Chapter 15

Deep-set blue eyes, as if it holds the cloudless autumn sky within it.

Its beautiful sparkle is the same as how I remember.

But somewhere somehow, darkness loomed over it, and his penetrating blue eyes seemed like an empty eye of a doll made out of clay.

Despite this, his eyes instantaneously sparkled upon seeing me.

“······!”

My breath hitched.

The moment his eyes sparkled seemed to make every notion very, very slow.

As if recognizing me immediately, his blue eyes opened wide and were immediately filled with indescribable emotions.

And in the midst of it, a familiar madness could also be seen.

I couldn’t bear to continue looking at his unabated gaze…

“Ah, aah······.”

My whole body trembled. I could feel Letizia looking anxiously at me, but words just can’t come out of my lips.

I could feel the pulse on my neck, pounding. And the blood that flowed through my lips permeated inside, and it tasted fishy. At that moment, I suddenly came to my senses.

We shouldn’t get caught!

On the other hand, I also thought that we shouldn’t just run away.

I was the only person here who could sort out the lies that the Osborne’s made.

But the moment Calix strode towards me, my mind went blank.

I hugged Letizia and ran as hard as I could. It was a short distance to the back door. My heart thumped with fear; I was so scared.

I couldn’t think of anything and could only shed tears. I was afraid to face him again.

Calix, why are you looking for me?

It’s already been seven years······.

Could I have misunderstood you?

‘But······ But······.’

At that time, I’m sure I saw Calix kiss Sia in the Imperial Palace’s garden. And rather than pushing her away, he smiled at her like they were lovers.

As a result, it made me aware of my situation and decided to flee from the plot of the novel’s story to escape my tragic fate. Seven years. I couldn’t bring those years back anymore, nor could I abandon the people who have become my new family.

Clang! The back door opened. Then I rushed into the pitch-black darkness of the night. And the voice calling for me from behind my back resonated heartbreakingly.

“Laure!”

*         *         *

I ran with all my might. And I don’t know how far we’ve come. But despite my mind being in such a mess, it seemed that I have instinctively taken the getaway route that we prepared in advance just in case something like this happened. And we seemed to have safely escaped from Calix.

As I threw my gaze toward the main street, I could see that the lights were still active. It means there will still be a carriage if we want to go now.

As I headed there in a hurry, Letizia hugged my neck tightly.

“Mom, mom, are you okay?”

“Yes. Don’t worry, my baby.”

“The mister earlier, his name was Cal Roch.”

“······.”

“How does Mister Cal know Mom’s real name?”

“······That.”

I couldn’t answer and could only moisten my lips. And at the same moment, we had entered an alley leading to the main street,

I had to run into a very unwelcome person.

“Oh, my. Who is this?”

Baron James Camnell.

I tightened my arms around Letty.

“Where are you going in such a hurry at this late hour? Huh? You even brought your kid····· Oh, by any chance, are you fleeing in the middle of the night? Did you just hit Osborne in the back of his head? Huh?”

“······.”

I frowned. The smell of alcohol grew stronger, as Baron Camnell approached. Seeing that he was not walking correctly, he seemed to have been drinking until he was irrationally drunk.

“Don’t come close. If you don’t want to get hurt.”

I said, showing off the ring Alice gave me. Camnell only glanced at it and chuckled.

“What can you even do with that? Are you going to attack me? This James Camnell? Arrogant bitch. I liked you, but you didn’t even know how to be grateful······.”

“······Haa.”

I looked at Camnell with a fed-up expression on my face. These obnoxious guys always take the stick and wrap it up, saying, “I liked you.” Even though the person concerned was scared to the point of feeling personally threatened.

That’s why I had to accept Will’s helping hand.

“If you touch me, Alice won’t stay still. Then the Lord will surely be furious, are you certain you don’t mind living in a small house?”

I warned in a harsh voice. But Camnell was utterly indifferent, and he just continuously came closer towards me with a grotesque laugh.

“Conceited wench! Even though my father doesn’t like me, did you really think he’s going to punish me for messing with just one boring bitch like you?”

As soon as Camnell was about to reach his hand out to me.

Light flew from somewhere and hit him straight on the forehead. Afterward, Camnell fell to the floor with a thud. I stumbled back. Seeing that he was completely knocked out.

‘Who is it?’

I looked around, and a familiar voice relieved my anxiety.

“Rose! Are you all right?”

“A, Alice!”

It was none other than Alice who fired the light. It was a fainting spell that Camnell was hit by.

Alice said that she felt a commotion while passing by the street and came this way.

“But I didn’t expect Rose to be here. And that you were also caught by this bastard·······. What the hell is going on in the middle of the night? Why did you bring Letty out?”

“That······.”

I briefly explained the situation to Alice. She soon nodded as she understood and asked anxiously.

“Would you be okay like this? Without even trying to talk with his grace? What if····· you could have just misunderstood something.”

“······I’m scared, Alice.”

I said, lowering my head.

“There’s something I’ve been afraid of all my life. But I couldn’t tell anyone. Because I’m sure, no one will believe it.”

“······.”

“Seven years have passed, but that fear still hasn’t disappeared. After leaving the capital and staying here, I gained peace, but there were still times when I had nightmares that I couldn’t even remember once I woke up, and I feel terrified.”

“Laure·····.”

