The Crow Targeting Me - Chapter 4

Barely masking her irritation, Elena drank water quickly to wash down the meal she had just endured. Watching her, the Grand Duke remarked with mock cheer, “It’s so delightful to see you eat so well.”

When Elena glared at him, he went a step further and laughed openly.

“No amount of fasting can hide a pregnant belly,” he added.

“I told you—I’m not pregnant,” she shot back, her voice cold and firm.

“In that case,” he said, feigning ignorance, “was your little hunger strike merely a tantrum to gain my attention? My apologies for not realizing sooner.”

Unbelievable. Elena stared at him in shock, her frustration mounting. Yet, despite her burning glare, he shamelessly took another sip of his drink—the same strong liquor she had almost spat out in disgust on their wedding day.

She recalled how he had mocked her back then, too, and her gaze sharpened.

“If that’s not the case, then make sure you don’t starve yourself. I wouldn’t want anyone accusing me of neglecting my wife.”

So, that was why he had gone out of his way to dine with her.

Since arriving in the north, Elena had noticeably lost weight. It wasn’t intentional; the heavily pickled and fermented northern cuisine didn’t agree with her southern palate, though she had been careful not to complain outright to the Grand Duke.

“I’m asking politely,” he continued, his tone heavy with condescension, “to spare me the trouble of worrying about you.”

Elena, refusing to be outdone, replied with equal sharpness, “I’ll do just that.”

The Grand Duke’s smile faded, his expression tightening into a frown. Without another word, he rose from his seat, leaving his tea untouched.

The servants, who had been stiff with tension throughout the hostile meal, hurried to clear the table as soon as he departed.

“You should be grateful the master didn’t get angry,” Mary said in a hushed, lecturing tone as she brought a cup of tea to Elena.

Elena furrowed her brow as she picked up the cup. “The one who should be angry is me.”

Mary shook her head silently, clearly disagreeing. Yet, Elena barely noticed, her mind preoccupied with deeper thoughts as she sipped her hot tea.

Halfway through her cup, she finally spoke. “I need to go for a walk.”

“A walk?” Mary echoed, surprised.

“Prepare my cloak.”

If the Grand Duke was so intent on paying attention to her, it was only right that she return the favor—albeit in her own way. Ignorant of Elena’s mischievous resolve, Mary hurried to help her prepare for the outing, albeit with a puzzled expression.

“Where shall I take you, my lady?” Mary asked.

Elena answered without hesitation, “Show me around the castle.”

“Of course! There’s no one who knows this castle better than I do!” Mary declared with exaggerated confidence, drawing a rare smile from Elena.

Even wrapped in a black cloak like the northerners, Elena stood out wherever she went. But she paid no mind to the curious stares as she familiarized herself with the castle. She took note of the courtyard, the Raven Tower, the stables, the storage rooms, and other key locations. While not as grand as the imperial palace, the castle was far from small. Though it was still under the steward’s care—since the position of mistress had been vacant for the past seven years—it would eventually fall under her responsibility.

As she carefully observed her surroundings, a thought struck her, and she called for Mary.

“Mary.”

“Yes, my lady?”

“Where are the letters addressed to the castle managed?”

“They pass through the steward’s hands before being delivered,” Mary explained.

“All of them?”

“Yes, every single one,” Mary confirmed, “even letters for unimportant maids like me!”

She quickly added, “Not that I mind, of course,” glancing nervously at Elena. It seemed the castle’s letter inspection process was more meticulous than she had expected. Elena frowned slightly.

“Go to the steward and ask if there have been any letters for me,” she instructed.

It had been nearly a month since her arrival. A carriage journey from the capital to the north would take about a month, but a courier on horseback could make it in two weeks. If her nanny had sent a letter as soon as she reached the ducal household, it should have arrived by now. Mary nodded and scurried off to do as she was asked.

“Aren’t you tired, my lady? You’ve been walking for a while. Let’s head back now,” Mary urged, trying to guide her mistress away from a half-collapsed building visible beyond the hallway.

Elena wasn’t so easily deterred. Though she wasn’t exhausted, Mary’s sudden insistence caught her attention.

“There’s still something I haven’t seen,” Elena replied.

“There’s nothing over there,” Mary said firmly, her tone unusually sharp. Her voice even carried a tinge of panic as she added, “Please, my lady.”

Reluctantly, Elena allowed Mary to lead her away, though she couldn’t stop herself from glancing back at the structure.

That was when she spotted a shadowy figure. It was a boy with light brown hair.

“There’s someone over there,” Elena said, pausing in her tracks.

The boy’s gaze locked with hers, but before Elena could approach him, Mary grabbed her hand tightly and began pulling her away.

“The master will be furious if he finds out!” Mary exclaimed, shuddering as if the mere thought was unbearable.

“Who is that boy, and why are you so upset about him?”

“You didn’t see anyone, my lady. Promise me,” Mary begged, her voice almost desperate.

“Are you that afraid of the Grand Duke’s anger?” Elena pressed.

Mary nodded so vigorously it was as if she had forgotten Elena hadn’t yet agreed. “The master may seem calm and composed, but he’s not what he appears to be. Trust me, my lady—you don’t want to know.”

This was a surprising change from Mary’s earlier claim of knowing little about the Grand Duke. Elena narrowed her eyes thoughtfully but said nothing. Before following Mary, she glanced back one last time. The boy was still there, staring at her silently from the shadows.

Later, as Elena sat by the window watching the sunset, the sounds of commotion below reached her ears. The Grand Duke had returned to the castle.

Despite the fact that their rooms were connected, he insisted on entering through the main gates, as if adhering to some exaggerated sense of propriety. Elena found it tiresome. Must I see him twice in one day? she thought, already exasperated by the mere idea of his presence.

