the soldier with the famously handsome appearance was the Duke of Baytness disturbed his impression of him.
It was hard to imagine the Duke, known for his fine suits and gilded accessories, rolling in the dirt with a helmet pressed down on his head.
“Well, it seems I only managed to hit six shots. I’ve come to appreciate the infamous challenge of the flinger,” said James, laughing heartily after his practice, though he seemed somewhat disappointed.
Gideon encouraged James for his efforts.
Theo, whose mind was elsewhere, just stared at Edwin as the mood changed.
At last, when Gideon stood to begin his turn, Theo could no longer contain his curiosity about Edwin.
“So, Your Grace, I suppose you’ve killed many people, having been through war,” Theo said.
Despite the unsettling question, Edwin, with his blue eyes, was the only one who didn’t look at Theo.
The flustered cousins watched Edwin’s reaction, and James quietly nudged Theo in the ribs.
“If you’ve killed so many people, I suppose killing someone in the future would come easy to you,” Theo continued.
“Mr. Evans, why are you saying such things?”
“There’s one thing I learned from killing people.”
There was no crack in the mask that hid Edwin’s true feelings. His eyes were dry as if parched—perhaps from death, madness, or the screams he’d encountered. Maybe they were a desert filled with such things.
“Being pushed to the brink of death reveals your true colors, whatever they may be. Even to yourself.”
Upon hearing Edwin’s response, the corners of Theo’s eyes twitched slightly. Edwin’s flawless voice and smile felt eerily detached from reality.
“Then why did you join the military?”
“I think we’ve practiced enough. How about we start the real hunt, Your Grace?”
Someone needed to intervene, as Theo had no intention of stopping his hostile questions. Gideon, who hadn’t yet fired a single shot, quickly tried to manage the situation.
Fortunately, Edwin showed little reaction to Theo’s provocation. Otherwise, this forest might have become a battlefield instead of a hunting ground.
However, it didn’t take long to realize that was only an illusion.
“Then let’s stop practicing and start the real hunt. I’ll take the west first. The rest, we’ll do as the rules say.”
Edwin mounted his horse, offered a dignified smile, and rode off swiftly.
Once Edwin disappeared, Gideon frowned. He thought he should say something to Theo, who had been fueling the tension, but Theo had already mounted his horse.
As James gaped in surprise, Theo rode off, following in the direction Edwin had gone—toward the west.
Charlotte wiped the tears that had fallen from her swollen eyes under the covers, gripping a scarf in her hand tightly. When she tried to piece together Edwin’s expression as he handed over Vivianne’s scarf, her composure shattered miserably. Did Edwin truly not realize that giving her Vivianne’s scarf so casually had wounded her heart more deeply than the pressure to marry?
Even when she saw Vivianne leaving Edwin’s bedroom late at night, Charlotte chose not to think poorly of it. She’d been taught that such behavior was reserved for married couples and that only unseemly women engaged in anything beyond that—a lesson her governess had drilled into her. Now, she wanted to point a finger at Vivianne Aveline and call her disgraceful. The fact that Vivianne’s scarf was in Edwin’s possession, and his tie in hers, only seemed to confirm the truth.
Vivianne, with nowhere else to go, used her beauty as a weapon, luring innocent men to secure her safety. Criticizing Vivianne this way made Charlotte feel better.
But if such accusations were directed at Vivianne, Edwin would be dragged into the same mire with her. Charlotte didn’t want a single blemish on Edwin’s untainted life; she couldn’t bear to see him tarnished in any way.
What should I do now? I must stop the marriage, and I need to separate His Grace from Vivianne.
Charlotte felt depressed, knowing there was nothing she could do about it. Hearing someone knock at the door, she tucked Vivianne’s scarf under her pillow. Not wanting to answer, she burrowed deeper into the sheets.
“Miss Windler! Miss Windler! It’s Vivianne. Could you please open the door?”
Charlotte threw back the blanket at the unexpected call. Sitting up abruptly, she couldn’t wait even a moment to question the loud noise.
Why is Vivianne here?
“Miss Windler! I know you’re in there. Please open the door, won’t you?”
Vivianne Aveline, seemingly abandoning all sense of decorum, was behaving in a way Charlotte would have expected only from a commoner. Unable to stand the disturbance any longer, she wiped her eyes and opened the door.
Vivianne’s pale face took Charlotte by surprise. Vivianne looked very frightened as if she had either killed someone or seen someone die.
“… What’s the matter?”
“I’m sorry. I was in such a rush. It’s about His Grace…”
Vivienne’s frightened eyes mirrored Edwin’s image, which struck Charlotte like a bolt from the blue, losing all of her color and her skin turning pale.
“Why? What happened to the Duke? Did something happen to him?”
“No, it’s not that…”
“If it’s not that, then what is it? Did something happen to the Duke? Is he badly hurt?”
Bombarded with questions, Vivianne took a half-step back, clasping her hands and awkwardly averting her gaze.
“The Duke… went hunting with my friend…”
Vivianne’s hesitation was enough to test Charlotte’s patience. Resisting the urge to grab her thin shoulders and shake her, Charlotte stared uneasily at Vivianne’s red, swollen eyes.
“He went hunting with my friend…”
“Hunting? You’re frustrating me. Just say it already! Speak up!”
