Chapter 96
Milos Bernbaum ran down the hallway, clutching a letter in his hand. His dark gray hair became messy in the wind.
He quickly reached a door and knocked. But there was no response.
As if expecting this, Milos naturally opened the door and stepped inside.
The room was empty, but he knew exactly where his master would be.
Without hesitation, Milos flung open the wardrobe door.
Inside, a mesmerizing man sat with his eyes closed. His jet-black hair barely touched his shoulders, his sharp nose, broad shoulders, and strong throat making him look almost unreal.
After a moment, long eyelashes lifted, revealing deep, dark blue eyes.
A low voice slipped through his red lips, tinged with irritation.
“Don’t open it without permission.”
“That damn wardrobe. Isn’t it uncomfortable?”
The man—Dedrick—didn’t answer. Instead, he held out his hand.
Milos understood.
He knew that Dedrick felt safest inside the wardrobe.
But still, for a man over 190 cm tall, it was way too cramped.
“Give it to me.”
Milos grinned and playfully waved the letter.
“I’ll give it to you if you come out!”
“You really want me to leave?”
“…”
His calm question was more threatening than any glare. Milos immediately handed over the blue envelope.
Dedrick silently stared at the letter before taking it.
These letters had been arriving for two years. Each one contained critical information that helped him in his pursuit of revenge.
They had tried to track down the sender, but the letters always appeared as if left by a ghost—no trace, no clues.
Since the sender had never harmed them, they eventually stopped trying to uncover their identity.
“I think more than one person is feeding us information. The most crucial ones always come in a blue envelope.”
Dedrick didn’t respond and simply read the letter.
“What’s in it today?”
“Hah.”
Letting out a quiet sigh, Dedrick smoothly stepped out of the wardrobe.
Milos tilted his head to look up at him. Though Milos wasn’t short, he still had to lift his gaze slightly to meet his master’s eyes.
“What? What does it say?”
Dedrick handed him the letter. Milos quickly scanned it, his eyes widening in shock.
“The Duchess is insane!”
“Find out about the next major banquet. Not just any banquet—one where all the influential figures will be present.”
“You mean one that the Duchess will also attend?”
Dedrick nodded.
Milos thought for a moment before clapping his hands.
“The Founding Festival! That’s coming up soon. What about that?”
“Notify only the Second Prince.”
“Got it!”
“And Jacob?”
“Oh, well, that guy—”
Before Milos could finish speaking, a knock sounded at the door. Jacob stepped inside.
Seeing Dedrick preparing his sword, he immediately understood and asked,
“Shall I get ready?”
“We leave now.”
“Just the two of you?”
Dedrick left without answering. Milos grumbled at his retreating back.
“Would it kill you to say yes or no?”
“Milos, mind your tone when speaking to the Lord.”
Jacob scolded him, making Milos pout.
“But he doesn’t care anyway.”
“…”
Milos played with his gray hair and muttered,
“I know. It’s because of my hair color, right? That woman, Marilyn, had gray hair too.”
Jacob looked at him with sympathy.
“Brother, you do not have to stare at me that way. I’m not upset. If anything, having this hair color is why Pavle and I were saved by the Lord. Now go—if you take too long, he’ll get annoyed.”
Jacob gently patted the back of Milos’s head before following Dedrick.
Milos waved as they left.
As they rode side by side, Jacob turned to Dedrick and asked,
“Where exactly are we going?”
“To secure a witness.”
“A witness…?”
“During the war with the barbarians, Arnold Exterus and Delani Blackwood conspired to assassinate the Grand Duke. Someone was involved in that plot.”
Jacob’s eyes widened.
“If we get their testimony, we can take Delani Blackwood down easily. Attempting to kill the family head—execution is inevitable, no matter how much time has passed.”
“Yes. But I’m not planning to expose her just yet.”
Dedrick swept his hair back, his voice cold as ice.
“I’ll let her crawl in the dirt first. And then… I’ll strangle her slowly. Very, very slowly.”
He had no intention of making his revenge swift.
Late winter had yet to give way to spring. The air was still freezing, and his breath came out in white clouds.
As Dedrick gazed at the unmelted snow, his fingers brushed against his earring.
He looked up at the sky and whispered as if speaking to someone.
