CH 99

Inside the theater, it was an abyss.

There was a sound of people rushing toward the door as they were about to leave the theater.

Then, the sound of someone being stepped on and the sound of crying as if they were injured were intermittently heard.

I held Arsene’s hand tightly and waited for the situation to calm down.

Fortunately, we were in VIP seats, so there was no risk of being crushed by people. 

But. 

‘…I want to go out.’

I still hate the dark, but even more so when the necklace is removed.

But at least there are people, so I’m enduring it a little—.

I want to go out.

I couldn’t stand the desire to leave. When I fidgeted and bit my nails, Arsene told me not to do that and held my hand to calm me down. 

“Let’s go out now, it seems dangerous.”

“We will take you. Please come this way.” 

The Shadow Knights opened the way.

However, it was so dark ahead that I couldn’t walk properly even though I held Arsene’s hand tightly.

In the end—.

“Let me carry you, Lady.” 

A knight carried me on his back and quickly escaped the theater.

In front of the theater, people who had heard the news at some point had gathered like a cloud.

The knights quickly prepared a carriage in front of the theater. 

And as soon as the carriage arrived, Arsene and I got on, and the knights got on the horses.

I asked, meeting Arsene’s eyes.

“What on earth is going on, this?”

“I don’t know either. But… I saw something strange on the stage earlier.”

“Something strange?” 

When I asked back, Arsene nodded his head with a rather serious expression.

“It was like a human shadow. And soon after, the lights went out….” 

There was the sound of the set collapsing.

‘Did anyone get hurt?’

Of course, even if there were, I wouldn’t have been able to cure it because Kendrick asked me not to use my abilities outside—.

Still, since my ability is my ability, I was unconditionally concerned when someone was injured.

“By the way, we didn’t even know what the situation was, so we left for now?”

“Mmhm, the knights are because of Dad… they have been ordered to bring us back at once in the slightest oddity.”

Arsene answered indifferently. I nodded and looked through the carriage window.

However.

“…Huh?” 

I saw once again the man in the black hood I hadn’t seen since my last report three years ago.

“Wait a minute! Stop! Huh? No…!” 

However, the carriage didn’t stop, and the hooded man, who was staring at the carriage, disappeared shortly after. 

I shuddered with horror.

I haven’t had anything like that in the past three years, so I’ve lived peacefully.

‘I never thought something like this would happen again.’

It seemed that the knights’ goal was to bring Arsene and me to the mansion safely and unconditionally.

I endured motion sickness, swaying around in a rattling carriage with Arsene.

“By the way, Arsene, is the wolf back?”

“No, not yet.”

Arsene shook his head.

Earlier, immediately after the incident, Arsene ordered it to chase after something by using his powers.

He ordered it to go after and bite it in the back of the head or neck.

I thought of Arsene’s Shadow Wolf once again.

‘It was so big, the wolf.’

It was as big as a newborn puppy when I first saw it.

Now it was as tall as Arsene. As tall as he was, it was smart enough to listen well and do its job well, so I would sometimes beg Arsene to use his ability even in the mansion. 

“Really… is it fun?” 

“Of course! How cute it is!” 

When I said that, Arsene would use his power to summon the shadow wolf and pretend he couldn’t win.

Arsene’s shadow wolf has recently developed to the point where Kendrick praises him.

Now, it is possible to subdue and bring one person.

However—.

“Why is there no news yet?”

No matter how much it was running in a carriage, Arsene’s ability was a shadow.

I wouldn’t know again if it brought it to the mansion faster than a carriage.

Maybe something happened to Arsene’s shadow wolf that there has been no news for a long time.

Suddenly, an ominous feeling came over me.

But, at that time. 

“Grrrr!”

I heard Arsene’s shadow wolf somewhere.

“Come in.”

At Arsene’s command, the Shadow Wolf slowly emerged from the air.

However.

What it held in its teeth wasn’t a person but a piece of clothing.

That too—.

‘This…’

It’s familiar clothes.

The shadow wolf precisely grabbed the black hood by the neck and tore only the hood. 

