What Remains in the Damaged Place - Chapter 46

Lirette smiled softly as Segen ran up to her, his face lighting up with delight upon seeing her.

“Helping someone in need again today?” she teased, recalling the time he had carried a box of groceries all the way to the kitchen for her. Segen scratched the back of his head, looking a little embarrassed.

“I’ll thank you on their behalf. You’re always helping out,” she added with a playful grin.

Laughing in response, Segen glanced at the carriage and said, “I heard you’re accompanying the master today.”

“Yeah,” she replied, though her attire already made it obvious.

Instead of her usual black dress and white apron, she wore an outdoor maid’s uniform, made of a sturdy carnation-colored fabric, with a slightly darker bodice that gave off a more practical, active appearance.

“Take care,” Segen said, smiling.

“Thanks. I hope I can,” she murmured, stifling a sigh as she thought about the name Dylan written on the invitation.

At that moment, Lirette sensed someone approaching from behind.

Valderion, dressed impeccably, was descending the stairs, speaking briefly to the butler before heading toward the carriage. Lirette, intending to say goodbye to Segen, found her eyes meeting Valderion’s instead.

There are people who can communicate their intentions with just a look.

He was one of them.

Lirette quickly approached him, hoping to prevent him from doing something odd to Segen like he had before.

Valderion gave her a brief once-over, his gaze traveling from her head to her toes. Without warning, he wrapped his arm around her waist and lifted her effortlessly into the carriage, before she could even think to protest.

“Let’s get going,” he said, leaving some last instructions with the butler and head maid before climbing into the carriage himself.

“W-wait, I’m riding in this one?” she stammered.

“Of course.”

“I thought I’d ride in the baggage cart…” she muttered.

“You’re not cargo, are you?”

So she was to sit in the same carriage with him all the way to the mountain where the hunting tournament was being held?

Lirette grasped the carriage door, still open. “I’m fine with riding in the baggage cart.”

Before she could jump down, his arm wrapped around her waist again, pulling her back.

“Don’t waste energy on unnecessary things,” he said quietly, his voice carrying a hint of warning. He tugged her back inside and slammed the door shut.

Before she could make another attempt, the carriage began moving. Causing a scene now would only tire her out, just as he’d said. Lirette reluctantly sat back, feeling a growing tightness in her chest as the reality of the situation settled in.

“How long until we reach Montverre Mountain?” she asked.

“Not too long,” Valderion replied, crossing his arms and suddenly breaking into a chuckle.

“Do you dislike being in the same space as me that much?”

“I didn’t say that.”

“Your face says otherwise.”

Surprised, Lirette touched her cheeks, wondering if her expression had really given her away. Seeing her fall for his teasing, Valderion’s smirk widened.

He’s messing with me again, she thought, annoyed. Glaring at him briefly, she turned her gaze to the window.

It was only then that it hit her—she had actually left the estate today.

“It’s been a while since you’ve been out,” Valderion remarked, stating the obvious.

Lirette watched as the city passed by outside the window. The familiar buildings and landscape blurred past, but they felt strangely foreign after so long.

“Isn’t it suffocating?” he asked suddenly.

“What is?” she asked, unsure what he was referring to.

He tapped his head lightly with his fingers. “That bonnet.”

“Oh.”

Realizing what he meant, Lirette fiddled with the strings tied under her chin. It did feel odd to be wearing the bonnet inside the carriage, so she quietly untied it and took it off. She ran her fingers through her silver hair, smoothing it down where it had gotten tousled.

When she finally looked up, she found Valderion watching her intently.

This was what made being around him so uncomfortable.

He had a way of staring at people—so intensely it made them uncomfortable.

It was unsettling, to say the least.

“Is there anything I should be aware of?” Lirette asked, trying to sound casual. Valderion leaned against the windowsill, resting his chin on his bent arm.

“During the hunting tournament, you’ll be staying in a tent within the campsite. Normally, I stay at the palace, but since you’re accompanying me this time…” He left the rest of his sentence unfinished, opening the upper window to let in the cool breeze. Her silver hair fluttered in the wind.