“…I’m cold, Mary.”
You promised to hold me when I was cold.
The absence of her warmth was driving him insane. He hadn’t had a single night of peaceful sleep since she died.
His nights were filled only with nightmares.
Starting the day without Marilyn was unbearable.
He couldn’t even digest his food properly, often feeling nauseous, but he endured it.
Because he wanted to destroy everything and everyone that took his girl away.
Dedrick’s deep, ocean-blue eyes darkened.
“Master.”
Jacob signaled with his eyes. Only then did Dedrick start moving.
“That man.”
A man was drinking heavily at a pub, even though it was still early afternoon.
He was the only witness and accomplice mentioned in the letter.
Without hesitation, Dedrick walked in and grabbed the man by the back of his neck.
“Ugh, who—?!”
The drunken man lifted his head, but the moment his eyes met Dedrick’s, he flinched and froze.
The sheer killing intent, his towering figure, and his dangerously beautiful face exuded raw madness.
The man quickly lowered his gaze in fear.
Dedrick spoke.
“Do you remember the war against the barbarians 26 years ago? You were a servant of the Blackwood Duke’s family, weren’t you?”
“T-That’s…”
“If you dare lie to me, I will snap your neck right here.”
The man began sweating profusely. He felt as if he had stepped into the jaws of a beast.
His drunken mind suddenly became crystal clear.
“Well?”
“Y-Yes, that’s right…”
“You know why I’m here, don’t you?”
The man trembled in terror, unable to answer.
It was an old crime, but that didn’t mean he was free from it.
He had participated in the plot to assassinate the Duke of Blackwood.
Now that his secret was exposed, he was certain he would die.
But Dedrick calmly said,
“I don’t care about your life. The only life I’m interested in is Delani Blackwood’s.”
He was making the man an offer: if he testified, he would be spared.
Realizing this, the man’s wide eyes shot up in shock.
Dedrick repeated,
“Do you truly know nothing?”
Given one last chance, the man clenched his trembling hands and stammered,
“I-I was involved in… No, I witnessed everything that happened that day.”
“Then you will tell me everything.”
Dedrick’s piercing blue eyes bore into him, suffocating him with sheer pressure.
“Do you understand?”
“Y-Yes!”
“And what is it you need to do?”
The man scrambled off his chair and dropped to his knees.
“I-I will do anything you ask!”
The man swore his loyalty.
“Jacob.”
“Yes. Follow me.”
As the killing intent faded, the man gasped for breath.
His legs felt weak, but he forced himself to follow Jacob, stealing a glance at Dedrick.
The man’s commanding presence was overwhelming.
He was frighteningly similar to the previous Duke of Blackwood.
The man, Buk, hesitated before asking cautiously,
“…Is he the next Duke of Blackwood?”
Jacob didn’t answer.
Buk swallowed hard.
He had served the previous Duke, who was once feared as the ‘War Demon,’ but the sheer presence of this man far surpassed him.
He had expected this day would come someday.
Buk shut his eyes tightly, then opened them again.
Jacob warned,
“As long as you don’t lie, you’ll live.”
“I-I understand.”
Buk already knew—no one could lie in front of that man.
Meanwhile…
“This is going so smoothly!”
I smiled in satisfaction as I watched Buk being dragged away by Jacob.
‘But still…’
I turned to Dedrick again.
He was even more dangerously beautiful than I had imagined.
His tall figure, sharp features, and powerful physique were impossible to ignore.
Even with his clothes on, his toned body was obvious.
I was staring when I heard an annoyed voice beside me.
“You’re drooling.”
“Ah!”
I quickly wiped my mouth with the back of my hand.
“I mean, isn’t he just ridiculously handsome? I lose my mind every time I see him. How does he even look like that? He’s the best in the world!”
“Yes, yes. Truly astonishing.”
“I wonder if my neck will survive when we kiss later.”
“…Please, keep those thoughts to yourself.”
“But I love how Bris gets flustered by this stuff!”
“You have terrible taste!”
I laughed joyfully, watching Dedrick’s figure disappear in the distance.
Until he became nothing but a dot on the horizon.
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• ❁ • ❁ • ❁ •By Freya• ❁ • ❁ • ❁ •
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Advance chapters of this novel are available on my kofi channel
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