I don’t know how he escaped from the shadow wolf’s teeth, but Arsene’s attack must have surprised him a lot.

I put my palm under the shadow wolf’s hand and patted the wolf’s head with my other hand.

Then the shadow wolf obediently spits a piece of clothing in my hand.

“This… I think this is right.”

I’ve never seen anyone else wearing a hood like this.

Besides—.

‘I saw it on the street earlier, a man wearing a hood.’

Maybe what this kid snatched was the man’s hat.

After Arsene and I praised the Shadow Wolf a lot, we looked at the pieces of clothing.

“Linsy, do you know what this is?”

I nodded my head without hesitation.

“Yeah, that’s a piece of clothing.”

“No, you fool, who doesn’t know that it’s a piece of clothing….” 

Arsene touched his forehead. I glanced at Arsene and said. 

“A piece of clothing worn by a man in a black hood. Why, I told you. I’ve been looking at a guy since before. But it’s exactly what he wears.”

I eagerly nodded while talking, and Arsene narrowed his eyes and looked at the piece of clothing for a while, then nodded.

“Then let’s take it to Dad. We might find out something.”

“Mmhm. Let’s go quickly.”

“This is going as fast as possible.”

“Who asked you to go quickly?”

After exchanging a few words with Arsene, I turned my head away.

The carriage ran fast and arrived at the Yeckhart mansion.

When the carriage arrived earlier than expected, surprised servants came out to greet us.

Ethan came out first and greeted us.

“Lady, Young Master. What happened to the play and you’re already here…?” 

“There was an accident in the middle of the play. What about Dad?”

“Lord Kendrick received an urgent call and left. He probably won’t come back today.”

“What?”

I opened my eyes wide when I was told he wouldn’t return today.

I have to tell Kendrick right away about a strange thing I’ve been through today.

Arsen and I stamped our feet and wondered what to do.

‘First of all, we should wait?’

I whispered to Arsene, and Arsene nodded his head.

‘Mmhm, let’s wait for now.’

Ethan watched us carefully.

“Is there something happened?” 

“No, it’s nothing. I’m hungry, can I eat first?”

“Of course, I will prepare it. Please go and change your clothes first. Betty, Chloe!”

When Ethan called, Betty and Chloe appeared and took Arsene and me to separate rooms.

The piece of clothing torn by the Shadow Wolf was now in Arsene’s hand.

‘Arsene will keep it well, right?’

It would be a big deal if he lost it, so I’ll tell him to give it to Ethan.

While I was thinking, Betty took off my dress and put me on a pajama dress.

She tied my long, loose red hair together to make it easier for me to move.

“Lady, is there something happened?”

“Ung? Mmhm, I was watching a play at the theater when I suddenly heard something explode and the lights went out. So we can’t watch the play anymore, and the knights took us right back to the mansion.”

“Oh my… such a thing. Lady, are you hurt anywhere?”

“Ung? Mmhm, no one was hurt. It’s okay! Come to think of it, my necklace is with Arsene, and I have to go get it.”

The necklace Arsene took it out and put it in his pocket because he thought it would be a target. 

It was a gift from Kendrick in the past, so it was a very precious necklace to me.

Besides. 

‘Because it shines in a dark place.’

I could see it as a customized gift for me.

I grabbed Betty’s hand and went down to the dining room.

The sound of dragging indoor slippers sounded especially loud today.

Arsene hadn’t eaten yet and was sitting at the table waiting for me.

I casually sat down at the table and asked Arsene.

“Arsene, how is the clothes?”

“Mmh, but I left it with Ethan because I was worried about losing it.”

“Good job, as expected from my friend.” 

I answered back, sliced my share of the fish dish, and put it in my mouth.

Arsene still didn’t like carrots and vegetables, so he took another carrot out of the soup and put it to the side.

“Right, Arsene. You have to give me the necklace.”

“Necklace?” 

“Yeah, the one you took out earlier.”

As I pretended to take it off my neck, Arsene opened his mouth a little and made a noise as if he only knew then.

“Ung, it’s in my room. I’ll go up and give it to you.”

I couldn’t even imagine it until now.

The precious necklace would have been broken.