“When we arrive at the camp, I’ll need to head straight to the palace for the opening ceremony. Stay in the tent and don’t get into trouble,” he said.

Lirette nodded in agreement.

The carriage continued its journey toward the place she least wanted to go—Montverre Mountain—without the slightest hesitation.

Montverre Mountain was the personal property of Crown Prince Dylan. The mountain was vast, its thick forest growing denser as one ventured further, with towering trees that often blocked the view and paths. Wild beasts frequently roamed the area, making it easy for visitors to get lost.

Originally, it was a restricted zone, but when Dylan took control, it was transformed into a royal hunting ground. One of his first actions was clearing the dense jungle-like forest and establishing a small palace, which was decorated with silver instead of gold. Due to this, it became known as the Silver Palace.

“We’ve arrived at the mountain,” Valderion remarked.

The journey to Montverre Mountain was not particularly long. Though it lay outside the capital, it was close enough to the royal palace that it didn’t warrant calling it a true journey.

As the familiar entrance to the mountain came into view, Lirette felt her heartbeat quicken.

Montverre Mountain…

To her, this place was like a dreadful abyss.

As the paved road turned into a bumpy mountain path, the carriage rocked violently. Lirette couldn’t tell if the shaking was from the uneven road or the tremors of anxiety welling up inside her. Memories, like an illness, crept up on her, gradually overwhelming her senses.

“Have you been here before?” Valderion’s voice broke through her thoughts.

“Huh? Oh.” She blinked at the lush scenery flashing past the window and responded belatedly. “Yes, I have.”

Dylan often visited the mountain, even when there wasn’t a grand event like this. His gruesome hobby of hunting people extended from the ornate palace to this thick, ominous forest.

She could still remember the times she had fled through the dense woods, her bare feet pounding against the earth as she scrambled to escape.

Bang, bang!

Dylan always gave himself away with the sound of gunfire as he pursued her. To avoid being hit by one of his reckless bullets, she had run as if her life depended on it.

Until her throat tasted like blood.

Until her Achilles tendons screamed in pain, and her legs wobbled.

Until her body was drenched in cold sweat…

“Yes, I’ve been here many times,” she said quietly.

Lost in thought, she barely noticed that the carriage had slowed down, signaling their arrival at the campsite.

Though she had been to Montverre Mountain many times before, it was always with Dylan, and they had always stayed at the Silver Palace. This would be her first time seeing the external campsite.

From the word “campsite,” she had imagined something rugged and sparse, but the reality was far from that. It was well-equipped, especially the tent assigned to Valderion, which was nearly as luxurious as his bedroom back in the capital.

Lirette couldn’t help but be quietly impressed as she looked around.

Valderion, however, seemed indifferent, giving the tent a quick once-over before speaking.

“As I mentioned earlier, I’ll need to head to the palace right away.” He downed a glass of water, seemingly unfazed by the heat.

“More guests will start arriving soon. There might be people here who recognize you, so stay in the tent and keep out of sight.”

“Understood.”

With that, he left the tent.

Lirette hesitated before sitting cautiously on a nearby sofa. Even without his warning, she had no intention of leaving the tent. Just looking at the forest from the carriage window had been enough to make her heart race with anxiety. If she went outside and saw the forest with her own eyes, she feared her heart might literally give out.

The ghosts of her past haunted her still.

Sinking into the backrest, Lirette closed her eyes. The vibrant energy of the summer day outside contrasted sharply with the heavy, sinking feeling inside her.

***

Camille was troubled.

“According to our investigation, it is true that the Blewit Marquis family was eradicated. There have been no rumors or reports of any survivors, not even false ones. It seems highly unlikely that there’s been any fabrication regarding their fate.”

This was the conclusion his butler had reached after conducting a thorough investigation. The Blewit family, which had been branded traitors, had been entirely wiped out. There was no reason to believe any bloodline survived.

And yet, Camille knew better.

Given the severity of the crime of treason, it had likely been the Justitia family who had dealt with the situation. And if there was one thing Camille was certain of, it was that the Justitia family was nothing if not thorough.

If there had been any surviving bloodline, the Justitia family would have erased their existence from the world.

This left Camille feeling deeply conflicted.