Chapter 28 – How to Use Luck
A few hours ago,
Edric left the office to get some fresh air.
“You know that’s only for one night, right? Who would think about the future after just one night?”
Mellie’s words lingered in his ears, constantly scratching at Edric’s heart.
As he turned the corner of the hallway leading to the central staircase, Edric almost bumped into Oz, who was carrying a large pile of laundry.
“I… I’m sorry, Your Majesty,” she stammered.
Thanks to Edric catching her, she didn’t fall, but she did drop the laundry she was carrying. She bowed her head in apology and quickly began gathering the scattered clothes into the basket.
Edric, about to walk past without a second thought, stopped when he noticed the clothes. They were Mellie’s out-of-season garments.
“Is this Mellie’s laundry?”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“What is Mellie doing now…?”
He hoped, even for a moment, that she might be as distracted by the thoughts of him as he was of her.
“I heard that she’s having a snack?”
Oz, oblivious to the situation, simply relayed the information.
Edric froze.
“She’s… eating snacks?”
He couldn’t focus. Mellie’s indifference to his proposal was becoming glaringly clear. To her, he was nothing more than a one-night stand.
“Then I’ll be on my way, Your Majesty,” Oz said, bowing politely before walking off.
Only then did Edric snap out of his humiliation.
He was a man who knew his priorities.
Anger and humiliation wouldn’t help him. He needed to figure out what he’d done wrong, why Mellie wasn’t drawn to him, and how to fix it.
Giving up on her wasn’t an option.
Deciding to clear his head, Edric began taking a walk. As he did, something on the floor caught his eye—a checkered notebook that seemed to have fallen from Oz’s laundry basket.
“Here…” he started, intending to call Oz back. But as he remembered whose laundry the basket contained, he stopped.
Edric picked up the notebook and opened it.
“As expected.”
It was Mellie’s handwriting.
Dates and personal entries filled the pages, most of them starting with “I.”
“Did Mellie keep a diary?”
It was new to him. How much did he know about Mellie? There were so many things that ge didn’t know about her.
Edric closed the notebook, then glanced around to make sure no one was watching. He returned to his quarters, with the diary tucked under his arm.
—
In his private living room, under the warm glow of candlelight, Mellie’s neat diary was far more compelling than any book he’d ever read.
Because he was in it.
His name appeared frequently, once every four or five lines.
The entries spanned ten years, and judging by the gradual change in handwriting, they were genuine.
Mellie had liked him.
“Ha.”
A laugh escaped him.
Not long ago, he’d been wracked with misery, feeling as though the world was crumbling around him. Now, he was utterly elated, as though he’d just won the world’s greatest treasure.
“Mellie Enwood, you’ve fooled me well,” he muttered, his lips curling into a grin.
He stood, intent on returning the diary and proposing to her again. But as he reached for the doorknob, he paused.
“Why should I do that?”
A better idea formed in his mind.
Edric let go of the doorknob, returned to his chair, and opened the diary again. His earlier frustration had melted away, replaced by a calculated sense of amusement.
He would take his time.
—
A short while later, Edric rang the bell to summon Wilson.
“Your Majesty, did you call?”
“Prepare for a hunt.”
Wilson glanced out the window. “Tonight?” he asked, his voice tinged with concern.
“Is something wrong?” Edric replied casually.
“…Ah, no, Your Majesty. I’ll prepare right away.”
Once Wilson left, Edric approached the mahogany cabinet in the corner of the room. Behind the double doors was an array of weapons—guns, swords, and more.
“What would be best?”
His gaze lingered on a bow.
—
Hunting with a bow was a meticulous art. Predicting vital points, accounting for range, and adjusting for wind—all of it required focus.
Edric had always been more skilled with a gun, but he found himself enjoying the challenge.
The soft tickle of the arrow’s feather against his cheek was oddly soothing. Watching the arrow arc gracefully through the air and strike its mark filled him with satisfaction.
He became so engrossed that he lost track of time.
By the time he noticed, the drizzle had turned into a heavy downpour.
“Shall we head back?” Wilson suggested.
“Yes,” Edric agreed, lowering the bowstring he had just drawn.
“What about the game we caught?”
“Skin the leopard and marten; bury the rest.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
As Wilson followed the instructions, Edric retrieved his arrows, rinsing the blood and flesh from the tips under the rain.
Suddenly, something caught his eye in the distance.
Lightning flashed, briefly illuminating the surroundings like daylight.
“…!”
A massive boar stood less than thirty paces away, its tusks gleaming like deadly spears.
“Your Majesty, everything is—”
“Don’t move!” Edric barked, cutting Wilson off.
The boar charged, its powerful legs pounding the ground as it hurtled toward them.
“Get down!”
Wilson threw himself to the ground just as the boar reached them.
Edric nocked an arrow, but the distance was too short for the bow to be effective.
The arrow grazed the boar’s hide, drawing blood but doing little else.
Luckily, the beast slammed into a nearby tree, its tusks becoming lodged in the trunk.
Seizing the opportunity, Edric drew his dagger and delivered a fatal blow.
—
Wilson, while trembling, rose to his feet.
“You’re incredible, Your Majesty,” he stammered, his voice full of admiration.
“Should I bury this one too?”
“No,” Edric replied. “We don’t have time.”
As lightning illuminated the scene once more, Wilson gasped.
“Your Majesty… You are bleeding!”
Edric glanced down. Blood was seeping through his clothing.
“It’s just a scratch,” he said dismissively.
“No! You must seek treatment immediately!” Wilson insisted.
“My uncle died of tetanus after being grazed by a boar’s tusk. It’s not worth the risk.”
Edric hesitated, weighing his options. He wanted to return home—to Mellie—but Wilson’s warning was hard to ignore.
“Fine,” he relented.
“But don’t tell anyone about this.”
“Of course, Your Majesty.”
“Except Mellie.”
“…Understood.”
As Edric rode towards the hospital, a smile played on his lips.
He couldn’t wait to see Mellie’s reaction.