When he entered, she reluctantly stood and greeted him.

“What brings you here?” she asked, masking her irritation.

“Does a husband need a reason to visit his wife?” he replied smoothly.

Internally, Elena scoffed. What a farce.

“You must be tired from your walk,” he said, gesturing for her to sit. “Please, take a seat.”

The way he spoke suggested he was well aware of her every movement. Elena struggled to keep her composure.

“Did you enjoy your stroll?” he asked, his tone casual but his eyes sharp.

“Indeed,” Elena replied, feigning calm. “I found something quite fascinating.”

“Fascinating, you say?”

Mary, who had been standing nearby, turned pale and frantically motioned for Elena to keep quiet. Meanwhile, the Grand Duke, leaning casually against the mantle of the fireplace, fixed her with a piercing stare. There was something in his eyes—a glint of menace that made Elena’s instincts scream. There’s something here. Something he doesn’t want me to know.

“The Raven Tower,” Elena said, forcing a light tone into her voice. “I’ve never seen so many ravens in one place. Are they all trained?”

The Grand Duke’s gaze bore into her for an uncomfortably long moment. She held her breath, refusing to flinch. Finally, he looked away, and she nearly exhaled in relief.

“I’ll be leaving tomorrow for a weeklong hunt,” he announced, abruptly changing the subject.

Whether he had seen through her feigned curiosity or simply chose to ignore it, he offered no answer to her fabricated question.

“Don’t be too overjoyed in my absence. There is no place in this castle that my eyes and ears cannot reach,” he warned, a faint smile tugging at his lips.

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Elena replied, lowering her gaze slightly in a show of submission.

For once, the Grand Duke seemed pleased. He offered her a rare, almost gentle smile before departing.

“If you manage to stay out of trouble while I’m away, I’ll bring you a gift,” the Grand Duke said, stepping closer to where Elena was seated.

To her astonishment, he reached down, took her hand, and pressed a kiss to the back of it. It seemed her outward compliance had pleased him greatly.

“Do continue to behave as you have been,” he said, his tone almost patronizing.

Does this man truly think I’m some restless troublemaker who can’t sit still for a moment? Elena thought, stifling her irritation. She said nothing, letting him indulge in his self-satisfaction.

After finishing the kiss, the Grand Duke squeezed her hand firmly before releasing it. Elena briefly worried he might suggest sharing dinner together, but he seemed preoccupied with preparations for his departure and didn’t linger.

Once the Grand Duke left, Mary burst out in frustration, glaring at Elena.

“I’m never speaking to you again, my lady!” she huffed.

“I didn’t even say anything,” Elena replied calmly.

“But still… that was so close!”

“The Grand Duke didn’t lose his temper, so why are you?” Elena teased, a hint of amusement in her voice.

Flustered, Mary puffed her cheeks and pouted, refusing to speak for the rest of the evening. Her silence gave Elena the space she needed to think without interruption.

I must meet that boy, she resolved.

The next morning, Elena stood at the castle gates to bid farewell to the Grand Duke as he departed for the hunt. The scene was striking: knights mounted on their horses, squires standing beside them, and flocks of ravens circling overhead.

The Grand Duke, leading the procession, spared her only a brief glance, his gaze sweeping over her face without offering so much as a kind word. Not that she had expected anything different.

Elena and the rest of the castle staff remained in place, watching the hunting party until the last rider disappeared into the distance.

“Let’s go back inside,” she said.

Any other wife might have spent the day praying for her husband’s safety while he was away. But Elena felt no such inclination. She doubted the Grand Duke would appreciate her prayers even if she offered them.

Instead, she fully intended to savor the freedom his absence afforded her. The atmosphere within the castle seemed lighter, as though the servants were breathing more freely in his absence.

Mary, for instance, was humming a tune as she sat by the window embroidering. Meanwhile, Elena basked in the sunlight, flipping through the pages of a book. Abruptly, she called out to Mary.

“Mary.”

“Yes, my lady?”

“What about the task I asked you to handle?”

It was clear from Mary’s wide eyes that she had forgotten entirely.

“Oh my! How could I forget?”

Mary couldn’t hide her flustered expression as she jumped to her feet.

“I’m so sorry, my lady! I’ll ask the steward about it right away!”

She hurried out of the room. After waiting a moment, Elena draped her cloak over her shoulders and followed. The guards stationed outside her quarters were chatting idly but immediately straightened up when they noticed her.

“Where are you going, my lady?” one of them asked.

“I need to give Mary another task.”

“I can pass on the message for you.”

“That won’t be necessary,” Elena replied coolly.

The Grand Duke hadn’t forbidden her from leaving her quarters, so the guards didn’t try to stop her further. Pretending to follow in Mary’s footsteps, Elena instead veered off in a different direction. Having been to her intended destination once before, she found her way with ease.

The castle felt eerily quiet; everyone seemed to be taking full advantage of the Grand Duke’s absence. Elena encountered no one along the way—a stroke of luck.

“This was the place,” she murmured.

Beyond the hallway where Mary had tried to stop her was a solitary structure that resembled a storage building. Was the brown-haired boy she had seen yesterday living here?

As she examined the building, Elena suddenly felt a sharp sensation on the back of her head. Startled, she moved aside just in time to see something whiz past her. Reaching up to touch her head, she realized her hairpin was gone—it had been plucked clean from its place.

Scanning the area, her eyes landed on a raven perched nearby, her hairpin clutched in its beak.

“Give it back!” she demanded.

When she took a step closer, the raven flew to another branch, taunting her. Unsure what to do, Elena stomped her foot in frustration, her eyes darting after the bird.

Suddenly, she sensed someone behind her. Spinning around, she found herself face to face with the boy she had seen the day before—the ghostlike figure with light brown hair.

It was him.