“The Duke took my friend out hunting.”
The single sentence that Vivianne managed to get out of her mouth was far from what Charlotte had been worried about.
“… So, what’s wrong with that?”
“Please stop the hunting.”
“Is that all?”
The tension that had built along her spine suddenly eased. Edwin had gone hunting with Vivianne’s friend, and now Vivianne was asking her to stop the hunt. Charlotte didn’t know why, but she could tell it was a rather absurd and unreasonable request.
“I have a feeling something is going to happen. My friend isn’t good at hunting, and the Duke forced him to go. What if something goes wrong in the forest…?”
The sound of Vivianne’s nails tapping nervously irritated Charlotte, causing her to frown. As her color returned, she responded indifferently.
“The Duke is not someone who would drag people against their will. Your friend chose to go hunting on his own. Therefore, I can’t just stop the hunt once it has started. You’re waking people for such a trivial matter. You should go back now.”
“M-Miss Windler!”
Charlotte tried to shoo the bothersome Vivianne away, but Vivianne, desperate, grabbed her arm and wouldn’t let go.
“I really want to make them stop hunting.”
“Then go ahead and do it.”
“But the Duke won’t listen to me.”
“So, does His Grace have to listen to you?”
“But His Grace listens when it’s you speaking, Miss Windler.”
Charlotte’s lips, ready to retort, paused.
“… Do you really think His Grace would listen if I asked him to stop the hunt? He ignores me when I ask him to call off the marriage.”
Vivianne’s pleading gray eyes glistened with tears. To Charlotte, who still held Edwin’s scarf—no, Vivianne’s scarf—the tears seemed only likely to backfire. Yet, what stirred Charlotte’s heart wasn’t those foolish tears.
“Miss Windler, you’re still young and may not fully understand. His Grace cares about you more than anyone, which is why he wants to arrange a marriage for you. I heard he’s been very particular in selecting a suitor. That’s proof of his feelings toward you.”
“…”
“Miss Windler. Please come with me. Please help me stop the hunting. I’m sure the Duke will listen to what you say. I’m begging you.”
Though Vivianne’s grip on Charlotte’s arm lessened, Charlotte didn’t pull away. Her heart swelled with a subtle sense of anticipation.
Would he really stop the hunt if I asked him?
Looking back, Edwin had never turned down her requests. When she’d mentioned being uncomfortable around Baroness Baytness, he’d put distance between them. He’d offered his arm if she’d complained about being tired while walking. She hadn’t asked for much, but aside from the marriage issue, he’d never refused her.
“… Fine. But just this once.”
Charlotte straightened her back and lifted her chin. Vivianne’s tear-reddened face brightened with relief.
The Duke’s horse ventured deep into the forest. He drove it with focus, determined not to lose pace. The distance that had remained unchanged began to close as the Duke’s horse began to slow down.
Before long, the Duke stopped in the heart of the forest. Dismounting, he looked up at the sky, shielded by a canopy of green leaves. Even having lured his follower this far, he leisurely searched for prey.
“You really have a lot of questions. Do you have a lot to say?”
Wasn’t the prey supposed to be in the sky?
His blue eyes swept through the silent forest and met Theo’s. Although summer was near, the wind in the depths of the forest felt as cold as ice.
Theo dismounted, adjusting the gun slung over his shoulder.
“If you led me here, losing the others while knowing I was following you, wouldn’t that mean you’re the one who has something to say to me, Your Grace?”
“Is that so?”
When his usual smile faded, Edwin’s blue eyes grew cold, mirroring the forest’s icy chill. He slowly averted his gaze, raised his gun, and looked past Theo, watching for prey that might take to the sky.
Bang.
With a harsh gunshot echoing through the air, startled birds took flight.
Bang.
The second shot struck a few of the birds mid-flight. Those hit by Edwin’s shot fell to the ground, flapping their wings in pain.
Theo, who was closer to the spot where a bird had fallen, turned his steps in that direction. A poor young bird lay dead, bleeding as it rested in eternal peace. Theo frowned and looked back at Edwin.
“It’s a young one…. a baby bird that Your Grace deliberately scared into flying just to shoot it.”
Edwin met Theo’s gaze calmly, his dry eyes devoid of any regret, touching something deep in Theo’s heart.
“You seem familiar with it—purposely frightening birds to shoot them down, even if they’re young ones.”
“When life is rough, that’s how things end up.”
“Not everyone lives that way just because life is rough.”
“If they don’t, it’s because life hasn’t been rough enough for them.”
The smile on his face, which seemed natural, was cruel. He truly was a dangerous man. Theo’s conviction grew stronger; he couldn’t leave Vivianne near someone like him. For the Duke, who could kill so easily, tormenting Vivianne would be no challenge. With no place to go and no one to protect her, Vivianne was practically easy prey to him.
So Theo had to confirm it. He needed to be certain if it was right to interfere further on her behalf, despite Vivianne’s insistence that she was fine.
“In the carriage the other day…”
The cold wind rustled through the forest. The quiet, low, deep sound made the shadows cast over the forest even darker. The wind ruffled Theo’s hair as it passed over his head.
“Did Your Grace lay a hand on Miss Aveline?”
