What Remains in the Damaged Place - Chapter 44

A loud gunshot rang out without hesitation.

The tranquil and cozy garden crumbled at the sound. Or rather, the ground under Lirettete’s feet trembled so helplessly.

Though the gunfire ceased, a fierce aftershock remained, pounding against her heart. Her spine, held perfectly straight, was drenched in cold sweat.

“Brilline! Are you okay? You suddenly look pale.”

It was only after a moment that Lirette realized she had been holding her breath—an unconscious trauma triggered by the gunshot.

As her stiffened body slowly relaxed, a few flower stems slipped from her arms, fluttering to the ground.

Swallowing nervously, Lirette tightened her grip and spoke.

“I’m fine. The loud noise just startled me a little.”

Segen glanced back at the dense forest.

“It must be the Duke.”

“How do you know?”

“He always makes that noise when he goes hunting.”

“Hunting?”

“I mean the forest over there. I heard he lets loose a few rabbits to practice hunting.”

Hunting…

Lirette pictured the rabbits chased by that brutal gunshot. Imagining them running in panic, even more terrified than she had been just moments ago, made her feel pity for them.

And the one chasing them…

“Hah.”

A hollow laugh escaped her lips.

In that way, he and Dylan were alike.

That merciless side that made others shudder.

This was why she could never fully let her guard down or completely trust him. The same cruel tendencies as the man who had hunted her all her life, like those rabbits now fleeing desperately in the woods, were undeniably present.

Reality had a way of hitting her hard when she least expected it.

It reminded her to stay sharp.

That this was no time to feel any elusive peace. The humid summer breeze suddenly seemed to turn cold.

After circling the maze-like garden with Segen, they neared the main building.

Bang!

Something large, like a black mass, came racing from the hill connecting to the woods, heading straight for them.

Segen noticed it first.

“Brilline, wait!”

He grabbed Lirette urgently, pulling her to a stop.

But the creature was already too close. It swiftly dodged Segen, who tried to block its path, and lunged at Lirette. The impact knocked her straight to the ground.

Her basket of laundry spilled, and the delphiniums she had been holding were scattered everywhere.

Woof! Woof!

Lirette blinked at the rough sensation licking her cheek.

When her vision finally cleared, she saw large, shiny black pupils staring back at her. A long snout rubbed affectionately against her body.

“Camon.”

At that moment, Lirette realized the creature that had knocked her down was the Duke’s hunting dog, and she let out a small laugh.

Transferring the few delphiniums she still held into her other hand, she patted Camon on the head. The dog relaxed its sharp eyes and leaned into her touch.

“You really startled me.”

She scolded lightly, and Camon whimpered as if understanding.

“Isn’t this… the Duke’s hunting dog?”

Segen, who had been frozen in shock, spoke in a daze.

He seemed bewildered by the scene.

“Why are you staring like that?”

“I heard it’s supposed to be really vicious. I’ve never seen it approach anyone but its master. But Brilline, it seems to really… like you.”

Segen extended a hand to help her up.

Without thinking much, Lirette took his hand and stood. Her clothes were a mess from rolling in the grass. As she brushed them off, Segen gathered the scattered basket and flowers. Meanwhile, Camon busily circled around Lirette, wagging his tail.

As Lirette brushed the blades of grass off her apron, she looked up.

The sunlight dimmed slightly.

Her eyes naturally followed the movement and caught sight of a figure. Though the backlight made it hard to see, she could tell from the way the deep black hair contrasted with the clear sky that it was someone formidable.

How long had he been watching?

Just as that chilling thought crossed her mind, the man standing motionless atop the hill tugged on his reins.

Clip-clop, clip-clop.

The horse, which had been standing tall under the sun like a ruler of this land, slowly began descending the hill, carrying its master. At the sound, Camon wagged his tail vigorously and ran toward him.

Segen, standing beside Lirette, stiffened upon recognizing Duke Justitia. Then, realizing the approaching figure, he quickly bowed his head. With onlookers around, Lirette had no choice but to follow suit.

The sound of hoofbeats drew closer.

When Lirette finally lifted her head slightly, her eyes locked with Valderion’s.