“Furthermore. Now, we have to go all of a sudden. I feel sorry for Will and Sean, who were already like a family to me.”

I sighed. Alice put her hand on my shoulder and patted me gently.

“They won’t be angry even if you suddenly go and come back. They’ll welcome you instead. But first, since it’s so late at night, let’s find a place where we can stay. It’s cold.”

I nodded. When I told her I was going to Brooks, Alice held the carriage door, saying, ‘Let’s do that.’

I was afraid Letizia would be shocked. Looking anxiously at the child, Letty smiled as we made eye contact.

“I’m glad Aunt Alice came to help. Because Letty can’t do anything yet.”

“······Is that so.”

I felt a strange sense of incompatibility with the child’s words. Letty was innocent and childish, but sometimes she doesn’t act her age.

I guess it’s because he’s a smart kid, and maybe, she’s really just particularly special.

‘She’s certainly not just like any six-year-old.’

I smiled at the child, hiding my awkwardness. Whatever the case, Letty is my daughter. But Letty’s following words surprised me even more.

“Mom. The angel in my dream, she said that I’m going to meet my dad today.”

“······What?”

I opened my eyes wide with surprise. Then Letty continued talking.

“By the way, the angel said to be careful, because·······.”

“Rose, Letty! Hurry, get in!”

Letty’s words were cut off, and we could not continue the conversation. Looking back, Alice was waving her hand beside the carriage. It had something to be repaired for a while, and it seemed to be over soon.

“Let’s get in the carriage, for now, Letty.”

“Okay!”

Letty smiled broadly and nodded. She must have been excited to go to the pebble beach in Brooks.

I hid my sorry expression and headed for the carriage. We were about to get on the carriage when,

Neigh!

“Uh, uh, what’s wrong with these guys?”

The horses suddenly went wild. The horseman panicked and grabbed the reins tightly. However, the horses could hardly calm down and could only continuously give off some brays.

“Alice?”

I looked back at Alice, which has been quiet for a while. She’s somehow standing still for no reason.

“Ali······.”

It was the moment I was about to reach out to her.

Whick!

Like a strong wind, or like a lightning bolt, something passed by between us. No, it was a sword. An invisible blade that can only be used by a knight who has risen to a master swordsman level.

And it cut the horse’s throat in a blink of an eye.

I quickly covered Letizia’s eyes. Letty complained that she was frustrated, not knowing what had happened.

But it’s not possible for me to show the child the gruesome sight in front of us. I managed to swallow a scream that was about to burst out—Someone·· ····.

Someone killed a horse with a sword. To stop this carriage from leaving.

Who it is, I already had a hunch.

Alice inhaled loudly next to me. She caught her stomach and gasped, looking in one direction. My eyes naturally turned there, too.

In the darkness where the streetlights could not reach, he walked out.

His appearance was like a messenger from the underworld—the reaper who came to take my soul.

Dressed only in dark clothes from head to toe, he approached our way, flashing his dead blue eyes.

“Cal······ lix······.”

His name flowed out like a groan through my lips. Calix laughed crookedly as he looked at me. It was a horribly decadent smile.

“You’re very good at running away.”

“······.”

“I didn’t know you had such a knack. I had no idea. No, is that the magician’s tricks?”

He strode towards me and finally stood in front of me.

He glanced at Letizia, whose eyes were still covered, and looked at the horse with the severed head.

Then he took something out of his pocket and threw it into the horse’s body.

Soon, a fire flared up, and the dead horses were swallowed up by the flames.

“······.”

I was dazed by the thought that he was considerate of Letizia.

No, if he had thought about Letizia, he wouldn’t have cut the horse’s neck in the first place.

I asked Alice to take care of Letty, and stood face to face with Calix.

My heartbeat with fear and my whole body trembled.

I clasped my hands tightly. Trying to push down the desire to run away.

Alice is right.

I shouldn’t have tried to disappear without even having any conversations with him, who came this far just to find me.

Besides, I had to deal with the lies made by Osborne’s because of me. If I don’t step up, Calix will not let them go.

‘I can’t let that happen. The reason they lied is because of me.’

Calix, who was staring at me, slowly said after a long time.

“It has been seven years.”

He looked calmer than I thought. ······No, he was just raging quietly. Like a typhoon that was silently brewing above a vast open sea.

His blue eyes glanced over me slowly. My body trembled at the touch of the glare.

“Who told you to run away as you please?”

“······.”

“I thought I was going crazy. No, I have gone crazy.”

“······.”

“Your face comes to my mind all day long, and even in my dreams, there would be none but you. Even up to this moment, I’m doubting if what was standing before me was not just made of my imagination. Is what I’m looking at real? Is it you?”

Calix reached out his hand. Trying to confirm that I’m not just one of his fantasies. He came close, holding my cheek.

As soon as our skin touched, I flinched for a moment and remained silent.

Then suddenly, he called my name.

“Laure.”

“······.”

“Laure, answer me.”

“······Yes.”

Calix lowered his head and slowly looked at my face, intently.

His big hands weren’t as warm as I remember. It was as cool as a dry autumn leaf and as rough as sandpaper.

Mae’s Notes:

It’s just a reader’s guess, but I think Sia was a witch or a devil, and Letizia was an Angel sent by Phoenix to save Laure and Calix. What do you guys think?