Chapter 21: Geoffrey Caspian’s Secret Hobby
It was fine at first—seeing Lavinia lose her temper and faint—but then…
“I think I might be bloated too,” Mio muttered, pressing her hand against her chest and grimacing.
Truly, peace of mind was the best. No matter how lavish the meal, in such an uncomfortable state, digestion wouldn’t work properly. Even after eating something delicious, her stomach felt off, leaving her in a sour mood.
“Maybe a good, long nap will help.”
Back in her bedroom, she curled up just as she used to in the forest and tried to sleep. But having already rested much since morning, she couldn’t easily drift off.
“One sheep, two ducks, three sheep…”
She counted hundreds of plump, appetizing sheep and ducks, but sleep refused to come.
“…Could this be it?”
Here, there was no need to hunt or look for a place to sleep. Compared to before, her activity level had dropped noticeably.
“At this rate, I won’t get healthier—I’ll just become sluggish.”
It might be fine if she could live like this forever, but she didn’t know when she might transform into a fox. If she couldn’t run quickly, a weak animal like her would soon be left behind.
“But I can’t exactly exercise openly,” she muttered.
Everyone here seemed to think she would break if touched.
“Letting them think that works to my advantage, though,” she added.
“A pitiable young woman hopelessly in love with the Duke.”
It sounded a bit cheesy, but as long as she endured it, it was fine.
“I’ve done worse things than that!”
Mio had confessed to Geoffrey countless times—she couldn’t even count them. Shaking her head, she got off the bed and stood bravely.
“This should be enough for running.”
She opened the wardrobe, took out the darkest robe she could find, and draped it over herself, then carefully peered outside. The Caspian estate lay deeply asleep under the darkness. The guards weren’t especially vigilant, so no one would notice her wandering the corridors at night.
“Besides, who would dare try to steal anything with Geoffrey Caspian around?”
Moreover, the estate didn’t scream luxury. Portraits lined the walls, and statues stood along the hallways, but flashy, valuable items were hard to find.
Mio had assumed Geoffrey’s life was far different from reality.
“Every day must be full of wild parties…”
The daily life she had witnessed was suffocatingly mundane: sword practice, meetings, reviewing documents, riding to inspect the estate. He didn’t host parties and had refused all invitations. Hosting one here was almost unimaginable.
“I’ve wasted time thinking about Geoffrey again,” she scolded herself, clenching her fists as she tiptoed down the corridor.
Under the faint light, her shadow wavered across old frames.
“Ah-choo!”
It was colder outside than she expected. Mio pressed the hood of her cloak firmly over her head as the sharp wind bit at her cheeks.
“Once I finish this, maybe it wouldn’t be so bad to go live somewhere warm, like Ekaraw.”
She felt slightly uneasy about a place she hadn’t seen before, but anywhere would do as long as it wasn’t Caspian’s estate.
“What if the crow lied?”
Though she had struggled to adapt to forest life, she had gotten along relatively well. Still, she couldn’t exactly call the crow a friend.
“He’s a liar who only spews curses,” she muttered, recalling the crow and imagining the winter forest before her eyes.
In the forest, Mio had been an oddity. She had little hunting ability and couldn’t eat raw meat soaked in blood. She subsisted on fruits and plants and occasionally scavenged scraps of roasted meat left by hunters.
Lost in thought, she wandered deeper into the woods, scanning her surroundings before moving. This was something she couldn’t be caught doing.
“Definitely no one’s here.”
Who would come to the lake at this hour? There were even bizarre local legends about mermaids singing by the lake at night.
“Mermaids aren’t scary at all.”
What frightened her were humans, indiscriminately slaughtering animals for no reason.
“Then, for survival… one, two~!”
She spread her arms and jumped in place. Her cumbersome dress caught on her ankles, preventing graceful movements. After just a few minutes of this intense activity, she was exhausted.
Huff… huff…
Her back was damp, and beads of sweat ran down her cheeks.
“Looks like I’ll die before even finding a destined partner.”