His gaze, cold as if it blocked out the warmth of the sun behind him, rested quietly on her hands.

Then, without warning, he tossed the long rifle he had been holding straight at her. Lirette barely managed to catch it, and before she could react, a canteen was flung her way as well.

After throwing his belongings to her, Valderion dismounted and handed the reins to a stablehand who had hurried over from the distance.

“Follow me,” he said.

Lirette quickly realized the command was directed at her and replied, “But I need to deliver this laundry first—”

“Laundry?”

Lirette, suddenly burdened with both hands full, lifted the basket she had been carrying.

Valderion chuckled in disbelief, then abruptly reached out and took the basket from her, placing it in Segen’s arms, who stood nearby like a statue.

“You can handle this,” he said, turning swiftly, clearly expecting no argument, and began walking away.

Lirette, realizing she had no choice, gave Segen a quick glance of apology and hurried to follow the Duke. With his long strides, she had to nearly jog to keep up. They arrived at his chambers in no time.

Just as Valderion reached for the door handle, it swung open from the inside. Lirette blinked in surprise at the sight of Hadi emerging from the room, holding a broom and a dry cloth. She must have been cleaning the Duke’s room today.

‘Thank goodness, it was nothing serious,’ Lirette thought, recalling the events of the past. Hadi’s expression was relatively calm, a sign that no major issues had arisen in the household while she had been away.

“Bring us something to eat,” Valderion said to Hadi, who was about to leave.

“Yes, is there anything specific you would like?”

“A sandwich and some wine. Ask the head maid for the details.”

Hadi gave Lirette a quick nod of acknowledgment before hurrying out of the room.

“Where should I put these?” Lirette asked, lifting the Duke’s belongings that weighed down her arms.

“Anywhere,” he responded indifferently before disappearing into the bathroom.

Left alone, Lirette placed the items on a large table. She also carefully set down the flowers she had brought. As she gently touched the petals of the delphiniums, her fingers brushed against something, and she froze.

‘This is…’

A piece of paper, about the size of her palm, lay neatly on the table. Its edges were trimmed in gold, and the material was so smooth it barely felt like paper.

It was a sheet used exclusively for royal invitations. The brief, elegant wording indicated that it was an invitation to a hunting tournament set to take place soon. At the bottom of the invitation, embroidered in fine print, was Dylan’s name.

Lirette bit her lip.

“So, you’ve seen it.”

At that moment, Valderion reappeared, his hair damp, indicating he had washed quickly.

“You’ll be joining me, so prepare yourself,” he said, pouring himself a glass of water from a pitcher in the corner of the room.

“What kind of preparation? There’s not much for me to do except mentally prepare,” she replied.

“Joining you…? You mean you’re taking me there?” Lirette asked, incredulity in her voice.

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“It’s only natural for a servant attending to the master’s personal needs to accompany them to such events.”

“I’m not really your servant, though,” she protested.

“If you want to maintain appearances, you’ll have to play the role in public as well,” he retorted.

Lirette clutched the invitation tightly in her hand.

“I don’t want to go.”

He let out a derisive laugh and set his glass down.

“So you expect me to leave you here alone for an extended period? That’s a brilliant plan. Considering your condition, where your limbs stiffen from paralysis without my intervention, should I let you collapse and risk someone seeing you like that? And who do you think would take responsibility for that? You?”

His rapid-fire tirade chilled her to the core.

He really had a way with words—words that could cut deep and irritate her all over again. She wondered if something had put him in a particularly foul mood today, as he seemed even more ruthless than usual.

Lirette glared at him with an expression that screamed, Do you even understand what you’re saying?

Valderion didn’t avoid her gaze. Their eyes locked in a tense standoff, the unspoken conflict simmering between them.

“Do you hate it that much?”

“…”

“If you truly don’t want to go, I can give you one way out,” he said, a dangerous glint appearing in his golden eyes. The look made her instinctively take a step back, sensing something unsettling. But it wasn’t long before Valderion closed the distance with two long strides and grabbed her.

In the blink of an eye, he pulled her toward him, and their lips collided in a sudden, forceful kiss.