LUW 69

Chapter 69

At those words, Cecilia’s cheeks turned red.

Wearing matching rings together… Whenever Pierre suddenly said something so embarrassingly romantic, Cecilia would freeze up, unsure how to respond.

Then Pierre would just smile, as if even her stiffness was adorable.

Cecilia stiffly excused herself, telling Pierre to finish his work, and returned to her room.

“You’d have to have actually dated someone to handle that…”

Muttering to herself, she pressed her still-warm cheek.

It was always her who blushed and panicked in moments like this, while Pierre remained calm and collected. That fact alone made her feel slightly defeated.

She vowed that next time, she’d be the one to make Pierre flustered. Then she noticed the box in her hand.

Opening it again, she saw the silver bracelet inside. It had a clean, simple design and wasn’t too heavy—perfect for Leo, which was why she had chosen it.

Because of her conversation with Richmond, she had completely forgotten about the bracelet. She hadn’t expected it to end up back in her hands like this.

Since it had, she figured she might as well give it to Leo. But as she carefully took out the bracelet, something dropped from beneath it.

It was a small note, hidden underneath the bracelet.

“A note…?”

Cecilia trailed off as she unfolded it. The handwriting was familiar—she’d seen it earlier in the note Richmond had handed to Pierre.

Had he written another letter? With that thought, she began to read it carefully.

[Cecilia, since there are too many ears around, I’m conveying my message through this letter.
Leo is my property. A slave I raised under extremely dangerous circumstances.
It’s time to return him to me. Come alone to the lake inside the Withered Forest, two hours after sunset.
If you’re even a minute late, I’ll personally bring the slave certificate to House Niberius.
And when that happens, Kargo will be branded as the thief who stole my slave.]

Cecilia froze after reading the short letter. There were no difficult words, but the meaning didn’t sink in right away.

Saying Leo was his property… that he had to be returned—none of it felt real.

She muttered under her breath, “What kind of nonsense is this…?”

Still confused, her eyes landed on the phrase: two hours after sunset. When Richmond had left, the sun had already gone down.

That meant she had less than two hours left.

To reach the lake in the Withered Forest in time, she would have to ride at full speed.

“If not, Kargo will be a thief who stole my slave.”

Richmond was exactly the kind of man who would carry out such a threat. Cecilia realized she didn’t have time to sit and analyze things. But at the very least, she wanted to hear the truth directly from Leo before accepting Richmond’s version of the story.

She believed that was the right thing to do.

“…There’s no time to tell Pierre.”

With that, she made up her mind and hurried out.

Cecilia mounted Notcha. Despite the long time apart, the horse recognized her right away and let her ride without resistance.

She told the startled stablehand to inform Pierre that she would be back soon and not to worry, then galloped away.

Though her body leaned on Notcha for balance, her mind felt like it was about to explode. After deciding, she’d quickly put on a robe and headed to Leo’s room.

But Leo wasn’t there.

Where had he gone? Despite her urgency, Cecilia couldn’t find him and had no choice but to head to the meeting spot.

Whatever Richmond said, she would decide only after hearing Leo’s side.

Still, anxiety clung to her.

She rode hard for a long time, arriving just in time at the lake within the Withered Forest.

Under the bright full moon, the blue moonlight shimmered on the surface of the lake. Cecilia dismounted, lightly tying Notcha to a tree.

As she walked slowly inward, she sensed a presence.

“We meet again so soon, Cecilia.”

That familiar, sticky voice belonged to Richmond. He stepped out from the dark woods, removing his robe.

Cecilia stopped in her tracks, facing him.

Richmond looked past her with his snake-like eyes and smiled.

“You made it just in time. Alone, no less.”

As he spoke with satisfaction, Cecilia warned him firmly.

“If you try anything just because I came alone, it’ll backfire. I told Pierre I was meeting my uncle. If I don’t return safely, you’ll be the obvious suspect.”

Richmond appeared to be alone, but Cecilia could sense otherwise. Something with a threatening, murderous aura lurked deeper in the shadows of the forest.

Gripping the sword hidden beneath her robe, she readied herself. Richmond laughed.

“Haha, no need to be scared. Would your dear uncle really harm his own niece?”

“Cut the nonsense. Just explain what that letter meant.”

Cecilia swallowed dryly as she spoke. Richmond shrugged.

“Wasn’t it clear enough? Leo Nivenis, right? Interesting name you gave him.”

“It’s true we gave him a new identity since his past was unclear. But that doesn’t mean he was—”

“Of course it does. That boy is a slave who escaped from me.”

“…”

“Go on, tell me—what was Leo like back then?”

Richmond’s eyes gleamed with the madness of a fanatic.

Cecilia knew Richmond’s personality was nothing like her other uncles’.

While the others may have looked rough on the outside, they were careful and kind in truth. Richmond, on the other hand, despite his gentle appearance, would sometimes show a chillingly cold expression devoid of all humor.

Now, his true nature had emerged, radiating a suffocating menace.

When Cecilia didn’t respond right away, he sneered.

“Quiet now? Then let me guess. He was always on edge, reacted little to outside stimuli—like a soulless doll.”

With every word, Cecilia’s face grew darker. Sensing his advantage, Richmond smiled wider.

“But there was one moment when his eyes would change—when he held a sword, or faced prey. In other words, when the urge to kill awakened.”

Memories rushed through Cecilia’s mind.

A long time ago, the young Leo her father brought home was much quieter and hostile to those around him.

He showed no interest in food, sweets, or books—nothing that usually fascinated children.

Worried, Cecilia had taken him along on a hunting trip with her uncles. She still remembered that day vividly.

Leo had smiled as he cruelly ended the bird’s life.

Her brows furrowed at the memory, and Richmond caught that small reaction.

“Ah, so you do remember something. That’s why you came here after reading my letter, isn’t it?”

“Don’t jump to conclusions.”

“No need to be so defensive. I only came because I’m worried about you.”

“…You’re worried about me?”

“Yes. I told you, didn’t I? He’s a dangerous slave who even escaped from me.”

Richmond stepped forward, and instinctively, Cecilia stepped back.

“That boy was trained by me to be an assassin.”

“…!”

“His brutal Hakan blood made him perfect for the role. When he escaped, I was terrified. Someone like him always needs a leash. Without one, his cruelty could explode in any direction.”

Richmond clenched his fists and approached slowly.

“I searched for him for years, but I couldn’t find him. Honestly, I thought he was dead. I never imagined he’d become a mercenary of House Niberius.”

He was now close enough to touch her if he reached out his hand.

“Those hands are for killing, not for protecting. So Cecilia, hand Leo over to me.”

“…”

“I’ll take care of everything from there.”