She needed a short break. Leaning against a large tree near the pond, she stared at the moonlight shimmering on the water, lost in a nostalgic haze.
“That’s when I lost that plump duck…”
She didn’t understand why she had risked it when she couldn’t even eat raw meat.
“Just thinking about that day… ugh.”
Mio shook her head lightly, scattering leaves.
“Ah, the scent of the trees is so good.”
Suddenly, she hugged the tree tightly. The tree gave generously of itself, offering shelter and comfort.
Without the leaf litter, she might have frozen to death in the forest. And without climbing trees to escape fierce animals, she could have been eaten. She lingered, reminiscing, when she heard digging nearby.
“…?”
Someone was definitely close.
Mio crept silently toward the sound. If anyone saw her like this, she planned to silence them.
“I can’t leave a threat alive.”
A sinister gleam appeared in her pumpkin-colored eyes.
As she drew nearer, a figure crouched by the pond, just as the water began to ripple. Hidden behind neatly trimmed cypress trees, she observed the suspicious movements. The broad shoulders and large frame made it obvious it was a man.
“…What’s he doing out here at this hour?”
He was furiously digging where daffodils bloomed, the sound of metal, stone, and earth clashing ringing out.
Thud, thud, thud.
Suddenly, he rose in a bizarre manner, almost causing Mio to fall on her backside.
“…Huff.”
When she finally saw his face, she let out an audible gasp. She hastily covered her mouth, but he might have noticed.
“Even if I hide it, he won’t fail to recognize those cold eyes.”
It was Geoffrey.
He had told her earlier he had urgent business that forced him to leave her and Lavinia behind. Why was he now digging into the ground?
Perhaps he returned early. Or maybe he hadn’t gone out at all.
But what caught Mio’s attention most were his large hands.
“His hands… they’re covered in blood.”
In the moonlight, Geoffrey’s hands were stained deep red.
“…Blood… Geoffrey… madness.”
Mio’s face drained of color with fear.
A gust of wind swept through the quiet garden, dislodging her hood. And then a memory surfaced in her confused mind:
“They say bodies are buried in every corner of the garden, and at night, ghosts of the Caspian family sometimes appear.”
She wasn’t sure if she’d heard it or read it, but she remembered it vividly. The thought of witnessing such a scene made her jaw tremble.
“Right… something strange happened before too.”
Previously, she had overheard a conversation between Geoffrey and Samuel:
“Master, there’s no way to bring back the dead.”
“Since it’s as if I killed it, I’ll bury it with my own hands.”
Who had died? Or who had killed whom?
“…Who is Geoffrey burying now?”
Being close to him recently had dulled her judgment and vigilance. Geoffrey had never been an ordinary man, even in the original story.
“Did I foolishly think we were close?”
Perhaps the scent of Geoffrey she liked had clouded her mind. Seeing today’s events made her doubt all of his past actions.
“Does he always bury corpses this secretly?”
But for now, avoiding being seen and returning safely was her priority. If she stayed, she might end up in the adjacent pit. Mio cautiously backpedaled, but her trembling legs betrayed her.
“…Uh… uh!”
At such a critical moment, she tripped. Flailing to stay upright, she fell forward.
“…Ugh.”
She hit her forehead on a rock, dizzy, though the tension dulled any pain. Muttering that she probably hadn’t been seen, she braced herself with her hands on the grass.
Rustle, rustle.
Footsteps crushed the grass, and a long shadow enveloped her entirely.
“…You again?”
Geoffrey stood before her, his voice laced with irritation.
“I need to get through this moment first.”
If he knew she had seen him, she might be dragged off immediately. She dared not lift her head and pleaded instead.
“I… I didn’t see anything. Really.”
Not fully understanding what she was saying, Mio groveled. But for tomorrow to come, today had to pass. Stifling her tears, she begged him, and he half-sat with one knee up.
“What’s this now?”
His large hand grabbed her jaw as if pulling it.
“…Gah.”
Mio’s breathing was choked. Fear consumed her, and red blood slid down her face, cold and lifeless.
